Smart Red
Garden Master
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So How DID I End Up Here?
- Thread starter so lucky
- Start date
You had better! Ya'll can't taunt us like that and not join in.
digitS'
Garden Master
A thread with a similar name should show up in July. The Southerns may have a different perspective on how they ended up where they are at that time and should share.
I have only been south of 35°North in the US during the fall & winter.
The North is a trap, you see. We often have free time during the winter and cannot get away during the summer. Besides, all those lakes that were frozen for 4 months, are now ice free, warm & beautiful!! Recreation!!
The promise of all that outdoor pleasure comes about May when flowers begin to bloom. You see, the flowers died the year before and in May this is their Heaven.
Personally, I just accept this as flower faith and don't expect decent weather until July. My beliefs include this notion that the South is always pleasant, it only rains (by the bucket!) during the night, and there's pecan pie.
Steve
I have only been south of 35°North in the US during the fall & winter.
The North is a trap, you see. We often have free time during the winter and cannot get away during the summer. Besides, all those lakes that were frozen for 4 months, are now ice free, warm & beautiful!! Recreation!!
The promise of all that outdoor pleasure comes about May when flowers begin to bloom. You see, the flowers died the year before and in May this is their Heaven.
Personally, I just accept this as flower faith and don't expect decent weather until July. My beliefs include this notion that the South is always pleasant, it only rains (by the bucket!) during the night, and there's pecan pie.
Steve
bobm
Garden Master
I was born in NE Europe and a little skirmish ( WW 11) happened and as the Red Army were comming into their front door, they ( my mom grabbed me from my cradle )
ran out the back door jumped on a couple horse and fled into the forest. All traces of records were destroyed by the communists and most of the residents were deported to Siberia. My parents and I hid in forests, abandoned shacks and barns or anywhere we could find shelter. We wandered and hid for years and ended up in Germany where we were finally caught by the Nazies and sent to a concentration camp until we were rescued by the US army the very day that we were to be gassed. We live in several towns in Germany until we received a visa to immigrate to the US. We then immigrated to Michigan in 1949, then 3 years later to Cal.. I lived there until 3 years ago when we moved to Wa. My parents talked very little about their past as it was very painful for them. But what I gathered from them over the years was that our families were quite wealthy farmers . One of my great grandfathers was the Royal State cellar master as he was of that linage. My Mom was a large landowner and owned a General store in her home town. My Dad was a Veterinarian and owned his own land holdings. In Cal., he taught Freshman Anatomy Lab. at a University Vet. Med. Teaching Hospital. My wife on the other hand, she has a pedigree tracing back to the 1400 s to France, England, Ireland, Wales, Canada . Her parents were born in Minnesota then moved to S Cal. where she was born.
ran out the back door jumped on a couple horse and fled into the forest. All traces of records were destroyed by the communists and most of the residents were deported to Siberia. My parents and I hid in forests, abandoned shacks and barns or anywhere we could find shelter. We wandered and hid for years and ended up in Germany where we were finally caught by the Nazies and sent to a concentration camp until we were rescued by the US army the very day that we were to be gassed. We live in several towns in Germany until we received a visa to immigrate to the US. We then immigrated to Michigan in 1949, then 3 years later to Cal.. I lived there until 3 years ago when we moved to Wa. My parents talked very little about their past as it was very painful for them. But what I gathered from them over the years was that our families were quite wealthy farmers . One of my great grandfathers was the Royal State cellar master as he was of that linage. My Mom was a large landowner and owned a General store in her home town. My Dad was a Veterinarian and owned his own land holdings. In Cal., he taught Freshman Anatomy Lab. at a University Vet. Med. Teaching Hospital. My wife on the other hand, she has a pedigree tracing back to the 1400 s to France, England, Ireland, Wales, Canada . Her parents were born in Minnesota then moved to S Cal. where she was born.
digitS'
Garden Master
Wow, Bob!
That is quite the personal history!
