American Tapestry, the Mowers of Maple Lane

American Tapestry the Mowers of Maple Lane Woodstock NY first published 2007 is now available once again thru the author. “With American Tapestry- The Mowers of Maple Lane, Janine Fallon – Mower continues her contribution to the telling of Woodstock’s unique story. More than a generational tale of one Woodstock family, American Tapestry, as it weaves its way through the pages of Woodstock history, offers a rage glimpse at the people, places and events that crafted Woodstock’s foundation.” Richard Heppner, Woodstock Town Historian. Part one of the book will take the reader through the path Janine and John Mower took to found and nurture the iconic Mowers Saturday Sunday flea market in Woodstock NY Part two of the book tells the story of the Mower/Maurer ancestors who came to British North America in 1710 as part of Queen Anne’s Palatine migration away from Europe. With lots of hard work, a dose of struggles, and unyielding faith, their descendants ended up in Woodstock NY in 1880. The author artfully provides the reader with a glimpse of the generation of Mowers who first came to Maple Lane and the four generations of family members who have giving the Maple Lane property loving stewardship. Available through the author, Janine Fallon Mower, for $15.00 each. 845-679-9032 or email woodstockfleamarket@hvc.rr.com

Appreciating the Finer Things in Life

A hot cross bun, celebrating the Lent/Easter season, a nice cup o hot tea, and a wonderful self published book by Tom Fitzgerals of Kingston NY filled with reminiscing by his grandmother Katty. The hidden gem in the book is Fitzgeralds writing about Irish history. Concise, informative, an enjoyable read. Hats off to my Fallon, Heaney, Donlon, Bradley ancestors who left their homes and families in Ireland and came to the USA for a new start.

Holy Day Feast of the Immaculate Conception December 8, 2022

My paternal Aunt, Mary Margaret Fallon, was born on this day December 8, 1926. She was named after Mary, the mother of God and her grandmother Margaret Veronica Heaney who was born on December 8, 1859. December 8th is the day that Catholics celebrate the Immaculate Conception of Mary, which is to say, that Mary was born without the heritage of the sin of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. I ponder these little bits of religious history and data every now and again as I reflect on how Mary Margret’s father ( my grandfather) was excluded from the Catholic Church. Excluded due to his marriage to a divorced non-Catholic woman with a child from that marriage. And yet, he chose to honor not only his mother, Margaret Veronica Heaney, but also Mary, the mother of Jesus when his third child was born on December 8, 1926. I write about this in “He Didn’t Want to Work on the Railroad” pg 51. “ At about 12 years old, Dad asked his father why he didn’t go to church. His father’s reply. None of your business. ” “ He Didn’t Want to Work on the Railroad is available thru the author at jmower@hvc.rr.com or Amazon Prime. Search the author name: Janine Fallon Mower

Pearl Harbor Day Reflection

Many of us will say that the 9/11 attacks were our generation’s Pearl Harbor. I worry that we will forget what happened at Pearl Harbor in December 1941. Jack Fallon was greatly moved by the enormity of the attack on the U. S. Military Base. When I wrote his biography “He Didn’t Want to Work on the Railroad” , I included his recollection of where he was and what he was doing at the time he learned about the attack. An excerpt from “He Didn’t Want to Work on the Railroad” , pg 92 “ As Dad recalls, he and Shimmy were relaxing at the table after completing their meal, waiting for the waitress to bring their coffee. An especially entertaining musical piece played by Freddie Martin and his orchestra was on. The melody was from a classical concerto called Piano Concerto in B Flat. When retelling this story, Dad would frequently point out; it was one of his favorite pieces of music. He knew the song from its Ameicanized title, “ Tonight We Love” and if asked, he could sing it in his Irish tenor voice. When retelling this story, Dad noted very emphatically, the music stopped abruptly. They both paused, wondering why the music suddenly went quiet, the song not yet at its conclusion. After some static, a man’s voice apologized for the interruption and the announcer stated that it was felt that the patrons should be told the news that Japan had attacked the United States fleet at Pearl Harbor on this dayat 7:55 am Hawaiian time, December 7, 1941” An excerpt from “ One Marine’s Story Corporal John Fallon, U.S.M.C “ Pg 14 “ Dad was contemplating quitting Syracuse University at the time of our country’s declaration of war. If dad wasn’t in college, his selective service status would change and he would be eligible for the draft. One of his friends at Syracuse University, a fellow football player named Paul McKee talked to dad about signing up with the Marines in a reserve program of the U.S. Navy. If you signed up for a four – year stint, you would be deferred from going on active duty until you completed four years of college.” Both books are available thru the author at Jmower@hvc.rr.com or Amazon, search author Janine Fallon Mower

