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katepoet · 10-19-2007, 05:15 PM

I was raised in a family that honored traditions from all sides. We celebrated both Christian and Jewish holidays as well as pagan and secular days like Halloween. There are Germans, English, Scottish, American back to the Mayflower and my father was an immigrant. We have Quakers, Congregationalists, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Reform Jews, Orthodox Jews and Christian fundamentalists.

I spent Christmas's at the Catholic church, sang in the Episcopalian and Presbyterian choirs, attended services at a Unitarian church and worked at the Quaker meeting house. Family visited from Australia, Canada, England, across the US, Germany and more. French, German, Latin, Portuguese, Japanese and English - and pig-Latin were spoken in my home. My nephews speak Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Spanish.

I have a 5-greats grandmother who may have been a Native American, whalers, pilgrims, presidents, the head of Scotland Yard, artist, writers, historians - all sorts of people I can never live up to in the family. Even one who was instrumental in getting the wall to come down in Berlin.

But - when it comes to costumes, crafts, having fun, and raising a child in a loving, nurturing, great family - I take after my mother and I am pretty good!

I have just one child - he was in so much pain when he was little that we knew we could not do for him and for another. Of course, we had everyone else's kids in our house all the time when he was small!

I will post some costume pics later - I only have a couple I think, we moved last year and gave away a lot - we are still in that process of getting rid of what we can't afford to live with now.

10-19-2007, 05:15 PM	#6
katepoet Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 992	I was raised in a family that honored traditions from all sides. We celebrated both Christian and Jewish holidays as well as pagan and secular days like Halloween. There are Germans, English, Scottish, American back to the Mayflower and my father was an immigrant. We have Quakers, Congregationalists, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Reform Jews, Orthodox Jews and Christian fundamentalists. I spent Christmas's at the Catholic church, sang in the Episcopalian and Presbyterian choirs, attended services at a Unitarian church and worked at the Quaker meeting house. Family visited from Australia, Canada, England, across the US, Germany and more. French, German, Latin, Portuguese, Japanese and English - and pig-Latin were spoken in my home. My nephews speak Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Spanish. I have a 5-greats grandmother who may have been a Native American, whalers, pilgrims, presidents, the head of Scotland Yard, artist, writers, historians - all sorts of people I can never live up to in the family. Even one who was instrumental in getting the wall to come down in Berlin. But - when it comes to costumes, crafts, having fun, and raising a child in a loving, nurturing, great family - I take after my mother and I am pretty good! I have just one child - he was in so much pain when he was little that we knew we could not do for him and for another. Of course, we had everyone else's kids in our house all the time when he was small! I will post some costume pics later - I only have a couple I think, we moved last year and gave away a lot - we are still in that process of getting rid of what we can't afford to live with now.