Show and Tell #19

I'm a little late this morning, but I wanted to join in on Show and Tell Friday, hosted by Kelli at There is No Place Like Home!

For those of you who know me by now, it's no surprise that today, I'm showing something from my childhood. Yes, it's no wonder that my oldest never wants to part with any of her things for sentimental reasons- she certainly comes by it naturally!

This time I wanted to show you one of my stuffed animals, and just why it has a special connection to my past.

Meet George...

I named him George when I was little, because my grandfather, George gave him to me.

I have to admit, that at the time, he wasn't one of my favorites...my delicate little girl tastes wasn't much into plaid back then, and besides- I had such a big menagerie of animals, he was just one of many.
Still, even then, I knew I couldn't give him up because he was given to me by my paternal grandfather, who died when I was only two and a half.

In fact, not only did I not get to know my grandfather George very well, I grew up not knowing a whole lot about him in general. He had left my grandmother for another, and then she remarried, so she and her husband were the main grandparents in my life.

But recently, I had taken an interest in my ancestry, and realized I didn't know anything about his childhood, his parents...nothing.
(Above, one of my favorite pictures of my dad with his father, George. I've heard that my dad- an only child- always had a hard time trying to be close to him, and trying to please him...but I love that this captures the best of their relationship.)

I put a posting on the website, ancestry.com and last summer, an unknown distant cousin contacted me, e-mailing me with tons of information about him and our ancestry! I was SO excited...(I posted about it here, with an excerpt of a letter my g-grandmother had written.)

Then a few months ago, another cousin found me, and sent via snail mail a big packet of information! They each did this out of the goodness of their hearts, and I was so blessed!

Interstingly, each of my newfound cousins knew my grandfather's brothers, but not much was said about George.

I'm beginning to think he that he was a very private man... but at least I know a little bit more now. And I have a treasure trove of ancestry information, thanks to two very generous, newly met cousins.

And now that I'm all grown up, I do think I love George the Dog so much more!

Take another pose, George....