tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30353432898752462082024-03-19T00:41:53.988-04:00Growing Up in an Italian FamilyThen and Now and Then Again - In Search of my Ancestral RootsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger62125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3035343289875246208.post-26163931252032298802012-09-30T15:40:00.000-04:002012-09-30T15:41:21.279-04:0028 Sep 2012Thanks to Nick from <a href="http://www.hungaryexchange.com/">Hungary Exchange</a> for always finding such informative info for us to share!<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Today, genealogy ranks second only to porn as the most searched topic online. <a href="http://t.co/YeQW0yl3" title="http://goo.gl/U7XiD">goo.gl/U7XiD</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23genealogy">#genealogy</a><br />
— Calabria Exchange (@calabriaxchange) <a data-datetime="2012-09-28T21:52:01+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/calabriaxchange/status/251801462991097856">September 28, 2012</a></blockquote>
<script charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3035343289875246208.post-83500348522416494222012-09-29T19:57:00.001-04:002012-09-29T19:57:33.058-04:00<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Ardore Pubblicazioni 1884 <a href="http://t.co/uwHmJceo" title="http://nblo.gs/C9PO6">nblo.gs/C9PO6</a></p>— Calabria Exchange (@calabriaxchange) <a href="https://twitter.com/calabriaxchange/status/246790955087314945" data-datetime="2012-09-15T02:02:03+00:00">September 15, 2012</a></blockquote>
<script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3035343289875246208.post-82668357238384554492012-09-22T18:03:00.000-04:002013-10-24T08:17:35.114-04:00Homade Tomato Sauce - The Old Fashion Way<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Step One: Wash Away the Dirt</td></tr>
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Every year while growing up, my mom made her own tomato sauce. It was usually a family event with everyone helping out in one way or another since she made enough sauce to last us until the following year. Unfortunately I was never interested in making the sauce so I usually ended up cooking dinner which was - you guessed it- pasta with homemade spaghetti sauce! Once I got married I tried using the canned tomato sauce and we hated it so I began making my own. It's not hard but it is time consuming so if you plan on making a couple of bushels ask a friend to help. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Step Two: Boil Until Soft</td></tr>
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Pick your tomatoes and shop for price and quality. I got lucky this year - 9.99 a bushel, hardly any dirt to wash off, none spoiled and they yielded me 15 jars per bushel. They weren't filled with a lot of water either so I kind of regret not buying more. Step One: Wash the tomatoes in cold water as many times as needed to clean the dirt off them. You can also sort at the same time and remove any that look spoiled. Step Two: At the same time get a large pot of water boiling on your burner. If you are only making a small amount you could use a smaller pot on your stove. Add some to the water and allow to boil. You will be repeating this step several times until all your tomatoes have boiled.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Step Three: Drain to Remove Excess Water</td></tr>
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Step three: Once the tomatoes have softened scoop them out of the water and into a clean basket or bushel lined with an old tablecloth. Put weight on top on the tablecloth so the excess water is drained from the tomatoes and then allow them to cool slightly. Add more tomatoes to your boiling water.</div>
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Step four: Have your tomato press set up on a table. I wouldn't recommend using a glass top table. Set up a large pot or pail below the machine but elevate it so it doesn't splatter everywhere. Use an shallow pan on the left side to catch the peels and most of the seeds. Do not throw them out right away as you can normally pass them through the machine a second time but not more than that or it may jam up on you.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Step four: Strain </td></tr>
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Step five: In clean jars add a couple of washed basil leaves.<br />
Fill jars to the neck and then put the lids and covers on them tightly. Once done line them into a VERY large pot or old metal barrel if you have one and fill with cold water until all the jars are covered. You should use old towels, table clothes or cardboard around the jars inside to keep them from banging against each other or the sides once they begin boiling or they'll break. Cover pot with a cardboard. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Put in jars with Fresh Basil</td></tr>
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Bring water and jars to a boil and let boil for another 20 - 30
minutes. Turn off burner and let cool COMPLETELY before removing them.
