We had toyed with the idea of creating a recipe book prior to the reunion. Despite some interest, it never really got off the ground. I do think that many family members might have some great recipes to share!
I'd love to be able to have several recipes available to hand out at the reunion. Do you have a good recipe for something your memere used to make? Are you known for something in particular? Do you have a favorite square to bake or soup to serve?
Send me your recipe ahead of time, and I'll have it ready to hand out! (Uh... the recipe... not the item... sorry, folks, but I'm good at collecting and planning, but not necessarily baking!)
Send to blanchettefamilyreunion@gmail.com.
Friday, July 25, 2014
Thursday, July 24, 2014
Contact List
There are many people who will be meeting for the first time at the reunion, or reuniting after many, many years apart. We'd love to make it easier for everyone to stay in contact in the future!
The Facebook page will stay up for a while, at least, and will be a great way to share pictures and reunion memories (no hashtags needed.) This blog (which gives the frustrated wannabe writer inside of me a place to get way too many words out- see my Shakespearean ploye post!) will stay active as long as I have any belief some poor soul is reading it.
But I assume that many people will want to stay connected the old fashioned way- phone and e-mail (thought I was going to say Pony Express, huh?) Therefore, I'd love to have a contact list available so that nobody feels pressured to collect information at the event. I do not, however, want to give out any contact information that someone wants kept private.
If you would like your name, e-mail address, and/or phone number shared with the entire family, please let me know that it's okay to do so. I will prepare a list for everyone to receive, and it will only contain information I've been given permission to share.
Please share this with other attendees! E-mail blanchettefamilyreunion@gmail.com, drop a note or message on Facebook, or respond to this blog post, and I'll add you to the contact list.
Thank you!
The Facebook page will stay up for a while, at least, and will be a great way to share pictures and reunion memories (no hashtags needed.) This blog (which gives the frustrated wannabe writer inside of me a place to get way too many words out- see my Shakespearean ploye post!) will stay active as long as I have any belief some poor soul is reading it.
But I assume that many people will want to stay connected the old fashioned way- phone and e-mail (thought I was going to say Pony Express, huh?) Therefore, I'd love to have a contact list available so that nobody feels pressured to collect information at the event. I do not, however, want to give out any contact information that someone wants kept private.
If you would like your name, e-mail address, and/or phone number shared with the entire family, please let me know that it's okay to do so. I will prepare a list for everyone to receive, and it will only contain information I've been given permission to share.
Please share this with other attendees! E-mail blanchettefamilyreunion@gmail.com, drop a note or message on Facebook, or respond to this blog post, and I'll add you to the contact list.
Thank you!
Dimanche
Are you staying around for the closing day of our reunion? Sunday is surprisingly packed with things to do!
Everyone is invited to Mass at St. Mary's in Eagle Lake at 11am. This Mass will be said with the intention for all family members who have passed. Even if you're not planning on attending the Sunday lunch, you're welcome to join us at church! How many Blanchettes can fit in St. Mary's?
Following Mass, lunch will be served back at the school. Some of the gang will be heading over there right around 12 or a little after, but lunch will likely be served around 1. We'll eat, talk, play cards, and have fun together before closing our reunion at 3.
The fun does not stop there, though! If you're staying in the area, please consider joining us that night at the Soldier Pond fireworks! Soldier Pond is celebrating the entire weekend, and ending their celebration Sunday evening with a bang. We'll know more about the timing and location later, and will share at the reunion. We'll find a good meeting spot!
There will also be fireworks over the St. John that evening in Van Buren (following an international cross-border tug-o-war!) See the CMA schedule for more information.
Everyone is invited to Mass at St. Mary's in Eagle Lake at 11am. This Mass will be said with the intention for all family members who have passed. Even if you're not planning on attending the Sunday lunch, you're welcome to join us at church! How many Blanchettes can fit in St. Mary's?
Following Mass, lunch will be served back at the school. Some of the gang will be heading over there right around 12 or a little after, but lunch will likely be served around 1. We'll eat, talk, play cards, and have fun together before closing our reunion at 3.
