And we'll be back after a short break in the New Year...
Tuesday, December 31, 2019
Thursday, December 26, 2019
You or is it Me? - Ancestors in 52 Weeks
This year's challenge is 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks and is run by Amy Johnson Crow.
Topic Info:
Week 52's theme is "You." I've often said that we need to remember that we are a part of our own family history. What do want future generations to know about you?
Lately, I've been thinking about this more and more probably due to the death of my brother and not having any children to pass things along to. I'm almost resigned to the fact when future generations, if they are told at all, will be told the wrong thing as its already started to happen to others within the family which is sad.
However, be it, I've done the best I could to put the family back into contact as much as I could, or at least let people know where others have been located. In some situations, it's been positive and as much of a learning experience for me as it has been for the person or people I've helped.
I can rest assured of I've done the right things and that I can take proudly with me as I move on to not being on the earth any longer when that time comes.
Hell, the things I've had happen to me or I've done, I should have been gone years ago. If I were a cat, I think I'm up to the 2nd, and probably onto the 3rd, round of 9 lives at this stage. I'm satisfied I've lived a full life.
I've started to write up some of the main questions to ask relatives, so at least this will, hopefully, tell someone who looks up the family history about me and my life. These questions I will leave with my research under my folder, but unless someone wants to know more about me, then they'll have to have access to that information.
However, if you want to read about my life, in general, you can either go to our website or go directly to the page.
If you feel you would like to do some of the ancestor questions, some of them are below.
Questions to ask relatives & yourself
What is your full name?
How did you get your name? Why did your parents select this name for you?
Did you have any nicknames?
When and where were you born?
Were there other family members in the area? Who?
How did your family come to live there?
What did your childhood home look like?What was the house (apartment, farm, etc.) like? How many rooms? Bathrooms? Did it have electricity? Indoor plumbing? Telephones?
Were there any special items in the house that you remember?
Best memories of your father?
Best memories of your mother?
Describe the personalities of your family members.
What is your earliest childhood memory?
What did you want to be when you grew up?
What are your siblings’ names, dates of birth and spouses names?
Who was the oldest relative you remember as a child? What do you remember about them?
What stories have come down to you about your parents? Grandparents? More distant ancestors?
What was the full name of your spouse/s? Spouse/s siblings? Spouse/s parents?
When and how did you meet your spouse? What did you do on dates?
Have any recipes been passed down to you from family members?
Are there any physical characteristics that run in your family?
What do you know about your family surname?
Is there a naming tradition in your family, such as always giving the firstborn son the name of his paternal grandfather?
What did you do for fun? (sports, games activities)
What was your town/city like?
What were your daily chores?
What kind of games did you play growing up?
What was your favorite toy and why?
What was your favorite thing to do for fun (movies, beach, etc.)?
Did you have any pets? If so, what kind and what were their names?
Did you receive an allowance? How much? Did you save your money or spend it?
Did you have family chores? What were they? Which was your least favorite?
Describe a typical family dinner.
Did you all eat together as a family? Who did the cooking? What were your favorite foods?
What was school like for you as a child? What were your best and worst subjects? Where did you attend grade school? High school? College?
What was your religion growing up? What church, if any, did you attend?
Who were your childhood heroes?
Who did you have a “crush” on?
Do you remember any fads from your youth? Popular hairstyles? Clothes?
How were holidays (birthdays, Christmas, etc.) celebrated in your family? Did your family have special traditions?
Tell me about your first date.
Who were your friends when you were growing up?
What school activities and sports did you participate in?
Were you ever mentioned in a newspaper?
What were your favorite songs and music?
What was it like when you proposed (or were proposed to)? Where and when did it happen?
How did you feel?
Where and when did you get married?
What memory stands out the most from your wedding day?
How would you describe your spouse? What do (did) you admire most about them?
What do you believe is the key to a successful marriage?
What world events had the most impact on you while you were growing up? Did any of them
personally affect your family?
How is the world today different from what it was like when you were a child?
What famous person did you look up to?
Are there any stories about famous or infamous relatives in your family?
What jobs did you have and how much did you earn?
Tell me about when you learned to drive a car. Who taught you?
What type of car was it?
How did you find out you were going to be a parent for the first time?
Why did you choose your children’s names?
What was your proudest moment as a parent?
What did your family enjoy doing together?
What was your profession and how did you choose it?
If you could have had any other profession what would it have been? Why wasn’t it your first
choice?
Of all the things you learned from your parents, which do you feel was the most valuable?
