Dreams of Italy

I am going back to Italy. I recently read a series of memoirs by an Irish writer named Rosie Meleady, about buying a decrepit villa in Umbria and moving her family there to fix it up and run a wedding planning business. As I read, I kept thinking this was a writer I would loveContinue reading “Dreams of Italy”

52 Ancestors, Week 6: Social Media

This week’s theme in the challenge to post about my ancestor’s each week this year is Social Media. I could have come up with something about what counted as social media in my ancestors’ times. But I’m going to talk about a modern social media site that has proven invaluable in my research. I haveContinue reading “52 Ancestors, Week 6: Social Media”

52 Ancestors, Week 5: Oops, Wrong Village

It’s Week 5 of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks project, created by genealogist Amy Johnson Crow. The theme this week: Oops. My “Oops” moment is about the process of uncovering the past. My grandmother had always told us her family was from Serravalle, a village in Marche, Italy. By the time I first visitedContinue reading “52 Ancestors, Week 5: Oops, Wrong Village”

52 Ancestors, Week 3: Out of Place

It’s time once again for the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks project! This is a challenge started by genealogist Amy Johnson Crow, who sets a different theme for each week of the year. For Week 3, the theme is Out of Place. The ancestor I’ve chosen to highlight for this one is Giovanni DeRiggi, myContinue reading “52 Ancestors, Week 3: Out of Place”

A New Semester Begins

Winter break is over, and my son went back to campus today. It’s also his 21st birthday! So he’s out of that gray area between 17 and 21, when he was an adult for some things and not others. It shouldn’t be that hard to believe. He’s 6-foot-3 and wears a size 15 shoe. ButContinue reading “A New Semester Begins”

Throwback Thursday: Boardwalk Update

A couple days ago I posted a photo of my grandparents that I was surprised to find hidden behind another photo in a picture frame. It appeared to be from the late 1930s, and I speculated that it might have been taken on their honeymoon. In that post, I suggested several possible locations. Since then,Continue reading “Throwback Thursday: Boardwalk Update”

Throwback Thursday: Hidden Treasure

This evening, I brought out an old photo of myself as a baby this evening and pulled it out of the frame to scan it. And behind it in the frame I found this picture, which I have never seen before! This is my maternal grandparents, Norma Tomassoni DeRicci and Ralph DeRicci. From their apparentContinue reading “Throwback Thursday: Hidden Treasure”

Concert Month

I attended a concert at my son’s university last night, a student recital. The school really does have an excellent music department, though I’m afraid a lot of non-music majors and their parents don’t know it. The concert was the senior recital of a Music Composition student. These recitals are completely student-directed. He had toContinue reading “Concert Month”