New Goal- Unplug As Much as Possible

Got the bike out on the rail trail the other day. It was one of those beautiful fall mornings that required that I be outside in nature. I did have to pull myself away from the technology devices I have in my home. I’m glad I rescheduled all my computer work till another time.

I think we were ment to spend more time in natural surroundings than modern life and busy schedules allow us to. I’m learning to put time out in nature first with a daily walk, a seasonal bike ride, sitting in the sun at the fleamarket, gazing at the firepit in the back yard. Staying unplugged as much as possible, my new goal.

Remembering Winne Davis Fallon on her 100th Birthday - Recollections in Her Own Words

My mom, Winnie Davis Fallon had somewhat of a nomadic life in her early years. Her mother, Ruth Bickner Davis, though divorced, led people to believe she was a widow with two young daughters. After living in Kingston for a few years, Ruth found work at a boarding house in Westkill, NY. ( c 1933) Winnie writes “ mom got a jo with these people who had a very nice house. I remember looking at pictures that were daguerreotypes. Flo and I walked to school. I remember looking at a totally rundown house along the way with the most beautiful yellow roses growing alongside. When we first went up to Westkill I remember riding thru “ the notch”. This was a long dirt road. One lane only. If you met another vehicle one had to back up to a passing place.

Ruth and her daughters were only in Westkill for one summer season. Winnie notes ” Then we moved to Kleines on MacDaniel Rd in Woodstock NY. ( c 1934) I can honestly say I had more fun as a kid living there. There were lots of kids. Evelyn and Marion were Flo and my age and the Reynolds kids were there for a time. Their father worked in the butcher shop in Woodstock. Their mom was a MacDaniel. “ She goes on the recall “ Uncle Charlie was the one we giggled at the most. Whose uncle I don’t know. He had his own room downstairs with an outside entrance. Anyway, he’d sunbathe nude out back behind the lilac bushes. The same place we dumped the slop buckets to kill the poison ivy.

“ She continues, “ “mom, Flo and I lived in the cabin across the road from the Kleine’s house. It was just a cabin, no inside walls. There was a common area for the whole unit. ( one room). No running water, no toilet, no heat. We heated by the woodstove in the kitchen. John the Norwegian handyman used to start the fire for mom. One day he got the fire going and closed the oven door. We left it open for more heat. When we came home from school and mom from working at the main house, we opened the oven door for warmth and there was our cat. Baked.

C 1941 After high school graduation, Winnie Davis went to Troy NY to live with family friends Gladys and Howard. Within a few months she returned to Woodstock, and as she writes, “ I came home and worked at the Irvington for a while. Saturday nights were square dance nights. The bar was in the far corner and the whole outside walls of the room were tables. I made thirty to forty dollars on a Saturday night. Very good for those times. I saved up a hundred bucks and took off for California, footlocker and all. My trip across country was by bus. I paid $ 75.00 for my fare and had $ 15.00 left when I got there. Each large terminal had showers, so you could clean up. Thru the south west Native Americans would board the bus out in the boonies to get to town. They had no access to showers. Once in L.A, I stayed with a couple from Woodstock who had a small baby. I couldn’t get a job because I wasn’t yet twenty-one. So, I called my dad and told him I was in L.A. and he came and got me. Dad helped me with my driving and I got my licensee in November 1941. Mom and Flo followed me out. Mom and I went to L.A. to look for work. The first place we stayed in was in the Hollywood area. One evening we took a walk downtown to the Hollywood and Vine area. We were flat broke and went in to one of the radio stations. We got in to see a show. I got chosen to participate and won twenty-five silver dollars. We went out of there crying with joy. While in L.A., “ my mom got a job working for Sally Rand. ( Ruth had known her from her Woodstock Playhouse days) She was doing house keeping for her mother. Flo and I went along. The house was in Glendora California. One night Sally came home and she was going out on the road the next day, leaving at 5 am. Did I want to go along with the show? They’d teach me to dance along the way. God, was I scared. I went, and the first stop was Las Vegas. I drove her four-door tan Lincoln Continental convertible. What a car. So wonderful to drive. C 1942

