Looking Back, Looking Forward

I was going through some old journals recently and found some words I'd like to share about what I've learned from my family.  This is June 1993:  "From my grandmother Nanny Ryan, I learned to cover myself at night-no matter how hot.  This has always stuck with me and I never thought much about why I do this until Jim asked once why I always have covers on.  From my grandmother Nanny Flynn I learned of the strength of women.  She was unique in her time and she taught me that was OK.  From my grandfather Weenie Flynn I learned "Everything will take care of itself"-I have trouble remember that.  I also learned how it feels for be cherished.  .....I'm not sure what my grandfather Grampie Ryan taught me.  I remember that he seemed naughty and daring.  We have such a streak in our family.  From my dad I think I've learned to try to be prepared and accurate.  An interesting legacy.  From my Mom, I"ve learned so many things that I use every day.  Things that carry over.  For example, don't ever put a utensil into mayonnaise that's been in anything other than mayo.  Let sleeping babies lie.  Write to your mother.  Manners matter.  Small sentences-big ideas!"

The end of a year--the end of a DECADE seems like a good time to reflect on such things.  Happy New Year.

Christmas Gems

This is Ryan on Christmas Day in the hot tub at Scott and Linda's.  He's disappointed you can't really see the steam coming off his skin nor can you see the snow (they got walloped and have a lot more snow than we do), but not so disappointed that he isn't using this as our new desktop background. 

This was one of those unexpected Christmas surprises that come along once in a while if you are very lucky.  This year, I received a couple of those and they made me feel very fortunate as well as helping to get me into the season a little bit finally.  Over the years I have tried to learn to be gracious when receiving a gift that comes as a complete surprise.  I think Christmas should be about paying these forward.

So, a little gem for you involves the Ryan family and some recent new information I've uncovered.  I was seeking to find out a litte more about a story Uncle Tim told about some kind of shooting accident with the Ryan boys (Grampie and his brothers).  I didn't get anywhere with that, but I did discover some interesting news about Dad's uncle William Ryan Jr.  William Jr died in New York City at his home on Madison Avenue at the age of 38 in 1933.

There are so many little gems for me in this shot little obituary I got.  First, I guess I never realized any of the Ryan boyos left the Gloucester or Massachusetts or fishing life.  It was a pretty big surprise to learn that Uncle Bill (as I"ve dubbed him) died in NYC.  He was buried in St. John's cemetery in Queens--which I have visited for the Italians!  Little did I know there was one of our Ryans right there (well, it's huge so it's probably not "right htere" but nevertheless).  The article also note that he worked on Ellis Island for the immigration station hospital!  How interesting that must have been!  Makes me wonder if he contracted something in his workplace that led to his early death.  There is also a daughter listed that I did not previously know about.  The 4 short paragrahps in this article provided all kinds of sparkling gems for me to ponder over. 

I know it's been two weeks since I've posted here.  Yikes.  I didn't quite realize all that time had gone by but I appreciate that Judy, Paula and Chris are contributing.  That makes this a whole lot more fun for me, so thanks for that!  Happy New Year (can you believe it's been a decade since 2000??? Why does that seem so weird to me?)

MEET SUNNY!!!

HI EVERYONE, HOPE YOU ALL HAD A VERY NICE CHRISTMAS! LOOK AT WAHT SANTA BROUGHT US! HER NAME IS SUNNY. 7 WEEK OLD YELLOW LAB. SHE IS A HANFULL TO SAY THE LEAST, I AM SURE JUDY AND FAMILEY CAN RELATE. LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING EVERYONE IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS. CHRIS AND LORI

Did everyone see Paula hit the papers?  Check it out here .  I love the post that brought memories of Nanny and Weenie back.  Great picture. 

Memories of Nanny

I was baking cut out Christmas cookies late last week. I can't use my rolling pin without thinking of Nanny. You see, my rolling pin was once Nanny's. Mom had it after Nanny passed away, and I got it after that.

While I'm rolling out the dough it is impossible NOT to think of how many batches of cookies, how many pies this ol' rolling pin has helped bring to the table... Nanny sure could bake a great pie, couldn't she? I don't remember Mom making as many, mostly because Nanny was there on special occasions and would do the baking.

There is a dent in the end of the handle. I'm sure Weenie would lay claim to that. He used to say Nanny would hit him on the head with her rolling pin! I think I used to believe him, when I was very young. It makes me laugh to think of it now.

