Seven Degrees of Separation

Maybe you are familiar with the theory that people are separated by only seven degrees in relationships--this is terribly over simplified but applies in this little story.  Hang in there with me.

It's Ryan's 20th birthday today (Happy Birthday buddy) and that also makes it the 20th anniversary of the Perfect Storm.  We all know the story of the Perfect Storm as told in the book and the movie.  Supposedly the book provided the most accurate description of what it must be like to drown in stormy seas written to date. I read it because I was curious since we have ancestors who have perished in similar circumstances.  I don't know if Sebastian Junger hit the nail on the head with that part of the book, but I believe it's generally accepted as an accurate portrayal of the tragic events of that storm.

I was so relieved when the movie seemed to nail the Gloucester culture.  At the time, I was blissfully unaware of the drama unfolding in Gloucester and several hundred miles out to sea.  But the movie brought the event into everyone's frame of reference.  Hasn't the term "perfect storm" become part of the common lexicon?  Now Ryan shares this anniversary with Gloucester in a unique way.

While we were in Gloucester, we met a new Ryan cousin.  Bob Ryan runs the Ryan and Wood Distillery and he is our 2nd cousin.  We share great grandfather William H. Ryan.  William's grandsons included Grampie, Everett (Bob's grandfather) and John (Uncle Jack) among others.  In talking with Bob, I learned that Uncle Jack once owned Gloucester Ice and Cold Storage and Cape Pond Ice (!!) .  As you know, Cape Pond Ice appears in the movie and experienced a rejuvenated business presence as a result of the movie.  And our history includes Cape Pond Ice!!!  I am still researching the exact details but I've found enough to verify at least this much. 

Seven degrees of separation from Ryan's birth 20 years ago backwards to the beginning of Cape Pond Ice! How "cool" is that?

Update from Gloucester

We had a great weekend in Gloucester.  We got to meet and hug the babies!  They turned 4 months old while we were there and they are just beautiful.  They are distinctly their own selves.  Claire is smaller but holds herself up on her legs.  She makes delicate little noises and gestures.  He makes the most expressive "O" with his lips when he is talking.  He's bigger and definitely looks different from Claire.  It was great fun meeting them.

We were allowed to take Julia with us for the morning and we explored a new walking trail.  She's been there with her Ooma and Oopa and warned us we needed to watch out for the goose poop.  She was right.  We had lunch at Stage Fort Park and Julia introduced us to the playground equipment.

We got to spend extra time with Tim at the Elks.  He introduced us to some of his friends and some guys that knew Dad "back in the day".  One guy said they would never have guessed that Dad would become a professor based on what he remembered about Dad as a youngster.  I guess a bunch of them piled into a car and drove to Salem one night and went knocking on random doors.  Can you imagine Dad doing this?  Apparently one of his teachers got some kind of brand new Cadillac that Dad ended up driving around.  No one knew how that happened.  It was very cool meeting some of the Gloucester old timers.  Tim kept calling me his "oldest niece from his real brother".  We were sitting in the corner at the Elks club having our lunch and I could hear Paddy Ryan's name bouncing its way around the bar. 

We didn't see Peter or Kevin but their stories haven't changed much since last spring.  Cathy looks great and Chris' plumbing business is going well.  The weather was beautiful and it was a grand way to spend Emancipation Day!

Stroll Back in Time to Ellicottville NY

Recently I've found some really cool newspaper articles that are helping to fill in the pictures of the lives of our Nevins ancestors.  I thought you'd enjoy seeing them.  It is so COOL finding this stuff and I've been wasting way too time on this--but, honestly it's not wasted and it could never be too much time to find these tidbits.

Marriage announcement for our great grandparents Henry and Caroline Nevins as it appeared in the Ellicottville paper The Post Wed Sept 25 1901.  Notice they were married on a weekday morning. 

John Nevins is Henry's father and our great great grandfather.  I am wondering how innovative this was or perhaps not at all for the time.  From The Post Wed Oct 5 1898.