What accomplishments were you the most proud of?
What is the one thing you most want people to remember about you?
I hope these help you get started to define your relatives or even yourself.
Topic Info:
Week 52's theme is "You." I've often said that we need to remember that we are a part of our own family history. What do want future generations to know about you?
Lately, I've been thinking about this more and more probably due to the death of my brother and not having any children to pass things along to. I'm almost resigned to the fact when future generations, if they are told at all, will be told the wrong thing as its already started to happen to others within the family which is sad.
However, be it, I've done the best I could to put the family back into contact as much as I could, or at least let people know where others have been located. In some situations, it's been positive and as much of a learning experience for me as it has been for the person or people I've helped.
I can rest assured of I've done the right things and that I can take proudly with me as I move on to not being on the earth any longer when that time comes.
Hell, the things I've had happen to me or I've done, I should have been gone years ago. If I were a cat, I think I'm up to the 2nd, and probably onto the 3rd, round of 9 lives at this stage. I'm satisfied I've lived a full life.
I've started to write up some of the main questions to ask relatives, so at least this will, hopefully, tell someone who looks up the family history about me and my life. These questions I will leave with my research under my folder, but unless someone wants to know more about me, then they'll have to have access to that information.
However, if you want to read about my life, in general, you can either go to our website or go directly to the page.
If you feel you would like to do some of the ancestor questions, some of them are below.
Questions to ask relatives & yourself
What is your full name?
How did you get your name? Why did your parents select this name for you?
Did you have any nicknames?
When and where were you born?
Were there other family members in the area? Who?
How did your family come to live there?
What did your childhood home look like?What was the house (apartment, farm, etc.) like? How many rooms? Bathrooms? Did it have electricity? Indoor plumbing? Telephones?
Were there any special items in the house that you remember?
Best memories of your father?
Best memories of your mother?
Describe the personalities of your family members.
What is your earliest childhood memory?
What did you want to be when you grew up?
What are your siblings’ names, dates of birth and spouses names?
Who was the oldest relative you remember as a child? What do you remember about them?
What stories have come down to you about your parents? Grandparents? More distant ancestors?
What was the full name of your spouse/s? Spouse/s siblings? Spouse/s parents?
When and how did you meet your spouse? What did you do on dates?
Have any recipes been passed down to you from family members?
Are there any physical characteristics that run in your family?
What do you know about your family surname?
Is there a naming tradition in your family, such as always giving the firstborn son the name of his paternal grandfather?
What did you do for fun? (sports, games activities)
What was your town/city like?
What were your daily chores?
What kind of games did you play growing up?
What was your favorite toy and why?
What was your favorite thing to do for fun (movies, beach, etc.)?
Did you have any pets? If so, what kind and what were their names?
Did you receive an allowance? How much? Did you save your money or spend it?
Did you have family chores? What were they? Which was your least favorite?
Describe a typical family dinner.
Did you all eat together as a family? Who did the cooking? What were your favorite foods?
What was school like for you as a child? What were your best and worst subjects? Where did you attend grade school? High school? College?
What was your religion growing up? What church, if any, did you attend?
Who were your childhood heroes?
Who did you have a “crush” on?
Do you remember any fads from your youth? Popular hairstyles? Clothes?
How were holidays (birthdays, Christmas, etc.) celebrated in your family? Did your family have special traditions?
Tell me about your first date.
Who were your friends when you were growing up?
What school activities and sports did you participate in?
Were you ever mentioned in a newspaper?
What were your favorite songs and music?
What was it like when you proposed (or were proposed to)? Where and when did it happen?
How did you feel?
Where and when did you get married?
What memory stands out the most from your wedding day?
How would you describe your spouse? What do (did) you admire most about them?
What do you believe is the key to a successful marriage?
What world events had the most impact on you while you were growing up? Did any of them
personally affect your family?
How is the world today different from what it was like when you were a child?
What famous person did you look up to?
Are there any stories about famous or infamous relatives in your family?
What jobs did you have and how much did you earn?
Tell me about when you learned to drive a car. Who taught you?
What type of car was it?
How did you find out you were going to be a parent for the first time?
Why did you choose your children’s names?
What was your proudest moment as a parent?
What did your family enjoy doing together?
What was your profession and how did you choose it?
If you could have had any other profession what would it have been? Why wasn’t it your first
choice?
Of all the things you learned from your parents, which do you feel was the most valuable?
What accomplishments were you the most proud of?
What is the one thing you most want people to remember about you?
I hope these help you get started to define your relatives or even yourself.
