Village News - Also serving the communities of De Luz, Rainbow, Camp Pendleton, Pala and Pauma

When the coronavirus shutdown happened, my family and I finally decided to dig into our storage sheds and confront the boxes of stuff we inherited from my two grandmas, who died 16 and 20 years ago.

I found some useful items like Grandma Helen's antique tea pots and cups and saucers, which I've been painting in a still life. Old photos and letters we found reminded us that her parents came from Finland in the early 1900s.

My mother Marilee Ragland's father came from German and Scotch-Irish roots in the late 1800s. We often watch "Finding Your Roots" on KPBS-TV, which made me want to learn...