"Welcome to the Weekend Chat!" All Members Invited!! March 13th - 15th, 2020 [closed]

+22 votes
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CHANGE TO BEST ANSWER PROCESS:  After much discussion we have come to the conclusion that all answers in the Weekend Chat are of equal importance and weight.  So we are going to discontinue the Best Answer portion as it adds points and then takes them away from posters and is causing some hurt feelings.  So in the interest of everyone is equal and valued we will delete any best answers given which will deduct those points because it has been pointed out that to give everyone best answer is also not a viable option. 

Weekend Chat is for everyone. It's a place to catch up on what people are up to and to share what you've been doing.  New members can say hello, introduce themselves, ask questions, and meet each other.  Our seasoned members can share progress or successes from their projects, give tips and advice, or chime in on hot topics.

Post as many answers and comments as you wish. It doesn't hurt anyone to post a lot and enjoy the multitude of topics.

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Enjoy yourselves and spread the love!

WikiTree profile: Pip Sheppard
closed with the note: Thanks for all of your participation. See you on March 20th!
in The Tree House by Pip Sheppard G2G Astronaut (2.7m points)
closed by Pip Sheppard
You've convinced me that a cabin air filter exists!  I had decided it was a mythical part, invented by service stations to separate cash from their female customers. If I believed everything they tell me, the darn thing needs changing more often than an oil change. So do the front brakes.
Pip, I decided that I wanted a 4 day weekend. So I took Friday and Monday off. No work for me for 4 days buddy.

HOMEFRONT -- went forth and in the last 4 days cane in one hand and a basket in the other, pulled out weeds from the flower bed along the front of the house, mmm, maybe 15 or 20 feet by 5 feet deep ... fine crop there ... pull them now when they are tender ... and besides they were anywhere from 4 inches tall to a foot tall which is proof of how often I clear that flower bed ( or don't, as the case may be) 

Last week it was the weed whacker out front terrorizing weeds and some grass (we don't have a lawn mower) for several days and then spent three more days nursing my arthritic shoulder and neck ... eh. Woman does what a woman has to do ... 

GENEALOGICALLY been busy with the usual activities ... finished off (IMO) the lines for Aubrey Kerr McClendon ... adequate, adequate, and orphaned everyone in sight ... answered a few inquiries at g2g ...  thing is I "do" and keep going and don't commit to memory or even to a written list anything I've done ... but contribution points keep racking up, my watch list is advanced to over 1,900, so I'm certain I am involved in genealogy ... ASK ME and I'd have to go look at my Contributions to find out ... 

Be safe, stay home if you can 

Packrats here are notorious for damage to cars. Glad you were still able to get your car to the garage! Still haven't found time to finish reading The Pioneers, but I'll get through it. LOL

Have fun with KP duty devil and thanks for hosting, Pip!

Good for you, Paul. 'Bout  time!
Pip - all I can say is that I've never found a woman who would complain about her man doing the toilets in the house. Well, she might complain that I didn't do them thoroughly enough and point out my mistakes, but she certainly wouldn't grab the brush from my hands and do them herself.

So I'd suspect those are on your chore chart somewhere too.
thanks for hosting, Pip.
First time commenting here but I couldn't pass this one up!  Land of Lincoln where the weather can't make up it's mind.  In the 60's one day and snowing the next (right now).  All K-8 schools are closed for the next two weeks as of 4 PM yesterday, so I'll have more time to work here!

Met two new cousins this week and we know the connection...whoo hoo!

Pip and Virginia- I also love the Vince Flynn books.  Have read them all!

Have a great weekend everyone!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vince_Flynn  Flynn-2752

I have heard that one of the best hand sanitizers is plain old rubbing alcohol.  So get a bottle of that.  It has been shown to be effective against all the yukky viruses...  

Stay safe everyone!

Thanks for hosting Pip!

I read a thread on twitter of a scientist saying that THIS kind of virus (Corona) is the most sensible on soap. it also reacts on alcohol, but not as well as on soap. 

42 Answers

+22 votes

Good morning from Central Pennsylvania

We have that typical winter to spring weather pattern going on here. A little bit of everything over the course of a day, clouds, light rain, cool temperatures, clear skies, warm temperatures, and light breezes.

On my big project I have been working on the last 2 weeks, my GG grandfather who had 2 wives and 22 children, (Eshleman-43), I had a good week creating profiles and connecting. This will be a work-in-progress over the next few weeks as I wait for another profile manager to respond, visit the cemetery, and search into some of his grandchildren.

Driving in my Jeep the other day and listening to the radio, I heard a quote that I liked.

As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.

Think about it.

When I got home, I Googled the quote. I found that the quote is credited to a lady resting in our tree. She was a British actress born in Belgium.  Audrey  (Ruston)  Hepburn, (WikiTree ID # Ruston-29.)

Please stay healthy and safe.

by Rodney Long G2G6 Pilot (849k points)
Hi Rodney! I love the quote. What a great philosophy.

Our first "pollen in the puddles" showed up this morning. Spring is definitely in the air. I, for one, am truly looking forward to it.

Keep us posted on that project, your gg-grandfather's family.

Thanks for sharing. Here's another Audrey Hepburn quote that I love:

Nothing is impossible. The word itself says I'm possible.

