Week 8: #52Ancestors – Heirloom By Eilene Lyon I don’t come from families that generally pass down heirlooms. I suppose that might be for the best – I don’t like a lot of stuff (aka clutter) in my life. I do have a family quilt that I used as a bedspread for many years. Unfortunately,... Continue Reading →
Oktoberfest in my DNA
By Eilene Lyon DNA is not necessarily destiny. But recent studies have found genes that can, when combined with environmental and mental health factors, lead a person to have an unhealthy relationship with alcohol. I drink almost daily, but I do not have to drink; I just happen to really like it. It might be... Continue Reading →
A Tale of Two Cups
By Eilene Lyon “Why do you keep using that old measuring cup?” asked my co-doggy parent (aka husband, Pat). “It’s cloudy and chipped, and we have this nice one.” “I can’t give you an answer that would satisfy you,” I replied. So why do I keep using the ugly, old 2-cup measure? I don’t really... Continue Reading →
Letting Love Go
Week 7: #52Ancestors – Valentine By Eilene Lyon I think it’s probably rare for anyone to have just one romantic interest in their lifetime. Many of us can probably relate a story about someone we’ve loved deeply, but the relationship did not work out for one reason or another. We rarely get a chance to... Continue Reading →
The Kindness of Strangers
By Eilene Lyon I keep this rather unremarkable photograph as a reminder of the kindnesses of strangers to an adventurous college graduate making a solo cross-country trip. June 15, 1985: I left Columbus, Ohio, in this 1972 Pontiac Ventura, pulling a lightweight boat trailer. My boyfriend had built a box on it to haul my... Continue Reading →
Learning From My Past Self
By Eilene Lyon After reading this recently featured post (from 2015), I was sure that I also need to write a message to my older self. Learning from history is great – especially when it’s our own. Sometimes we need to take stock of what all these years on Planet Earth has really taught us,... Continue Reading →
No True History
By Eilene Lyon We recently watched The Abolitionists, by American Experience. It is an excellent and high-production-value 3-part series about the role played by the anti-slavery movement in the lead-up to the Civil War. One thing that struck me was the portrayal of Abraham Lincoln in the film. I’ve read books and articles on Lincoln,... Continue Reading →
Finding Family Treasure
Week 2: #52Ancestors - Photo By Eilene Lyon Sterling Price Davis (1867 – 1933) and Clara Ransom Davis (1877 – 1953) – wedding portrait (1905; Collection of the Latah County Historical Society) Historical Societies and Libraries Though I’ve been engaged in the genealogy hobby – okay, obsession – for a couple decades now, it was... Continue Reading →