I usually wait until the following day. Store them in a catina (cold room) until you're ready to use it. You can cook with them immediately if you like but you will get more of a "fresh" taste. I prefer to use my older sauce first and allow them to age a few months but it's a matter of preference.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3035343289875246208.post-9216266120526725952012-08-10T02:51:00.002-04:002012-08-10T02:51:56.975-04:00Organizing My Research<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijPyncdHty5I7HBMjZ8PnocnJy3-KhiKsFhTMrHFHVP2nsQCCKBnW43EEb_PcxOGJmaZ8DBUFfzoL7QXjKd6PSdVTngp3mysv2ZCUcIlh026aOg-QIOMSp-TaV2bnsynvEgrotEcy3s8A/s1600/louis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijPyncdHty5I7HBMjZ8PnocnJy3-KhiKsFhTMrHFHVP2nsQCCKBnW43EEb_PcxOGJmaZ8DBUFfzoL7QXjKd6PSdVTngp3mysv2ZCUcIlh026aOg-QIOMSp-TaV2bnsynvEgrotEcy3s8A/s320/louis.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy Birthday Son</td></tr>
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Booked a few days off this week to take care of a couple of things around here and to celebrate mine and my oldest son's birthday. It was a quiet day (which is exactly how I wanted it). I spent it cleaning and organizing projects I had been wanting to get to for months. The kids took care of dinner and most of the daily chores which left me free to do what I wanted. We've been in the middle of renovations for most of the summer and I don't think there's a room in this house that hasn't been affected, including my office so it was the perfect opportunity to organize. As with any hobby you never realize just how much junk you can accumulate until you *really* start cleaning and decluttering. I also didn't want to go through another Fall/Winter looking through tons of paper just to find a particular file either. Besides, a clean and organized space always inspires me to work better.<br />
The filing cabinet in my office is gone as are most of my binders with copies of much of my research. I decided it was time to go paperless for the most part. After watching a video* on <a href="http://www.legacyfamilytree.com/Webinars.asp" target="_blank">Legacy Family Tree</a> last fall given by Mary Hill I went to Walmart and purchased a couple of see through totes to hold my streamlined filing system and a shredder. I didn't think a color coded system would work for me but so far it has proved to be the best system I have used. In fact I like it so much that I will also be using One Note to duplicate this same system on my computer. <br />
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*The video is no longer freely available but you can download it on the Legacy site for $9.95 or you can check out <a href="http://www.123genealogy.com/organizer/" target="_blank">FamilyRoots Organizer</a> for additional information. <br />
<br /><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3035343289875246208.post-9283025938686427932012-06-23T02:06:00.002-04:002012-06-23T02:09:55.564-04:00Why Some People Shouldn't DriveSome people should not, no matter what the circumstances, ever be given a driver's license - me being one of them. I happen to have the most horrible sense of direction and although I have been diving for almost 30 years I can count the number of times I've driven on a highway on one hand or been able to figure out which way is North, South, East or West when driving. So it was no surprise that when my son asked me to drive him to a friend's house a fair distance from our home I got a bit nervous. He couldn't drive himself since he knew he would be drinking (kudo's to him for being responsible) and his dad had already gone to bed so at 10 o'clock this evening we set out. He drove there taking the simplest route possible so that I should be able to remember the way back easily enough. Unfortunately that wasn't the case. I started out ok but suddenly I panicked and went opposite the way I was supposed to. That little mistake cost me two hours driving, a half a tank of gas, four phone calls to my children (who were already looking for me) and a final call to my brother begging him to come and get me.. I can find people that lived almost two hundred years ago and connect them with living relatives and yet I can't find my way home! <br />
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My Route: </h3>
<iframe frameborder="0" height="350" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Keele+St&daddr=Fenmar+Dr+to:43.7446112,-79.5753151+to:ON-27+S+to:ON-27+S+to:43.63991,-79.6162+to:Eglinton+Ave+W+to:Hurontario+Street,+Mississauga,+ON,+Canada+to:Eglinton+Ave+East+Of+Hwy+403,+Canada+to:Keele+Street,+Toronto,+ON,+Canada&hl=en&geocode=FZ5MmgIdsHVD-w%3BFVTRmwIdwvFB-w%3BFWN9mwId7cZB-ymZEo-lkToriDGTk48RXXi1IQ%3BFcJUmwIdxFlB-w%3BFShomgIdostB-w%3BFWbkmQIdOCdB-ynPwrFsjTgriDH5B_xl-llirw%3BFd5imQIdKJdA-w%3BFXJYmQIdOKdA-yl1wmSqShEriDEz3fNOKU3AbQ%3BFayumQIdCetA-ylFC3XsoDgriDG8pZXIuFtezg%3BFSNBmgIdhnpD-ylp4BfMIzQriDGfdsv4qd3QOQ&aq=0&oq=Keele&sll=43.66961,-79.534321&sspn=0.065313,0.110378&mra=ls&via=2,5&ie=UTF8&t=m&z=11&output=embed" width="425"></iframe><br />
