.jpg)
that's all.
Oh, and by the way, how much would I have loved to have been at the Met Gala.
Monday, May 02, 2011
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Mel's Advice
One of my friends once told me that some times friends come in and out of your life. It's true and it has stuck with me.
Some people can surprise you with just how understanding and supportive they are, while others surprise you with their distance.
Some people can surprise you with just how understanding and supportive they are, while others surprise you with their distance.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Build Your Ultimate Closet
Here is a great post from GOOP all about Spring's latest fashion trends, how to edit your own closet and how to properly store garments at the change of season. Very useful!!!
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Things
Over the weekend we held at Estate Sale at grandpa's house. It ran from Friday through Sunday and we did better than expected-- both from the perspective of getting rid of 50 years worth of *stuff* and from the perspective of proceeds. I had been the designated internet advertiser and I posted ads on Estatesales.net, CraigsList, NJ.Com and Yardsales.com (or something thereabouts).... through the magic of the internet webcrawlers picked up on our ads and cross listed them on some additional websites as well.
On the Thursday before the sale we had put aside the things we wanted to keep and we had priced the bulk of the stuff (or so we had thought-- turns out estate salers are very good at getting into the nooks and crannies and finding things that you didn't even know you had, let alone had the time to price).
Despite our efforts, the Mom was still feeling like we were unprepared. Hell, we had a folding table, a cash box and two hundred dollars in mixed change and coinage. I told her we were as prepared as we were going to get and that we seemed a lot more professional than some of the teams we encountered at other estate sales we visited during our research and development phase.
On Friday morning we wore our matching yellow sweatshirts (so we would be distinguishable amongst the sale goers) and when we pulled around the corner we looked to see whether we had a line or no one.... (we ended up having about only 10 or so people in line at first, but the foot traffic never ended).
I parked and Mom went inside to turn on the lights and get things set. I unlocked the shed, opened the garage and pulled out the 2003 Taurus (with 20,300 miles on it) and put it out in the driveway on display for sale. (This actually sold pretty quickly to the neighbor across the street)...
When mom was ready we opened the doors and the first guy in was a nice fellow about my age named Tek. Tek headed straight down to the basement for the lot of Lionel Trains.
Prior to the sale I had received some email traffic through Craigslist about the trains and I had told folks that they were selling for $750 (and I included some photos). My dad collects Lionel and he had merchandised the stuff very nicely for us. He told us, however, that at the end of the day while there were a few good pieces, he would only pay about $500 for what was there. Tek paid $675 and was happy to do it. (But again, I note, Tek was my age-- not necessarily someone who has been collecting these things nearly as long as my Dad has.... I think Tek kind of had the same idea about this stuff that I did-- there was an awful lot there, good, bad or indifferent-- it just *looked* like more than $500!) So, I helped Tek pack up the trains and also stood around the table warding off potential poachers while he carried the stuff out to his car (this was a bit of a throwback to my youth when I had done the same for my Dad when he would go on the occasional "train buy"). I helped Tek carry the last boxes out and he gave me a $10 tip-- to buy lunch. I thought it was a very nice gesture on his part (and I certainly wasn't about to tell him that I was a lawyer perfectly capable of buying my own lunch.) ;)
Some of our other customers? There was Chad who drove all the way from Queens. Chad was also in his thirties and he is a private teacher/tutor who freelances in Manhattan. He must have spent at least two hours scouring the house (which is approximately 900 square feet)... he walked away with just about all of my grandfather's old Budweiser uniforms, a Budweiser snow hat, Budweiser glasses, beer labels and a tray, a vintage Lacoste Golf Cardigan, a really cool chair that turns into a ladder and all other kind of wacky stuff. Chad was totally planning on rocking out the old Budweiser shirts in a very Brooklyn-y hipster sort of way. He was very excited to have an "instant collection" of stuff.
Then there was the ultra hip couple. They were the nicest dressed people I have ever seen at an estate sale or flea market or just about any shopping experience, really. The man looked just like Constantine Maroulis and his girlfriend had gorgeous black curly hair and was dressed to the nines. Constantine was wearing aviator sunglasses (indoors) and had a blazer and fancy jeans. These two looked like they had just stepped out of Studio 54. And can I just tell you, they found the *best* stuff! They got some really neat old books, the bought the "Hustle" records from the 70's and they even made vintage plaid luggage look cool. I have to say I was very pleased that these two walked away with what they did-- I knew it was the most fashionable that that plaid luggage was ever going to get.
We also had a "found materials" artist come (she bought lots of the old benches my Grandfather made) and we had two teachers come late in the day-- one of them bought more of the vintage luggage and the other bought pencil sharpeners right off of the walls they were screwed into. (She also got these neat little tool chests that she was going to put craft supplies in). Then there was the guy who looked just like Hulk Hogan. He came by on all three days, at various points bringing his wife and kids. He was super nice and bought all of our old brass fire extinguishers and all of the old vintage bakelite rotary telephones.
And let's not even discuss the Portuguese couple who had a live squirrel in the trunk of their car (they had captured it in a trap and were planning to release it in the wild far enough away from their own home so that the squirrel wouldn't be able to find its way back). They actually attended the sale on all three days and bought stuff on each day.
Al from South River came on Friday and Sunday and by the end of the day on Sunday he was showing us the tattoos he has of his basset hounds.
