New Year Resolutions

New Year Resolutions? Did you make any, even one? According to recent statistics about half of you made at least one New Year's resolution. But the statistics are not promising, nor are the ones we make to our self. So what are some of these impossible resolutions made and not kept?

I researched the internet to find out.

WOW! Too many to list and really, I think you all know what most of them are, so I won’t repeat them here. But there were two statements I did find that relate to my blogs purpose, one from an unconstructive point-of-view, the other, constructive.

The first one: “Out with the old, in with the new: may you be happy the whole year through. Happy New Year!”
You may ask, what is so off-putting?
When things get old or are not used anymore, people tend to throw them away. Don’t! Things of age do have value and that value is in its history: who owned it, how was it used, what stories about it could it tell if given a chance. If everything old is replaced with something new, it cannot replace character such as charm, oddity, originality, personality, relevance. Of course I am not talking about, say a toaster or jigsaw puzzle that is missing a piece. I am talking about heritage; legacy, tradition, custom, culture. Did you stop to think that what is in your hand heading for the dumpster may contain all this? You bet it does and it should be saved. Therefore, “Keep the old, replace only what is needed.”     

Which takes me to the second statement: “A new year is like a blank book, and the pen is in your hands. It is your chance to write a beautiful story for yourself. Happy New Year.”
This is a good New Year resolution!
Open that box in the attic, basement, storage unit, or where ever. Take out the thing that has been regulated to the dark and shed a new light on it. Write down the history of the item, what you can remember is a good exercise for your little grey cells. If you are at a loss, ask someone else in the family. Take a picture of it, share it with them and have some fun being a detective. And once the mystery is solved, take care of it. Clean it, restore it, and give it a new life. And then show it off. Create a special place for your special things.

Need help? My book, Create a Family Museum and Save Your History is available on the publisher’s site https://heritagebooks.com/ and on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/             
The book will show you how to create a Family Museum in your home.

So as you end this year and begin a new year, make those resolutions, if for anything, at least as a check list of what you want to change or accomplish. It is always good to make lists, to write down what is important to you and especially to your family. And get them involved, too. After all, your family’s history is and should be on displayed and appreciated.

                                                                                                          Happy New Year!

Christmas Memories . . .

My last blog post announced my book based on this Blog, titled: Create a Family Museum and Save Your History. On pages 154 and 172 in the Children’s Museum are pictures of toys that my children have
played with and saved and are now proudly displayed in their museum.
One is a toy truck and the other is a replica of the Titanic. Both toys were made by their father, Keith, who had inherited the carpentry skills from his father, Marvin, who made wooden toys for his children.  And to this very day, Keith carries on the family tradition, continuing to make hand-crafted toys and other items for the family as well as the public.

So this Christmas and anytime thereafter, if you would like to see these toys, send us an email at goeselwoodshop@cox.net and we will send you a PDF Catalog from which you can peruse 15 pages of toys and other items. Ordering information is on the last page.

A word about Christmas Gifts:  We at Goesel Woodshop like to encourage families to consider our toys for their children and other family members that are quality built and will last many years, making it worthy to hand down from one generation to the next and keep and display in your family museum.
Here are just a few of the toys you will see in the catalog.    

 

    

 

And don’t forget to check out my book. It is available at www.HeritageBooks.com and on Amazon.

  
   

 Merry Christmas.



For this Christmas and from everyday from now on, this new book will help you and your family save your heirlooms, antiques, keepsakes and other items that document your heritage. 
 
It will show you how to find the space in your home. There are over 200 photographs that will show what and how things in the author’s family museum are displayed, with directions and hints on how to achieve a very organized setting that chronicles your family’s story. There is a reference guide that lists websites for the materials you need and a list of illustration credits for all the images in the book. Throughout the book there are inspirational quotes that are encouraging and motivating.  
 
So STOP throwing or giving your Memories away and START creating Your Family Museum today!

Make a concerted effort to preserve your heritage. It is a vital link to your cultural, educational, artistic, inspirational and economical legacies — all of the things that literally make you who you are.

The price is $27.99 and available at the publisher's site: https://heritagebooks.com/ 

Heritage Books is the best place to find books on genealogy. Check them out. And if you have any questions, call (800) 876-6103 


The book is also available on Amazon:  

https://www.amazon.com/Create-Family-Museum-Save-History/dp/0788457640/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1512057538&sr=1-1&keywords=create+a+family+museum#reader_0788457640

 

Merry Christmas 

 

BOO! 

