Reel Tributes is honored to be included among the Top 7 Personal History Blogs of 2012, as recnogized by noted personal historian and writer Dan Curtis. According to Dan, the Reel Tributes’ blog excelled by demonstrating:

• Frequent, consistent, and reliable posting.
• Personable and clear writing.
• Short scannable articles.
• Uncluttered pages.
• Use of graphics, photographs, and video.
• Intriguing and descriptive headlines.
• Useful content.

The Reel Tributes team is flattered by the recognition and will continue to provide valuable advice on personal history in 2013!

To learn more about the recognition, and Dan Curtis, visit http://dancurtis.ca/2012/12/12/the-top-personal-history-blogs-of-2012/

To all of our Jewish fans, we wish you a new year full of milk and honey, happiness and prosperity, and even stronger bonds with your loved ones. Rosh Hashanah is a time of reflecting on the past and and contemplating the future.  Take a few minutes to ask your family about their favorite memories, and what they wish for in the years to come.

Shana tova!

- The Reel Tributes team

Photo credit: http://blogcritics.org/

My grandparents Raymond and Frances Mackin married in September 7, 1929, at the Star of the Sea Catholic Church in San Francisco, California. By the end of the very next month the Stock Market collapsed, signaling the beginning of the Great Depression.

Frances, in her memoir, recalled:

“On returning from our honeymoon in Los Angeles, we rented a pleasant apartment on Washington Street, near Fillmore.  In less than a year we moved to a larger apartment on Balboa near 21^st Avenue.  We were living there when my daughter, Catherine was born.  The landlady wasn’t very happy with us for having a child so we soon moved to a third floor flat on 43^rd Avenue between Cabrillo and Fulton.  The stair climbing there was too much for me so we rented a small house on 40^th Avenue near Fulton.  Roger and David were born while we lived there.  Our landlord was a very nice man, whom we seldom saw, and we were greatly surprised when for some reason or other he gave us his equity in the house.  This amounted to about $3,500 – a nice sum for 1935.  We soon sold the house on 40^th Avenue and bought a larger one at 167 Corona Street in Ingleside Terrace.  Frannie was born there in 1939.” 

The rest of the story …

You may be wondering how this information came to my attention.  My grandmother had the heart of a personal historian.  She loved to reminisce and share her life experiences.  It was this love that fueled her curiosity.  In 1984 she found out that the house on Corona was for sale (again).  My grandmother had to know the details of this house that had been her home over forty years before.  A quick trip to Franciscan Properties yielded the listing (below) and told her everything she wanted to know.

Years later, I learned more about that house on Corona Street.  My grandmother told me that they didn’t have enough money to pay the down payment, though they knew they could easily afford the monthly payments.

The owner of the house made an offer to my grandfather –if he would take over the monthly payments, my grandparents could have the house.  This would never happen in 2012, but life was a bit different back in 1935.

It turned out that the owner of the house was going through serious financial problems and a nasty divorce, and really wanted to get rid of this house.

My grandmother further told me that by virtue of owning this house, they were now well established financially.  Remember this was in 1935 – the Great Depression was being felt worldwide.  Many people were struggling financially and losing their homes altogether. My grandparents felt very fortunate.

This is just one of the stories I have learned about the early lives of my grandparents.  And finding this listing among our trove of family documents makes this story come alive for me.

Moral of this story — You never know where your family’s history will come from.

And as a side note: I Googled this house last night and found that it sold for $817,000 two years ago. Too bad it didn’t stay in our family— that would have been some return.

What tidbits of information have you found out about your family in unexpected places? Write us and let us know!

Did you know that National Grandparents Day is this Sunday? According to grandparents-day.com, one of the goals of founder Marian McQuade was “to persuade grandchildren to tap the wisdom and heritage their grandparents could provide.”

If you are lucky enough to have a living grandmother or grandfather, find a way to honor them this Sunday. Give them a call. Share a meal with them. Even better, ask them about their lives and their memories. Since this year’s Grandparents Day is on 9/9, here are nine questions to help you “tap the wisdom”:

1. What did you love most about being a child?

2. How did you meet Grandma (or Grandpa)?

3. What have you loved most about your life together?

4. What are your fondest memories of raising a family?

5. What is one of your favorite memories of my mom (or dad) when they were growing up?

6. What do you want your grandchildren to know about you?

7. What important lessons have you learned in life that you want to pass along to me?

8. What do you think is the key to happiness?

9. What do you treasure most in life?

If you are a grandparent, why not share some of these memories with your grandchildren? It’ll certainly spark a great conversation, and you’ll get to tell your favorite stories to your grandkids.

Don’t forget to record the answers—with pen and paper, on a tape or digital recorder, or with a video camera—so that other family members can gain from the grandparents’ wisdom.

We’d love to hear how you celebrated this Grandparents Day. Write and let us know!

Your friends at Reel Tributes wish you and your loved ones a Happy Father’s Day.

Over the past two years, we’ve had the pleasure of producing films for fathers around the country. We have seen first-hand just how powerful of an impact a father can have on his children. Our clients have laughed and cried on camera telling stories of the family road trips, the dirty jokes, and the sage advice that dad can’t help but give.