<small><a href="https://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=embed&saddr=Keele+St&daddr=Fenmar+Dr+to:43.7446112,-79.5753151+to:ON-27+S+to:ON-27+S+to:43.63991,-79.6162+to:Eglinton+Ave+W+to:Hurontario+Street,+Mississauga,+ON,+Canada+to:Eglinton+Ave+East+Of+Hwy+403,+Canada+to:Keele+Street,+Toronto,+ON,+Canada&hl=en&geocode=FZ5MmgIdsHVD-w%3BFVTRmwIdwvFB-w%3BFWN9mwId7cZB-ymZEo-lkToriDGTk48RXXi1IQ%3BFcJUmwIdxFlB-w%3BFShomgIdostB-w%3BFWbkmQIdOCdB-ynPwrFsjTgriDH5B_xl-llirw%3BFd5imQIdKJdA-w%3BFXJYmQIdOKdA-yl1wmSqShEriDEz3fNOKU3AbQ%3BFayumQIdCetA-ylFC3XsoDgriDG8pZXIuFtezg%3BFSNBmgIdhnpD-ylp4BfMIzQriDGfdsv4qd3QOQ&aq=0&oq=Keele&sll=43.66961,-79.534321&sspn=0.065313,0.110378&mra=ls&via=2,5&ie=UTF8&t=m&z=11" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3035343289875246208.post-3295909140049216112012-06-03T16:18:00.000-04:002012-06-03T16:22:51.622-04:00Computer WoesLooking at this blog I just realized I haven't posted since February! Didn't seem like that long but so much has happened I guess time just slipped away from me. My PC has been acting up so I bravely attempted to reinstall VISTA - keep in mind I have never done an install before nor did I later realize was it really needed but hey, that's me. Of course the computer, although working was not perfect. I sort of put files where they shouldn't be and quite a few of my programs no longer worked as they should so last week I enlisted the help of a friend and decided to have him do another clean install for me. But why stop at VISTA? Why not install WIN7? So he did.<br />
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A few problems I have since encountered..I didn't have enough RAM to really run WIN7 correctly so number 1 son went out and purchased me some. While this did speed up my system a hell of a lot my SKYPE, Google Talk, audio and webcam still don't work. And they keep freezing my computer. In fact, last night for one session I actually got the 'blue screen' telling me windows shut down to protect my operating system. If this continues I'll be definitely looking for a new PC in a short while.<br />
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Not all is lost though --- I was smart enough to back everything, including all my genealogy files onto my server and external hard drive so yay me!<br />
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Lots going on..been extracting records from several <i>comuni</i> in Reggio Calabria over the past few months. At some point I hope to get them all online. I'm thinking of hiring an assistant or enlist some volunteers to help. There are so many records but not enough time to do it all myself. If anyone is interested shoot me a message. I'd be happy to have the help!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3035343289875246208.post-41893955808817679722012-01-18T02:51:00.004-05:002012-01-18T15:00:00.314-05:00Blackout in EffectIn protest of SOPA and PIPA I have blacked out all my sites for the next 24 hours along many other sites.<br /><br />If internet blacklist legislation becomes law many sites will be blacked out. This may affect sites such as Wikipedia, Twitter, Facebook and many more.<br /><br />To find out more about this law visit <a href="http://americancensorship.org/">http://americancensorship.org/</a><br /><br />Let's make our voices heard ... STOP AMERICAN CENSORSHIP!<br /><br />We will return tomorrow.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3035343289875246208.post-22430638504307859572012-01-02T16:16:00.003-05:002012-01-02T16:19:16.025-05:00San Francesco di Paola Statue MissingExcellent Post about San Francesco di Paola written by my friend Cathy. Check it out here:<br /><br /><a href="http://cathysgenealogyblog.blogspot.com/2012/01/san-francesco-di-paola-statue-missing.html">San Francesco di Paola Statue Missing</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3035343289875246208.post-43567109518858553112011-12-20T09:14:00.004-05:002012-01-06T09:21:37.197-05:00Old Italian HandwritingSo as not to have to reinvent the wheel I am linking this to my other blog since I have had a few request for it lately...Hope it helps!<br /><br /><a href="http://gentedimareitaliangenealogy.info/2011/03/12/old-italian-handwriting/">http://gentedimareitaliangenealogy.info/2011/03/12/old-italian-handwriting/</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3035343289875246208.post-55188416951677642812011-08-10T00:59:00.001-04:002011-08-10T01:00:24.305-04:00Olive Tree Genealogy Blog: Legacy Marker - Barcoding Your Ancestors?Interesting concept - how do you think it would work?
