Mom and the great blue sea, circa 1960s. . I’ve heard many stories of her growing up on my great grandpa’s sailboat, but I’ve never seen a photo of it…until now. . Her commentary on this photo: “We were born with sea legs!” . Losing my great grandma has been hard, but it does mean […]
WANT TO HEAR A CRAZY STORY??!! (Yes, one that warrants all caps and two question marks.) . While we were in Utah for my grandpa’s funeral this summer, I happened upon a box that had Kodak canisters inside. Etched onto the rolls of film were dates: 1955-1956. . I was so excited imagining what parts […]
For almost five years, I’ve had this photograph of my great-grandparents framed in all the places I’ve lived – at my parents’ house, in my first apartment, in the first apartment I lived with my boyfriend and now, in our home. . I see them there every day, grinning and smiling at me from my […]
In my 25 years of doing family trees, I’ve found no greater joy than coming across a story or a photo of an ancestor, either my own or in someone else’s tree. Photographs make our loved ones seem more real, while stories written by or about them share a small piece of their life journey […]
My mother would have turned 75 this week. Here she is on the beach in Panama with my grandmother, who we called Omi, when the family was stationed there. . I thought it was so exotic that her school on the Navy base had a pool, where she learned how to swim. I remember watching […]
It’s a unique mix of magic and anxiety. It’s a moment of truth. It’s a feeling unlike any other. It’s an experience called NOSTALGIA. When we discover old family photos, we are given a passport to a place called memory. This experience is powerful – everyone can relate to it. Have you ever opened a closet in your parents’ […]
Our family just celebrated the life of this kind, generous man. I was lucky enough to adopt him as my own grandfather when I married my husband Charley in 2001, and I knew he was a treasure from the moment I met him. Pop personified the word “service” as he gave of himself unceasingly to […]
We’ve all been there. It usually looks something like this: you’re standing in front of an open closet having a minor anxiety attack because you see the amount of stuff stashed inside. Most families have a closet – or even an entire basement – like this. The “stuff” inside ranges from priceless photos to random memorabilia that someone in […]
My great-aunt Anna, pictured here with her brother Karl (my great-grandpa), was probably one of the most ambitious members of my family. She was born in 1884 in Estonia as the eldest of 3 siblings. She went on to become a pioneer in healthcare. She trained to become a nurse and then worked as a […]
My grandparents were adventurous spirits. Their best times were spent in the high country of the Pacific Northwest. Shown here, my grandmother Mary Pearson, stands in the majestic Cascades of Washington. At 20 years old, she was wise and passionate. She absorbed the stillness and cool mountain air, photographed by her newlywed husband (my grandfather) […]
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