This may be one of the happiest Easters I have had. Ever. This Lenten season was filled with good lessons, good reflections, meaningful episodes.
My long lost cousin, Scott, is continuing our conversation. By all appearances he is as excited as we all are that we have found each other. He has a daughter and a son. He and his wife are/were teachers. He is retired. His daughter is giving birth to her second child today. We are a "green and growing family tree"! (Tom Chapin)
Monday our family will grow by one more. Our little Easter egg will hatch. We don't know her name, yet. Will keep you posted.
Our family buried Uncle Andre last Wednesday. He was a huge personality in our family. The youngest of eight children he exuded fun. He laughed the loudest. He danced out loud. His clothes shouted. Get the picture? He was a little larger than life. So the world is a bit quieter without him in it. But oh! Heaven is a party! Rock on Uncle Andre! Rock on!
Sending all who read this prayers of joy and mercy and may your Easter bring hope and resurrection to you.
Shalom.
Saturday, March 31, 2018
Thursday, March 22, 2018
Which twin has the Tony?
Just another family mystery. You tell me.
Is there a striking resemblance?
Shalom.
Altered perspective.
This very morning I have awakened with my life adventure taking on an italic feel to it. Slightly slanted. My history and reality is nearsighted. It is a long story. Let me begin.
I grew up across the street from my grandmother and uncle. I believed this uncle was a bachelor. Until I was about a junior in high school I thought he had always been single. One day during that year my sister, Mimi, asked our mom if Uncle Dick had ever dated. Mom told us that he had actually been married very briefly and had a son. We were blown away. Never in our wildest dreams had we considered this. (I have since found application for a marriage license for Joseph Burrill Bernheim and Irene E. Giles in San Diego on July 7, 1952 using Ancestry.com.) The story was that he had separated from his wife and after she had the baby she left town. He was in touch for a while. He sent money for her to have the child's picture made and she sent him a small school picture. She moved and they lost touch. He did not pursue locating them. Ever.
Fast forward. We now have the world wide web. The Internet. My sister, Lynn, tried to search online for this cousin. My uncle was elderly now. When he learned that she was searching he asked her to keep trying. She had no luck.
Uncle Dick died in 2008 without ever having seen his son again.
Fast forward to about 2015. Somewhere around this time I joined Ancestry.com. Macho and I sent in our saliva for DNA analysis. I spent hours looking and building our family trees. My hope was that I would find my cousin. And honestly to find a nephew - but that is another story. After a year or more searching Ancestry.com I quit the site. I planned to rejoin at some point.
2018. Sister Mimi has taken a new interest in family history and had her DNA analyzed through the 23 and Me vehicle. She joined Ancestry.com. She would ask me questions about our history that I couldn't answer because I didn't have access to the site.
Last Saturday, March 17, 2018, I rejoined Ancestry.com. I spent a couple of hours looking around and reacquainting myself with the site.
On Sunday night Macho was watching teevee. It was nearly time for bed and I popped on Ancestry.com for a quick look. I remembered to check my DNA matches. There it was. I had a new match. A 1st/2nd cousin match with the initials S.C. (managed by rajcurrie). The name Currie stuck out because in precious searches I had learned that my Uncle Dick's former wife, Irene, had remarried a man named John W. Currie. (I found an application for a marriage license in Monterey, CA for Irene E. Bernheim and John W. Currie on August 28, 1971.) I thought this might be my cousin, but I didn't stick with the search because it was time for bed. I ran through the possibilities in my head all night. Perhaps it was someone on my mother's side of the family. That side is huge. Maybe it was someone I was unaware of. There is a large portion of my dad's side that I do not know. Perhaps it was one of them.
