So it seems that last night the Sergenian clan was busy in the dream world. I had a brief dream with my dad (few and far between - but always cherished), and told Felipe about it. He laughed and then told me that he had an interesting dream as well - but it wasn't my dad who made an appearance, he said "I had a dream with your Grandpa"....
Now, I've never met Grandpa, and I have only had one dream in my life that I can remember that he played a major role in. I was walking with dad and some other family, and there was Grandpa walking in front of me. In my dream he turned around and smiled, and then waited for me to catch up to him and gave me a big hug. That was that, the end of the dream.
And now, here is my husband having a dream with him! I guess I've been working on the family project so much recently, and sharing my progress with Felipe, that now the family is starting to animate in his dreams! This would not be unusual for me, as I dream often, but he dreams less (or remembers less of the dreams) and so it is quite rare!
I love dreams with family, but I don't read too much into dreams in general, or feel that they hold secrets about what the future will bring, but I do believe they can be meaningful. I was very close to Grandma, and I remember about a week or two weeks after she passed away I had a dream one night with her in it. In the dream I was walking in Hilldale (I was there often with her on the weekends) and saw her walking toward me. And when I say walking toward me, I mean in the older, dressed in a cute little outfit, mall-walking kind of way. She stopped when she neared me, and being surprised at seeing her I asked "Grandma, how are you doing?" and she all she said (with a smile) was "Great, I'm doing really well." and then my dream ended. Now maybe, just two short weeks after her death, that was my own mind telling me she was okay, better even now than before, or maybe...a tiny maybe...it was her telling me the same.
So I will take whatever dreams I get of the family, and I will also enjoy hearing about how the family makes appearances in Felipe's dreams...we'll see, maybe Grandpa will appear again...
Have any of you ever had an interesting or meaningful dream with a family member like that?
Friday, February 25, 2011
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Quote of the Day
"Well, you’ve got to ask my mother and grandma. I just grew up with it. As a matter of fact my yearbook says “Peewee the rug man” (laughs)"
Marsh
On how he got his nickname Peewee.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Saturday, February 12, 2011
The Sergenian Family History Project
Rachel asked me this week what got me started doing all of this - the blog and the family project, and I'll tell you that it's for a couple of reasons.
What is "the project"?
I'll start by explaining what exactly I am doing with the family history project. The history project is essentially to build a complete family tree for the descendants of Alice and Ara, and to compile as many details of their backgrounds (their parents, their younger years, and their courtship), and the family they raised together. I'm making a book that will include family photos, family documents, stories, newspaper clippings and whatever else I can find to tell the Sergenian family story. I've spent almost a year now working on the project. The first part began in February of last year, and was to complete the family tree. The second part, which really got started around last June was sorting and scanning family photos and documents (many thanks to Aunt Miriam and the brothers who loaned me the photos!). The third part, interviewing my uncles, was done in November when I had come back home for a visit. The third part also involved (and still involves) a lot of online research of old news articles and other secondary information. I have a tremendous amount of material to work with now! Although it has been a little tedious transcribing the interviews, the rest has been enormously fascinating and given me a feeling of being more connected to the family than ever before.
What do I plan to do with all of this information?
Simply stated, I am putting together a book. The book will be the story of Alice and Ara, their backgrounds (including chapters on the Sergenians and the Kaprelians), and their family - which will include the family as they were growing up and a bit of each of the children as they began their own families. Because of the size of our family I have to limit the book to when the grandchildren (or cousins to me!) were in or around high school (with the exception of some family portraits involving the great grandchildren).
I'm making a book using an online publisher called Blurb. They allow you to make a book, and then "publish" it online. By "publishing" it online, it will be available to anyone who would like to purchase a copy - family or not family. Once I "publish" it, I will be sure to let everyone know where they can go to view the online preview and place orders. There will be two versions of the book - one larger 13"x 11" hard copy book which should cost around $116 (not including shipping), and a smaller 8"x1 0" hard copy book which should cost around $60 (not including shipping). Both of these prices are the best estimation I can give right now, and are based on books with as many as 160 pages - I am trying not to go over the page limit, so that the book does not cost any more than that. I make no profit on any book purchase - the cost is solely that to print the book. I've made other books with Blurb before (including my wedding photo album) and they have turned out beautifully, and are of a quality that is suited to the cost.
Why am I doing this project/book?
I have always had an interest in our family history, and have wanted to do something like this for some time. I used to love asking grandma questions about her life when she was younger...and oh how I wish I could talk with her again as I have so many more questions!
I think, as well, coming from such a large family there is so much I don't know about the family that this seemed the best way to find out. Especially because I am on the younger end of my generation, there is a lot of family history and family stories that I wanted to learn.