You know Diane, I did not know much about her till I Googled her the other day. She is credited with several quotes. Stay safe Diane, and have a good day.
Loved Audrey Hepburn!  I've used her quotes to teach my daughter and granddaughter about the beauty on the inside, but I particularly like the one that chose you, Rodney.
Neat quote, Rodney. Does make you think.
Hi Laurie, like I told Diane, I knew who Audrey Hepburn was, but I did not realize she had such an influence on women until I read about her the other day. I guess us boys were to interested in guys like John Wayne and General MacArthur. You have a good rest of the day Laurie.
Yes Scott, sometimes we need to be reminded about what is important in life. Good luck on your new job coming up.Stay healthy and have a good weekend.
+21 votes

Today is....

NATIONAL COCONUT TORTE DAY                                          

National Coconut Torte Day on March 13th recognizes a rich dessert featuring the decadent flavor of coconut and decorated with it, too! Coconut lovers may enjoy this holiday savoring the delicious taste of this rich dessert.

The word torte is German and literally means cake. Torte refers to both a multi-layered cake filled with buttercream, jam, or cream and to a rich, moist and dense single-layered cake.  A torte may be made with little to no flour, but instead with ground nuts or breadcrumbs, as well as sugar, eggs, and flavorings.

Did you know that a coconut tree can grow to be as tall as ninety feet?

Coconuts were available in the United States in the early 1700s even though the palm was not indigenous to the continental United States.  There are many recipes using coconut, including cakes, cookies, and tortes from that era, so it was certainly as popular an ingredient as it is today.

Coconut is rich in fiber, Vitamin B6, iron, and minerals like magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, selenium, and zinc. The oil from coconut moisturizes our skin and also helps keep our skin clear and hair silky, too.

Of course, in the kitchen, we love coconut! Beyond baked goods, coconut infuses sweet flavor to our cooking, and because the MCTs in coconut oil don’t absorb in the body as fat, it is an ideal alternative to other oils and fats.

HOW TO OBSERVE National Coconut Torte Day:

Enjoy this Coconut Torte recipe: Ghirardelli Coconut Almond Torte with Chocolate Chips. Then invite friends and family to help you celebrate the day!

by Dorothy Barry G2G Astronaut (2.7m points)

"Coconut lovers may enjoy this holiday savoring the delicious taste of this rich dessert." My wife! And me, to a lesser degree. I'm going to have to try that recipe. 

Another great celebration, Dorothy!

Got my first partial denture this year and darned if coconut doesn’t just love to squeeze underneath it!
Dorothy, you have hit on another of my faves! My Mom made the best yellow cake from scratch and added coconut and pineapple to the filling and the top icing!! I cannot do it justice but do try once in a while.
Sadly, I'm going to have to pass. My wife - loves coconut. Me - really dislike coconut. I eat it once in awhile to remind myself that I don't care for it, and that's about it.
+21 votes
Hello from Oz, midnight Friday.

Quiet, cool and patchy rain, very much appreciated.

The only problem with THAT virus here has been panic buying of loo paper, pointless given that 90% or more of what we use is made here from Oz materials . Best thing is supermarkets are refusing to take any back now that people are realising they can’t make a buck from it. They are suggesting it be given to neighbours, charities or nursing homes.

My son and his wife are only a couple of months from the arrival of their daughter. Never thought this would happen and now I am floating on air! Just hope that virus has passed or never really takes hold so I can travel interstate to meet her. First grandchild on both sides!

Not doing much with my family tree right now. Trying to clean up the merges of privacy protected profiles. Info at Wikitree are a great help there.

My favourite quote (tho I have no idea where it came from)

Character is who you are when no one is looking.
by Living Poole G2G Astronaut (1.3m points)
I think that was John Wooden, Marion. I have to see if he is in our tree.

Thanks Rodney, found the quote

The great John Wooden once said: “Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your characteris what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are…the true test of a man's character is what he does when no one is watching.”

Yep, you got him, he is in the tree.
A grandbaby for you! That's wonderful, Marion!!
Love the quote, Marion. I do hope you'll get to see your grandchild without any problems!
Thanks Pip and Diane. Going to learn how to do FaceTime in the meantime, just in case. Poor substitute, but step up from the old snail mail and photos

Congrats on the grandchild!  I hope you have many years of visits, and the poor thing gets sick of his Gran.

Can I add another Audrey Hepburn quote to the mix?  

''You can tell more about a person by what he says about others than you can by what others say about him.''  

Laurie, that's a great quote!
One can never have enough loo paper, or apparently that's what the masses think these days. I mentioned this to my wife and she rolled her eyes then said, "Maybe we should check to see if we have enough for now, just in case there is a shortage."

And that... is probably how all this got started in the first place.
+21 votes

On the home front, Monday we signed up for memberships at the local YMCA so we can start working out. Tuesday there were  confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the county next to ours so we did some last minute stocking up as a precaution. Wednesday we have no plans to go out except for playing Taxi for the grandchildren. There was yet another confirmed virus patient and I made the decision to not attend radio club events until this virus mess sorts itself out. I am not avoiding every outing but if it is not really necessary I will not venture further than my mailbox for now. We now have 5 confirmed cases of the virus in Ohio and All schools have been closed until at least April 3 by executive order. The workouts are on hold for now. Our radio club cancelled the meetings for March as a precaution so not much happening there. Other than that I have been moving things around in the house because my granddaughter decided she wants to stay with us and not move back with her parents so we have to make room for her stuff.

