That Time NPR Tweeted About the Dunhoff-Kerr Family Thanksgiving Politics

NPR Sue Kerr Twitter

Our usual gang of relatives are all like-minded albeit ranging from moderate Democrats to very liberal. Talking politics at the holidays is a way to bond, to feel the comfort of like-minds, to acknowledge the big bad world while appreciating our companionship. — Sue Kerr (@PghLesbian24) November 19, 2018   (Be sure to read all […]

That Time We Merged Our Separate Giant Eagle Advantage Cards

Giant Eagle Advantage Card Shared Account

I remember early in our relationship days, Ledcat and I went grocery shopping together at the Waterfront Giant Eagle near my home. This was probably 8-10 months in to our relationship (now going on 162 months, thank you.) It wasn’t a joint shop for a shared event, it was two independent shops using one cart. […]

My (Most Recent) Trauma Timeline and Losing My Voice

My (Most Recent) Trauma Timeline and Losing My Voice

In the spring, I was assigned to a new therapist who practices “trauma informed” therapy. It was time to work on some of the deep, dark stuff that I had been dancing around for years and began to really acknowledge just in the six months prior. I was still recovering from the hysterectomy and hadn’t […]

How to Request Toys for Tots in Western Pennsylvania in 2018

Toys for Tots Pennsylvania

This is our annual (6 years+) round-up of Toys for Tots programs in Western Pennsylvania for 2018. I’ve done my best to sort through the available information and provide you what you may need to know. PLEASE click through to the applicable link to doublecheck the details. Some of the Toys for Tots pages are […]

Today I Learned My Then-80-Year-Old 5th Great-Grandfather was Recruiting Newspaper Subscribers in 1858 for the Pittsburgh Gazette

My whole life long, I’ve had a connection to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette through my great-grandfather, Gilbert Remley. Gil had a long history as a newspaperman, starting as a copy boy for the Pittsburgh Sun in 1906 and retiring in August 1958 as the Executive Sports Editor for the Post-Gazette. Today, I learned something astonishing about […]

My Family Story: The Overshadowed Legacy of Caroline Ritter (1852-1906)

The final profile in my 2x great-grandmother series is Caroline Ritter (1852-1906) Caroline is the paternal grandmother of my paternal grandfather, James Vincent Pryor. I didn’t learn her name for several years of my family tree research, after I stumbled upon a 4th cousin who filled me in on the Pryor history. The Backstory To […]

My Family Story: The Hidden Legacy of Caroline Feil (1858-1936)

Welcome to the next installment of My Family Story focusing on my 2x great-grandmothers. This is the story of Caroline Feil Bliss (1858-1936) who is my maternal grandmother’s mother’s mother. Caroline was born in New Baltimore, Somerset County in 1858. The story of Grandma Caroline is itself quite a tale, as is the story of finding […]

50 LGBTQ Parents #AMPLIFY Their Experiences for #LGBTQFamiliesDay 2018

Monday is #LGBTQFamilies Day on social media, sponsored by the blog Mombian and the Family Equality Council since 2006. This day celebrates LGBTQ families. Once again, I’ve decided to share #AMPLIFY posts highlighting the voices of parents, step-parents  and grandparents and other caretakers of children.  If you are a LGBTQ person with ties to Western Pennsylvania, please […]

RIP Uncle Ron Keck (1935-2018)

This week, I learned that my Uncle Ron (Carl Ronald Keck) died over the weekend. He was 85 years old. I always liked my Uncle Ron. I thought he was funny even when he was using humor to hide some uncharitable thoughts. I thought he was fond of us (my brother and I) because he […]

My Family Story: The Complicated Life of Alice Jenkins (1873-1898)

Content Note: slavery, white privilege, sexism One of the few family history things that I knew growing up was that my great-grandmother, Harriet Hackney, was from rural Tennessee. She died before I was born so I didn’t know her personally, just through stories that my mother shared with me about her ‘Nana.’ The general impression […]