19-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:
Saturday, September 26, 1914: <<no entry>>
Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:
Many of you have asked what I plan to do when I post Grandma’s last diary entry on December 29. Since she didn’t write anything a hundred years ago today, I’ll share what I’m thinking, even though it’s still all a little random and unfocused.
I think that I’ve discovered my next project–and a way to continue blogging. When cleaning out my father’s attic, I found a cookbook and other artifacts of a great-aunt on the other side of my family. My Great-Aunt Marion lived on a farm in central Pennsylvania, and cared for her parents until they died. She then joined the Women’s Army Corps (WACs) during World War II at the age of 45.
I need your help. Aunt Marion’s memorabilia are very different from the diary—so I will need to create a blog that is very different from this blog. But how?
I want to keep the focus of A Hundred Years Ago on Grandma’s diary, and I need a place where people can easily find links to all of my blogs, so I’ve created an author website, Sheryl Lazarus.com. On this site I plan to explore some of my ideas for the new blog. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that you’ll visit my author website and join me in a conversation as I work to develop and design this new blog.
A Hundred Years Ago 
Definitely! Your Aunt’s life sounds very interesting indeed. Look forward to engaging in how it might be written about.
It’s nice to hear that you’d find a blog about my great-aunt interesting.
That looks as though it will be a great new project.
I’m a little scared to be planning a new project, but it’s also energizing.
Wow – what a great idea to continue blogging! Count me in!
Yeah!. . . I was hoping that you’d find it interesting.
I’ll be following your new blog. Would love to read about your aunt.
That’s good to know.
How exciting! I’ve added your new blog to my RSS feed. 🙂
Thanks for adding my new blog to your RSS feed.
This is exciting, Sheryl! I think it will all come together for you organically, how it *should* be. We’ve watched you become a curious and passionate historical archivist, here with Helena’s diary (all those “nuthin doin”s nudged you along :)) You’re already on the right track! Looking forward to whatever you do!
Thank you for the kind words. You always write such thoughtful comments. I really appreciate how you’ve been reading A Hundred Years Ago since its very early days.
It’s been a pleasure! I admit I’ve missed a few posts (I take unplugged getaways from time to time, visiting a farm in the PA Wilds), but something about your quest, and how it’s taken form, really speaks to me,
I’m slightly jealous. 🙂 Visiting a farm in the PA wilds in early fall sounds absolutely wonderful.
Yes, I will certainly be following your new project 🙂
That’s wonderful news. It’s good to hear that you’ll be there.
That’s a very good idea to have it all accessible from one centralized location. Perhaps have a link to the author website on each of the rest of your “100 years ago” entries?
good idea!
Thanks for the suggestion. I already have a link in the right sidebar under the heading “Links to Companion Sites”, but maybe it doesn’t show up very well there.
I read your blog on my email on my phone, so it shows differently there than when I go straight to the WP app or via the full WP site on a desktop. On my phone, there’s no sidebar at all so no “links to companion sites” section shows.
The variation in the way it looks across laptop, phone, and IPad is really challenging. I’ve been looking at WordPress themes a lot lately as I developed the Sheryl Lazarus.com site, and am starting to work on the My Aunt the WAC site–and it’s really difficult to find a theme that I like the way it looks across computers and devices.
I’m excited to see what you do! Good luck.
Thank you!
Great news – think outside the box and I will keep your website info. Thank you
It’s a little scary to think outside the box–but it’s an important part of moving forward. 🙂
Sheryl, I went over and clicked follow. I wanted to leave you a comment there but you don’t have comments activated or I’m just missing where one can comment or like posts.
Anyway the comment I wanted to leave that struck me immediately, is how fitting it is that your surname is Lazarus, as in the person who was raised back to life, because you bring the stories of those who have passed on back to life! Very cool!
Diana xo
Thanks for letting me know that you found it difficult to comment. You may have been trying to comment on a page (rather than a post). On A Hundred Years Ago, I’ve found that I sometimes miss comments that are made on pages–so I only allowed them on posts on my new author website. The posts are the Friday Updates.