Now mind you, I'm not necessarily a people person. I have to say I did good for the bulk of the sale-- being cordial and patient, as I was, after all, trying to sell things. But on the last day my patience began to wear thin.
This one woman came into the house and she looked around and after a while she came by with a small brass desk lamp. The lamp was one that my grandfather had still been using and so it even had one of those newfangled ecofriendly bulbs in it. She brings it to me and asks the price. I tell her $5. She says to me: "Can you plug it in and see if it works?" Now mind you, I'm standing at the cash box, dealing with other customers and also watching Miss B. who is sitting on a chair next to me. I point out an outlet on the wall and let the woman know that she can feel free to test out the lamp.
She plugs it in and it works. Okay, now she asks me if I'll take $3 for it. Can I just say that the fricking bulb is worth more than $3?? But okay. I tell her, sure I'll take $3 for it.
Then, two minutes later she comes up next to me and turns the lamp upside down to show me that the brass lampshade has corrosion or something under it-- and she starts by saying "well, I'm going to reconsider because look at this."
All this registers to me is that this woman is now asking for a further discount on something that I already didn't really want to sell for $5, let alone $3. So I say to her that I don't really care what condition the item is in. The price is $3. If you don't want it, nobody is forcing you to take it, so just leave it. Needless to say this got her pissed off and she left the sale in a huff.
Part of the reason why this happened was that earlier in the day I had told a man (who had come back for a second day after having tried to get everything on the first day that he could for a quarter) that the vacuum attachments he wanted to buy were $2.50. When he thought I was out of earshot he says to my mother "$1 for the attachments". To which I loudly responded: $2.50! Now mind you, there were many people who bought things and then kept buying things and then when they would find yet more things to buy we would just tell them to take it. We had many people who got great package deals and then some. I was more than happy to tell the nice people to just take stuff. But the people who tried to nickel and dime? I had no patience for that.
Moral of this story? I think the first thing to take away is we all probably have way more stuff than we need. If you have something that you've been saving for some special occasion or otherwise (like the countless pairs of brand new pants my Grandfather had, or all of the prints that were never framed, or all of the nuts, bolts and screws never used) just go ahead and use that stuff. The special occasion is now. If something gets used up, buy more when it runs out. If something nice gets damaged, buy a new one then but don't just let stuff sit in a closet for thirty years when you or someone else could be enjoying it. AND, reduce, reuse and recycle. Want to go shopping? Looking for something to collect as a hobby? Looking for old books? Check out estate sales, garage sales, thrift stores, consignment shops and flea markets. There is a lot of interesting, neat stuff out there and why let it go to waste? I love the fact that someone is going to be using my grandparent's old luggage. It's been up in the attic since 1970-something. It still had tags on it from the last time it went through EWR, but now maybe it will get to go somewhere again. Likewise, in your own life, have a garage sale, or donate stuff to the Salvation Army or Goodwill or, sell things on Ebay. Take a look around your house and see if there is stuff sitting around that you just don't need/use/want. I can guarantee you there is someone out there who would/could use it, or love it.
Case in point, one woman bought all of my grandfather's old clown paint by number paintings(!) She told me they were going to a good home where they would be loved for their kitschy value. Better that than being thrown away and better that than being put away somewhere never to see the light of day. If you ever see a skinny guy with a shaved head walking around Queens wearing a Budweiser shirt that says "Mike" over the left pocket, tell Chad that we said hello. ;)
On the Thursday before the sale we had put aside the things we wanted to keep and we had priced the bulk of the stuff (or so we had thought-- turns out estate salers are very good at getting into the nooks and crannies and finding things that you didn't even know you had, let alone had the time to price).
Despite our efforts, the Mom was still feeling like we were unprepared. Hell, we had a folding table, a cash box and two hundred dollars in mixed change and coinage. I told her we were as prepared as we were going to get and that we seemed a lot more professional than some of the teams we encountered at other estate sales we visited during our research and development phase.
On Friday morning we wore our matching yellow sweatshirts (so we would be distinguishable amongst the sale goers) and when we pulled around the corner we looked to see whether we had a line or no one.... (we ended up having about only 10 or so people in line at first, but the foot traffic never ended).
I parked and Mom went inside to turn on the lights and get things set. I unlocked the shed, opened the garage and pulled out the 2003 Taurus (with 20,300 miles on it) and put it out in the driveway on display for sale. (This actually sold pretty quickly to the neighbor across the street)...
When mom was ready we opened the doors and the first guy in was a nice fellow about my age named Tek. Tek headed straight down to the basement for the lot of Lionel Trains.
Prior to the sale I had received some email traffic through Craigslist about the trains and I had told folks that they were selling for $750 (and I included some photos). My dad collects Lionel and he had merchandised the stuff very nicely for us. He told us, however, that at the end of the day while there were a few good pieces, he would only pay about $500 for what was there. Tek paid $675 and was happy to do it. (But again, I note, Tek was my age-- not necessarily someone who has been collecting these things nearly as long as my Dad has.... I think Tek kind of had the same idea about this stuff that I did-- there was an awful lot there, good, bad or indifferent-- it just *looked* like more than $500!) So, I helped Tek pack up the trains and also stood around the table warding off potential poachers while he carried the stuff out to his car (this was a bit of a throwback to my youth when I had done the same for my Dad when he would go on the occasional "train buy"). I helped Tek carry the last boxes out and he gave me a $10 tip-- to buy lunch. I thought it was a very nice gesture on his part (and I certainly wasn't about to tell him that I was a lawyer perfectly capable of buying my own lunch.) ;)
Some of our other customers? There was Chad who drove all the way from Queens. Chad was also in his thirties and he is a private teacher/tutor who freelances in Manhattan. He must have spent at least two hours scouring the house (which is approximately 900 square feet)... he walked away with just about all of my grandfather's old Budweiser uniforms, a Budweiser snow hat, Budweiser glasses, beer labels and a tray, a vintage Lacoste Golf Cardigan, a really cool chair that turns into a ladder and all other kind of wacky stuff. Chad was totally planning on rocking out the old Budweiser shirts in a very Brooklyn-y hipster sort of way. He was very excited to have an "instant collection" of stuff.