On the Genealogy front, I created a couple of Notable profiles and cleared out all of the suggestions for my watchlist except for the  unconnected Notable profiles I manage. One of the Notable profiles I created was for a man who at the time of his death was the richest man in Ohio. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Lennon-1252  I actually knew him and talked to him a lot when I worked for him. I even made parts for his car, a product we did not normally make at the machine shop were I worked. He owned the shop and would stop by my work station to chat on a regular basis.
In my research for some of the notables I was working on I discovered yet another famous Kent state alumni who was present during the May 4 shooting, Chrissie Hynde, she has a profile but it is unlisted. I guess I had a lot of future famous classmates. I also discovered that another student killed that day died on her parents wedding anniversary.

by Dale Byers G2G Astronaut (1.7m points)
edited by Dale Byers
Just a thought, if things get really bad I now have my radios and a desktop computer beside my adjustable bed and we have an attached bathroom as well as a TV. The kitchen is just outside the door so I would not have to leave my bedroom for very much.

Dale, we just decided to put off joining a gym until this thing burns itself out. frown I have a feeling that we just might be cancelling church this Sunday. Waiting to hear from our pastor who suggested that possibility yesterday.

You always find the coolest notables to work on.

Just noticed some of our flowers in the front of the house are poking up so spring is coming sooner rather than later..
Pip, Our Y membership was free, if it would have cost anything we would have put it off as well.
Aren't the flowers timely? Its nice to have some little yellow joy peeking out.  

I hope you and yours all stay healthy and well.
+20 votes

And they say refreshing a webpage every few minutes was pointless. HAH! 

Hails and horns, Wikipeeps! 

Today, I was refreshing the g2g forum because I wanted to share this thread: https://www.wikitree.com/g2g/1000365/shared-photo-jeremiah-felker-and-elizabeth-fellows

That is a picture of my 3x great-grandparents, Jeremiah Felker and Elizabeth D. Fellows. Jeremiah was a union soldier. So, now I have pics of two of my Civil War guys. The third guy, David Stevens, is a bit iffy because William Stevens is a common name and there were probably like a dozen or so  David Stevens who served during the Civil War. The jury's still out on him. Still, I got a pic of Jeremiah and Elizabeth and I am happy!

How I got it was pretty amazing. I was doing a search for something in 1890 involving Jeremiah and I got his Veteran's Schedule from Haverhill. I thought that was cool. I scrolled down on Ancestry and I saw that someone had uploaded a photograph. 

I clicked the link and I was on my 2nd cousin Eddie's tree. I was like "DUDE!" I messaged Eddie on Facebook as we're Facebook friends. He had just uploaded the picture. I asked him how he got it. His aunt Nancy has a ton of pics and gave them to him. I asked if he had more to please share. And I asked if it was okay to spread this picture all over the Internet because it is awesome and it's always a good idea to put a face with the name.

He said "Sure" and the rest is history. I shared the pic with several DNA matches who have these two as MRCAs. 

This all happened yesterday so I'm still excited. I mean I posted a blog about luck here: https://allroadhaverhill.blogspot.com/2020/03/52-ancestors-week-11-luck.html 

So.....LOL. I am tempted to just re-edit the whole thing. Nah. That would take too long and I have a comic to work on. Some other time. In the blog, I did talk about cousin bait and how this site is cousinbait.com. Seriously. Look around. How many of you fell for cousin bait?!

On the non genealogy front, well it is a cloudy morning here in the Valley. Everyone's in their houses. We're hoping for good news. I've been talking to cousins in Italy about the virus situation over there. They seem to be in good spirits. But, it's tough. They are doing what they can and I hope everyone recovers soon. They've been showing a lot of strength and that's a good thing. I posted a status asking everyone to keep them in their thoughts and I'll say the same here.

We need to show the world some humanity. Come together and show 'em what we're made of.

Forza Italia!

by Chris Ferraiolo G2G6 Pilot (756k points)
That's a better ratio than my family, Laurie. 0 for 24.

Well, I had been watching Star Trek: Picard. So, it was only natural. And it was the best assimilating gif I could find. The rest were really weird. The Internet can be a strange place. But, we already know this. No need to go looking for trouble. 

As far as cousin bait goes, I think it depends on who was looking for whom. The last time cousin bait happened to me was when a cousin on my dad's maternal side found her grandfather's profile on the site. His name was Pasquale Forgione.

She messaged me and it turns out she was a DNA match to my dad's cousin, Joe. They had tested on 23andme and were talking for quite some time. I don't know if Joe told her about me and Wikitree. But, that's how she found me. Her brother tested on Ancestry and got him as a match.

My cousins have shown some interest. I made a tree for some maternal first cousins and have them on my tree on Ancestry. I have no paternal first cousins. Just his first cousins who'd be my first cousins once removed. My mom has like 50 first cousins. My dad has quite a few too. Some seem interested in genealogy and have wanted to share stories. And more stories!!

