Yesterday I attended a presentation given by the local DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution.) No – not for my family – the furthest back this 100% Ashkenazi Jew goes in America is 1859 when Aaron Samuel arrived in Hoboken, NJ from England, with his wife and 9 children. I was there with a friend of […]
Read MoreAlmost every year from 1963 through 2011, my mother made our fall favorite: Peach and Plum cakes. There were two versions – one rectangular, with a thin crust. The other, made in a springform pan with a thicker crust. I’m a thicker crust kind of girl. The images to the left and right are from […]
Read MoreYesterday, I posted about the importance of sharing versus “hoarding” the results of our research. In the interest of full disclosure here’s a list of my completed, in-progress, and future family history projects: “Who We Are and How We Got This Way – Volume 1: Alan Samuel” (my dad)“Who We Are and How We Got This […]
Read MoreI teach in an Adult Education program. In my morning class today, we were talking about the importance of being life-long learners. I told my students I was a hoarder of information. “You’re WHAT?”, they asked. “What does that mean?” I went on to explain that I really enjoy learning for learning’s sake. Especially related […]
Read MoreThis is one of my favorite pictures. I am proudly standing on the lawn of what was then called Southern Connecticut State College. No idea who took the photo, probably my best friend, Doreen. It was some point in 1973 during my freshman year. I was 18. It’s tough to tell, but those are indeed platform […]
Read MoreThe SPIEGEL building – The original store opened around 1895 in Semarang, Indonesia – Before renovation – 2011http://smgpras.blogspot.com/2011/04/winkel-maatschapphij-h-spiegel-remaing.html SPIEGEL building now houses the SPIEGEL Bar and Bistro -after renovation – 2017.https://gapuradigital.withgoogle.com/workshops/semarang YouTube Video: Renovations 2015 YouTube Video: SPIEGEL Bar and Bistro Opening
Read MoreThe closest thing to a family plot I have found is in Sharon Gardens, the Jewish section of the Kensico Cemetery in Valhalla, New York. Buried together there are both my paternal grandparents, my aunt, and my great-aunt and uncle. My paternal grandfather My paternal grandmother Constance was my grandmother’s sister. Her husband was Emanuel […]
Read MoreFamily history is not just a collection of vital records – the who, what and when. For me, it’s more about the why and the how. Those items we have so lovingly saved help round out the stories of our ancestors. There’s something about holding your great-grandmother’s slippers that cements that family connection. My mom was […]
Read MoreOctober is a pretty good month. It starts out with my baby brother’s birthday on the 1st, our adorable granddaughter’s birthday smack-dab in the middle (shared with my best friend from high school – we’ve been friends for more than 47 years!!), and ends with one of my favorite holidays. There’s also the birthdays of […]
Read MoreIt’s been 5 years since you left us. Before you said goodbye, you told me, “I had a job to do and I did it.” You sure did your “job” well, Mom. Since Dec, 2, 2011 there have been high school graduations, college graduations, two weddings, house renovations, household moves, retirements and TWO new additions […]
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Who We Are and How We Got This Way 