Tag: family

Posted in 2026, Writing

The Family Stories

Posted on by nancyb422

What is the legacy you want to leave behind?

Legacy: anything handed down from the past.

I became my family’s historian in the early 2000s while sitting with my aunt and the family portraits, listening to her stories of the people in them. They were her legacy to me.

The Posluszny Family abt. 1908

For the past 25 years, I’ve collected information, discovered new family members and brought my ancestors to life. I discovered facts that may never have been uncovered without DNA and research.

I created a blog and have written about their lives, loves and losses, accomplishments and failures for ten years.

One hundred and thirty posts on people, places, occupations, and stories collected from when they were alive to share them with me.

This will be my legacy, sharing the voices of the past with future generations.

Posted in 2026, Writing

Validation

Posted on by nancyb422

If you saw my story from yesterday (probably not, I can’t seem to get any traction here LOL), I talked about whether I should go to an event with a medium last night because I was recovering from bronchitis and have this icky cough. My husband said “No”, but my Tea Party chairperson, a former infectious disease person, said, “go, you’re not contagious”, so off I went loaded with cough drops and water.

The woman is pretty popular here in New England and aside from John Edwards in the mid-90s in a ballroom space in Providence, Rhode Island, I’d never been to a group type medium event like this. This one had about 40 people. I went with an open mind, more for the experience because I have my own one on one medium connection. I took a seat that had a good view of the whole room so I wouldn’t have to turn around at all.

She explained her process and away she went. She immediately headed in my direction but stopped next to me where two sisters were sitting and she went on for a while, never moving in my direction.

After moving to a side table, she focused on the table in front of me with 10 people who had come together in small groups, and that went on for awhile.

I recognized some things she threw out, but other people were so quick to jump on them that I really didn’t feel like being that person to continually raise my hand. Just here for the experience remember?

And then I received the message that was for me and me alone. She was in the front of the room and she said, “Rocky”.

I raised my hand and said, “That’s my husband’s nickname.” She looked at me as asked “are you writing a book? I’m being shown you as a writer.” I responded, “I write stories about my ancestors and family.” She moved on from that but it was all I needed. Who was it? I don’t know, but the validation that they know I’m writing to share their stories was enough for me.

The Posluszny Family early 1908
Posted in 2026, What We Keep

Brown Scapular

Posted on by nancyb422

This brown scapular was part of my parents’ belongings. I knew what it was but never looked into its origins until recently. Now that I’m settled back into my catholic religion, I found it interesting.

Brown Scapular
Our Lady of Mount Carmel
St. Simon Stock

When I googled “Scapular”, this brown scapular came up immediately, as it is the most common form and is called the Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. One patch shows Our Lady of Mount Carmel, and the other shows St. Simon Stock. It’s also most likely the oldest.

I found this information from a website called Catholic Company:

Simon Stock was part of the Carmelite order and in 1251, on July 15th, Mary the Virgin Mother appeared to him with a scapular in hand and told him, among other things, that “whoever dies in this garment, will not suffer everlasting fire.” This Carmelite Order originated in the late 12th or early 13th century on Mount Carmel, Palestine where European hermits gathered near the “spring of Elijah” to live a contemplative life. They fled Europe in 1238 because of Saracen invasions but then in the mid 1400s they moved back shifting from hermits to friars. They became known as the Brothers of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

Originally, a scapular was, and still is, a piece of clothing that someone in a religious order puts over their habit. That’s called a Monastic Scapular. These smaller scapulars are called Devotional but the principle is still the same, it’s worn over the shoulders. That is where “scapular” comes from – scapula.

Another part of the brown scapular is something called the “Sabbatine privilege” which states that Mary will intercede and pray for those in Purgatory who in early life wear the brown scapular in good faith. If you wear one, it should be blessed by a priest. I don’t intend to wear this, but will know what it is, and its significance now.

Brown is not the only color, but the only one I’ve every seen. A green scapular is the Scapular of Conversion and was created in 1840. It carries promises of strengthening faith, protection against Satan, a happy death for Catholics and especially for the conversion of those outside the church.

A red scapular is the Scapular of the Passion and it originated from an apparition in 1846 to a Sister of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul. Jesus revealed to her a scapular and promised to all who wear it that on every Friday he would grant an increase of faith, hope and charity. Interesting!