 

Here they come again. Little ghosts, goblins, aliens from outer space, Hollywood stars, and all sorts of other rascals, scamps, pixies, and pirates. And we are ready for them! Our house is now the house to go to. Last year we had 108 creatures and are expecting more this year. But besides the traditional candy treats, we are adding something so unusual that it just might catch on for others to replicate. And this idea solves a dilemma everyone is familiar with.

My post dated October 7^th talked about participating in a flea market and how disappointing it was to end up bringing 99% of our goods back home. So as I was re-organizing this stuff once again, I got this idea of giving away all the little games, puzzles, and other fun things for Halloween. I wrapped these items in brown paper grocery bags, taped them up and place the packages in the basket with the bags of candy. (We put a small assortment of candy and chips in the bag with little practical gifts like pencils, toothbrushes, chalk, playdough, etc.) When the Halloween guest reaches into the basket, they have their choice of either a package or bag. Rest to sure, I know the gifts will go first because nobody will have anything like this.

So, next time you do not know what to do with all those little things, make them gifts as a treat for your next Halloween.

 

And here are a few pictures of us from Halloween’s past, that are not only great memories, but the costumes are in our Family Museum to be handed down to the next generation.

When she was just a tot, we lived in Illinois where Halloween was always cold. So we put her in her winter coat and draped it with a while sheet, and voila, she was a ghost. As she ran from house to house, she spread her ghostly arms and laughed. When she was about twelve years old, Laura Ingles was her idol, so I made her a prairie outfit complete with bonnet and pigtails. She wore this for several Halloweens until she outgrew it.    

 

Star Wars was very popular, hence just about every young kid wanted to be Luke Skywalker. This was a usual character for him to be as he was into trains and sea-going vessels, not spaceships, but he had a great time. His costume is tucked away in our Family Museum and perhaps someday, his little boy or girl will want to save the world.

 

 

And then there is us; a real rock-n-roll couple out to have a roaring good time. His black tee-shirt was designed by our daughter and my black leather jacket was the real thing, silver studs and all. We went to a party and danced the night away. His tee-shirt still hangs in his closet and my jacket is stored away, for sadly it doesn’t fit any more. But perhaps someday, I will give it to a family member of the next generation.

Some things are just too priceless to give away, and as I have said all along, don’t give your memories away. Keep and display them.

Happy Halloween!   

      

 

Last week I announced the publication of my book on our Family Museum and it is now available on Amazon. Check in out and start saving your family’s heritage today!

https://www.amazon.com/Create-Family-Museum-Save-History/dp/0788457640/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1509310664&sr=8-1&keywords=elizabeth+goesel

   

Get ready to save your Heritage . . .

Time is of the essence. And the time is now!

Human nature being what it is, we all possess the fundamental need to be remembered. We also want to be able to reminisce and recall our family history, where we came from, who came before us, and all that which is our heritage: Our legacy, birthrights, traditions, customs and culture; all the things that make you who you are.

For these reasons and more, I started this Family Museum blog, which developed a broad following for several years, and then with fortitude and determination, I gathered a variety of diverse blog posts and additional writings to make an edifying and entertaining book on how you can create your own Family Museum. The book reads like a how-to manual on the methods, the ways and means, techniques and processes that are easy to follow.

So without further ado, here is the link to the website for my book:

https://heritage-books.myshopify.com/products/create-your-family-museum-and-save-your-history-how-to-find-space-create-organize-preserve-and-display-family-heirlooms-treasures-and-memories

Heritage Books is currently printing this book and orders are now being accepted. Please visit their website at www.HeritageBooks.Com and peruse this special interest publisher that specializes in genealogical and historical material. 

Thank you for considering my book and I encourage you to give this endeavor serious thought, for your family’s history is a vital aspect of your genetic material and a valuable source for your family’s future.  

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Goesel                                                      Family Museum Curator

Flea Market dilemma . . .

OK! I am going to do this.

Being the curator of my Family’s Museum, I keep, save, protect and preserve, and most of all display the family’s memorabilia, heirlooms, antiques, etc. So what was I thinking when I decided to gather things up to sell at a flea market sale? I really can’t say, but only for the fact that the family had a plethora of stuff not used or wanted anymore. So I asked everyone, could this stuff go into the family museum? Did this stuff have any value, be it monetarily or emotional? Would we use any of this stuff again? Resounding NOs were the replies.