Then there was the ultra hip couple. They were the nicest dressed people I have ever seen at an estate sale or flea market or just about any shopping experience, really. The man looked just like Constantine Maroulis and his girlfriend had gorgeous black curly hair and was dressed to the nines. Constantine was wearing aviator sunglasses (indoors) and had a blazer and fancy jeans. These two looked like they had just stepped out of Studio 54. And can I just tell you, they found the *best* stuff! They got some really neat old books, the bought the "Hustle" records from the 70's and they even made vintage plaid luggage look cool. I have to say I was very pleased that these two walked away with what they did-- I knew it was the most fashionable that that plaid luggage was ever going to get.
We also had a "found materials" artist come (she bought lots of the old benches my Grandfather made) and we had two teachers come late in the day-- one of them bought more of the vintage luggage and the other bought pencil sharpeners right off of the walls they were screwed into. (She also got these neat little tool chests that she was going to put craft supplies in). Then there was the guy who looked just like Hulk Hogan. He came by on all three days, at various points bringing his wife and kids. He was super nice and bought all of our old brass fire extinguishers and all of the old vintage bakelite rotary telephones.
And let's not even discuss the Portuguese couple who had a live squirrel in the trunk of their car (they had captured it in a trap and were planning to release it in the wild far enough away from their own home so that the squirrel wouldn't be able to find its way back). They actually attended the sale on all three days and bought stuff on each day.
Al from South River came on Friday and Sunday and by the end of the day on Sunday he was showing us the tattoos he has of his basset hounds.
Now mind you, I'm not necessarily a people person. I have to say I did good for the bulk of the sale-- being cordial and patient, as I was, after all, trying to sell things. But on the last day my patience began to wear thin.
This one woman came into the house and she looked around and after a while she came by with a small brass desk lamp. The lamp was one that my grandfather had still been using and so it even had one of those newfangled ecofriendly bulbs in it. She brings it to me and asks the price. I tell her $5. She says to me: "Can you plug it in and see if it works?" Now mind you, I'm standing at the cash box, dealing with other customers and also watching Miss B. who is sitting on a chair next to me. I point out an outlet on the wall and let the woman know that she can feel free to test out the lamp.
She plugs it in and it works. Okay, now she asks me if I'll take $3 for it. Can I just say that the fricking bulb is worth more than $3?? But okay. I tell her, sure I'll take $3 for it.
Then, two minutes later she comes up next to me and turns the lamp upside down to show me that the brass lampshade has corrosion or something under it-- and she starts by saying "well, I'm going to reconsider because look at this."
All this registers to me is that this woman is now asking for a further discount on something that I already didn't really want to sell for $5, let alone $3. So I say to her that I don't really care what condition the item is in. The price is $3. If you don't want it, nobody is forcing you to take it, so just leave it. Needless to say this got her pissed off and she left the sale in a huff.
Part of the reason why this happened was that earlier in the day I had told a man (who had come back for a second day after having tried to get everything on the first day that he could for a quarter) that the vacuum attachments he wanted to buy were $2.50. When he thought I was out of earshot he says to my mother "$1 for the attachments". To which I loudly responded: $2.50! Now mind you, there were many people who bought things and then kept buying things and then when they would find yet more things to buy we would just tell them to take it. We had many people who got great package deals and then some. I was more than happy to tell the nice people to just take stuff. But the people who tried to nickel and dime? I had no patience for that.
Moral of this story? I think the first thing to take away is we all probably have way more stuff than we need. If you have something that you've been saving for some special occasion or otherwise (like the countless pairs of brand new pants my Grandfather had, or all of the prints that were never framed, or all of the nuts, bolts and screws never used) just go ahead and use that stuff. The special occasion is now. If something gets used up, buy more when it runs out. If something nice gets damaged, buy a new one then but don't just let stuff sit in a closet for thirty years when you or someone else could be enjoying it. AND, reduce, reuse and recycle. Want to go shopping? Looking for something to collect as a hobby? Looking for old books? Check out estate sales, garage sales, thrift stores, consignment shops and flea markets. There is a lot of interesting, neat stuff out there and why let it go to waste? I love the fact that someone is going to be using my grandparent's old luggage. It's been up in the attic since 1970-something. It still had tags on it from the last time it went through EWR, but now maybe it will get to go somewhere again. Likewise, in your own life, have a garage sale, or donate stuff to the Salvation Army or Goodwill or, sell things on Ebay. Take a look around your house and see if there is stuff sitting around that you just don't need/use/want. I can guarantee you there is someone out there who would/could use it, or love it.
