There have been distractions to blog writing and reading lately -- weekends away,
birthday celebrations, time with the grands, a new "yarn group" and
a wonderful visit from my sister. All good things.
While she was here we pulled out the dusty old family archives--from both our parents.
They both seem to have been tasked with keeping the stuff of their families' histories.
And now it's all at my house.
Our maternal grandmother in the rear, and her bro with big hair.
And so we got lost. Well, especially my sister did. I'd be doing this or that around the house
and she'd be reading the old letters, the notebook filled with history of our great grandfather's
farm life, the records of family reunions for 50 years (which frequently recorded laments
on the lack of interest in such things by the young people.)
And so Lulu would jump up and come to me with "Listen to this!"
And so Lulu would jump up and come to me with "Listen to this!"
The letters themselves--especially between my father and his parents,
could take a few days to read. But the stories that unfold …. yes, we
got lost in time, occasionally coughing from
the old paper dust. Unanswered questions arose right and left.
Ha ha, not the least, thinking of my son the dentist, "Did they all have bad teeth?
Or did they all collectively not smile in photos to support those with the bad teeth?"
There's so much more to read and sort through and organize.
A little fleck of newsprint fell out from the letters.
Someone had clipped out and shared a funny.
I wonder who, but I'd bet on my Grandmother.
And it's perfect to share with my grandees!
Oh my! This does look familiar, though the people are different. I chuckled when reading that it's all at your house now. Your sister seems to have an interest in the family history reading the letters herself. My sister wants me to tell her the stories, but she doesn't want to go snooping on her own. Perhaps it's the dust...achoo! I'd be interested to know how you plan to organize it all.
ReplyDeleteOur grandparents and great grandparents weren't a very smiley bunch, were they? I'd never thought about the state of their teeth, but it must surely have been a factor.
ReplyDeleteWe have bought a house and I thought of you right away when I saw the fireplace - it calls out for work! I will post photos once we take possession.
Oh, I can imagine that you and your sister had a wonderful time on your forays into the past! It's a wonder that you got anything else done! Such treasures there in your possession...
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I love your header. The sweet photo of the little girl...the yummy looking peach galette...
Oh what fun! My sister was here for almost a month and she made a beautiful photo album for our brother's birthday of old family photos. We had fun going through them and she took a bunch back home with her to make copies. She has pictures that I don't have and vice versa. We enjoyed it all and had a few laughs and noted how much our brother's son looks like our father did at a young age. I'm sure you two learned a few things as well. It's a shame that these old photos will soon be forgotten and the people in them will be nameless. Treasures to keep.
ReplyDelete: - )
ReplyDeleteCan you imagine that today all people's correspondence is digital - not to ever be cherished by future generations. To think that next generation won't even be ab le to READ cursive writing, they don't teach it anymore. Jane Austen is rolling in her grave over that, to be sure.
You are right in my old photos nobody smiled much, they were a sad looking lot most of the time.
ReplyDeleteMerle....................
What a treasure trove! I lament with your ancestors about the lack of interest in the "young people" for family reunions and reminisces. I wonder why that is? Or does every generation say that?! :-) I think what it is, we don't start to get interested until we're older and it's often too late to ask our questions. Some of us are born old souls and are interested from the beginning, while others have to live their own lives first. That's why having old letters and journals and albums are such treasures--to bridge the gap.
ReplyDeleteOh, I love this kind of thing! No wonder your lost! At least it has been for good things.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your history!
Deanna
The question about teeth is food for thought as to why no one smiled in the old photos. I am amazed that you have so many letters and photos - enough to transport you back in time!
ReplyDeleteI tried to follow my dad's family tree and I wasn't able to get too far, other than they originally emigrated from Wales and with a last name of Jones - forget trying to find them! I did donate some pertinent papers from when my Dad returned from the war to his home town library where they were very happy to receive them.
I love the old photos!
ReplyDeleteHa-ha! Cute little clipping. What treasures all those old letters are. I would get lost, too. Love images! Best wishes, Tammy
ReplyDeleteOh my. I'm in the midst of sorting these days and I do get lost in the old photos and stories behind them. Love the clipping!
ReplyDeleteLOL! Oh, I love that little newspaper clipping. You can lose hours and hours in a rich family treasure trove like you have, Dotsie. So glad you are enjoying so many GOOD distractions... blessings and hugs ~ tanna
ReplyDeletethis is the cutest post I've ever read! I love your nostalgia and love for your heritage
ReplyDeleteI love old family photos, sadly I haven't got many though.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't thought of a bad teeth issue - you could be right. I assumed they were all hard working and tired - maybe a little stern as well!
Your photos are such treasures and your collection of letters must be a great source of family information for writing a history.
My mother was one of 8 and my dad one of 10, there must have been heaps of family snaps - goodness knows what happened to them.
Good to have you back Dotsie!
That will keep you busy for weeks to come. It would be nice to sit down with those on a cold winter day and read and imagine. I love looking through old letters. As soon as we got to the condo, I looked in a small cedar chest we have here and poured over some old baby books and albums. Enjoy your week! Hugs!
ReplyDeleteThis explains where you've been lately; I've missed you Dotsie. :) What a neat post! I love old family photographs like these. I have a few myself, but probably not nearly as many as you. That's a funny supposition about the bad teeth -- something to think about. :-D Family history is fascinating, and it sounds like you've had a really nice visit with your sister.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing and have a good rest of the week, Dotsie!
Hugs,
Denise
You are so fortunate to have so many wonderful family photos form generations ago! Both my family and my husband's have precious few, and even less documentation, as many of my past relatives were illiterate laborers. I am the family keeper of of my parent's photos, however, and when my husband retires we hope to put together as much genealogy as we can for our children to have and pass down. My daughter-in-law is a DAR and her aunt gave her and her sister a precious genealogy folder complete with photo reproductions and family histories on her father's side that dates back to America's Revolutionary War and then Great Britain! I don't think she cared about this genealogy folderall that much until I made a big deal about it, and then she began to show interest in it. The young never really care that much about the past it seems. It isn't until you get older, and realize life is fleeting, that one seems to take an interest in those that went before us.
ReplyDeleteI love anything that belonged to our families. I have only a few postcards my grandparents sent me when I was about 5 years old, they were on a trip to the west
ReplyDelete