I don't recall baking with Nanny very often... altho she did teach me how to bake a great pie crust. But I can't make rolled sugar cookies without thinking of her, not because SHE made these kind of cookies, but because she used that rolling pin before me (either to bake a pie, or to keep Weenie in line).

Happy baking to you all this holiday season!

One Bite at a Time

Saturday morning less than two weeks before Christmas and I have most of the whole day ahead of me. I've been thinking about being sort of "stuck" in neutral about Christmas (or much of anything else). I found myself kind of wandering around the house somewhat aimlessly last night, my eyes resting on various piles of stuff just screaming for attention. There's too much of it and I find I can't really concentrate on any of it. Maybe lack of concentration is lending to the lack of Christmas spirit.

I know this about myself: when things start to get whelming, I have a tendency to freeze with inaction. The tasks seem too big. The pile of Christmas cards is a good example. In order to deal with the pile, I need to gather up the address book, stamps, return address stamper and even a pen. I've already dug these cards out from under the bottom of the pile of stored STUFF, isn't that enough?

And I don't need to tell you cards aren't the only pile around here. A while back, I bought a book about directing a school play to help advisors take on this huge task and this minor purchase gave me a philosophy that helps me almost every day. The book was called How to Eat an Elephant. The simple answer is "one bite at a time".

I've adopted the "one bite at a time" tool to deal with these times when I feel somewhat frozen faced with huge disruptions or jobs. So, today, "one bite at a time" I plan to just DEAL. I'm putting on my favorite Christmas movie (Muppet Christmas Carol); preheating the oven for cookies; and tending to the clutter. One pile at a time.

Of course, you might notice I'm blogging rather than dealing with the messes ( a minor procrastination ). Ryan is sleeping downstairs so wrapping gifts is out for now. That's OK. I can deal. It's about 9:30 AM. I'd better have some Christmas spirit by dinnertime, damn it. I'll keep you posted.

Merry Christmas

I am having a difficult time this year as well. I do not have any excuses. I give Chris credit for visiting the cemetery. I do not do this nearly often enough and avoid it whenever possible. I do not know why. I didn't even send out Christmas cards again this year (again) I am looking forward to seeing all of you in January. I always have a lot of laughs and that helps keep me going.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AGAIN!

OK, SO SOMEHOW I SCREWED UP THE LAST POST AND STORY NEVER MADE IT. LET'S TRY IT AGAIN.
SORRY FOR NO PICTURE. FORGOT THE CAMREA.
LORI AND I WENT TO THE CEMETARY ON SUNDAY TO DECORATE THE TREE WE PLANTED A FEW YEARS BACK. IT WAS VERY COLD ON OUR HANDS AND I HAD A HARD TIME BEING THERE, LIKE I ALWAYS DO, BUT WITH LORI'S HELP AND SUPPORT WE GOT IT DONE.
WE ARE HAVING A HARD TIME WITH CHRISTMAS THIS YEAR TOO. NOT QUITE FOR THE SAME REASONS THOUGH. APRIL WILL NOT BE HERE UNTIL MID JANUARY AND IT'S HARD TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO ABOUT CELEBRATING AND PUTTING UP A TREE ETC...
ANYWAY, LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING EVERYONE WHO CAN MAKE IT TO PATTY ANNE'S AND JIM'S!

Season's Greetings to you too

We have all seen this one. I can remember when this was taken right in our own living room on Dennison Road. Must be the photographers would come to the houses in those days, like doctors and milk. Ah....the good ole days. Too bad Judy's not in this one, but have no fear--I have more! I remember those tops were red and white. Looks like we were in shorts so maybe it was late summer when this was taken. Season's greetings from Mom and Dad from about 45 years ago!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

I am having a hard time getting into the spirit of the season. Anybody else struggling with this also? I don't know why. I WANT to be in the Christmas mood. I WANT to feel happily smug with the hidden Christmas gifts and in the knowledge that the day will get here whether I am ready or not. But I'm not there yet.

I figure it probably has to do with my children getting older so the "magic" isn't there the way it used to be. Even when we were younger but were getting older such as in this picture (1971 Buffalo St), I could still feel some of the anticipation and excitement. Now anticipation and the calendar seem more like the enemy than the blessing it should be.