Three Amazing Days Celebrating My Role as a Genealogist, Biographer and Storyteller

 

What a great way to spend my time these past few days.  Hanging out at the Best Western in Kingston at the annual conference held by the Association of Public Historians of New York State. 

I sat in on a talk by Taylor Bruck, UC Archivist and City of Kingston Historian titled What is Historic About Kingston.  Then, Bill Merchant gave a talk about Marginalized Workers on the Delaware and Hudson Canal.  To top the first morning off, I listened to Bryan S. Thompson speak about The Fry Family Black Pioneers of Gouverneur. The afternoon session was an excellent presentation by Richard Heppner Town of Woodstock historian and JoAnn Margolis archivist on the topic of Augusta Allen and the Woodstock Dress- One Woman’s Rise above Hardship within the Woodstock Art Colony.  Lastly, Stephen Blauweiss presented a synopsis of his latest project- Woodstock: 100 Years of the Counterculture through Arts and Music.  

Tuesday morning I decided to listen to Jordan Jace Education Director of the NYS Archives Partnership  Trust  titled The Historian’s Role in Expanding the Historical Narrative in the K-12 Curriculum.  I walked away from this session with a few ideas for the Historical Society of Woodstock. Then I sat in on a very dynamic panel discussion led by staff from the Southeastern NY Library Resource Council.  The over arching idea was how to make virtual exhibits thus taking history to more people in an online format.  To cap the morning off Christopher Carosa gave an informative talk about how to get your message out to the media.  Now, if I could only put some of these suggestions into action!  The afternoon was spent on a walking tour of the Stockade District.   We visited the Stockade District: the Matthewis Persen House, the Friends of Historic Kingston, The Old Dutch Church, The Firemans Museum and lastly, the Senate House Museum and  a tour of the Senate house.  I had almost four miles on my fit bit by the end of that day! Admittedly, my mind was spinning with wonderful ideas. 

City of Kingston Historian Taylor Bruck on the left 

Outside the Matthewis Pearson House 

Mural of John Vanderlyn and Sojourner Truth 

Outside the Senate House 

To close the conference out on Wednesday I attended a lecture about Peg Leg Bates resort: The Legacy of a Black Resort in the Catskills.   I am to young to remember Peg Leg Bates so this was very informative.  Lastly, Karen McLaughlin Cuccinello spoke about her latest book Italian Immigrants in Upstate NY,  1875-1925.  I had lunch with Teri Reynolds of the Woodstock Cemetery Committee. We shared stories of our family’s Italian history in Kingston NY.  Lots of seeds for great ideas were planted at the lunch table.                                                

  There is an incredible amount of rich history here in the Hudson Valley and thru my biographical writing projects I will continue to do my part to add to the historical record of the people who have touched my life. 

Memorial Day Dedication to Joe Ashkar

Left to Right- " Greek" Matthews

Joe Ashkar, Jack Fallon. Maui 1944  

My Dad, Jack Fallon, was a private first class in the Marine Corps in the Pacific Theatre during WWII.  He served while his unit was on Roi- Namur and Saipan- Tinian.  After learning of his experiences, I’ve lovingly nick- named my Dad- a very lucky man.  He came home.

It is a very rainy Memorial Day weekend here in the north east this year.  The kind of day you want to curl up under the comforter and close your eyes, listen to the rain pounding on the roof top.  While resting in that in-between stage of consciousness, the name Joe Ashkar came into my mind.  He was a recruit that my dad met at boot camp.  They were in training together at Parris Island, Camp Lejeune and Camp Pendleton.  The two became good friends, in the short time that they spent together.