The fun does not stop there, though! If you're staying in the area, please consider joining us that night at the Soldier Pond fireworks! Soldier Pond is celebrating the entire weekend, and ending their celebration Sunday evening with a bang. We'll know more about the timing and location later, and will share at the reunion. We'll find a good meeting spot!
There will also be fireworks over the St. John that evening in Van Buren (following an international cross-border tug-o-war!) See the CMA schedule for more information.
Tuesday, July 8, 2014
Open House- Come Say Hi!
With just ONE MONTH to go, it's time to finalize plans for the reunion weekend!
We know that many of you will be rolling into town on Friday, August 8. If you're in the area in the early afternoon, stop by the Blanchette camp in Winterville to say hello!
We'll have some info packets that you can pick up, some snacks, and friendly faces between 1pm and 3 pm!
Drop in on your way to check into your hotel, or pop over before heading over the border to enjoy the opening ceremonies of the CMA (see last blog post for opening day schedule.)
Not coming until later on Friday or on Saturday? Not to worry! We'll have a sign-in table on Saturday at the Eagle Lake Elementary School, and you can grab your info pack there from the same friendly faces!
Blanchette Family Camp
132 Red River Road
Winterville, ME
*This may not come up on GPS or any of the internet mapping sites. When heading down Red River Road, our camp is on the left, about half a mile down the road, and sits sideways.
We know that many of you will be rolling into town on Friday, August 8. If you're in the area in the early afternoon, stop by the Blanchette camp in Winterville to say hello!
We'll have some info packets that you can pick up, some snacks, and friendly faces between 1pm and 3 pm!
Drop in on your way to check into your hotel, or pop over before heading over the border to enjoy the opening ceremonies of the CMA (see last blog post for opening day schedule.)
Not coming until later on Friday or on Saturday? Not to worry! We'll have a sign-in table on Saturday at the Eagle Lake Elementary School, and you can grab your info pack there from the same friendly faces!
Blanchette Family Camp
132 Red River Road
Winterville, ME
*This may not come up on GPS or any of the internet mapping sites. When heading down Red River Road, our camp is on the left, about half a mile down the road, and sits sideways.
Sunday, June 22, 2014
Official Schedule Released
The CMA has released the official schedule for the entire two weeks! You can find it here: http://www.cma2014.com/en/programmation/programmationcomplete. At the time of posting this Blog entry, the web format was not loading completely, but the PDF was working fine.
It looks like it will be a very busy time in northern Maine, New Brunswick, and Quebec! The CMA kicks off on August 8 with a day jam packed with activities. There will be an early morning ceremony at Beau Lake, where the three separate regions meet. While this ceremony is only open to a handful of dignitaries and First Nations elders, it will be broadcast live to community breakfasts, including one at Lonesome Pine Trails in Fort Kent. The breakfast begins at 6:45 with the broadcast beginning at 7am (EST.) Tickets are $10 and include a buffet breakfast. Tickets can currently be purchased at the Fort Kent Chamber of Commerce office.
From 3-5, the party really takes off in Edmundston. Between street performers, musicians, and yummy food, it will be one big block party downtown! The Botanical Garden will also be hosting a native-themed celebration honoring one of their mosaicultures. At the same time, there will be a separate community collaboration in Edmundston to create a wampum belt, representing the relationship between Acadians and First Nations.
This all leads up to the opening ceremony in Turgeon Park at 5:00. Entitled "Seeds," the opening ceremony will involve some public addresses, exchanging of symbolic gifts, and a general welcome. Stick around after the ceremony to see performers from Circus Stella stilt-walking and juggling through the crowd! They'll be around from 6:30-8 (NB time.)
The night ends with a concert featuring Roch Voisine, Wilfred LeBouthillier, Annie Blanchard, Paul Hebert, les Danseurs du Madawaska, and many more! The concert begins at 8:30 NB time.
It is not currently known what the cost of these events will be. The CMA is currently selling bracelets for $20 a piece that will allow entrance into all CMA events during the two weeks. They are available locally in Maine, NB, and Quebec. I am trying to get some information for all of us out of towners, and will pass it on to you all once I know!