Case in point, one woman bought all of my grandfather's old clown paint by number paintings(!) She told me they were going to a good home where they would be loved for their kitschy value. Better that than being thrown away and better that than being put away somewhere never to see the light of day. If you ever see a skinny guy with a shaved head walking around Queens wearing a Budweiser shirt that says "Mike" over the left pocket, tell Chad that we said hello. ;)
Wednesday, April 06, 2011
Duh...
Okay, how did I not know there was an Edward Hopper exhibition at the Whitney for the past six months???? It's closing on Sunday! Ugh! I have nom time between now and then to see it. Double ugh!
Tuesday, April 05, 2011
Live Auctioneer!
Has some neat auctions coming up, including English and US Pop Art and mid-century modern design! The Pop Art category is neat because I keep track of some of that stuff... One poster I'll be keeping my eye out for is a 1993 Roy Lichtenstein called "Tintin Reading" it is an image that Lichtenstein created for the cover of the book "Tintin in the New World" and it is pretty cool!
Saturday, April 02, 2011
Talking Points
So, my work computer has decided that it no longer wants to recharge. This is problematic given the amount of work I have to do over this weekend, which is really not that easy to do through a Citrix connection with my home computer. Ugh. It seems as though the battery will take a change but the power adapter is kind of kaput. I love that it keeps telling me that the output from the a/c adapter is too low for the computer. It's the adapter that came *with* the computer! Whatever. Another reason to be a Mac user.
What else?
Can someone tell me why Aperture 3 is $199 at the Apple Store but $79 through the App Store? I guess I should just be happy that the technogeeks at the Apple Store are the ones who told me about the price difference!
In other news, the parents are now iPhone users. How cool is that? This is quite an upgrade from the pay as you go phone my mom had been using (which was as close to an analog cell phone as you could find in 2011...)
Ah, I remember the days of the analog cell phone. I loved my Nokia Charlie's Angels phone. ;) but I think I love even more the fact that I can order and pay for my dinner at Chipotle all on my iPhone.
Speaking of Chipotle, the other night I did place an order for pick up from my phone.... Then when I get to my local Chipotle, I was a little bit early so I waited as they got my meal ready... In the middle of which the section of the shopping center where the restaurant is lost power. A little bit of panic actually ensued. There was a really long line for food, so the place had a lot of people in it and once the power cut out the vents stopped working but the (I assume gas powered) griddles remained operational so the place did start to fill up with fajita smoke. The manager quickly got his employees to open all of the doors in order to get some cross ventilation going on. They ushered everyone out and decided to close! Luckily, they gave my my stuff and since I had paid online I was free to go with my burrito bowl. A bit of adventure in North Brunswick.
In further news, I did just return from a car trip to Georgia.
Yes, a car trip to Georgia.
My Dad's driver's license had expired (back in August...!?!?) and given that it was a Commercial Driver's License he was unable to renew it online. And, to add insult to injury, he obviously couldn't board a plane to go back home to renew it... And without it he was running into problems with estate administration in his role as executor. So my mom and dad rented a minivan and we drove from NJ to Atlanta, spent two days and then drove back.
My mom was most impressed with our rented Town and Country van which included Sirius Satellite radio and automatic side doors and an automatic hatchback. I will say it was pretty cool that the doors would open by themselves at the touch of a button. And Miss B. Really enjoyed being able to open and close her door all by herself just by hitting the little button. We were also kind of mesmerized with the stow and go compartments.
The drive down was fun, but unfortunately, the drive back up was through the rain both days... And there are just way too many tractor trailer trucks on I-81 these days. And let's not even discuss the nasty roadside food options. Double ugh. On the first night of our drive we actually ate at a place called Fatz. I don't think I need to elaborate.
Not much else is new. What have you been up to?
What else?
Can someone tell me why Aperture 3 is $199 at the Apple Store but $79 through the App Store? I guess I should just be happy that the technogeeks at the Apple Store are the ones who told me about the price difference!
In other news, the parents are now iPhone users. How cool is that? This is quite an upgrade from the pay as you go phone my mom had been using (which was as close to an analog cell phone as you could find in 2011...)
Ah, I remember the days of the analog cell phone. I loved my Nokia Charlie's Angels phone. ;) but I think I love even more the fact that I can order and pay for my dinner at Chipotle all on my iPhone.
Speaking of Chipotle, the other night I did place an order for pick up from my phone.... Then when I get to my local Chipotle, I was a little bit early so I waited as they got my meal ready... In the middle of which the section of the shopping center where the restaurant is lost power. A little bit of panic actually ensued. There was a really long line for food, so the place had a lot of people in it and once the power cut out the vents stopped working but the (I assume gas powered) griddles remained operational so the place did start to fill up with fajita smoke. The manager quickly got his employees to open all of the doors in order to get some cross ventilation going on. They ushered everyone out and decided to close! Luckily, they gave my my stuff and since I had paid online I was free to go with my burrito bowl. A bit of adventure in North Brunswick.
In further news, I did just return from a car trip to Georgia.
Yes, a car trip to Georgia.
My Dad's driver's license had expired (back in August...!?!?) and given that it was a Commercial Driver's License he was unable to renew it online. And, to add insult to injury, he obviously couldn't board a plane to go back home to renew it... And without it he was running into problems with estate administration in his role as executor. So my mom and dad rented a minivan and we drove from NJ to Atlanta, spent two days and then drove back.