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<br /><a href="http://olivetreegenealogy.blogspot.com/2011/08/legacy-marker-barcoding-your-ancestors.html">Olive Tree Genealogy Blog: Legacy Marker - Barcoding Your Ancestors?</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3035343289875246208.post-90872001812930347232011-07-26T17:04:00.000-04:002011-07-26T17:04:02.754-04:00A Family Tapestry: Leave Your Mark<a href="http://afamilytapestry.blogspot.com/2011/07/leave-your-mark.html?spref=bl">A Family Tapestry: Leave Your Mark</a>: "It doesn’t take long, researching one’s roots, to realize that we, too, become part of a long chain of humanity. Sometimes we are reluctant ..."Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3035343289875246208.post-89828210296610485142011-06-18T06:51:00.000-04:002011-06-18T06:51:03.205-04:00Ranting...Well it's already mid June and I feel like I have fallen off the face of the internet world lately. There's so much to do around here and so much happening that I never seem to have enough time to do all the things I *want* to do on top of all the things I *have* to do.<br />
A lot has happened in the last few month's around here. The garden's been planted for the season, a new patio set purchased and the living room and dining room have received a fresh coat of paint. The ceiling has also been repaired from the giant leak we had a while back from the heavy rainfall. The weather seems to be back to normal (if that's possible for Toronto weather) which means I can now hang my laundry outside instead of in the laundry room or in the dryer, which frankly I hate.<br />
Dad started his radiation treatments a few weeks ago and it seems to be going well. He's not had any major issues. Soon, with any luck they will also be inserting the device in his throat that will allow him to talk again. I have to admit - it really sucks not hearing his voice. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTXE_EQWS1NubJ5HUJN4JfKQklL1iAMDtTD4kq4Du-fm6kBMf8FDOBx-yWerxJXx6PZ4u-u6qQT0fhKeJZ8YJUQ-hGgTK1mnB-2ERv7yyUD-GV6eT1PNU-TNqT7ZOAzajEvBgm7nfa0d4/s1600/scream.jpg" imageanchor="0" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="32" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTXE_EQWS1NubJ5HUJN4JfKQklL1iAMDtTD4kq4Du-fm6kBMf8FDOBx-yWerxJXx6PZ4u-u6qQT0fhKeJZ8YJUQ-hGgTK1mnB-2ERv7yyUD-GV6eT1PNU-TNqT7ZOAzajEvBgm7nfa0d4/s200/scream.jpg" width="114" /></a></div>Since my son just got his eyebrow pierced yesterday (something I think I will complain about for a very long time), dad not having a voice right now may not be such a bad thing. I can just imagine what he's going to do when he finds out his oldest grandson now looks like a <i>cretino</i>. No doubt the rest of the family will have something to say about it though which means I have to listen to all kinds of lectures about my parenting skills and the freedom I allow my children. Even after 20 years as a mother I still can't seem to raise my kids in the proper Italian way...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3035343289875246208.post-32006026401897566382011-04-16T07:23:00.000-04:002011-12-11T03:21:17.103-05:0016 AprilSaturday morning and it's pouring outside. The weather station says it's going to rain all weekend so I plan on using the time to work on the websites and do some light housecleaning. Problem is I think I sprained my thumb yesterday somehow so it's difficult to really do as much as I would like.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.gentedimaregenealogy.com/images/data.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="81" src="http://www.gentedimaregenealogy.com/images/data.gif" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Italian Surname Database</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The <a href="http://www.gentedimaregenealogy.com/data.html">Italian Surname Database</a> is almost recovered. Somehow the database crashed last month and in spite of my back up it was impossible to recover without re entering all the information again. It should be up again this weekend after I add some new controls to keep the spammers from sending me a lot of garbage. I also hope to do some baking this week as it wouldn't be Easter without the traditional Italian '<a href="http://nucciasthoughts.blogspot.com/search/label/Good%20Friday">Braided Easter Egg Cookies and Taralli</a>'.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy2JSgUepcuoLQbbKU1dtuv0VytsBC-J-WIDi-tcGLQs_87NyW_Bf6cW8DnBfawunHNIHRHw2NyoX8O0bkeVbkjAsOJq22pfkIVC6a2Hw99jZardGGJwbdJjyTLvJCYzqBsea7rPil5lg/s1600/Pisa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy2JSgUepcuoLQbbKU1dtuv0VytsBC-J-WIDi-tcGLQs_87NyW_Bf6cW8DnBfawunHNIHRHw2NyoX8O0bkeVbkjAsOJq22pfkIVC6a2Hw99jZardGGJwbdJjyTLvJCYzqBsea7rPil5lg/s200/Pisa.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pisa at Night</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Number 1 son made it home from his trip to Italy and has finally sent me a copy of all the pictures he took. He took several of the tourist sites and quite a few of my family in the cemetery in Locri which I am grateful for. It helped with some missing dates and will allow me to go back another generation. I hope to have those up shortly as well. He enjoyed his trip so much that he's already talking about going back again soon - too soon. He's also decided that he wants to take his brother with him which I think will be wonderful. I think he loved Rome the best but also enjoyed Pisa (although he saw it at night as the picture on the right shows) as well as spending time with is cousins in Calabria.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3035343289875246208.post-866968941575066272011-04-09T20:42:00.001-04:002011-04-09T20:47:30.571-04:00Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - You Might be a Genealogist if ...<span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">This is a fun blog post this week! It is <span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">based on Katie O's post </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><a href="http://whereyoucamefrom.blogspot.com/2011/04/you-might-be-genealogist-if_06.html" target="_blank">You Might Be a Genealogist If ...</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"> on the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><a href="http://whereyoucamefrom.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">You Are Where You Came from</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"> blog.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;">"<i>You might be a genealogist if . . . you know exactly what you want to get with your tax refund, and it's your great-great-great-grandmother's death certificat</i>e."</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"> </span></span><br style="font-family: inherit;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Here are the directions:<br />
