Even though we might not set a formal place setting at everyday meals, it is important to do so – to the extent possible – for family get togethers and holiday meals. This teaches our children a very valuable skill that will undoubtedly come in handy in their future. Setting the table is also a…
Was Nellie Davis born on January 26, 1886? Or, was Nellie Davis born on February 25, 1886? The short answer is … both. The Davis Family I haven’t done a lot of research on Chili’s side of the family. I have my own family mysteries to solve and adding his family mysteries just makes my head…
White chocolate macadamia nut cookies are one of my favorite. I decided to try my hand at making pancakes that mimic the sweet nuttiness of the cookie. They were so good topped with strawberries, hazelnut spread and more white chocolate … almost like eating dessert for breakfast! Okay, it WAS like eating dessert for…
I’m beginning my table etiquette series with a post that has nothing to do with actual table etiquette. However, I feel the need to address the issue of the RSVP, mostly because people don’t do it anymore. They should. What is an RSVP? Over the years of teaching dining etiquette to youngsters, I have…
Last week, I wrote about Lucy Jane Land and her long-lived life. While researching Lucy and her husband, Joseph, I found Joseph Dunn. Joseph is Lucy’s father-in-law and my 3rd great grandfather. Joseph Dunn was born around 1812 in Ohio, although various documents from census records to military records put his birth anywhere from 1809…
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 I’ve ever seen. We’re coming up on the 100th anniversary of the beginning of WWI. It doesn’t seem like these events should be so far…
I absolutely love that I have baby pictures of my Grandma Raines, my mom and me. My mom and I look alike, and sometimes I catch a glimpse of Grandma when I look at Mom. I don’t think any of us look alike as babies, though! Grandma, Doris (Schuster) Raines…
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 Noodle how to set a proper, albeit informal, table for dinner. This is something that my mom taught me when I was little and, as…
Lucy Jane Land was the daughter of the farmer. She lived to the ripe old age of 92 and was spry until the very last year of her life. She was third of 14 children, born on February 17, 1857 to Overton and Mary Ellen (Prather) Land. Lucy is my paternal 2nd great grandmother. Raised…
One of our first adventures this summer was to Blueberry Hill Farm this past weekend where Noodle was able to pick strawberries for the first time! She also took advantage of my camera to begin her summer photo project. This was a girls-only outing and Grandma Debbie and Aunt Steph went along. We picked strawberries,…
I don’t remember my Grandma Moore. She died when I was 2 years old. The only thing I have that connects me directly to her is a book titled “The Real Mother Goose” that she gave to me for Christmas in 1976. On the inside front cover, she wrote “To: Nicole, From: Grandma Moore, Christmas…
When Noodle was about 3 years old, we bought her a VTech Kidizoom Camera for Christmas. She loves it. It doesn’t take the best photos, but for a toddler who’s just playing photographer, it’s perfect. It’s rugged, which is good because it was dropped repeatedly. When she was 5, Grandma Debbie (my mom) bought her…
It’s been raining here for seemingly weeks! I shouldn’t complain, I’d rather have rain than snow, but it definitely puts me in comfort food mode. Beef Stroganoff is one of those meals I fix a little differently every time. It’s one of my favorites, too! In a pinch, I even use ground beef. I’ve also…
It’s hard to know where to begin my family history story about Adaline Isabell LeMaitre. Belle is my paternal 2nd great grandmother. Her portrait has hung on the wall of my parents’ home my entire life. I used to stand in front of it in awe of her beauty. She reminds me of a pioneer…
I love my Crock-pot. I suppose I could live without it if I had to, but it makes life so much easier on busy week days. Unlike a lot of folks I know, I use mine all year long. It’s great for soup and chili in the winter, but also great for sandwich meat and desserts…
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 for a little while and quietly slink away when you no longer rely upon them. Others become more of a mainstay … they’re the ones…
Imagining what my ancestors looked like is akin to devising physical attributes of characters in novels. I put together descriptions, stories, history, and even old movies … anything that helps me create an image in my mind. I usually end up with a cross between family features and movie characters. I don’t conjure nonexistent photos…
I’m always trying new recipes in my pressure cooker. Some turn out really great, while others just barely pass … but I’m slightly picky about food quality. My shredded Chipotle chicken idea worked beautifully, but I forgot to take photos along the way! This is the end result … so good. I used about two pounds of…
Writers suffer from writer’s block and I’m convinced that genealogists suffer from something called ancestry block … that moment when you think the branches and leaves on your family tree are so many that you can’t decide which branch to research next! Okay, I just made that up … but I suffer from this pretty…
My Grandma Raines’ grandparents, Jake and Anna Mueller, were married on October 29, 1895 in Ava, Illinois. This wedding photo was nestled in a box of family portraits that Grandma kept on a shelf above her washing machine … a likely place for family photos, eh? Jake is the grandson of Jacob Heinrich…
When I was a little girl, my bedroom door was right across from the “family portrait” section of the hallway. Portraits of my dad’s grandparents, great grandparents and an as of yet unnamed female (presumably a 2nd great grandmother) hung there. My bed was, unfortunately for me, positioned so I could stare back at the…
Easter is around the corner … literally. Now, I’m an only child, but I’m fortunate to have women in my life who are close enough they might as well be sisters … my friends Stephanie and Amber are certainly among the handful! So, Aunt Stephanie and Aunt Amber came over Wednesday night to help me…
Piecing together family history from 18th and 19th century published genealogies is like putting together a puzzle with frayed pieces … nothing fits quite as perfectly as you’d like. It seems, at least, that the Lindsay Clan was established well enough in Scotland to merit some record keeping. There are variety of books and publications…
My Grandpa Raines always took care to place flags on grave sites of his veteran ancestors … my mom would handle flowers for the rest. Grandpa’s people are buried in Boucher Cemetery in Murphysboro, Illinois … his mom, grandparents and many of his siblings. He would always visit on Memorial Day weekend ……