Beryl's Bulletins

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June 29, 2010: So much is happening at the Leffingwell House Museum I have enough material for a short newsletter.

Minnie M. Frese of New Brunswick has sent to our library here at the museum a copy of her book Ancestors and More. It's a wonderful spiral bound book filled with details, stories and pictures detailing 112 direct lines including names familiar to Connecticut and beyond, Calkins, Bliss, Dutton, Stanley, Palmer, Parke, Peabody and more. Minnie tells where others can find the information and what is conjecture. We follow the moves, travels and tree planting of different families with stories and oft told tales and memories. Through Minnie's voice the reader joins in the hunt for relatives both known and new. There is a list, 10 in all of US Presidents and two of their wives that Minnie shares ancestry with and even one Prime Minister of Canada.

Annie Leffingwell O'Keefe is the founder of World Hoop Day and soon after the following appeared in the newsletter JudiAnn of Creative Party Games, creativegameparties.com was on the phone volunteering to bring hoops, laughter and fun to the Great Backyard Campout. JudiAnn was marvelous and convincing. Using an extra large hoop I managed to "Hoop it up" with other adults and kids. Don't hesitate to learn more about World Hoop Day and to bring it to children and adults near you [worldhoopday.com].

Make History Hooping

The Leffingwell Museum is interested in hoopers for World Hoop Day and other summer activities. Christopher Leffingwell was one of my fore-fathers, descended from Thomas Leffingwell, my great-(13x)-grandfather who founded Norwich, CT in the late 1600s and this museum was their home. If anyone lives near the area and loves hooping, kids, adults, and sharing, please contact Beryl Fishbone from the Museum. ~Annie Leffingwell O'Keefe

See the entire World Hoop Day newsletter here.

The Society of the Founders of Norwich that owns and operates the Leffingwell House Museum was founded on October 10, 1901. Coincidence that World Hoop day is October 10, 2010?

Great Backyard Campout

On Saturday the weather was hot and steamy. Only the small freezer in the refrigerator at the museum was working. That's where the burgers, hot dogs and sausages were. We had limited ice to keep everything else cool. (If anyone has a working fridge to donate it would be really appreciated. Please contact Society of the Founders Jay Deming.) The corn chowder simmered on the stove all day. The house enjoyed the smell of food flowing through it all day.

Mike P. is a master at hiding things in plain sight for the scavenger hunt. At 3:30 PM the team from Wrightington Group Landscaping Service arrived as a gift from Greg Stott to cut the lawn. The first of the guests arrived a few minutes past 4 PM, and Denise and Mike W came and the table flew out the door to the back lawn, Chili Bob took charge of the grill, Melodye and Denise took charge of the corn and food table. Potato-Corn chowder, long oven baked beans, adamame, green salad with olives, radishes, spicy lettuce leaves, carrots, celery, potato chips and other stuff. Children were shucking corn for boiling and Chili Bob put some on the grill peel and all! Yummy if you haven't tried it. The children were tossing the ribboned graces hoops back and forth when Judi from Creative Game Parties arrived and the "Hoopin' it up" began! I don't know where she gets her energy from but she was amazing with the adults and the children. State Representative Melissa Olson stopped in for an abbreviated tour on her way to the first home game of the Norwich Tigers at Dodd Stadium. It never fails to amaze me how we always seem to have enough parking for everyone.

With grateful thanks to the National Wildlife Federation for their sponsored prizes of YAK-Pack backpacks that were won by Scavenger Hunt Winners Hannah Terrian and China Williams, Hooping Champ Carley Fratoni, runners up Jeffrey Herbert, Gabe Terrian and Drew Terrian who also took home prizes. All children were given NWF Journals and stickers. With the prizes awarded it was time for S'Mores and the children took over the campfire cooking of marshmallows with the eagle eyed help of Judi. The kids were very polite but firm that every adult would have at least one s'more. One marshmallow or two? Who could say no? I know it wasn't me!

Brian Kobylarz came toward the end of the evening to watch the campfire burn and soon it was time to clean up and water down the campfire and call it a night. It's not too late to help us reach our fundraising goal for the National Wildlife Fund. (Go directly to our team page here) Our Team is Leffingwell House Museum and never hesitate to make a donation directly to the museum. Just mail your check directly to Society of the Founders of Norwich, PO Box 13, Norwich, CT 06360.

Thanks to all who came, who donated, and who participated.

Tid Bits

Mike Przygoda visited the Tantaquidgeon Museum and presented them with a print he made of Lester Skeesuk, Naragansett Mohegan of Brotherton, Wisconsin made from a slide from the Leffingwell House Museum Slide Collection.

It'll all be about Dolls next Saturday, July 3rd. Free admission if you are accompanied by your favorite doll. It doesn't have to be antique. It just has to be loved. Cookies and lemonade for all.

Beryl Fishbone, Volunteer Program Coordinator