Long before scrapbooking stores would sell inspirational words with adhesive backing, Lydia cut out words she loved and pasted them into her book. I love how this page begins with playful words like "folly" and "masquerade" and concludes with "Bride."

—Jessica Helfand, August 13, 2007 10:12 AM

At the top of this page is a photograph of a group of girls: at the far right is Mary Belle de Vargas. She was a marvel. She was born without arms. In adulthood, I believe, X-ray (which wasn't around when she was born) revealed undeveloped arms beneath her rib cage. However, her darling mother custom made all of her clothes and she did everything, including painting beautifully, that anyone else did—except she used her feet! She held flatware at the table to eat, she held pens, pencils, paintbrushes with her feet, and she learned to drive a car. I've forgotten how they had it adapted but when she learned to drive, there was no automatic transmission. She had to work a clutch as well as the accelerator and brake!

—Ginger Horton, August 19, 2007 08:37 PM