Nostalgia – There Will Never Be Another Mayberry!

"Come sit a spell, take your shoes off...  While working extensively on my genealogy and blog sites over the past two weeks I had an epiphany--If I were asked to describe my life and times growing up what would I say or write?  Immediately, it came to me:  Mayberry and its mostly good family, friends, …

“Christmas in 17th-century England and Virginia”

Guest Author:  Nancy Egloff, Jamestown Settlement Historian Christmas in 17th-Century England and Virginia Exploring English customs and the Lord of Misrule Along with their friends and relatives in England, the Englishmen who came to Jamestown in 1607 considered Christmas to be one of the most special times of the year. In England, the season lasted …

The First Thanksgiving Took Place in Virginia, not Massachusetts

Remembering some of my earliest history lessons--Our teachers got it all wrong!  All those days at school coloring, cutting out and pasting turkeys, pilgrim shoes, hats, and hearing about the first Thanksgiving shared by pilgrims and "Indians"? Here's the real scoop on the first Thanksgiving celebration . AUTHOR: MATT BLITZ  PUBLISHED ON NOVEMBER 18, 2015 IN THE WASHINGTONIAN MAGAZINE …

YOLO–Carpe Diem, Folks!

Amidst the agony and pain of observing my parents increasingly debilitating aging process, we also have experienced a sprinkling of moments that remind us of better days when all their faculties were present and they were high functioning adults who volunteered and thrived within their family, friends, and social circles. I remember my dad, Frank …

Rich man, poor man, beggar man, thief, Doctor, lawyer, Indian Chief!

The first line of a jump rope rhyme I remember as a child is: “Rich man, poor man, beggar man, thief, doctor, lawyer, Indian Chief.” It seemed appropriate to open this article because it connects farmers, merchants, lawyers, sailors, a kidnapper, a president, an Indian Chief, and an Indian Princess who became famous for her …