So I went out and got baking supplies today. I'm going to light up one of the holiday candles and get out my favorite Christmas movie: Muppet Christmas Carol and pretend I'm Martha Stewart. It does help that there's some snow on the ground. You are welcome to join me. I'll give you a cookie and some milk. Or some beer. That would be more in tune with family holiday celebrations!

ME AND MY BROTHER!

OK, WE ALL LIKE THE ODD PHOTOS WE HAVE AND CAN SHARE. THIS IS ONE LORI LIKES. THE BROTHER IS NEVER HAD! LOL!

TAKEN AT THE SAN DIEGO ZOO EARLIER THIS YEAR.

Won the tournament

After a particularly tough game, Ryan's team won the tournament this weekend.

Celebrations Past

This is a picture of Judy and Weenie that I think is especially nice. Not only do both Judy and Weenie look very happy and comfortable, but it also brings back memories of the celebration of Nanny and Weenie's 50th wedding anniversary in November 1982. This was taken at a restaurant and I think it might have been our Thanksgiving dinner that year.

This copy of their wedding invitation shows the ceremony was scheduled for 7 AM! I remember Jessie first noticed this and we can all agree this seemed odd. I clearly recall that neither of them was an early riser. This was in contrast to most of their neighbors at the park and Nanny seemed to take pride in their "signal" of leaving the curtains drawn until they were ready for company in the morning. I am not sure why their wedding was scheduled for that time of the day--perhaps the church schedule or perhaps something to do with effects of the Great Depression. But, 7AM?? Nanny and Weenie??

Their wedding announcement in the Salamanca Republican Press described Nanny's outfit as " a green tweed suit, beaver trimmed; with accessories in corresponding shade. Her flowers were a shoulder coursage of roses and lilies of the valley." Her sister Teen (in brown tweed and corresponding accessories) and brother in law were attendants. They honeymooned in Canada. It seemed like a pretty low key affair by our standards but I believe it was in keeping with wedding traditions of the day.

I don't know about you, but I don't think we'll make it to 50 years married--Can you even imagine the year 2035? It's like that song "In the year" I can hear it now "In the year 2035, when the kids are middle aged... If woman can survive ...They may find themselves ....with a cake..." All right, that was bad but I'm allowed! I'm 78 by then so I'm forgiven alot. Remember that.

A bigger and better Tank

Here is a more recent picture of Tank. I took him to the vet yesterday and she said that he is gaining weight nicely. (She previously told me he was too thin)

Boys are both underway with their basketball seasons. Got to see Patty Anne at Matthew's game the other night, but was not able to stay and visit. His team will do ok, they have decent starters, but the bench is weak. Ryan has only had one scrimmage but looked better than last year. I think if he gets more comfortable, he could be a decent shot.

We are hosting Thanksgiving here if anyone is interested.

If I don't see you have a great one.

Shouldn't we start thinking about dates for our annual Christmas drink fest?

HERE IS MT ST HELENS. THESE WERE TAKEN FROM 6 MILES AWAY. THAT IS AS CLOSE AS THE NORMAL PERSON CAN GET. IF YOU ARE INTO HIKING YOU CAN GET ALOT CLOSER. TO BE ABLE TO SEE STEAM RISING OUT WAS QUITE A SITE! WHEN THIS ERUPTED IT PRETTY MUCH LEVELED 230 SQUARE MILES OF FOREST, ABSOLUTLY AMAZING, TO US ANYWAY. HUGE TREES WERE SNAPED OFF LIKE TOOTHPICKS, AS YOU CAN SEE. VERY INTERESTING IF ANYONE EVER GETS OUT THAT WAY.

Happy Birthday Chris!

Have a great day!

Mysterious Mike

We have just returned from Gloucester. We got very very wet but had a great time visiting with Tim, Emmy, Cathy and Chris. When I was younger, I didn't really understand phrases such as "It does my heart good" or "a sight for sore eyes". As I've grown and as I've had experiences such as visiting Gloucester and leaving there feeling very much at ease again, I understand such sayings a bit better. It actually does my heart good to return to Gloucester once in a while. When I start feeling grouchy, ill at ease and not really comfortable in my own skin I know it's time to go breathe in some sea air. When I see everyone again, it is indeed a sight for sore eyes.