Saturday is also crammed full of events throughout the region. The CMA schedule breaks it down for you, color coding where the event will take place. Fort Kent will be hosting the annual Ploye Festival, starting early that morning. It is also the 50th anniversary celebration of the Maine Ski Museum at Lonesome Pines, and the Commemoration of the Webster-Ashburton Treaty International Ceremony at the Fort Kent Blockhouse.
There are also a few non-CMA events going on, including the Fish River Health Fair in Eagle Lake, and the Freedom Fest concert at the FK airport. We'll be providing more information about these events in future posts!
Check out the schedule and start planning- but don't forget to leave Saturday afternoon and evening for our reunion!
It looks like it will be a very busy time in northern Maine, New Brunswick, and Quebec! The CMA kicks off on August 8 with a day jam packed with activities. There will be an early morning ceremony at Beau Lake, where the three separate regions meet. While this ceremony is only open to a handful of dignitaries and First Nations elders, it will be broadcast live to community breakfasts, including one at Lonesome Pine Trails in Fort Kent. The breakfast begins at 6:45 with the broadcast beginning at 7am (EST.) Tickets are $10 and include a buffet breakfast. Tickets can currently be purchased at the Fort Kent Chamber of Commerce office.
From 3-5, the party really takes off in Edmundston. Between street performers, musicians, and yummy food, it will be one big block party downtown! The Botanical Garden will also be hosting a native-themed celebration honoring one of their mosaicultures. At the same time, there will be a separate community collaboration in Edmundston to create a wampum belt, representing the relationship between Acadians and First Nations.
This all leads up to the opening ceremony in Turgeon Park at 5:00. Entitled "Seeds," the opening ceremony will involve some public addresses, exchanging of symbolic gifts, and a general welcome. Stick around after the ceremony to see performers from Circus Stella stilt-walking and juggling through the crowd! They'll be around from 6:30-8 (NB time.)
The night ends with a concert featuring Roch Voisine, Wilfred LeBouthillier, Annie Blanchard, Paul Hebert, les Danseurs du Madawaska, and many more! The concert begins at 8:30 NB time.
It is not currently known what the cost of these events will be. The CMA is currently selling bracelets for $20 a piece that will allow entrance into all CMA events during the two weeks. They are available locally in Maine, NB, and Quebec. I am trying to get some information for all of us out of towners, and will pass it on to you all once I know!
Saturday is also crammed full of events throughout the region. The CMA schedule breaks it down for you, color coding where the event will take place. Fort Kent will be hosting the annual Ploye Festival, starting early that morning. It is also the 50th anniversary celebration of the Maine Ski Museum at Lonesome Pines, and the Commemoration of the Webster-Ashburton Treaty International Ceremony at the Fort Kent Blockhouse.
There are also a few non-CMA events going on, including the Fish River Health Fair in Eagle Lake, and the Freedom Fest concert at the FK airport. We'll be providing more information about these events in future posts!
Check out the schedule and start planning- but don't forget to leave Saturday afternoon and evening for our reunion!
Sunday, June 15, 2014
Update
Are you still searching for lodging? Frustrated that the Overlook Motel is booked until eternity and the Northern Door Inn has no open doors?
The CMA released a listing of 130 private accommodations this week. These include cabin and camp rentals, private rooms, houses, RV parking sites, and more. Please see this link for more information: http://cma2014.com/repertoire/hebergementprive/indexEn.php.
The CMA also announced a special travel deal for those who are flying in for the event. PenAir is offering special deals between Boston and Presque Isle during the CMA. Travel must be booked by July 18, and travel dates must be between August 1 and August 31. Go to the website http://penair.com/ and use the promotional code ACF89.
From the CMA:
The CMA released a listing of 130 private accommodations this week. These include cabin and camp rentals, private rooms, houses, RV parking sites, and more. Please see this link for more information: http://cma2014.com/repertoire/hebergementprive/indexEn.php.
The CMA also announced a special travel deal for those who are flying in for the event. PenAir is offering special deals between Boston and Presque Isle during the CMA. Travel must be booked by July 18, and travel dates must be between August 1 and August 31. Go to the website http://penair.com/ and use the promotional code ACF89.
