connecting*the*dots

Andy just returned from a trip out west and a visit with G’ma.

Happy three-years to Andy and Angela (I can’t believe it’s been that long!) and a very special happy birthday to G’ma Coon who is 102 years-young today! I love you all.

Bonus picture of the happy couple.

In 1997, at the age of 93, my grandmother — Reva Patrick Coon — asked me to design the cover for her first book.

Ties & Tales is her personal story of Dunsmuir, California — the place she’s called home since the early 1920’s. While much of the content focuses on our family, the book also provides interesting context to mainstream American history.

Three years in the making, G’ma’s memoirs are finally ready for the printer. And after a few attempts, I finally finished the book jacket this past weekend.

Now I’ve got to give her a call and ask permission to release the book as a blog…

UPDATE: I received the sweetest voice-mail message from G’ma today. I think she likes the book cover. ;-)

UPDATE II: G’ma gave me her blessings to publish her memoirs as a blog. The book is over 200 pages long, so I’ll probably convert each of her chapters into separate posts. Here’s a sample from chapter 1:

1 .. IN THE GARDEN

In 1732, the first of the Patrick’s left North Antrim, Ireland, and sailed to the United States where they settled in Kentucky, later moving to Indiana where they became grain farmers.

The McKinney’s, Irish with just a wee bit of Scotch (for flavouring, no doubt) emigrated to Minnesota and later Wisconsin.

My father, Thomas McVey Patrick, curly brown hair and snappy blue eyes, was an adventurer. He forsook the security of the rich farm life in Indiana at age twenty. Mounting his horse and taking only his knapsack, revolver and a very few good supplies, he waved farewell to his family and rode off. After six or seven months he arrived in Seattle, Washington.

[…]

The cover is for my grandmother’s memoirs, and the working title is, “It Is Me.”

I’m thinking about keeping the image clean on a white background, but that could change. As could the image. I’d greatly appreciate any constructive feedback.

Insight:

1. Reva Patrick is of full-blooded Irish decent; the orange and green suit her soul
2. I do know that the title isn’t correct English (she was an English teacher)
3. Milton Glaser’s Dylan poster was an inspiration

I don’t know how much blogging I’ll be able/want to do while I’m away, but in any event, I’ll be back on 12/6.