We were able to go to dinner with Tim and Emmy last night and Tim regaled us with a number of stories--one tidbit we learned is that Grampie apparently was a boxer back in the day. He boxed as "Mysterious Mike". I don't have any idea where that non de plume came from but I'm betting the Mike had something to do with the Irish. When he told ms this, I had a hard time picturing that in my mind's eye. Then I started looking around for a picture for this blog entry. Looking at Grampie here, I think I can kind of picture Mysterious Mike.

More new stories to come and this will give me a new research road to travel down.

And it's a grand journey indeed.

Someday

I came across a book Amy wrote many years ago called "Someday". It's so much fun discovering these things again after such a long time. I thought you all might enjoy too.

Honor a veteran today.

Ryan and his buddies after their last football game. Remind you of anything? I think it's very cool that history is repeating itself a little bit with Ryan, Weenie and football. Ryan will probably never put on a football uniform again but he'll always have his accomplishments to learn from. He met a personal goal of throwing for over 1000 yards passing in his career (1112). despite some setbacks. I think this is huge. He sets goals for himself and works to meet them despite circumstances working against the effort. This will serve him well in college. Nicely done boyo!

This is 1925--no numbers, no pads that I can detect and yet eerily similar!

This blog will turn 3 years old this Friday!! You'd think I'd get tired of writing or run out of ideas, but not so far. It helps a bunch that you all join in and add stuff. Happy Birthday, Blog!

HI EVERYONE,

PATTY ANNE AND PAULA, NOT TO KNOCK THE FALLS IN ITHACA, WE HAVE BEEN TO THEM AND THEY ARE VERY NICE. THESE ARE THE MULTNOMAH FALLS JUST OUTSIDE PORTLAND ORE. AS YOU CAN SEE THE TOP OF THE FALLS ARE NOT EVEN IN THE PIC, BUT NOT MUSH HIGHER. IF YOU LOOK CLOSE YOU CAN SEE LORI AND APRIL ON THE BRIDGE, THE ZOOM WE HAVE IS PRETTY GOOD. WE HAD A GREAT TIME OUT THERE AND WILL TRY TO POST SOME PICS OF MT ST HELENS. I WOULD RECCOMEND ANYONE ANYWHERE NEAR THERE TAKE THE TIME TO GO SEE THAT, WELL WORTH IT AND ONLY A COUPLE HOUR DRIVE FROM PORTLAND.

HOPE EVERYONE HAD A GOOD WEEKEND.

TAKE CARE. CHRIS AND LORI

Happy Birthday to me and a Gift for you

It was just about a perfect weekend, even with all the rain that dampened our Homecoming events somewhat. Amy was home, Ryan's team won their game, Paula came over for a visit and I got a wonderful letter from Kathy. Actually it was a package from Kathy that had a wonderfully chatty letter within. She seems to be doing pretty well even if the job situation is demoralizing (her term). It was great to hear from her and it was the best birthday present I could get.

But I have a little present for you all. There's a new Irish name in our ancestry!! McDonough --it's Gloucester Irish and I'd like to say it was more of that good luck I've been having recently but this discovery came after years and years of searching for this woman.

You might remember John Bentley, the captain that went down on the Schooner Paul Revere. On that ship, Martin Costello was apparently the cook. Martin was John's father in law. When the Schoner Paul Revere was lost, John's wife Kate lost both her husband and her father. Julie Costello was Kate's mother and until last week, I couldn't find any record of her death. For a time after her husband was lost at sea, she lived in Gloucester with family but around 1900 she kind of disappeared.

I believe I have found her living in Boston with her niece. There are more Julia Costellos than you can probably imagine in the Boston Cape Ann area around 1900, but I am certain I found her. I feel a little like I've recovered somethin long lost. Her maiden name was McDonough. She was born in Ireland, may have sailed from Galway during the famine years. She died in Boston in 1901 age 72 (though that's a loose estimate), having outlived seven children, including our great great grandmother her daughter Kate Costello Bentley.

I am very happy to welcome McDonoughs to our ancestry. Also, happy birthday to Nanny Flynn today (born 99 years ago today).

TESTING 1 2 3

OK, TRYING TO POST FOR THE FIRST TIME HERE. THIS IS US ON THE "TAIL OF THE DRAGON" ON THE NC/TENN BORDER BACK IN MAY. 11 MILES, 318 CURVES. WE ALL MADE IT! HAPPY BIRTHDAY PATTY ANNE!