A blue scapular is the Scapular of the Immaculate Conception. The Venerable Ursula Benicasa, founders of the Order of Theatine Nuns (born around 1550 and died in 1618), had the blue scapular revealed to her by Jesus in a vision as a means to honor the Immaculate Conception.

There are others – Scapular of the Most Sacred Heat of Jesus, Scapular of Our Lady of Ransom, Scapular of St. Michael the Archangel, Scapular of St. Joseph, and Five-Fold Scapular.

There is even a scapular medal that a person invested in the brown scapular can wear instead. It can replace multiple scapulars but it has to be blessed with each individual blessing of the various scapulars. Whew. Have you ever heard the word “scapular” so many times in your life? The medal must consist of the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on one side and a presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, usually Our Lady of Mt. Carmel on the other side.

Fun geographical fact – there is a neighborhood, or village, in a nearby town called Mount Carmel and it is the site of the first meeting house for the town of Hamden. It was named due to the resemblance of a range of hills nearby to the Mount Carmel mentioned in the bible.

Those hills go by another more familiar name for us locals, Sleeping Giant. It’s a state park here in Connecticut that looks like a giant laying down.

The Sleeping Giant aka Mount Carmel

It’s like I was meant to learn about this brown scapular.

Have you ever seen one or had one? Let me know in the comments.

Posted in 2026, life

My Easter Sunday

Posted on by nancyb422

It was a wonderful day that started off with 7:30 am mass. It was packed! The altar was beautiful with forsythia surrounded by hydrangeas of blue and pink. Two of my favorites.

Father Lane served mass, and he’s a favorite of mine. We were sprinkled with holy water and surrounded by incense during the service. Yes, it’s been a long time since I experienced an Easter morning at church and I’m grateful to be back.

After I got home, I had breakfast and a second cup of coffee both tiding me over until the Easter feast at my sister’s house. Small crowd – 17 people – with enough food for 30.

We stick with the Polish traditions of kielbasa, ham, pierogis, hard rolls, rye bread, and babka, and there is something for everyone! There are plenty of desserts like Hungarian cookies and little cherry cheesecakes. Everyone goes home with leftovers!

It’s a mix of parents and children and one grandchild and as various types of in-laws we’ve known each other for over 40 years and have become good friends as well as family.

We left for home with our care package of food. The women’s basketball final between South Carolina and UCLA was on so we changed into our comfy clothes, and settled in with some leftovers. We were happy with the outcome of the game.

Another Easter in the books!

The girls 1964
My son 1997
Posted in 2026, Memories

The Week of Anniversaries

Posted on by nancyb422

My mother died on April 4, 1987 from brain cancer. It was an eight week blur from the hospital for tests on Day 1 to her death at home.

22 years, 11 months and 24 days later, a total of 8,394 days, my father died on March 28, 2010 of a heart attack.

In the years in between, he retired, played a lot of golf, had a small picture framing business in the basement, and got to meet and enjoy his five grandchildren.

But in the last 12 years of his life, he slowly declined. A knee replacement slowed him down, triple bypass, peripheral arterial disease took his left leg, but he kept moving along in his scooter at his assisted living facility. Until a heart attack, “an angel’s kiss”, sent him on his way to heaven.

My theory is, my mother was waiting for him all these years, but he didn’t want to leave his girls. He lost his mother when he was three, and his father just before his 11th birthday. Even though we were in our early 50s, I think he just didn’t want to leave. Finally she said, “it’s time, they’re all fine”.

Every year, this week brings up the memories of how much we loved them and miss them.

Betty and John – Rocky Neck Beach – early 1950s
Posted in 2026, Writing

My First Story

Posted on by nancyb422

I was the first to read my story aloud in my writers’ guild session.

I was never one to do that, take the leap, stand in judgement first. I would do all I could to avoid the eye of the teacher, or anyone, just hoping someone else would go first and break the ice.

Something has changed within me (no, I’m not Glinda or Elphaba!) and I am no longer reluctant. I want to share what I have written, or share my thoughts. This was not the first time I offered to go first either. I was in a journaling class and the teacher asked if anyone wanted to read. People were silent, so I said I would.

What I find is, if I go, I don’t have to spend my time worrying as I wait to go! It just takes all the agony out of it and also makes others comfortable that someone else broke the ice.

My piece got good reviews, the class had good feelings about what I wrote. They did suggest more information on the home, and descriptive information. Someone said “show don’t tell”, which I can agree with but the limit was 500 words and I was already pushing 480 with what I had! I appreciate their thoughts and will work on that in my next piece.