We had a family friend who might have been of about your grandparent's generation. He was all alone, tho'. A real nice guy - he was born in the 1800's but had the same terrible disruption to his life because of the War.
Steve
That is quite the personal history!
We had a family friend who might have been of about your grandparent's generation. He was all alone, tho'. A real nice guy - he was born in the 1800's but had the same terrible disruption to his life because of the War.
Steve
vfem
Garden Addicted
I have just learned so much about you guys! Some of you I have known for YEARS on here, and had NO IDEA!
Bob, that is quite an amazing story, and I hope you keep on sharing it. That is so important for all generations to hear.
I love my families' stories, but my husband's is quite amazing too!
My greatgrandmother was from Ireland, I was named after the Shannon River where she lived until she moved to the US in the 1920's. She met my Greatgrandfather here, but no one ever talked about the man. I know very little about him. He wasn't alive when I was born, but she was. She was FIREY that woman, and my grandmother has told me I was the spitting image of her, red hair and personality to boot. I feel Ireland is my long lost home and it calls to me, but I've never been there.
My grandfather came here in the 1940's fleeing Poland with his parents. They moved to Boston when my grandfather met my grandmother. Then my grandfather's mother died in 1969 and his father moved back to Poland where he remarried. Apparently that side of the family has a 600 Acre ranch there.
They lived in MA until my parents were teenagers, then moved to East Hartford Ct. Then I was born in 79 and we lived in Manchester CT until 1994, where I moved in with my Aunt in North Conway NH. My mom moved to NC, my dad lived in CT with my sister for a bit and my brother moved to Syracuse NY. Then the family got back together, slowing going down to NC over a 6 month period where I've been ever since. Only my parents and siblings are here.
My husband's family... that's a whole other story with secrets and adventures and some CRAZY stuff!
I'd love to give details but its a little odd. I just know it started in the Czech Republic in the 1950's. His father, uncle and aunt lost their parents. They moved into 2 separate ophanages, one for their sister and one for the boys. Their sister was adopted out to a family at 6 years old and moved to the US first. The boys were separated for awhile to local families that didn't work out and my husband's father ended up back at the home. The uncle was adopted by a family in Jamacia who later took the brother, then they moved to South america where they met another family who took my husband's father back to Florida with them. The family was separated again! All I know leaves huge gaps in time and places the family won't share with my husband. But I have discovered from research my husband has a sister he never knew about who's older, and we found several ex-wives of his father. His father had passed on in 2010 and all his paperwork and files went to his sister in AZ who has everything locked away only to be given to my husband's cousin at her passing.
So among our generation there is a lot of gossip! I don't think we'd have the info we do if it wasn't for facebook, I'll tell you that!
Bob, that is quite an amazing story, and I hope you keep on sharing it. That is so important for all generations to hear.
I love my families' stories, but my husband's is quite amazing too!
My greatgrandmother was from Ireland, I was named after the Shannon River where she lived until she moved to the US in the 1920's. She met my Greatgrandfather here, but no one ever talked about the man. I know very little about him. He wasn't alive when I was born, but she was. She was FIREY that woman, and my grandmother has told me I was the spitting image of her, red hair and personality to boot. I feel Ireland is my long lost home and it calls to me, but I've never been there.
My grandfather came here in the 1940's fleeing Poland with his parents. They moved to Boston when my grandfather met my grandmother. Then my grandfather's mother died in 1969 and his father moved back to Poland where he remarried. Apparently that side of the family has a 600 Acre ranch there.
They lived in MA until my parents were teenagers, then moved to East Hartford Ct. Then I was born in 79 and we lived in Manchester CT until 1994, where I moved in with my Aunt in North Conway NH. My mom moved to NC, my dad lived in CT with my sister for a bit and my brother moved to Syracuse NY. Then the family got back together, slowing going down to NC over a 6 month period where I've been ever since. Only my parents and siblings are here.
My husband's family... that's a whole other story with secrets and adventures and some CRAZY stuff!