Provenance and bragging

Wasn't it much nicer this weekend than you were expecting based on the forecast? We weren't looking forward to riding out to Livingston Manor yesterday for Ryan's game but it the day really wasn't so bad. We came into town right on top of their Homecoming parade, reminding me of Paula's appearance in one of our parades recently. Anyhow, they won and Ryan scored three touchdowns (maybe 4 yards total among all three but nevertheless....). I'm pretty sure that's a personal best for him.

Continuing the Provenance series, this is a bracelet I believe was probably Nanny Ryan's. You'll note that it has cousin Colleen as well as five of us so must be this was created between 1962 and 1966. I know that anyone would recognize this as having significance but it was of special significance to me because it gave me Colleen's birth date sooner than I got it otherwise. The birthdates are on the back side. Colleen's is June 9 1962. I am supposing Mom had it from Nanny Ryan's things but I don't remember ever seeing it too much. I have things of Mom's that hardly ever come out either but still need to stay with me.

Fall Splendor

Paula and I took a little ride yesterday to Ithaca to leaf peep and shop (not at the same time). We did more peeping than shopping and it was a great day. We went to Taughannock Falls which you see here from yesterday (October 2009) as well as from the summer trip we made out there with Kathleen and Nick. I got the same shot in the two different seasons and it's interesting to note the differences--especially in the flow of water. We had a nice time and I'm glad we had a little adventure over the long weekend.

My recent genealogical lucky streak led to an interview being broadcast by one of my favorite podcasts Genealogy Gems It's at the very end of episode 73 in case you are interested in the story. I've had luck with Italians and the Irish recently so I consider myself very fortunate. I even heard from long lost George Handran (after only a little bit of begging to a complete stranger who's a shared acquaintance). More on the Irish luck as soon as I get a couple of things researched a bit more.

Welcome to the zoo, Tank! Thanks Judy for sharing his picture. I can't believe you have 3 dogs! We have the 3 felines but they take up a whole bunch less space than those dogs must. He is cute, though. And welcome back to the online world too Judy.

Happy Birthday Jess tomorrow, Taylor on Friday and, of course, Jim on Saturday. October is a pretty big month for us, isn't it?

Last week I mentioned I hadn't done much Irish research lately but I have more news (and ancestors) to share with you. I have had 3 pieces of really good genealogical luck in this last week or so. Here you see an excerpt from the 1865 Massachusetts state census. These state census records are difficult to use because they aren't indexed and neither are most of them available online. But these have recently come online, although they are not yet indexed. I just took a chance and dove in to take a look page by page to see what I could find--and here's the Costello family just waiting for me to find them.

Prior to finding this last night, I only knew of one child from this family and this record shows me two additional children new to me! Great fun for me. Martin and Julia Costello are our 3rd great grandparents. Their daughter Mary is already married to John Bentley at the time of this census. It's still a thrill to find new information even if I'm about the only one really thrilled!

It was pure luck that I found them just by browsing but when you're hot, you're hot and I found the Ryans too! No real surprises there but it's good to find them as well. I also had a great Italian discovery last week so I'm feeling like I should go buy a lottery ticket.

New addition to the family

As most of you know, we have a new adorable addition to our family. Pat brought him home to me after a bit of teasing on my part. I have been feeling a bit useless due to the boys getting older and less dependent. His name is Tank (because he was 5 pounds heavier than his brother and sister)

I haven't done much with the Irish side of the family lately but I recently got some exciting new leads. As is often the case, I stumbled on this kind of accidentally. There is an organization called TIARA. Ryan says I joined it because I liked the name, which is true BUT in addition this organization has access to some interesting records. TIARA stands for The Irish Ancestral Research Association. TIARA is alot more fun.



TIARA offers access to the records of the Massachusetts Order of Foresters which was a fraternal organization formed by Irish immigrants to offer life insurance to its members. Never heard of them before but when I checked their records I saw some names I found intriguing: Mary Ryan, James Ryan and John Handran. TIARA offers to send you the insurance files for their members--since this was for life insurance, these records are related to the insured's death.



Saturday I received a lovely fat envelope containing several sheets of paper for each of these names. Pretty quickly I was able to determine that Mary Ryan is not one of "our" Ryans; I'm still working on James but John Handran is probably an ancestor--not in our direct line but one of the long lost cousins. I'm still working on putting all the pieces together but the papers are fascinating and contain their health interview for the insurance as well as death records. They contain details I've never found in other kinds of sources.



