Oh So Pretty!

Gr-gr Grandma Minni's parlor lamp .. waiting for a good dusting!

It finally arrived!  My heirloom parlor lamp.  It's been years of patient waiting .. trying to figure out how to ship it safely from St. Louis to North Idaho without breakage.  Great-great grandma's lamp is finally resting in safety atop my dresser.  Although my dad claimed it to be from the Civil War era, from a bit of research (on-line) last night, I peg it from the 1880's to about 1901.  Thank you, my friend and neighbor (Cathy K) for bringing this heirloom home to roost!

The lamp is painted with chrysanthemums.  Funny .. not remembering what floral pattern was on the lamp nor the color scheme .. I'd say my bedroom was designed with it in mind.  We even have chrysanthemums on the bathroom curtains and upholstered dressing stool.   Please, Lord, don't let my family members be the ones to break it ... AMEN!

What I Did On Summer Vacation - Part I

... in pictures. 

Summer wouldn't be summer without a little relaxation thrown in the mix.  I tend to stay close to home due to the gardens .. and the busy production of storing food for the winter.  Hubby did let me slip away one weekend to the west coast of Washington to visit new found family. 

This is my cousin Egon and his wife Debbie.  He emigrated from Denmark years ago and is the keeper of our family tree.  They invited me to join them for a Danish picnic ... and a visit to Viking Days at a Nordic museum. 

It has been my dream for years to discover my Danish heritage ... and this was a great way to start!

A Meeting Hundreds Of Years ...

... in the making!

Since I began dabbling in genealogy,  I have been surprised recently to find that I have distant cousins all over the place ... including my own relative 'backyard' (speaking in terms of the size of the world;).  Last night was worth waiting many generations to meet up with my newly discovered cousin, Egon, from Denmark.  He and his beautiful wife, Debbie, live on the west coast of Washington state .. a mere six hour drive from my home .,.. and stopped by last night for our first visit.  We are connected through my grandmother Esther's father that emigrated from Denmark in the 1880's.  Egon is the family historian and is quite involved the region's Danish community.

I encourage you to write down your family's history.  Talk with the elders of your family and record their stories, family heritage, recipes, etc.  Often, we wait until our family members are long gone to think about the importance of such records.
Photos:  Top .. Grandma Esther, about 1918, bottom .. Egon, Mrs. Mac, Debbie 5/21/2010