January Note . . .

 

Hello and Happy New Year to all my blog readers. I can’t believe that January as come and about to go so quickly. As a kid I always found January to be a long dreary month after all the holiday activities. Living in the Midwest, the weather didn’t help either.  

But as an adult with an active family, time moves quickly, even when retired, which frankly, I will most not likely do in a long time. Idle time is the worse time that can drag you down, however, it is also a good time to reassess, reexamine and reconsider all the things you put off for another time.

So that is what I have been up to this month, as it was not in my power to do otherwise because I came down with severe bronchitis which kept me down for several weeks. In fact, I couldn’t even take down the Christmas tree and decorations until last week. Not only that, I couldn’t focus on writing, hence, the absence of a weekly posting.  So I thank you for your patience and also to see that though there were no new

posts, viewers have been reading past posts which makes me happy.  There are so many past posts that offer a lot of information, directions and stories to keep a viewer well informed. So now that I am fully recovered and had the time to gather more ideas to post, you can expect that February will be an active blogging month. So stay tune and watch out for these posts, for February has much to offer with all the activities coming: Groundhog Day, Chinese New Year, President’s Day and Valentine’s Day. Hope your January has been productive.

Till next month, remember to be thoughtful with your family history. It’s the only one you have, so take care of it.

Christmas Memories . . . Awaiting the New Year

What is it about the day after Christmas? Are you glad the hustle and bustle is over? Have you cleaned up the discarded wrapping paper and bows? Has everyone taken their goodies to their rooms or are they still sitting under the tree? Did you eat all the leftovers from your Christmas feast? Have you started to return or exchange gifts that weren’t exactly right? Are you catching up an all those cards and letters, updating your mailing list for next Christmas? 

Have you already started to take down the tree and decorations? Are all the parties over? Did you put a few extra pounds? All of these and I am sure more things crowd your mind, fill your days, and make you wonder if it was all worth it?                            

Of course it was!                

So as you wait to change the calendar, you make plans for the New Year. Do you make resolutions or do you wait to see what happens? Are you resolved and determined to make changes? Stay steadfast and persevere, make promises and pledges, find solutions and answers? Yes, you will do all the above. And the one goal I wish to inspire you to attain if you haven’t already done so with the encouragement from this blog, is to Create your Family Museum! Or at least begin to think about doing it and then do it!

I have written 141 blogposts that instruct, inform, edify and entertain. Loaded with how-to ways & means, inspiration, personal thoughts and links to websites that offer even more information. There is no excuse as to why one would not want to have a Family Museum in their home, apartment, workplace, anywhere you call home. All obstacles and challenges can be met. But it is up to you, however, not you alone. The history you preserve and display is your family’s history, their stories, their lives. Make it as grand as you can. Share it with all family members, friends, and on your social networks. Spread the word. Share the love of family.  

Here are a few poignant quotes that express the importance of creating a Family Museum:
“There’s a world of wisdom in our personal stories. Your life is a legacy, a gift that only you can give. Why waste something so precious?”  &  “Too many Americans have ignored their ancestors and family history and not bothered to examine their own life stories, much less share them with others. They, too, rarely share much of their past lives with friends, or pass them on to their progeny. And yet we desperately need to do all that . . .”      Dolly Berthelot

“Do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and your children’s children.”   Deuteronomy

“If you don’t recount your family history, it will be lost. Honor your own stories and tell them, too. The tales may not seem very important, but they are what binds families and makes each of us who we are.”      Madeleine L’Engle  

May your New Year be prosperous, your health strong and stable, your families happy & together. I will continue to post throughout the New Year. Hope you read it and chime in. It is nice to hear from you and to share this journey of preserving and displaying family histories in your own Family Museum.