Time flies, and all that…
Time flies, and all that… Actually, in my case, time slogged through 2023… A lot happened as I faced multiple unexpected diagnoses and learned how to address each of those diagnoses. In 2023 I did also enjoy arts and cultural events, and embraced the great times with family that arose through the year. My husband and I also got to a few cemeteries – we drove through Monsey, NY on a return trip from seeing our daughter and stopped at his dad’s cemetery. I also got to my parents’ sites a few times. But I obviously fell way behind in blogging! This post is just a catching up, hi it’s me again kind of thing.
Understanding
I think many of the people reading this blog would likely be closer to my age than not, and so might have some familiarity with some of the issues I’ve encountered. In other words, I think readers here might understand what I’ve gone through. I say that as a very good thing! I’ve had a good number of blogs and other websites since the mid-nineties, and it’s definitely a good thing to feel you can have an understanding between yourself and the people who visit your site.
Inspirations and motivations
So with that said, last year – and the early months of this year – have given me the opportunity to reflect on what I’m doing with my time. One of the issues I dealt with last year was frozen shoulder, which greatly diminished my normal activities. When I started this blog it was inspired partly by the fact that my portfolio site continually receives visitors for one post again and again. That post mentions a woman who was accused of witchcraft in Connecticut in the mid 1700s. She is not (that I know of) an ancestor of mine, but she was reportedly buried in a cemetery in my hometown. It’s that cemetery I was really discussing in my post. I’ve heard from many visitors seeking information on her, in comment form and directly through email. I was motivated to finally start that genealogy blog I’d been thinking about for years!
Among the Bones was created to share other such insights or information. It’s my own personal exploration through getting to know my family history more deeply, and getting to know as well, places and people from the past. Sometimes that will be practical advice I’ve found useful over the years, sometimes that will be discussions or sharing simply about people in my life or in my ancestry. It could include reminiscences, it could include traditions or recipes (I know, I know, that gets old, but it’s all a part of my celebration of family history). And of course, it could include examples of how I have sought out information or followed various leads.
Lifelong pastime
Genealogy was something I took up in my teens. I don’t know why, but I had a strong desire to learn about folks who had come before me. Oh, um, perhaps it’s the obvious? My mom died when I was five, and soon after probably more people than a typical kid loses. To risk sounding maudlin, my heart likely did seek out a connection. Perhaps that led to an interest in genealogy. Whatever the underlying or initial inspiration, I had two women in my life who were genealogists – one of my Italian grandmother’s sisters, and one of my father’s first cousins on the Brill side. These two women were happy to share what they knew and how they went about researching. I’m forever grateful.
Genealogy has continued to be an important part of my life. Whether I’m actively researching, sharing with others, writing about it, or whether I’m merely remembering loved ones who’ve passed, my family history remains deeply significant to me. I guess that’s what I hope most to get across here. And I hope that something I do share here helps someone else in some way.
Thanks for reading, and please don’t hesitate to get in touch with any comments or questions. I always love hearing from visitors!
~ Nellie
p.s. The feature image is of the Locomotive 220 (with my husband Gary in the shot) at Shelburne Museum during their Winter Lights Festival (a highly recommended event!). If you are interested in any of the places referenced above, please visit:
The Locomotive 220 at Shelburne Museum
Winter Lights Festival at Shelburne Museum
Jewish Community Center Cemetery in Spring Valley, NY at Find a Grave
Nellie
Nellie Levine is a writer, artist, family history enthusiast, and the creator of the Among the Bones genealogy blog. She has been publishing essays, articles, stories, reviews, and other reflections for over twenty-five years, and delving into her genealogy for many more.