Dad and Joe had a few escapades together- one Christmas they were invited to a southern family home for Christmas dinner.  Dad was from Kingston New York and Joe was from Watertown New York.  There they were, an Irish Catholic, tall, dark haired and fair skinned and Joe, short of stature and dark of skin.  Dad recalled that he and Joe were worried at first, as they were in North Carolina in the 1940’s. However, their worries were for naught.  Joe was accustomed to explaining that he was dark skinned because he was of Syrian descent.

While at Camp Pendleton, the two friends had many a drunken escapade on leave in Los Angeles. They would hitch-hike into the city and explore all that the exotic neighborhoods in the city of the Angels had to offer.

While at Camp Pendleton, Dad had an offer to join a Transport Quartermaster unit- thus leaving his rifleman infantry unit.   In June of 1944- Dad’s quartermaster unit help combat load supplies on the Navy ship that was also transporting his friends and his former unit to the island of Saipan.

In his memoir- my dad wrote:

“On my first trip around our secure area on Saipan I came upon a Japanese bicycle in good working condition. I took it back to our area near the dump site. Every now and then I would take a ride.   When I heard that my old rifle company, I company, had been pulled back for some rest from the fighting, I road over to see some of my old friends.   It was then that I learned that my good friend, Joe Ashkar, had been killed. During some heavy fighting, Joe took over the manning of a machine gun when the gunner was killed. Joe was a rifle man, not a member of a machines gun crew, but he took the machine gun over anyway, firing continuously until he was shot fatally.  Speedway Tkacs told me that before we left Maui that Ashkar had received a “Dear John” letter from his steady girlfriend back in Watertown, N.Y.   A “ Dear John” letter was one in which a girlfriend or spouse sends a letter to a loved one telling him that she had fallen in love with another man and therefore their relationship was over”.

In memory of Joe Ashkar.  

Exploring Woodstock History

February 18, 2021 Our favorite spot is till our kitchen, filled with sunlight, which fills us with hope. We are planning our one year pandemic anniversary for March 2021. Yes, we will gather with our loved ones- who are in our “ bubble”, to celebrate all things IRISH and to give thanks that we have been spared the pain of death caused by Covid 19 complications. I did a 170 day tour of duty as an essential worker, RN case manager, and then decided to retire. The decision was made partially due to the working conditions during the pandemic. However there was also an underlying dissatisfaction about the role that I had in case management. It was time to jump off the tread mill and see what else floated to the surface. Eventually, the grocery stores regained their abundance of choices. Now, there is more hand sanitizer available than we will ever use. We opened our flea market in July. Amazingly, Woodstock NY had suddenly become a safe haven for people fleeing the pandemic in the metro area. House prices have gone up; home sales in the region are fantastic- a true sellers market. The sidewalks of Woodstock are busier than ever. All we can hope is that store owners are making the sales that they need to in order to cover their rents and other expenses. Our Mid-Hudson region remains in Phase 4 retail. It’s been hard on restaurants, who haven’t been allowed to open to full capacity. We shake our heads when we pass by a restaurant with outside seating- in 30 degree weather- people are out, bundled up, “ enjoying” a meal with friends. I have started a new endeavor. Exploring Woodstock History with Janine Fallon Mower. I have uncovered so many notes and bits and pieces of information not used in all the local history books I have been involved in. Slowly, I am creating sort videos on specific local history topic. The videos can by found on our fleamarket youTube page. Mowers Saturday Sunday fleamarket. Subscribe to the channel and like the video. I will post on the flea blog- woodstockflea.blogspot.com- additional information and photos that pertain to the episode. I have local history books for sale. Contact me at woodstockfleamarket@hvc.rr.com to make a purchase.

