My Portfolio

Today as I do almost every day, I stopped in my daughter's room to check the blossoms on her African Violet. They are huge, a rich purple and bloom frequently and fully.  They remind me of the luxury of walking behind my grandparents home and marveling at the carpet of wild...

Our big family of 10 kids squeezed into the smallest house in the neighborhood on Rockland Street. Dad continually added on to the little house as each new child was born. One of Mum's greatest dreams was to have a home that was finished. That wasn't ever going to happen on...

With nine siblings vacations were at a premium during my childhood. I can only remember going on vacation one time.  I think Dad knew someone from work who had a cottage down on Cape Cod in Barnstable. I'm sure he couldn't have afforded to rent a cottage so he took advantage...

MY SECRET TO A LONG AND HAPPY MARRIAGE I am probably the last person who should be giving marriage advice. Although I can proudly claim having been married for 46 years as of today, I attribute the reason for my happy marriage all to my lovely wife, Christine. Here is why. ...

Grocery shopping with Mother and Daddy was pretty interesting. We shopped on Friday evening because Friday was pay day. I guess it began on Thursday night when we had leftovers for supper, both to pare down the contents of the refrigerator and to avoid waste. Then on Friday morning Mother defrosted and cleaned...

I received my annual letter from my older brother, Jim, today. With the best of intentions he makes me cry every year because he takes the time to really think about his words. Jim is the tallest and oldest in this picture. This year was no different. He cares so much...

Now that 2012 is becoming a distant memory I will undoubtedly forget much of what happened as time rolls on. So, I thought I'd write some random thoughts while they are fresh on my mind.  The biggest elephant in the room for me has been the all-consuming challenge of building the...

{source} I recieved a hand made card the other day and it moved me to write this story. A good friend, Kathy Larsen, lost her brother in the Afganistan war. He meant almost everything to her and I remember the time when she could hardly speak trying to come to grips...

In the 1940 United States Federal Census,almost one year before the birth of Michael J. McLatchy, the residence and family makeup of the Frank B. McLatchy family is enumerated. https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-27865-19788-73?cc=2000219&wc=MMYW-GRZ:1257067259 Frank was working in solicitation at KSL Radio station at this time.  This would have put him on the streets of...

With 9 siblings there is no shortage of stories to tell about my family. They all have their own unique abilites and talents. This story is about my brother, Jim. He was the oldest of us 10 children me being second oldest. So, I always looked up to him. Today I...

With our large family moving to different parts of the country it becomes more and more difficult to do things collectively that we all can enjoy. One thing's for sure, many of us in the family love NFL football. Realizing that some are not as football literate as others, Dad decided...

I have so many fond memories of my childhood home at 70 Rockland St, Natick, Massachusetts.  Surrounded by family farms, the little home was the first for my Mom and Dad to own. As their family grew to 10 kids Dad had to keep adding space. We were all packed into...

This week's story prompt asks about activities we remember doing with our maternal grandparents. I've written about this before in different ways but despite my mother's disdain for her father my memories have all be find of Gammie and even fonder of nana, my grandmother and grandfather on Mom's side. Nan...

Boys will be boys. Oh yea. At the Cormier home the three oldest boys, Jimmy, Johnny and me, were fit to be tied. We knew Mom was too busy tending to the 7 other kids to be paying very close attention to us boys and Dad was always at work. What...

When it comes to famous family sayings there is one that really stands out when I was a kid. With 7 boys and 3 girls Dad has his hands full whenever he dared to take us anywhere outside the home. The 3 older boys, Jimmy, myself and Johnny, were old enough...

Mom grew up with 8 siblings and a loving Mom. Her father provided for the family but on his own terms as an alcoholic. She dreamed to be a singer like Billie and Ella but knew it was near impossible. One day while out on the front porch she heard the...

Henry Pineau could do everything well. He played semi pro baseball and was a fantastic golfer. He was about as handy as a man could be and succeeded at most of his bright ideas. Henry was my Grandfather, my mother's father. We called him,  "Gammie." I remember as a child going...

I wish I knew my grandparents better before they passed. What I know of them comes from a few visits as a child and conversations with my parents. Genealogists are often surprised by their discoveries about past family members. But what will my descendants be surprised to know about me? That...

With 10 kids it was always a chore for Mum and Dad to take us anywhere. Trying to keep us quiet in church had to be one of the greatest challenges outside the home. We were rambunctious and always looking for something funny to laugh about. Easter was particularly difficult for...

March 25, 2012. I receive a story prompt from Legacy Stories about my predictions for the future. My thoughts begin to swirl as I think through the infinite possibilities. I dare to write so my thoughts become anchored in time. If I believe in my opinions then this is a way...