Time capsules

If you were going to put a time capsule in the wall or foundation of a home you were building, what types of things would you put in it that would definitely date the house 2002? I want to do this with our house, but can't come up with any real good ideas.

I have a book about rock/stone painting. You paint them to look like your house or gardens or pet. You and your family could pick out some stones and each one paint and date theirs. Just one of my crude ideas but I love to paint!

I would definately put something in your time capsule about 9/11. the painting idea is cool. another thing you could do on cement, is when it's wet, place leaves on it, when they dry, the leaves dry up and can be removed with yor hand, you are left with a neat impression on the cement.

Joan, I would definitely put a print-out of a DG thread that is especially meaningful for you; help remind you and others what was important in your life right now. Something with a happy ending, or some small kindness bestowed from one friend to another.

Anything that was meaningful to you in 2001/2002.

"eyes"

I like that idea lupine, that is great! Which brings to mind your own garden journal for the year, if you keep one.

This message was edited Wednesday, Jul 10th 3:06 PM

Great ideas. I want this to be something that someone will someday find while remodeling or something. I'm thinking of writing a bit about how the house was built by us and maybe put some negatives of the construction in there. I haven't taken many pictures with a 35 mm camera though, mostly digital. I think I'll start taking some more 35 mm, but soon it will be too late to put them in the time capsule and seal it up in the wall. I'd like to put a picture of our family in there too. I'll find some info on 9-11 too and put in there. I wish I would have kept some magazines from that time. Pictures of the gardens and landscape is a good idea too. Then they could see how things changed over the years. I can put some time capsules in several of different walls. A little surprise for someone to find someday. I wish I could paint, that's a great idea, but unfortunately, I have a hard time even writing legibly. LOL!

I'd love to hear more ideas too. I'd also love to be a fly on the wall when someone finds one of the capsules someday.

Joan I am sure you can find articles online about 9/11, sorry you can't paint, but how bout the children

I have one daughter that can draw pretty well. I'll see if I can talk her into doing something. Actually, I think I'll try to get each of the kids to do a little something to put in there. Whether it's something written, drawn, painted or whatever. DH and I should do it too. I wondered about printing stuff off the internet and using it, but wondered if the ink would hold up until someone found it. I also thought about putting a floppy and a CD in there, but if it's 100 years before someone stumbles across it, they wouldn't might not be able to access it.

This is the most fun I've had since we started building. I can imagine someone finding this someday. I'd love to stumble upon something like this myself.

Joan, it does sound like a fun project, how about some seeds? you know they found some seeds in the pyramids that were still viable......

Great question Joan!

I think I'd write a bit about the family and background of how the new house came about. (which is more or less what you said you would do too).

A few packets of seeds from the plants in the first garden. Or some pressed flowers from the garden. Also a list of plants grown or maybe even a small drawing of where the plants are. Catalogue even.

A cassette or CD of a band I liked which was first out this year, or perhaps a poster of a film opening this year (Scooby Doo?). Or even a sew on patch or similar.

Some food examples like a small bar of chocolate (here in the UK we seem to get new sweets launched every year), even just a wrapper (which is what they'd get from me LOL). Recipe of a favourite dish.

Local newspaper, community newsletter or programme of events from a fair or fete in the local area this year.

A postcard or other pictures from the locality as things change so much (except here in the time warp we call Hampshire). Perhaps even a couple of postcards sent from other countries (say from us internationals on DG, or something similar).

Oh, what great ideas! I love the seed and drawing of the gardens and where the plants are. (Makes me wish my gardens were in better order). LOL! A favorite family recipe! Candy wrappers! Great ideas! I'm making a list and starting to gather these things up. In fact, I'm at the office and eating a hershey bar right now so I can have the wrapper. The wrapper has the hershey contest info on it too, so it's dated. I decided to put a 34 cent stamp in there too, and a 2002 coin.

Thanks everyone! This is fun.

the coin idea is great.