Observations during the Covid 19 Pandemic of 2020

April 22, 2020
     We had our pre St. Patrick’s Day meal together on Saturday March 14th, 2020. We weren’t sure, but we all had inkling that something dramatic was going to take place. Sure enough, Woodstock and NY State was put under lock down shortly thereafter. That’s the last time I hugged my daughter, son in law and my three grandchildren.
     My husband and I are considered essential workers.  I am an RN, case manager, working at Health Alliance/ Westchester Medical Center in Kingston. My husband works as an Enrolled Agent, preparing taxes. That first day, driving to work after the shelter in place order, reminded me of driving in to work after hurricane Irene blew through Ulster County, NY. No traffic. Eerily quiet.
      My first trip into Hannaford in West Hurley was a shocker! I think I walked around and left without buying anything. The shelves were empty. When I ventured into Sunflower foods for some fresh veggies, everything was gone. Admittedly, it was a little disconcerting. However, knowing I was going to work in Kingston the next day I figured I would have more luck in ShopRite. Also, I realized that I had to put my prepper head back on and start stocking up on nonperishable items. Every store I went into, and I only went in two, there were shortages of everything. I just wandered around astounded at how grocery shelves could be cleared of all the essentials: like flour, yeast, cake mix and icing, canned vegetables, toilet paper, hand sanitizer, Clorox cleaning products, sanitizing wipes, hamburger, chicken and so much more so quickly. I can say for sure, that shoppers of Ulster County don’t like canned beets!   When this is all over, I hope I will be able look back and laugh.
     The sidewalks in Woodstock are mostly empty. There is the predictable line in front of Bread Alone in the morning when we go to work. However, now people are standing four or five feet apart and wearing masks. All of the parking lots are empty. Someone is still depositing household garbage in the dumpster on Deanies Alley in the Yoga studio parking lot. The animals are having a fun time rummaging thru the garbage. The deer are ravaging our day lilies at the flea market field. It’s quite odd to see the Library parking lot empty. It took me a little while to figure out that the Village Apothecary must be only letting a few people in the shop at a time, while others wait outside.
     I can’t imagine how it must be to be a restaurant owner. To have lost two months of income is unimaginable.
     Our favorite spot is in our kitchen. We can look out our windows and bask in the sunshine, what little there has been of it. I bring out the project of the day and spread it out by my kitchen sink, my spirits bolstered by the warmth of the sun. The dog park continues to be busy. I see people who walk their pets up and down the drive way, back and forth for exercise. Every now and then a family pulls up to the playground, and after wiping down the playground equipment, the kids play for a little while. I watched a neighbor high schooler stand and look at the broken basketball hoop. He was hoping to shoot some hoops, but kind of pointless without the hoop. Every now and then, two or three people will show up at Rick Volz Ball Park, throw a Frisbee or play some catch. One day, my heart broke. I could see a young child- maybe ten or so, dressed in their little league outfit, playing catch and hitting base balls with an adult.
     The after effects of this shelter in place will be far and wide. I don’t even dare let myself think that this was caused by a foreign country’s lack of concern for other members of the human race.
     What’s the point in thinking about what might have been? All I can do now is plan for how my family and I will successfully survive this shelter in place quarantine. And, plan how we are going to manage and prepare for the fall uptick in Covid 19 cases.
      I can only hope that the government won’t be advised to require that we endure another complete shutdown of our communities. I don’t see how another shutdown is sustainable for our mental and economic health.
 Janine Fallon Mower BSN CCM

The Importance of Genealogy to Local History Research

I decided that while I was under the pandemic of 2020 shelter in place, that I would put the time to good use. I've been going through my mountains of notes and photos with the goal to pare down and organize. I've started to utilize FB live to share my process with viewers. The photos in the previous post were examples of how family photos can be used to preserve local history documentation of changes in any size town or city.

Images of Woodstock pictures from March 29 FB Live by author Janine Fallon Mower

Off to a great start for 2020

I was amazed that it had been almost a year since my last post. I was focused on finishing up my latest self published book " He didn't want to work on the railroad." A little local history story about my father and his family, growing up in Kingston NY. It's available thru Amazon. I love writing about people and their everyday lives.

Happy Mothers Day 2019

Meet my earthly mother. Winnie Davis Fallon. After her divorce from my father, she supported herself in a couple of ways- one, she ran the Woodstock Answering Service out of her home. She also worked as a court clerk. The other job mom had was as a dispatcher for the Town of Woodstock Police, Fire and Ambulance department. Mom loved that dispatch job. And, she was good at it too!

Mom worked all shifts, but mostly evenings and nights. Like her co workers, she knew the town like the back of her hands. She was cool as a cucumber during an emergency. Mom especially liked to help people. Don't get me wrong, she wasn't perfect. Mom didn't take to well to people who were stupid or foolish. And yes, she did love to have a good time. Happy Mothers Day, dear earth mother.