Tuesday, December 24, 2019
Holiday Greetings
As Christmas quickly approaches, I send my wishes and warmth to all my readers for now and the upcoming year.
And for those of my readers who celebrate it, Happy Hanukkah!
And for those of my readers who celebrate it, Happy Hanukkah!
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| Credit |
And if you need to talk, please call on of the many Suicide Lifelines. If this is too complicated, please walk to your neighbors and talk to them even if its just to say a small 4 letter word - help. This word means so much and could help you.
Stay well and Safe!
Friday, December 20, 2019
Looking towards the Future- Ancestors in 52 Weeks
This year's challenge is 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks and is run by Amy Johnson Crow.
Topic Info:
Although we spend most of our genealogy time looking back, we should also look ahead. Week 51's theme is "Future." Who or what do you want to find next year? Which family member do you think will pick up the family history and carry it forward? Another way to think of it is to think of an ancestor who seemed to be "ahead of their time."
Growing up, I always looked towards the future and loved the holidays. One year I made Bûche de Noël log cakes and everyone loved them. The first few years I must have made at least 10 a year between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I loved doing it, along with all the other baking I did. There were also the times with my nieces decorating their trees and baking with them. However, by the time they hit their early teens they didn't want to do it any longer which is sad although they can't remember the hot cocoa, singing, dancing while decorating the tree and house.
The first years here in Australia were a huge change and I really cut back on the baking. However, after we moved into our home, I started getting into the baking again. However, as the years went on the hard it got to keep up the baking due to no children being around. The last few years, since we had our nephew William, I really didn't feel like Christmas.
Then there's this year - so much heartbreaking sadness in one year (this year 2019). In fact, I'm really struggling. Yes, we put up the tree but didn't mold it (as its artificial), plug it in, or really not done much decorating just a few ornaments, which my husband put most of them on and the one peice of garland we have on it, but there is a tree.
The baking, I'm doing it but its a real struggle. I just don't want to do it this year - at all. How can you when the future is looking oh so bleak for myself? We have no children due to me not being able to carry. Adoption and fostering, which we tried with the above named William in a way, we decided against.
What to do with my research in the future?
I've asked myself this many times over the past few years. Everyone comes to me for information, which is great, but what am I to do with it after I'm gone? This is the concern I face due to a line which will die out with us unfortunately.
How to share my information?
In the past few years, I've wanted to share my information. For those who could care less, I figured giving them small bites of information might interest them enough to ask or talk about the information without an overabundance of information.
But how?
At first, I was going to write everything up in a book and send it via ebook to everyone. I did part of it for my paternal grandmother, Jean Schmitz, and my maternal Uncle Louis. However, it gets time consuming and I'm not very good with things like that.
Another plan was to create ornaments for the tree and send them to my family to hang on the tree every year with a small card on each person. I might still do this, but I have to find the time to get creative and try it out.
The next thought was to print out pictures and make a quilt out of it. This is one I'm still trying to find enough time to try out as well. I have a plan and found instructions to actually do, but now to find the time!
Another thought was flash cards with people's information like name, where and when born, where and when died, where they lived, children, etc. However, my handwriting sucks to put it bluntly. Then I tried filling it out in Word, but I just didn't like it and found it fiddly.
Then there was the thought about having a tablecloth and everyone signs it and can trace around their hands and put the year. Then you stitch everything and each time you do it, someone gets the tablecloth unless you do multiples. I thought it was a nice way to remember everyone.
Lastly, was making a game up like Monopoly. You'd have a gameboard, player pieces, cards, land, and dice just like the game. However, I was thinking about adding in questions for the person to answer this way everyone learns something. After the question was answered and read out, then you'd put it in the back of a huge row of cards.
In conclusion, I have many plans to share my information; however, the plan to who to give my research to is still in the air. Hopefully, I won't be going anywhere for awhile, but I would like to update my will (which I have to do!) and will put it in there who will win the "prize" but I'm leaning towards a complete forfeit and giving it to the Genealogy Society if they'll take it. However, with my luck they will probably not want it as well.
Topic Info:
Although we spend most of our genealogy time looking back, we should also look ahead. Week 51's theme is "Future." Who or what do you want to find next year? Which family member do you think will pick up the family history and carry it forward? Another way to think of it is to think of an ancestor who seemed to be "ahead of their time."
