Happy Easter Greetings!

This vintage card, courtesy of The Graphics Fairy, might have originated in a year

when Easter was very early...notice the four-leaf clovers as well.  Perhaps the artist was trying to include a Happy St. Patrick's Day wish in there?  

Just like a genealogist, huh, always trying to read more into it?!!! 

Either way, I think these musical bunnies are just adorable.

Happy Easter!

Happy St. David's Day!

Happy St. David's Day!

St. David (Dewi Sant, in the Welsh language)

He lived during the 6th century, and is the Patron Saint of Wales.  Today is his feast day. 

Welsh natives celebrate this day in many ways. 

My favorite is that the women wear daffodils and the men wear leeks on their lapels. 

St. David's Cathedral in Pembrokeshire, Wales

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.
(because the last time I was there was in my pre-digital camera days,
and I have not scanned those photos yet!)

Happy Year of the Dragon!

Happy Chinese New Year!  

In our house, we're happy that it's the Year of the Dragon.  According to the Chinese zodiac, hubby is a dragon.  So it's kind of like a mid-year birthday celebration for him.  Fortunately, hubby does not have a dragon-like personality in real life!

Image from Char4U.com.

We mark Chinese New Year in an odd, kind of funny way.  We might order Chinese food for dinner.  That's about it.  But hubby also likes this holiday for another reason.

Here's our new tradition.  A few years ago hubby just couldn't get it together in time to send Christmas cards to all his friends who live around the world.  So instead, he took his time, and wrote our family letter and mailed them in beautiful Chinese New Year cards.  He orders them direct from China, and they are little works of art.  People loved them! 

USPS 2012 Lunar New Year stamp.

 Friends now tell us that they (like all of us) are overwhelmed with holiday activities, but when the Chinese New Year card arrives a month after the the hubbub of year-end holidays has subsided, they really enjoy it.  The cards even spurred a visit from an old girlfriend and her family.  (It's OK, they were boyfriend-girlfriend when they were about 14!)    

The ever-politically-correct US Post Office even issues stamps specifically for the Chinese New Year.  Lovely colorful artwork of a dragon's head, another in silhouette in the upper left corner.

 

He Hua Chinese Buddhist Temple.
My photos, March 2011.

Last year we were in Amsterdam around the time of Chinese New Year.  We were quite surprised to walk down a busy city street and see this ornate Chinese Buddist temple.  Known as He Hua, which means lotus flower, it was built in 2000.  

Inside is a large space, sparingly filled with shrines, several oversized statues of the gods, musical instruments, and other traditional cultural items.  Unfortunately, photos were prohibited when we were there.  That was my first time in a temple, it was silent and serene. 

  

Goodbye Year of the Cat,
Hello Year of the Rabbit!

But only a few doors down from the temple on this bustling street was a women's clothing shop, with this Chinese cat, known as a Maneki Nako, in the window.  The mannequin behind the cat makes for an unusual sight, and unfortunately the building across the street is reflected in the photo as well, but I think you get the idea. 

Quite a clever adaptation to the traditional, to welcome in 2011's Year of the Rabbit!

However you celebrate The Year of the Dragon and Chinese New Year, enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday - Good Omen for the New Year

Photo by Amy Davis of the Baltimore Sun,
January 1, 2012.

This photo ran in the Baltimore Sun newspaper on New Year's Day with the caption: 

Call it a favorable omen for the year
Late afternoon sun showers on New Year's Day brought a fleeting rainbow above the Johns Hopkins Hospital campus.


Hopefully that means good health, prosperity, productivity, and breaking down a few brick walls.

Life in the UK - Plough Sunday

Today in the United Kingdom, people are marking Plough Sunday, a day that celebrates the centuries-old ritual of the blessing of the plough.  My ancestors, as well as hubby's UK family, lived by the plough.  It was their way of tending fields to feed the family, whether consuming what they grew, or selling crops for cash.  Honestly, I did not know a lot about Plough Sunday.  But in following the Lyme Regis Museum blog, I learned more about the celebrations they will be having.  Dark Dorset's blog gives more history here. 

Image by Dipity.com

One Little Polish Girl...

This little Polish girl wishes you...

Z powinszowaniem
Nowego Roku!


Happy New Year!



Image courtesy of The Graphics Fairy.



The Stockings are Hung by the Chimney...

