Thursday, August 29, 2013

Strangers In The Box - By: Pamela A. Harazim


STRANGERS IN THE BOX 
-Pamela A. Harazim

"Come, look with me inside this drawer, 
In this box I've often seen, 
At the pictures, black and white, 
Faces proud, still, and serene.

I wish I knew the people, 
These strangers in the box, 
Their names and all their memories, 
Are lost among my socks.

I wonder what their lives were like, 
How did they spend their days? 
What about their special times? 
I'll never know their ways.

If only someone had taken time, 
To tell, who, what, where, and when, 
These faces of my heritage, 
Would come to life again.

Could this become the fate, 
Of the pictures we take today? 
The faces and the memories, 
Someday to be passed away?

Take time to save your stories, 
Seize the opportunity when it knocks, 
Or someday you and yours, 
Could be strangers in the box."

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Your Family History Treasure awaits you!!




About this photo:

This is a photograph of my grandmother meeting her great grandchild for the first time.
As I held my 2 month old baby for grandma to see, their eyes met, and both of them smiled and laughed, as if they were long time friends meeting again. My husband just happened to capture this at the moment it happened. It was a very touching moment, and one that I will never forget. She passed away, shortly after this photo was taken, and I am so grateful that I made the time to see her and to write her family history every time I visited her. Each time I called her on the phone, I asked her questions about her life growing up, and before I knew it, I had captured and documented her family history. I am so grateful I did this and you will be too.


Keep connecting the dots!!
-Sarah

Monday, August 26, 2013

"If you don't recount your own family history, it will be lost."

“If you don't recount your family history, it will be lost. Honor your own stories and tell them too. The tales may not seem very important, but they are what binds families and makes each of us who we are.” -Madeleine L’Engle

Let's keep connecting the dots -Sarah :)

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Genealogy Trivia: 500 years ago there were 1,048,576 people involved in creating you!


Genealogy Trivia:
If you figure there’s 25 years between each generation, 500 years ago there were 1,048,576 people involved in creating YOU! YOU are special!

Keep connecting the dots. -Sarah

Tuesday, August 06, 2013

Monday, August 05, 2013

87 Year Old Johanna Quaas the World's Oldest Gymnast - The Guinness Book of Records


Who has a grandma like this one? Johanna Quaas, the 87 year old, 11-times German Senior champion of artistic gymnastics, from Halle, Germany became popular in 2012 when many YouTube clips showed her training at age 86 during the Turnier der Meister in Cottbus. The clips became a huge hit and generated  millions of views on YouTube. Johanna Quass was entered into The Guinness Book of Records on September 13, 2012 as oldest gymnast in the world. Check out the her videos below, and be prepared to be amazed!!

VIDEO of gymnastics competition on March 26, 2012


VIDEO from The day Quaas was entered into The Guinness Book of Records; September 13, 2012


VIDEO of Johanna Quaas telling her story and her "Secrets to Success."


Johanna Quaas was born November 20, 1925 in Hohenmölsen, Germany. She married  gymnast coach Gerhard Quaas in 1963 with whom she had three daughters.


Johanna Quaas on the parallel bars.

Johanna Quaas on the parallel bars and her husband by her side. 

With her husband Gerhard and granddaughter Susie: Johanna Quaas was a sports teacher, teacher trainer and sports coach. Her husband is also a gymnastics coach.


Johanna and her husband Gerhard cooking together. Her secret to healthy living is eating is
not too much and not too little and plenty of greens".

Johannah and Gerhard Quaas. Married 50 years in 2013.