Collecting My Thoughts

 Repacking my genealogy files today, I found a 1957 letter from Leslie, my mother's brother, describing an incident I'd heard about ...

The Antiques Roadshow appraisal at our house today is my Merriam-Webster New International Dictionary of the English Language 2nd edition Un...

I'm not sure why I posted this 10 years ago on Facebook, except to tell of my parents' voices in my head. They are about 60 in the p...

Things my grandfather used to say: By Sean Dietrich (Sean of the South) Be nice; because if you’re not being nice, what are you being? Don’t...

When my mother was a little girl, her family still kept a carriage horse in the barn that did useful tasks like pulling their cars out of t...

We have sold our cottage in Lakeside, but are leasing it for the final summer.  The air conditioning died 2 weeks ago, and is being installe...

I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come. Psalm 71:18 In Psalm 71, we see David reminiscing on his li...

See Part 1 , Part 2 , Part 3 and Part 4 for the story about why I was living on my grandparents’ farm in 1958, the summer between my fresh...

What does an 18 year old do for a social life while living on a farm with her grandparents?  Not much except spend time with adults.  See Pa...

Everyone is posting photos of “dad,” so here’s mine.  I don’t have a lot to choose from.  We didn’t have digital cameras in those days, or s...

13 things about my grandmothers that make them different than today’s grandmothers We are at Lakeside on Lake Erie, a summer Chautauqua co...

Friday Family Photo--Biggie Sunday I was moving winter coats to storage when I pulled out a forgotten maroon, hand-knit, zip front sweater i...

How do you find the time, Part 2 These are tips on how to be a good non-grandparent. I'm a little new at this, so if you don't have...

3663 Fat Grandmothers I had none. I'm so fortunate that I had both my paternal and maternal grandparents in my life, and my great-gran...

Friday Family Photo Before she was married, my grandmother Mary painted in oils. She probably had private lessons, because I think the s...

Friday Family Photo--Veterans Day When you go home Tell them of us, and say, For your tomorrow We gave our today Kohima Epitaph Across ...

Friday Family Photo This group of young college students, ca. 1895, were enjoying the social contacts made through their "boarding c...

Friday Family Photo This is my husband, about age 4 or 5, his sister Jean, and cousin Norma Lou with their grandfather, whom they all called...

2409 For Family Only The rest of you won't care about this photo, but I'm just thrilled to have it. So just move along--if you do...

Monday Memories Grandma's farm Did I ever tell you about Sunday night suppers ? Thirty years ago, my children thought eating sandwiches...