Call for Digitized Family Photos

Okay cousins, I'm putting out the call for your family photos. Here are some examples of why digital archiving is so important. Below are two copies of the 1983 Blouza reunion family photo.  The first example is a photo I took in 2001 of the 1983 picture on display.  It's blurry and not a great copy. The second example is a photo I took in 2012 of the same 1983 picture. Despite the best efforts of the owner it was severely damaged in a flood and is almost completely ruined. There are other copies out there (most of them much smaller versions) so hopefully we can track one down and get it properly photographed or scanned.

(Click on the photos to view full screen)

Another example, if you need more inspiration, is a recent article and photo display in the New York Times that highlights the importance of digital archiving. The NYT piece (click here to check it out) collects photos that were washed out of peoples homes during Superstorm Sandy a few weeks ago. Shortly before that we had a tsunami warning here in Hawaii which also made me think about saving the box of photos I carried across the Pacific with me when I moved here. In short, anything can happen and it doesn't need to be a flood, a hurricane, or a tsunami, it could just be the dog, cat, or the occasional tipped-over beverage. So, find a scanner and pick out the most important old photos you have and get scanning. Do it for yourself, do it for your kids, do it for history, and lastly do if for me and the archive I'm building (note slight sarcasm and drama for effect).

Cedars in the Pines - The Lebanese in North Carolina

The Lebanese-American Studies program at North Carolina State University has just released a new documentary, Cedars in the Pines, exploring the two waves of Lebanese migration to that state (1900's and 1970's).  The 6 minute trailer provides a nice overview of the film. While this documentary focuses specifically on North Carolina, those in the film mention a lot of the same issues Lebanese immigrants throughout the U.S. dealt with (including those to the Northeast) when they arrived and throughout their lives.  I just received a copy of the DVD in the mail today and can't wait to review it and share it with everyone. Here are links to the research project and the short preview of the film that you can watch on YouTube:

Khayrallah Program for Lebanese-American Studies

Reunion 2012 Photo Album

Here it is, finally. Sorry I didn't get shots of everyone, next year I'll make a better effort. Also, still working on the tags so we know who everybody is (although since it's mostly immediate family that's not really an issue). This album is not open to the public unless they click on it from this site, which as I've said, I am getting ready to migrate over to Wordpress so we can have it "behind" a password (coming soon). Hope you all enjoy and feel free to comment or add name tags (if you can, I gotta check on that...).

Just click on the photo to open the album...

2012 Blouza Reunion

Sample Photos from Gail Murray's Collection

Here is a small album of family photos recently copied from Gail Murray at the 2012 Reunion.  These will all be labeled and archived elsewhere as we develop an archival website for photos and documents. Hopefully we can all start bringing photos to the reunion to copy for the central archive. With these albums in Picasa we can tag the faces of each person in the photo. I am not sure who is in all of these photos but will hopefully update them soon.   If you have any clues or comments please use the comment box below each post (also below each photo in the album). This blog is public for now but we are working on making it private with a single password that we can all share.

Just click on the photo to open the album...

2012 ALBUM Gail Murray Photos

Baqle Salad

This summer I learned from Cousin Lynne that the sidewalk weed we ate when we were kids is called Purslane, or in Arabic baqle.  Although considered a weed in the U.S. it is completely edible; stem, leaves, and flower.  It grows all over the world and is even cultivated especially for eating in many places, especially the Middle East and North Africa.  It is very nutritious, containing Omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals but apparently shouldn't be eaten during pregnancy according to one website.

For more information on baqle and other Lebanese recipes visit Alices Kitchen.


Here is a video of Uncle Kenney making a big bowl of baqle salad for the reunion feast:

Photos from Blouza Reunion 2008 by Raymond Romanos

Here are some photos of Reunion 2008 I found from Raymond Romanos' public gallery on Picasa (Google+).  I'll have my batch from 2012 up soon (still sorting through them). Click on the link below to get to his album:

Blouza Reunion 2008 by Raymond Romanos

Bob Davis Band @ Reunion 2012 (Late)

Here is the band playing after dinner. Enjoy!

Bob Davis Band @ Reunion 2012 (Early)

Here is the Bob Davis Band playing during dinner at the 2012 reunion. More videos of the band and the family dancing coming soon. Enjoy!