Some of the stories were a family’s trip to watch their son graduated from Marine bootcamp, a scene from a screenplay being written, a fantasy dungeons and dragons type story, an article on creativity, and a poem that this young lady wrote on writers block that was amazing and she wrote it that afternoon!

It is an interesting program, just one evening a month, but it makes me think in terms of what I’m writing and have I provided enough to bring a reader into the story.

The following is my story from class. I would call it “historical fiction” as it’s the true story of my grandmother with imagination thrown in.

On that April morning in 1927, Antonia knew something was not quite right.  Five months pregnant with her 6th child, she knew how she was supposed to feel and this wasn’t it.

She lay in bed and her thoughts drifted back to the day she arrived in America 17 years ago.  She had just spent 9 days on a ship from Bremen Germany but didn’t give it a thought.  She was just so excited to see her sister Aniela, her brother-in-law Josef, and their four children.  The next part of her trip would be a train ride from New York to Springfield Massachusetts and then the local train to Palmer where Josef would be waiting for her at the station.  “Oj,” she thought, coming back to present day, “time enough for daydreaming later, I need to get ready for the day.”

Out of bed, she roused her husband and children.  Charles was still working this week at least. Ever since returning from France at the end of the war, he hadn’t been the same and she missed him.  He survived the trenches, but the head wound from a train accident on the way to the coast almost killed him.   The nasty scar was on the outside, but she wondered what happened to his brain on the inside.

After breakfast, Charles went off to work, and Steven, Helen, and Walter went off to school.  That left John, her 3-year-old home but the way she felt, she asked Eddie if he could stay home too.  At 12, Eddie was more than happy to stay home!  She went about her morning chores, while Eddie kept John occupied.

By early afternoon, the pain in her belly was increasing.  “Eddie! Run and get the midwife to come here.  Then head to the factory and get your father!”  Eddie jumped up and ran out the door.  “Come Johnny, let’s get you to bed for your nap”.  She nudged her son along to the bedroom and got him settled in bed and oh how she wanted to climb in next to him!

The midwife arrived, looked at her, and knew they needed to go to the hospital.  A few minutes later, Eddie and Charles arrived.  “We’re off to the hospital; She’ll be fine once we get a doctor to look at her.”  Antonia kissed her husband and son and reminded them that the other children would be home soon.  “Tell them I love them and I love you too.”  She could see the worry in their faces as she left.

Charles got the children fed and then headed to the hospital that evening.  Antonia was lying in bed, looking pale and tired.  “I’m ok, I’m ok!  Maybe I just need a little rest.”  Give my babies a kiss and I’ll see you all tomorrow.”  He gave her a kiss and left, not knowing it would be the last time he saw her.

What do you think? Did I draw you in to her story? If you’re interested in reading about my family, you can find it at It’s All About Family.

Posted in 2026, life

Bless the Caregivers

Posted on by nancyb422

I have caregivers on my mind after writing about my grandmother over on It’s All About Family.

While driving home from church yesterday (maybe it was because of church?), I said a prayer for the CT Transit bus driver waiting to take a right turn with his bus at a very annoying corner. There he was on a Sunday morning, probably already out for a few hours, and who knows how many more to go.

Today, I stopped at Walmart on my way home and I saw a young man hoisting a folder up wheelchair to put in the back of his car. I looked to the interior and there was an elderly man waiting for him. Grandfather? Paying customer? Later, when leaving the store an older woman was pushing a carriage with a toddler and telling her husband with a can in his carriage to wait and she’d get the car to pick him up. Was the young child her granddaughter?

These caregivers, people taking care of family members, neighbors, or even strangers have my deepest admiration. It is not easy.

Caregiving for my mother when I was 27 was short and there was no traveling involved. Years after that was caring for my dad. It was helpful that his primary care doctor was at the assisted living facility. He was in a wheelchair and it was easier to get him up into my SUV than it was to lower him into a car! After he passed away, I took on the grocery trips and doctor’s appointments for my aunt, my dad’s sister. That started when I got a call from the school she worked. She became ill and was being taken to the hospital and I was her emergency contact! All of that involved a change to my routine, fitting something in, taking time off from work, or having my family fend for themselves while I was caregiving.

I don’t say all that for any pats on the back but I’m realizing how important it is to have “people”.