Yup, its the stories that have me hooked.
Same. Been listening to them all my life.
Picard? If you were a real nerd. You would be watching Babylon 5. Yeah, I went there.
Ahh, Paul with the big guns. I have watched Babylon 5. It's good. =D
Did you guys see that JMS just auctioned off Sinclair's medal from the Battle of the Line?  The actual on screen prop.  We actually considered bidding until it got crazy.  It went for about $11,000.
If only I had that kind of cash. I'll have to settle for JMS's run on Spidey. =)
Good lord! 11,000 for Sinclair's medal. I wonder if the Psi Corp saw that coming. I'm going to Minbar for vacation.
Dunno if the Psi Corp saw it coming, but the Centauri Emperor's wife may have.  Enjoy Minbar!
+20 votes
Hello from a very dark and rainy day in north central Texas!

I spent a couple of days this week in East Texas once again helping my cousin's daughter in the never-ending clean-out of my deceased aunt's and cousin's house. The more we do, the more it seems to multiply as they were semi-hoarders. We have to examine everything as we are still finding a few goodies. This time I found a letter that was written in 1905 to my grandmother from one of her nephews. He was expressing concern that he heard she had fainted the day before at church. (It was summer in Texas and she did play the pump organ.) Also, he mentioned that he hoped it was not because of the "surprise" wedding that day at the church. Now, I am trying to figure out who surprised everyone by getting married. The fun with family research never ends!!

The corona virus is beginning to hit Texas as evidenced by all the empty shelves where the toilet paper, paper towels and hand sanitizer should be. Our schools were on spring break this week and now that is extended for all next week. Gatherings of over 250 people are not supposed to happen and now there has been a call to not have our genealogy meeting next Wednesday even though we usually only have about 25 people. We will see how that turns out.

One of our daughters, an ICU nurse, is supposed to have surgery next week on Thursday and that is so far still on the schedule. We worry about her during this virus as she had cancer and a lot of chemo three years ago. I would like her surgery to go forward as she would then be off work for four weeks. Could use some positive thoughts/prayers for Sarah.

I hope everyone has a good weekend even if you are staying home - good excuse to work on family history. Stay safe and well.
by Virginia Fields G2G Astronaut (1.2m points)
We will be thinking about your daughter Virginia, take care.
Virginia, my grandson is having his surgery postponed, too. It's not an emergency, so it can wait. Prayers for your as well as for Sarah!

Neat find at your aunt's house. If you ever figure out who it was that got married, please let us know!
Prayers for all the family winging their way to you Virginia.
I'm glad there are a few treasures among all the stuff.

Best wishes to your daughter, she's in our thoughts and prayers.
+20 votes
Aloha from Nebraska.

Work stuff: I only worked 37hrs this week. Because I am taking 4 days off work. Just because I want to. I am off until Tuesday. I don't want to look at any of my tools before Tuesday morning. I slept until 8am! I feel great.

Home life: I sold my guitar amp to a disreputable local pawn shop. The kind that thinks it's Pawn Stars. While in reality, they are borderline criminals. They didnt know much about my amp and speaker cabinet. So I got more than its worth without having to try. In that transaction. I will admit to being less than honorable.  Then I went in to a local music store of a reputable nature that I have dealt with off and on for over 20yrs. Where I bought myself a really awesome used amp and speaker cabinet. The music store I bought my new for me amp at. Is the only place I buy my guitars, amps, and anything music related. I have a friend that works there that also handles all my guitar repairs. The guy even cleaned up my dad's 1950's Martin ukulele. My guitar guy, gets regular maintenance on his vehicles in exchange for maintaining my guitars. Thankfully, neither of us takes advantage of the other. It's almost 9:30 and I want to play through My new amp. I'm like a kid in Christmas right now.

My teenage son wants a new lawnmower. Her says he wants the kind that would probably have been used in Leave it to Beaver. He wants the rotary style that doesn't have an engine.  I was about to buy him an all wheel drive self propelled mower. If he wants to mow with the old timey lawn mower from Pip Sheppard's childhood days. Who am I to argue.

My soon to be a high school graduate daughter. Just got a new administrator in her arts program. She says the guy has no clue about the arts. She complained to me for an hour solid about it. Told me all his ridiculous new rules for the arts program that are definitely not supportive. I had no wisdom for her. She wants me to join with some other parents to talk to the guy about his changes to the program. I liked the arts program when she signed up for it. Her having the creative outlet, and nurturing from the school for her artistic side. Improved her grades in all her other classes. So I'm going to go meet with the guy and the other parents. I truly do believe that the arts should be encouraged and celebrated. Poets, painters, writers, musicians, and those that I didn't mention are important to society and culture.

My elementary ages children are super happy. They, like their high school siblings have been on spring break from school all week. They have been having lots of fun.

As for genealogy. I have been slowly adding some family from my parents generation. Thanfully, unlike older generations, they didn't make babies like rabbits.
by Paul Kreutz G2G6 Pilot (129k points)

" If he wants to mow with the old timey lawn mower from Pip Sheppard's childhood days." If you only knew! Yes, I did use one of those kinds of mowers... at my grandfather's. I just had to clear ALL of the sticks and such before I mowed. The mower wasn't made to handle that.

Paul, you've got to put up a YouTube video of you playing. I mean, with a new amp and all! laugh

Actually, my son uses one of those antique push mowers too. He's an athlete, and it's part of his workout. He was my lawn-mower, while he lived at home, because nobody else could do the job with that equipment. When he moved out, I replaced him with a nice electric mower.  

"" If he wants to mow with the old timey lawn mower from Pip Sheppard's childhood days." 

HAHAHAHAHAHA! 

