Happy Thanksgiving!

We spent Thanksgiving at Pete and Liz's house in New Jersey. The food was excellent and it was so nice to see everyone. We also got to meet their new little cat, Lily. She is very cute. After dinner, we sang "Happy Birthday" to Paige, who turned 10 on that day. She loves horses, so her gifts were mostly horse-related. Jill is into reading the Twilight books and also loved the movie. We got a chance to try out their Wii Fit game before we journeyed back to New York City. Above is the group photo of the family.

A Gala in NYC

Guillaume and I were recently invited to a gala. Here is a photo of me with some of my current and former colleagues at the party. (l to r) Me, Ingrid, Jenn, Amber and Kristy.

More Summer Fun - France!

We went to France in September to visit Guillaume's family and friends. We started out in the South of France, near Spain, in a region know as the Basque Country (Pays Basque) and made our way back to Paris for the end of the trip.

Pays Basque is one of the most spectacular regions of France. The food there is like none I have ever tasted. The houses are well-kept and painted red and white in a perfect contrast with the rolling mountains around them. The Basque people are very proud of their heritage and wear it proudly. They speak Basque, an isolated language, that sounds nothing like French. It has lots of "k's" and "x's."

We spent some time with Guillaume's grandma in Cambo Les Bains. She has the most beautiful terrace on her home. It's so nice to hang out there on during the warm days or the cool nights listening to the crickets and other night time noises.

We also visited Guillaume's uncle, his mom's brother, in Capbreton, a surf town that reminded me a lot of California. We had a lovely evening with his aunt and uncle and then met his cousin Marion to go dancing at a local club. In the morning, we enjoyed an excellent breakfast of pain au chocolat outside in the sun. It was delightful.

After that, we visited the other side of Guillaume's family, his dad's brother, in St. Colome. It was about two hours away. His uncles home was nestled in the mountains. It is a beautiful wooden house that he built himself. The views from the terrace are amazing. After dinner, we drove to the top of the mountain and looked at the beautiful, bright stars. Wild horse and cows were roaming around. You could hear the sounds of the cow bells in the distance. It was amazing.

After that, we spent a few days at the beach in Biarritz and Anglet while enjoying some Gateau Basque. YUM. Then, we got on a plane (EasyJet - come on, let's fly!) and headed to Paris. After the short flight, we met Guillaume's good friend Julien, who was nice enough to get us at the airport and drive us back to Nogent sur Marne.

We spent the next couple of days enjoying the city and seeing Guillaume's family and friends. We were able to visit his grandparents and spend some time with them. It was nice to see them! We also saw some friends from NYC who had moved to France last year. It was a blast.

Of course, it all went by too fast as usual!

More Pictures from Ron

Here's another picture that Ron sent a few months ago. This is my grandfather, Stan, with young Ron. Aren't they the cutest?

Summer Fun Memories!

Before we left for France, Guillaume and I were invited by Bill and Terry to their friend's house in Rhinebeck, NY. They invited a bunch of us to spend Labor Day weekend there. Tara, Ricky, Jeff, Andrew and others were all there. Everyone brought their dogs.

After work on Friday night, we hopped onto the Amtrak train at Penn Station and got to Rhinebeck around 8 PM. We took a taxi from the station and arrived while everyone else was cooking up a big feast of pasta and veggies. We ate outside on a big picnic table with candles and wildflower bouquets. Though it was early September, it was already getting chilly, so we all put our sweaters on.

After dinner, we did the dishes while listening to music and some of the guys built a bonfire in the backyard. That's when it began misting a little bit. None of us moved, though. We were having too much fun. Eventually, we brought the party inside of the historic house from the 1700s.

The house, called the Feather Farm, is named for the fact that it once had a barn full of birds on the property. The birds produced feathers for hats in New York City. The barn is still there, but the birds are long gone. It's located a little distance from the main house and looks dilapidated and creepy.

Part of the allure of the Feather Farm is that there is no television and no cell phone service. You are completely isolated from the world. Your job can't reach you. You can't check your email. No internet shopping. At first, this was weird for us. We spent most of the day hanging out and laying around and reading. It was very relaxing. One afternoon, we took a walk up the road to see the neighbor's houses.