My mom was most impressed with our rented Town and Country van which included Sirius Satellite radio and automatic side doors and an automatic hatchback. I will say it was pretty cool that the doors would open by themselves at the touch of a button. And Miss B. Really enjoyed being able to open and close her door all by herself just by hitting the little button. We were also kind of mesmerized with the stow and go compartments.
The drive down was fun, but unfortunately, the drive back up was through the rain both days... And there are just way too many tractor trailer trucks on I-81 these days. And let's not even discuss the nasty roadside food options. Double ugh. On the first night of our drive we actually ate at a place called Fatz. I don't think I need to elaborate.
Not much else is new. What have you been up to?
Thursday, March 31, 2011
One more thing.
I think I must be completely out of touch with the etiquette of correspondence these days.
That's all I have to say.
That's all I have to say.
I love
the Overture from the Barber of Seville. And Carmen. And La Boheme.
Maybe I can just live at The Met.
Maybe I can just live at The Met.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Hanna
I've seen a couple of commercials for this movie and it looks good. And, I'm also kind of hooked by the fact that The Chemical Brothers have done the score.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
More Books Again
So today I went to the Bryn-Mawr Wellsley Book Sale. I made the mistake of paying $20 to get in to the special first day. This was kind of a rip off since the bulk of the other buyers were there to stock their *used book stores* and the BW folks appear to put out new books each day, so you're really not necessarily getting the pick of the litter or anything.
Not to mention that they balked at me when I asked for a receipt for my "entrance fee".... really? It's a donation. I'm not getting anything for it. It's tax deductible, give me a receipt already! But, whatever.
In the end I did get a few neat books, a very cool geologic map of New Jersey, some prints and a nicely framed drawing of the Roman skyline. Of my books? I did find a first edition, fourth printing of Faulkner's Light in August (which is retailing on www.abebooks.com) for $475. Mine was $1. I also got a first edition Edith Wharton, but unfortunately it's binding is missing, though the boards are still intact. If the binding were together it would be a $90 book. I may consider actually getting this one repaired because the rest of the book really is in very nice condition. We'll see. I also got a first edition of The Razor's Edge, but it's a book club edition (from 1945) so the value is not nearly what the regular first edition would have been, but it is a lovely book.
Hmpf.
I'm thinking I may go back again on the free days or at bag/box day... but then again, I may have hit the wall. ;)
Not to mention that they balked at me when I asked for a receipt for my "entrance fee".... really? It's a donation. I'm not getting anything for it. It's tax deductible, give me a receipt already! But, whatever.
In the end I did get a few neat books, a very cool geologic map of New Jersey, some prints and a nicely framed drawing of the Roman skyline. Of my books? I did find a first edition, fourth printing of Faulkner's Light in August (which is retailing on www.abebooks.com) for $475. Mine was $1. I also got a first edition Edith Wharton, but unfortunately it's binding is missing, though the boards are still intact. If the binding were together it would be a $90 book. I may consider actually getting this one repaired because the rest of the book really is in very nice condition. We'll see. I also got a first edition of The Razor's Edge, but it's a book club edition (from 1945) so the value is not nearly what the regular first edition would have been, but it is a lovely book.
Hmpf.
I'm thinking I may go back again on the free days or at bag/box day... but then again, I may have hit the wall. ;)
Monday, March 21, 2011
Genealogy
One year during middle school my gifted class did a project on family history. We each had to talk to our relatives and put together as comprehensive of a family tree as we could.
One kid managed to track down his family through the civil war. Needless to say, he got extra credit.
Me? It was like I was dropped here from outer space.
My mom knew back to her grandparents on her mother's side (they had immigrated to the US, and we just didn't know anything about who their parents were). On her dad's side? Grandpa had been an orphan, so we only knew a few sparse facts.
On my Dad's side? All we knew were my grandparents. That's it. Nobody else. Great-grandparents? No names. My dad knew the name of both of his step-grandfathers, but that was it.
Needless to say this whole family history thing always intrigued me. I couldn't quite get my head around how people could create new generations but those generations would have no real knowledge of what had come before them.
Years passed, but finally, thanks to the Internet, I was able to make some headway. Back when I was still living in NY (so sometime around 2002-2003) I first found Ancestry.com and reviewed the 1930 census data. I found my maternal grandfather at the orphanage and I was able to find my paternal grandmother living in Princeton. I found out her sister's name and the names of her half-siblings. Also her mother's first name (Caroline) and her step-father. My Great-Grandfather had died when my Grandmother was very young and her mother had remarried. While I knew that my Grandmother's maiden name was Phillips, I wasn't able to ascertain my Great-Grandmother's maiden name.
Years passed, and about last year or so I started dabbling again on Ancestry. Armed with the knowledge that my Great-Grandmother's name had been Caroline Phillips after her first marriage, and that her second marriage was to a man named George Bromm I cast a wider search net. Through reviewing local newspaper records I found a marriage announcement from Trenton between a Ms. Caroline M. Drammond and George Bromm. The announcement gave me her address in Trenton around 1920. So, I began looking in earnest for Ms. Drammond.
Little did I know at the time that the newspaper announcement was a misprint.
After some more diligent searching I was able to locate a Ms. Caroline M. Phillips in Chester, Pennsylvania, with two daughters (Marguerite and Mary, being my Grandmother and her sister, respectively). Ms. Phillips also had two men living with her. William Diamond and George Diamond. Were they boarders? Turns out these men were her father and brother.