Oh, God. That was hilarious. Go the extra mile and get him a rotary phone and a dial-up modem from when we were kids. >=)

I haven't found the Pip Sheppard mower yet this weekend. Not one I like anyway.

Pip, I might put up a video sometime. I'm kind of weird though. I don't like broadcasting just me on YouTube. I am working on getting my old man band together. Maybe someday we will actually do something that gets us on stage. As well as a video made of old guy heavy metal Tom foolery.

Chris, I'm going to get him the pre Pip Sheppard phone from Andy Griffith. The one where you have the war piece, and have to speak in to the base. He is going to have to talk to the operator to make a phone call. He can also use the internet I had when I was 15. Social media was walking, or skateboarding through town to find your friends. Google was called an encyclopedia. Last night he asked me a question. I told him to look it up in his Funk and Wagnalls. He googled Funk and Wagnalls.

Laurie, I changed the cabin air filter on the family minivan. My wife, didn't know that was a thing either.

On another note. I had to drive to 6 stores to find toilet paper. I get it. There is a rapidly spreading virus. Seriously, people don't need to stock up 6 months of toilet paper at a time. I was in a very bad mood last night when I was grocery shopping. I heard customers treating grocery store employees, and each other like crap.I took it upon myself to stand up for an employee. Yelling at a 17yr old girl that works at a grocery store is not going to get more hand sanitizer on the shelf. I was a bit disgusted. My kids spring break has been extended another week.
+21 votes
A SOMBER TIME -- I cannot quite recall a time in the last 65 years when the USA was poleaxed as badly as it has been recently with the corona virus pandemic --  and this is very nearly arm in arm with a global financial meltdown in stock markets which has a domino effect on the economies of various nations ...

I can recall how people were affected when JFK was murdered, and later his brother Bobby -- and the looks on the faces around me when the Twin Towers were destroyed. I recall the global financial markets meltdown of 2007/08.  I recall news films being shown of how people reacted when Pearl Harbor was destroyed, or nearly so.

If you don't have to go, if it isn't absolutely necessary, then stay home
by Susan Smith G2G6 Pilot (652k points)
Susan, I remember the events you mention very well, except Pearl Harbor. I have visited the Pearl Harbor memorial  in Hawaii though. I have also stood at the 6th floor window of the school book depository from where JFK was assassinated. But through all these events, we have emerged stronger. Keep the faith my friend.
We're following your advice, Susan. Staying at home unless necessary.

We're following the stock market as we have some investments, but no panic. We're in for the long haul.
One thing I have been doing that you did not mention Susan, I have been reevaluating my bullion stockpile. It is small but if the world economy tanks having gold or silver could just mean the difference between  eating or starving.
Poleaxed--good word for it.
I admit, I had to look up poleaxed. It's going in to my vocabulary.
I hear someone say they are stocking up on precious metals and gems for "after the apocalypse" and I get images of corpses draped over small metal boxes ... dead because they starved to death or died from exposure to the elements or were murdered and robbed.  Can't plant and harvest this stuff, nor shelter in its warm(er) and dry innards nor wash with it and so forth.  Eh.
+19 votes

Thanks for hosting, Pip.  Last weekend, I decided it was time to start cleaning up one of my older free space pages, one focused on identifying certain ancestors who lived in New France.  In the process of adding ancestors and upgrading from lists to tables, I was able to find a few more fille du roi ancestors as well as many more soldiers.  The page is still a work-in-progress but is starting to look more complete.  I hope to spend time adding more notes (and possibly a few more ancestors) this weekend.

by Greg Lavoie G2G6 Pilot (368k points)
Greg, I went to your space page linked above. You've done some pretty amazing work there. I'm impressed!
Your Nouveau France ancestors resemble my Puritans - there are so many!  Nice progress on this project.
+19 votes

Greetings from beautiful southeastern Arizona. The weather here remains a bit cooler than normal, but at least the morning temps are now staying above freezing! Been a rainy week here-love it! This week I removed the flannel sack from my autumn sage plant. I also took the time to prune all plants on my balcony. I'm not much of a gardener and usually only plant annuals, so I hope these plants have survived the winter. A few more weeks and I should know.

There have been 0 cases of the corona virus in Cochise County so far and only 9 reported in Arizona as of this morning. I hope all of you remain safe from this pandemic!

Been a busy week here, filled with meetings so no time for genealogy.

Writing: Didn't have time to write much of anything or even to revise. Spent my time finishing my Author Trana Mathews website. Knowing how hard it is for self-published authors to get promoted (without spending a fortune!), I'm going to do Indie author interviews once each week. Figure this is a win-win situation. I'll attract new visitors to my site while I help other self-published authors. Already have a month of interviews lined up. laugh

I designed and ordered business cards to hand out when I speak at my library on March 28th. The cards arrived yesterday, and I'm tickled with how they came out. Reviewed my Powerpoint presentation, and think I'm all set for this event.

Need to get ready for my hosting stint at the senior center. May you all have an enjoyable weekend!

by Diane Hildebrandt G2G6 Pilot (109k points)
Diane, I had forgotten you had ordered business cards. Glad they came out like you wanted. And what a marvelous website you created! Very well done!! You should be proud.

