WWGD: What Would Grandma Do?

As I was scanning the latest news on-line this morning, I came across an interesting article originally printed in the Washington Post. It seems that a young woman by the name of Erin Bried had tried to inspire her dinner guests by making a rhubarb pie just like her grandmother used to make, only to discover that she did not know how to tell the difference between rhubarb and swiss chard in the grocery produce section! That experience set her to thinking about all the knowledge that our Grandmas had, but has been lost with later generations. So, she has written a new book, "How to Sew a Button and Other Nifty Things Your Grandmother Knew," to help pass along some of that lost wisdom.

Being the avid genealogist that I am, I see everything through the genealogy lens, and this set me to thinking about how much those pearls of wisdom can tell us about our ancestors and their lives. For me, getting the most from Family History means much more than gathering names and dates --- I also want those other treasures from our past, like Grandma's recipe for rhubarb pie! Or, knowing how to make lye soap. As we gather up our genealogical facts, let us also remember to include those family treasures in our collection. Insert a favorite family recipe or two in your family history files, and pass along some of Grandma's wisdom.