Today, Wednesday January 27 is Holocaust Remembrance Day. In the past, I have written about my grandfather’s concentration camp experience. I also told the story of his father, my great-grandfather Sigmund Lichtenthal, and shared how the events during the Holocaust destroyed his lifelong business. Many people are keenly aware of the outcome of the Holocaust […]
Read MoreIt’s been a while since I documented our COVID experiences. As 2020 draws to a close and a vaccine is on the horizon perhaps (and I pray this will be so!) I won’t have much time left to share stories of our lives during this pandemic. Thanksgiving turned out to be a far less stressful […]
Read MoreIn 2007, as part of our mother’s 75th birthday celebration, we arranged for her to receive 75 cards from friends and family. To make up the balance, I created 16 cards. I recently came across the cache of cards while organizing papers. Since I haven’t posted much lately, I decided to share my “creations.” It […]
Read MoreIt has been nine years since my mother left us. When I posted about my mom’s purse three years ago, I merely shared a photo and returned the sacred object to languish on the dusty floor of my closet. It is time. I need to dismiss the feeling I’m invading her privacy and deal with […]
Read MoreThere’s just no way I can do a “Wordless Wednesday” post correctly. I always have to say something! (Maybe that’s why the schoolbus driver put tape on my mouth back when I was 7 or 8.) Anyway, a few days ago Thomas MacEntee of Abundant Genealogy posted on his Genealogy Bargains Facebook page about the […]
Read MoreIn my last post, I shared a chapter from my new book project about my family’s quest to obtain Holocaust reparations. Today, I’d like to share what I learned about the emigration of my maternal great-grandparents, Sigmund and Rosa Lichtenthal. I’ve learned quite a bit more since I orginally posted about their trip a couple […]
Read MoreI’m going to try something – “crowdsourcing” the first chapter of my book about my great-grandfather’s quest for Holocaust reparations. I am looking for feedback. Here’s the “elevator pitch” – “Closing the Circle: Finishing My Great-Grandfather’s Quest for Reparations” tells the story of a family whose livelihood was stolen from them when Hitler’s men seized […]
Read MoreOne of the top rules in genealogy is to avoid BSOs – “bright, shiny, objects.” I break that rule all the time and as a result I learn some pretty cool stuff. Ok, maybe I lose focus and don’t finish the actual task I was working on but honestly, life’s more fun this way! Today’s […]
Read MoreOne of the things I have really come to appreciate during this pandemic is people’s creativity. And their sense of humor. Today’s post is dedicated to the two librarians in our family: Laurel Goodgion and Johanna Holman. I’m not even sure how I found Steph Plant’s parody of Richard Scarry’s What Do People Do All […]
Read MoreIt was a beautiful day in Connecticut today – mid-70s, low humidity. Perfect day to be outside. So, of course, today was the day I chose to finally go through the two boxes of my mother’s papers. In my defense, I already went outside a couple times this week! My mother passed away on Dec. […]
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