Raining here today, but really just sprinkling. Good for all the plants working their way up out of the ground. I'm not much of a gardener, but I can landscape with shrubs and such. My wife is the flower planter. We found one particular kind that she likes. Unfortunately, their annuals, so we buy several each year and pot them in large planters, four in the front, and four in the back.
Go Diane!  If I ever decide to publish something, I plan to come to you for advice.  Best wishes for the rest of the flu season.
Thanks, Pip! I was trying to achieve a professional, yet not old-fashioned or stodgy look, and think I succeeded. Very cloudy here, but the sun is shining. Got decent rains the last two days. I love snapdragons but waited too long last year and was told it was too late in the season to buy those here - and it was only mid-April!

Laurie, I'll be glad to give advice. I'm still feeling my way in the dark. lol
+20 votes
Happy Friday from Canada's West Coast :)

Its been a few weeks since I joined the chat. It seems I unbalanced my work-life this winter. On top of everything else, I signed up for a course on adult learning at the university this semester. I'm thoroughly enjoying it, but I haven't learned to say 'no' to the everything else, so time has been getting away with me.

On WT I've taken a short break from the Puritan ancestors, and started nibbling at some unconnected and unsourced profiles in Atlantic Canada, which have resisted the connector challenges. I've picked a few that have green privacy settings and no visible dates, so its a matter of finding sources to identify timelines and requesting an open profile for a person who is over 150 years old. Sometimes it takes me a few days to do the legwork, but I'm always impressed at the fast and professional response from info@wikitree.  In the end, I may not be able to connect them all to the main tree, but I'm aiming for a sourced result that others can work with.  Its like golf - forward is good.

Meanwhile, the pandemic may be teetering my totter in the other direction. There is now a case on this island, and public gatherings large and small are starting to be cancelled. I imagine you're seeing it too. Keep your hands clean and preserve your personal space, but don't become too isolated ... I'm reading that loneliness can be as dangerous as the flu.  Its a good time to take good care of you!
by Laurie Giffin G2G6 Pilot (104k points)
Laurie, I used to be one who couldn't say no, but now I'm just too (re)tired to say yes all the time. I'm finally enjoying doing pretty much what I want to do... mostly WikiTreeing, but reading is back in style here at the Sheppard home.

No cancellations here... yet. But people are taking care, even if we haven't had any nearby cases.
The trick to saying no, is just saying no - not no because... not no as...not no but...

Just plain no, so hard to argue against!

Taken me a long time to get to that point!

Haha, but what if these are the items I want to fit it in?  I'm struggling to learn to say no to myself.

Oh, Laurie, now that's even harder: saying 'no' to yourself.
Life has a way of making you either teeter on the totter or you can't get off the merry-go-round! As Marion said and I'm trying to do more often - just say a resounding NO! If it's items you want to fit in, you must say no to other things. Everyone needs some "me" time. It will keep you healthy!

Speaking of healthy, stay safe!
Good advice Diane and Marion!  Be well
+20 votes
Greetings from Everett, Washington!

My daughter has been fighting a BAD sinusitis infection. At present it is getting better.  It was the reason we went to the walk-in clinic last week and again on Wednesday afternoon. Once again, but on Wednesday the whole process was worse.  All she wanted was a doctor's note for a prescription refill. At our local clinic we were told that she had to go to downtown Everett because it was a respiratory infection.  At downtown Everett we were told she would have to wait five hours to see a doctor.  But my daughter is smart.  She used her phone to at least get on hold with the prescribing doctor's clinic so we didn't have to wait so long.

So we waited in the car and watched the clinic workers in the parking lot in their hazmat suits come and get patients. We saw officers from the county jail shepherding an unruly orange-jump-suited prisoner out of the clinic.  She was almost 25 minutes on hold when the caller queue started to go down.  I decided to take off and head toward our local pharmacy.  While I was driving her call was answered and she was able to get permission for the refill.  Now she is recovering and feeling better.

She whines that she still has to go to work.  Movie theaters are still open.  I am glad she is working as that is at least one aspect of life that is still normal.  We are trying to eat out at least 2 or 3 times a week as we always do.  

My husband is not working for three weeks.  First there was a ban on Chinese tourists at Future of Flight (at least 1/3 of all tour groups were Chinese).  Then all tours were cancelled.  Now the Future of Flight is closed to the public. Three weeks of him at home means we will, I hope, make progress purging the house.  "Do we keep this or throw it out/recycle it?"  "If we keep it, where do we put it?" Decisions.

I find it interesting to find the LNABs of Unknowns.  I found four last night.  Yesterday I brought the watchlist down to 5000.  I am very annoyed that the facsimile census images have been blocked on FamilySearch.  I went to the local library and got a new card so I can use the MyHeritage Library Edition.  I have tried MyHeritage but find fewer census images available on my average search.  I will also try archive.org.  Another learning curve with internet tech.

Our Toastmasters club is going to hold virtual meetings as the Senior Living Facility where we meet is closed to us.  We had such a virtual meeting of club officers Wednesday night.  To do it properly, everyone needs to be on computer (not phone) and to have the camera and microphone working with the software program.  I can imagine giving a speech in my pajamas at our regular 7:15 a.m. meeting time.  I will try to have some fun with it.

Everyone, give thanks for your family, your yard, your neighborhood, and everyone at gas stations, grocery stores and cafes who keep life going.  