Growing up, I always looked towards the future and loved the holidays. One year I made Bûche de Noël log cakes and everyone loved them. The first few years I must have made at least 10 a year between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I loved doing it, along with all the other baking I did. There were also the times with my nieces decorating their trees and baking with them. However, by the time they hit their early teens they didn't want to do it any longer which is sad although they can't remember the hot cocoa, singing, dancing while decorating the tree and house.
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| A mix I made up for one of our meetings |
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| Hot Cocoa Cookies |
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| Polish cookies kolaczkis |
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| My homemade chocolates which I learned from my chocolate class I took this year. |
The first years here in Australia were a huge change and I really cut back on the baking. However, after we moved into our home, I started getting into the baking again. However, as the years went on the hard it got to keep up the baking due to no children being around. The last few years, since we had our nephew William, I really didn't feel like Christmas.
Then there's this year - so much heartbreaking sadness in one year (this year 2019). In fact, I'm really struggling. Yes, we put up the tree but didn't mold it (as its artificial), plug it in, or really not done much decorating just a few ornaments, which my husband put most of them on and the one peice of garland we have on it, but there is a tree.
The baking, I'm doing it but its a real struggle. I just don't want to do it this year - at all. How can you when the future is looking oh so bleak for myself? We have no children due to me not being able to carry. Adoption and fostering, which we tried with the above named William in a way, we decided against.
What to do with my research in the future?
I've asked myself this many times over the past few years. Everyone comes to me for information, which is great, but what am I to do with it after I'm gone? This is the concern I face due to a line which will die out with us unfortunately.
- At one point, I thought my nieces might be interested, but found they are only interested in the side of their family which doesn't include mine. I want to give my research to someone who will respect it as much as I do and I just don't think it'll be them.
- I was thinking of my maternal cousins, but I'm not sure about that either.
- Another thought was to give it to the genealogy society in the county where I grew up. I know they do intend to take things like this, but I'll have to check it out to see what format they would want everything in as I have A LOT of documents and most are electronic.
How to share my information?
In the past few years, I've wanted to share my information. For those who could care less, I figured giving them small bites of information might interest them enough to ask or talk about the information without an overabundance of information.
But how?
At first, I was going to write everything up in a book and send it via ebook to everyone. I did part of it for my paternal grandmother, Jean Schmitz, and my maternal Uncle Louis. However, it gets time consuming and I'm not very good with things like that.
Another plan was to create ornaments for the tree and send them to my family to hang on the tree every year with a small card on each person. I might still do this, but I have to find the time to get creative and try it out.
The next thought was to print out pictures and make a quilt out of it. This is one I'm still trying to find enough time to try out as well. I have a plan and found instructions to actually do, but now to find the time!
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| Credit |
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| Credit |
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| How to make your own Monopoly Game |
In conclusion, I have many plans to share my information; however, the plan to who to give my research to is still in the air. Hopefully, I won't be going anywhere for awhile, but I would like to update my will (which I have to do!) and will put it in there who will win the "prize" but I'm leaning towards a complete forfeit and giving it to the Genealogy Society if they'll take it. However, with my luck they will probably not want it as well.
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| Credit |
Tuesday, December 10, 2019
Traditions during the holidays - Ancestors in 52 Weeks
This year's challenge is 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks and is run by Amy Johnson Crow.
Topic Info:
This is the time of year when many families celebrate various traditions that they have. Several days from now, I'll serve pork chops and sauerkraut, the traditional New Year's Day dinner on both my paternal and maternal lines. Do you know the origin of any of your ancestors? Or, taken another way, what's a genealogy tradition in you family that you've had to dispute (or proven)?
This is another difficult one for me as I cannot remember any traditions. We used to put up the Christmas tree a week or so after Thanksgiving. However, when I was about 9, Mom made a decision we were not going to put one up one year. Upon hearing this my sisters all showed up on our doorstep with a tree and ornaments and put one up for us.
After that, we put it up after the dishes were done on Thanksgiving while we were in a somewhat of a holiday frame of mind.
My oldest sister, Theresa, and I tried to set aside time to make decorating a big thing with my nieces. Theresa would put on the music, make hot chocolate, and her three girls and us would listen, and sing along to the music (yes sometimes dancing was involved), and decorate the tree.
I'm not sure if my nieces ever continued this tradition, but they had done it until their teens. However, since they now don't speak about my side of the family unless its to talk about us like we're the devil spawn, let alone probably do any of the traditional stuff, so I doubt it.
Growing up we did go see Eggbert, the talking egg at Devitt's. I took my 3 nieces and my older 2 nephews and my youngest nephew, Eric to see him. Now I have a Christmas Tree ornament because I can't go in person because I live in Australia and not NY.