So for about three weeks, I gathered, organized, priced (which not knowing the current value of the things, I did a lot of research online, finding info I needed, only to discover that there was no way I was going to sell something that was either extremely rare, or not-made-anymore, which designated it to be of more value than I was going to sell it at). Then I boxed the stuff, hauled it downstairs into the dining room where it sat until the day of the flea market sale.

The hours of the sale did not please me, or my daughter and son who helped me set it up and stay with me. When we got to the community center, busy flea marketers were setting up their tables, displaying their stuff, and look as if they were have a genuinely good time.

When we entered, we were told our table number. Finding it, I looked around and thought it was a good location, if you could say any of the places were better than others. We hauled the boxes in, placed what we could on the table, putting some boxes on the floor in front of the table.

While we were there, each of us perused the other tables, noticing many had same-like items we did. I also observed the vendors, most of them of my generation, the Baby Boomers. This explains why the stuff was repeated table after table. Our generation wanted everything our parents didn’t have and bought it all, therefore, creating an over-abundance of stuff, decreasing the value. The theory of supply and demand was apparent, squelching the desire to purchase not only what I had but many of what the other vendors had as well.

The sale was from 7:00 AM to 12 noon. After the first two hours, we sold one old book and one jigsaw puzzle. In the next couple of hours we sold three more puzzles and some picture-frame glass. By 11:00 AM, we collected a whopping $11 dollars, not even enough to pay for the admission of $15.00, which the organizer gathered from all of us vendors. By 11:30, we called it quits, as many others did, boxed up our stuff and hauled it back into the car, then back into the dining room.     

The flea market sale was a no-win situation. Lesson learned – nobody wants to buy your stuff. Either give it away or keep it. So I re-packed the boxes, setting aside the things that were too valuable to give away, such as a Vilroy & Boch vintage Coffee set, two Talbot wool pleated skirts, all my jewelry-making pieces and jewelry, and a box of vintage Dominos my daughter insisted on keeping.

The next day we took the stuff to Goodwill and felt better for donating it then selling it for less then what it was worth. So if you should participate in a flea market sale, don’t think you are going to make a lot of money. If you do, that’s great. But remember, make sure what you sell is not important to the family, because everything has a history, and that history may be yours.   

Labor Day 2017

Where did this summer go? What did you and family and friends do? Where did you go? What did you see? The days were long, the sun shone all day, rains came and went, gardens grew, and visitor’s came and went, and on and on the days passed by. So again, where did the summer go?

As for mine and as you can tell, I did not post a blog since July 19^th. I feel rueful, but I have to tell myself that my absence will be hopefully overlooked for the following reason: I received a publishing offer for my Family Museum book. From that moment on, I have been occupied just about every day getting all that which a book is made of together for the editor. The book consists off a wide selection of my blog posts, which at that point I have a been writing for several years, compiling a measurable amount of stories, pictures, advice and directions on how to create a Family Museum in your home and other places. Currently, it is still a work-in-progress, but getting close to a publishing date. I will be thrilled to announce on my blog when it will be available for sale through the publisher’s website and Amazon, in libraries and bookstores. So stay tuned!

So today is Labor Day, the last day of the summer season and the beginning of a new school year, though some have already been in school. Therefore, take this time to celebrate this moment in time with a picnic, day at the pool or amusement park, and probably last minute shopping. And when the summer’s dust has settled, the air turns cooler and the days get shorter, plans are already being made for the upcoming holidays. This would also be a good time to gather up those precious memories you and your family made this summer and start your Family Museum. Take some time to peruse past blog posts that offer advice and direction on how to create the space for your museum. Take your time, be thoughtful and know how important it is to save and protect your family’s heritage. And the joy all will feel when it is lovingly displayed.  

Have a great day and remember the work you do for yourself and your family is really a Labor of Love.

Happy Labor Day to you all!



Remembering Barbie . . .

This story was first posted on this day in 2015. I never want to stop sharing my thoughts about my beloved friend Barbie, so please allow me to repeat these words. Thank you.

Today would have been my cherished, loved and treasured friend, Barbie’s 58^th birthday had she not passed away five years ago and much too soon.

I met Barbie in 1982 at a fund-raising event at the Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg, FL.  For the next 30 years we had a friendship that was sisterly. I could fill up more than 30 pages telling of the many events that we shared together, but I rather do so with pictures. And you may ask, what does this recalling have to do with a Family Museum? A great deal. You see, if I did not display the many gifts she has given me over the years in our museum, Barbie may not come to mind as often as she does. And that is why having a Family Museum is important – the precious items displayed there keep memories alive! So here is my tribute to Barbie, telling a little about her through her pictures and some of her gifts of love.


