Night Owl,

Sorry, I didn't, other than keeping after him to do it. He did it himself. He's always performed and often used a mike then. He did have some trouble with just speaking into it, but....he's a natural born storyteller, born of natural born storytellers, so...I'm afraid I'm not much use.

Have you tried a voice activated recorder? That way it could be hidden and she'd maybe not know it, as you wouldn't have to turn it on?

Dad told me this year, when I scanne din all of the old pictures of his dad and all, that those pictures brought to mind many more stories that he would record for me. Maybe pictures would be a good way to prompt your mom?

There are some books out, one of which I bought for him, but it was yuppie foolishness...written with questions for those of great wealth and so-called normal life,NOT for people who'd lived anything of excitement or untoward or out of the ordinary.

The other thing you might ask her to do is write it down. My grandmother did that when she was convalescing with a broken right arm; made herself learn to write lefthanded and wrote out wonderful stories of growing up as a pioneer in Boulder, Colorado. Or you could make a list of things you've always wanted to know more about: the old mandolin, grandfather's old pipe, and old picture, etc.

Maybe I'll write a book for the unusual, i.e. really normal, with trials, tribulations, joys and various challenges of life tye people who could pass on their stories to the "seventh generation".

Also, have you tried videotaping her? That would be even better in some ways. I hope to get over to Utah this Spring to do that with my dad.

Hope this helps and remember digression is good for the soul!

katlaughing