It was only late last year, I found we are distantly related to the Devitt's who own the place with Eggbert in it. Completely shocked me when I figured it out.
Me? Now that we're married, up until a few years ago, I started to put up the tree around Thanksgiving again. However, the past few years, I just can't get motivated to do it. This year's is even worse since the death of my brother and our dog, Buddy. Buddy would always 'help' me with his looks if I were doing things correct in his opinion. With my brother, well, he never saw our home, but just the thought of the past Christmas' puts a real heartbreak in it all.
I did take Buddy to see Santa Paws every few years because he loved going in to see him. I had to tough time getting him to leave.
I do make Polish Bow Ties or Krusciki/Crusciki every year to remember my grandmother, Jean. She always asked me what I wanted for Christmas and it was always them. I try and make them every year.
Also, I have ornaments which always go on the tree - a baby shoe to remember Jamie, an angel to remember the baby I lost after Jamie, a heart with the year we got married, one for each pet we had, and some Polish ornaments with the family names of each of the more recent family names on them. I want to try glass etching (which I mentioned in a prior post) and that would help with making them more custom for each family.
This Year
I have brought the tree in but its sitting in the bag where we usually put it. Last week I did semi decorate the back. A few days ago I put the wreath on the door. I really don't feel like doing anymore than that.
Maybe it's hubby's turn to put the tree up...
Updated:
Upon opening up the crates we have the Christmas stuff in, I found one of the ornaments from Poland had been broken. *cry*
Although the others are still intact!
We hope you have a very Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!
Topic Info:
This is the time of year when many families celebrate various traditions that they have. Several days from now, I'll serve pork chops and sauerkraut, the traditional New Year's Day dinner on both my paternal and maternal lines. Do you know the origin of any of your ancestors? Or, taken another way, what's a genealogy tradition in you family that you've had to dispute (or proven)?
This is another difficult one for me as I cannot remember any traditions. We used to put up the Christmas tree a week or so after Thanksgiving. However, when I was about 9, Mom made a decision we were not going to put one up one year. Upon hearing this my sisters all showed up on our doorstep with a tree and ornaments and put one up for us.
After that, we put it up after the dishes were done on Thanksgiving while we were in a somewhat of a holiday frame of mind.
My oldest sister, Theresa, and I tried to set aside time to make decorating a big thing with my nieces. Theresa would put on the music, make hot chocolate, and her three girls and us would listen, and sing along to the music (yes sometimes dancing was involved), and decorate the tree.
I'm not sure if my nieces ever continued this tradition, but they had done it until their teens. However, since they now don't speak about my side of the family unless its to talk about us like we're the devil spawn, let alone probably do any of the traditional stuff, so I doubt it.
Growing up we did go see Eggbert, the talking egg at Devitt's. I took my 3 nieces and my older 2 nephews and my youngest nephew, Eric to see him. Now I have a Christmas Tree ornament because I can't go in person because I live in Australia and not NY.
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| My nephew, Eric, when I took him to Devitt's in 1996. Credit: J. Fitzgerald |
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| My Eggbert ornament. Credit: J. Fitzgerald |
Me? Now that we're married, up until a few years ago, I started to put up the tree around Thanksgiving again. However, the past few years, I just can't get motivated to do it. This year's is even worse since the death of my brother and our dog, Buddy. Buddy would always 'help' me with his looks if I were doing things correct in his opinion. With my brother, well, he never saw our home, but just the thought of the past Christmas' puts a real heartbreak in it all.
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| This is Jackie who would make sure we put presents where he wanted them in 2009. Credit J Fitzgerald |
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| Buddy with Santa Paws in 2014. Does he look like he's 11 years old? |
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| My Polish Bow Ties/Krusciki/Crusciki. Credit: J Fitzgerald |
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| We lost Jamie in 2003. This is memorial ornament which we put on the tree each year. Credit: J. Fitzgerald |
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| This is the baby we lost after Jamie in February 2004. This is its memorial ornament which we put on the tree each year. Credit: J. Fitzgerald |
This Year
I have brought the tree in but its sitting in the bag where we usually put it. Last week I did semi decorate the back. A few days ago I put the wreath on the door. I really don't feel like doing anymore than that.
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| Our tree and windows in 2006. Credit J. Fitzgerald |
Maybe it's hubby's turn to put the tree up...
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| Credit |
Upon opening up the crates we have the Christmas stuff in, I found one of the ornaments from Poland had been broken. *cry*
We hope you have a very Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!
