Personal History

Hello! A large majority of people call me Rosie. I was born and raised in Minnesota and am the middle of five children. We are a family that is proud of our heritage, and I grew up well aware of my Polish, German, and Hungarian roots. My grandfather had his own polka band and played in ballrooms all over central Minnesota, so my father has shared his love of old-time music by listening to it on the radio every Sunday. Listening to family stories has been something I have enjoyed since childhood, and I hope to pass on some family traditions, like polka dancing, to my children.

Education: I hold a bachelor's degree in History-Social Science, a master's degree in Instruction, and a teaching license for grades five through twelve with an emphasis in social studies. I worked as cultural programmer at a living history museum for ten years. My expertise area was centered around running a 19th century one room schoolhouse, and there was an ongoing joke with co-workers about me being the strictest schoolteacher in the whole county. The past four years I taught middle school for a private school that is ahead of the game when it comes to 21st century education.

My 19th century one room school was German Lutheran.

Family: My husband and I have been married since November 2012, and we have been blessed with two beautiful girls. My toddler brings Corduroy the teddy bear with her wherever we go, which gets a lot of comments on how cute that is, and not to be left out, my infant is great at bringing on the coos and smiles for everyone. Add one really naughty Labrador dog affectionately known as the yellow bandit and two Tabby cats still annoyed that we brought a puppy home, and you could say that I have got my hands full. Being married to a military veteran who served in a combat zone is not always the easiest, but he and I make a good team because of how we complement each other.

At our newest daughter's baptism.

Hobbies: My sewing skills and cooking skills come from my mother who grew up on a farm in central Minnesota. She taught me as a young girl, and I have continued to learn as I grow older because I enjoy it. I have tackled a few 19th century dresses for reenacting and even taught myself how to draft a pattern from sketches on paper. The sewing enthusiast in me opened an Etsy shop in 2013 themed around upcycling textiles, which I am in the middle of revamping. I love baseball and help to organize a ladies' vintage base ball team called the Lady Quicksteps that plays by 1860s rules.

An 1888 bustle dress my mother sewed for reenactments.

Writing: I am an existential learner, so I tend to look at the big picture. I love to debate theology, philosophy, and politics - debate meaning actually listening to opposing viewpoints and considering others' ideas as valid opinions even if I disagree with them. I try to be lighthearted about those topics, though, and find it worthwhile to not take those topics so seriously that you cannot joke about them. Journaling helps me sort out everything stuck in that head full of useless knowledge, as my sister likes to tease. Since the history nerd in me always wants to know the origins or background of things, I started this blog to write about my life experiences and hope to give some history that relates at the same time.

Thanks for visiting the blog, and maybe you will find something entertaining or educational while you are here!