Separating Assumptions into Fact

Another full week of genealogical research for my upcoming book, MANUELA'S PETALS, has created another 'cousin' link and with it, some delightful baby and little girl pictures of Aunt Jenny (Grandma Manuela's baby sister), pictures of delicately crocheted doilies from years past and CASTANETS! These are brown cup-shaped wooden rounds held together with leather pieces. A pair is required for the la Jota dance and other Spanish dances, where the dancer holds them in the palms of their hand, raises their arms above their head and 'snaps' them in time with the music while simultaneously.....gently stamping their feet. These were Aunt Jenny's and I smiled so broadly when I received them from her granddaughter, Nita (the picture, not the castanets) that I smile now as I write this, feeling the rush all over again.

During our email correspondence notes, Nita mentioned a few pieces of information she received from her mother (Theresa), who had repeated over the years, the information she'd heard from her mother, (my Aunt Jenny). Two of the many stories she shared with me did not ring true based on my documented research and proven information, so I called my Aunt Millie, who has been a massive fund of information... When I told her how excited I was about seeing pictures of Aunt Jenny's castanets, she calmly replied, "Well, I have Grandma's castanets." What??? I guess when I was last in California, I hadn't asked all the right questions. Ha... So, the story gets lovelier as I seek and find. More cousins. More documents. More pictures. One of the most precious pictures were (1) Aunt Jenny's baby picture and (2) Aunt Jenny standing on an antique bed (gorgeous) at age 5 or 6 next to baby brother, Celestino! Wonderful!!!