Thursday, December 5, 2019
Crafts over the years - Ancestors in 52 Weeks
This year's challenge is 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks and is run by Amy Johnson Crow.
Topic Info:
The theme for Week 49 is "Craft." Do you have an ancestor who was a craftsman? How about a tradition of crafting in your family? (I come from a line of crafters and I have always enjoyed doing crafts of all kinds. I've also started quilting, a craft that both my grandmother and my aunt spent countless hours doing.) Do you have a handmade craft that's been passed down?
I grew up either watching or doing crafts by my paternal grandmother, mother, my oldest sister, Theresa, and my brother, Charlie. I had started doing crafts by that stage from making cards to helping Theresa with wreaths among other things.
My Grandmother
My paternal grandmother, Jean, would crochet and was very good at it. I know when I was growing up, she would sit in her chair, play solitaire, and take time out and crochet. First she made dolls with a dress and then what we called dogs. Both of these held toilet paper rolls. They were all over the place when I was growing up, but I never got any because I was too young I was told.
However, last year I met up with one of Jean's partner's great nephews. Upon talking to him, I found Jean had given some of her doilies to his great aunt and sister of Jean's partner. Back in the 1950's or 1960's, this woman was talking with Jean and told her she couldn't find the true ones any longer as they were all really thin or plastic. Jean told her she'd make her some and did and gave them to her. The woman used them for years until she put them away so they wouldn't get ruined.
Now, the circle is complete because she had her great nephew return them to me in January 2019. She said she didn't used them any longer and wanted to give them back to Jean's family. I only expected one or two, but what I got was a small treasure trove as you can see by the pictures above.
My Mother
My mother didn't do many crafts when I was growing up. This was probably due to her working or watching TV. Now, she watches TV but hasn't worked for awhile. She did start making me another knitted throw, but I haven't a clue where this is now, since she moved to Kansas and then into a nursing home.
However, she told me when she was pregnant with me, she started another one. This was in oranges, browns and an off white colors - true 1970s colors that's for sure!
Anyhow, when I asked her why she kept doing a chevron crochet blanket instead of a straight line, she said that's the only one she was taught, so did that one.
This blanket, after many starts and stops from Mom, has many different textures and colors because Mom could never find the same colors as she started.
However, now due to arthritis and dementia, she no longer can do anything like this, so these I can cherish.
My Sister, Theresa
Well, what can I say? We were always doing something different and trying things. These sometimes came out well and other times there were more laughs than anything. Usually stories came with the "well we're not doing that again" type of stuff.
The first one which always comes to mind is the time Theresa wanted to make some money by making homemade wreaths and stuff for the front doors. We had some branches around where we lived we used first and came off well. Then we had to go look and sometimes we went into forests where there were plenty. What we didn't count on was sitting there working to cut the thinner branches and then came a stench. I looked up and noticed some bears but they were probably a mile or so away. However, I got a bad feeling and kept an eye on them. After 10 or so minutes, I insisted we were done but Theresa wanted a few more branches. By this point the bears (as there was a huge one and a smaller one I was thinking was a few years old baby) were about a half mile away and I wanted out. I told her to get everything in the car and sit in the car while I finish the branch I was working on. She put everything in the car but didn't get in. The bears were now getting much closer and I finally got down leaving the branch behind. Theresa started to complain and I told her she could complain all she wanted but if she wanted to talk it over with the bears be my guest (and a bit of swearing mixed in). She asked me what I was talking about as I got in the car and was telling her to do the same. She just made it in and we got the hell out of there.
We did get some of the wreaths done and dressed up. Made a bit a money but not enough to do that again! Too bad we never took any pictures.
Other things were like making clocks with pictures, just pictures and other things on wood with a high gloss plastic coating over it. It worked out great but with having active kids and animals around the items which you had to let dry for many days, it wasn't practical (and you can tell there are more stories around this one!) but it was fun.
Another thing Theresa has tried recently, was making jewelry. This includes necklaces, bracelets, and earrings.
My Brother, Charlie
Charlie drew when he was growing up. They were really good drawings too.
However, he went away from it by the time he was in his 20s. Then when he got older, he went back to carpentry after he was hurt in a workplace accident and couldn't go back to full time work.
When they moved into their home, and then he talked about building a huge shed, I knew he was getting back into carpentry as the equipment was huge. He did and eventually set up his business called Wood Chuck Wood Working. This was in the huge shed at his home where he came up with his ideas and projects. Some of these are below.