I think they are all great ideas, I like the coin one since they have those new quarters this year and the newspaper. I also thought maybe some of your children's toys from this era as children in a new home perhaps being renovated might like to see what antiquated toys children were playing with in 2002.

Toys would be great, but my kids are older already and toys have been replaced with cars and stereos. LOL! But, this made me think of the McDonald's toys. That would be a good thing to put in there. Thanks. Maybe we'll have Happy Meals tonight. LOL!

Baa has hit on the head what most people, when they do it, do in Northern, and Central Europe.
The articles are normally sealed in an air-tight tube. My MIL here in Germany, put lots of little personal things which were contemporary, plus a newspaper from the day that the tube was sealed. Photographs of pop- and film-stars, photos of neighbours & pets, cut-out articles of world events which happened on the day of the tube sealing, coins, a couple of bank notes, and a story of how the whole thing was planned and eventually built. These things were all put into a copper tube, then soldered closed so that neither water, nor air could get to the pieces.

Just another wee tip

Wintermoor

Joan, be sure to tell the whole story, like the day DH drove a nail through his hand and we all worried online about whether he would go to the doctor. A sort of diary of the building experience up to now, beginning date, pictures of the foundation under construction, the tough scheduling and working around phone lines to keep the internet connection, the time you saved $100 by using the excess concrete, the innovative ideas the foundation guy used and what it did for the overall project. And a small bottle of wine in a basement wall if there is still opportunity to do it there, sealed and laid on its side "to keep the cork wet", would be quite a find for someone years from now. I would think about a few stamps showing the transition from 34 to 37, and how various combinations were used to total that. I have saved some of those, cut from envelopes with the postmark intact. They do need to be sealed, as critters might eat the glue and inks. How about a lock of hair of each family member? Anything that makes it personal will be good for the finder many years in the future.

Wish the garbage man had not come.!!CELL PHONES!!!! ya know if you upgrade. the old one is no good. just toss them out!

I have been wondering how to seal it or them up so the critters and moisture didn't ruin them. Copper tube, huh? I'll have to check this weekend and see what I can find in that department. I've been thinking of using PVC pipe, because I can get ends to fit the pipe. I like the idea of using a sealed copper tube though, but worried that the person who found it wouldn't take the time to try to open it. Maybe I could mark it somehow telling them to open it. I am writing down some things to put in there too. Thanks Aimee for jogging my memory about some of the experiences to date. I would have forgotten about the extra cement that now is my garden slab. I'll be sure to include all those things. I love the bottle of wine idea, and I think I can still put one in the basement when we do an inside wall there. I have been trying to figure out which of the inside walls would be the best to put this in so it might be found someday. Looking at the blueprints to see what walls someone might tear out while remodeling. I think the wall between the rec room and one of the bedrooms might be best, because someone might decide to make the rec room larger if they don't need so many bedrooms. I am having so much fun with this. DH and Jaden have even gotten a little excited about it. Jaden is like me though. He wants to be around when someone finds it to see what their reaction is. LOL! He is writing a little about himself and what he enjoys doing, what kids are *into* right now, and how he is helping to build the house. My brother-in-law told me tonight that I have about 2 weeks before the last wall is sealed up, so I have a little more time to gather things I want and get the container(s) figured out. I'm going to have to be sure to keep my list up to date, so I can put in my journal what all I put in there too.

If you could get a copy of Newsweek or other magazine, the issue with the cover featuring the WTC towers burning, that would be a good bit of history. It is one of the most significant covers they have ever issued. Something showing news coverage about our Mideast war and our current administration figures would be interesting. If we found such items from even the Kennedy years, it would be of interest, and WWII stuff would really be gripping. Show and tell would sit up and take notice. What a great idea you have, leaving this for someone in the future. I agree, I would want to be there.

