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Looking Back, Looking Forward: A NYC Visit 35 Years Later

  The Hubs and I took a trip down memory lane recently. We celebrated our 35th anniversary with a trip to New York City. I was living in Park Slope, Brooklyn, when we met in 1990, and Jim visited me several times before I left the city for good right before we married. Credit his great idea to go back and see how things have changed and revisit some places which were special to me or us, and to see a few things I never did when I lived there. We packed a good deal into the visit for a short 3-day trip. We arrived late in the day on a Friday, and after checking in to our hotel, decided to head downtown to visit the Irish Hunger Memorial . After visiting Ireland last spring and seeing cottages in their home setting, it was jarring to see one smack in the middle of Lower Manhattan's teeming skyline. The memorial pays tribute to the Irish who suffered during the famine, many of whom immigrated to the United States and arrived in New York ports. Many stayed in the city for good.  T...
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So Many Stories to Tell

Young Thomas J. "Tommy" Kozlina and my mom Anna Margaret Kozlina.
Friends,

This past year, I have dedicated much time to my favorite hobby: family history. I have read books, listened to podcasts, attended workshops, and begun again, to research our family lines.

I do so for a variety of reasons, but mainly I am intrigued and excited by the people the research reveals. At first, it was all about the names and dates, and "how far can I get back?" And, while that is still somewhat of a focus (Apparently, we cannot go back to Ireland until I find out where the Casey line is from!), I find more and more that I am just drawn into the stories that emerge, as I find more details of our ancestors' lives.

There's the funny stuff : "Polish Wedding Causes Trouble," is the headline of a newspaper article featuring my great grandmother Margaret McAndrew Gilbride. We'll save that one for another post.

There's everyday life: "So-and-So is visiting their mother this week." The not-so-everyday: "Sleeping Sickness Fatal to Girl."

There are stories which break your heart, and ones that make you nod your head and say, "Oh, so THAT's why..."

There are discoveries of familial likenesses, shared hobbies, tales of travel from abroad, and tales of deeply held American roots. There are railroad men, a hockey player, a prominent blacksmith, several coal miners, a nun and a priest...

Newspaper snippets - the Facebook of the time - recording who visited whom, or who wore what to whose wedding. There are both slices of everyday life and memorable moments in photo. There are bunches of interesting folk, who lived sometimes ordinary, sometimes extraordinary lives.

So many stories to tell. And here in this little space, I hope to share them with you.

Come on along.
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