He was very talented, but like me, a perfectionist. It wasn't until a few years ago, I find out our paternal grandfather, Mathias (aka Mathew) Schmitz was a carpenter and joiner.
Sometimes these things do run into families.
Me - Jo Ann
I wouldn't call myself very skilled but I give things a shot, like up in Theresa's little blurb above. Still to this day watching her face go white when she saw how close the bears were and when they turned, saw us, and started running for the car...something I'll never forget.
Anyhow, I've done and tried many things over the years with crafts. This came in handy when we were planning our wedding and the stuff I had already done for the wedding Australia when we had a fire and I lost things I had already done and bought for the wedding. We had planned another in New York, where I grew up, but because of the fire, never got to have. In fact, I had already done the favors for that wedding which were small hats with lace and bears on them.
We lost everything I had done - the cake topper and the small teddy bear touches I had planned all over. We looked all over and couldn't find a cake topper like we wanted, so I had to find the stuff to make one like we wanted. Same thing with putting teddy bears in my wedding bouquet, so we got it and then had tiny bears to put in after we got them, and limited to only one group of bears for one of the tables and made up bears for everyone who was an attendant along with the teddy necklaces the girls wore on the day.
There have been many other things I've done over the years - knitting, cross stitching, fancying up the outside of a book, scrapbooking, and picture taking which was then printed and used.
I've balanced this with my other hobbies of baking and reading. However, a few years ago, I've tried to combine 2 of them - chocolate and coloring/painting.
I've taken a melting class for chocolate and they showed us how to make chocolates and how to apply "paint" and dust to the chocolates.
For the future, I'm planning on a few crafty things. This is due to me having an inflamed tendon in my right thumb and wrist so I can't do much right now unfortunately. It's hard to think of doing crafts or typing when you're in pain wiping your butt!
But goals are goals. I want to do some chocolates with color, make a quilted blanket with family pictures on it (I have tried quilting before but need to work on this), decoupage family tree ornaments of ancestors, and acid etching on glass. Too bad my wrist and thumb are slowing me down.
I keep telling everyone, I'm busy all the time but somehow no one believes me. Because on top of these things, I also do my own genealogy and help others and index when I can. Oh, also I'm the secretary and treasurer of our area Neighbourhood Watch group.
Topic Info:
The theme for Week 49 is "Craft." Do you have an ancestor who was a craftsman? How about a tradition of crafting in your family? (I come from a line of crafters and I have always enjoyed doing crafts of all kinds. I've also started quilting, a craft that both my grandmother and my aunt spent countless hours doing.) Do you have a handmade craft that's been passed down?
I grew up either watching or doing crafts by my paternal grandmother, mother, my oldest sister, Theresa, and my brother, Charlie. I had started doing crafts by that stage from making cards to helping Theresa with wreaths among other things.
My Grandmother
My paternal grandmother, Jean, would crochet and was very good at it. I know when I was growing up, she would sit in her chair, play solitaire, and take time out and crochet. First she made dolls with a dress and then what we called dogs. Both of these held toilet paper rolls. They were all over the place when I was growing up, but I never got any because I was too young I was told.
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| The toilet paper roll cover dog. Credit |
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| The toilet paper roll cover for doll. Credit |
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| The different types of doilies together. |
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| The one under my brother's ashes in our home. |
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| The one in our living room. |
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| The one we had on our dining room table which was multicolored. |
My Mother
My mother didn't do many crafts when I was growing up. This was probably due to her working or watching TV. Now, she watches TV but hasn't worked for awhile. She did start making me another knitted throw, but I haven't a clue where this is now, since she moved to Kansas and then into a nursing home.
However, she told me when she was pregnant with me, she started another one. This was in oranges, browns and an off white colors - true 1970s colors that's for sure!
Anyhow, when I asked her why she kept doing a chevron crochet blanket instead of a straight line, she said that's the only one she was taught, so did that one.
This blanket, after many starts and stops from Mom, has many different textures and colors because Mom could never find the same colors as she started.
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| The is part of the blanket she made me. Notice the different colors. This is now on our couch in our study. |
My Sister, Theresa
Well, what can I say? We were always doing something different and trying things. These sometimes came out well and other times there were more laughs than anything. Usually stories came with the "well we're not doing that again" type of stuff.