</span></span><br style="font-family: inherit;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>1)</b> Make up your own "You Might be a Genealogist if..." sayings. One or more. Lots. The more the merrier. You can use Katie's tax theme, or any other theme - you're completely free to make up anything you want!</span></span><br style="font-family: inherit;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>2)</b> Tell us about them in your own blog post, in a comment to this blog post, in a Twitter feed, or in a Facebook status line or comment.</span><br />
</span><br style="font-family: inherit;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: inherit;">Here are mine:</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: inherit;">1. You might be a genealogist if ... you send SASE and blank Family Group sheets to your family with your Christmas cards.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: inherit;">2. You might be a genealogist if ... the first thing you ask someone new you meet is where their ancestors come from and then offer to look it up for them if they don't know.</span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: inherit;">3. </span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: inherit;">You might be a genealogist if ... a bill collector calls about a late payment and she ends up telling you how her family was on the ship that rescued the survivors of the Titanic. Of course you encourage the conversation because it buys you some extra time to pay that late payment!</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3035343289875246208.post-43793664536869694452011-03-11T02:01:00.000-05:002011-03-11T02:01:03.200-05:00Faces of America<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiks0jIztWFly1pJMG-egqOu2_sCc1Rztc2Vz9Yq9kSXyNPGjusKOC7yIJaZfKvbeo4ppZec3AXE6A4jI7RZsTHyCKuxxiAit1l2Hj4l0bPODsfoCd8fPdBJWCOQUL7ppfVulIX1YAykbU/s1600/foa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiks0jIztWFly1pJMG-egqOu2_sCc1Rztc2Vz9Yq9kSXyNPGjusKOC7yIJaZfKvbeo4ppZec3AXE6A4jI7RZsTHyCKuxxiAit1l2Hj4l0bPODsfoCd8fPdBJWCOQUL7ppfVulIX1YAykbU/s200/foa.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Faces of America</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Earlier in the week I checked out the 4-part PBS mini series, <a href="http://www.pbs.org/wnet/facesofamerica/">Faces of America</a> with Louis Gates Jr. and I have to admit I couldn't leave my computer until I had finished watching all the episodes.<br />
While the show focus is also about celebrities, the format is very different from NBC's <a href="http://www.nbc.com/who-do-you-think-you-are/">Who Do You Think You Are?</a>. In many ways it is far more superior and definitely much more interesting. The shows move quickly as it shifts the focus back and forth between the 10 featured celebrities and yet it manages to work. Louis Gates Jr. is an enjoyable narrator and interacts with his guests throughout the whole series while presenting them with information about their ancestors. He even discusses some of his own personal research and brick walls. The fact that he solicits feedback and initiates dialogue during his interviews is interesting in it's own right. The show manages to combine a healthy balance of research and history and a bit of travel is thrown in just for fun. I also noticed he presents each of his guests with their own scrapbook with all the details of his research which include copies of ship manifests, vital records certificates and color coded family tree charts. The final episode was all about DNA testing and what it can tell you about your roots.<br />
Hopefully they will consider doing another series in the near future.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3035343289875246208.post-78096361860590660212011-02-26T19:52:00.000-05:002011-02-26T20:16:18.118-05:00Ancestor Approved Award<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis5V5qafgsaw3OXsxY3PHanh8bdfu2hnug7omjB2uvVLx8t6Zz2vAQF-IJAWCMr-VEYTleaOYUsMGltKfSbMbwJWSUZpp0_88GlkSXAv-RK7BM_vG9hyphenhyphenqACE1yZ0_xVBKLB1kE-hplSnE/s1600/ancestor-approved.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis5V5qafgsaw3OXsxY3PHanh8bdfu2hnug7omjB2uvVLx8t6Zz2vAQF-IJAWCMr-VEYTleaOYUsMGltKfSbMbwJWSUZpp0_88GlkSXAv-RK7BM_vG9hyphenhyphenqACE1yZ0_xVBKLB1kE-hplSnE/s1600/ancestor-approved.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ancestor Approved Award</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I got a nice surprise today when I opened my blog a saw that Astrid from <span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://haugenhistory.blogspot.com/">Of Trolls and Lemons</a> </span>awarded me with the Ancestor Approved Award. Needless to say, I am really happy about it so thank you Astrid.<br />
<br />
As a recipient of this award, I am to list 10 things I have learned about my ancestors that have surprised, humbled or thrilled me and then pass the award on to 10 other genealogy bloggers I feel are doing their ancestors proud. So here goes...<br />
Surprised <br />
<br />
1. One of my great uncles spent time in jail for killing a man in the forest with an axe in self defense but because there were no witnesses he was charged with murder.<br />
2. Two of my married ancestors left for America and started new lives with different woman. Neither married them of course! Another had an affair with a married woman which result into the birth of a child he did not recognize.<br />
