Heritage scrapbook with photos and notes makes a treasured gift.

You might think your kids or grandkids don’t want to hear about their heritage. But it may be more about the lack of time in their busy schedules to listen than the perceived notion that they don’t care.

Someday when you least expect it, little Johnnie might ask whether cranky Uncle Frank really did hail from Timbuktu.

Before time slips away, consider a unique gift this holiday that will become a family treasure.

Write a journal, or make a heritage scrapbook, mixing the old photos and clippings with the stories tucked away among the cobwebs of your brain.

Don’t worry about your writing, grammar or punctuation. It doesn’t matter. What’s important is that you start keeping some type of journal.

A terrific new book, “Family History Scrapbooking,” by Becky Higgins (Primedia, $19.95), explains how to get started making a heritage scrapbook.

It has detailed instructions, but because of the small type, may be difficult for some elderly folks to read. Still, consider a magnifying glass – it’s worth the trouble.

Family history work, the book explains, is packed with possibilities. It can be anything from a scrapbook of stories to a complete family history library. Before you start working, take a minute and decide what sort of project you want to create.

Here are some ideas:

n A complete family history library with a binder for each family.

n A scrapbook filled with a summary of the people in your life.

n An album of family stories and snapshots.

n An album of recipes that have been passed down.

n A tribute scrapbook that honors a person or couple.

n A mini-album that answers most-often-asked family questions.

n A children’s storybook with photographs of ancestors and interesting facts about them.

There are also places on the Internet that can create personalized storybooks. They are great ways of showcasing family traditions. One is www.shutterfly.com.

Perhaps your elderly loved one can’t or doesn’t want to write a family history, but still has a sharp memory. Have her or him identify the people in old photos for you. Maybe she or he will also be able to tell you something heartwarming or funny about the people.

Heritage scrapbooks are beautiful mementos, but you don’t have to give your children something that fancy.

After years of questions about my family ancestry, my mother, Verlene Hone, realized someone might want to know a little about her life. So, she jotted down her memories in a 79-cent spiral notebook. I found the notes a few months ago, before she went to live in a nursing home.

“We had a Ford that had to be cranked. Ours was a touring car with no side windows. So, when it rained, you had to take the side curtains from beneath the seat and fasten, or buckle, them on the sides. They had isinglass (similar to clear plastic).

“We took many trips in that old car to see our grandparents out west. It took several days, and we stopped to cook over an open fire for every meal.

“My dad always had a big dog and he rode all the way lying on the right front fender. He was our protector.”

Remember the small details, as my mom did.

Thanks, Mom.