Mary, Star of the Sea, pray for us!
by Margaret Summitt G2G6 Pilot (315k points)
Margaret, I saw that Boeing stock took at hit and thought of your husband. Now that you've got him home, he's you're "captive." We need to go through out entire house doing the same as you, clear stuff out!

A speech in your pajamas... how funny!
I'm interested in your virtual meetings Margaret!  Is this through skype, or something like it?
+19 votes
Buenos dias from the Old Pueblo! It's sunny and 53F in Tucson at 9am. We had some rain the past few days which is free for watering the little Asian garden I have in my patio.

I am almost done with organizing my taxes! All will be done by Sunday. This past week, I working on bios and sourcing for SE England, primarily Cornwall. It took some time because I had to email several PMs to 'open' ancestor profiles that have not been worked on since 2012! The good news is the PMs responded and now there are some 6.5 profiles that have sourcing and biographies. I'll finish the .5 this weekend.

I don't have time to read much of anything other than Bettinger's DNA text and research papers. I have my 2nd last class in genetic genealogy tomorrow! I cannot believe how fast the time went. The topic will be on using the X chromosome. I am also well into my DNA proof and hope to have it done and submitted by next weekend!

Pip, I have ancestors from ND: Grohnke, Rathgeber in the Hankinson, ND area.

Rodney, we have that saying posted in one of our nursing classrooms at the university. Audrey Hepburn was a remarkable woman! She was a UNICEF ambassador. Oh that we had more like her! Especially at this juncture in our world.

All of you stay safe and healthy. Be sure to wash your hands really well and do fist bumps or Mr. Spock salutes rather than hugs (I'm a hugger and this is hell for me right now) until we are out of this pandemic. Virtual hugs to all.
by Carol Baldwin G2G Astronaut (1.1m points)
Carol, I haven't seen those surnames... yet. Germans from Russia?

How fast time went?!? Seems like it was a year ago that you started that class. (I know it wasn't that far back, but you have certainly put the effort in.)

Hi Pip,

Germans from Germany and Poles from Poland! Click on my ancestors to see my grandmother, Louise Albertine Rathgeber and her ancestors. John was from Wittenberg and Anna was from Stettin. 

 https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Baldwin-3428

I like the Dr. Spock salute idea.  I was at a workshop last weekend and we tapped the toes of our shoes instead of a handshake.  It worked really well!  Like you, I'm a hugger in restraints.
I'm thinking we go Japanese at 30 paces. Nice bow outside of sneeze range should do nicely. I'm starting to get worried that some people will take some of this too far and anyone getting closer might get a bit violent. Let's all hope that cooler heads prevail.
Hi Scott,

I lived in Korea for a year and Japan for 2 years. The bow was done in a social distance of about 4 feet as I recall. A good idea. I always found the bow to be very respectful, too. We could use more of that here in the US of late.
To tapping is ok, but I sure miss the hugs! Oh... it's Mr. Spock from Star trek. Dr. Spock was the pediatrician. Everyone mixes them up! Dr. Spock didn't have pointy ears, though (to my knowledge).
Someone offered to shake my hand yesterday when they met me.  I paused, but shook it.  I really did not want to and kind of felt imposed upon.  I know hand shaking is the polite thing to do, but not at this time.
When I declined a handshake the other day, I quickly did my Mr. Spock and said 'how about an elbow bump for now during these times' and quickly offered my elbow. Others may be huggers and hand-shakers and may not be used to this change in public health protocol yet. I even still see people sneeze without even covering their noses. They haven't learned the public health 'elbow to the nose' protocol for sneezing. Sadly, it takes a pandemic for people to learn about self/other health care.
+21 votes
Greetings Wikikinfolk,

It's a warm-ish, sunny day here in Michigan. Like most places, there is widespread concern here about the coronavirus. The governor had closed all the schools, publioc and private, for the next three weeks starting Monday. Many districts were already called off today to train staff in distance instruction. Just now (like in the past hour) the governor has also banned (most) public gatherings of over 250 people.

In genealogy news, a distant relative who was on WikiTree in 2013 for a bit was declared an unresponsive profile manager, and so I have adopted many profiles this week and I'm beginning work cleaning them up and improving their sources.
by Thomas Fuller G2G6 Mach 9 (93.3k points)
Thank you for taking on the orphans.  I did the same once. What a way to flesh out your watchlist!  It took me a while to prune it back down to a reasonable #.
+20 votes
Hi from England. Hope everyone is taking care. Sadly we have just cancelled our diamond wedding anniversary lunch, so much planning went in to it but next month is supposed to be the peak here. At least it's not a wedding, those plans must be giving lots of people sleepless nights. We're both well and feeling quite sprightly at the moment. Guess when the virus really bites I'll have to take up housework to pass the time, or perhaps just more Wikitree.
by C. Mackinnon G2G6 Pilot (332k points)
A very happy anniversary to you both!
Wishing you a very happy anniversary!  Congratulations!
We're looking forward to it. Feeling a bit silly about all those cracks we used to make about "if we last that long"!
+22 votes
hello from the Netherlands,

I had a quiet week. I grounded myself because of a light cough. Don't know what it is but I don't want to be a risk to others.

The country is closing down at least till the end of the month. Everyone who can work at home is asked to do so. Universities and colleges have closed. Sports and clubs  have stopped activities. Schools till the age of 18 and children daycare are still open. Only kids with a cold or coughing are to stay at home. Same counts for everyone who has to cough.