This year, remember to show your father and grandfather just how much you love them. Give them a hug, a kiss, a smile. Thank them for everything they’ve done to make you who you are today. And ask them questions about their childhood, so you can get a fuller picture of who they are and what makes them tick.

How are you celebrating Father’s Day? How are you recording the stories of your father and grandfather, so future generations get to know the men who have meant so much to you? Write us a comment and let us know!

We all owe a debt of gratitude for those who gave their lives for our nation. For those brave families who lost a loved one in combat, today we stand with you as one.

At the beginning of a project, we will give the client a printed copy of this Mission Statement. That way they know what to expect from us throughout our relationship.

Take a look at the document below, and let us know what you think! We’ll be evaluating it on a regular basis to make sure it still reflects the beliefs and culture of the company.

On behalf of Reel Tributes, the Alzheimer’s Association, and the contest sponsors, we would like to congratulate Carol Amos for winning the inaugural Your Favorite Memory contest. Her story, “The Dining Room”, was an emotional and beautifully-written tribute to her mother’s sense of fashion. Carol’s prize is a customized documentary film, produced by Reel Tributes, to celebrate her mother’s life.

Read Carol’s winning story below:

One of my earliest memories is participating in a fashion show with my mother at the YMCA when I was four or five years old. My mother made us matching poodle style dresses out of a white, blue, and black fabric with a poodle design. We were the hit of the fashion show.

My mother was an expert seamstress but mainly self-taught. She made all of our clothes and also my brother’s Easter suits with matching coats. She transformed our dining room into a sewing room and we spent countless hours together as she taught me to sew at an early age. She taught me the importance of perfection. Even if a mistake was not visible, my mother would say, “I will know that it is there.” So I learned how to remove stitches and took pride in wearing my well-made garment. My mother taught me about fabric, color, fashion, and how to modify a pattern to suit my own taste. I made some of the widest bell-bottom pants in high school. I continue to use my sewing skills today.

I learned to sew in the dining room but more importantly I learned life lessons. Some of the lessons were direct conversations with my mother about God, faith, achievement, honesty, time management, setting goals, and how to be a lady. My mother modeled some of the lessons as I watched her stop sewing to listen or give counsel to a friend on the telephone or to bake a cake for a bereaved friend. Other lessons such as commitment, service to others, and how to treat people, I overhead as she spoke on the telephone to friends. All of these lessons helped transform me as I developed from a girl into a woman.

When my mother began to lose her memory seven years ago, we moved her to an assisted living facility. Her sewing machine was placed in a prominent place in her suite but we soon realized that my mother lost her ability to sew. The sewing machine became just another piece of furniture. Now my mother resides in an Alzheimers facility and the sewing machine resides in my basement, both a reminder of what used to be.

After battling Alzheimers disease for over eight years, my mother still has a keen fashion sense. She sometimes compliments patients in the doctor’s office about their clothes, shoes, or purses. When my mother receives compliments about her outfit, she sometimes responds, “I made this outfit not long ago.” I smile because I know that I recently purchased her clothes and her statement confirms that she truly enjoys the outfit. On one occasion, my mother complimented me by saying, “I like your new suit.” I was shocked because it was a new suit. Glimpses of the mother I used to know are pleasant surprises and give me strength for the remainder of this Alzheimers journey.

Sometimes, you hear about a company doing amazing things and know right away you have to meet them. When we at Reel Tributes heard about TrustedFamily, that’s exactly what happened. Founded in 2007 by two young entrepreneurs- Edouard Thijssen and Edouard Janssen–  the company’s technology enables business families and family offices to manage their affairs more effectively and to keep the family together over the generations.

After talking with Edouard Thijssen, we quickly recognized the potential for collaboration. When you visit their website, www.trustedfamily.net, it’s easy to see why they’ve been so successful. Their platform is easy to use, well-designed, and brings together a wealth of resources (family, business, financial, and philanthropic) into one place. It’s no wonder they’ve grown their client base to 50 families spanning 15 countries.

We are excited for the amazing things to come from Reel Tributes’ new partnership with TrustedFamily! To learn more about the partnership, and how Reel Tributes’ clients can benefit from the TrustedFamily’s services, read our press release at http://www.reeltributes.com/view/news/trustedfamily/.

Have thoughts or questions? Let us know in the comments below, or send us an email at info@reeltributes.com.

The stories are in! The response to the Your Favorite Memory contest has been simply incredible. Each and every story is a powerful reminder of the ways Alzheimer’s Disease can impact an individual. Even more importantly, they showcase how brave and resiliant a family can be in caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s.

The stories are short, gripping, and inspiring. Click here to read about a mother with an impeccable sense of fashion, a daughter who called her dad Mr. Wonderful, and one woman’s journey that taught her how “Love will safely carry you through the roughest seas”.

And make sure to vote for the story you love. The winning family receives amazing prizes, including a Reel Tribute and gifts from Lacroix, Ritz Carlton, Four Seasons, and Massage Envy. Do them a favor by supporting the writers, and tell your friends about it too. Help us spread awareness for Alzheimer’s, one story at a time!

The website with the stories is www.reeltributes.com/vote. Learn more about Alzheimer’s Disease at www.alz.org/desjsepa/