By reviewing the next earliest census record I was able to find more of the Diamond clan, this time with Caroline listed as a Diamond instead of a Phillips. However, Phillips is a common name. I wasn't certain she was the right woman until I looked a little closer at the neighbors listed on her census page. Who was her next door neighbor in 1910? Mr. John Phillips. At the time of the 1910 census, John Phillips was married to a woman named Sadie (nee Wright) and he had two children, Merrill (a 3 year old boy) and Dorothy (a 14 month old girl). John's younger brother, Thomas, also lived with the family. (Unfortunately, though, I wasn't able to find a record for John earlier than this date which is conclusively him). With this information I was able to contact Delaware County's records department and order copies of the marriage records for John and Sadie and John and Caroline (who were married in 1914). I also obtained the probate documentation for John, who passed away in 1918.
I was pretty confident at this point that I had found my relatives. Luckily for me, the Diamond family had lived in Chester for many years. William, my Great-Great Grandfather had married a local woman named Mary Dooley (my Great-Great Grandmother). Mary's parents were Michael and Rebecca Dooley. Michael was originally from Ireland, by way of Delaware, and fought in the Civil War, being wounded at Gettysburg.
William Diamond was one of the sons of George Diamond (my Great-Great-Great Grandfather). George had come to Chester from Brooklyn. George had originally immigrated from Ireland to Brooklyn and married Annie McCullough. George also fought in the Civil War. (Extra Credit, here I come!)
Meanwhile I was also having a little bit of luck with my dad's father's side of the family. I managed to find where they had lived in Northern New Jersey, and find the family originally living in Brooklyn after having immigrated from Acri, Italy.
All of this was very exciting. Though I have to say, I was still a bit skeptical about all of it since I'm just sitting here at home trying to connect dots on a computer screen. Was I right? Who knew?
My Mom had always joked that my Dad's family weren't picture takers. And it seemed true-- compared to my mom's family (where no occasion was complete without photos) there really weren't many pictures at all of my Dad's side. So, I was rather surprised when I visited with my grandfather (my Dad's dad) back in October and he had a photo of his grandparents and their sons (including his father) from their time in Brooklyn in the early part of the 20th century. There they were: Anthony, Rose, Michael, Joseph, Peter, Angelo and Anthony (because you can never have too many Anthony's, apparently). He also confirmed that yes, his mother's name was Angelina. He also told me that my Great-Grandmother (Caroline Diamond Phillips Bromm) was buried in Princeton-- though quick research of the burial records couldn't confirm this. This was kind of a big deal because finally, I was starting to get some real information and photos.
Sadly, my Grandfather passed away earlier this month. During the process of organizing his affairs my parents and I have started to find photos and records. First I found my Grandfather's baptismal record and birth certificate. Both included his mother's full name and confirmed that our last name was originally spelled differently (as Ancestry.com had shown in the census records). In going through some family jewelry I found a gold wedding band with the inscription "CMD JHP May 12, 1914". It was my Great-Grandmother's wedding band. I also found a bracelet inscribed CMD 1912. My Dad found his Great-Grandfather's pocketwatch (the chain of which, appears to be visible in the family photo my Grandfather had shown us).
Finally, today we located my Grandmother's bible. In it she had written a short family tree on the inside pages. It included the birth and death dates for Caroline Diamond, her daughter, Mary Diamond (my Great-Aunt) and also in it was a mass card for Dorothy Bentivolgio (nee Phillips), my Grandmother's half-sister, daughter of John and Sadie Phillips. The bible also includes grave locations in Princeton for both Caroline and Mary and it included information that John Phillips (and his younger brother Thomas) had spent time in the St. Vincent's Orphanage for Catholic and German children in Philadelphia (which may explain why I have been unable to locate earlier records for John).
I have found two photos-- one which I think may be Caroline and one which may be John, but there is no information written on the back of either. I don't think at this point that I'll ever be sure. I'm happy that I have confirmation that the research I've done so far is accurate. I'm also glad that I already feel like I know these people, even if I don't have the stories that went with their lives.
My search is continuing for information about my maternal grandfather. Searches in Trenton at the New Jersey State Archives couldn't locate his birth certificate. The Orphanage records have been destroyed and the Catholic Diocese which managed the Orphanage does not seem to have any records relating to his time there. I hired a genealogist to help solve some of the mystery and she was able to obtain a copy of my Grandparent's marriage certificate. This provided my Great-Grandmother's name, but so far searches under her name have not been fruitful. I do know that my Grandfather was born in Passaic, so at least that is a start.
What have I learned? Pass on your stories while you can. Though doing the detective work and research on Ancestry has been a fun challenge, I would have much rather had a foundation directly from family members. If you have a story, tell it. Write it down for your children or grandchildren and don't put it on a shelf for thirty years. Pass it down.
One kid managed to track down his family through the civil war. Needless to say, he got extra credit.
Me? It was like I was dropped here from outer space.
My mom knew back to her grandparents on her mother's side (they had immigrated to the US, and we just didn't know anything about who their parents were). On her dad's side? Grandpa had been an orphan, so we only knew a few sparse facts.
On my Dad's side? All we knew were my grandparents. That's it. Nobody else. Great-grandparents? No names. My dad knew the name of both of his step-grandfathers, but that was it.
Needless to say this whole family history thing always intrigued me. I couldn't quite get my head around how people could create new generations but those generations would have no real knowledge of what had come before them.
