Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: Celebrate and Participate In National Memory Day

I sent this suggestion for a Saturday Night Genealogy Fun topic to Randy Seaver a while ago to use this year.  I thought it was perfect timing that National Memory Day should fall on a Saturday.

Come on, everybody, join in and accept the mission and execute it with precision.

1.  March 21 is National Memory Day.  How can we celebrate, and participate, in the day?  I asked AI tool ChatGPT how, and it suggested "Capture a Memory before It[']s Gone"; "Rescue and Identify Old Photos"; "Record a[n] Oral History"; "Organize One Small Thing";  "Share a Story with Family"; "Visit or Virtually Honor Ancestors."

2.  For SNGF this week, do one or more of those tasks or some other related task of your choosing.

3.  Share your selected National Memory Day activity in your own blog post or in a Facebook, SubStack, BlueSky, or other social media post.  Leave a link to your post on this blog post to help us find your post.

[Thank you to geneablogger Janice Sellers for telling me about National Memory Day and suggesting this topic.]

The emphasis on National Memory Day is your brain and keeping your memory functions in good shape.  One of the many wonderful things about doing family history research is that it should help increase your own memory capabilities, because family history is really puzzle solving — figuring out which pieces belong to which puzzle, assembling them and helping make sense of them, determining where you can find additional documentation to add more pieces.  I have often read that studies indicate puzzle solving is one way to keep your brain and your memory working well.

In genealogy, the aspect of memory we tend to focus on is remembering people and the past, which seems a natural corollary.  I celebrated National Memory Day by teaching an introductory class in Black American genealogy and encouraging the attendees to share their research with family members, genealogical and historical societies, archives, libraries, and as many other people and institutions as possible to ensure that the memories of our families are not lost after we, the researchers, are gone.  When we share our information, we increase the probably that others will remember our family members, and all of the work we have done will not be in vain.  I guess that comes under Randy's suggestion to "Visit or Virtually Honor Ancestors."

I looked up National Memory Day and found one page that indicated it was first celebrated in 2017 and that it was started to honor memories.  I like to think the people who created it would find the connection to family history appropriate.

Hooray for Barbie!

No, I'm not talking about the movie (which I have seen, and once will be enough, thank you very much, dear daughter-in-law).  I'm talking about the actual doll.

March 9 is National Barbie Day because the Barbie doll was introduced at the American International Toy Fair on March 9, 1959, so today is Barbie's 66th birthday, making her older than I am, if not by much.

I don't remember if Barbie was my first doll — I might have had a baby doll before that? — but she was the first doll I remember, and I still have my first Barbie.  I think my second doll was a Stacey, which I recall as a redhead.  (I might have been given Stacey as a gift because my sister's name is Stacy.  Hey, they should have come out with a Laurie doll!)  Number three I believe was Midge.

I have taken my dolls with me from California to Australia, when my family moved there, then back to the United States when we returned in 1973, and across country when I moved back to California in 1979.  Then they moved with me from Los Angeles to Oakland in 1989, and up to Oregon in 2017.  I have never left a single doll behind.

I never got into the collectible Barbies, because I didn't want to leave them in the packaging ("never removed from box").  I wanted to take them out and play with them!  I have only one collectible Barbie, which a friend bought me for Christmas one year.  It's Barbie as Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind, in the green and white barbecue dress.  And yes, I took her out of the box.

Barbie is what really got me into sewing.  I had a sewing class in the 5th grade while my family lived in Australia, and when we came back to the States I started making clothes for my dolls.  I have dozens of patterns for Barbie clothes, most of them officially licensed by Mattel and produced by the big pattern companies.  The majority are from Simplicity, some are from McCall's, and a few others are from different companies.  I also have a few unofficial patterns, including some for Elizabethan clothing a friend gave to me when we were both performing at an Elizabethan faire.

Unfortunately, most of my dolls are still boxed up and in storage from when I moved to Oregon.  Not long after my arrival I tore my rotator cuff, and I've never regained the momentum I had for unpacking since then (it was probably the momentum that caused the tear in the first place).  But I've been adding to my collection since discovering groups such as Buy Nothing on Facebook.  It is amazing how many people give away Barbies and their accessories.  Now I have things I could never afford when I was younger, such as a Barbie airplane, car, condo, and house.  Soon I will be adding an RV!