This image is one page from John Handran's record. He drowned in 1885 just 3 years after his marriage in Gloucester. Three years and 3 kids left behind with his widow Sarah. The part I found most interesting on this sheet was the description of the drowing incident: "washed from the deck of the vessel + sank after a few moments of struggle". A little additional research showed he had been aboard the Schooner Cleopatra and was one of two or three in total who drowned the day after Christmas 1885. The remaining crew were rescued and brought to port in Philadelphia.



I have a great deal more work to do to place him properly in our tree but such interesting papers certainly give me the inspiration needed to learn more. I hope you find it interesting too.

Provenance Part II

I hope this picture does justice to this item. Someday someone surely will be wondering why this is in my jewelry box, but I'll bet you recognize it. If not, you certainly would if you saw it in person.

Weenie must have preferred these nylon socks. My memory of course relates to playing Hearts for half a penny a point (or something like that). I have many many memories of playing cards with Mom, Dad, Nanny and Weenie. Until I was a parent myself I'm not sure I realized that perhaps not everyone would have approved of this family style gambling, but it was such fun. We were very lucky to have that experience. I still have a sock tied up with a few pennies in the toe from those days.

But this particular sock tells the story of an even greater chapter in our lives. It was tied to Mary Jane's bed railing in the hospital. They were escorting Kathy and I from the room and getting ready to move her when somehow I remembered that silly sock was there. I knew if I didn't get it back I might never see it again so I asked the staff to bring it to us. It meant a great deal to me at the time and still today. I think Mary Jane must have had it tied to her bed rail because it brought her comfort and that's why I sometimes carry it around in my pocket.

On this first day of fall, here's to Mary Jane and Weenie!

September 11

I was upset with myself Friday morning when I realized that I had forgotten it was September 11. A few days earlier, I was very aware that Friday was September 11 in part because the 8th grade history teacher across the hall was preparing her now-annual first lesson "What September 11 Means to Me". And I found myself wondering where was the tipping point on this event for our students...these current 8th graders were probably in kindergarten on September 11 2001. Did they have a memory of that day and would they be able to effectively express what it means to them? I'm guessing not. I'm sure the teacher makes it meaningful to them, but the bottom line is that this event probably doesn't carry personal meaning to them or any students coming up behind them.

This fading of event trauma is normal and likely healthy. One of the blogs that I like to read recently did a very nice post along these lines. The Occasional CEO wrote "9/11 and the National Memory". I strongly encourage you to read it. He puts historical events in our lifetimes in perspective in an enlightening way: such tidbits as when a mouse used to indicate a 4 legged critter rather than an electronic extension of our fingers.

He likens this shift to a snake shedding its skin. Out with the old and in with the new. Regrowth. Renewal. I was reminded of Amy's experience at the zoo this summer. Apparently boa constrictors need some extra help shedding all their skin--especially around their eyes. So she found herself helping the staff remove old skin from around this constrictor's eyes. Huge "Blecch" factor aside, it's not unlike how such memories get lost. There is some natural fading and shifting but we (society) assist that fading and shifting in many ways. We are picking the skin away so new skin can grow when we forget or fail to pause and remember. A survival technique, yes but it seems criminal to let that day go by without some remembrance.

I was 7 when President Kennedy was shot. Most definitely the defining event of its time. I vaguely remember seeing the funeral on television but have no other specific memories of that day in school or the days that followed. Eight years later I certainly could not have written a meaningful essay on "What President Kennedy's Assassination Means to Me". Present tense. Still meaningful. But I feel certain my teachers could have. And my parents. So perhaps today's 8th graders see September 11 not as video-like memories running through their minds but more as how it is commemorized today. And I'm afraid they did not see much evidence that we remember. Neither did I on the following anniversaries of the President's assassination.

A number of articles in the paper the next day talked about how some places held remembrance events and others did not. Specifically it mentioned that no recognition was given at Ryan's football game in Bainbridge. I was grateful the game wasn't in Harpursville or I'm pretty sure we would have been in the same boat. I guess this puts me in the same camp as those campaigning to have September 11 be marked as a Day of Remembrance. Because it affected me. Because it's still vivid in my memory. But I forgot Friday was September 11 until well into the day. I guess I also helped peel away the dead skin of that day.

