“Pop’s Pie”

Is a grandfather’s love the missing ingredient to the best key lime pie? A young mother delves into memories of the treats her beloved Pop made just for her.

book ideas & inspiration, family history, memoir & writing, food memoriesDawn M. RoodeAugust 2, 2016grandfather's key lime pie, recipes passed down through generations hold meaning, remembering a grandfather through the foods he cookedComment

A taste of the past

Smells and tastes conjure memories in a most primal way, and can transport us right back to our childhood kitchens. Our recipe for preserving your food stories.

book ideas & inspiration, family history, memoir & writing, food memoriesDawn M. RoodeAugust 1, 2016the power of food to recall memories, food related memories through generations, preserving family recipes for futureComment

Why genealogy is not the answer to finding yourself

Genealogy is history on a personal scale. It helps satisfy a deep need to understand how we fit into the broader world around us. But knowledge of our ancestors does not define us. Read on for musings on why we should collect stories, not ancestors.

family history, why tell your stories?Dawn M. RoodeJune 21, 2016do you need to know your ancestors to know yourself, family history and identity, genealogy can help you learn about yourself Comment

#Legacy Links: June 10 - Photographs, Memory, and Life Lessons

This week's top 4 legacy links all focus in some way on the enduring power of photography—the power to connect us with the past, to inspire, and my favorite, to reveal stories and truths.

family history, photo legacy, curated roundupsDawn M. RoodeJune 10, 2016stories behind family photos, photography exhibits focus on legacy and family history Comments

“His are the sepia eyes that passed through me.”

“His is the broad nose, the high cheekbones, the determined mouth, the face not like an oval or a heart, but like a square. He died long before I'd ever meet him, but I carried him in my blood.” In Beth Kephart's contribution to our “Pictures Into Words” series, you’ll find inspiration for writing about a photograph that holds more mystery than memory. Sometimes it's the wondering, the imagining, that brings life to an old photo—that carries your ancestors from the past into the present and finds the narrative thread in our connected lives.

memoir & writing, family history, book ideas & inspiration, photo legacyDawn M. RoodeMay 31, 2016writing about people you have never met, imagination enhancing memories in life story writing, mother preserves family stories for sonComment

Why tell our stories? Wisdom from RootsTech 2016 & beyond

There are likely a million reasons to share personal stories. We've collected 10 nuggets of priceless wisdom from #RootsTech 2016, from inspiring love and empathy to helping us raise resilient children. Stories are gifts—are you sharing yours?

family history, why tell your stories?Dawn M. RoodeFebruary 8, 2016how stories add depth to family history and dry genealogy, rasing resilient kids through a family narrative, highlights about storytelling from rootstech conference 2016, why its important to tell personal stories, raising resilient kids with family historyComment

Using technology to help you share your family’s stories

There is plenty you can do to ensure that you are—easily!—capturing bits and pieces of your family history on a regular basis. Even if a photo book is way off in your future, take steps now to make life easier later with our recommended memory-sharing websites. With weekly emails prompting a family elder to share personal stories, and options for video, audio, and other customization, creating your personal digital archive is simpler than ever.

family history, memoir & writing, curated roundupsDawn M. RoodeJanuary 20, 2016recording family history, memory sharing apps for families, legacy and memory booksComment