Advent Calendar - The Christmas Tree

Bill and Betty Carrow and grandsons Peter and Ronnie Morrison

Carneys Point NJ 1969

Sister and I in 1953 ( below) and Christmas with my cousins in 1955 ( right).Just two of us but they had four more siblings after this.

My genealogy of my family has illuminated many things for me.Two generations of my family before me had a bumpier ride through life. I don't know how their Christmases all were, just a few sad anecdotes from Depression years.

My Grandfather lost his mother when he was only four. He never told me that although we were very close. He did tell me they were evicted often and their possessions scattered over the years from being tossed out at the curb. My first memory of Christmas was the bubble lights on his post WWII tree and my rag doll "Buttons" that he bought me.

In turn his wife Margaretta died when his oldest son was eight and the youngest of the four, My Mom was only 3.The three boys were for some years in St.John's Orphanage and must have spent Christmases with his family in Kensington.

Christmas in my family of origin was somewhat festive and our tree was picked out by us shortly after Thanksgiving and rooted.

My parents did the same when the grandchildren came.

Kreativ Blogger Award - who me?

I am very surprised and honored this morning to find I was nominated for the Kreativ Blogger Award by Mary Beaulieu from Ancestor Tracking. Mary was and always has been my inspiration to Blog about my 'folks'.

My task this morning is to tell 7 things about myself and then to nominate 7 other Bloggers for this award. I definitely need more coffee for this.

1. I began doing my family's genealogy upon my 'early retirement' in 2002 , quite possibly to keep my mind occupied. It has answered many questions for me, including why I need to keep my mind occupied.

2. The 'holes' or 'empty spots' in my family tree have played a role in how I lived my life. If I had had more information life could have been a bit less bumpy, both for myself and for my four children. This is my gift to them.

3. The more I uncover the more I want to know about those who came before me.I am absolutely positive that we are the sum total of all of these people. I have as Mary indicated in my nomination 'jumped the pond' and have contacted relatives in Ireland.

4. I believe that DNA is an amazing shortcut to our 'Brick Walls' in genealogy and that I am perfectly willing to use whatever is necessary to achieve success.This includes paid researchers, DNA and contacting perfect strangers here and abroad.

5. Partly for me and partly for my children and grandchildren I am thrilled to know that my unknown grandfather was likely Norwegian.There is a good possibility that it was my step-grandfather or at least someone he was acquainted with from his ship or his country.

6. My second great passion, books and reading reflects my need to unpuzzle things.My cousin Francis told me yesterday I should have been a detective and I missed my calling.Mysteries and specifically those from other cultures are what I immerse myself in.

7. My roots and my family's roots are in Southern New Jersey and across the Delaware River in Delaware and Philadelphia. I lived in the same small town for 56 years until moving to North Carolina in 2002 with my incredible husband who I have been with 9 years ago this week. He supports me in all of this,without him I would still be a social worker at a prison. I am blessed with him and my three sons, daughter and six very talented and beautiful grandchildren.

My nominated Blogs are those who have inspired me of course and Ancestor Tracking would always be first. Our ancestors trod distant paths together in both Delaware and Maryland in a time when others had not yet arrived.

Honorary award to Ancestor Tracking

1. Becky's Grace and Glory

2. The Genetic Genealogist

3. Trace My Origin

4. Of Trolls and Lemons

5. Genealem-genetic genealogy

6. Searching for the Lost Colony

7. Canada Genealogy