T'was the Night Before Christmas - - And to All a Good Night

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This will be my last post at Worldwide Genealogy.  After 24 months, I am leaving the fold.  It has been a great experience sharing with the readers and sharing the posting with other very talented and creative genealogy bloggers.

I have shared with you my experience in ordering 3 memorial markers at one time, to be placed in 3 different cemeteries with 3 different set of rules.  It was a bit frustrating, but, it was so worth it in the end. (See posts:  The Lazy Hazy Days of Summer, Perfect for Remembering and Headstones; Sounds Easy - - Until - - Ordering Memorial Markers; The Headstones Have Arrived AND Do You Digitally Edit Documents?; Tidbits From My World:: Reflection's Dreams. Headstones. Fortunes. Critters. Scientific Fistic.)

I have shared with you a bit of how I try to blend my research and my love of Rving/traveling these beautiful United States.

I shared with you thoughts about my dreaded Christmas letter and I even suggested you “step away from that computer”.

I have tried to suggest ways for you to share your lives and thoughts in your data bases for future generations to learn from.

This, my last month, my post will appear just 9 days before the celebration of Christmas.  Of course I have some thoughts on preserving the holiday and traditions for your family.

Take lots of photos.  Of course you will.  Preserve them in your data base.  Of course you will.  Tell the stories.  Record the traditions, food, the fun and the poignant moments.  Of course you will.

Here are a couple of photos from my archives, from the season. They truly represent the poignant moments of the holiday season for our family.  One of our family holiday traditions. Man reading, “Twas the Night Before Christmas” to our sons. 

And, years later, Man reading the same to our Grandtwins. 

No matter what you may celebrate, Christmas, Hanukkah, Ramadan, Fiesta of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Boxing Day, Kwanzaa, Yule or otherwise, may the holidays be wonderful beyond all your dreams. Blessings and Peace to all.




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November, a Month of Thanksgiving and Gratefulness

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Today, Man and I are sitting out a significant rain event in Pinnacle North Carolina.  Sweet newer small campground in the shadow of Pilot Mountain.  We have been traveling and working rather hard for several weeks, so this rain event/rest is more than welcomed.

In the US, we celebrate Thanksgiving in late November.  They say this year, that you will not find a “large” turkey, there has been a avian bird flu that has reduced the availability of turkeys.  For many this will be traumatic, as family traditions are so deeply rooted in our souls.  I look at this as a possibility to change or make our own family traditions. Tradition is wonderful, but, it can change. Many years ago, when we had two sons (number three was not even a twinkle in his daddies’s eye yet), we changed our Christmas meal menu.  I set out guidelines that all food had to be prepared in the days leading up to Christmas and served cold.  Sound sad??  Not one bit. We prepared smoked turkeys, deviled eggs, potato salad, cheese and bread trays, fresh vegie trays, deserts to die for, usually what we have called the “Bowen cheesecake”.  We purchased fantastic honey spiral cut ham.  There was so much food we had left overs for days.  The “cold” meal could be set out and enjoyed during the day (yes, the potato salad would be put back in the frig, food poisoning was not part of the menu).  And, enjoyed it was.  So, yes, you can change up the family traditional meals, it is after all, all about the family anyway, the meal is just the accompaniment.

Now, all of that explained, do you record these sort of family “memories” in your family history?? Maybe even a photo of the “spread” or your lovely table settings.  I would give anything to see a representation of the table of my ancestors.

November is also a month of gratefulness that is played out on social media like Facebook with a daily meme of stating what you are thankful for.  Some of the entries are truly amazing and heartwarming. It is also a challenge to come up with a post every day. I did this several years ago, and ended up reproducing the month of posts on Reflections, Thankful November.

It is fun to go back and remember.  And, again, I shall ask, have you recorded memories and thankfulness on your blog or in your family history?

Man and I have no idea where we will spend the Thanksgiving day, somewhere on the road between North Carolina and Florida.  We are taking our time and visiting a few friends along the way.  No research stops are currently planned, but, hey, Man and I live for the day and our plans are written in dust and sea mist.  The wheels roll and we try to enjoy the trip(s) for what is offered.  Visits with family and friends are highly valued.  Even short family visits may produce some wonderful foder for your research.  Maybe a digital sound recording of your visit and the story telling that always happens.  I don’t have many interviews in my family history, but the ones I do have are, simply, amazing.

