Reply #6: "On this day" is a wonderful website if you have not already stumbled across something like this..

[1Hippiechick]

http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/index.html


Also,"This Fabulous Century" by Time-Life Books (published in 1969!) beginning with 1900--each volume spanning a decade--is wonderful fun to pull out on birthdays. It is full of photos of ppl, events, and copies of newspaper frontpages and stories - popular music of the decade, sports, etc. Wonderful fun.

http://www.amazon.com/This-Fabulous-Century-1910-1920-Books/dp/B000UE0SGM
(Unfortunately, we loaned our 1940-1950 volume out and never got it back, so I will have to scrounge eBay and find a replacement.)

I can identify w/your story: My 101 y.o. grandmother and her 99 y.o. sister are still in excellent health and have wonderful stories to tell of their childhood and growing up years. Always at Christmas when the family is gathered 'round, I ask, "Granny, tell us what Christmas was like when you were a little girl." Her face lights up recalling their meager Christmas and the thrill of finding oranges and nuts in their stockings. Would you believe how thrilled they were to get fruit for Christmas because that was such a rarity? God, I choke up even recalling this.

This year I hope to capture that on video, and I hope you have captured your grandparents stories for future generations.