Mommy at the Civic Arena, June 1964

Collage of My Mom at the Civic Arena, Pittsburgh, June 1964, originally uploaded by stelladanza's confections.

My Mom would have been eighty-five on October 2nd. She passed away on Valentine's Day this year. My sister and I spent her birthday together visiting some of her favorite places in San Diego and doing things that she would have enjoyed.

This snapshot of my Mom was taken by me in June of 1964 in front of the Civic Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The occasion was my eldest brother's high school graduation. My cousin and I accompanied my Mom to the festivities, and you can see the picture that she took of us here.

Love you and miss you, Mutti ♥

In My Parents' Garden

In My Parents' Garden (11), originally uploaded by confections.

I am grieving the loss of my Mother this past Valentine's Day and finding solace in images of the cottage garden she and my father created. These photos were taken circa 1987, four years before my father died.

My Great-Grandparents' 50th Wedding Anniversary

My Great-Grandparents' 50th Wedding Anniversary, originally uploaded by confections.

In my post yesterday, I mentioned a great-great-grandmother who had emigrated from France in 1848, Catherine Decker. Her son John P. Mayer (whose father was Casper Mayer) is seen in this photo on the occasion of his 50th wedding anniversary circa 1932, along with my great-grandmother, Christina. I never knew these great-grandparents (Christina died two years before I was born, John about six years after this anniversary), but I have heard many stories about them. I'm trying to gather as many as I can from the old-timers who still remember them.

Great-Aunt Emily and Aunt Margaret

Great-Aunt Emily and Aunt Margaret, originally uploaded by confections.

My mother's older sister Margaret (about age four) is seated here on the lap of her Aunt Emily, circa 1927. Aunt Emily was born in December of 1869 and lived until 1944. Aunt Margaret was born in 1923 and is alive and well. This was taken at my maternal grandparents' farm in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.

My Brother & I, Summer 1958

My Brother & I, Summer 1958, originally uploaded by confections.

Here's the backstory on this image: it was probably taken by my Dad in the summer of 1958. We were at our cabin in the Pennsylvania mountains for a summer vacation. I finally had a baby sister (after three brothers) and a new puppy.

One of the first rituals after arriving at the cabin was driving up the mountain road to a crystal clear spring with our Dad and bringing back a huge cooler full of drinking water.

On this particular day I had gotten a new balloon, and just moments before this photo was snapped, our new puppy had burst my balloon--and I burst into tears.

Luckily, I had a lollipop (a Tootsie-Roll pop, nonetheless), which helped me get over my disappointment at the burst balloon. My almost 9-year-old brother is putting on his tough Little League game face.

I remember those fun little girls' playsuits with elasticized waists and ties at the shoulder, icons of the 1950's. I'm seven-and-a-half in this photo, about to enter 3rd grade.

Apple Harvest

Apple Harvest, originally uploaded by confections.

Just a few photos today to honor the fall harvest.... These were taken in Pennsylvania in the late 1980's and early 1990's.

Saint Agnes School, Mifflin Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, circa 1910

Saint Agnes School, Mifflin Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, circa 1910, originally uploaded by confections.

One of my Dad's cousins shared this old photo with me from her archives. Three of my great uncles are in this photo taken circa 1910 in Mifflin Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.

[If you click on the photo, it will take you to my flickr website where there are notes indicating which of the boys are my paternal grandmother's little brothers.]

I knew all three of these great uncles, but the one I remember the best was my Great Uncle Dose (for Theodosius). When he would visit us, he would always have a treat for us kids, often Kraft caramels or spearmint leaves.

As I have pieced together my family tree, I have learned more about the trials of Uncle Dose's life. His wife left him early in their marriage and took their young daughter Florie away and he never got to see her grow up. He was asthmatic and died at a relatively young age in a family where longevity is the norm.

I attended this same school (from second through fourth grades), as did my father, his brothers, and both of my Dad's parents. Even in the days when I was in attendance (1957-60), it was the equivalent of the fabled one-room school house, with many grades intermixed.

I remember having the distinct privilege one day in third grade of ringing the handbell out of one of the windows of the second storey classroom, signaling the end of the school day--a very 19th century tradition that lasted well into the 20th at my parochial school.

When I was in fourth grade, a new school was being built across the street. I attended it for half a year. We moved that winter and the next fall I went to public school, leaps and bounds ahead of my new schoolmates academically. I credit the very demanding nuns for my good educational foundation. I especially loved learning to read music and remember the special tool Sister Mary Anselm used to draw the music staff with chalk on the blackboard.

The old school and the 19th century church (where my grandparents were married and celebrated a Mass in honor of their 50th wedding anniversary) burned to the ground in the 1970's--the end of an era.

My Cousin and I at the Civic Arena, Pittsburgh, 1964

My Cousin and I at the Civic Arena, Pittsburgh, 1964, originally uploaded by confections.

My cousin and I are all dressed up here for my brother's high school graduation on June 16, 1964. My Mother took the photo.

