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What's the Plan for 2026?

Image by rawpixel.com Happy New Year! Ah, there's something about a fresh start. I have my shiny, new hardback notebook/planner, my favorite black Pilot pen, and I've been thinking about what my genealogical priorities should be for 2026.  After reviewing what I accomplished in 2025, here are my ideas for this year:  Genealogy Projects First is a project on my 2x great-grandmother Maria Jane Darragh with a research goal to discover more about her cause of death: "acute mania." Complete research begun on my aunt's ancestors. I recently researched her ancestor Bruno Albaugh, who served as one of Lincoln's bodyguards during the Civil War . There are more goodies in her family lines with surnames Laughlin and Phillips in Ontario, Kelling and Schuber in Lorain County, Ohio, Albaugh and Rittenour in Crawford County, Pennsylvania, and more. Can't wait to finish the research and share it with her. Research discoveries found in my ancestors AR-2 Alien Registrati...

FAVORITE PHOTO

by Nancy Gilbride Casey


This favorite photo of many I have taken over the years comes with a special anecdote.

When our daughter Anne (then known as Annie), was preschool age, she dedicated great parts of each day drawing with markers, painting with watercolors, coloring in books. In summer, she drew with chalk on the sidewalk. 

Every gift-giving occasion was another opportunity to buy a new box of crayons or paints, and reams of paper, tablets large and small, and sheaves of manila and construction paper to feed her never-ending appetite to draw.

Her artwork covered our refrigerator, was sent on to grandparents, and hung on our office bulletin boards. 

Art was already ingrained into her little personality.

Each day Annie created literally a dozen or more creations, in a free flow of imagination, wild, exotic, and uniquely from her sometimes funny and observant perspective.

On the occasion of this photo, I captured her one morning, sitting at her little art easel, paintbrush in hand, engrossed in one of that day's many creations.

"Are you going to be an artist when you grow up, Annie?" I asked.

Without taking her eyes off her artwork, and without skipping a beat, she replied,

"But Mommy...I already AM an artist!"

To this day, I can't argue with that.

 

Until next time...
 
This post was inspired by Amy Johnson Crowe's 52 Ancestor in 52 Weeks Challenge

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