When we weren't relaxing, we were cooking the next meal, eating a meal or cleaning up after one. Terry made some excellent dishes. We had an egg bake for breakfast that was delicious. There was a plum cobbler (with plums from the tree in the yard) that was excellent. We had ribs and grilled corn. Yum.

All in all it was a fantastic time. We are looking forward to visiting again! I'll write about our trip to France next time.

Happy Birthday, Bob!

Last month, we had a birthday party for my dad. We had dinner at a little French restaurant near my parents' house and then had some cake from the local bakery. It was a nice evening. Here is a photo of Bob and Sue just before the cake cutting!

Hello Again!

Hi Everyone,

Sorry that I've been gone for a while. Guillaume and I got very busy at the end of the summer. Then, we spent some time upstate with friends and then off to France for two weeks. Right when we got back, we celebrated my dad's birthday. Anyhow, I will write again soon! Until then, here is a picture of the beautiful Pays Basque houses and mountains from our trip to France.

Great Grandma Shirreffs and Ellen Shirreffs Offen

I already posted this great photo from Ron, but I didn't get to comment on it. So, here is my great grandma with her daughter Ellen Shirreffs Offen. Pictures from this time period are very interesting as you can see how different the styles of dress and hair were at that time. I love all the lace details on their dresses. Both of the ladies in this picture look very lovely.

I'm always looking for new information and photos to post. Please send me any information that you have!

Stan and Ron in 1939

It's been a while since I've been able to write here. This summer is flying by! I really love the picture taken in 1939 of my Grandpa Stan with Ron Offen in their swimsuits. My grandpa looks very fit and young while little Ron is trying to look just like him. Very cute!

More photos from Ron!!

I don't have time to write tonight, but here's another photo from Ron. This one is great-great-grandpa Shirreffs.

Grandma's House is Sold

I promised that I  would post some of the other photos that Ron Offen sent, but then I got very busy with work and also enjoying the summer weather.  Now, for some reason Blogger won't let me  upload them, so I'll have to show them to you in a separate post. 

Back to the summer weather. Last weekend was a perfect summer weekend.  I had a picnic in the park (Shake Shack burgers!) with my girlfriends, Barbara and Jen, (see photo below.) followed by some shopping at Sephora and some clothing stores. Then, after some girl time with Paola, we headed to a balcony barbeque at Yadh's apartment with Guillaume. 

At the BBQ, we met an interesting couple who had just gone on a hot air balloon ride in Clinton, NJ. They had a blast and the photos were excellent. My parents might do this one day. I hope they do.

Last Sunday was spent at the Long Beach on Long Island. For 

some reason, I love the beach. It's one of the only places that I can feel totally relaxed. For me, I think it's the sound of the water and the cool breeze. I also enjoy reading, and the beach is a great place to do that. So, we took the (crowded) train there and hung out by the water until the evening. After that, we went out to dinner in our neighborhood.  All in all, a perfect weekend.

I wanted this weekend to be more of the same. Elaine and I were supposed to go to P.S. 1 in Long Island City and then Water Taxi Beach, but it didn't work out. Instead I spent some time at the excellent public pool in my neighborhood (which has a Keith Hering mural from  1987) and shopped for Roller Blades.  If it doesn't rain, I'll use them tomorrow.

I finally learned how to roller blade near Canal Lachine while we were in Montreal a few weekends ago (see photo of us in front of the canal below). This is a big deal because I've been trying to learn how to rollerblade since high school. Let me tell you that Randolph, NJ is not the ideal place to learn to roller blade as it is filled with giant hills that spell certain death when you are on roller blades and have not learned how to use the brake. At that time, I tried anyway because I thought that my years of roller skating in the 80s would be enough of a prerequisite. 

Well, just like skiing isn't the same as snowboarding, roller skating and roller blading aren't very related. In the middle of a long hill, I ended up jumping into the grass to try to stop and executing a very ungraceful landing. Despite several years of roller skating birthday parties and all the experience one gets from that, I decided back then that rollerblading was way too scary for me. When I told this to Guillaume about a decade later, it wasn't good news as he loves rollerblading. So, I decided to give it another whirl a couple of weekends ago.

Even though I have a good idea about how it works now, I'm still sticking to flat terrain, and I'm excited to have gotten that far. I'm going to test them out on the bike path near the Hudson River. I could even rollerblade to work if I wanted to!