Christmas Eve has arrived!  If I'm not ready now, I never will be.  Which means some people will be getting Happy New Year gifts, because even though I acted beforehand, the deliveryman didn't come through in time.  Not to worry, everyone always likes a gift, that's my theory.  I can tell you hubby is a little worried, though.  He's not sure if his gifts have arrived.  He gets a little child-like, in an endearing sort of way, at this time of year.  Nevertheless, our stockings are hanging by the chimney with care, as is the cat's stocking, and several other stockings, just for good measure.  There is even a little tiny stocking for my bear-shaped coffee table, who is named Owen!  Odd, I know, but that's one of our Christmas traditions.



The largest stocking is for the cat,
and the smallest is for Owen...




















Meet Owen,
the hardest-working member of the family,
balancing books, drinks, and more on his feet
all day long!
















More stockings, just in case!



Silver wreath decorated with angels and signs of
Friends, Wish, Peace, Sharing, Joy, Believe.
By Baltimore potter and artist Sandra Magsamen.

Close-ups of some of the angels...

With their ballgowns and bee-hive hairdos,
these gals are not your grandmother's angels!

Stuffed snowman wreath hangs inside the front door,
so we can enjoy him.
Both wreaths came from Festival of Trees.

Merry Christmas to All!

Favorite Christmas Card...

We received lots of beautiful Christmas cards this year.  However, I notice that the window garland of cards is not doubled this year, as in years past.  This year we have received just enough cards to cover the garland that runs the length of our picture window.  I realize people are cutting back, considering the environment, and also saving money on stamps and cards.  It's kind of sad.  I so enjoy receiving cards and letters, and seeing photos of my cousins' families and how they have grown over the year. 

But of all the cards we have received--colorful, artistic, religious, cards with cats (always a favorite), or cards with family photos, this is my favorite.  It's about 5 x 7, a pop-up card, complete with gold cord as the reins on Santa's sleigh!  It's beautiful yet simple, with a lovely sentiment as well...

Merry Christmas to All!

The reindeer are preparing to circle the globe...

And to All a Good Night!

Santa in a star-filled sky,
gliding over the rooftops of a snow-laden village...

A wreath-shaped ornament hangs from the tree.
Its story is below.

St. Nicholas went through a sweeping transformation in 1823,

with the publication of Clement C. Moore's poem, A Visit from St. Nicholas. 

Its depiction of Santa Claus having red cheeks, a white beard and a round belly,

appearing with his miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer,

left an indelible impression in the American public's imagination.

Christmas is Coming, the Goose is Getting Fat!

I don't have to really tell anyone that Christmas will be here in a few days.  In addition to being busy with Christmas preparations, the number of blog posts appearing on my Reader has decreased a bit in the past few days, so I'm getting caught up!

Hubby gets into the Christmas spirit, as do I, when we spend the day at Festival of Trees every year.  But he doesn't start getting really excited about the holiday until about December 23rd.  So, maybe at breakfast this morning, or later today, or in a day or two, I can expect him to begin singing this nursery rhyme from his childhood...

Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat,

Please put a penny in the old man's hat.

If you haven't got a penny, a ha'penny will do

If you haven't got a ha'penny, then God bless you!

Image Courtesy of
http://thedoodleplace.wordpress.com/

Festival of Trees, Part Seven - my absolute favorite!

This probably says a lot about me...

a totally non-traditional tree. 

Big stuffed flapper-style tree,

ruby red lips,

long, fluttery, come-hither eyelashes, 

a bow in her hair,

and strands of pearls,

not to mention elbow-length gloves! 

She probably has patent leather spike heels 

on under that red table skirt! 

How cute is she? 

This is my idea of a great tree. 

I would have taken her home with me,

but someome got to her first.

The Muppet Tree

Festival of Trees, Part Six

Here'e the Recycle / Reuse Tree.  It's just a big stack of Coke and Sprite cans,

with lights strung around. 

To describe it, it doesn't sound like much.
But it's oh, so lovely! 

Another view, you can see the lights much better here.
And the Big Red Tree behind it is pretty nice, too!

The tree to the left here is meant to be seen through the window,
with the little snow-covered garden and snowman "outside." 
Too big to have in the living room, but a fun concept!

Festival of Trees, Part Five

More from Festival of Trees...

Every year there is a Cat in the Hat Tree,

a Ravens (NFL team) tree,

a snowman tree,

 a CD tree, and many others. 

Although some themes recur, they are always unique and beautiful. 

However, these two trees...! 

I have been going to Festival of Trees for more than 20 years

and have never seen trees with these two themes.

I love them!



Brown bears loving the honey!
(Oh, I just realized you can see The Cat in the Hat's
red and white striped hat in the background!)