An aside–take a look at the Press page on the author website. Scroll down to near the bottom. I included a quote from the Friday Pick post that you did about A Hundred Years Ago awhile back. Thank you for the kind words.
Really? Thanks Sheryl!
My 2¢ is choose a style and format you are most interested in. If you love it first and foremost, we readers will be happy to follow. I’ve seen blogs that were good ideas initially. The author seemed to run out of things to say and went off topic, etc. Maybe they posted too often. I wouldn’t want to tie myself to a daily schedule.
OK…that might have been 5¢ worth. 🙂
That’s good advice. You’re absolutely right that it’s important to write about something that I’m interested in.
I’m no help at all to you as far as format goes, but I have seen people warn their readers (and especially the last post) leave a link to the new site. Plus use the same Tags, if possible. You have such a wonderful blog here – I see no reason why people wouldn’t follow you over.
Thank you for the kind words. I really appreciate them. You do such wonderful things with a blog about the military. There’s a lot that I could learn from you.
I was a Total novice when I started. I had a lot of help from Koji and Pierre Lagace and others – I’ll pass on anything I know!!
Thank you! You’re wonderful. It helps to know that you were a novice at the beginning. There is so much to learn about the military and women’s role in it back then. Aunt Marion was stationed in the states during WWII; but she spent some time in occupied Japan after WWII. It should be interesting to learn about that.
And I’ll be there to read it!
I am so happy you have a new creative project on the production line.
God Bless you and your future blogging project!
Thank you! I really appreciate your support.
I love that you have so much history right at your fingertips 🙂 I look forward to continue reading this blog and the next!
I’m glad that you enjoy what I write. I have a lot of fun doing the research and like sharing it with others.
This is very exciting! I had hoped that you would continue sharing items with us as I always look forward to your posts. I followed your new blog and hope to participate in helping you with what to do next. Good luck!
Thank you! I have too much fun blogging to quit when the diary ends. 🙂
that sounds like a great project and I too will look forward to reading about your great aunt. You sure do have a treasure trove of information regarding your family.
I’m very fortunate that many artifacts and memorabilia in my family have been saved across the years. My great aunt grew up on a farm in the Montgomery area, so I’ll still be writing about areas that you’re familiar with.
You are getting closer to Williamsport!! ha ha
I am–I even know that Aunt Marion’s family sold fruits and vegetables and other produce at the Williamsport Market House. 🙂
I have a friend who remembers that Market House, it is a bank or financial building or something now. And this year they painted a baseball base and home plate on each corner with bronze statues of little league players. It is cool.
I have so enjoyed this blog and the ingenious research you’ve done in the period that I’ll definitely be following you to you’re new site. Are you going to have some sort of celebration to mark the end of your grandmothers diary?
Hmm. .. . I hadn’t thought of doing any sort of celebration, but I guess that it might be a possibility. Any ideas?
Let’s think…Maybe an on-line tribute dinner? People could make final comments and ‘bring’ pot luck dishes? Maybe a summary of how your grandmother’s life went forward, when she married, when she had children etc? Maybe you could ask your followers for ideas for a send off for her diary?
I like these ideas. Asking readers for ideas sounds like a good idea for a future blog post. . . stay tuned.
I will miss your grandmother’s entries and I can understand what a wonderful, personal journey this has been for you. I look forward to your next project and I am following that blog so when you go live I am there!
Thank you! I appreciate your support. You;re right, it has been a personal journey as I’ve worked my way through Grandma’s diary. I’m currently trying to learn enough about my great-aunt and her times so that my next journey feels equally personal.
I will be sad to see Grandmas journey end as it takes me back in time to my relations…. but I am looking forward to your next adventure!
Sounds like another interesting project Sheryl, I look forward to reading along on your new adventures with your great aunt Marion.
It’s nice to hear that you think it sounds interesting. I’m just now really starting to research my great aunt and the relevant time period. The more I work on it, the more excited I get about this new project.
I’m showing up late to this party, Sheryl, but I wanted to say, too, how happy I am that we in the blog world won’t be losing you once Helena’s diary is finished!
Thanks for your kind words. It’s wonderful to have your support as I plan my next project.