Happy Birthday Mom

I guess it's a big day today--9/9/09. Happy Birthday Mom. It would have been her 76th. That's kind of hard for me to picture, although I wish with all my heart I didn't have to be wishing I knew what it would be like.

When I was thinking about what I was going to say about her today, I came across a cool website (http://www.wolframalpha.com/ ) You can put in something like weather and the date/location and it will tell you what the weather was like on a particular day. From this I learned that Mom was born on a Saturday. True, I could have figured this out another way but this was much more interesting. No weather report for Olean the day she was born, but I did find out that the weather outside was pretty miserable the day Amy was born--I had no real clue about that!

I have to say I find it amusing that Mom was born on the weekend! The newspaper that day reports it was "generally fair and somewhat cooler". Nanny and Weenie were living on Irving Street at the time. It also seems like Weenie was spending quite a bit of his free time playing center field for the Nationals, which I believe was a semi pro team in the area.

I see quite a few of us in this picture! I will be thinking about her today, as I often do. I hope 9/9/09 brings you a great day.

Provenance Part 1

In many ways, our possessions define us. I'm not talking so much about our cars, homes, clothes, electronics etc but more about all those little things we have around us that make us smile just to see them sitting there. We all have possessions that are not particularly valuable in a monetary sense but are very important for the stories they carry or memories they evoke.

Remember cleaning out Mom and Dad's house? We'd find things and wonder ..... why is that still here after all this time? You know it must have had meaning for Mom or Dad and you'd love to know its story. Well, at least I would like to know those stories. I might still put it out for the yard sale, but the story can still live on.

So it's important to document the stories. This is the first entry into my "Provenance" series--sharing stories about stuff that is important to me so that someday someone can say "I know why that thing is still here after all this time".

I have a picture of flowers in a vase that's in a round frame that came from Nanny and Weenie's house. I don't know why, but I've always been drawn to that picture. It might be a watercolor--no artist's name is visible. I don't know beans about the history of this thing but I would love to. It might just be a picture they picked up at the 5 and 10 for all I know but it has always given me a warm happy feeling and kind of says "Nanny and Weenie" to me.

You can see it in the background of this picture. I never felt like it really fit in that Walton house but I feel like it belongs right where it is currently in my living room. The picture above is Christmas 1990 and the one below is Christmas 1956--look at the wall behind Weenie's head.

These possessions that are so important often appear in the background--they often aren't the focus of any particular attention but think how empty our lives would be in their absence. I only came to have this picture through the loss of Nanny, Weenie, Mom and Dad. Such a heavy price helps explain its real value.

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!

August 27 1955

BKTF Day

Happy Birthday Weenie!

Be kind to Francis Day

Isn't it today?

Give yourself a break today in honor of Weenie.

Another August wedding

Some of us remember this day! Another reason to celebate August for the Ryans. Beautiful bride and handsome Ryan boys.

We spoke with Tim and Emmy this week. They are on their way to a tour of Canadian cities and regions--I think Emmy said British Columbia and Calgary were included. She also mentioned she's been catching up on the blog! Welcome Emmy! It was good to talk with them and it has me looking at the calendar to figure out when we can get ourselves back for a visit sometime this fall.

Amy returns to school today--I do not know where the summer went. Ryan's first scrimmage is next Saturday. Their senior years are officially under way.

We have just returned from our brief vacation trip to Long Island. Ryan says it was just the kind of trip he likes--4 days (not too long I guess); some time to hang; some fun stuff to do. We went to see Stomp off Broadway. The teeny tiny theater really surprised me and we sat in the second row (no one was in the first row) and I could have reached over to tie the shoes of the performers. It wasn't one of those neck-bender stages so we were in good shape even if one of the performers just about slid off the stage into my lap. We also spent a day at the beach--it was a very nice day and the kids got to spend time with their cousins as you can see.

We didn't get to have this kind of time with our cousins. Of course, there weren't as many of them as my kids are blessed with and our cousins weren't as close in age as these guys are, but I think we missed out on something pretty special. These cousins just love to spend time with each other and very quickly fall back into their comfortable relationships as soon as they get back together in the same room again. It does require active work on the part of the parents involved and Jim's family has always made time with cousins an important priority. It has certainly paid off for these kids! I sort of forget that Cathy and Kevin are our cousins but I don't think that will be the case for Amy and Ryan and the rest of the crew.

The kids also held an Extreme Pool Olympics and here is one of the prize moments from that. Ryan definitely took the medal in the freestyle event.

