My incredibly brilliant and talented nephew, Ace is visiting this week from Kansas.  This is his second trip to Altenburg to help me at the museum.  He is working on his photography skills.  The landscapes here are perfect for photographers.  Ace helped me design a historic padlock and key exhibit at the Cape County History Center last time he visited.  I am fortunate to have this young man in my life.  Ace reminds me so much of his Dad, my brother–Brian.  It’s like having a revisit of the “good old days” of adventures with Bubby.

When you see this immigration story and these beautiful vistas from the perspective of folks, like Ace who come from different stories, it gives me a strong appreciation for all of the work we have done the past ten years to preserve, document, and interpret the history here.  It also reminds me how thankful I am for Vernon Meyr, Leonard Kuehnert, Leona Kaempfe, Bob Fiehler and all of our elders who have moved from life to life who saved the stories, documents, and artifacts that made our journey to this point a success.

Yesterday I visited with a wonderful man at the Jackson Manor skilled nursing facility.  He was full of stories of the history of Cape County, but his voice is growing dim.  It is difficult to find the time to sit and record the voices of our elders, but we MUST do it.  I could only stay for a brief visit, but I wanted to listen to him all day.  I’m going to work on changing my “work ethic” to slow down and listen to more stories, and to spend as much time as possible with my nephew, Ace.  He gives me hope as he patiently and lovingly listens to his elders; shows eagerness to be helpful; exhibits a respectful nature; and his innate kindness.  Take Care, Carla L. Jordan