Holiday Cookie Swap
I survived hosting my first holiday cookie swap! Whew … it was a whirlwind of getting the house cleaned up, decorations put up, and cookies baked. Oh, who am I…
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To Be or Not to Be … Married!
This post is inspired by the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge by Amy Johnson Crow. The week 5 challenge is “In the Census”. When I was a kid, it was hard…
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The First Christmas Day
On December 20, 1815, the Kings Mountain Herald newspaper in Kings Mountain, North Carolina published the following story from the New York Press about the first Christmas day. It is…
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Cinnamon Roll Christmas Tree
Christmas morning is a madhouse … it certainly was when I was a kid and it still is now that I have a kid … and dogs! The last thing…
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The Story of Family
Between 2006 and 2011, we lost my mom’s parents and my dad. It seemed just as we were moving forward from the loss of one, we would lose another. I…
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Rene Carpenter, Mercury Seven Astronaut Wife
One of my character flaws as a hobby genealogists is my desire to learn everything I can about certain eras in history and the people who lived during them. I’m…
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Why all kids should create a family tree
When I was a junior in high school, my French teacher had us create a family tree. It was a fun assignment for someone like me … I was already…
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The Old Black Goat
Week 20 of the 52 ancestors challenge is themed “black sheep”. I come from a family of doctors, politicians, preachers, and a lot of farmers. I’ve not found a black…
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Walker Dog and Stormy Judy
Stormy Weather is an apropos theme for the Week 10 52 Ancestors Challenge. It’s March and, in southern Illinois, we would normally be headed into spring and well on our…
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Fresh Start for a New Year
Yikes! I just noticed the new 52 Ancestors challenge that Amy Johnson Crow gave us on her blog No Story Too Small … and I’m behind already! I love how she…
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I Believe, Virginia
From the moment I first read the New York Sun editorial written in 1897 by Francis Church in response to an 8 year-old’s question about Santa Claus, I was in love….
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The Christmas Heart
Over the weekend, a friend from college posted a Christmas memory on Facebook about being “dirt poor” … his words … as a child and how that impacted Christmas for…
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I wish I could have met her
In honor of Wishful Wednesday … Have you ever been asked, “If you could sit down with anyone in history and have a conversation, who would it be?”. I have…
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Happy Birthday, Daddy
Why is it that people remain a specific age in our minds no matter how old they really are when we lose them? My grandpa was 89 when he died in…
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A ghost in the clock?
It stormed really bad this morning and well into the afternoon. The kind of storm that makes you wonder what’s coming next. When it quieted down a bit, Mom, Noodle…
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52 Ancestors #29: My Heroes
I’m writing about something a little different for my 52 Ancestors post this week. Earlier this summer, a brick honoring three men in my family was placed at the veteran’s…
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Reflections on a WWII SeaBee
We’ve just passed the 70th anniversary of D-Day. My family has been watching WWII documentaries on the History channel, including The World Wars series which is one of the best…
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Table Etiquette for Kids
Table etiquette is just as important for kids as it is for adults … we have to learn somewhere, and at home is a safe place! I have been teaching…
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A Reason, Season or Lifetime
My grandpa was a firm believer that people come in and out of your life when you need … or no longer need … them the most. Sometimes they’re around…