Posted in 2026, Healthy Living, life

My Word for 2026

Posted on by nancyb422

Engage….

….with people, events, my faith, and dare I say, social media for our business.

More on that word later. Right now I’m heading off to “float” with my daughter in law. Hmm, engaging in something new with someone I’ve really been getting to know much better in 2025.

Posted in 2025, family, life

Merry Christmas!

Posted on by nancyb422
My sweet mini Christmas tree and the morning sunrise

Christmas Day, re-birth, a new beginning. Like a precursor to the new year. I’ll spend the week, contemplating the past year and the year ahead.

My husband and I have opened our presents, all purchased by me this past Saturday. Various candies we enjoy, a book, puzzle, and gift cards. Gone are the days of agonizing over what to buy because we spent so little on ourselves through the year, it felt like we “needed” everything. Now, we need nothing, want nothing.

Stockings ready to open

Our son and daughter-in-love will come over mid-morning for a late breakfast and to exchange presents. I’m grateful they live a few miles away, and more grateful that they want to be with us in the morning.

After they leave, I’ll break open my new puzzle – White Mountain brand, Saturday Cartoons – and we’ll watch Arthur Christmas, which was recommended on my “Ordinary and Happy” December 25th Daily Planner. I was not successful completing any of the suggested items but Today is always a great day to start.

I hope your day is a blessed one where ever and how ever you spend it.

Posted in 2025, family

Wedding Review

Posted on by nancyb422

My niece’s wedding is over and we are back home. Although the venue was an hour 20 minutes away, for old folks like us, we’d rather stay over than drive home in the dark.

It was held in the area of Connecticut I love most, the northeast corner for the state, better known as “the quiet corner”. It happens to be the area where my college was located before it closed in 1980, so no wonder I love it!

We drove up to the hotel in Dayville, a Comfort Inn & Suites which was a very nice hotel and 10 minutes from the venue, checked in and headed off to Putnam to join my family from Maine at lunch. Putnam has gone from a New England mill town, to a rundown town with a K-Mart when I was there, to a destination for antique shopping, biking, hiking, and leaf peeping. There are 5 or 6 restaurants to choose from right in the main area of town, and plenty of parking, and the lots were filled when we arrive at 1pm!

After lunch we all headed back to the hotel to get ready. I had showered in the morning and had my hairdresser wash and dry my hair at her salon. That isn’t something I normally do, but I thought about it far enough in advance and she had time to do it.

We left for the venue – Pinecroft Estate with plenty of time to spare. They wanted everyone there at 3:30 to have everyone gather in the heated tent and proceed to the outdoor area for the ceremony. Being mid-November in Northern Connecticut it was chilly, and I was glad I had my coat!

Waiting for the ceremony to begin

It was a beautiful, and short, ceremony. My sister and her husband escorted my niece down the aisle and her sister was her matron of honor. We all got teary-eyed.

After the ceremony, the photographer had everyone, wedding party and approximately 90 guest, stand in front of the barn for a group picture. I stuck my head next to my sister so we look like conjoined twins in the picture!

Everything about the reception was perfect. The tent, connected to the reception barn, was beautifully heated and, of course, had sides to it. Inside was a couch and chairs, metal outdoor tables and chairs, and one of two bars. The hors-d’oeuvres table was here along with servers passing food.

Pre-wedding photo

Once we got into the barn, the festivities began! The wedding party and parents were introduced, the first dance was danced, and the speeches completed.

The efficiency of the staff was incredible. The servers blended in and were never in the way. The food was prepared in the house next to the barn and delivered 4 or 6 plates at a time. My husband and I had pumpkin raviolis in Sage butter sauce.

The wedding cake was a small one that the bride and groom cut, but for the guests there was a cookie table along with coffee and tea.

Once the dancing started, my son, his wife, and my nieces and nephews never left the dance floor! I don’t know how they do it! We especially enjoy watching my niece and her husband and told her it’s evident where her 6 year old daughter gets her theatrical nature.

We were there from 4pm to 9:30pm and we couldn’t believe how it felt so much longer! But the end rolled around and we got our coats and left. Some family members continued on in the hotel lobby, but my husband and I headed to our room.

We saw most of the family in the lobby for our hotel continental breakfast before we all headed home. It was so nice to be together and we will see most of them again at our family Christmas party next month.

Family photo taken while family photo was being taken!