From the CMA:
Fare
stated includes all taxes and fees. Fares are subject to change without
/notice, seats are limited and may not be available on all flights or
on all days of operation. Sale fares are
only available on published, schedule service. Sale fares are
non-refundable. Purchase by midnight 7/18/14 for travel between 8/1/14
and 8/31/14. Restrictions Apply. See penair.com for details.
The fare will be available at PenAir.com or at the PQI or Boston Ticket counters.
With regards to our reunion, we are still welcoming registrations! Please remind your family members to register by July 15. There have been a few registrations that have not been received, so if you have not received a confirmation from blanchettefamilyreunion@gmail.com, please e-mail us or call Kelly at 908-472-8657 (please leave a message if I do not answer!)
We have been discussing genealogy displays and have some interest from several family members in creating tri-fold displays for specific branches of the family. If you are interested in doing a display for your line, please let us know!
Also, please continue to send in pictures. These will be displayed at the reunion. Please send pictures to blanchettefamilyreunion@gmail.com. We'd love pictures of Blanchettes of yesterday and of today!
As always, don't hesitate to contact us directly with any questions or concerns. Less than two months to go!
~Kelly
Sunday, May 11, 2014
The Great Family Crest Debate
While tracing genealogical roots, many families find their family crest. The crest often shows specific colors or images that represent characteristics of the family. This can give insight to the past as well as a unifying image for the family today.
These days, such research should be easy, right? A simple Google search can tell you almost anything, and even bring up images of family crests. Well, not quite so easy for the Blanchette Family.
Internet searches and various records show two very different crests. Houseofnames.com, which provides information on all different family names, shows the blue and white crest featuring... well, they look like dancing lions to me, but I have a feeling they are not. According to houseofnames.com, the Blanchette name comes from the nickname Blanc (white), which could have come from blonde hair or a "reputation for purity and piety." That's right, folks, this website thinks the original Blanchettes were pure and pious! Or maybe we should be favoring the blonde idea (that is the legend I have always heard. Note: I have never been blonde, and I come from a branch of the family that tends toward dark hair.) The website does provide some background information on the family name that seems to connect with what we know- originated in Normandy, and a notable "first settler" of this family in the Great Migration to New France was Pierre from Picardy, who married Marie Fournier in Quebec City in the mid 1600s. That's our guy, Pierre. But is it our crest? http://www.houseofnames.com/blanchette-family-crest
The crest that I am more familiar with is the crest that appears on the Acadian Genealogy website. This crest- in red and black- features a large stag. The website does not provide any more information about the crest or the origins of the family name. http://www.acadian.org/crests2.html
So I open this discussion to all of you. Does anyone have any information or resources about this? Does anyone have strong feelings one way or the other? Does anyone know of yet another Blanchette family crest out there? Please feel free to weigh in either here or on Facebook!
These days, such research should be easy, right? A simple Google search can tell you almost anything, and even bring up images of family crests. Well, not quite so easy for the Blanchette Family.
Internet searches and various records show two very different crests. Houseofnames.com, which provides information on all different family names, shows the blue and white crest featuring... well, they look like dancing lions to me, but I have a feeling they are not. According to houseofnames.com, the Blanchette name comes from the nickname Blanc (white), which could have come from blonde hair or a "reputation for purity and piety." That's right, folks, this website thinks the original Blanchettes were pure and pious! Or maybe we should be favoring the blonde idea (that is the legend I have always heard. Note: I have never been blonde, and I come from a branch of the family that tends toward dark hair.) The website does provide some background information on the family name that seems to connect with what we know- originated in Normandy, and a notable "first settler" of this family in the Great Migration to New France was Pierre from Picardy, who married Marie Fournier in Quebec City in the mid 1600s. That's our guy, Pierre. But is it our crest? http://www.houseofnames.com/blanchette-family-crest
The crest that I am more familiar with is the crest that appears on the Acadian Genealogy website. This crest- in red and black- features a large stag. The website does not provide any more information about the crest or the origins of the family name. http://www.acadian.org/crests2.html
So I open this discussion to all of you. Does anyone have any information or resources about this? Does anyone have strong feelings one way or the other? Does anyone know of yet another Blanchette family crest out there? Please feel free to weigh in either here or on Facebook!
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