Years passed, but finally, thanks to the Internet, I was able to make some headway. Back when I was still living in NY (so sometime around 2002-2003) I first found Ancestry.com and reviewed the 1930 census data. I found my maternal grandfather at the orphanage and I was able to find my paternal grandmother living in Princeton. I found out her sister's name and the names of her half-siblings. Also her mother's first name (Caroline) and her step-father. My Great-Grandfather had died when my Grandmother was very young and her mother had remarried. While I knew that my Grandmother's maiden name was Phillips, I wasn't able to ascertain my Great-Grandmother's maiden name.
Years passed, and about last year or so I started dabbling again on Ancestry. Armed with the knowledge that my Great-Grandmother's name had been Caroline Phillips after her first marriage, and that her second marriage was to a man named George Bromm I cast a wider search net. Through reviewing local newspaper records I found a marriage announcement from Trenton between a Ms. Caroline M. Drammond and George Bromm. The announcement gave me her address in Trenton around 1920. So, I began looking in earnest for Ms. Drammond.
Little did I know at the time that the newspaper announcement was a misprint.
After some more diligent searching I was able to locate a Ms. Caroline M. Phillips in Chester, Pennsylvania, with two daughters (Marguerite and Mary, being my Grandmother and her sister, respectively). Ms. Phillips also had two men living with her. William Diamond and George Diamond. Were they boarders? Turns out these men were her father and brother.
By reviewing the next earliest census record I was able to find more of the Diamond clan, this time with Caroline listed as a Diamond instead of a Phillips. However, Phillips is a common name. I wasn't certain she was the right woman until I looked a little closer at the neighbors listed on her census page. Who was her next door neighbor in 1910? Mr. John Phillips. At the time of the 1910 census, John Phillips was married to a woman named Sadie (nee Wright) and he had two children, Merrill (a 3 year old boy) and Dorothy (a 14 month old girl). John's younger brother, Thomas, also lived with the family. (Unfortunately, though, I wasn't able to find a record for John earlier than this date which is conclusively him). With this information I was able to contact Delaware County's records department and order copies of the marriage records for John and Sadie and John and Caroline (who were married in 1914). I also obtained the probate documentation for John, who passed away in 1918.
I was pretty confident at this point that I had found my relatives. Luckily for me, the Diamond family had lived in Chester for many years. William, my Great-Great Grandfather had married a local woman named Mary Dooley (my Great-Great Grandmother). Mary's parents were Michael and Rebecca Dooley. Michael was originally from Ireland, by way of Delaware, and fought in the Civil War, being wounded at Gettysburg.
William Diamond was one of the sons of George Diamond (my Great-Great-Great Grandfather). George had come to Chester from Brooklyn. George had originally immigrated from Ireland to Brooklyn and married Annie McCullough. George also fought in the Civil War. (Extra Credit, here I come!)
Meanwhile I was also having a little bit of luck with my dad's father's side of the family. I managed to find where they had lived in Northern New Jersey, and find the family originally living in Brooklyn after having immigrated from Acri, Italy.
All of this was very exciting. Though I have to say, I was still a bit skeptical about all of it since I'm just sitting here at home trying to connect dots on a computer screen. Was I right? Who knew?
My Mom had always joked that my Dad's family weren't picture takers. And it seemed true-- compared to my mom's family (where no occasion was complete without photos) there really weren't many pictures at all of my Dad's side. So, I was rather surprised when I visited with my grandfather (my Dad's dad) back in October and he had a photo of his grandparents and their sons (including his father) from their time in Brooklyn in the early part of the 20th century. There they were: Anthony, Rose, Michael, Joseph, Peter, Angelo and Anthony (because you can never have too many Anthony's, apparently). He also confirmed that yes, his mother's name was Angelina. He also told me that my Great-Grandmother (Caroline Diamond Phillips Bromm) was buried in Princeton-- though quick research of the burial records couldn't confirm this. This was kind of a big deal because finally, I was starting to get some real information and photos.
Sadly, my Grandfather passed away earlier this month. During the process of organizing his affairs my parents and I have started to find photos and records. First I found my Grandfather's baptismal record and birth certificate. Both included his mother's full name and confirmed that our last name was originally spelled differently (as Ancestry.com had shown in the census records). In going through some family jewelry I found a gold wedding band with the inscription "CMD JHP May 12, 1914". It was my Great-Grandmother's wedding band. I also found a bracelet inscribed CMD 1912. My Dad found his Great-Grandfather's pocketwatch (the chain of which, appears to be visible in the family photo my Grandfather had shown us).
Finally, today we located my Grandmother's bible. In it she had written a short family tree on the inside pages. It included the birth and death dates for Caroline Diamond, her daughter, Mary Diamond (my Great-Aunt) and also in it was a mass card for Dorothy Bentivolgio (nee Phillips), my Grandmother's half-sister, daughter of John and Sadie Phillips. The bible also includes grave locations in Princeton for both Caroline and Mary and it included information that John Phillips (and his younger brother Thomas) had spent time in the St. Vincent's Orphanage for Catholic and German children in Philadelphia (which may explain why I have been unable to locate earlier records for John).
I have found two photos-- one which I think may be Caroline and one which may be John, but there is no information written on the back of either. I don't think at this point that I'll ever be sure. I'm happy that I have confirmation that the research I've done so far is accurate. I'm also glad that I already feel like I know these people, even if I don't have the stories that went with their lives.
