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1.) April Fool's Day is April 1, but I don't see why I have to confine my foolishness to one day a year. How about you?

• Page Idea: What "foolish" thing have you done lately? What spurred you to do this outrageous stunt? Take a photo of you and a symbol of your dementia.
• Photo Idea: This is a perfect way to show off silly signs and foolish directions. I have a photo I took of a gas station in Florida that offered "ELF service" instead of "SELF service." Recently I photographed a sign for home maid food. Hmm. Does it mean they've chopped up young women? How about stupid street signs. I have a picture of a crossroad where the street name is the same going either way. That's confusing!
• Journaling Idea: My son is intrigued by my most embarrassing moments. He loves them. I guess when puberty hits, a guy feels a modicum of comfort in hearing about his mother's foibles. You might want to jot down a few moments you'd rather forget and share them with your children as they go through awkward stages.

2.) April 2 is the birthday of Hans Christian Andersen. His oft-told fairytales include The Little Match Girl, Thumbelina, and The Ugly Duckling. This might be a great opportunity to have a family movie night and show the 1952 film of Hans Christian Andersen starring Danny Kaye.

• Journaling Idea: What are your family's favorite fairytales? Which stories frightened your children? What fairytale did you most relate to? What fairytale has been a metaphor for your life?
• Page Idea: Use fairytale themes and illustrations to document your daily life. For example, do you need a fairy godmother? Or have you ever felt nine feet tall like Thumbelina did?
• Photo Idea: Photograph any books of fairytales that you have in your home.

3.) April 7 is Motherhood and Beauty Day in Armenia. I love the idea that the Armenians see these two attributes as natural allies. Ever think about what makes a woman beautiful? I think all mothers are beautiful because all mothers look at their children with love-filled faces. (Except today when I wanted to strangle my offspring! Then I think, "Boy, am I glad no one was around to take a photo of that!")

• Journaling Idea: Find quotations mothers can relate to. Here are a few examples:

"Taking joy in life is a woman's best cosmetic." --Rosalind Russell

"For actual, living people she only had gentleness and generosity and a radiant smile that lives on in the memory of those who knew her and of everyone who turned to her for help." --Margaret Mead re: her own mother

"I base most of my fashion sense on what doesn't itch." --Gilda Radner

"The phrase 'working mother' is redundant." --Jane Sellman

• Page Idea: Create a page that describes your life before and after parenthood. There's a wonderful kids' book that describes "What did Mommy do" before the child was born. Create your own version on a page.

4.) Arbor Day was founded in the 1800s and is celebrated on April 10. When J. Sterling Morton moved to Nebraska from Detroit, he and his wife quickly planted trees, shrubs and flowers around their new home. This practice was perpetuated by Morton, who was a journalist and editor of Nebraska's first newspaper. Morton felt trees were a superior memorial to events or persons than cold marble. He said, "How much more enduring are the animate trees of our own planting." Recently while walking around an old churchyard here in England, I saw that many people here share his sentiment. Because land is at such a premium, burial space is minimal. Grieving families have found solace by planting trees and adding memorial plaques to remember loved ones instead of choosing a burial plot.

• Journaling Idea: Consider this wonderful quotation: "Trees are the earth's endless effort to speak to the listening heavens."-Rabindranath Tagore Where do you go to speak to the listening heavens? Do you have a favorite tree? A listening tree where you feel close to God?
• Photo Idea: Photograph your favorite tree in all seasons of the year. Take close up pictures of leaves, twigs and buds and far off photos of the tree's silhouette.
• Page Idea: Create a page about your favorite tree-real or imagined. Do you have a favorite species of tree? What is your State tree? Do you have a State tree near where you live?

5.) April 23 is St. George's Day. A city in ancient Palestine was under control of a blood-thirsty dragon. From eating sacrificial goats, the dragon moved on to eating local maidens, whose names were drawn in a lottery. When the king's daughter found herself the "winner" of this unlucky prize, the king sent word throughout his kingdom that he needed a champion. St. George came and slew the dragon, taking as his only prize the girdle (a belt or sash worn around the waist) of the princess and passing on the proffered one-half of a kingdom. St. George is now considered the patron saint of England, and the first true knight to ever exist.

• Journaling Idea: What dragon would you like to slay? Recently my mother quit smoking. A schoolmate of my son has given up chocolate. Another mom gave up high-fat food after a doctor diagnosed a gallstone. We all have dragons in our lives that demand blood-payment. Which dragon do you battle?
• Page Idea: Ask your family members about tough habits they've broken. How did they do it? What was the impetus for the change?
• Photo Idea: Take a photo of a representative item and the family member.

--Joanna

Joanna's new book Adventures in Journaling is available in stores now! Look for it at your local scrapbook retailer or at my-memories.net.

Joanna Campbell Slan is a professional author and motivational speaker. She is the author of Scrapbook Storytelling, Storytelling with Rubber Stamps, Quick &Easy Pages, One Minute Journaling, and I'm Too Blessed to be Depressed. Buy these books online at my-memories.net.
Joanna can be reached by e-mailing savetales@aol.com.

LEGAL STUFF:
Scrapbook Storytelling (R), Story Starters (TM) and PhotoStarters (TM) are trademarks of PaperDolls of St. Louis.
These Story Starters are used by permission and are (c) 2001 PaperDolls. All rights reserved.

If any Story Starter mailing sparks new ideas that you have, please share by sending them to me at savetales@aol.com.

Be sure to check back for new installments of this monthly column by Joanna here on About Scrapbooking!