Anyhow, I digress.  The reason I started writing is to announce that my grandma's house has been officially sold. This is a bittersweet occasion and an end to a chapter of my life. I am glad that my parents and my aunt and uncle won't have to put any money into the place in order to sell it, but it's weird to think that another family will be living there. I feel kind of silly even saying that, but it's true.

As I've said before, that house has been a second home to me ever since I can remember. Though it was far away, we made journeys there at least a few times a year.  My sister and I both were babies while my grandma lived in that house. Since my sister and I are so far apart in age, it's rare to find a commonality like that. But now that's over.  It's someone else's house now.

I feel lucky, though, that I was able to enjoy my grandmother through my early  30s and that she was able to keep her house until she passed the 90-year mark. I'm proud of her for maintaining her independence and fighting for it right to the end. Though, it made things difficult for us much of the time.  

It's sad to see the end of an era, but I suppose it has to happen at some point. I already miss knowing that the house in Canfield is still there, all in tact just as it has always been, waiting for me to come home. 

Photos from Ron Offen

I know it has been awhile since I've written, but we've been really busy traveling around the east coast for family events. So, I haven't had much time to write or even to check my email. During that time, I missed an email from Ron Offen that contained several excellent historic family photos.

The first one is of my great-grandmother and Ellen Shirreffs. It is quite amazing! It's late and I have to go to bed, so I can only post one for tonight. More to follow!

Celebrating in New Jersey

May and June were extremely busy for us. We spent much of it going from place to place for big events including a memorial, a wedding, a graduation, etc. Also, Guillaume's parents came to visit for two weeks. It has been fun seeing everyone! Here are two photos from a trip to my parents' house to celebrate: Amy's graduation, mom's birthday, father's day and Guillaume's parents' visit. We ate some delicious food that my mom made (despite that it was her birthday) and had a blast. 

Amy's Memories of Grandma Isabel

Submitted by Amy A.

People say when someone dies you eventually forget their voice.  However, 

during the funeral of grandma Isabel I heard her voice and laughter through the windchimes and the wind delicately blowing

through the leaves nearby.  When the wind and chimes picked up during the ceremony we all knew it was her watching from above laughing away the clouds and storms that were supposed to plague that very day.  Everyone seemed to agree it was her way of not letting the weather rain out her last goodbye.  It was a beautiful day and a simple, but lovely funeral.  The priest said a few words.  We listened to one of grandma's favorite psalms from the bible called psalm 23.  The passage summed up to mean 'It will all work out if you believe in God and follow in his steps.'  So I will remember most about grandma is that she always said 'It will all work out'  because she said it often.  Then from there, my mom said that to me, and I have already started saying it to my friends.  So grandma's words will live on and pass though all of us.  She will be with me and everyone's lives she has touched forever.

Peace, Love, and Happiness      

PICTURED: Amy at her college graduation last month.

Grandma's Memorial

On Friday night, Guillaume and I left work and headed to Canfield, Ohio. Unfortunately, there's no real easy way to get there. We took a plane from Newark, NJ to Pittsburgh. From there, we rented a car and drove to a motel in Austintown.

The flight was almost as long as driving. We ended up having a delay before boarding the plane. Then we sat on the runway for an hour. When we got to Pittsburgh, there was no gate for us. So, we waited there, too. Finally we got our luggage and rented the car and were on our way! After a stop at McDonald's for some (pretty good!) coffee, we rolled into Austintown around 1 am. I was exhausted even with the large cup of coffee in my system.

We couldn't see much of Austintown at night, but we were able to see that our motel was conveniently located between two go-go bars. There was also a Starbucks. Guillaume and I ate our breakfast there at a table with an umbrella over it next to the highway. The weather was so gorgeous that I forgot about the whoosh of the highway and enjoyed the sun.

The Memorial went very well. Mom and Aunt Carole did a nice job of planning it. I didn't know what to expect or how I would feel when I got to the cemetery. Work was so busy the last couple of weeks, so I didn't have time to think about it too much. Clutching my notebook, I walked toward the gravesite feeling a little queasy.