Monday dawned and after Macho got off to work I sat down to investigate further. When I looked at S.C. again and realized that we shared matches I got fired up. He matched through my dad's father's family. He matched through my dad's mother's family. I have an adopted cousin on dad's side. But I have only one biological cousin on dad's side of the family. It was him. I was sure. I did some digging and found a marriage license application for a Scott Currie and a Robin Ann Julien (rajcurrie). I began messaging rajcurrie. I think I sent, at least, 4 messages. The first I said we were related. But then I amended and said I thought S.C. and I were first cousins.
I called Mimi. We were cautiously hopeful. I spent much of the day googling and surfing. I spoke with 3 more sisters. I told my daughter. Tuesday I had things to do in town. But when I was home I was googling and surfing some more. I found where he lived, address, and phone number. Should I call? No. That would be too much. I fashioned a letter.
Wednesday morning I prayed over the letter and put it in the box. I had a full day of busy and headed off to my first meeting. I had a bunko game after the meeting. Then I ran home so I could sit with my neighbor while her husband did some grocery shopping. She was a week out from a triple bypass. I finally got home around 4:00. I quickly got back on the computer. And there it was. I had an email from Scott Currie telling me all the things I already knew. And more.
His story has some hard parts to it. He knew very little about his father but what he knew was not happy nor nice. It was difficult to read. I will not refute any of his reality. But my reality is different. I grew up with a quirky uncle, but it doesn't match what Scott's mother told him, which was very little. His mother did not date much and only remarried when he was in college. She wanted her new husband to adopt Scott - and so his name changed. I guess that is why we could not find him.
I replied to his email in hopes that our conversation can continue. Even if it doesn't this is enough. Just knowing that he is there is enough. For many years I have wanted to find a treasure, an arrowhead, mine for gold. Something inside me has shifted and I feel the weight of it and know this is it. This is my arrowhead. This is my treasure.
Shalom.
I grew up across the street from my grandmother and uncle. I believed this uncle was a bachelor. Until I was about a junior in high school I thought he had always been single. One day during that year my sister, Mimi, asked our mom if Uncle Dick had ever dated. Mom told us that he had actually been married very briefly and had a son. We were blown away. Never in our wildest dreams had we considered this. (I have since found application for a marriage license for Joseph Burrill Bernheim and Irene E. Giles in San Diego on July 7, 1952 using Ancestry.com.) The story was that he had separated from his wife and after she had the baby she left town. He was in touch for a while. He sent money for her to have the child's picture made and she sent him a small school picture. She moved and they lost touch. He did not pursue locating them. Ever.
Fast forward. We now have the world wide web. The Internet. My sister, Lynn, tried to search online for this cousin. My uncle was elderly now. When he learned that she was searching he asked her to keep trying. She had no luck.
Uncle Dick died in 2008 without ever having seen his son again.
Fast forward to about 2015. Somewhere around this time I joined Ancestry.com. Macho and I sent in our saliva for DNA analysis. I spent hours looking and building our family trees. My hope was that I would find my cousin. And honestly to find a nephew - but that is another story. After a year or more searching Ancestry.com I quit the site. I planned to rejoin at some point.
2018. Sister Mimi has taken a new interest in family history and had her DNA analyzed through the 23 and Me vehicle. She joined Ancestry.com. She would ask me questions about our history that I couldn't answer because I didn't have access to the site.
Last Saturday, March 17, 2018, I rejoined Ancestry.com. I spent a couple of hours looking around and reacquainting myself with the site.
On Sunday night Macho was watching teevee. It was nearly time for bed and I popped on Ancestry.com for a quick look. I remembered to check my DNA matches. There it was. I had a new match. A 1st/2nd cousin match with the initials S.C. (managed by rajcurrie). The name Currie stuck out because in precious searches I had learned that my Uncle Dick's former wife, Irene, had remarried a man named John W. Currie. (I found an application for a marriage license in Monterey, CA for Irene E. Bernheim and John W. Currie on August 28, 1971.) I thought this might be my cousin, but I didn't stick with the search because it was time for bed. I ran through the possibilities in my head all night. Perhaps it was someone on my mother's side of the family. That side is huge. Maybe it was someone I was unaware of. There is a large portion of my dad's side that I do not know. Perhaps it was one of them.