Happy Thanksgiving to all, eat well, and enjoy the family times. (Then go post some of the great memories to your data base.)




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Memorial Day Traditions

My husband and I are commemorating Memorial Day, which is today in the United States, by taking a road trip with my brother and his wife to explore a slice of our family history in West Virginia. In 2010 my youngest brother emailed and asked if we'd be interested in taking a trip together over Memorial Day weekend. He and he wife wanted to go to Asheville, North Carolina, and thought it would be an equi-distant location for both of us as they live in northern Alabama and we live in northern Virginia. My husband and I thought it would be fun as it had been years since either of us had been to Asheville.

Since I spent a great deal of my working life as a project manager and am used to thinking of my very accomplished baby brother, who is 10 years younger than me, as a child, I began planning our trip. We stayed in a lovely cabin about 30 minutes north of Asheville in the mountains. The driveway was dirt road to an old mica mine and the place was sure hard to find. There was a donkey in a field at the end of the paved road. We knew exactly how many times my brother had driven by the turn in the dark because the rascally donkey brayed every time a car went by. No cell phone reception made it very entertaining.

Our cabin north of Asheville, North Carolina; photograph taken by me

Burglar alarm (on the right); photograph taken by me

My brother and his wife at a restaurant in the Grove Arcade area of
downtown Asheville; photograph taken by me

2010 Asheville, North Carolina photo album

Over Thanksgiving that year, we all gathered at Mom and Dad's and were sitting around the kitchen table discussing the states we'd visited. I started keeping a list. None of us had seen much of New England (and I'd lived in Massachusetts for six months!) so our next Memorial Day trip was hatched. I called it the Great New England Driving Vacation because we hit Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont over the holiday weekend. My husband was the designated driver and logged almost 2,000 miles. My brother and his wife flew up and off we went. Our nephew, who is in the Coast Guard, was stationed at Point Judith, Rhode Island, so we stopped where they lived first, got to meet our new grand nephew, and later met them in Portsmouth, New Hampshire at their camping ground. He was wonderful to make that trip to visit with us.

My sister-in-law, brother and husband in Newport,
Rhode Island; photograph taken by me

Cornish-Windsor bridge; photograph taken by me

Point Judith lighthouse; photograph taken by me

2011 Great New England Driving Vacation

After two trips a tradition was born, right? Well, I thought so. We planned our 2012 trip, destination Halifax, Nova Scotia. We wanted to see the Bay of Fundy and those amazing tidal changes and all things World War II related.

But 2012 was a year of sadness. Dad had a cerebral hemorrhage in 2002 months before turning 71. 75% percent of cerebral hemorrhages are fatal. Dad beat those odds and bounced back in ways one could never imagine. He was not paralyzed but had aphasia -- the inability to process language and in some case even speak. After months of speech therapy and working with Mom every morning after breakfast with flashcards, Dad got back to almost normal. It was hard to remember what had happened to him. Only a misused word or when he got quiet when there was a lot of background noise because he could no longer understand the conversation made you remember. The other bad statistic about cerebral hemorrhages, or strokes for that matter, is most people suffer another within 5 years. We got ten.

Dad began have small bleeds in early May of 2012. His mental decline was so gradual that he really didn't think anything was wrong. Yet, there was. Things got tense between he and Mom as she would try to talk about the issues and he would fuss at her for making a mountain out of a mole hill. He resented the appointment with his neurological doctor and rejected his assessment. My husband and I elected not to go to Halifax and visited Mom and Dad instead. We began driving to North Carolina more frequently every time Mom called for help; she was distraught many times. The week after Thanksgiving Dad had a massive cerebral hemorrhage which took his ability to speak, understand others, and paralyzed his right side. After several months of grueling speech, occupational and physical therapy, Dad had improved but needed constant care. After his rehabilitation had plateaued, Mom decided it was time to move to an assisted living facility where they could be together.

Mom and Dad at our condo in Indian Beach, North
Carolina five months before Mom died; photograph by me

No Memorial Day trip was planned that year. We were all in New Bern, North Carolina, spending time with Mom and Dad.

A tradition dies after being ignored for two years, right? Not so. In 2014 my husband and I drove south and joined my brother and his wife for a trip to Warm Springs, Georgia, to visit Franklin Roosevelt's southern White House and learn the history of the polio work that was done there. We even met a lovely elderly gentlemen who worked at Warm Springs and knew the president. We saw him interviewed in the Roosevelt mini-series later on television. We also toured the Infantry Museum at Fort Benning and enjoyed the river walk in Columbus, Georgia.