For musical/cultural context, the Beatles were taking the world by a storm, and the top hits of that spring/summer were:

May 30 - June 5, 1964:
Love Me Do by the Beatles

June 6 - June 26, 1964:
Chapel Of Love by the Dixie Cups

June 27 - July 3, 1964:
A World Without Love by Peter & Gordon

My Grandfather & My Brother, 1956

My Grandfather & My Brother, 1956, originally uploaded by confections.

My paternal grandfather, age 71, and my little brother, about 8 months old, circa April 1956.

I love this tender study of my grandfather holding my baby brother. I remember this corner of the dining room very well. Usually there was a rocking chair at this spot, where both grandparents would rock the babies of the family.

My grandmother would sing "Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean" or "We are Marching to Pretoria" or "Are you an angel, my glad heart sings, are you an angel, where are your wings? Are you an angel, are you an angel? Tell me, dear."

My grandmother's indoor plants are visible on the little side table. Her glass-front china cabinet was in the opposite corner, and the sideboard that held the cookie jar was just to my grandfather's right.

I loved exploring the contents of that sideboard reverentially. In addition to the cookie jar and lovely embroidered linen scarf beneath it, the drawers and cubbies of the sideboard held many treasures. I recall thumbing through my grandmother's yellowed copy of The White House Cook Book which she kept on an inside shelf.

Above and behind my grandfather was a photographic portrait in an oval frame of my grandmother in high-button shoes at about age six--lost to posterity as far as I know.

My grandfather's preeminent realm, however, was the basement (in my child's mind, at least). He had an old-time crank Victrola and an extensive collection of 78 rpm records. We played a lot of foxtrots, as I recall, and danced around.

Every year he made sauerkraut in huge crocks, following a tradition that I'm sure he learned from his grandfather. I have a vivid memory of going with him and my parents to Trax farmstand in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, to buy bushels full of cabbage in preparation for this ritual.

He made potent red wine that aged in the cellar where my grandmother kept her canned tomatoes and piccalilli and homemade ketchup. He, alongside my father, built a cabin in the Pennsylvania woods that served as a hunting and fishing camp and family gathering place.

He and my grandmother cultivated flower and vegetable gardens and five strapping boys and lived to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary, a grand fest which was documented on 8mm film by my uncle.

I'm still trying to solve a family mystery about the identity of my grandfather's father. I have a few clues, but no hard primary data. The genealogical research continues.

I know I have mentioned this just recently, but I reiterate: please conduct oral history interviews with significant people in your life. Future generations will thank you.

Easter Morning in the Mid-1950's

Easter Morning in the Mid-1950's, originally uploaded by confections.

My two older brothers and I with our Easter baskets. The Easter Bunny--er, my Dad--is snoozing through it all.... The photo was taken by my Mom.

Happy Easter!

My Grandparents' Wedding, 1914

 

My paternal grandfather was born on this day in 1885. As I have been pursuing genealogy earnestly over the last few years, I have filled in many blanks in my Ahnentafel; however, many are still awaiting discovery on my grandfather's father's side. Most of the oldtimers who might have had answers for me are long gone, including my own father.

My grandparents married in January 1914 and saw their 50th wedding anniversary plus two. The witnesses pictured here are my grandfather's sister and my grandmother's brother.

One of my cousins generously shared a copy of their wedding certificate with me. It is in German--the small community where my grandparents were born was settled by German/Alsatian immigrants. I have a prayer book in German that had belonged to my grandfather's maternal aunt, from whom I got my middle name of Ann.

I'm already looking forward to the release of the 1940 census, which will happen in 2012. Many more answers will unfold for the genealogical community when that treasure trove is made public.

My Mom (on the right) and Her Childhood Friend Dorothy

My Mom (on the right) and Her Childhood Friend Dorothy, originally uploaded by confections.

Today is my Mom's 83rd birthday. I'm popping the cork by sharing these photos of her and her childhood friend Dorothy. The first photo found its way to us through a contact on ancestry.com. Amazing serendipity. Thank you, Libby!

Her friend Dorothy is still alive and kickin' and a few years ago shared a photo of the two of them as high-schoolers ice-skating on Bull Creek in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. My Mom, on the left in the photo below, made her green corduroy skating skirt. It had a gold satin lining.

My Mom exudes the Venusian energy which is a hallmark of her Libra sun sign. She is a social creature and loves beauty in her surroundings. She is witty, loves a good joke, and has an infectious laugh. She'll beat you at any card game, but especially at pinochle.

She is an excellent cook and baker (oh, I'd love a home-cooked meal and a slice of her apple pie right now!) and reveled in the joys of marriage and raising a family of seven children. I developed my appreciation for the charms of tea and conversation over the kitchen table with my Mom.

Happy Birthday, Mutti!

My Maternal Grandmother

My Maternal Grandmother, originally uploaded by confections.

