I have always been drawn to strong independent women. After my Superwoman phase (okay maybe I’m still in that phase) came Amelia Earhart. The first time I learned of Earhart’s attempt to fly around the world was from a movie I watched with my dad. I don’t remember anything other than in the film she …
Today marks my first 4th of July as an American Citizen. Immigrating to the United States was an interesting and sometimes difficult journey that all came together on one day back in March when I took an oath. American Oath of Allegiance I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure …
A dementia diagnoses can often be a motivator for documenting family history. We want to capture family stories before they are forgotten or modified beyond recognition, but we don’t always know how to get started. And sometimes we don’t know how true the stories are we are being told. Dementia Diagnoses Procrastination gets to all …
Who do you think you are? Lately I’ve been thinking of this question through a philosophical filter, maybe even an existential one. I mean when you get down to it, we really are just who we think we are. We basically create ourselves from our thoughts and our reactions and the stories that make up our …
Who Do You Think You Are? And Other Ideas I Ponder Read More »
Digging up family dirt is a hobby for me… maybe even an a bit of an obsession. But today I want to talk about the real family dirt. My Grandfather’s Garden My mother’s father had a huge garden on the shore. Three separate gardens that he rotated every other year. It was one of my …
This may surprise you, but yearbooks were not my favorite. I don’t think I have a copy of my yearbook from my high school graduation – and I was the valedictorian! I wasn’t thinking about documenting legacy back then. But now I love them. As my daughter graduates from 5th grade and elementary school I love …
A few weeks ago I pledge the oath and finalized my immigration to the United States of America. It was one of the most incredible feelings of my life. All the fear of having my life ripped out from under me, all the time and effort invested into getting there, and the journey of all …
Your personal history and the history of a loved one, community or organization can be shared in a way that will leave a lasting legacy. The process of saving your story often starts out with the a desire to document and share family values and lessons, and though we all seem to ask the same questions the results …
Bellefontaine Cemetery was not on my list of cemeteries to visit while spending a little time in St. Louis. I was interested in running by the Calvary Cemetery to spend a little time with Tennessee Williams. I have had a love affair with words for as long as I can remember and have made it a lifes …
Happy Valentine’s Day – we have long celebrated today as a legacy of romance. A Little History With roots as far back as the Roman Empire, people have been celebrating and sharing gifts on a special day in February for a very long time. Today Valentine’s is second only to Christmas in the amount of cards …