Monday dawned and after Macho got off to work I sat down to investigate further. When I looked at S.C. again and realized that we shared matches I got fired up. He matched through my dad's father's family. He matched through my dad's mother's family. I have an adopted cousin on dad's side. But I have only one biological cousin on dad's side of the family. It was him. I was sure. I did some digging and found a marriage license application for a Scott Currie and a Robin Ann Julien (rajcurrie). I began messaging rajcurrie. I think I sent, at least, 4 messages. The first I said we were related. But then I amended and said I thought S.C. and I were first cousins.
I called Mimi. We were cautiously hopeful. I spent much of the day googling and surfing. I spoke with 3 more sisters. I told my daughter. Tuesday I had things to do in town. But when I was home I was googling and surfing some more. I found where he lived, address, and phone number. Should I call? No. That would be too much. I fashioned a letter.
Wednesday morning I prayed over the letter and put it in the box. I had a full day of busy and headed off to my first meeting. I had a bunko game after the meeting. Then I ran home so I could sit with my neighbor while her husband did some grocery shopping. She was a week out from a triple bypass. I finally got home around 4:00. I quickly got back on the computer. And there it was. I had an email from Scott Currie telling me all the things I already knew. And more.
His story has some hard parts to it. He knew very little about his father but what he knew was not happy nor nice. It was difficult to read. I will not refute any of his reality. But my reality is different. I grew up with a quirky uncle, but it doesn't match what Scott's mother told him, which was very little. His mother did not date much and only remarried when he was in college. She wanted her new husband to adopt Scott - and so his name changed. I guess that is why we could not find him.
I replied to his email in hopes that our conversation can continue. Even if it doesn't this is enough. Just knowing that he is there is enough. For many years I have wanted to find a treasure, an arrowhead, mine for gold. Something inside me has shifted and I feel the weight of it and know this is it. This is my arrowhead. This is my treasure.
Shalom.
Sunday, March 11, 2018
Quiet afternoon.
I'm just sitting here surfing the internet, listening to Macho snore. It is a dreary day - damp and cool. Inside weather. I'm reflecting on this past week and all the good it held...
Visiting Mom while she marked the day she and Dad were married 75 years ago was soft and meaningful. When I arrived on Monday I found Mom very tired. She skipped her nap that afternoon in anticipation of my arrival. I spent the nights with Beach Boy and his family. When I drove back to Mom's on Tuesday she was much her old self, cheery and upbeat. She was rested. We attended noon Mass together, enjoyed subway sandwiches for lunch, and I made sure she napped. Wednesday, the anniversary day, we went to Mass in the morning. I drove Mom to the grocery store and we picked up a pot pie from KFC for lunch. Again, she had a good nap. She was very happy that day. We reminisced about her wedding day. She was sketchy remembering exactly who was in her wedding party. I think she had them all right.
Beach Boy took the day off Thursday and we enjoyed doing little things together. We shopped at a vinegar and oil store. We visited Mom briefly. We lunched at a Vietnamese restaurant. We picked up his girls from school early. That evening we attended a Dr. Seuss party at the elementary school and dined out.
On Friday I drove home. I was sad as I drove away. The little girls had showered me with hugs and "I love you Nannys" all week. It is hard to leave that.
But. Friday evening Out-of-Town Son and DIL drove up with Cecilia to spend the weekend. So, I had more sweet hugs and fun with Cc! Macho and I got to play all day with Cc while her parents drove up to Memphis for the day to find a particular day bed they wanted. We cooked steaks on the grill last night. Cc had skipped her nap and was ready for bed on time. After a Mexican feast today they headed back south.
And now I listen to steady snoring. And sigh because it was a grand week indeed.
