I purchased my current mattress after the break up of my marriage. It was not supposed to be my forever mattress, only my transition mattress. After eight years and even more lumpy spots, it had to go! After weeks of procrastination, I went shopping. The first few stores were not doing it for me. In … Continue reading Flopping
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The War At Home
My daily routine during the work week is pretty well established. I commute 22 miles from my home in Chesapeake, Virginia to my office on a Navy installation in Norfolk. I occasionally vary my route because of traffic reports or time of day to avoid congestion. If you are familiar with this part of the … Continue reading The War At Home
Brooklyn Tour
It was my youngest sister's idea. In recognition of our parents' 60 years of marriage, we would return to where it all started. Brooklyn! The plan was pretty simple, Mom and Dad would come down from their home in Massachusetts with my sister and meet up with the rest of their children in Brooklyn. I … Continue reading Brooklyn Tour
Addressing My Past
If you know anything about me, you will know I like to research and discover things about my ancestors. I do because, until a few years ago, I did not know all that much about them. Either side of the family was pretty much a mystery except for the O'Connells. For me, the O'Connells were … Continue reading Addressing My Past
60 Years
My parents, Regina and Jerry Baumann were married on June 3, 1957. Today is their 60th wedding anniversary.
What I Found in a Photo
While enrolled in a basic genealogy online course through Boston University I discovered that you can tell a great deal about the lives of people from looking at old photos and analyzing the objects around them. Nothing is meaningless. To test my research skills I decided to work with a favorite photograph of my maternal … Continue reading What I Found in a Photo
The Battle Standard of Treason
It now stands on the west side of the Chesapeake Expressway just before the toll plaza heading south towards the Outer Banks of North Carolina. It will be seen by countless thousands of vacationers driving to the beach for their summer vacation along the Atlantic Coast. A vast majority of those vehicles will have license plates from northern … Continue reading The Battle Standard of Treason
“Money Cake”- Tales from 4th Street
As a child in Brooklyn, the first notable event in my family that came after the Christmas and New Year's Holiday was my maternal grandmother's (and her twin brother's) birthday. This year will mark the 111th anniversary of their birth on 23 January 1906. At a family reunion back in October, my mother and her … Continue reading “Money Cake”- Tales from 4th Street
The Perils of Disproving Family Legends
I am knee-deep in genealogy paperwork this weekend. A package from the National Archives containing the military records of my great-grandfather, Sidney J. Kelly, Sr. spilled over 100 photocopied pages across my table that probably have not been disturbed since the 1920's at a time when his widow was seeking assistance with pensions and death … Continue reading The Perils of Disproving Family Legends
Man Cave Formal, 2017
This is an update to my post from yesterday. At about 12:11 am, just after the New Year's kisses and hugs were wrapping up, the phone pinged. The "Man Cave Formal, 2017" arrived. Because he posted it on FaceBook, I have no issues with putting it here as my first post of the year 2017. … Continue reading Man Cave Formal, 2017