Sock Monkey Tree!

Festival of Trees, Part Four

Here are some of the colorful decorations at the

2011 Festival of Trees!

The Festival is such a fun place to visit.  I love watching parents line their children up in front of the really unique trees and decorations for a photo. 

This year I saw a mom who came prepared...she was taking pictures for the annual Christmas card.  She had three little boys all in red corduroy shirts and navy blue pants...adorable!  Of course, the boys looked like they would rather be anywhere else on Earth than posing for photos!





Happy Birthday, Sister of Mine!

Happy Birthday, Diane!

Wishing you a wonderful day,

today and every day!

 

 

With our love.

Remembering Grandma

December 2 is the birthday of my maternal grandmother, Ida Mae Morgan.

Born in 1907, Grandma was one of nine children.  With two sisters and six brothers, she grew up as part of a large, loving and close-knit family.  Those qualities, along with her caring and generous spirit stayed with her forever. 

I could fill a calendar day by day, for decades, with all the wonderful memories of time spent with Grandma and Uncle Earle, my step-grandfather. 

Grandma would be an amazing 104 this year!  Sadly, of course, she is no longer with us.  That does not mean, however, that we will not honor her memory.

I recently acquired this photograph.  My grandmother is on the left, a large bow in her hair.  I think she’s about 12 years old here.  That looks about right, and that also coincides with the era when those over-sized bows were in vogue.  Also in the photo are her two sisters: toddler Bonnie and older sister Annie, who is holding her son. 

My mom has the original of this photo, which is 8 x 10 inches.  I found it unusual to have an original from this era, in this size, and said so to my mother.  That’s when she told me a family member had owned a photo studio!  What?!!  How could something like this have slipped past my attention?!!  I’m checking my city directories and other resources to learn more about this potential gold mine.

Thinking of you with love today, Grandma.

National Day of Listening

Thanks to Amy Craft at Begin with 'Craft', I found out that today is our National Day of Listening.  

Image courtesy of
The Graphics Fairy



This is a special day to remember, honor and reconnect with teachers.  I have three teachers in my family: my sister (science and sometimes religion), my nephew (drama and English), and my niece (physical education).  I wish them a lovely day. 

I will not be reconnecting with any of my teachers today, unfortunately, but I remember all (well, almost all) of them fondly.  My favorite teachers were in high school English: Mrs. Hamilton (12th grade) and Mrs. Robbins (11th grade).  Seeing a pattern?

Mrs. Robbins was so positive and upbeat, in addition to loving literature.  Every day, she had a smiley face drawn on the chalkboard, with "Happy [insert day of week here]!" written under it.  Remember, this was in the 1970s. 

 

Mrs. Hamilton emphasized spelling and the importance of learning new words.  Even in 12th grade, we were getting ten new words every week.  I loved that, and her!  I had to smile yesterday as I listened to my second-grade god-daughter using words from her "new word" list.  It's clear that her teacher is doing a good job! 

National Day of Listening seems like a pretty nice holiday to share with family, too.  On this Black Friday, who among us wouldn't prefer sitting down with parents, aunts, uncles, cousins and other relatives to learn about the family, rather than crushing through the mall spending money we can't afford to buy gifts we are not sure that people will really like?  I hate it when I get cynical like this. 

A holiday like National Day of Listening is what it should really be about, and we should remember to celebrate it throughout the year.

That's enough for now; I'm going out to have a day with family and practice my listening skills! 

My Favorite Holiday

Wishing You and Yours a
Happy Thanksgiving!

Courtesy of
The Graphics Fairy

Thanksgiving Traditions - The Turkey Platter

Besides the traditional meal of turkey, cranberries, sweet potatoes, and more, Thanksgiving reminds us of many things:

falling leaves

pumpkin pie

visits with extended family

eating too much

the kids' table

Christmas is almost here

Mom's retro platter.

Of all these, there is another Thanksgiving tradition that may be the most often overlooked:  the turkey platter.  You know, the special platter that is used to carry the beautiful bird to the table.  Everyone says oooh and ahhh and then the bird is carved to bits.  Just because the platter is covered with turkey meat doesn't mean it should be ignored. 

My mom has a beautiful Thanksgiving platter.  The tradition is, she never uses it!  It hangs on the kitchen wall, a retro holiday look available all year round!  Unless you go in Mom's kitchen before Thanksgiving dinner, you never see the whole bird.  Mom slices and delivers the turkey meat on an oversized white plate.  That's OK mom, we love you anyway!



