Writing a Memoir, Writing a Biography | Write Your Memoir » memory triggers http://writeyourmemoir.com Because you don't have to be a writer to write a memoir. Wed, 25 Aug 2010 19:41:15 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 Lucinda Mock's Ginger Cookie Recipe http://writeyourmemoir.com/lucinda-mocks-ginger-cookie-recipe/ http://writeyourmemoir.com/lucinda-mocks-ginger-cookie-recipe/#comments Fri, 02 Apr 2010 15:26:21 +0000 martha_jewett http://writeyourmemoir.com/?p=709 Here’s another recipe memoir. Lucinda was my grandmother’s grandmother, so her recipe for ginger cookies is probably the oldest family heirloom we have. I made these cookies one Thanksgiving. In spite of the fact that they are not as rich as the cookies we are used to eating today, the high school kids gobbled them up. Lucinda Frances (Locke) Mock lived from 1846 to 1940.

Lucinda Mock’s Ginger Cookie Recipe by Martha Jewett

]]> http://writeyourmemoir.com/lucinda-mocks-ginger-cookie-recipe/feed/ 0 Memory Triggers http://writeyourmemoir.com/memory-triggers/ http://writeyourmemoir.com/memory-triggers/#comments Fri, 29 May 2009 20:45:02 +0000 martha_jewett http://writeyourmemoir.com/?p=177 Seeing a mom and pop store on a corner is a memory trigger for me. The other day, I noticed the corner GE appliance store in nearby Caldwell, New Jersey, has windows full of “going out of business” signs. That triggered a memory for me of the corner candy store across from my elementary school in Schenectady, New York.

 

It was a candy and comic book store which catered to us kids. The first time I bought myself a treat–all by myself–was in that store. It was probably a Milky Way bar. I remember saving up coins from my allowance, taking them to school, crossing the street, and going into the store. Buying the candy was something to look forward to at dismissal time at 2:50.

 

 

Several years ago, I was in Schenectady and found my old school by accident. At that time, the store, which looked like a bodega, was still there. But it’s gone now. The display windows are boarded up. It seems to be just a home now.

 

 

Things change, but sensory triggers bring back memories. Music is a memory trigger. Tastes and sounds are too. When my husband, Evan Marshall, smells honeysuckle, he thinks of the terrible allergies he had as a kid.

 

 

What are your memory triggers? It’s easy to miss them, so keep some paper with you. Write them down. (“Seeing that store reminds me of…”) Even if you’re not sure, write it down. Keep the piece of paper in your pocket.  

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