3. I learned that there was at least one woman in each generation who became a widow at a young age including my grandmother, a great aunt and a cousin. <br />
<br />
<br />
Thrilled<br />
4. I am thrilled to have made contact early in my research with my maternal great uncle's family in Utah who provided me with a treasure of goodies which belonged to my great grandfather, Giovanni Polito.<br />
5. I am also thrilled to make contact with my maternal great grandmother Vincenza Macchione's relatives in Arizona. With their help (especially Ray Justus) I was able to trace my family back 11 generations - all in the same small towns in Cosenza Italy.<br />
6. To have met so many people online who are both family and 'honorary' family who have accepted me into their families as one of their own.<br />
<br />
Humbled <br />
7. My ancestors on both sides were not wealthy by any means. They worked hard and had several children - many who died as children. I can't imagine their pain.<br />
8. My maternal grandmother, great uncle and great aunt grew up in Italy with only their mother since their father chose to stay in the U.S. The fact that my great aunt never met her father at all saddens me the most.<br />
9. My grandfather wrote several letters to his father in law in the U.S. and in one described the economic conditions back in the old country. <br />
10. There was a mistake on my maternal great grandfather's birth act listing the wrong father's name which kept him from naturalizing. He later had the act amended but died not long after so although he had lived in the US for over 35 years he wasn't able to become an American citizen.<br />
<br />
Now to pick 10 blogs I feel are worthy of this award - not an easy choice since I think they're all great but since I have to choose then these would be my choices.<br />
<br />
1. <a href="http://cathysgenealogyblog.blogspot.com/">Cathy's Genealogy Blog</a><br />
2. <a href="http://nickmgombash.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-size: small;">Nick Gombash's Genealogy Blog</span></a><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> 3. </span><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://blackwellsite.com/">Blackwell Family Genealogy</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> 4. </span><a href="http://tlngenealogy.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-size: small;">The Genealogy of Torre le Nocelle, Italy</span></a><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> 5. </span><a href="http://yourfamilysecret.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-size: small;">Searching Every Corner, Researching Every Turn</span></a><br />
6. <a href="http://gretabog.blogspot.com/">Greta's Genealogy Bog</a><br />
7. <a href="http://wetree.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></a><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://wetree.blogspot.com/">The We Tree Genealogy Blog</a></span><br />
8.<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://draft.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=3035343289875246208&postID=7809636186059066021"> </a></span><a href="http://polishamericangenealogy.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-size: small;">Al's Polish-American Genealogy Research Blog</span></a><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> 9. <a href="http://morethannames.blogspot.com/">More Than Names </a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">10.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.walkingwithancestors.co.uk/">Walking with Ancestors</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Ciao For Now! </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span id="goog_1450683516"></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3035343289875246208.post-32780292051340531422011-02-25T02:53:00.000-05:002011-02-25T02:55:28.134-05:00One Coming Home - One Leaving HomeIt's been a long two weeks but finally dad is being released from hospital today. The almost 8 hour surgery went well although he did get that *slim* chance of infection they were sure he wouldn't get. Yesterday they removed all remaining tubes and should have started him on soft foods. Some equipment and nursing supplies were delivered to the house yesterday . I believe the machine is to help him breathe.<br />
Other than the few words he said last week he has not been able to talk. He's still too swollen. A device has to be ordered and made to measure which will be inserted into his throat to help him speak. Found out last night that it will be at least six months before he will talk again. Growing up I would have welcomed the fact that he wouldn't be able to yell at me..<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaKOmYA7g5YzyKhGzt7aO_reNvqNhMS31HCcRds8s9PLJ8wWB0oerPluKih8Mu7lzU7BENYOhDmP_rTtkG_rRS9qCIUoLK6Yydc2eO9qQ11XQP_8Ayq6Pwc_bRIkLdEJEg0aKryRil-hw/s1600/locri_seen_from_gerace%2540rwcards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaKOmYA7g5YzyKhGzt7aO_reNvqNhMS31HCcRds8s9PLJ8wWB0oerPluKih8Mu7lzU7BENYOhDmP_rTtkG_rRS9qCIUoLK6Yydc2eO9qQ11XQP_8Ayq6Pwc_bRIkLdEJEg0aKryRil-hw/s1600/locri_seen_from_gerace%2540rwcards.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Locri as seen from Gerace</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Meanwhile Number One son has decided to fly to Italy next week for a month. I have learned that like me, he is very spontaneous which I'm not sure is a great thing. But unlike me he does not plan things well having no idea what he will do once he arrives there. Thankfully he will be staying with Simy!<br />
Although my son is adult it's really hard not to worry about him flying half way across the world to a foreign country. It makes me wonder how all those mothers felt watching their children (mostly males) leave home for the better life the Americas offered during the mass <a href="http://library.thinkquest.org/20619/Italian.html">Italian immigration of the early 1900's</a>. I'm not so sure I would have handled it well. <br />
