Category Archives: Commentary

Uh oh, I fear the path ahead. So, I sit thinking about the things we see, and what we do about them. A painting on the wall, not yours, in a different place, different town. Who is it by? What … Continue reading →

I’ve often pondered whether synchronicities are merely coincidences. While Google may suggest they’re related, synchronicities carry a weight of “meaning” that’s both perplexing and disconcerting. I find it unsettling when seemingly disparate events align to convey significance, especially when they … Continue reading →

I’ve been here before, or so it feels. Maybe it’s the flickering neon sign of “Pizza Palace” casting a familiar red glow on my beatle-length hair. I rock the “early days” look, paired with year-round sandals and a perpetually shoulder-draped … Continue reading →

It was probably June of 1959. We rarely stayed home during the summer. We had discovered “car camping”. We started off loading the sedan with boxes and paper bags full of food and cooking gear, some blankets and one Montgomery … Continue reading →

Of course it was always more than simple data… genealogy is about real people with real lives, facing history’s challenges. But I’ve never paid much attention to the little images that showed up on the records. Yes, the photographs I … Continue reading →

Ida was born in Cham, Nordgau, Bavaria and she was my 29th great grandmother. Not much is known about her life. Her father was Count Rapoto IV of Cham. Her mother was Mathilde von Wels-Lambach, Gräfin von Passau und von … Continue reading →

Well, I dunno. Something to cheer, or something to fear. I don’t generally reject new things simply because they are new. Well, not often, I’m more of a Luddite than a troglodyte. For the few weeks I have been testing … Continue reading →

There are 48 Crusaders in my ancestry, to my knowledge. I know that this is currently not a popular subject, but I’m not trying to push a narrative. I’m only writing about history. There are lots of books on the … Continue reading →

So it seems that this week Netflix is pushing “Monument Men”, so I had the time, and my iPad was charged. Great flick. Underrated. The interesting thing is that one of the featured pieces of was from daVinci, but not … Continue reading →

I’m going to rewatch Monument Men in the near future. I’ve been long aware that the history of that simple gold bracelet I bought my wife could be quite complex. It’s possible that the gold was freshly panned by someone … Continue reading →