Genetics and New England Pathology

I am a W.A.S.P (White, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant) eligible as a card-carrying member of both the Mayflower Society and the Sons of the American Revolution. My maternal grandmother’s sister invested the time and patience to complete the proofs required by the Mayflower Society.[1] That lineage, the Messinger–Taft branch, is documented cleanly from Plymouth Rock to me,Continue reading “Genetics and New England Pathology”

General George Patton

I admire my Uncle Tony tremendously. A common-sense New Englander, Chicago-trained lawyer, who is now in his 80s and remains intellectually active. With an odd synchronicity, independently we both re-watched Patton (1970). It is a brilliant movie that underscores the grave importance Patton had in winning World War 2 while still showing his human flaws.Continue reading “General George Patton”

Hierlooms

My children do not have any memories of Goshen. What I call my grandmother’s house was sold in 1990 after 180 years in the family. Windywalls. True homes in New England all have names, and a house becomes a home only after a birth, a marriage and a funeral take place within their walls. FamilyContinue reading “Hierlooms”