The first one which always comes to mind is the time Theresa wanted to make some money by making homemade wreaths and stuff for the front doors. We had some branches around where we lived we used first and came off well. Then we had to go look and sometimes we went into forests where there were plenty. What we didn't count on was sitting there working to cut the thinner branches and then came a stench. I looked up and noticed some bears but they were probably a mile or so away. However, I got a bad feeling and kept an eye on them. After 10 or so minutes, I insisted we were done but Theresa wanted a few more branches. By this point the bears (as there was a huge one and a smaller one I was thinking was a few years old baby) were about a half mile away and I wanted out. I told her to get everything in the car and sit in the car while I finish the branch I was working on. She put everything in the car but didn't get in. The bears were now getting much closer and I finally got down leaving the branch behind. Theresa started to complain and I told her she could complain all she wanted but if she wanted to talk it over with the bears be my guest (and a bit of swearing mixed in). She asked me what I was talking about as I got in the car and was telling her to do the same. She just made it in and we got the hell out of there.
We did get some of the wreaths done and dressed up. Made a bit a money but not enough to do that again! Too bad we never took any pictures.
Other things were like making clocks with pictures, just pictures and other things on wood with a high gloss plastic coating over it. It worked out great but with having active kids and animals around the items which you had to let dry for many days, it wasn't practical (and you can tell there are more stories around this one!) but it was fun.
Another thing Theresa has tried recently, was making jewelry. This includes necklaces, bracelets, and earrings.
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| Theresa made this bracelet for me back a few years ago. |
My Brother, Charlie
Charlie drew when he was growing up. They were really good drawings too.
However, he went away from it by the time he was in his 20s. Then when he got older, he went back to carpentry after he was hurt in a workplace accident and couldn't go back to full time work.
When they moved into their home, and then he talked about building a huge shed, I knew he was getting back into carpentry as the equipment was huge. He did and eventually set up his business called Wood Chuck Wood Working. This was in the huge shed at his home where he came up with his ideas and projects. Some of these are below.
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| One of the tables he worked on and part of his shop |
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| More of his shop where he worked. |
However, we lost Charlie in 2019. When it came time to find something to "bring him home" in his wife, Kathy, used one of his creations for this purpose.
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| Charlie's box he made and now resides in. |
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| A joiner is part of the carpentry occupation. Credit |
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| This is our grandfather's Intention to become a citizen paperwork. Notice the occupation on the second line. Credit: USCIS |
Me - Jo Ann
I wouldn't call myself very skilled but I give things a shot, like up in Theresa's little blurb above. Still to this day watching her face go white when she saw how close the bears were and when they turned, saw us, and started running for the car...something I'll never forget.
Anyhow, I've done and tried many things over the years with crafts. This came in handy when we were planning our wedding and the stuff I had already done for the wedding Australia when we had a fire and I lost things I had already done and bought for the wedding. We had planned another in New York, where I grew up, but because of the fire, never got to have. In fact, I had already done the favors for that wedding which were small hats with lace and bears on them.
We lost everything I had done - the cake topper and the small teddy bear touches I had planned all over. We looked all over and couldn't find a cake topper like we wanted, so I had to find the stuff to make one like we wanted. Same thing with putting teddy bears in my wedding bouquet, so we got it and then had tiny bears to put in after we got them, and limited to only one group of bears for one of the tables and made up bears for everyone who was an attendant along with the teddy necklaces the girls wore on the day.
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| The first cake topper with the bears I came up with before the fire we had in 1997. |
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| The sneakers I bought and made the bridal (appliques, ribbon and bears added) to wear on my wedding day in 1997. |
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| The 2nd wedding cake topper quickly made for our wedding in 1997. |
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| The bear hats I made as wedding gifts. |
There have been many other things I've done over the years - knitting, cross stitching, fancying up the outside of a book, scrapbooking, and picture taking which was then printed and used.
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| My book cover I made for a photo and information album. |
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| One of my cross stitches I made many years ago. |
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| My first quilt which the skills need to be worked on. |
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| My crocheting which I think is just too hard even though I still have basically a whole blanket done which needs to be joined. |
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| My Thanksgiving turkey I made from cross stitching using plastic instead of fabric. |
I've taken a melting class for chocolate and they showed us how to make chocolates and how to apply "paint" and dust to the chocolates.
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| Chocolates made from class |
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| Chocolates made from class |
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| Up close trifles |
For the future, I'm planning on a few crafty things. This is due to me having an inflamed tendon in my right thumb and wrist so I can't do much right now unfortunately. It's hard to think of doing crafts or typing when you're in pain wiping your butt!
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| Ouch. It's been about 2 weeks and still going. |
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| These are pictures I figured out how to transfer onto material, but didn't like how they came out. Need to try others and then make the quilt! |
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