There is a new baby on the way. She will be here by Easter, I think. All feels right with the world.
Shalom.
Visiting Mom while she marked the day she and Dad were married 75 years ago was soft and meaningful. When I arrived on Monday I found Mom very tired. She skipped her nap that afternoon in anticipation of my arrival. I spent the nights with Beach Boy and his family. When I drove back to Mom's on Tuesday she was much her old self, cheery and upbeat. She was rested. We attended noon Mass together, enjoyed subway sandwiches for lunch, and I made sure she napped. Wednesday, the anniversary day, we went to Mass in the morning. I drove Mom to the grocery store and we picked up a pot pie from KFC for lunch. Again, she had a good nap. She was very happy that day. We reminisced about her wedding day. She was sketchy remembering exactly who was in her wedding party. I think she had them all right.
Beach Boy took the day off Thursday and we enjoyed doing little things together. We shopped at a vinegar and oil store. We visited Mom briefly. We lunched at a Vietnamese restaurant. We picked up his girls from school early. That evening we attended a Dr. Seuss party at the elementary school and dined out.
On Friday I drove home. I was sad as I drove away. The little girls had showered me with hugs and "I love you Nannys" all week. It is hard to leave that.
But. Friday evening Out-of-Town Son and DIL drove up with Cecilia to spend the weekend. So, I had more sweet hugs and fun with Cc! Macho and I got to play all day with Cc while her parents drove up to Memphis for the day to find a particular day bed they wanted. We cooked steaks on the grill last night. Cc had skipped her nap and was ready for bed on time. After a Mexican feast today they headed back south.
And now I listen to steady snoring. And sigh because it was a grand week indeed.
There is a new baby on the way. She will be here by Easter, I think. All feels right with the world.
Shalom.
Friday, March 2, 2018
In like lion.
And so March begins. The first day was dreary and rainy. But there was redemption in the sunshine of today. This month holds much promise.
I picked up our tax return from the CPA today. Lo and behold our refund is nice. I called Macho on the phone right away to ask him where he was taking me on vacation.
Our call got cut off, "accidentally". But after work he said he would like to visit some sites and new museums on the west side of our state. I'll go for that!
I planted mexican sunflowers from seeds I gathered last summer from the Master Gardener butterfly garden. And just look at that! They are coming up in aces. I also gathered zinnia seeds and they are slowly sprouting, also. I'm trying some moon vine, too, that I got seeds for at a plant festival last fall.
Right now I am putting them out in the day and bringing them in at night because it is so chilly.
Here's hoping they survive!
Garden Club met downtown yesterday. We ate at a local restaurant and then walked down the street in the rain to tour and old building. It was a hotel many, many years ago. More recently it has been retail. Now it is being returned to its original purpose - a hotel. A boutique hotel. There will be seven rooms upstairs, and hopefully fun retail shops downstairs. Several adjoining buildings are being renovated with apartments upstairs and retail downstairs. It was very cool to get to see it in its stripped down stage. We hope to tour again at a later date to see the progress.
I buy myself flowers. I guess you know that by now. No one else will, so I just do this for myself.
I splurged and bought roses today. Because it was Friday and I felt like it.
Happy, happy to me!
***
I went out in the backyard to put my potted pink amaryllis on the porch since it is going to get in the 30's tonight.
I was walking around checking my other plants - I am so please to report that my red amaryllis that my Dad gave me is coming back up! I was afraid it had expired. So my heart is so please when I see its green shoots coming up.
While I was out I was also enjoying the church chimes Out of Town Son and wife gave me for Christmas. It plays such a soft nice music.
For one moment there were ghosts of children in my backyard. As I stood still I could almost feel there little bodies playing back there. Even though the yard is configured so differently now that we have added on to the house and built a shop. I could see the yard as it used to be filled with children.
Running, playing, making noise.
I had a moment. Then I was okay.
And now I grow plants.
And that is okay.
Shalom.
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