Since March of 2022 I have lost two siblings, Larry to Covid-19 and Becky to pancreatic cancer, and now within this past month two brothers have become gravely ill. And others have serious health issues that they live with on the daily. This is life in middle age. I love being from a big family… Continue reading Facing Cancer and Loss: Reflections on Family Bonds
We've all had those moments - sometimes fleeting, other times painfully persistent - when someone's words or actions make us doubt our own value. It can come from a seemingly innocuous comment, a comparison to someone else, or an outright criticism. Suddenly, it leaves you questioning if you measure up, if you're worthy, if you… Continue reading When Others Make You Feel Not Good Enough
How Big Brothers and Sisters Shape Who We Become I was having a conversation with my younger sister Angie last week about something my oldest brother said off-handed to me a few years ago - that we did not grow up together. It seemed important to him that my husband understood this. It is a… Continue reading Older Siblings: The Unsung Role Models in Our Lives
It's my mom's birthday. She would have been 88 today. It's strange to think how many family events she's missed in these past seven years. She was the glue that held us together. I wish I still had her counsel and support. I miss her nuggets of wisdom. I also miss her over the top… Continue reading How Old Photos Help Us Remember Loved Ones
The author shares insights on their upcoming eye surgeries due to chemotherapy and steroid effects, seeking distractions through binge-watching and exploring Scottish history. From the ancient Picts to William Wallace and Robert the Bruce, the narrative highlights Scotland’s rich legacy, humor, and unique cuisine, blending tradition with modernity.
Hello, everyone... I'm 156 years old and I have been listening to post punk / alternative for 87 years, and this song, this song that found me via Mobland, has saved my life. This band is pure, raw talent. Please enjoy it along with this newest post. https://youtu.be/P5iNkBw9K74?si=P9IyPagR0CR36dbF Down the Rabbit Hole Today I need… Continue reading The Double-Edged Sword of Nostalgia
Happy First Day of Christmas I have been feeling somewhat Grinch-y this year. This season snuck up on me too quickly, startling me how fast it's come. Maybe it's the year and a half with the blanket of cancer that has been my companion. Maybe it's my thoughts of the Christmases gone that will never… Continue reading Embracing the Christmas Spirit: Yuletide
I'm having a gratitude moment for my husband. He's my favorite person and partner on our humble road of life together. He's been a rockstar with the challenges we've faced this past year in handling everything in our lives and caring for me so that I only had to focus on getting through cancer treatment… Continue reading 10 Reasons Why I Love Being Married to My Amazing Husband
Now that One Life, Anthony Hopkins new movie that came out in March, has come to Prime Video, I have finally been able to watch it since its U.S. premiere was in the middle of radiation treatment for me. I was definitely not well enough to go to the theater and was happy to finally… Continue reading “One Life” & An Army of the Ordinary
For most of my life I had no idea that the Christmas carol I had fun memorizing as a child, The 12 Days of Christmas, was based on an ancient feast that ran for twelve days and that it ended with the Epiphany. I knew that the Epiphany was a holy day but not really… Continue reading Does Anyone Celebrate the 12 Days & the Ephinay anymore?
Before I took a break for my surgery and recovery, I was contemplating my grandmother's birthday back in September. She would have been 111 if she was still alive. She passed 34 years ago this past August. I think about her and how important my relationship was with her. In those moments that seem ordinary,… Continue reading Generations…
Our ideas about Anne Boleyn’s looks tend to fall into two equally inaccurate categories. The movies and television have taught us that she was a ravishing beauty, a la Natalie Dormer. Yet mythology surrounding Anne describes her as six-fingered and sallow, covered with disfiguring moles, sometimes with three nipples. In the “Corpus Christi” festival in… Continue reading The Anne Boleyn Myth-Buster: #1, Anne’s Looks
A couple of days ago I was thinking about legacy. I've been having those thoughts more frequently with one brother who died last year and one sister currently battling stage IV pancreatic cancer. As the family historian, I do know facts about the lives of many of my ancestors. But much of their stories and… Continue reading Thoughts on Legacy
If you're into genealogy, you've probably encountered some brick walls in your research. You know, those frustrating dead ends where you can't find any records or clues about your ancestors. You might feel like giving up or smashing your computer, but don't despair! There are some tips and tricks that can help you break through… Continue reading Ancestry Research – Brick Wall Tips
Expectations vs. Reality... I saw this meme on social med and have no idea who to credit. It accurately represents the adventure that is digging through the past. The fun in genealogy is all the twists and turns and discovering long forgotten relatives and facts forgotten. It's also in connecting to distant family members who… Continue reading The Fun in Geneology
I believe in serendipity. Today I was going through paperwork on my desk and found the eulogy that I wrote and delivered to family and friends for my brother's celebration of life just over a year ago. The memories provoked a year ago when I wrote it were intense, and so are my memories today.… Continue reading Serendipity: Finding One’s Self in a Eulogy
I inherited a massive amount of photos from my mom that included her photos and my grandmother's photos. These old albums are a nightmare. The photos in the albums are adhered and I haven't found a way to get them out off the album page without destroying them. So, I'm stuck. I've been looking at… Continue reading Advice Please… family photos
Those little leaves are tempting to just click and accept, particularly when they are connected to another's user's tree. Early in my ancestry research I accepted my mom's cousin's tree and the others that I found as vetted facts. I was humming along thinking it was great and simple and marveled at the progress that… Continue reading On Ancestry Hints I’m Skeptical to Use
John Edward Durbin, born November 4, 1917, died October 28, 2002. When John was born in 1917, his father, John, was 33 and his mother, Mary Pauline (Daily), was 27. John was the third child of what would become nine children in the family. In 1920 the family was living in a tenement building at… Continue reading The Holwadel’s and the Durbin’s – a short bio of John Edward Durbin
Our Humble Road 