When the funeral director brought out my grandma's ashes, it felt like someone kicked me in the stomach. I had the same feeling when I saw my other grandmother in her casket. There's something powerful about that moment. It knocks the wind out of you and leaves you feeling vulnerable. That's when the tears started. I don't know what I was surprised that I was crying.

Grandma passed away several months ago. I had already gone through the various stages of grief, but I never felt the closure that a funeral brings. I realized that I was going to have to go through this crucial step. Not sure why I didn't see it coming. I guess I let the daily stress of work block it out.

I focused on the sticker that was bearing my grandmother's name, which was typewritten onto a label on the box of ashes. It felt surreal and also painfully final.

After Aunt Carole's reading, I managed to stop crying enough to try and read the notes that I had prepared. I was overcome with emotion. The pastor/reverend stood next to me and I felt slightly better.

I didn't end up reading my notes, but instead I clutched them to my heart and tried to summarize them. I kept thinking how lucky I was to know my grandmother and how special she was. Whenever I called her with a problem, she always told me that it would all work out. It seems so trite, but it would always take the pressure off. I can still hear her voice saying that when I am very upset. That's something that will stay with me always.

I cried through my words, but it felt good to get them out. I looked out at my family and saw them tearing up, too. I felt ridiculous standing up there crying in front of everyone, but I couldn't help it.

Still sobbing, I went back to my place with my family. That's when other people began to speak up about my grandmother. Listening to them share their stories and memories soothed me. I didn't want to end. It almost felt like their words would some how bring her back to life or that she would suddenly come walking over laughing at how she fooled us. Of course that didn't happen. Instead, dirt was spread over her grave as we watched.

After chatting with my grandmother's friends, we left the cemetery and went to the luncheon. The food was good and we shared more memories of my grandmother. My sister put together a beautiful collage of my grandmother that was displayed there. She did an excellent job. It's pictured above.

The rest of the day was spent traveling down memory lane. We stopped by at the now mostly empty house where my grandma lived for about 30-something years. The outside looked the same, but the inside was not the place I remembered. It was stripped down to a few chairs, curtains and wallpaper. It felt like someone else's house.

But that didn't stop the memories from flooding back. A trip to SeaWorld to see Shamu. My grandfather in his recliner with the television cranked up at full volume. Games and toys lined up by the fireplace for me when I arrived from the long drive from NJ. Sitting under the kitchen table on the gold shag rug listening to the grown ups talk about golfing and medications. Getting my head stuck in the railing of the upstairs banister while playing jail by myself (before Amy was born). The note from my grandpa that we found after he died that said that Ed would buy the boat.

All my life, that house had been the same. Now, it was dismantled and my grandmother and her bubbly laugh were gone, too. It was one of the many weird moments of life when you are forced to face the fact that things change and that life's too short and that you should treasure every moment of it.

It's hard to face all of those things, but I think it's necessary. With all the stresses we have, it's easy to forget the things that really matter and take things too seriously. Deep down I know it will eventually all work out.

Leaving for Ohio Tomorrow!

Tomorrow Guillaume and I leave for Ohio to attend my Grandma's memorial. I'm glad to finally get the chance to celebrate her life and say my final goodbyes. It still doesn't feel real that she's gone.  

There has been so much time to prepare, but it doesn't feel like enough time. My colleague Amber asked me today what my grandmother was like. I found myself talking about how youthful she was. How she bowled until she was about 90 and played golf until she was 85. I remember visiting at Thanksgiving and playing the piano with grandpa. We would make a trip to the mall on Black Friday and she would buy me something for my birthday. She had many friends both young and old. She managed to live on her own in Ohio many years after my grandfather's death. It was pretty amazing. 

I know this weekend is going to be hard for me, but it will also be nice to remember her with my family.  She is pictured above way before I knew her. I think it was taken sometime in the 1960s. Maybe when she went to pick up my mom at college. I'm not sure.

The Shirreffs Sisters in the 60s

Don't tell my mom, but I borrowed one of her photo albums. It's got a very 60s looking cover and is filled with excellent photos of grandma, grandpa, their house on Western Reserve Road, some pictures of her first students in Miami and more. I'll pick out some of the best ones and post them here. Shown here is Carole and Susan sometime in the 60s I'm guessing. I think it might have been taken at their house on Western Reserve Road.

CORRECTION -- Aunt Carole let me know that this didn't happen at their house on Western Reserve Road. It was probably taken at a restaurant.

