Years ago, among my family’s treasures, I found a small crocheted pouch. The ivory cotton thread was very soft. The top was a bit frayed. I pulled out the item contained inside—a small copper token, about the size of a quarter. The only thing I understood on the coin was the greeting: Prosit Neujahr 1938. […]
Read MoreIMPOSTER SYNDROME: “a collection of feelings of inadequacy that persist despite evident success.” Social Psychologist, Dr. Amy Cuddy When people refer to me as an author, I generally respond with something like, ” Well… Gee.. thanks, but I’m not a real writer.” Or maybe, “No. I’m not really. I just have a lot of stories […]
Read MoreFollowing up on my recent presentation, “Sharing Our Family’s Stories” (for the Jewish Genealogical Society of Connecticut), I thought it might be a good time to invite you to take my version of Mike Karsen’s “Legacy Pledge.” Mike offers you a choice of two gifts when you accomplish his pledge to share your family history […]
Read MoreIf you received a whole bunch of posts recently, I want to apologize! When I opened my WordPress program to create a new post, there were a whole bunch of previous posts sitting in my Draft Box. I’m not sure why, as those were all posts I had published previously. So, because I am hungry […]
Read MoreToday’s post is prompted by my daughter Caitlin asking what blood types my husband and I are. She read some research indicating people with Type A may be more susceptible to Covid-19. I knew Scott’s was Type O (whew!) since it’s on his dogtag from 1971. Me? No idea!! I checked my online medical profile […]
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 MoreA few weeks ago my friend Doreen and I visited one my favorite vintage shops, Adorn Restoration Boutique in Southbury, CT. As we were strolling through the the various booths, objects from the past sparked memories. “Oh! My mom had a bunch of these tole painted trays!” “Geez! I should make collages from all my […]
Read MoreMost people are aware of the events surrounding the Holocaust as well as the horrific situation in which many Jews found themselves during and after. In this post, I’d like to share a few things that are lesser-known, as well as some documents from my family during that period. My grandfather, Paul Lichtenthal was called […]
Read Morehttps://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/kristallnacht On November 9–10, 1938, Nazi leaders unleashed a series of pogroms against the Jewish population in Germany and recently incorporated territories. This event came to be called Kristallnacht (The Night of Broken Glass) because of the shattered glass that littered the streets after the vandalism and destruction of Jewish-owned businesses, synagogues, and homes. https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/kristallnacht 84 years […]
Read MoreAlmost every weekday, I take part in a two-hour online writing group. We share ideas, our writing process, and even bits of our lives. This morning, one member mentioned she uses the Myers-Briggs Personality Test to help develop her characters. In my former life, helping students find their career paths, I incorporated the personality test […]
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Who We Are and How We Got This Way 