Tag Archives: Great Depression

If Only We Stayed

Posted on December 12, 2016 by kjw616

December 11 was a significant day in my father’s family history. On that day eighty-five years ago, my grandparents and five of their six children set sail out of New York Harbor. Their daughter Anna had already gone in March … Continue reading →

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One-Way Trip- Who Knew?

Posted on November 17, 2016 by kjw616

I never moved during my entire childhood. Actually, that’s technically not true, because my parents moved from a house they had rented to a brand-new house when I was six months old. I just don’t think that counts. So I lived … Continue reading →

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Depression-Era Ingenuity

Posted on November 7, 2016 by kjw616

Anyone whose parents or grandparents grew up during the Great Depression knows that living during that time taught them to be thrifty and innovative. They repaired rather than throw away and buy new. If they had a car, they learned … Continue reading →

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Seeking Genealogy Mystery Solutions

Posted on September 26, 2016 by kjw616

Don’t you just hate it when you cannot solve that genealogy mystery? We all have many, but one which just continually bubbles up and gnaws at me is regarding the sale of my grandfather’s house prior to the big move … Continue reading →

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Some Mistakes Can’t Be Fixed

Posted on July 6, 2016 by kjw616

Was the decision my grandparents made to leave their home during the Great Depression unique to their time or did history repeat itself during the Great Recession? With the help of my good friend Mr. Google, I learned that Americans … Continue reading →

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The Creativity of Poverty

Posted on May 26, 2016 by kjw616

When you have no job, but you have six children to feed and clothe, you get creative. My Irish grandfather had beautiful handwriting, so he parlayed that skill into a job making signs around town. My Russian grandfather did odd … Continue reading →

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Nothing Really Changes

Posted on May 16, 2016 by kjw616

What drives people to listen to anti-establishment people like Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders? Fear, anger, and hopelessness are a few adjectives which come to mind. As I watch and read the news, and listen to the discussions regarding this … Continue reading →

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Reflections- May 1941

Posted on May 11, 2016 by kjw616

I thought I would include the first two chapters to give any interested readers a feel for what I have written in my book, Do Svidanya Dad: Tracing the Story of an American Family Trapped in the USSR. Marty’s dreams … Continue reading →

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Done!

Posted on May 9, 2016 by kjw616

It’s done. My book is out, and I feel proud, relieved, and fearful. It is like the naked dream, because while my book was sitting on my computer, I was safe. Now my words are exposed and that is a scary … Continue reading →

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The Time Has Come

Posted on May 6, 2016 by kjw616

The time has come. I am ready to publish my book and I am both relieved and excited about my decision to do this on my own. Back in September, after sending out query letters to fifty-two literary agents, I … Continue reading →

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