Although he is flying to Genoa he has promised me he will go to Calabria. It would be a shame for him to go all the way there and not meet 'the family'. Language will be a problem though as he doesn't speak Italian and none of my relatives speak English (that I know of) but I'm hoping this trip will give him a sense of his roots and understand them, like I did at his age, during the same time of year so many years ago.<br />
<br />
Wish I was going with him.........Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3035343289875246208.post-89644704824434365802011-02-21T11:05:00.000-05:002011-02-21T11:05:01.253-05:00Family Day<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.calabriaexchange.com/calabria-color.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.calabriaexchange.com/calabria-color.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Calabria Exchange</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Today is Family Day here in Ontario which means no work or school for many residents of this province. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_Day_%28Canada%29">Family Day</a> was only established as a holiday here since 2007 bringing our stats holiday count to 9 per year. Unfortunately for many us we are starting the day off by shoveling the snow that fell here during the night. We can't really complain much as it hasn't been a really bad winter so far.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXZb75s5qebk1yAFTCqvrVpr-uf_wvPmkBvxUYr6HfUrlRqsC-nkAXQDZooK8s2hhSA7QaZybnAbbi-A1JJiP0MJGT34S-8q5jdU4mJo9yM4fpSOAA5TYFnEiEievWYKhSaWhugWUizAo/s1600/Gnocchi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXZb75s5qebk1yAFTCqvrVpr-uf_wvPmkBvxUYr6HfUrlRqsC-nkAXQDZooK8s2hhSA7QaZybnAbbi-A1JJiP0MJGT34S-8q5jdU4mJo9yM4fpSOAA5TYFnEiEievWYKhSaWhugWUizAo/s200/Gnocchi.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gnocchi</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Spent the weekend running back and forth to the hospital. Also spent most of yesterday cooking. I learned that when making gnocchi ( from scratch) *never* make more than a few potatoes at a time unless you want to spend the next six hours in the kitchen rolling and forming them. Imagine making almost 300 of these small things? Thank God for freezers or I would have ended up inviting the whole neighborhood over for dinner!<br />
It's also not a good idea to make homemade pizzas at the same time. I started cooking at about 10 am and by the time I sat down it was almost 8 pm! But at least my mother ate a decent meal as she has been at Dad's side every day, the whole day since he went in for surgery on the 11th of this month.<br />
I did have the chance to do a bit of researching as well this weekend (although not as much as I would have liked to). I updated a few pages on the <a href="http://www.calabriaxhange.com/">Calabria Exchange </a>and added some new records to the <a href="http://www.calabriaexchange.com/Cardeto/index.html">Cardeto</a> pages. Still behind in updating the <a href="http://www.gentedimaregenealogy.com/data.html">Surname Database</a>, though. I think it's time to either invest in a program or get some help. It's growing so quickly that I honestly can't keep up using plain html code. Anyone out there who is interested please let me know.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3035343289875246208.post-30700093366546065342011-02-14T16:43:00.000-05:002011-02-14T16:43:05.457-05:00Yes, family history and genealogy research is for all ages in Springfield - Springfield genealogy | Examiner.com<a href="http://www.examiner.com/genealogy-in-springfield-mo/yes-family-history-and-genealogy-research-is-for-all-ages-springfield">Yes, family history and genealogy research is for all ages in Springfield - Springfield genealogy | Examiner.com</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3035343289875246208.post-86040320235905733372011-02-11T03:22:00.000-05:002011-02-11T03:22:12.005-05:00Who Do You Think You Are Season 2 Episode 2 Tim McGraw 2/11/2011 - GeneaBloggers | Internet Radio | Blog Talk Radio<a href="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/geneabloggers/2011/02/12/who-do-you-think-you-are-season-2-episode-2-tim-mcgraw?sms_ss=blogger&at_xt=4d54f1a5546dae88%2C0">Who Do You Think You Are Season 2 Episode 2 Tim McGraw 2/11/2011 - GeneaBloggers | Internet Radio | Blog Talk Radio</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3035343289875246208.post-20855495500775193072011-01-29T10:26:00.000-05:002011-01-29T10:26:36.778-05:00Follow FridayI missed yesterday's Follow Friday but better late than never!<br />
<br />
This blog, only a week old follows the BLACKWELL, DEMASO, COMINSKY, RICE families. The author has put a lot of effort in his research and the information is wonderful. Hope you have a chance to look it over.<br />
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<a href="http://blackwellsite.com/">Blackwell Family Genealogy</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3035343289875246208.post-41156183718882563642010-10-18T02:33:00.000-04:002010-10-18T02:33:16.608-04:00Sourcing Your InfoSpent the weekend doing a whole lot of nothing - except I did manage to get quite a bit of researching in for a friend who was trying to find out the origins of her name. There's something satisfying about taking a few bits of information and working with it until you can piece together a story! I'm always amazed at the creative spellings that people used to change their surnames when they immigrated to the US and even more amazed to find that often that siblings used variations of that same surname so two brothers could have completely different spellings!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQp1epjAnCVLFWpKDRAUKfc-zA9r2y5iX6g0XziL3K78IU2Q7M&t=1&usg=__cHZkzTIE4_vvZA300dOUAed4yiM=" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQp1epjAnCVLFWpKDRAUKfc-zA9r2y5iX6g0XziL3K78IU2Q7M&t=1&usg=__cHZkzTIE4_vvZA300dOUAed4yiM=" /></a></div>I will feature the surname I researched on the next Surname Saturday. I haven't shared all the information with my friend first and so it's best to wait. And of course I want to make sure everything is sourced correctly. I made the mistake early on of not sourcing a lot of info even though I knew I should. I didn't think it was a big deal and I was so excited to find all the info I had that there was no way I could possibly forget where I found it and why I entered it. Definitely NOT a smart thing to do - especially since I tell people all the time the importance of this step!!<br />