My search is continuing for information about my maternal grandfather. Searches in Trenton at the New Jersey State Archives couldn't locate his birth certificate. The Orphanage records have been destroyed and the Catholic Diocese which managed the Orphanage does not seem to have any records relating to his time there. I hired a genealogist to help solve some of the mystery and she was able to obtain a copy of my Grandparent's marriage certificate. This provided my Great-Grandmother's name, but so far searches under her name have not been fruitful. I do know that my Grandfather was born in Passaic, so at least that is a start.
What have I learned? Pass on your stories while you can. Though doing the detective work and research on Ancestry has been a fun challenge, I would have much rather had a foundation directly from family members. If you have a story, tell it. Write it down for your children or grandchildren and don't put it on a shelf for thirty years. Pass it down.
Wednesday, March 09, 2011
Movie Time
So far today we've watched The Next Three Days and Morning Glory (let's not forget that my rental for The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest is almost up and I'll probably have to watch that later tonight too...)
Reviews?? The Next Three Days was really long and boring.
Morning Glory? It's actually cute.
Reviews?? The Next Three Days was really long and boring.
Morning Glory? It's actually cute.
Tuesday, March 08, 2011
Some People...
I was on the phone today dealing with a doctor. I was trying to make arrangements for an evaluation and this guy was really just being very arrogant. At one point he says to me, very self-importantly, "well, I charge THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS per hour."
It was nice to be able to respond by saying: "well. I charge SEVEN HUNDRED DOLLARS per hour."
Thank you, Mom, Dad, Cornell University and my law firm for giving me the ammunition to knock the wind out of that jackhole's sails. ;)
It was nice to be able to respond by saying: "well. I charge SEVEN HUNDRED DOLLARS per hour."
Thank you, Mom, Dad, Cornell University and my law firm for giving me the ammunition to knock the wind out of that jackhole's sails. ;)
Saturday, March 05, 2011
One More Random Thing
I really like the movie The Red Violin... But I adore the soundtrack. Joshua Bell rocks.
How do You Know Your Child Lives in New Jersey?
They say to their stuffed dog: "So are you going to bark, or what?"
In Praise of Magda
Magda is one of the seamstresses at my local dry cleaners'. A few months ago I brought in to her a Giambattista Valli dress I had gotten that needed to be shortened (as is the case with most of my clothing....) and she did a beautiful job. Today I picked up my Prada gold lame skirt (that I found at the Falka Boutique in the East Village with Ms. Thisbe back in December) which she had to make about two sizes smaller than it was originally... Looks terrific and I can't wait to wear it.
I'm considering my next challenge: altering a wool Max Mara suit jacket which I acquired as part of a skirt suit at a really great thrift store for all of $12.00. Jackets can be tricky, but I think she'll be up for it.
I'm considering my next challenge: altering a wool Max Mara suit jacket which I acquired as part of a skirt suit at a really great thrift store for all of $12.00. Jackets can be tricky, but I think she'll be up for it.
Thursday, March 03, 2011
Books Books Books
Okay, so I know I always blather on about the books I find at book sales. But. Today was different. Today I really managed to find some cool stuff. I'm not going to say I found anything amazing by great literature standards, but still.... Mostly it was all movie books.... Read on...
I did find a first edition, hard cover Hideous Kinky by Esther Freud (upon which the Kate Winslet movie was based) and a first British edition of P.D. James' The Children of Men (upon which the Clive Owen movie was based....)
Then I found a first edition, first printing DaVinci Code. Do you have any idea how many DaVinci Codes there are out there floating around in space? I managed to find one of the first. It even has a publisher's uncorrected spelling error!
I also found a first edition Family of Man.
And, a first edition (early printing) of Where the Sidewalk Ends (this one has the poem "The Gypsies are Coming" which in later printings was changed to "The Goonies are Coming").
And... One of the books I always look for is Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Well, I didn't find a first edition, but I did find a copy autographed by the author (and it was even purchased at a book store in Savannah!) how cool is that?
Rounding out the rest? First edition Prayer for Owen Meany, first edition English Patient (British edition) and First edition, 12th printing Dr. Zhivago (with dust jacket.... also British edition)-- I already have two other Zhivagos, but this is my first with a jacket and my lowest printing number to date.
Lastly, I found a first printing hardcover copy of David Macaulay's Cathedral.
I did find a first edition, hard cover Hideous Kinky by Esther Freud (upon which the Kate Winslet movie was based) and a first British edition of P.D. James' The Children of Men (upon which the Clive Owen movie was based....)
Then I found a first edition, first printing DaVinci Code. Do you have any idea how many DaVinci Codes there are out there floating around in space? I managed to find one of the first. It even has a publisher's uncorrected spelling error!
I also found a first edition Family of Man.
And, a first edition (early printing) of Where the Sidewalk Ends (this one has the poem "The Gypsies are Coming" which in later printings was changed to "The Goonies are Coming").
And... One of the books I always look for is Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Well, I didn't find a first edition, but I did find a copy autographed by the author (and it was even purchased at a book store in Savannah!) how cool is that?
Rounding out the rest? First edition Prayer for Owen Meany, first edition English Patient (British edition) and First edition, 12th printing Dr. Zhivago (with dust jacket.... also British edition)-- I already have two other Zhivagos, but this is my first with a jacket and my lowest printing number to date.
Lastly, I found a first printing hardcover copy of David Macaulay's Cathedral.
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