I think if I spend a little time on ebay, I might find a Time or Newsweek magazine about the WTC. I would like to kick myself for not keeping some of that stuff.

alot else happened in 2002 besides 911. why is it we focus on bad not the good things. I know if I were opening up a time capsule. I would want to see haooy things. not horror. just a thought.

Good point mimi. What would you suggest to put in there about the good things? I'm open to any ideas and will put them all in there if I can find them. I have no idea who will find this someday and what will spark their interest, so I want all ideas I can get. I want this to be an exciting find for someone. Winter Olympics comes to mind maybe? Any other ideas?

Well, Mings, if they are placing historically significant items in a time capsule, they would be remiss not to mention one of the biggest events of the century. Not to say it should all be negative, but the positive is more likely to be thought of in a personal way. Current international news events are liklier to be negative. I would also like to see something about Lance Armstrong and his attempt to claim Tour de France for the fourth time. Maybe he will before the capsule has to be sealed, and that is a positive thing. But baseball, stock market, corporate misbehavior, church and school climates, medical research, the current controversy about stem cells, the flak about the Pledge of Allegiance, all of these things have some element of negativity. Maybe it's because that's what sells newspapers and air time, but I still think it is representative of the time in which we live and the issues of our daily lives.

Ah, another idea from Aimee's last post....a note of what the DOW closed at the day the capsule is sealed. Making a note of that! I am not going to put the Pledge of Allegience thing in there, because I'm hoping it just dies down and goes away, and is never brought up again. I wouldn't want to stir that pot again 100 years from now.

I will look through oldish magazines for some headlines if you like. Maybe something will be useful. I like your idea about the DOW closing.

That would be great Aimee! Thanks.

I'm thinking I might have to leave clues throughout the house so somebody does actually find this! I want them to so bad! LOL!

I'll tell you what. I was given those 2 photos of "my people" the original family that lived in my 1913 home. I have them blown up to posted size. I have them hanging in my kitchen. I look at them 20 times a day . Maybe you saw when I had it posted in the photo section awhile back.I just love those photos. Take a far shot of you infront of the ENTIRE house you are in. and a close up of your favorite place where you like to hang out. Write a few special words. Cuz. when these people find what you leave behind. they want to feel you in their footsteps. I look at "my people " all the time. Some times I cry. To think of the heart ships women went through in 1913 as I put my laundry in my electric dryer. The original gas jets were still hooked up in my home when I moved in. There was no electricity in my home when they lived here. or I look at the horse and buggy in the drive way. And then look at my jeep and think how far we have come in such a sort time. I can see the original outhouse in the back yard in the other photo. .....just take a few simple pictures . A picture says a thousand words. But. you need to write a few too. I wish I had a few words from 'my People" . I truely admire the men and women that lived in my home then. I know I wouldn;t of made a good 1913 woman. I have it way too easy now. . think of what the next 90 years will bring

Don't toss out your old cell phones. Donate them to crisis centers. Many use them to help women who need to make emergency calls. They program them so they can call 911.

Joan, Look at yard sales for some things...like the magazines. It would cost quite a bit more on ebay and you'll likely find plenty of National Geographics and others that you can use.

How about including a Bible with your family history in front?

I know what you are saying mimi, I wouldn't have fared to well back then either. I never thought about including a picture of the mobile home we are now living in and moving out of. I will try to gather the troops and get a picture of us with it, and the new house construction in the background. That will give them a feel of where the mobil home was. I think I'll also include a photo of the new trees we've planted and include their names, just in case they are still alive when someone finds this. I've taken pictures of the gardens as they are now too. I gotta get more pictures of us and our pets, plus some of the landscaping as it is/isn't. LOL! Even by the time I leave this 5 acres, the landscaping will change drastically.

Just had another thought about going to the stores and writing down the current cost of everyday items.

This message was edited Thursday, Jul 11th 10:26 PM

Prices are great! See, I could not of asked that of my people. since they had no electirc. gas. probably made their own bread each and everytime. First purchase of bread I remember was $.23. Like in the early1960's.
Best of wishes with it.

