If I Could Save Time in a Bottle

If I could save time in a bottle
The first thing that Id like to do
Is to save every day
Till eternity passes away
Just to spend them with you

If I could make days last forever
If words could make wishes come true
I'd save every day like a treasure and then,
Again, I would spend them with you

But there never seems to be enough time
To do the things you want to do

Once you find them
Ive looked around enough to know
That you're the one I want to go
Through time with

If I had a box just for wishes
And dreams that had never come true
The box would be empty
Except for the memory
Of how they were answered by you

But there never seems to be enough time
To do the things you want to do
Once you find them
I've looked around enough to know
That you're the one I want to go

through time with

Jim Croce, "Time in a Bottle"

I've discovered our second summer project:  a time capsule.  In about two weeks, we will begin renovations on half of our basement to create additional finished space.  There will be a tile floor and new walls.  And behind one of those new framed and sheetrocked walls, we are going to place a family time capsule.  The idea came to me over dinner tonight, as the kids were talking about the "Handy Manny" episode featuring a time capsule.  I suggested we make one.  

You could see the cogs turning faster and faster in their little heads.  Sis wants to include a page of her favorite farm stickers, something with a bunny on it, a drawing.  BUT NOT SHIRT.  Bud wants to put in lemonade (what he was drinking at the time).  But nothing else he really likes; he wants to keep those things.  So we started brainstorming and came up with these initial ideas:  a M&Ms wrapper (the favorite candy of me and Sis); an Annie's organic mac-n-cheese box sans contents (Bud's favorite food); a photograph of the family; the local paper; a letter from all of us (including relevant blog posts--it would all be recorded on the web, with photos, because this would be a capsule for someone else to find, not us).  

I'll have to do some research into time capsule creation--make sure we do our best to ensure its survival (i.e. no lemonade).  There are several websites with suggestions (including eHow, iVillage, and a tutorial), even a site that lets you do the whole thing online, without an actual capsule.  We want a real capsule, though.  Otherwise, we need to work out the details.  A fun thing to do this summer.