The Newest Addition to the Shirreffs Family

From Danny Shirreffs:

Jameson Harry Alexander Shirreffs was born on the 8th May and weighed in at 6 lb. 9 oz.  Gill and Jameson are both doing fantastically well and we are both delighted!

Stay tuned for photos!

Go Austin High School!

More from Ron Offen:

Tom was a swimming star at Austin High School in Chicago. All three siblings, Stan, Tom, and my mother Ellen went to Austin—as did I. On the swimming team with Tom was a lad named Johnny Wisemuller (not sure of spelling) who later because a movie star portraying Tarzan in several Tarzan films.

Above are some newspaper clippings relating to Tom and Stan's athletics.

'Plus Fours' in Scotland

More from Ron Offen:

The "pouffy pants" you noted Tom was wearing in one photo were called "plus fours," and were actually knickers (See photo at the right). They were all the rage in the 1920s.  They were, as you assumed, often worn for golfing. what a natty pair they were!

October 1972

Here is a photo of my great grandmother, my grandparents and my mom in October of 1972.

CORRECTION: Aunt Carole told me that the guy all the way to the left isn't my great-grandfather. He is just someone who lived at the same nursing home as my great-grandmother.

Help Me Identify These People

Here is another photo from the Scotland photo album of my grandfather's that I cannot identify. My grandfather is the only guy in the picture. I recognise the woman on the lower left, I know I've seen a photo of her before. If anyone knows who these people are, let me know! 

Ron Offen Shares Stories About Andy and Alex Shirreffs

Here's are some stories about Andrew Shirreffs (Andy) and Alex Shirreffs (pictured below in uniform) submitted by writer Ron Offen. Ron is pictured at the right.

Andrew, who lived in Chicago and once taught some kind of trade (perhaps lithography) at the Washburne Trade School in that city, was a very funny man and an incorrigible jokester.  I remember that my mother (nee Ellen Shiirreffs), dad and my two paternal grandparents went to Uncle Andrew and Aunt Beatrice's home for dinner on a Sunday. My paternal grandmother (Elsie Offen) had almost no sense of humor although she was a sweet and loving woman.   

At one point during the dinner Uncle Andy said to my grandmother Offen, who had just complemented Aunt Beatrice on the meal, "Yes it was a good meal, Mrs. Offen, but you should taste my specialty. It’s my stewed prunes and liver dish. I mix them into a kind of goulash. Absolutely delicious!" 

 To which my grandmother responded, "Yes, it does sound very good." Im sure she wondered why the rest of us were smirking and suppressing guffaws. 

Uncle Alex was quite different, although a bit of a rake, I assume, during his early life. After all, he was in the Merchant Marines in his youth.  I believe he worked for a Dutch oil company and I only met him a few times.  He had come to the United States with his illegitimate daughter, Nessie Shirreffs (herself a very interesting character).  

Aside from meeting both of them at Uncle Andy's at the dinner described above, we met them a few other times while they were in Chicago. Uncle Alex was a serious and earnest man who lived in Aruba as some kind of administrator for an oil company.  He may have been an engineer, but I'm not sure on this.  In any case he appeared very bright and dignified to my eleven-year-old eyes.  He offered to send me stamps for my stamp collection when he returned to his island home.  And to my surprise, he did just that.  In fact we corresponded for about a year. I can't, however, remember any of the contents or subject matter of the letters.  

Nessie Shirreffs (after the visit to Chicago) went back to Scotland, where she had lived up to that time. At the time I met her she was in her twenties, I believe.  She was supported by Uncle Alex for most of her early life but may have been supporting herself at this time (about 1941).  Later, after Uncle Alex retired she and her father went to live in Sunnyvale (I think) California. Then, after Uncle Alex died, she went back to Aberdeen, Scotland.  I met her there in the mid-1980's.

Stay tuned for more stories from Ron!

The Magic Compact

I'm not sure how it started, but when Amy was little she believed grandma had a magic compact. It could've been from some TV show on Nickeodeon or something, I'm not sure. Anyhow, Amy loved to play with grandma's magic compact. In this picture, you can see Amy in her fancy sunglasses and the magic compact and Grandma Isabel at my parents' house. 