Congratulations or Condolences

On what was one of the chilliest mornings in recent history, I made my way down to the meeting at the Woodstock town hall, which was advertised in the Woodstock Times a few weeks ago. The way I read the ad, I thought I was going to a brain storming session regarding the Woodstock Cemetery. I thought the meeting would be led by a group of concerned Woodstockers who wanted to have input about forming a new board of trustees for the Woodstock Cemetery. Of course, I’m used to “Woodstock Time” and arrived about ten minutes late. There were about three dozen interested people seated in the chairs provided, with Supervisor Bill McKenna hosting the meeting. My friend, Terry Breitenstein, who has shepherded the care of the administrative part of the cemetery for almost two decades, was speaking about the dilemma the cemetery board of Trustees had faced when I arrived. After about 45 minutes of questions and what seemed to me like confusion, Supervisor McKenna asked for a show of hands of who wanted to volunteer on the new cemetery board of trustees. I use the word confusion, because, as the multiple questions and comments were tossed about, there were times when the term “the board” was used, and if you weren’t really paying attention, a new comer would have trouble discerning between responsibilities of the cemetery board and the Woodstock town board. Never the less, when the request for a show of hands was made, there were no volunteers for a new board of trustees. I think that everyone understood a comment by one attendee who said “it doesn’t really matter, old board of trustees or new board of trustees, there is still the problem of not having enough income to run the cemetery”. So, that’s really it in a nutshell. There hasn’t been, for a number of years, enough income from the sale of graves to support the maintenance and up keep of the Woodstock Cemetery. Now, the Woodstock Town board will administer the financial needs of the Woodstock Cemetery. If you want to know how this is going to take place, it sounds like supervisor McKenna is the point person at the moment. He will be consulting with the state association of cemeteries as to what to do next. Truthfully, this is uncharted territory for a parties involved. Usually a town takes over a cemetery when there is no longer any land left for burials. Our cemetery is still an active cemetery, with plots available for sale. Also, along with the sites for burials, there is a house on the property that has been used for the past two decades as a home by Shay and his family. ( we are fond of the history of this little house, as it is reported to have been built by Walter Mower. Living on the property has been part of his compensation package. It remains undetermined what will come of this relationship, as Shay is no longer employed by the now defunct board of trustees. ( we are fond of the history of this little house, as it is reported to have been built by Walter Mower) Lastly, there was a lot of enthusiasm from volunteers/ plot owners who wanted to help with whatever the cemetery property needs. (fundraising, historical, deeds, maps, clean-ups etc. If anyone interested, please contact the supervisor with your interest and in what manner. Bill McKenna - supervisor@woodstockny.org At some point, I will try to put together volunteers who are interested in helping maintain some of the older graves in the old section of the cemetery. I will keep you posted.

The Woodstock Cemetery- It NEEDS your HELP

When you have a genealogy hobby like I do, you spend an inordinate amount of time in cemeteries. I have poked around hundreds of headstones from Cutler Maine to Savannah Georgia. My hubby and I spent a number of hours in Roscommon Ireland searching for my relatives burial sites. We finally found “THE” Fallon cemetery one blustery afternoon, in stony Dysart, high up on a hill surrounding what the locals referred to as the Fallon Church. Most recently, we had an escorted tour thru the cemetery in Resuttao, Sicily. When I searched for this location on google maps, what I was looking at I referred to as condominiums. Yes, you guessed it, an acre or two of above ground crypts, decorated with photos and colorful flowers and offerings to the memories and souls of the deceased.

I’ve had the pleasure of traipsing all over the Woodstock cemetery on Rock City road, visiting gravesites of local people I’ve known or read about. I have family buried in one of the newer sections, dating back to 1967. My hubby has family buried in one of the older sections dating back to the early 1900’s. We’ve purchased our own burial site half way down the lane lined with grand old Maple trees. We have taken up the responsibility for tending to the headstones of our loved ones, making sure the stones are clear of grass and debris. Other families do the same for the final resting places of their loved ones.

