My Biggest Accomplishment of 2012

This year I wrote and published a book!

It is a 160 page book of memoirs about growing up on a family farm. It has always been one of my life goals to write a book. This year I was able to check it off the list. I have been planning the format and gathering material and memories for this book for years, but never actually took the time to start writing until last January when I made it one of my 2012 Goals.

My book is entitled "Farmyard Vignettes". A vignette (pronounced "vin-yet") is a short, powerful, descriptive story or event. I thought it perfectly described the feel I wanted for my book. {As an aside: The name also has a special meaning for me because I grew up adoring and wanting to be just like Anne Shirley from the Anne of Green Gables series. In the movie, Anne's first published book is called "Avonlea Vignettes." I thought it was a fun way to pay homage to one of my childhood heroines.}

The book contains 30 chapters/short stories that describe various events from my childhood. There are stories about animals, farm accidents, harvests, fun with cousins, spiritual experiences and other events unique to farm life. I brainstormed for the first several months and then picked my siblings' and parents' brains every chance I got to make sure that I included all of our most memorable experiences.

During the year, I spent a couple of hours writing almost every Sunday afternoon. As Fall approached, I kicked it into high gear and often worked on it nightly. The month of September was almost entirely reserved for editing each story. The editing was definitely the most difficult part for me. I read each story at least 5 times, and it seemed I could never catch all of the mistakes, so Jonathon read each story at least twice and gave me great tips to help improve my writing. After we were done, Jonathon's Dad and Mom also read the rough draft and helped me edit. They were so nice and very complimentary, which gave me the encouragement I needed to make it to the end. About that time, Hannah came to visit and brought down every photo album we owned. I spent hours and hours scanning all of the pictures I needed. Finally, it was time to format the book. We bought and learned the program "Apple Pages" because Word was so dang frustrating. After so many months, it started to look like a real book!

Cover Art for Farmyard Vignettes (personal info has been redacted)

It took a whole year to finish, but it was so exciting and rewarding to finally achieve one of my biggest goals. I wrote the book for family and friends who knew the people and places mentioned, so I decided to self-publish the book through Lulu.com. They were kind of expensive because they are a print on demand company, so my parents were nice and helped me pay for all of the books. There are only 20 copies in circulation, but I can order more whenever I need to. I gave copies to my parents and each of my siblings. My dad also wanted to give a copy to each of his siblings (my aunts and uncles) because extended family was such a big and important part of our childhood.

Everyone knew I was writing the book, but they didn't know I had finished and published it. It was so hard to keep it a secret for 4 weeks until I could give it to them for Christmas. On Christmas Eve, I felt like a little kid because I was so excited to give everyone their own copy. Christmas morning was such a sweet experience. Everyone seemed genuinely happy and excited to see the finished product. Hannah read her book all morning, and it truly warmed my heart. All of the work and time I put into it was definitely worth it when I saw everyone laugh and smile as they remembered the wonderful experiences of our youth.

Here are some pictures from Christmas morning:

 Matt and Katie

 Daniel and Claire

Hannah reading a story about when she was little

And just in case you were interested, here is a short preview from the book that sums up my reasons for writing:

Christian and Andrew sat on the edge of their beds hanging on my every word. As I continued with the story, Christian’s eyes got wide, and he shouted excitedly from the top bunk, “I know this one. This is the one where Uncle Joe gets bit on the elbow by the pig.” I calmly replied, “Then I guess I don’t need to tell it.” The boys begged in unison, “please, please tell it again.”

I tell it... again, and again, and again. I will continue to tell these stories to my children and grandchildren for as long as anyone will listen. These stories are the stories of my life. They shaped who I am and the values I hold dear.

Christian and Andrew will know that their mom got up every morning in the bitter cold to feed calves. They will know that potatoes come from the farm, not the supermarket. They will know that cousins are meant to be best friends. They will know that miracles still happen. They will know because I will tell them.

I no longer live on the farm, but I return with my family as often as possible to partake of the clean country air, the beautiful Idaho sunsets, and the plentiful homemade bread. I return because I love the people and the way of life. My siblings and I have all gone different ways, but the lessons learned on the farm always go with us.