I love this one!  Mary with the black eye is Henry's older sister.  One of our contemporary Nevins cousins remembers meeting her and says she was a "flamboyant dresser".  Nanny said Mary became an RN later in life and lived with her brother after their parents died.  Sounds like a character I should be researching further, especially as I don't have her death information yet.  From The Post June 14 1905.

And, even though it's pretty hard to pick out my favorite little tidbit, the following is certainly in the top 3:

Christopher Fisher is our great great grand uncle (Julia Nevins brother and Henry's uncle).  Looks like he lost his goose Christmas night and was finally anxious enough to put an ad in the Ellicottville American Union sometime around Jan 15 1862.  Makes you wonder if the goose ran off to join the Union Army. 

Pizza and Wings

I thought you might enjoy these excerpts from Amy's essay about the differences between the families of her parents.  It was written six years ago and, after re-reading it, I have to say my little girl was pretty observant!

On the other hand, you have my mom's side.  These are the Ryans.  On the scale of relatives (not like there is one, but I just made it  up), they are on complete opposite ends.  The trip to the Ryans is usually about an hour (less the way my dad drives bur that is besides the point).  When we get there, 16 people are sitting around, ont he couch, the chairs of the ground and just kind of acknowledge you and go back to what they were talking about before.  "So what were you saying?" is usually our welcome when we get there.  It is a well know fact that my family is expected to join in the conversation when they have something to add.  If we do not, we just sit there and wait until the right time to laugh.......It seems that all the Ryans do is go out to dinner and leave me to baby-sit the kids.  This is not that bad because there are only four children and my brother helps me.

On the Ryan side, however, they almost never make their own food.  It's always "I'll order the pizza." It is not like I am complaining; I always get wings out the deal.

It is amazing how different two families can be and how normal I turned out to be.

I don't really have any evidence of this but I think the Nevins and the Flynns were probably similarly different.  And I feel very confident in noting that the Flynns and the Ryans were VERY different.  And we're all normal.  More or less.....Right?

Whoosh!

That was the sound of summer slamming the door on us and fall rushing in.  Which is what seems to have happened in the last 24 hours or so.  A little bit like Tim going off as a married adult when I still remember being there at his birth.  Sigh.  Seemed like it was only a few weeks in between. 

I put the pictures of Tim's wedding on Facebook so most of you have probably seen them, but just in case you haven't:


Enjoy.  I didn't put Heather and Amanda's album on Facebook because there are kids in those pictures and I don't know how each parent would feel about having those pictures out there.  Yep, that's me....Ms. Sensitive.  What do you mean you don't recognize that?!?!?!

We had a great time in Erie last weekend.  Got to dip my feet in Lake Erie--and I could actually see the bottom!  And it didn't smell--contrary to my memories of swimming lessons so many years ago in Lake Erie.  Now, Amy tells me it's HER Lake Erie.  Her turn--I'm glad it's got a better reputation now. 

We did some shopping and celebrated Jim's birthday at Quaker Steak and Lube.  Just right for his birthday!  We are hoping to have my birthday dinner in Gloucester.  NOT at any place with LUBE in it's name.  And I expect to be able to hug babies!!!  Can't think of a better way to have a birthday.

Birthday shout outs to Jess and Taylor this last week.  Hope your day was great.  Whoosh!

Congratulations are in order!

Despite the weather, it was a great day for Heather and Amanda and those who love them.  This may sound a little like a fuddy-duddy (but I'm the old aunt so I guess that applies anyhow) but since this occasion was kind of a landmark for New York State as well as for me, I'm very grateful I could share it with family.  I wouldn't want it any other way.

Thank you Jess, Amanda and Taylor for allowing your Mom to "share" the table with us for a while.  I don't know about any of you, but I felt her presence very strongly yesterday.  She is happy for you all.



Welcome to a crazy family, Heather!