On January 6th 2018 at 10am, at the Woodstock Town Hall, there will be a reorganizational meeting of the board of trustees of the Woodstock Cemetery. As you will see in the article By WILLIAM J. KEMBLE from December 2017, the board members at that time “relinquished control” (Kemble, 2017) of the day to day operations of the cemetery. The meeting on January 6th is, as I understand it, designed to appoint volunteers to the new board of trustees. The Woodstock Cemetery financial troubles are not new, as noted in the George Pattison articles of 2008 and 2009.

I consider the Woodstock cemetery on Rock City road a hidden treasure in our town for the following reasons:

1. By far, one of the best views of Meads and Overlook in the center of town.

2. Even with the poor condition of the roads, still a lovely place to walk at least a mile without the hassles of traffic.

3. Resting place for many of Woodstock’s original settlers and their families

4. Resting place for many famous artists and musicians of the 20th and 21st century.

If you are at all interested in the upkeep of this little hidden treasure in Woodstock, please consider stopping by on Saturday and listen to the proposals. If it seems like a good fit, by all means, join on!

References :

2008 Times Article by George Pattison>

2009 Times Article by George Pattison>

2017 Daily Freeman Article by William Kemble>

Rock & Roll Roadmaps>

Wow- a decade of blogging

Amazingly, I’ve been posting to this blog for ten years. After reviewing my original posts, it looks like I started the blog when I was doing a TV show on the local access channel here in Woodstock. I had joined the AAUW local chapter in 2007 and became friends with Garnette. We did a show together working to encourage people to vote. I’m trying to recall exactly why I titled my blog “View from my Kitchen Window”. With the benefit of a decade of time to finesse the answer, I think it was essentially due to the habit I have of deep thinking while I do my dishes. Yes, by hand.. Some days, more frequently than I’d like to admit. I’m blessed to be able to look out on a field- which has a wondrous life of its own. Each season, each time of day, the field morphs into a scene that is truly beautiful. A lot has happened in the past decade- I’ve become a grandmother four times, achieved a bachelor’s degree in nursing, watched my dad move from his independent 80’s into being in his 90’s and with failing health, lost a job that I thought I would work at forever and re appear in a career that is more challenging than I could imagine. I ran for town board in Woodstock, twice, and lost to Jay Wenk both times. Most importantly, my hubby and I are healthy, happy and each year find more and more amazing things to talk about and places on this great planet to explore. Our kids are happy, successful and healthy. Our fleamarket is starting its 41st year on the corner of Maple Lane and Deanies Alley in Woodstock. ( woodstockflea.blogspot.com) The photos included in this post are the view included in my kitchen window. Mary is always nearby, ready to receive my prayers and deliver good counsel. I work each day to let my faith be bigger than any of my fears. I look forward to continuing to blog every now and again, especially when a topic floats into the forefront of my mind while mediating on the view from my kitchen window.

Artichokes and Champagne

Artichokes and Champagne What could artichokes and champagne have in common? They remind me of a couple of experiences in life. Much of my work in family history and genealogy is comprised of collecting data about people I’ve never met. Then, I piece together a story about them that I can assimilate into the larger narrative of my family history. I am fortunate to be able to have had my mother in law in my life, the woman who taught me how to make artichokes. I recently realized, after a trip to Sicily, how “ sicilian” she really was. The evidence was in the foods that I experienced while on our trip, the very same foods that my mother in law incorporated into her everyday living. There was something else that she dished out with every meal she shared with us, the desire to celebrate life. That’s where the champagne comes in. For 2018, my wish for everyone is, celebrate every day and learn a little about the food culture that has been enfolded in to your life. Our traditional food tells a story of where we came from, what we are made of. My favorite way to stay connected to the past. Happy New year!

Remembering what is true for me.

Wow, I can’t believe it has been almost a year since I posted on my blog. I had to ask myself, why is that? Part of the answer lies in all the misinformation that is being disseminated around in the social media and traditional media… who knows what to believe, what is real news, what is fake news. Don’t get me wrong, I have a lot of opinions on many of the topics that face us today- however, I haven’t taken the time to research what may be all the factors that make up the situation or problem. There is one aspect of my life, though, that has remained constant and true. That would be, my belief in GOD. The GOD, whose son, born of Mary, step son to Joseph, whose birth we celebrate this weekend.

