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One of my favorite Christmas memories is the year a white Christmas turned black. It all started out on Christmas Eve day in Riis Park, a square-block-sized patch of recreational outlets plunked in the middle of our Chicago neighborhood. I tagged along with my two older brothers to go ice-skating in the portion of the park that was flooded each year to create a sort of ice rink. While my brothers played hockey, I was left to work out the rudiments of ice skating on my own. Being only 5 or so years old, that wasn’t easy. What made it …

I have relatives all over the world. Literally. Obviously most of my close relatives are live in the Chicago area, but many other close and distant relatives stayed for decades in Chicago’s wonderful climate and then decided that once they retired, they would move to California, Florida, Arizona, Nevada etc. (I noticed nobody moved to the Yukon!) I have many relatives in Italy, naturally, but I also have some in France, a handful in Brazil and Argentina, and an entire group in Australia. Thanks to social media, I am able to keep track with some of these international cousins and …

  I believe that commonly used phrases are the key for how we can all build fluency in any language in a short time. If we learn how to incorporate commonly used phrases when we speak Italian, we will be able to express important feelings — like our hopes — just as we do in our native language! This will help us with our “email Italian” as well. Read below and you will see what I mean. This post is the 15th in a series of Italian phrases we have been trying out in our Conversational Italian! Facebook group. If …

So you find your dream home and the seller accepts your offer. Congratulations! After that, you have a short period of time to get your property inspected. There are many different types of inspectors such as a general home inspector, a radon inspector, and a lead based paint inspector to name a few. Each inspector has specialized training in their area of expertise. The best approach is to start with a general home inspector. He can then make recommendations for additional inspectors based on his findings. From there you can sit down with your attorney and real estate agent to …

With mortgage rate hitting their highest level in seven years, some lenders are coming out with products that are helping to keep rate increases at bay while the borrower is shopping. This feature is called “Lock and Shop,” and it’s as simple as its name. Usually a borrower cannot lock into a rate until they have selected a property and come to an agreement on a price. The Lock and Shop feature allows you to lock into an interest rate for 60-90 days while you are shopping for a home. Once you have found a home and your offer is …

Once a year, it’s time to reflect on all of our blessings and be thankful. True or false? The truth is that Thanksgiving Day in November is meant to highlight the thanks we should be feeling and sharing throughout the year. Why do we need that feeling to be acknowledged? Perhaps it has something to do with the busy lives we lead. How often do we, as Roselandites, think about how “The Ave” was the center of our social lives? How often do we recall with a pang of nostalgia those days when we were children of summer going out …

  As we roll gradually from one season into the next, the accompanying shifts in climate and visuals affects in the ebb and flow of our emotions. We grab a jacket as we leave in the morning, knowing it will be needed in the early evening. As we walk through our neighborhoods or drive anywhere, we notice the leaf covering thinning as the glow of autumn fades into bare limbs on flora and fauna. Yes, all signs point to the end of summer. Looking back on the events of this summer, we think of places we’ve been and people we’ve …

  Genealogy conferences all over the nation almost always have a room set up for vendors to sell genealogy-related items such as books, maps, how-to manuals and old postcards. There are always vendors who sell T-shirts with humorous genealogy pun-laden sayings. The most common joke (I use the term loosely) is worn by about 20 percent of the attendees at the conference, and it says “Genealogists Never Die, They Just Lose Their Census.” I’ll pause while you groan…. Before the internet was a daily part of our lives, one of the most important sources was the federal census. If you …

  When you’re looking to make your next big move, renting can be easier than purchasing, especially when it comes to issues like maintenance and long-term commitments. But while there are benefits to renting, there definitely are disadvantages, too. So you move into your new rental property and you are ready to decorate! Many times, though, landlords will prevent tenants from painting any walls or putting nails into the walls. You also may not be able to change out any worn-out carpeting. If you have pets, you may have a problem finding a rental unit that permits them. And if …

  There are days that I wish there were a Facebook page just for genealogists! I would love to be able to post a question about a particular family, or a specific town, or both, and have everybody see it who has even a moderate interest. Everybody would try to answer the question. They would either tell me what I need to know, or teach me how to find it for myself, or both. The Facebook can be used that way, but you get all the hassles of being on Facebook, like endless vacation pictures, angry political posts, and unfunny …