Blog

13
Mar

My Mod Mother, Pictured in the Hawaiian Islands in the early 1970s

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My beautiful mother turned 86 this month, so I knew I had to share this glam photo of her, in Hawaii in the early 1970s. She had traveled to the islands to meet up with my dad, who was deployed in Vietnam. As she says, he needed some R&R. . This photo captures the era […]

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07
Mar

An Engagement Photo of my Parents Reveals Natural Beauty and an Enduring Family Legacy

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This was my parent’s engagement photo, circa 1976 in Southern Illinois. I love this shot because it is a natural pose in a natural setting. It’s not overdone or forced, like some photography today. No photoshop, no frills, just natural beauty. . Plus, it captures both of them so perfectly and they look so happy […]

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03
Mar

Meet my Grandmother Georgia, a Woman With Big Hair and an Even Bigger Heart

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Meet my Grandmother, Georgia, with her big hair and her big heart. . Here she is, lounging and looking glamorous while visiting my parents in Alaska in the 1970s. . The local paper, The Nome Nugget, even raved about her beauty. . Unfortunately her battle with MS took her beauty and eventually her life. But […]

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01
Mar

What I Discovered When I Cracked Open an Old Suitcase in my Family Home

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This photo was in an old suitcase in my parents house. Both of my parents and many of their family members are gone. As I cleared out my parents’ home, I was able to save this striking photograph. . This picture was taken around 1920 in Scotland. My great grandfather Murdoch MacMillan is pictured cutting […]

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28
Feb

If I Could Only Rescue One Object from my Burning House, This Family Photo is What I Would Save

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If my house was on fire, and I could only rescue one object, this is what I would take. It is a portrait of my great-great-grandmother, Palma Fantasia. It is the only item that still survives my family’s passage from Italy through Ellis island in 1907. This is what my great-grandmother brought to remember her […]

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26
Feb

Snapshots of a First Generation American Family

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This photo is of my parents feeding my sister at her christening in 1994. The first time I saw it I almost died laughing. It’s the perfect combination of cute and funny. . Fun fact, I come from an Armenian family and it used to be really common to have a lot of people gather […]

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23
Feb

Digitizing Our Family Photos Helped me Connect with my Grandparents

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The first time I saw this picture of my grandmother, Gwen, my grandfather looked at me with a grin on his face and said, “Isn’t she sexy?” His comment made me laugh, but it also helped me understand his constant love and admiration for her. . I love this snapshot of her because it was […]

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21
Feb

Great grandparents survived a tragedy and became even stronger

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Meet my great grandparents, Alverta and Charles, pictured here in 1922. I deeply admire their immense bravery and courage. Together, they had twelve children, and in August of 1918, their house caught fire and burned to the ground. Alverta and Charles survived the fire, along with my grandmother, and five of her siblings. Although my […]

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20
Feb

My Dad took this Photo of my Mom Mowing the Lawn and It Became a Family Favorite

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This is how my mom looked when she mowed the lawn. Yep, she was pretty much amazing! I love this photo of her; my dad took it. The smell of my freshly-bloomed hyacinths reminded me so much of my sweet mom today. Spring is her season and everything about it is so her. How fitting […]

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19
Feb

Meet My Parents, the High School Sweethearts Who Became My Role Models

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I had never seen this photo of my parents until my mom shared it. My mom and dad met at my mom’s 15th birthday party, when my dad showed up with his cousin who was invited as a guest. Naturally, he brought his guitar along…because what better way was there to pick up chicks in […]

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