I also think that it is important to know where you come from, and to try and preserve the family history for posterity. We have such a rich family history, with many exciting stories, that I really wanted to understand as much as possible. And the more I learned, the more I really want to share it with the rest of the family.
Lastly, with my dad gone now, I feel like this is a very special way for me to maintain and strengthen my connection to the Sergenian family. I no longer have him to tell me the stories about him and his brothers when they were growing up, or what his parents were like, or what is new with the family these days. So this project had allowed me greater opportunities to discover and learn these things on my own. And I am grateful to have just one more reason or excuse to spend time with my aunts and uncles, or give my cousins a call!
Why am I doing the blog?
I've started the blog for two reasons. The first is as I said before - I have so many photos, so much family history material that I simply cannot fit it all in the book without the costs getting higher and higher. So the blog gives me a place to share all of the extra stuff I come across with the rest of you all. And the blog is free!
Secondly, because we have such a large family, and many of us only see each other at the family picnic in June, it is difficult to keep up with what is going on in the family. I envision the blog as being a place that we can all go to post and read information about what is currently happening in our lives. Think of it as a place to put up current photos, announcements, stories, etc. This again follows the last reason I gave for doing the history project - I no longer have my dad to give me updates, so why not get the updates directly from the source!
The blog will also allow those family members that are not on Facebook to share and follow what is going on with others. I think that this is very important, as there are A LOT of family members not on Facebook!
I hope this gives all of you a good idea of what it is I'm doing, and why. I love being a Sergenian, and want to share that feeling with any family member interested! I hope that you all are interested in the book when it is completed - it has been a tremendous labor of love, and that you find the blog to be useful and that you will wish to contribute to it as well (again, if you don't want to contribute directly, you can always send info to me and I will post on your behalf).
-Silva
What is "the project"?
I'll start by explaining what exactly I am doing with the family history project. The history project is essentially to build a complete family tree for the descendants of Alice and Ara, and to compile as many details of their backgrounds (their parents, their younger years, and their courtship), and the family they raised together. I'm making a book that will include family photos, family documents, stories, newspaper clippings and whatever else I can find to tell the Sergenian family story. I've spent almost a year now working on the project. The first part began in February of last year, and was to complete the family tree. The second part, which really got started around last June was sorting and scanning family photos and documents (many thanks to Aunt Miriam and the brothers who loaned me the photos!). The third part, interviewing my uncles, was done in November when I had come back home for a visit. The third part also involved (and still involves) a lot of online research of old news articles and other secondary information. I have a tremendous amount of material to work with now! Although it has been a little tedious transcribing the interviews, the rest has been enormously fascinating and given me a feeling of being more connected to the family than ever before.
What do I plan to do with all of this information?
Simply stated, I am putting together a book. The book will be the story of Alice and Ara, their backgrounds (including chapters on the Sergenians and the Kaprelians), and their family - which will include the family as they were growing up and a bit of each of the children as they began their own families. Because of the size of our family I have to limit the book to when the grandchildren (or cousins to me!) were in or around high school (with the exception of some family portraits involving the great grandchildren).
I'm making a book using an online publisher called Blurb. They allow you to make a book, and then "publish" it online. By "publishing" it online, it will be available to anyone who would like to purchase a copy - family or not family. Once I "publish" it, I will be sure to let everyone know where they can go to view the online preview and place orders. There will be two versions of the book - one larger 13"x 11" hard copy book which should cost around $116 (not including shipping), and a smaller 8"x1 0" hard copy book which should cost around $60 (not including shipping). Both of these prices are the best estimation I can give right now, and are based on books with as many as 160 pages - I am trying not to go over the page limit, so that the book does not cost any more than that. I make no profit on any book purchase - the cost is solely that to print the book. I've made other books with Blurb before (including my wedding photo album) and they have turned out beautifully, and are of a quality that is suited to the cost.
Why am I doing this project/book?
I have always had an interest in our family history, and have wanted to do something like this for some time. I used to love asking grandma questions about her life when she was younger...and oh how I wish I could talk with her again as I have so many more questions!
I think, as well, coming from such a large family there is so much I don't know about the family that this seemed the best way to find out. Especially because I am on the younger end of my generation, there is a lot of family history and family stories that I wanted to learn.
I also think that it is important to know where you come from, and to try and preserve the family history for posterity. We have such a rich family history, with many exciting stories, that I really wanted to understand as much as possible. And the more I learned, the more I really want to share it with the rest of the family.
Lastly, with my dad gone now, I feel like this is a very special way for me to maintain and strengthen my connection to the Sergenian family. I no longer have him to tell me the stories about him and his brothers when they were growing up, or what his parents were like, or what is new with the family these days. So this project had allowed me greater opportunities to discover and learn these things on my own. And I am grateful to have just one more reason or excuse to spend time with my aunts and uncles, or give my cousins a call!
Why am I doing the blog?