One of my recent acquisitions, obtained specifically to pair with my dolls, is a dollhouse in the style of Victorian painted ladies.  I'll need to find (or make?) some patterns for Victorian clothing so that my dolls will look totally at home in their beautiful residence.

j

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: Holiday Celebrations and Memories

I'm combining last week's and this week's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun from Randy Seaver into one post because I don't have a lot of memories to write about.  Maybe my brother and sisters will remember more and add to this or correct me.

Come on, everybody, join in and accept the mission and execute it with precision. 

1.  Today's challenge is to share memories of December holiday gatherings and celebrations with your families (as a child, a young adult, a parent, a grandparent, a great-grandparent, an aunt or uncle, a nibling, a cousin, an in-law)!

2.  Pick two or three questions from the list in my blog post:  Ask AI:  "What questions can I write about concerning family gatherings and celebrations during the December holidays?"

3.  Tell us about your memories of your holiday gatherings and celebrations in your own blog post, in a comment here, or on your Facebook page.  Be sure to leave a link to your report in a comment on this post.

Except for the addition of having the questions created by AI this year, this is a traditional holiday post by Randy, and my problem every year is that I just don't remember that much.  Let's see what I can come up with via the new questions prompting me.  I'm sticking to Christmas memories from when I was a child living at home with my parents.

• Who traditionally hosted celebrations in your family, and why?
Growing up, I only remember celebrating Christmas at home with my parents.  If we went anywhere else, I can't recall it.  As for why, I don't know.  We didn't have a lot of money, so we probably couldn't afford to travel anywhere.

• Did family members travel far to attend?
I don't remember any family members traveling to celebrate Christmas with us.  I think my half-sister and her mother may have celebrated Christmas with us one year, but that would have been the year they were living with us, so they didn't have to travel.

• What did the space feel like during the holidays—sights, sounds, and smells?
We always had a Christmas tree, which my mother called the Chanukah bush.  I only remember it being fake; I don't recall ever having a real tree.  My mother displayed her menorah; I think she may have lit candles sometimes, but that was all she did to acknowledge Chanukah.  The house had decorations, including one of those elves which is now called Elf on the Shelf (although it was just an elf way back then).  And my mother displayed all the cards we received, including Chanukah cards from her side of the family.

• Were nonfamily members invited to join your celebrations?
The only nonfamily guests I remember at any of our Christmas Day meals are my "Aunt" Sam (my mother's best friend), and maybe her children Jeff and Cathy.

• Are there group photos or video from holiday gatherings that capture a story about your family?
It's very strange to me that I can't find any photos from Christmas when my siblings and I were young.  My father took lots of photos, but apparently not on holidays.

• What dishes were a staple at your family's holiday celebrations?  Who made them?
I remember that we always had turkey and ham, because Aunt Sam loved ham.  I also remember we had the classics:  candied yams (which were of course really sweet potatoes), green bean casserole, mashed potatoes.  I believe my mother made everything.
I don't like sweet potatoes, and my mother tricked me one year.  She told me the food was candy.  I took one bite, glared at her, and exclaimed, "It's yams!"  And she grinned and said, "Candied yams!"  Talk about ruining your child's faith in you.

• Do you own or display any heirlooms, decorations, or items that belonged to your ancestors during the holidays?
I have my mother's menorah and usually display it during Chanukah, although I almost never light the candles.  I used to have our old Elf on the Shelf, but I haven't been able to find him.

• Did your family have traditions for how gifts were given or opened?
We children were allowed to open one present, which we could choose, on Christmas Eve.  Everything else was opened Christmas morning.  My brother always opened his presents very carefully, cutting the tape, unfolding the paper, and then refolding it flat.

Even with that long list of AI questions Randy provided, that's it for what I remember.  Let's see how my siblings do.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: Linda Stufflebean's Updated "December Meme"

One of Randy Seaver's regular posters contributed the challenge for today's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun.

Come on, everybody, join in and accept the mission and execute it with precision.  Here's your chance to sit on Genea-Santa's lap (virtually) and tell him about your 2023 answers to Linda's 20 questions:

A.  Linda Stufflebean sent in an update to her "December Meme" from last year.  Copy them to your own post and write about them.

B.  Tell us about them in your own blog post, in a comment on this post, or in a Facebook Status  post.  Please leave a link on this post if you write your own post.

Here are the 20 Questions and my answers.

1.  What is one genea-accomplishment in 2023 of which you are proud?

I'm proud that I managed to start posting on my blog again, even if it was one third of the way through the year when I started.