Franklin Roosevelt's Southern White House; photograph taken by me

Portion of the Medal of Honor Exhibit at the Fort Benning Infantry Museum;
photograph taken by me

Factory tour where my brother works as the head of
product development and quality; photograph taken by me

2014 Southwest Georgia Tour Album

We just got back from our 2015 trip to southern West Virginia. So I believe our tradition is on solid ground now. We toured the Cold War-era bunker at the Greenbrier Hotel, an underground coal mine in Beckley, drove parts the Coal Heritage Trail, and photographed my great grandfather's headstone, which is located at Iaeger Memorial Cemetery in McDowell County, West Virginia.

What's on tap for next year?...we're talking about a Kentucky/Tennessee Bourbon distillery tour. We take in all the hotspots!

Mom's most deeply held wish was that my brothers and me would remain close after she and Dad were gone. I know that is Dad's wish, too, though he cannot verbalize it now. I think our nascent tradition is part of the glue that makes those wishes a reality. And my middle brother, who I call Saint Ted, well, he's a story for a different day.

These are probably non-traditional Memorial Day commemorations, but oh so special. I believe our country's soldiers, sailors and air men and women allow us opportunities to make these special memories with our loved ones because they maintain our way of life when it is threatened, especially those who gave their lives. Making memories is my family's way to honor them -- and by giving back to our military community. I recently retired and am looking forward to the start of my volunteer work with Fisher House Foundation.

Christmas Tree Traditions from Around the World

Imagine my surprise when I realized my day to contribute a monthly post fell on Christmas! I knew just what to write about this month. My dear mother-in-law started giving me the Lenox "Christmas Trees from Around the World" plates in 1991 and continued each year until the day she died in 2008. I would like to share with you some of them and the tree traditions from each country where our families originated as written on the back of each plate.

Austria

Austria celebrates a month-long tradition at Christmas, from the arrival of Saint Nicholas and his companion Krampus on December 5th until Epiphany on January 6th when the Wise Men appear. The Advent wreath is the first sign of the season as a candle is lighted with great festivity on the first Sunday of Advent. In Austrian homes the Nativity creche is also an important tradition often an heirloom carved in wood centuries ago. New figures may be carved over the years to include not only the Holy Family but any number of other figures. From Austria the world has received the beautiful hymn "Silent Night," composed in 1818 by Franz Gruber, a young organist, with lyrics by Joseph Mohr. In Austria the tree is the bright jewel of the home during the Christmas season. After the Christmas Eve supper, the tree is lighted in a blaze of flory as family members gather to sing Christmas songs, and peasant or classical carols.

1995 Lenox Austria plate

The 1995 Lenox plate tree is decorated with gold and silver garlands and candles, with presents arranged beneath the tree.

Canada

Canada celebrates the Christmas season based upon culturally diverse traditions. It is a holiday that shares a mix of old and new. The French, for instance, brought their tradition or displaying the creche, while the Germans introduced the fir tree as part of the celebratory process. They are also credited with the introduction of blown glass ornaments to tree decoration. The English had an old tradition of hanging a "Kissing Ball" or setting the table with Christmas crackers. Earlier decorations were highly influenced by the native Indian crafts, including the use of feathers.

2003 Lenox Canada plate

The 2003 Lenox plate shows the rich, balsam adorned with pine cones, kissing balls and feathered jeweled ornaments. Kugels and Neapolitan-style angles are represented. The Canadian maple leaf is featured throughout the design and garlands of cranberry wrap around the tree.

England

According to English myth, the custom of decorating trees for Christmas began in their country with Prince Albert. After the birth of their first son in 1841, he present Queen Victoria with a candlelit tree laden with sweets of the most expensive kind. Victorians, who were given to imitate the Royal Family, quickly adopted the custom after a picture of one of the Windsor trees appeared in an 1848 edition of the Illustrated London News. Charles Dickens delighted readers with his magazine account of the glittering Christmas trees decorated with miniature dolls, fiddles, drums, and figurines that had become the new fashion for the elated season in Victorian England.

1993 Lenox England plate

The 1993 Lenox plate is festive with delectable English confections and a garland of cranberries. A gilded angel with outstretched wings crowns the candlelit tree, around which are the traditional plum pudding, toys, figurines and Christmas gifts are placed in celebration of the merriest of English holidays.