May 31st in Canfield - Isabel's Memorial

The plans are being made for Isabel's memorial service on May 31st in Canfield, Ohio. It looks like it will happen around 11 am with a meal afterwards. I am looking forward to being with my family and remembering my grandmother at this event. I'm putting together photos of her for a collage. If anyone has any photos or memories they would like to share with the rest of the family, please feel free to e-mail or mail them to me.  I can provide additional details to anyone who would like to come. 

Thanksgiving in Ohio

We spent many Thanksgivings in Ohio. Here is one of the first few that I remember. It must have been in the very early 80s because I look about 5 or 6 years old. I have the famous bowl cut for which I'll never forgive my parents! 

Grandpa Stan already has his food. Looks like they stopped serving to take the photo. We look very happy!

Isabel's Memorial in May

The tentative date for Isabel's Memorial is May 31st.  Lots of logistics have yet to be worked out. I'll let you know as soon as I have more information.

Grandma Isabel Visits Rutgers

In 1998, when I graduated from college at Rutgers, Grandma Isabel ventured to New Brunswick, NJ to see me in commencement. It was a  lovely day. I was so excited to be done with school and ready to enter the real world. Here's grandma one day at the kitchen table at my parents' house.

Grandpa Stan

At some point, Aunt Carole and Uncle Tom gave me a Fisher-Price camera that I loved.  It had this disposable flashbulb attachment. I ran out of flashes so quickly. I think there were only six with each attachment. I think I got it right before my sister was born, around age 7 or 8.

I remember wanting to take photos of everything, especially because I knew that they wouldn't be developed into slides. My dad's photos were always done in slides and I hated that because I had to get out the viewer to see them. I wanted real photos on paper like my friends had. 

Taking the film in and waiting for it to get developed was a real exercise in patience. I remember taking the film to the little Fotomat house that was in the middle of the parking lot near Pathmark or Foodtown. Then, we'd have to go back and pick it up when it was ready. I couldn't wait. We had to go there often as being a little photographer was my latest thing.

Grandparents are usually good sports and play along with whatever you'd like to do as a kid. My grandpa Stan was no exception and he agreed to be my subject one time while we were visiting. He was in his favorite chair by the television.  The picture must have been taken around the mid 1980s.  

I think it was one of the last photos that we have of him. And, this is how I remember him when I think of him from time to time -- relaxed in his chair by television in the den. We had lots of lively conversations there with my parents and I on the two sofas nearby. 

He was an excellent story teller.  As a young child, I would sit in his lap and he would tell me stories that were sometimes real and sometimes not. I enjoyed hearing stories of his life in the Navy. When he passed away, my grandma Isabel adopted the spot as her own. 

Elaine and Chris in NYC - Part 2

I didn't have a the photo of Elaine and Chris on my camera, so you didn't get to see him in the last post.  Here they are:

Hanging out with Chris and Elaine in NYC

Elaine and Chris arrived on Friday to spend a long weekend in New York City. So far, they'veseen many things in a very short time -- the Empire State Building, Chinatown, the Brooklyn Bridge, and DUMBO in Brooklyn just to name a few. 

And last night, I was able to see them for some drinks and appetizers in Soho. I was so excited to see them! After many emails and photos, we were finally going to meet in person. (Unfortunately, Guillaume couldn't join us because he had to work.)

It was rainy and cold last night, but we managed to brave the weather and meet at Bar 89 on Mercer Street. 

Bar 89 (in photo at the left) is a spacious bar/restaurant that has a great menu of American comfort food. It also has a large art installation that changes monthly. This month it had many amarylis plants in pots attached to a metal frame hanging from the ceiling. 

What the place is really famous for are its unique restrooms, though. I won't spoil the surprise, but, if you are curious and can't make the trip to NYC, Elaine tells me you can see a video of them on Youtube. I recommend seeing it for yourself. ;)

But I digress. While walking to meet them at the bar, I was a little worried that I might not

 recognize Elaine and Chris when they came in. (Chris, where was the red, blue and yellow outfit?! Haha!)  They confessed to the same fear. But it wasn't a problem at all. I saw them when they came in and I knew it was them. (The picture that they sent me and that was posted here helped me to figure it out.)  

