Happy 90th Birthday, Mom!

Today would have been my mother’s 90th birthday. This year’s post honoring Mom is a little different from previous ones. It’s a video! Now, some of you may think this is a little creepy. But — you have to admit the technology is pretty cool. I have shared some of the cool technologies from MyHeritage […]

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Today is International Holocaust Remembrance Day

Most 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 […]

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Hey, 2022! Give Us a Break!

Let’s face it – 2021 did not turn out the way we hoped it would. COVID-19 is worse than ever with the Omicron variant spreading like wildfire. And, speaking of wildfire, two communities within a few miles of our daughter’s home in Boulder, Colorado have been decimated by a historic, fast-moving fire. We are grateful […]

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Chapter Two – Becoming an Expert – Sigmund Lichtenthal

I recently submitted this chapter to my writing group, (Lynn Palermo’s Family History Masterclass) receiving great feedback including, “Add more emotion.”, “Add more dialog.”, “Too much fact, not enough story.” And finally, the bane of my writing existence: “Kind of choppy – work on your transitions.” I reworked the chapter and would love to hear […]

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Happy Birthday to My Great-Grandfather, the “Expert”

Today, October 20, 2021, is the 146th anniversary of Sigmund Lichtenthals’ birthday. I’ve written about my great-grandfather before; most extensively, in this post from 2013 where I summarized his life. In 2020 I wrote about forming opinions of our ancestors we never knew simply using the photos and documents we collected. I have been diligently […]

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Keeping Traditions Alive – Fruit Kuchen 2021

This past weekend was just great! After not seeing each other for almost two years (or more!), much of my family gathered at our youngest daughter’s home to celebrate missed birthdays, upcoming birthdays, and an engagement! Meghan and I decided to surprise everyone by carrying on my mother’s traditional fall treat – Fruit Kuchen, otherwise […]

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My Uncle Emile – A “Ritchie Boy”

Last night, on the CBS show 60 Minutes, they ran a story about the “Ritchie Boys,” a secret US Intelligence group. This group of German-speaking Jews was responsible for uncovering more than half the combat intelligence on the Western Front during World War II. As reported in the story, their mission was to use their […]

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If Walls Could Talk! Oh… Wait…

You know the saying. “If these walls could talk…” Oh, what we might learn about the history of our homes and their previous occupants! Well, guess what? A discovery inside the closet of our recently purchased condo did just that! Maybe this would be a good time to share some news. On May 7, 2021, […]

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Deported to Dachau

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 […]

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Life DC (During Covid) – A Very Merry Covid Christmas

It’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 […]

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