This photo of my maternal grandmother, Rose Lena [Vogel] Galbraith, is a still taken from a movie made by her stepson, Robert G. Galbraith, around 1938.

I never knew my maternal grandmother except through my Mother's stories about her. The loyal dog at her elbow is the family pet, an Airedale named Jack; my Mom says he was the smartest dog she ever knew.

I have traced her family line back to the Rhineland-Palatinate town of Thaleischweiler, Germany. Rose's parents and older siblings were born there, but she was born in Pennsylvania in 1888.

My Dad with His Guitar

My Dad with His Guitar, originally uploaded by confections.

My youngest sister sent this photo to me yesterday. It is one that I had never seen, possibly from my uncle's estate originally, and dates to the mid- to late-1940's.

She included the following anonymous quotation along with the picture:

"My father's guiding hand on my shoulder will remain with me forever."

Missing you still, Daddy, and honoring your memory.

My Maternal Grandfather's Parents & Sisters

My Maternal Grandfather's Parents & Sisters, originally uploaded by confections.

One of the most exciting gifts to me in the early days of my genealogical research was receiving this photo of my maternal grandfather's parents and sisters via email. I had located a long-lost cousin who had this photo along with at least one-hundred more from my mother's side of the family. She generously shared them with us and they have been disseminated to the rest of the cousins.

My great-grandfather, Thomas Galbraith, the only male in this photo, was a California Gold Rush '49er. He kept a journal of his cross-country adventures, but the journal ended as soon as his party found gold. He returned by boat to the East Coast, completed medical school, and practiced medicine in Pennsylvania for many years. Family legend says that he attended the birth of his future wife, my great-grandmother Martha Jane, who was twenty-two years his junior.

My Grandmother with Her Hand-Braided Rugs

My Grandmother with Her Hand-Braided Rugs, originally uploaded by confections.

I just scanned some 1940's vintage photos of my paternal grandparents and their home. This photo shows my grandmother with some freshly laundered braided rag rugs hanging on her clothesline.

This was probably taken during World War II; my grandparents had five children--five sons--and four of them served in and survived that war (my fourth uncle, too young for service World War II, served in the Korean War). I cannot even begin to imagine the fortitude they drew upon to endure that time in their lives. Both of my paternal grandparents lived into their eighties and were active and creative until the very end.

I remember my grandmother (Mollie) teaching me how to embroider on her front porch on lazy summer afternoons like we are having now. She was a quilter and a rag rug maker and baked a mean loaf of bread. I think she would enjoy knowing that I spin quilting fabrics into rag yarn (Ragamuffin) as part of my continuing fascination with the fiber arts.

Sweet Niece

Sweet Niece, originally uploaded by confections.

This is one of my four nieces; she was three at the time and just turned nineteen this month. Happy Birthday, Liebling!

She's wearing a handpainted silk crepe-de-chine scarf that I made for her--it featured ripe pumpkins on the vine and the alphabet and numbers. This was taken by me in October 1992 in Pennsylvania with my husband's Nikon camera.

Autumn Tableau

Autumn Tableau, originally uploaded by confections.

I've put together a seasonal table to celebrate autumn and to give thanks that I am currently safe in the face of the horrible wildfires raging throughout San Diego County, California. One of my good friends has been evacuated from her home; she is safe and sound with her parents at the moment, and we hope she and her husband will be able to go back to their home in the next few days. Many have not been so lucky and my heart goes out to them. Blessed be!

In the little hand-thrown bowl here (a thrift shop find) are lady apples, tiny little specimens that my husband calls "one-bite apples". I love anything in miniature, even fruit! The mini-pumpkin and the lady apples came from my local food co-op. The fall leaves, the acorn, and the buckeye arrived lovingly hand-packed with some treasures from my sister in Pennsylvania. She knows that I get homesick for the maple-covered hills of my home state and the essence of autumn at this time of year. Grazie, Cinzia!

Sunflower Joy

Sunflower, originally uploaded by confections.

The Dog Days of Summer are here, although it has been quite comfortable here in Southern California lately. Nothing says summer to me in such a playful way as a riotous sunflower bloom.

This one was part of a thickly planted patch in a local neighborhood that I spied while driving by. I could not resist stopping and documenting its beauty. If you look closely you can see a few bees enjoying its nectar.

During the last summer of my Dad's life (1991), he grew a spectacular sunflower in his garden in Pennsylvania which was easily twice the diameter of the center of this bloom (perhaps 12 inches to this one's 6). We had given him the seeds in the spring and he nurtured his prize with his secret fertilizer--gray water from the kitchen dishpan.

A few days after his untimely accidental death that September, we harvested the sunflower and kept the seeds. My sister fashioned a wire-wrapped charm bracelet for me that included one of the seeds.

My father reveled in nature and it is poignant to me that this last triumph in his garden yielded hollow seed-shells. That sunflower would not be replicated--an irony not lost on his children and family, who still feel his loss, but are uplifted and reminded of him when a sunflower shows its joyous face.