Lots of patterns exist in the birthdays in our families. Certain months have lots of birthdays. Situations where birthdays fall multiple days in a row exist.  And, many births, deaths, and marriages of distant relatives fall on the same month/day combination of those in my immediate family.  However, one of the most interesting are the parallels between my family and my dad’s cousin’s family.   Birthdays Abound Dad was one of 11 kids. He and

Independence Hall in Philadelphia, also known as the Pennsylvania State House, is famous as the location of the formation of our country.  The Declaration of Independence was signed there and the Liberty Bell was rung to alert the people of Philadelphia that the delegation had reached agreement on the declaration. Many people from across the world have visited Independence Hall..  However, only a few were ever allowed to let their cattle graze on the lawn.

I never met my father-in-law James Thomson, as he died when my husband was only six years old. However, I know that he was a very talented man. He sang in the church choir, performed in the play “Dinner Date,” and read an entire set of encyclopedias. If you knew that about him, you might not think of an outdoorsman who was a farmer at heart. But, that is exactly who he was.   A

Living in rural Kansas, Grandma Nellie and Grandpa Joe had very few conveniences of modern life. Over the years, they raised a large family.  To do so, the family farmed, gardened, kept house, sewed clothes, cooked, and more without electricity, running water, or many mechanical devices. Electricity   The family used gas and oil lamps for years, but lighting was one of the first things to be modernized in Nellie and Joe’s home.  They moved

Independence Hall William Hurrie was probably in a “hurry” when he ascended the stairs of the State House in Philadelphia (Independence Hall) on July 8, 1776.  He was going to ring the bell now known as the Liberty Bell to signal that the Declaration of Independence had been finalized and would be read.   He may also have been in a “hurry” to help get the Liberty Bell out of Philadelphia when the townsmen removed