This ‘my story’ series, is written as part of a challenge. Although many of our traits are shaped by genetics, the environment that we live in also leaves its mark on us. By looking back to the era of my birth I am gaining insights into the lives of my parents and to the person I became. I’m hoping that by sharing ‘my story’ I can encourage others in the family connection to write ‘their’ story and offer it for sharing...

The following about the Miller farm buildings is a portion of Dad’s Memories which he wrote and distributed to family members. This version contains edits he requested, but I failed to deliver, prior to his death. The Miller Farm Buildings during my Childhood The byre, as the cow stable was called in the early days, was a wooden floored building with wooden bales to fasten about twelve cows and a box stall for storing turnips and mangels...

The Back Kitchen and Wood Shed While going through some photos I found this photo of the ‘back kitchen and woodshed’ that was attached to the back of the house. I spent many hours piling wood in the woodshed and one of my ‘chores’ was to fill the woodbox in the house with wood from the woodshed. In addition to the ‘back door’, there was a sliding door that was left open in the summer to let the wind blow...

I have committed to getting family stories written this year and am using prompts from a variety of websites to get started. They all seem to suggest starting with ‘your’ story so here goes. I am publishing this ‘stream of consciousness’ rambling in the hope that I can convince others to write about their life story as well. I’m hoping that my relatives from the various families of my tree will take up the challenge. The following is a summary...

I have committed to getting family stories written this year and am using prompts from a variety of websites to get started. They all seem to suggest starting with ‘your’ story so here goes. I am publishing this ‘stream of consciousness’ rambling in the hope that I can convince others to write about their life story as well. I’m hoping that my relatives from the various families of my tree will take up the challenge and forward their story for...

Last winter and spring I was laid low with a series of viruses followed by a bout with pneumonia. Let me just say that my art required too much energy and wasn’t on the agenda!  Being a person who can’t sit still without doing ‘something’ I decided that although the only way to control the cough was to sit still, I could tackle the second of my life goal and could sit at the computer to update the family genealogy and...

As new information becomes available – For the moment I jump to 1944 and a report of the Ramsay Unit of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) meeting in Appleton. From the Almonte Gazette:  In addition to a speaker from Renfrew County who spoke of the need for farmers to unit behind the OFA to get better prices for their crops, Alex Stewart, Past President of the Appleton Junior Farmers gave a report about the Lanark County Junior...

From the Memoirs of J.R. Ernest Miller, Glen Tay, ON My father spent many years documenting family genealogy and was using his third computer before he passed away in 1997 . The family managed to convince him to document some of his life story and the following is a chapter from his memoirs. JUNIOR FARMERS In 1939, a group of young men in their twenties being no longer eligible for 4H and having grown up together felt that they should have an...

Yes I have been doing art and art things but I’ve been diverted …to one of my other interests, family and community history! Just before leaving for Phoenix I received a phone call – a voice from the past. Alvin wanted me to get in touch with someone who was urgently trying to find out information about the Lanark County Junior Farmers. I delayed in making the requested phone call to Barclay Nap until Wednesday and as a result...

I am the third generation to appear in this series and what do I say about this piece and myself? For me the series has been about family traditions and memories and the richness to be gained by passing these on to subsequent generations. In previous posts I have talked about Grandmothers and the legacy they left me, my parents and how they influenced my view of the world. This fifth piece is about the synthesis that occurs when that ingrained...