Tuesday, April 1, 2014

A ~ Autograph Book

An important part of every Amish teenaged girl was having an autograph book.
 
We got our friends to sign it, carried it with us to singings when ever there were visiting youth in the community, packed it in our suitcase when ever we went traveling.
 
I love reading through mine and remembering all the friends I had. Most entries I can still picture and relive the events that occurred on the day they were written.
 
My favorite "go to" verse I used to pen into my friends' autograph books was:
 
When evening draws its curtain
And pins it with a star
Remember that you have a friend
No matter where you are.
 

 
Though not a common practice, I asked my Mom to be the first one to sign my book. I really treasure that entry!

22 comments:

  1. That's a beautiful verses! I too have an autograph book from my school days! Ah those golden days... :)

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  2. This is fascinating! What an incredible keepsake to have.

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  3. I had one when I was young, too. That is a precious verse from your mom!

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  4. I had an autograph book too but I was not Amish. So did my mom, back in the day. These books have now been replaced by Facebook lol.

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  5. I have many autograph books too... from school to college and MBA and one from teachers from school too! Looking through these is a happy trip down the memory lane :)

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  6. I had one too, and smile when I look back at some of the comments and names. What a lovely verse your mother wrote.

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  7. First of all, please compliment your Mom for those beautiful verses! They truly come from the heart :) Secondly, what a great post! I had forgotten all about Autograph books that even I had as a kid. I didn't maintain them though. God only knows where they met their fate :-/

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  8. I wish I still had my autograph book! What a treasure you have there!

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  9. I had an autograph book as a child too. I'm not sure why, as they weren't common at all when I grew up.

    The verse your Mom wrote is beautiful. Such lovely words to write to your child.

    How is your Aunt Verna?
    Blessings,
    Betsy

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  10. What a beautiful keepsake, your mom's verses are wonderful. A xx

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  11. This is such a beautiful thing you have. What a treasure!

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  12. Do you still get to talk to your Mom now that you aren't Amish? I used to have an autograph book, too, when I was a teenager. Those are good memories. I look forward to your blogs every single day!

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  13. That's an interesting tradition. Kind of like signing yearbooks.

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  14. I remember having an autograph book at school for everyone to sign just before we graduated! It's wonderful that you still have it!

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  15. How sweet. When I was about 8ish, I carried around a little notepad for anyone I met to sign. All the random people were pretty nice about a kid bugging them to sign!

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  16. Hi! Coming in from the A-Z Challenge! Really nice post you got there. I wish I have an autograph too. Here in the Philippines, we also have our own "autograph," but it's more like a "slum note" where we jot down our personal info, as well as favorites and insights about everything in life. Happy blogging!

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  17. One of the things I always looked for when we visited my great grandmother's house was my great grandpa's autograph book. He died long before I was born (He was 20 years older than Great Grandma) so it gave me a tiny glimpse into the life of someone I would never meet. I often wonder who ended up with the little book in their store of treasures.

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  18. My mother signed mine first and her choice of words I have made sure to pass on. This was a lovely post!

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  19. What a lovely practice, and what fun to have the book to re-read years later. Texts are just not the same!
    Blessings,
    Linda

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  20. I love the verse you used, and that you have all those memories to look back on now.

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  21. That is a wonderful verse. My Granny used to recite almost the exact same verse to me as a child! She would say...
    "When evening draws its curtain and pins it with a star, remember that I love you no matter where you are."

    I have never forgotten this, and it is so special to my heart.

    She would tell us about her old fashioned autograph book she had in school.

    I have so enjoyed reading your blog. Can't wait to read more! Such lovely, lovely writing.
    Valerie

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  22. This is also a thriving practice among the charity groups, though my experience with it was negative so I appreciate you sharing a good side to it.

    Negative meaning, it seemed to be the 'cool' thing to do and was an obsession ... dare I say an idol? Maybe. Who has the most signatures? What said what? Did you know so-and-so said such-and-such? Etc. It got so bad I would not let me daughter have one and I told her to quit signing them.

    Thanks again for sharing.

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Thank you so much for taking time to comment. I love hearing your thoughts.