I've started the blog for two reasons. The first is as I said before - I have so many photos, so much family history material that I simply cannot fit it all in the book without the costs getting higher and higher. So the blog gives me a place to share all of the extra stuff I come across with the rest of you all. And the blog is free!
Secondly, because we have such a large family, and many of us only see each other at the family picnic in June, it is difficult to keep up with what is going on in the family. I envision the blog as being a place that we can all go to post and read information about what is currently happening in our lives. Think of it as a place to put up current photos, announcements, stories, etc. This again follows the last reason I gave for doing the history project - I no longer have my dad to give me updates, so why not get the updates directly from the source!
The blog will also allow those family members that are not on Facebook to share and follow what is going on with others. I think that this is very important, as there are A LOT of family members not on Facebook!
I hope this gives all of you a good idea of what it is I'm doing, and why. I love being a Sergenian, and want to share that feeling with any family member interested! I hope that you all are interested in the book when it is completed - it has been a tremendous labor of love, and that you find the blog to be useful and that you will wish to contribute to it as well (again, if you don't want to contribute directly, you can always send info to me and I will post on your behalf).
-Silva
Friday, February 11, 2011
Angel
By Mina Lee
This work of art was done by Mina, she's made many beautiful collages and countless other pieces of art which many will cherish. But this simple one of hers really touched me. I was greatly saddened to hear last night that Mina had passed away after battling breast cancer for so very long. I am saddened by the "empty place" or the hole that she leaves behind, but I take comfort in many of the good memories I have of her. She was creative, beautiful, courageous and amazing. And whether she leaves behind an angel born of her creativity, like the one above, or an angel born of her spirit - we are all better for it.
I recall her taking care of my sisters and I when we were very young and while my dad was sick in the hospital. And I looked forward to seeing her at the family picnic each year. I know that all of you too hold fond memories of her as well - please share them here. Also if you have any photos you would like to share, please email them to me and I will put them up.
Mina was an amazing woman, full of life and love and that deserves to be honored. No one can ever prepare to have someone they love be gone so soon, we can only hold tightly to those warm memories. All my love and sympathies to the entire family, but especially Bob, Rob, Joe, and Kaitlin.
At the Sergenian family picnic - June 2010
Mina and Mary
Mina, Jeff and Mary at Grandma's Birthday Celebration at Irish Waters.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Name Tags
So I am going to start putting labels on each of the post with the name of everyone who appears in photos (this could also be for non-photo posts that are relevant to a person or persons). That way you can go to the side of the page and click on anyone's name in the group of labels and it will give you only the posts where that person appears. It'll be an easier way for you to find pictures of certain people.
Now, I still need a lot of help identifying people! Please please leave comments if you think you recognize people!
Enjoy!
Silva
Now, I still need a lot of help identifying people! Please please leave comments if you think you recognize people!
Enjoy!
Silva
Flashback: Mystery Photo
This photo is a mystery to me - anyone want to tell me who this is? There was no date or name on the photo.
UPDATE - MYSTERY SOLVED!
Rachel left a comment and confirms that it is her big brother Steve. Thanks for the help in identifying this little kiddo.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Sergenian Family Picnic - Past Photos 1968
Look at all those hungry grand kids!
Can anyone tell me who it is that's climbing the tree? And it certainly looks like the child to the left is a bit scared!
Enjoying a bit of sun.
The good old baseball game.
Any help identifying the people or the year is appreciated! Leave a comment on the blog post (rather than in FB) that way everyone can see! I'll update the post as people are identified.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
If you see any photos you like...
Let me know if you see any photos that you particularly like, and I can send it to you electronically (in a better resolution than I use to post on the site). I want to share these, so don't be afraid to ask!
-Silva
-Silva
Pretty Portraits
A Variety of Portraits found in a tiny purse-sized "My Grandchildren" album. Some of these little kids I know, some I have a hard time distinguishing apart, or telling if it's just a year later. Please leave comments about who's who if you know, and correct me if I'm wrong!
Laura
Laura
Laura
Bob
Bob
Jeff
Why hello there Kevin!
Kathryn
Kevin?
Kari, always with a big smile!
Tim
Laura
Laura
Laura
Bob
Bob
Jeff
Why hello there Kevin!
Kathryn
Kevin?
Kari, always with a big smile!
Tim
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Sergenian Family Picnic - Past Photos (1970's)
In this photo: Mary and Grandma Alice and Debi in the middle.
Alice and Virginia
Debi's mom Kathi and I believe that's my dad! (also...that tablecloth looks familiar...I think it's still making the picnic rounds!)
Dan again, enjoying the swings.
Dan
Looks like Mary on the far left, and Amy standing up, Rachel in the striped shirt and Debi.
Mary and Rachel on the slide.
Amy, and maybe Debi.
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