Collecting vs. Saving: Genealogy is another form of collecting

We all have an ancestry, parentage and relations. We all have an origin; the foundation of our existence, and we all have a heritage, and it is this birthright and legacy we should all honor.

Before the computer age, when one wanted to look into family history, it was time-consuming and difficult at best. I have deep respect for all those who endeavored in their searches, making every effort to investigate and find their family’s ancestry. Years ago my daughter and I visited Ellis Island to see if we could find any records on my Italian grandparents. Unfortunately, we did not. This whole movement to discover one’s ancestry did not come together until the Internet and mostly until the online search engine, Ancestry.com became the investigative source. There are many other online sources. Check out this one. http://www.genealogybank.com

Parentage is the study on how a family is connected. The paternal & maternal lines and how they are all intertwined (like a tree, hence the Family Tree) can be mind-boggling. When backgrounds and pedigrees are established, a completer picture is created. But when these details are missing, one can get very lost as they climb those branches. So research and collet those leaves.

Relations are another matter altogether. Connections, associations, links and lore, make interesting ties that bind. "As long as the ties that bind us together are stronger than those that would tear us apart, all will be well." However, we all need to work on our relations with family members. This can be accomplished by creating a Family Museum.       

Our origins are the stuff we are made of. Our roots, our beginnings and endings. Our DNA and RNA  (chromosomes) and our genetic material. Where did we come from? What routes did we take to get where we ended up? My husband participated in National Geographic Geno

2.0 Project and was very surprised to find out what his origins were. It is very enlightening and this research should become a part of your Family Museum. https://genographic.nationalgeographic.com/ 

A couple of years ago I participated in Ancestry. Com’s DNA research and was absolutely gob smacked at what I discovered. Throughout my childhood I was told that I was more Italian than Lithuanian, but that is not true. I always thought I was more like my father then my mother. Now I know it to be true. So give it a go and discover not only from whence you came but what makes you, you.
http://www.ancestry.com

As for heritage, how would you feel if you did not know who your people were, what societies they belonged to, what customs and traditions and beliefs they passed down to you and from you to your family? Our ethnicities are who we are. A simple way to understand heritage is by observing your own traditions. What do you do for the holidays? What kind of food are you most familiar with? How do you decorate your home? What histories interest you? All of these and so much more is what your heritage is made up of. I discovered this site that really has a profound emotion to it. Never be afraid to discover you. https://www.myheritage.com

So how is genealogy a form of collecting? Antiques and heirlooms passed down through generations as remembrances not only have sentimental value, they also have genealogical value. Your Family Museum is a great way to start building the foundation and creating a family tree. Instead of just their names and dates on a piece of paper, the keepsakes reveal aspects of your ancestor’s lifestyles, social status, level of education, attitudes of the times, and so much more. They come alive through your interpretation of their lives. Start collecting your genealogy today!

Book & Jewelry Collecting

I could not believe how long it took me to photograph all the books we have throughout our home. All of us are book lovers. Our interest are eclectic and some are downright an obsession.

For instant, our son Charlie’s interest is in maritime studies. It all started with, you guessed it, the Titanic. What kid doesn’t find that epic enthralling? He even drew a blue-print like picture of every deck on the ship with captions. It measures about six feet long by four feet high. It hangs over his bed. As he got older, he became interested in World War Two history, especially the ships. This lead him to authors of seafaring genre and he can’t seem to read enough Clive Cussler novels.

Our daughter Tiffeni is a bibliophile. She started to collect books at a very young age and still has many of them. Her interests range from a fixation on Little House on the Prairie and Anne of Green Gables. As she matured, she like all things Victorian. When a teen, she received her first American Girl Doll, Samantha, which embraced the Victorian period. When she became employed with the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, there was a time when the American Girl Company wrote a storyline about an

18^th Century young girl named Felicity. This interest grew to an outstanding collection of books and dolls. Tiffeni also loved architecture, especially the historical Sears Houses. With her love for books and history, it was not surprising when she turned her sights to teaching. She became a certified Waldorf teacher which introduced her to Friedrich Froebel, the Father of Kindergarten. After homeschooling her brother, she reached out to other families who desired to have their children home schooled. With such a need for alternative education, she is currently developing a curriculum that embraces Froebel education. Her father and I truly believe that because our family has always surrounded itself with books, our children have become outstanding adults with varied interests that they love to share.

My husband Keith has somehow earned the reputation as a Renaissance Man. He is knowledgeable and experienced in a wide variety of subjects and his worldly presence draws people to him. Outgoing in a gentlemanly way, he offers advice and consults many an uncertain mind. His Norwegian and German ancestry has given him a remarkable DNA. Coming from a family of builders, he worked in construction for many decades, eventually becoming a Master Builder. When he retired from his navel duties, he achieve the status of a Chief Petty Officer with the Naval Reserves. During those three decades he traveled to foreign ports, amassing a goodly amount of knowledge. His career in restaurant equipment sales offered him a wide range of experience. He taught me how to cook! Though not a book collector himself, the kids and I have given him books galore and I think he has read just about all of them. The library in his office will attest to that.   

As for me, I was not a book lover at all. In fact, due to having dyslexia and poor eyesight, reading was extremely difficult for me. I was a poor student and disliked school. The only subjects I enjoyed were art classes. I wanted to become an interior decorator, but instead was married and became a mom. When Tiffeni entered school, I found myself back where I didn’t want to be. But my dislike for education changed because of my daughter’s love for learning. She taught me how to navigate a library and take interest in her studies. All parents want to help their children, but it was the other way around, and I am eternally grateful for her guidance and confidence in me to re-learn all that I could. Then it happened. I wanted to write. I never thought that I could, but with my family’s help, I did. When we moved to Virginia and were surrounded by the history of America, one could not help but be embraced. So I wrote two vest books (meaning slender pocketbook) on colonial history. After immersing myself in non-fiction, I decided to write a fictional novel, which at this time has been ongoing for much too long. Hopefully I will finish it and maybe offer it on my blog. Which leads me to this blog post on collecting books. I certainly have strayed from the subject, however, because I am espousing the idea of creating your family museum, books will have a place on your shelves. Do make room for a few precious ones because they will tell a story about you and that’s what the museum is all about.

A last word on book collecting. It may be described as a hobby, as a passion, even as an obsession, and giving much thought on how I best can advise you on collecting books, here are two websites devoted to everything about books. www.djmcadam.com D.J. MaAdam offers various aspects of collecting antiquarian books.  Click on the website then on one of the many links below to find the information you're looking for. And www.rbms.info/yob.shtml which is the Rare Books & Manuscripts Section of the American Library Association. They address frequently asked questions about rare and older books and their values.

 
P.S. I was going to blog about Jewelry on this post, but decided to devote this blog to just books. Next week posts will be about jewelry and many other collections. Have a wonderful weekend.