Found something in a box

[Gardening with Rabbits]

@thistlebloom , I have a child nearing 30 and a son, 46. I know that they are both busy.

That grandfather had a white great grandfather who was a Tennessee shopkeeper. I found something I thought was interesting online, just the other day. It was a letter from 1817 addressed to a government official. It requested information on a meeting. The meeting was set up by order of "Ginnell Jackson" and was to involve a number of people. (It didn't sound like the future president would be in attendance .)

Neither "child" so much as commented on it. Neither asked where I had found it online.

Neither have asked me to tell them anything about the grandparents I did met and the one I lived with. They have never showed an interest in seeing old pictures, although they spent time at grandma's house when they were young and that is mostly the source of my old photographs. Maybe Mom showed them some. Neither kid has an interest in my Mormon cousins, the source of more photos and genealogical info.

The grandmother I lived with died over 60 years ago. All of her 9 children are gone. Her oldest grandchild was born in 1928. How long will GenX and the Millennials wait?

Steve

It is odd how they do not want to know the past. I showed DD and DS this line all the way to Robert the Bruce and I had a cousin research, well 2 of them and I found their information and a statue with a guy on a horse and my maiden name, their grandfather's name, but no interest at all.

 

[thistlebloom]

Sometimes when my kids worked with me and I had them captive in the truck I would tell them funny stories about their dad and I. Hopefully not the same ones over and over..., but I can't remember which ones, and don't plan these things, it just happens when our conversation sparks a memory.

Maybe I should begin a campaign of relating family bits of history inserted into casual conversation.

I'm pretty sure the bits I pieced together about my parents history were mostly inaccurate and cobbled together partly by a kids lack of understanding. My sister is the one who has it in pretty good order since she was more curious younger, and a lot more interested in family memories. She's tracked a lot of history down on her own. She got the detective genes in the family, I just inherited the goofball ones.

 

[lcertuche]

I was canning some beans yesterday. My daughter (28) wasn't the least interested in the process but my 15 year old son ask me how it was done. Hopefully this is a skill that won't be lost. I told my sons that this summer they are going to help in the garden. I have them designing a 4 X 8 raised bed garden as a homeschool assignment.

I still tell them Daddy and grandparent's stories because I don't want that time to pass into oblivion but to use the stories if ever needed.

 

[Nyboy]

Thistle you should write those stories down. I know a lot about my fathers side of the family, grew up surrounded by them. Know a good deal about my grandmother on moms side, know very little about moms fathers family. My grandfather did not talk much about his family, when he did I did not care back then. All I know is he grew up in Yorkville section of NYC, his mother was German and had no legs because of diabetes. His father was Irish and owned what he called a saloon which went broke during the depression. I have a feeling when the business went under he abandoned wife and child. I once mentioned to grandpa I was going in to NYC to visit a friend. When I said I was going to East 88 st he got very excited and said his fathers bar had been few blocks away, again sorry I did not listen better. I found the Yorkville Historical society website and sent them a email. Big problem going to be my grandfathers name was Dunn. Kind of like searching for needle in haystack.

 

[digitS']

At various times in my life, I guess that I was really trying to live in the moment. Maybe it made sense, then and now. I recorded next to nothing.

Anyway, I have 2 terrible pictures of the log cabin I built, both taken by my mother during a visit. One, my aunt was with her and Alene grabbed my pipe, during one those 20 years when I was a smoker, leaned against the door frame and Mom "captured" the Daisy May moment. Always, with camera tilted, moving and overexposed film.

Nothing is ever perfect, not a picture, not a moment, not a memory. Written words go awry. Sometimes they offend and why isn't always clear.

@Nyboy , some argue that that the Smoot-Hawley tariffs were the cause of the Depression. Others say it was Prohibition. Mom said that she didn't know when the Depression began or ended. She claimed that her family was always depressed ...

Steve

 

[Nyboy]

I was taught the stock market started the depression.

 

[digitS']

Well, what got them "over-exuberant" that time?

I mean, beyond greed. American companies were gonna win win WIN! Just too bad about those trading partners.

Maybe some people just needed to sit down, relax and have a drink.

Steve

 

[Nyboy]

yep greed in stock market, people where buying and selling way beyond what they could afford