Life: Through the Lens

  The Ammi Wright House.  Built 1888.         Our town has some pretty remarkable older homes and businesses.  Many have already been restored and are residences and/or businesses.   We went to a meeting the other night which focused on how to go about restoring a beautiful old lumber Barron's home - the Ammi Wright house, just off the main street. It has been empty for a great many years and needs a lot of work to bring it back to life.  But this group of people can do it.   The building itself is already purchased as part of an agreement with the Gratiot Area Historical Society.  Located in a nearby town, they have purchased it and Alma will be part of this system.  We are now forming committees for all the areas which need to be addressed, including historical research, fundraising, publicity, etc.  Lots of work, and lots of interest.  There is a steering committee in place, and we all signed up for an area we feel...

 So Much Information! Early Detroit Working on my genealogy research is like jumping from one rabbit hole to the next.  I was at a sewing group this week and one of the women, whom I have known for a very long time, has been working on her own research for years. And she is very organized, and suggested a few ways to become more organized.  They all sound lovely.  And they all suggest a lot of work - as I have to admit to being a little sloppy when gathering information.  Not that I don't have some good organizational strategies, and I do have properly labeled notebooks and folders, and photographs sorted into category according to my current research trend.   I put together a very nice collection of recipes (copying the actual card with original handwriting, photos of each person, when available).   BUT...I had no idea what I was getting into years ago, and  what the shear volume of "stuff" would be.  So now...no, I do not have a proper...

 Procrastination! The name of the game this past week has been "procrastination."  I have a list of things I want to work on.  I even prioritize them.  There is not a lack of choices.  There is even some variety.  And yet....I choose a puzzle, which of course I can not stop putting in just a couple more pieces.  It must be time to walk the dog, as well.  We can't forget our devoted companion!   There is certainly something entertaining outside my window, as well.  All I have to do is look up from that puzzle!   Maybe I should head down to Ballyhoo Books and Brew to see if there is a must-read on the shelf,  and I must purchase a chai latte while I warm by the fire on these chilly January afternoons.  Then I finally get out my list, ready to start working on my of my projects, and there is one more thing to distract me.  I must say, it IS a windy wintery day today! Well, tomorrow is another day.     How ...

Snow Days! Oh my, how I do love snow days.  It is obviously a throw-back from my years teaching, as there is no "reason" to celebrate the day.  It is cold.  You can't get out because of snow and ice.  Meetings are cancelled or postponed.  But I think that's what makes it special for those of us with lots of hobbies and activities.  The first question seems to be "What should I do today?"  And there are lots of choices!    You can obviously shovel a path for the dog...because she couldn't possibly do her "business" when the snow is so deep and cold! (Have you read the book by Judy King titled The Bent-Handled Snow Shovel?  Humorous memoir...fun read!) https://www.amazon.com/Bent-Handled-Snowshovel-Judy-King/dp/1939502470/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3RDYVJTRULV5I&keywords=the+bent+handled+snow+shovel+book&qid=1705353689&sprefix=the+bent+handled+snow+shovel+book%2Caps%2C115&sr=8-1 Or, you could stay in doors and watch the wildlife loo...

 Creating an interesting narrative to accompany genealogical research is such a daunting task.  I love my research, and sometimes love the findings, and I really want to wrap up one side of my family and work on the next.  But...YIKES!  How to begin? I usually begin with photographs.  I love photographs.  They have such story-telling power.  Especially the older ones.  My sister and I are the ones left to tell much of the story.  We have lots of questions, and we share our remembrances and we come up with a semblance of story.  But photos are our biggest helpers. "The Cottage" August 1963 This photo, for instance, was lifted from a scrapbook - the kind where we used to glue them to the page.  VERY difficult to work with as I compile my favorite photos.  But this tells such a great piece of the Trerice story.  I would have been about 10 years old, making my wee sister about 7.  Isn't she an imp in this pic?  This ...

    Happy New Year! I love the freshness of a new year.  It feels like a reboot, a blank page.  Now it's time to start filling the 2024 pages. I am not writing a list of resolutions, but I am making a promise to myself.  This year I will discover/rediscover my creative passions.  It seems as if life keeps giving me twists and turns which redirect me. This will be a year to reboot my writing and photography!  If I can add more travel to this wish-list, that's all the better!  Darn, I used the word "list."  Well, the organized part of me will be important, too! Winter is sometimes a bit like the dog-days of summer, where you want to stay inside in the coziness of your home.  (Air conditioning in the summer, and heat in the winter).  But Kaycee and I are on a mission this winter - stay active and engaged!      So let's go!  Here's to the New Year and all it has in store. What about you?  Please share your ...