We tore down an old house a couple of years ago. The ancestors of the orginal family still live across the road us.
We were tearing out one of the walls and came across a beam that had a heart with their initials still intact. We cut it out and gave it to them. Your family could scribble on the wall before you hang the sheetrock. Maybe you could write your hints on the beams.
I often wonder what our future is going to be like. Will it be like the movies? Will we eventually be under world government?
I would try to include things that are important today, but also important to the area you live. Maybe a small flag, a pack of baseball cards (imagine not only suprising them with the time capsule but what if theres a 1 of a kind rookie card).
How big is your capsule going to be? My sister and i made one when we were kids but to this day we've forgotten where we buried it. Heck, i dont even know if we did bury it, lol.
Such fun,
jen

I was just going to say that about cellphones, Carla. It's federal law that they have to be able to dial 911 even with no service contract. So, give your old ones to charity or to friends to keep in their cars for emergencies. :)

Now about that time capsule...Great idea! One of our favorite shows on HGTV is "If Walls Could Talk" because the people on it often find really cool stuff in their home's walls while remodeling. I love the movie poster idea. Also you could make a little scrapbook using acid-free, lignin-free paper and putting the pages in polypropyline sheet protectors. You can get the latter at Wal-Mart -- Avery brand.

Speaking of sheet protectors, I would *not* use PVC pipe because PVC causes paper products to deteriorate over time. That's why scrapbookers recommend PVC-free products.

What about burning a CD of the photos you want to share? I know the media may poop out, or even be so antiquated no one has the equipment to read them by the time your capsule is found, but you never know!

This page has some great ideas for time capsules: http://www.loveathome.com/homeschool/time_capsule_of_family_memories.htm

This has good info, too: http://www.everything2000.com/news/life/milltimecap.asp

Now I'm wanting to make one! There's a place in our fireplace's hearth where the stone is loose. I could fit a really teeny one there, LOL.

Oooh! Lookie here -- The British Library has a whole page telling how to make a good time capsule container! http://www.bl.uk/services/preservation/time.html

And they also confirmed my suspicions about PVC: "PVC (polyvinyl chloride) pipe should not be used for time capsules as it will eventually deteriorate and release acid affecting the contents of the capsule."

This message was edited Friday, Jul 12th 1:24 PM

Thanks for the links Kimberley. I'm going to explore them this evening. I'm at work now, but I might even do it on my noon hour. Fridays are so boring around here. LOL!

Did anyone mention recipes? I think I would love to find some old family recipes from the time my house was built. The granddaughter of the people who built it has been here looking for mementos and I keep an eye out for things she might enjoy. I know she would treasure a recipe for something she remembers her grandmother cooking for them. Once I moved a rock from the door stoop into the older house on the back fence line, and I know that rock had been in place over 100 years. Firmly planted under it was a glass marble. Another time, I removed soil from the apron of a cistern and found a 1942 nickel coin. I would have thought it had been accidentally dropped if I hadn't seen initials of the three children who grew up here, now in their 70s. At a former trash site in the woods, I found a very old Jergen's lotion bottle, the kind with a very small mouth, and a brown Clorox bottle. To me, these are accidental time capsules in a way. This granddaughter of the original inhabitants squeals when I give her some of my finds, and it's a total delight to both of us to reach back into the past.

Boy, did this idea inspire me today! I like to have a new project every year when I go back to the high school where I work (Aug. 5 this year!) I'm going to have the freshmen do a time capsule to open up at the end of their senior year.

And I'm going to have the seniors do one to open at their 10th reunion.

I'll have the custodians build me a special shelf 12" from the ceiling for the purpose of storing only time capsules, and I will be the keeper of the time capsules. I'm so excited about this neat idea. Thanks JoanJ !!!

fun `fun!

http://www.davesgarden.com/showthread/216597.com

GrannyLois, that sounds like a great idea! The kids will love it.