So, I waved them over to where I was at the bar and we got a table. We began to get to know each other as we looked at the drink menu. Elaine and I chose a big, pink, girly cocktail -- the name escapes me -- and Chris had a Stella.  Later, we splurged on another fancy cocktail -- a pomegranate martini. YUM! 

Even before the drinks came, we were chatting easily. Elaine and Chris are warm, funny, smart and personable.  Though we didn't really know each other aside from emails and our family connection, I felt immediately at ease.  I guess that's something that just happens with family, even if you are sort of distantly related.  Or maybe it's just because they are great people!

We traded stories about life in the U.K. versus the States. I offered a few tips on shopping and restaurants in the city. I learned that Elaine works with 16-18 year-old-students helping them get work experience for university. She told me about her famous shepherd's pie with lamb mince (can I have the recipe, Elaine?). Chris loves boats and was in the Navy and has seen so many cities all over the world. It was fascinating!

We also discussed their trip so far. I think they may have liked the festive atmosphere of Chinatown the best. They saw the dragons in the street and the fish market and even ate at a Dim Sum restaurant. I don't think they tried the chicken feet, though! They hope to do some more shopping and maybe hit a jazz club before they leave.

I asked Elaine about Danny in Scotland and she said that she met him in Edinburough, I think. Danny was my first connection to

 the extended family tree. He wrote a letter to my grandmother about 4 0r 5 years ago and gave her his email address. I wrote to him and he sent us many historical photos and a sprawling print out of the family tree. It was amazing. Elaine said she met Danny and Gillian for dinner and they are delightful!

I really wanted to continue talking with them, b

ut I had another party to attend that same night. I decided to be a little late to the party and we ordered a second drink and split some yummy appetizers. (BTW, the hot hot hot chips were delish and the buffalo chicken salad looked scrumptious. I couldn't try them both because I had to save room for the Shepherd's pie at the Australian place.)

After we were finished, I walked out with them  and we said our goodbyes from beneath our umbrellas. Then, Chris and Elaine headed to the subway back uptown to their hotel. I hopped in a cab and hightailed it to a bar/restaurant The Australian located near Penn Station to celebrate our close friend, Sofia's, birthday.

I hope that Chris and Elaine come back again soon. There's always more to see in New York City and maybe they could even journey out to NJ to see the (in)famous Garden State! 

A Big Fish

Here's another mystery photo. I'm not sure if this one was taken in Scotland or back home in Ohio. I'm not positive, but the background looks pretty American to me. Either way, if anyone knows who it is, let me know!

Two More Photos from Scotland

This is a photo of my great grandparents (Shirreffs), I think, at some waterfall in Scotland.

And one below of my grandpa Stan with my great-grandmother (left) coming down from the top of the rocks. Unfortunately, these photos were taken from pretty far away. I wish they had a good zoom lens back then. 

Stan and Tom visit a Waterfall

I've done further research about the sites around Aberdeen to see if I could decipher the pictures in the scrapbook that I have. I guess it shouldn't be a surprise, but they are mostly photos of the famous sites that are around Aberdeen. So far, I recognise a photo of the "Bridge of Dee" in Aberdeen. I'm getting closer to figuring out which castles are pictured. 

There are many pictures of a waterfall. I can't figure out which one it is. There appear to be many waterfalls in the region containing Aberdeen. I saw photos of several smaller ones, but none of them seem as powerful as this one. I didn't pay much 

attention in geography class, so maybe others will have an idea of which waterfall is in the photos from the scrapbook.

Along with the pictures of the sea and the waterfall are several pictures of Stan, Tom and, I think, their parents. In one photo (left), they are wearing the rain gear that you 

get when you visit a waterfall. They look a bit odd in that 

picture.

After that, you see them clamoring up the rocks to take photos there. There's one of my grandfather alone, one of his parents, and one of their mother with the two boys.  

In each photo, they are posed proudly.

The photo showing my great-grandparents has a lot of character, too. My great-grandfather is posed very proudly with his wife at his side. 

 The one with Tom  (at the right) looks like he is checking his cellphone, but of course there were no cell phones then. He's fixing his coat, but someone snapped the picture too quickly.  He wasn't ready.

They look very happy in these photos! It must have been an excellent family vacation. Judging from the stories I've heard, it probably was. If anyone has any information about these photos, let me know!