Weddings and Anniversaries

Who says June is wedding month? For us, it seems to be August. Happy Anniversary Judy and Patrick. As I was looking through the pictures from that fateful day, I realized there are quite a few ones I really like. Here are a few of them. Nanny looks so good in that picture with the kids. Enjoy the memories.

Welcome to the family, Sarah! I look forward to seeing some pictures of Paula's weekend. Congratulations Tim, Kevin and Sarah.

Happy Birthday Dad

This is a little hard to read because it's hard to scan from Mom's great big scrapbooks but it tells a couple of stories about Dad that I had not heard. Besides the whole (disturbing) shot - from - a - cannon stunt, he was also "sawed in half"; rode a horse bareback and came to a football game in a brown burlap bag with a rope tied around his waist that had about 30 knots in it (?). I think these were all done as a cheerleader, but I'm not sure. As you know, he interrupted his college years for the Army. This is written after he came back. I noted with interest that he put his occupation as "Master of Ceremonies" on his discharge papers.

He would have been 82 today. Happy Birthday.

Mama Said There'd Be Days Like This

Some days I just feel like running away too. I am not sure when this was written but I remember very clearly asking if she needed me to pack anything up for her trip. It as one of those classic family moments. I don't remember ever threatening to run away but I do remember asking Mom what divorce meant and thinking getting new parents might be kind of cool. I was disappointed that wasn't going to happen. Whatever Mom's answer was made that clear!

We got to spend some time with Judy Patrick and the boys yesterday. Ryan spent the night here and went to basketball with Ryan J this morning. Then Ryan J drove Ryan P home with Maggie in the car. Nothing like having your cousin take you around complete with a dog for company! Another classic. We are very lucky.

Quarterfinals for Pony League

Ryan watching from the 3rd baseline
Matthew sliding into home.

Well, we won our quarterfinal game for Pony League 22-12. It was not a pretty game, but seeing both of the boys on the same team is something that I love. I have been looking forward to this and will probably have to wait another 2 years or so for it to happen again. I hope that Ryan will take Matthew (and Joe and Cam and Jeff) under his wing and help them become better ball players) Secretly, I think that they all admire him because of his baseball accomplishments, but would NEVER admit that. I am a bit sad that Matthew's Little League career (of 6 years) is almost over, but know that this passage brings new challenges for him.

Save the Date

Our annual summer soiree will be Sunday Aug 30. Theme: Wonder Years 1969: Woodstock and Moonwalks (the real moon walk). Be there or be square! More details to follow.

In the Good Ol Summertime

Maybe if I talk about the beach it will feel more like summer to me. I don't know about you but as far as summer weather goes, it's not been one of the best on record so far. But I hope you all are enjoying yours regardless.

This is dad at the beach with his mother, Catherine Pierce Ryan, long before Peter arrived on the scene. Apparently this is Long Beach which I don't have any real memories of but I do have some vague recollections of time on Good Harbor Beach in Gloucester. I remember digging around in the sand near the bridge where there were small pools of water left behind by the tide. I remember how flat and wet the beach area was and how cold the water was.

I've never been a real big fan of the beach (sand, slimy seaweed and mysterious creatures underfoot) but I do love the sound of the ocean and the feel of the sun. This seems to be a very sunny day although Dad seems a little mystified. I wonder who's behind the camera.

This is a picture of Mom on the beach probably when she was about 5. I am not sure what beach this might be. Ever thought about how our ancestors on both sides spent a great deal of time in and near water? No wonder we seem drawn to Gloucester. Although learning to swim in Lake Erie probably should have killed that instinct in me, it didn't. Fort Myers Beach is probably the closest I ever came to actually almost enjoying the beach.

Ryan's first beach experience was in Florida at a beach just down the road from Kathleen and Nick's house. If you can imagine, I forgot to tell him to expect saltwater and he took in a big mouthful. I think he was about 4. That was the end of swimming for quite a while for him. After he forgave me for that, he was cautious for years to ask first if it was saltwater before he dipped a toe in.

Water was part of our everyday lives when we lived in Silver Creek. Moving "inland" to Walton was the first time I realized that not everyone grows up near water and that some people don't learn how to swim as part of a rite of childhood. Ryan and Amy don't have that same experience, but I hope they will always feel the pull of the ocean. Well, not literally.