I'd love to give details but its a little odd. I just know it started in the Czech Republic in the 1950's. His father, uncle and aunt lost their parents. They moved into 2 separate ophanages, one for their sister and one for the boys. Their sister was adopted out to a family at 6 years old and moved to the US first. The boys were separated for awhile to local families that didn't work out and my husband's father ended up back at the home. The uncle was adopted by a family in Jamacia who later took the brother, then they moved to South america where they met another family who took my husband's father back to Florida with them. The family was separated again! All I know leaves huge gaps in time and places the family won't share with my husband. But I have discovered from research my husband has a sister he never knew about who's older, and we found several ex-wives of his father. His father had passed on in 2010 and all his paperwork and files went to his sister in AZ who has everything locked away only to be given to my husband's cousin at her passing.
So among our generation there is a lot of gossip! I don't think we'd have the info we do if it wasn't for facebook, I'll tell you that!
Well, I don't believe we're Southern, at least, half of VA believes they are Northerners, other half as Southerners. Weird?
I don't have a fancy story. First generation Polish American, brother and I were born in Alexandria VA. Our sister and everyone else in our family were born in Poland. I was the first to move out 'real far' as my whiny family likes to say. 1-1.5hrs is too far for them, lol. Husband didn't want to move further away, only thing that really kept me in Northern VA.
Grandparents had nutria, chickens and recently found out they also had rabbits. Aunt had a wood mill and small orchard. They have a little store in town, but it's a regular corner store, nothing they grew. They kind of gave all that up to nature, not sure why. They had 3 giant sheep, they were cool.
As soon as it was finalized that we were buying our first house, I went off searching for a horse. Ended up getting the mare and a pony friend for her. Soon after came the sheep, rabbits, more dogs, lol. The chickens came from the previous house we rented. It was bound to happen as my family likes to say.
I don't have a fancy story. First generation Polish American, brother and I were born in Alexandria VA. Our sister and everyone else in our family were born in Poland. I was the first to move out 'real far' as my whiny family likes to say. 1-1.5hrs is too far for them, lol. Husband didn't want to move further away, only thing that really kept me in Northern VA.
Grandparents had nutria, chickens and recently found out they also had rabbits. Aunt had a wood mill and small orchard. They have a little store in town, but it's a regular corner store, nothing they grew. They kind of gave all that up to nature, not sure why. They had 3 giant sheep, they were cool.
As soon as it was finalized that we were buying our first house, I went off searching for a horse. Ended up getting the mare and a pony friend for her. Soon after came the sheep, rabbits, more dogs, lol. The chickens came from the previous house we rented. It was bound to happen as my family likes to say.
TheSeedObsesser
Deeply Rooted
Very interesting stories everybody! I also think that you should keep telling your story Bob, history repeats itself if we do not learn about it. Maybe even wright a book to make it last longer.
Secuono, as far as I understand it there has to be a midpoint in between North and South, even though not it's not really defined. I kind of Consider Ohio to be at the "southern end of the north." I've actually seen the confederate flag flying here once before, it was gone the second time we were in the area, flag pole was still there.
Secuono, as far as I understand it there has to be a midpoint in between North and South, even though not it's not really defined. I kind of Consider Ohio to be at the "southern end of the north." I've actually seen the confederate flag flying here once before, it was gone the second time we were in the area, flag pole was still there.
NwMtGardener
Garden Addicted
Super fascinating discussion, thanks everyone for sharing such personal stuff.
Speaking of north and south, i found it interesting that @Ridgerunner's great great grandfather joined the Union army from Tennessee. Any thoughts on the decision making process there?!
Speaking of north and south, i found it interesting that @Ridgerunner's great great grandfather joined the Union army from Tennessee. Any thoughts on the decision making process there?!
TheSeedObsesser
Deeply Rooted
There were a few states that were undecided on whether they wanted to join the Union or the Confederacy during the Civil War. Kentucky is one that I can remember for sure, then I think West Virginia, and then probably Tennessee.
