Archive for CREATING YOUR LEGACY

The End of an Era: RIP George

By Hazel Thornton on January 20, 2020 16 Comments
George

Curious George looking to see where I went. (I had gone outside to talk with my neighbor, Lonna.)

George was my constant companion for 17-1/2 years.

Social media friends got to see a lot of him.

He had his own Pinterest board.

And a Facebook photo album.

He died in December from multiple health conditions (OK, I had him euthanized, ugh!), and I miss him terribly. I know many pet owners who can relate, and I so appreciate those of you who expressed your condolences on Facebook, and those of you who sent cards to my home…!

A farewell to George, Org4life’s kitty mascot.

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Categories : Hazel's Family Stories
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Luminarias at the Cemetery

By Hazel Thornton on December 24, 2019 3 Comments

Internet photo of the luminarias at the  cemetery next door (Mt. Calvary).

(This story was originally posted in a Facebook Note on December 24, 2012.)

Luminarias are one of my favorite family holiday traditions. It comes from my mom’s having grown up (from the age of 10) in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

But… in the cemetery? Let me explain.

What is your favorite holiday tradition?

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Categories : Hazel's Family Stories

Mom’s Boxes Part 9: Mom’s Good Silverware

By Hazel Thornton on November 24, 2019 13 Comments

Grandma's good silverware

One never knows what will happen when you pass a family keepsake on to the next generation. Will they love it? Or, not so much? There’s only one way to find out….if your kids are adults now, ask them!

Keep reading to find out what happened when I offered my mom’s good silverware to my niece Vinca as a wedding present.

Not all kids want the things you are saving for them! If they are adults now, ask them.

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What do you think my niece said when I offered her my mom’s good silverware as a wedding present?

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Categories : Hazel's Family Stories

How NOT to Save Your Photos

By Hazel Thornton on November 11, 2019 11 Comments
photos

Photos found in donated books (click to enlarge)

Have you ever hidden anything in a book? Maybe used a photo as a bookmark? I don’t recommend it as a way to save your photos! Here’s why:

I volunteer weekly for my local Friends of the Library. We price and sort donated books for our monthly used book sales (at which I also run a cash register), and we have a lovely used book shop in the Main library downtown which is open six days a week. We raise around $200K every year for library programs such as the Summer Reading Program for children.

Don’t forget to check your books before donating them!

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Categories : Memorabilia
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Are your keepsakes a legacy, or a liability?

By Hazel Thornton on September 30, 2019 17 Comments
Mom's punch bowl, usually used for fruit, is being used here for pecans.

Mom’s crystal punch bowl, usually used for fruit, is being used here for pecans.

Have you inherited keepsakes you don’t know what to do with?

I can’t tell you how many of my clients have had a garage or storage unit full of stuff they inherited from a loved one. These items represent a mix of emotions – memories good and bad; guilt over secretly wanting to reclaim the space they occupy; fear that they will accidentally discard a priceless heirloom. They are paralyzed with indecision: Am I betraying my loved one if I part with this item? Will I forget them if I don’t keep all their stuff? (I promise you won’t!) How, and where, can I get rid of it? How, and where, can I keep it?

Will you forget your loved one if you don’t keep all their stuff? (I promise you won’t!)

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Categories : Memorabilia
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Are your files backed up?

By Hazel Thornton on August 19, 2019 9 Comments

I originally wrote this post for World Back Up Day (Don’t be an April Fool – Take the Pledge!)

But…really, shouldn’t every day be Back Up Day?

(Click to view video: “What Would You Do if You Lost Everything?“)

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket — follow the 3-2-1 rule!

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Categories : Are you prepared?, Memorabilia, Organize Your Home, Organize Your Office

Thornton Farmstead: Home of the Iowa State Fair

By Hazel Thornton on August 13, 2019 8 Comments

I’ve never attended the Iowa State Fair. I gain weight just reading the 2019 Food On A Stick menu! But I did visit the fairgrounds a number of years ago on a genealogy research trip with my dad. Why? Because the land formerly belonged to my 2nd great-grandfather, Calvin Thornton. Prior to that, it belonged to his pioneer father-in-law, John Harris, who left it to his daughter, Araminta. (So, it was really hers…and, well, who knows who it “belonged” to before they came to settle in the area, right? But I digress…)

Who knew that the Iowa State Fair was held each year on property formerly owned by my ancestors?

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Categories : Hazel's Family Stories

Playing Detective: Grandma’s Birth Certificate

By Hazel Thornton on July 11, 2019 2 Comments

AHA! I was RIGHT!

Right about what, you ask?

Right about where my Grandma Hankins was born (Villa Mae Lawrence Hankins 1904-1986).

By playing genealogy detective, I found out where my grandma was really born.

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Hit a brick wall? 20 reasons why you can’t find your ancestor

By Hazel Thornton on June 25, 2019 5 Comments

Can’t find your ancestor? Getting frustrated?

We all hit a brick wall in our genealogy research now and then.

Or, as we call them here in New Mexico, adobe walls, lol!

Hit a brick wall? Getting frustrated? Need some fresh ideas? You’ve come to the right place!

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Categories : Genealogy
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Thornton Family Resemblances Revisited

By Hazel Thornton on June 10, 2019 7 Comments

2019 (left) Archie Raymond Thornton Jr. and (right) Michael Ray Thornton

I once wrote an article for APPO (Association of Professional Photo Organizers) called Who Do You Think You Look Like? The Mystery of Family Resemblances. It featured a small selection of photos from both sides of my family.

This time, in honor of Father’s Day, I’ve gathered photos from six consecutive generations of Thornton fathers and sons. I only recently found the oldest two photos — Calvin and Nathan — in the course of my never-ending genealogy research. Once again, I find the similarities between all of these men striking, don’t you?

A Father’s Day celebration: Six generations of Thornton family father-son resemblances. Who are the look-alikes in your family?

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Categories : Hazel's Family Stories
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