2.  Which (realistic) genea-gift would you most appreciate this year?

Help in identifying the vehicles in my father's photographs from the photo bonanza.

3.  What item on your not-so-realistic wish list for Santa would you most appreciate this year?

Finding Raymond Lawrence Sellers.

4.  Have you written any genea-books (with mostly text) to give as holiday gifts?

None.

5.  Have you created any photo family history books to give as holiday gifts?

Yes, several.  Not in a while, though.

6.  What is your favorite holiday main course food?

Latkes, for Chanukah!

7.   What is your favorite holiday dessert?

Pumpkin pie, I guess.

8.  Which food do you eat too much of during the holidays?

Chocolate.

9.  Share a favorite holiday memory.

Spending Christmas Day with my grandchildren.

10.  Have you continued any ethnic food or cultural activities that have been passed down through the family?

Displaying my mother's menorah during Chanukah.

11.  Do you prefer warm sunshine or snow on Christmas Day?

I've grown to like snow on Christmas Day, as long as I don't have to drive anywhere.

12.  Did you break through any brick walls in 2023?

Nope.

13.  Do you have a 2023 genea-goal which could have been accomplished but over which you’ve procrastinated or from which you’ve been distracted?

Far too many.  I don't want to think about it.

14.  Have you ever gone holiday caroling?

Yes, but not for several years.  I think the last time I sang Christmas carols was 2019.  I love caroling.

15.  Do you have any favorite holiday decorations?

My M&M's holiday lights.

16.  Who is the singer you most enjoy listening to during the holiday season?

Robert Goulet, but only because of his recording of "Do You Hear What I Hear?", my all-time favorite Christmas song.

17.  Have there been any Christmas Day calamities that you remember?

I can't think of any.

18.  If Santa invited you to hitch a ride in his sleigh, where would you like him to drop you off?

Lebanon, Oregon, where my two oldest grandchildren live.

19.  If you had to choose right this minute, which ancestor would you most like to meet?  Choose an ancestor about whom you’ve researched in 2023.

I didn't really research any ancestors during 2023 (see #13 above).  So I guess I will choose my great-great-grandmother Beila (unknown maiden name), who married my great-great-grandfather Simcha Dovid Meckler (maybe Mekler), because I know almost nothing about her beyond her given name.

20.  Share one of your 2024 genealogy goals.

I want to identify all the photos in my photo bonanza.

And because of question #16 about the singer I enjoy listening to the most, I thought of adding my favorite Christmas movie, which is The Ref.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: Your Favorite Songs in Your High School Graduation Year

This week's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun theme certainly came out of left field.  I was not expecting anything related to high school graduation for the first weekend in October.

Here is your assignment, if you choose to play along (cue the Mission:  Impossible! music):

(1) Do you remember your favorite songs in your high school graduation year?  Please tell us all about it.  (Note:  Wikipedia has the Billboard Hot 100 list for each year; Billboard has weekly Hot 100 lists for every year since 1946.)

For example, the Wikipedia list of Hot 100 songs for 1961 is at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billboard_Year-End_Hot_100_singles_of_1961.  There are links to every year at the bottom of this page.

The Billboard Hot 100 songs for the week of 12 June 1961 is at https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/1961-06-12.

(2) Tell us in your own blog post, in a comment to this blog post, or on Facebook.  Be sure to leave a comment with a link to your blog post on this post.

Okay, here's mine.

I graduated June 1, 1979 from Niceville Senior High School at the age of 17.  I, like Randy, was pretty much a social outcast at my school, and it wasn't helped by the fact that I lived 10 miles out of town, in the country, away from most of the people with whom I went to school.  I spent most of my free time at home, and a lot of that time was spent listening to the radio, although I tended to listen to country more than pop.  That said, a lot of the songs on the top 100 list for 1979 are very familiar to me.

I think I'll pick my favorite 10, like Randy did.  I'm pretty sure the first two on the list were my favorites at the time.  The rest aren't in any particular order.

• "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" by the Charlie Daniels Band

• "The Gambler" by Kenny Rogers

• "I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor

• "Ring My Bell" by Anita Ward

• "My Life" by Billy Joel

• "What a Fool Believes" by the Doobie Brothers

• "Suspicions" by Eddie Rabbitt

• "Too Much Heaven" by the Bee Gees

• "September" by Earth, Wind & Fire

• "Somewhere in the Night" by Barry Manilow