Silent Night is a song that I have sung for most of my lifetime. In church choir we sang it and our family sang it at home. The Alexandria, Minnesota Echo Press has the story of Butch Dallmann of Alexandria who “grew up hearing stories about his great-great-great-grandfather, an Austrian organist and choir master named […]
Did you see the great post about this on the Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference News Blog on December 6th. Are relatives asking what you want for Christmas or another day? Do you want to give a special gift to someone else? A special card has been designed that you can print and add cash, […]
Are you looking for some unique Christmas gifts? When’s the last time you checked at the gift shops in the historical societies and museums in your area? I was at the Minnesota Historical Society’s gift shops in St. Paul a couple days ago. I found some great things and will probably stop back there for […]
In the early 1980s as more grandchildren came along and my parents went through a tough time after my Dad’s serious illness, we cut back on gifts. We began choosing names. Also, we started playing the “dice game.” Each person was to bring several gifts valued at about $1.00 each and wrapped in newspaper. They […]
Christmas stockings have always been a favorite of mine. I loved getting the huge oranges in mine as a child. We didn’t have a fireplace or a staircase so they were always pinned to the back of one couch. Once I was married I made stockings for me, my husband, and as they were born, […]
Do any of you have your genealogical society (or maybe more than one) on your Christmas gift list or for end of the year donations? Does your society have a wish list of books, CDs, databases, or equipment? Add something from that list to your last minute shopping. Have you noticed that no one has […]
I was just thinking about how our family Christmas celebrations have changed over the years. As parts of the family added children, older family members died, and spouses were added the who, when, and where varied. Until I had been married a few years Christmas Eve was always celebrated with my Dad’s side of the […]
Your Christmas gift to a relative or friend could be historical in nature. Do you remember the last time you visited the county or state historical society’s gift shop? I love to browse in these. It might be the perfect place to purchase some of your Christmas gifts as I have done. Many of these […]
Baking from scratch has always been one of my passions. Cut-out sugar Christmas cookies were always high on the list. I had a large collection of cookie cutters, the good ones that were metal and cut through the dough very nicely. I loved to make cookies when I still lived with my parents and continued […]
Last weekend we celebrated at my daughter’s in northern Minnesota. All four of the grandchildren, two of my three children and a son-in-law were together. We had a great weekend. I now have a heated cushion for my car, jewelry to wear and am supplied with wipes for hands and glassed for quite awhile. Yes, […]