My sister's turkey platter,
similar to Mom's.



My sisters and I have always loved Mom's turkey platter.  My sister Sharon managed to obtain a platter for herself that is quite similar to Mom's.  Very nice, and the colors are beautiful.

My own Thanksgiving platter is a lovely Johnson Brothers pattern called "His Majesty."  The turkey does look rather majestic; it must be because he's unaware of his future.  Unless, that is, that he's one of the guys who received a White House pardon! 

The platter was a gift from my husband in the early years of our marriage.  He was rather tickled because it was not too long after I received the platter hubby actually saw a wild turkey in our back yard, which is basically all woods.

Families have many traditions.  At this time of year, we revisit those traditions and recall why they warm our hearts. 

Whether your Thanksgiving platter is generations old or brand-new from WalMart, whether it's used all year round or never leaves the cabinet, in some way it is part of the family's scrapbook of holiday memories. 

Be sure to treat it as a treasured guest.

Thankful Thursday - Four Days Early

So Thanksgiving is almost here!  I had planned on a "things I'm grateful for" post.  Then I read that Randy Seaver at Genea-Musings put out his Saturday Night Genealogy Fun challenge, so I knew I had to follow through.  Even though I couldn't get it together in time for SNGF, here are my answers to Randy's challenge:

Courtesy of
The Graphics Fairy

1.  The ancestors I am most thankful for:  Well, I have lots of interesting ancestors.  They led challenging lives and stayed tough through hard times.  They were brave people, they crossed oceans for a better life.  But the ones I'm most thankful for?  Has to be my mom and dad.  Hands down and 'nuff said.  (No, there are no Pilgrim ancestors; she's for decoration only!)

2.  The author I am most thankful for:  Well, I'm so new at this I'm still very much at the Genealogy for Dummies level.  But the authors I'm so thankful for must be all the wonderful, busy people in the genealogy blogging community.  What an amazing bunch of folks!  Do they ever sleep?  New posts all the time, full of family memories that make me smile or blink back tears.  Tech tips to keep me learning something new every day.  Overviews of latest research experiences.  Reminders of upcoming events.  And every person I've interacted with is so nice and so helpful!  Plus, honestly, when I began my blog a month ago, I was sure it would basically be a writing exercise for myself.  But some kind people are actually reading it.  What a supportive community!  For them, I am grateful!

3.  The historical holdings I am most thankful for:  I'd say it has to be the Latter Day Saints' collection.  Besides their own FamilySearch.org, they are responsible for fueling much of what I find in other places, like Ancestry.com.  Plus, they're just nice folks. 

I'm also grateful for and to our local Genealogy Discussion Group.  Since I had my "basic training" there, so many have welcomed me and shared their tips with me.  Another fun group of people!  (Noticing a theme here?) 

Despite the many things I may complain about, there are many other things I'm grateful for:  my dear family and friends, my wonderful husband, my furry little cat, my great boss and job, medical advances, having my health...  Really, my life in general is pretty darn good.  Compared to life for my great-grandparents, grandparents and even my own mom and dad, I've got nothing to complain about and everything to be grateful for.  Now is a good time to appreciate my blessings and reflect on that. 

National Adoption Day - Honor an Adoptive Family

Today is National Adoption Day, a national day of celebration of adoptive families.  Courts also use this special day to finalize the adoptions of children from foster care.  

Baby Dee at 5 months.
This is her arrival announcement.

In the last ten years, more than 35,000 children have had their adoptions finalized on National Adoption Day.  In my town, it always makes the evening news, with interviews from the new parents, and children who feel as though they have a real home, at last. 

Adoption presents many riddles and brick walls for the someone searching for their birth family, or for the family genealogist. 

My dear, beautiful goddaughter is an adoptee.  Even though her mom kind of glazes over when I start in on my latest genealogy finds, hopefully deep down she knows I’ll be ready with resources if she ever needs them!  

Some general resources on this topic are below:

Adoption Message Boards and Queries

Adoption Search – How to Find Your Birth Family

Steps for Locating Adoptees, Birth Parents, and Adoption Records

ProGenealogists, the Offical Ancestry.com research firm - Adoption Research 

PublicRecordFinder.com RootsWeb Guide to Tracing Family Trees – for family historians who are adoptees

Professionals, Volunteers & Other Research Services

All About Adoption Research – Finding Hidden Family Ties

Criminal and Prisoner Resources

Including: Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator, US and Canada criminal databases.