This morning found myself yelling at the T.V. I had finally reached my limit with the commercials urging people to get out and shop and buy things to have ready for Christmas. I walked away from the T.V. mumbling that we’ve become a nation who worships the god of consumerism. I was enveloped in a moment of sadness, feeling that people are rushing around buying things that are supposed to represent the gifts that were brought by the three wise men to the baby Jesus. However, not just one gift, but dozens of gifts. Perhaps, in a judgmental state of mind, what I would consider an overabundance of gifts. There I sat, moving into a very dark mood. What I did next, was troll the posts on my social media feed, hoping to soften the dark mood with pictures of other people’s Christmas trees, cookies, and smiling children. What I found was the post below.

After reading through the message a few times, I realized that I had been blessed with the gift of knowledge through my friend’s social media post. The knowledge that even thought- what seems like excess to me might just be my friends and neighbors attempts to follow along with the Christmas Story. The story is a simple one. Mary said yes and followed the Angel’s instructions in faith. God gave us his only son. The wise men came bearing gifts. I pray that we all work to become wise men and women of the 21st century.

Inaguration day

Inauguration day January 20, 2017 Home, under orders from my chiropractor to apply ice every hour or so to my low back, and avoid sitting as much as possible, seems to be an unplanned opportunity to watch the Inauguration of our 45th president, Donald J. Trump. Though each time I get up out of a chair, I have to maneuver myself so that the pain isn’t’ too bad, I do feel fortunate that I am home to be able to watch this important process, the peaceful transition of power from the Obama administration to the Trump administration. Many topics are flowing through my mind as I watch the dignitaries file in: Former presidents Carter, Bush and Clinton and former candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are present. Also, I marvel at how graceful Michelle Obama and Melania Trump appear as they greet each other, and then leave the White House to head to the swearing in ceremony. The topics that emerge, are too numerous to enter into in this sitting. My thoughts to drift over to the members of the House of Representatives and the Senate who have chosen to boycott the Inauguration- which is their right for whatever their reasons may be. Upon reflection, I’ve done the same thing myself on the occasion of local elections. However, what the ramifications were of my not attending local inaugurations will be left for future historians to uncover. What the fall out will be for those who gave the cold shoulder to the process of peaceful transfer of power in the greatest country on earth, will unfold during the next four years. While listening to Cardinal Timothy Dolan pray to God, and quote from the book of Wisdom, I couldn’t agree with him more, as he asks God to send her to guide our governing leaders. In 1789 the first inauguration occurred and what an amazing journey our country has had in the centuries since then. Many people I know are fearful at this moment, and others are angry. I confess that, with regard to the incoming administration, I do have one foot in the “show me” column. I like the way Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein expressed his view of the next four years on CNBC interview. He was a Hilliary Clinton supporter. He took the tone of one who wants to stay engaged in the process and, if I understood him correctly, plans to look for ways to see if he can work to see some sort of success in the Trump experience. I would want to do the same, instead of drifting to the outside of the process and being associated with “haters” and negativism. I would encourage my friends to heed the words of Senator Mark Warner ( D) of Virginia this morning on CNBC “ when you break a lot of eggs, its gets messy” . A similar phrase has been used by others: democracy is messy. The next four years does have the potential to be " messy". We’ve adopted a philosophy in our household “ If you can’t embrace change, it’s going to be a hard ride “. In closing, I appreciate some of the words spoken by Chuck Schumer, including his description of the inauguration process including the following: "Today we celebrate one of democracy's core attributes: The peaceful transfer of power. And everyday, we stand up for core democratic principles enshrined in the constitution. The rule of law, equal protection for all under law, the freedom of speech, press, religion. The things that make America, America. He closed with a statement that he has faith in in the American people and Americas best days are yet to come. Lastly, Rabbi Heir of the Simon Wiesenthal center spoke from the Torah, and when speaking about America and the future he notes “ a nation is remembered by its values not its vaults” . So, here we are, challenged to work together to engage in actions that tell the world what Americas values are. I’m ready to work to see our country continue to strive to successfully demonstrate those values and meet the needs of all Americans.