Vintage 1970s Goebel frosted glass donkey. Made a nice paperweight. 

Vintage 1970s hand-blown lavender perfume bottle. Tiny and fragile, its beauty is everlasting, like Barbie's. 



Kokopelli, a traveling flute-playing Casanova sacred to southwestern Native Americans. I often wondered why she gave me this. So I researched this Hopi and found out that he is a symbol of fertility, replenishment, music, dance & mischief. The only relation I can see is the mischief part, because we did get into a lot of mischief.  And this Wooden 4” Pinocchio statue amuses me. Barbie was an avid Walt Disney Fan. With her family, they went there every year!

 

One on of her many visits, Barbie brought me this stunning vintage Red Viking Epic Glass Crimped Bowl. She knew I loved red bowls, so she gave me this one. No matter where I place it, the sun lights its ruby-red beauty, just like the beauty that was always in Barbie's heart.

The last Christmas my family and I spent with her, we went to Busch Gardens where in December the park is turned into a magical Christmas Town. The park has many forms of entertainment, and one that Barbie adored; the horse stables. Barbie loved horses and rode as often as she could. She also dearly loved the many pets she had, especially her dog, Benji. Here are a few more pictures of my family wither that Christmas.

 

 Tiffeni, me & Barbie at Busch Gardens. On the red bench is my hubby Keith with Barbie. These two would talk about sports, science & business.

Keith loved Barbie very much.

Once a tiny bush, Barbie gave it to us and we planted it while our house was under construction in 1996. By 2011, the bush outgrew her.
 

Barbie tried her hand at many forms of art: she play the guitar, learned how to play the harp, and took painting lessons. This is the only copy of a watercolor she did. Barbie loved the sea shore. She went dolphin-watching, saved turtles and volunteered at the Atlanta Aquarium. What a gal! 

Though I will always cherish these gifts and proudly display them in our Family Museum, I’d much rather have her by my side. I miss her terribly, but at least I have her gifts of love.

 

 

 

 

 

  

  

 

 

  

Another Birthday . . .

This past 14^th of July was my birthday. As for my age, I agree with Mark Twain: “Age is a matter of mind; if you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.” With that said, I would like to share my birthday with you.

The three of us; Charlie, Tiffeni and me, took a ride to Irvington, a tidewater town in Virginia. It took us a little over an hour to get there, driving on many country roads and crossing three rivers: The York, The Piankatank and The Rappahannock, as we navigated the way to our destination: lunch at the Tides Inn.

Last time we were there was in 2007 when Charlie was 7 years old. He actually recalled the place and had a great time visiting. What he remembered most was the 127 foot yacht that was built in 1926, The Miss Ann. When we were there, we went on the Miss Ann and Charlie was able to steer the ship’s wheel, with help from Capt’n Ken, of course. In the early days, the guests at the Inn registered to take a three hour luncheon or dinner cruise. On Saturdays they might sign up for a “whiskey run” to another town called Urbana. Tide’s Inn was in a dry county, Urbana was not. Which leads me to what I remembered most of our first visit; the unique wall of little wood doors with keyholes and plaques with numbers.   

In the early days, due to local liquor laws the restaurant and hotel were not able to sell alcohol to guests. However, because private clubs were not bound by the same constraints, the Chesapeake Club was formed, a name still used by the hotel. Yachtsmen and local patrons were invited to join and paid a nominal yearly due. Transient guests could join during their stay for $1 extra per day. Inside these tiny liquor lockers was enough room for a couple bottles of booze. Today, most of the doors don’t open. The one I was able to open had a box of straws in it. FUN! After a lovely lunch we walked around the property. The day was hot, so we left and continued on our journey, stopping at the Steamboat Museum. Again, Charlie couldn’t resist turning the ships’ wheel.

Then we went to the Kilmarnock Antique Galley. Like most of these emporiums, it was chockfull of objects to peruse. I appreciate the effort taken by those who manage these places and how the vendors who supply the merchandise organize and display their wares. However, I can’t help but feel sad at the memories lost by the family or individual who gave up their heirlooms and the memories therein. Nevertheless, I feel proud of my Family Museum and of having the foresight to hold onto and protect and display my family heritage. Hopefully, others will do the same.

Back on the road and crossing this very long and high Norris bridge; 350 ft. high, then onto home.


We had a quite family dinner and then I was presented with an ice cream cake and presents. Perhaps some of these presents will go into the Family Museum and years later, I can appreciate that day and time again.
Age, it really doesn’t matter!