Columns

I don’t mean to brag, but I may have the best job on the planet. Let me count the ways. I work with a small but mighty staff that dispatches its duties with professionalism and pride. Our crack team of correspondents are as passionate as they are talented, delivering engaging features on a dizzying array of topics. Our publication is so beloved by our readers that they renew their own subscriptions and give them as gifts at an unparalleled rate. Our fiercely devoted advertisers lend their financial support month in and month out, providing the fuel that drives the magazine …

Coming up with a competitive offer for a property can be challenging, especially with the limited number of homes that are on the market. To do that, it helps to have a plan. The first step in meeting that challenge is to choose the right real estate broker and take their advice. You may have previous knowledge from your own research but trust the expert. They are there to help you through the process and take the stress off your back. Ask plenty of questions and let them know exactly what you are looking for. Next, you must set a …

We are very lucky to have Italian roots, for many reasons. From the point of view of researching one’s family tree, the major advantage of working with Italian records is that so many of them exist, are usually quite accurate, and can be acquired without flying all the way to Italy. Imagine how difficult it would be if the only way you could get a copy of your grandfather’s birth record from Italy would be to fly to Italy and go to the civil records office and request one. They won’t give you a “copy.” Instead, they give you a …

Summer is rolling right along and I’m sure we’re all thinking we’ve got to do more to make use of this long-awaited weather. The timing couldn’t be better because it’s picnic season! For years, the first Saturday in August has been on everyone’s calendar as the day of the annual Pullman Family Reunion Picnic, and this year is no different. The picnic is a great opportunity to reunite with old friends and see where so many of us spent our childhoods. The first Saturday in August is the day I gather all my picnic equipment and memorabilia together for my …

If your summer travel plans include a trip to the Eternal City, there is one lesser-known place you won’t want to miss. The Biblioteca Nazionale di Roma (National Central Library of Rome) is a treasure trove of information on the most important figures of Italian literature. Many contributed to screenplays and wrote books from which films were adapted. Entering the library, you will see an inviting exhibition area called the Spazi900 museum. Upon entering the space, you will find yourself in a whole different world. The Sala Pasolini (Pasolini Rome) is dedicated to the films Pier Paolo Pasolini made based …

After around 30 years of research experience, I have reached a point where I do what I do like a machine.  I don’t think about the method.  I just do it and it works. In the process of getting ready for presentations on “Beginning Italian Genealogy” I had to ask myself “How did I learn to do this in the first place.’ Then I decided that I don’t want any of you to learn the way I did, which was pure painful trial and error.  There should be a simple guideline for the research method, to help you focus on …

My April column covered a range of topics pertaining to Mendel Catholic High School, from teachers and tunnels to dances and athletic events. The number and passion of the responses from Mendel Monarchs was overwhelming, showing me how much their experience at that legendary high school meant to them. The only way I could do justice to the tidal wave of nostalgia that washed over me was to print it word for word. The enormous number of comments I received demonstrates what a welcome part of my reader’s lives Petals from Roseland is, and the opportunity to connect with their …

I recently attended a symposium at the Metropolitan Museum of Art focusing on the Met’s stunning exhibit “Chroma: Ancient Sculpture in Color.” The speakers and their presentations were captivating, and then to see the works up close brought the experiencing to a gratifying conclusion. The exhibit featured reconstructions of ancient sculptures painted in vibrant colors as they were created 2,000-plus years ago. Although sculptures created during the Renaissance were as monochromatic when they were created as they are today, that often isn’t the case with ancient sculptures. According exhibit literature, “Greek and Roman sculpture was originally richly embellished with colorful …

Italian Possessive Adjectives for Things Possessive adjectives allow one to describe ownership. Did you know that to describe possession in English, we simply put a possessive adjective (my, your, his/hers, etc.) before a noun under discussion? The word placement is the same in Italian. But there are otherwise many differences in the English and Italian approach to describing our relationship to the things we own. In English, the possessive adjectives refer to the person who is the “owner” of the thing being talked about. However, the Italian use of possessive adjectives requires a different way of thinking, since Italians match …

To speak fluently in another language, it is important to know how to describe the characteristics of the people, places, and things that we encounter every day. Adjectives can enliven the listener’s perception of a subject and provide additional shades of meaning. In English, adjectives are generally placed before the noun. But in Italian, most adjectives are placed after the noun the modify, while a few groups of adjectives are placed before the noun. And finally, many Italian adjectives can hold either position in relation to their noun — either before or after. Interestingly, where an Italian adjective is placed in …