Germany

Germany is truly the land of the Christmas tree. . .in no other country is the day so fully and heartily observed. "Weihnachtsbaum" (Christmas tree) is the symbol of the German yuletide. In 1531 the first Christmas trees were sold in the Strasbourg market. The four-foot trees were set up undecorated for the holiday on small tables. The oldest known Christmas tree to be decorated as we know the tradition today, was found in Strasbourg in the early 17th century. Decorations included only apples and nuts, with the addition of flat wafers, gilded candies and many different colored paper roses following later. By the 18th century, Christmas trees were decorated with many kins of sweet confections as well as gold leaf covered apples and other gilded fruits and nuts.

1991 Lenox Germany plate; the first plate of the series

The 1991 Lenox plate displays a typical German Christmas tree of the early 1600s. Simple apples and nuts adorn the tree just as they did when the world's first Christmas tree was decorated in Germany.

Hungary

Christmas arrives in Hungary not once, but twice! The first celebration takes place on December 6th, which is Saint Nicholas (also known as "Mikols") Day. Children place boots in their window hoping to be rewarded for good behavior by Saint Nicholas who ill fill them with chocolate, fruit, walnuts and other goodies. The second celebration is December 25th, which actually begins the night before. Songs and good cheer arise as friends and family come together to share fits and a traditional meal that often includes fish, lentils and a special poppy pastry known as "beigli."

The 2005 Lenox plate depicts the legend that a tree was brought by angels to surprise the children. Hence, families wait until Holy night, December 24th, to decorate their tree. A bell is rung, signaling that the angels have brought the tree and the Baby Jesus has arrived with gifts. The tree, lit with candles and sparklers, is then unveiled to the delighted children.

2005 Lenox Hungary plate

Special holiday candies called "szalon cukon," wrapped in bright red and gold foil, are also used to decorate the tree. "Matyo" felt ornaments, decorated with the colorful embroidery that Hungary for which is renowned, make unique and festive tree decorations. Hungary's rich tradition of beautiful handcrafted work and wonderful culinary delights give special meaning to the phrase "Yokarar Csony," Merry Christmas!

Russia

The Christmas celebration in Old Russia began with the appearance of the first evening star on Christmas Eve. Children eagerly awaited the wheat cakes placed for them on the window sill by St. Nicholas, the kind and generous bishop chosen as the patron saint of Russia almost one thousand years ago. At supper, the table was set with a layer of straw beneath the cloth to symbolize the bed in the manger. After a meal of fish and special cakes, family members, dressed in costumes, paraded through the neighborhood singing Christmas songs known as "Kolyada." Russian children waited in anticipation, not for Santa Claus, but for the old woman Babouschka, who brings each little child a present as she searches every house on her long journey to find the Christ Child.

1996 Lenox Russia plate

The 1996 Lenox plate is decorated with jeweled eggs, ornately detailed balls, and sparkling crystals inspired by Imperial Russia. A bear, gilded-domed palace and Russian dolls are gathered under the star-topped tree.

United States of America

Along with its own original celebrations, Christmas in America combines a unique blend of customs and traditions from around the world. All contribute to the holiday season, making Christmas in America a very special time of year. Although the Christmas tree originated in Germany, large cities to small towns throughout the United States display a "Community Tree" -- a custom which began in Pasadena, California, in 1909. Typically, trees are decorated with a variety of ornaments, old and new, that are rich in sentiments.

1998 Lenox America plate

The 1998 Lenox America tree is decorated with jolly Santa Claus figurines and old fashioned candles. The boughs are adorned with garland and strings of popcorn. Antique toys and brightly colored fruit evoke the feelings of a colonial Christmas while delicate snowflakes, icicles and baubles shimmer. A star glistens from the tree top and shines upon the colorful array of packages and toys beneath the tree.

Wishing you and yours a happy holiday season!

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To learn about the Christmas tree traditions in Ireland and Poland, I hope you'll click over to my Tangled Roots and Trees Christmas post.

The surnames of my husband and my grandparents were: Adametz (Austria), Dagutis (Lithuania), Fishtahler (Hungary), Jennings (England), Klimsansluski (Lithuania), Lange (Russia), Muir (Scotland), and Schalin (Russia). The Fishtahler, Lange, and Schalin families considered themselves German, though they immigrated extensively in Europe (Hungary, Poland, Russia, and Serbia) before coming to the new world (Canada and the United States).