“My brother and sister had a flannel fight.  I opened the door and got a wet flannel in my face.”  My first attempt to keep a diary began when I was seven.  I had a five year Flower Fairy diary.  I felt so grown up having a tiny gold key to lock away my secrets.  By thirteen, my secret diary included pictures of the pop group Boyzone.  I’d also started listing goals, noting achievements and writing about difficult feelings; worrying about school or sadness that a beloved pet had died.  I began each year with the intention to write in my diary every day.  That rarely happened, but my diaries still give a wonderful snapshot of my childhood.Read More