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I have spent the last year revisiting each piece of information I have now sourcing it which is not fun. But don't laugh - how many of you have done the same thing? If you haven't then KUDOS - if you have, go back NOW and fix it. Trust me, you will be glad you did!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3035343289875246208.post-61439444122442213862010-10-16T03:08:00.000-04:002010-10-16T03:08:37.360-04:00Follow Friday - 15 Oct 2010Today I follow two blogs and although neither are genealogy related, I found I am really enjoying reading them. The first is <a href="http://blogginforapples-kerri.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-size: small;">Bloggin' for Apples</span></a> and the second, <a href="http://rollinstipjar.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-size: small;">Rollins Tip Jar</span></a>. I happened to love her profile as it reads:<br />
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"I am a customer service expert. What makes me an expert? I'm a customer."<br />
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You just can't get any better than this!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3035343289875246208.post-3210077822910961142010-10-06T01:24:00.000-04:002010-10-06T01:24:01.632-04:00Organizing and Updating RecordsWow! It's hard to believe that it's already October and Summer is over. The days have been wet and much cooler this year which means it's time to start researching again. I have been trying to update the <a href="http://www.gentedimaregenealogy.com/data.html">Italian Surname Database</a> but there is so much to input so it's going to take longer than I thought. I also am trying to put the websites back in order. <br />
Today I contacted a few of the subscription sites that Carole had subscribed to for <a href="http://www.gentedimareitaliangenealogy.com/">Gente</a> and changed over the info to my name. It was not easy but I know the longer I wait the harder it will be. She had bugged me for months to update our contact info but I never seemed to get around to it and now I realized why it is so important to do this. I now find myself on the phone and looking through emails and files for hours trying to sort out all our accounts. Carole always took care of the Administration stuff as quite frankly, I suck at record keeping. <br />
I've decided that as I do this I will create a spreadsheet with all the info on it for future reference and include passwords and expire info. I'll then print out a hard copy in case the computer ever crashes. I guess it just boils down to organization - AGAIN. I have a feeling it's going to be a long winter.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3035343289875246208.post-27352740059880659202010-09-12T08:38:00.000-04:002011-02-24T01:23:57.925-05:00Visiting TorontoHaven't been doing too much researching over the last few months as quite honestly I have just been trying to enjoy *some* of the summer. It seems like the moment September hit though, summer was over. The temperatures have gone from heatwave crazy to wet, windy and cool overnight. Of course I feel pretty bad for Simy who is visiting me from Italy. It seems every time she comes here our weather goes all out of control and this time is no different. It has rained almost every day since she has been here! The first year she flew in was during that huge snowstorm a few years back on Dec 16 - we hadn't seen snow like that in 60 years! After visiting twice in December and twice having seen our weather we agreed that winter was definitely not a month to visit Toronto! We did mange to go down to the Lakeshore yesterday though as the day was fairly nice and then headed down town where we visited St Micheal's Cathedral. My husband was baptized there and I had never seen it before (pretty sad, huh?) and really wanted to.<br /><table class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8AUm3zdGqODscghA5ohh0byNPxNNBVqGExi4oesG-hBo2IL5rA_1RvmHIJJwWu3xaEA9YHXN74YcYZ5uQxXMpcdDqLqomfQAAbAQA0wn1vwOpEou4Ej7PBC7jIUXeYqOsTeejDAhvGaw/s1600/StMichaels.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8AUm3zdGqODscghA5ohh0byNPxNNBVqGExi4oesG-hBo2IL5rA_1RvmHIJJwWu3xaEA9YHXN74YcYZ5uQxXMpcdDqLqomfQAAbAQA0wn1vwOpEou4Ej7PBC7jIUXeYqOsTeejDAhvGaw/s320/StMichaels.jpg" border="0" height="251" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p class="tor">St Micheal's Cathedral</p></td></tr></tbody></table> A little bit about the Cathedral..<br /><br /><div class="center"><div class="plaque">The cornerstone of St. Micheal's Cathedral was laid My 8, 1845, by the Most Reverend Michael Power, first Catholic Bishop of Toronto. Designed by William Thomas, the building is an adaptation of the 14th century English Gothic style. It was consecrated on September 29, 1848. Though the transepts remain unfinished, St Micheal's adheres to the ancient cruciform shape of religious structures. The interior of the cathedral has undergone a number of transformations. The great chancel window, installed in 1858, was executed by Etienne Thevenot, a gifted French artist and was donated by Bishop de Charbonnel. Construction of the tower and spire began in 1867. St Micheal's is the principal church of Canada's largest English-speaking Catholic archdiocese.<br /><small>Erected by the Archeological and Historic Sites Board, Archives of Ontario</small></div></div><br /><br />From there we took a walk along Dundas St W and picked up a hot dog from one of the vendors and continued on to Old and New City Hall to visit what we thought were the Archives. Once inside we realized they had been moved to 255 Spadina so we walked around and looked at some of the photos showing the area in 1961-1964.<br /><br />Of course by this time the weather started to change and so we headed home and took a nap. When I woke up a few hours later it was - you guessed it - raining! So much for a rocking Saturday night!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0