Tag: storytelling
For our grandchildren's children
Get personal (but keep your distance) Document, document, document I've been tossing around a thought in the last week. I've wondered if there is anyone still alive that I know personally who lived through a pandemic. There is no one. My 91 year old mother did not live through anything like what we are now ...
Storytelling: A Ballad
The Ballad of Richard Bard (The Poetry may be poor, but the story is amazing.) I have found over the years in my genealogical searches that there are ancestors of whom I have become particularly fond. One couple, whom I admire greatly, both makes me laugh and makes me feel horrified by what they endured—Richard ...
Storytelling: Use vintage greeting cards
Hello. I've been gone for quite a while. Some of you know that my husband was diagnosed with brain cancer a while back. He passed in December. It's a journey I never dreamed either one of us would experience, me as caregiver or he with such a diagnosis. As he often said, "It just happened. ...
Storytelling: What might our ancestors’ health status reveal?
Great grandma, not such a mystery Proof is in the pudding I'd heard the stories. Most weren't wonderful. Orah was unkind, and while I wish dad was here to tell me more, he doesn't have to be. I have at my disposal the very best proof: great grandma's own words. What follows are excerpts from ...
Storytelling: Painting a main character
“Stories have to be told or they die, and when they die, we can't remember who we are or why we're here.” ~ Sue Monk Kidd Storytelling is an important part of family history. Passing down stories about our lives and the lives of our ancestors makes history real. Characters make stories come to life. ...
Full circle
"Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can." ~ Arthur Ashe Family reunion...of sorts Meeting up with a long lost cousin A year or so ago I found my step-cousin Milton on Ancestry. Receiving a response of any kind on that site often does not happen; I was pleasantly surprised when ...
Family history: Storytelling using grandma’s cookbook
Creating an ancestor profile using a book Tell a story with grandma's cookbook I began collecting cookbooks years ago, a habit for which my husband prefers I receive therapy. Or was that for hoarding fabric? Never mind! The point is, while I can say I have too many cookbooks, a few in my collection are ...
Family history: Storytelling with a theme or topic
Choosing a subject or topic to tell a story Day-to-day aspects of life 100 years ago or more When trying to capture what life was like 100+ years ago, it is difficult to know a person's personality or character from a photo. While photos may not reveal an ancestor's personality, we can come away with ...
Ancestor profiling using memory
Moments in time One memory leads to another It has happened to us all. You walk into someone's home and you see something familiar, perhaps a jacket draped over a chair. You do a double take. It's very similar to the one grandpa wore on that special day long ago. As you approach to take ...
Storytelling: Let me count the ways
Think outside the box Start with communication When my children went to college, I soon discovered I would be contacted in one of three ways: my oldest called, my middle emailed, and the youngest sent texts. To this day, these are their preferred methods to communicate with me. Think about this: Maybe the oldest is ...
The Malevolent Matriarch 