Gramma Billee kept a jar for bacon drippings on her stove; she used it liberally and kept it full. She knew everyone’s favorite foods and provided them—often.

book ideas & inspiration, family history, memoir & writing, food memoriesDawn M. RoodeAugust 17, 2016grandmother's cooking reminds her of childhood, food is nourishing and food is love, recipes passed down through generationsComment

“Mom’s Spaghetti and Meatballs”

Red sauce ran in her grandmother's blood, and every family member would one day memorize her beloved recipe. Peek into a family kitchen, and a mother's heart.

book ideas & inspiration, family history, memoir & writing, food memoriesDawn M. RoodeAugust 8, 2016spaghetti sauce recipe handed down from grandmother to mother to daughter, the power of red sauce to bring back childhood memories, family passed down recipe through generationsComment

“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

Choose your own adventure—then tell it.

When you read memoirs—or even binge-watch reality TV—the stories you are witness to often seem larger than life. How can my little life compare?, you might think. I have nothing remarkable to say. Oh, but you do. Every choice you make, each person you encounter, adds to the texture and direction of your life. You are creating your own narrative. You’ve got reasons why you AREN’T telling your story. I’ve got reasons why you SHOULD.

memoir & writing, why tell your stories?Dawn M. RoodeJuly 25, 2016why you should tell your life story, reasons for preserving your family history, yo're never too old to start writing about your life Comments

When a bad photograph is the perfect picture

Throwing away photos that hold no meaning (or are duplicates, or are just plain bad) is a requisite for organizing your visual memories. Think before you toss, though. Sometimes that blurry shot—or an old, ripped black-and-white, or the one where you are so small you're like an ant!—are worth keeping. Here's why.

photo legacyDawn M. RoodeJuly 18, 2016when to save old photos, deciding which family photos to throw out, evaluating good and bad photosComment

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