No handshaking, a lot  of handwashing,   keeping  your distance to other people, and coughing in the inner elbow are the dayly things we try to follow.

more than 800 people officially diagnosed with the virus. Death rate  a bit over 2 %. Mainly people over the age of 80 with an already frail health/medical complications

I hope all the measures taken will help to prevent an  Italian situation.

Consequences are I have a lot of time to do research on the internet and to transcribe documents still waiting for me  on the computer.
by Eef van Hout G2G6 Pilot (186k points)
Hello from Canada's West Coast, Eef!  We're starting to do many of the same things here. There are some side benefits to having an online hobby or two.  I hope you recover quickly.
+20 votes
Good evening from France, where my three teeenage daughters are now home for good - all schools, universities, and nurseries being closed for an indefinite period starting next Monday. Being myself "between contracts" and not productive at work, it seems I might also be allowed to stay at home, more or less. There is a "cluster" of 14 cases about 10 miles from my town, and two declared cases in a neighboring town, where the train I take to go to work stops. So I have had plenty of opportunity to be exposed to the virus, without much of a chance to avoid them. I'm not scared, but it will be a while before I visit my parents. Here, as in other countries, all opportunities for entertainment outside of home are closing - all sports events and meetings over 100 people (except, of course, if you work in a building that holds more than 100 - that apparently doesn't count) are being cancelled.

On the WikiTree front - pruning my watchlist. Not much to report. I wanted to work on notable French women in need of TLC, but lacking inspiration. Suggestions welcome, by the way.
by Isabelle Martin G2G6 Pilot (561k points)
In case you want to continue to work on Olympians, the couple Zatopek could use some profiles.
Restez en bonne santé, Isabelle!
Merci, Laurie!

And Jelena - I would love to see the Zatopeks with profiles! Not much point in me starting them though, because I couldn't do more than replicate the data on Wikipedia or other common sources. Is there someone who could explore their family?
Sorry so late, Isabelle. I saw on the news tonight that France is putting in all kinds of restrictions. You be safe!

I have some weeks where the inspiration to WikiTree just isn't there.
+20 votes

On this day:

1781: William Herschel discovers Uranus

1943: The Krakow Ghetto is liquidated, thousands of Jews are killed

1975: The Nobel Prize winner Ivo Andrić dies

by Jelena Eckstädt G2G Astronaut (1.4m points)
Had to read ALL three of these, Jelena. Thanks for providing my with such good reading material!
+19 votes
Um... Happy Friday the 13th?  Like everyone else I'm dealing with COVID-19 stuff.  The first (so far only) case in my county is an employee at my university.  So it's here.  Today we bought about a month's worth of groceries and we're about ready to hunker down.  And my class is now going to be online, so I have to spend some time planning for that.  But I've also got some ongoing family health issues to deal with, so that's complicating things.  Lots of back and forth to health care providers.

With all that, not much genealogy has been happening.  Still slowly chipping away at the mystery Potts cluster.  Hopefully I'll have more time once we settle into the new routine!
by Lisa Hazard G2G6 Pilot (263k points)
Sounds to me like you have your priorities straight, Lisa.  All the best.
Thanks.  Right now I'm stress cleaning like a maniac... today I did a deep decluttering of the linen closet and bathrooms and the top of my dresser.  Tossed a ton of expired stuff.
Lisa, how do you do classes without the lab?
When I figure it out I'll let you know!  Most of the rest of the semester is supposed to be field trips.  We might still be allowed to do that in smaller groups; students drive separately and we're outside the whole time so contact is minimal.  But I'd make it optional in case students are sick or home with kids or something.  Working on finding alternate online activities now, though.
+19 votes
Greetings and Salutations, Fellow WikiTreers!

It's been an interesting couple of weeks, as I got my notice that my contract would not be renewed. It started off at 6 months and was extended to 9, but as of today, it comes to an end. Bittersweet, as I prepare to hand in my equipment and key card and not return. I won't say never, as I can't predict the future, but it seems unlikely I'll be back. But I've got another position lined up for next week. There might be a small delay as they empty out offices faster than the campfire circle when Mongo's been eating beans again. Apparently they need to get my laptop, key card, and all work from home elements in order before they invite me in to sign paperwork and pick up my stuff - or perhaps they'll just courier it to my house - but either way I've got a small vacation ahead. I suppose it will be a good time to clean and coronavirus-proof my home. Funny to think that I'd live in the times of the newest Black Plague to infest the world, but we're certainly treating it that way. I heard the death rate is less than 1% and I'm not in any of the major risk groups, so if I catch it, I'm looking forward to some flu symptoms, followed by severe aches, chills, headaches and body aches, at which point they'll pass and then I suppose I'll have immunity for any near future situations. I'd rather not catch it, so we'll see how all this goes.

On the genealogy side of the house, I've been working my Fulkersons and got up around 2232 or so. My goal this month is 2250, so I'm slightly ahead of schedule. But then the Fulkerson.Org website went down and hasn't come back up. WAIT! - I just checked and it's back! :) Guess I should make a full copy while it's still around! YEAH!

I also got a bit sidetracked with Lola Albright. For those of you who might remember the 1950's series Peter Gunn, she played Edie, Peter's girl. She had a sexy, sultry voice and sang teasing types of songs that got Peter's motor running... just in time for him to be pulled away on another case. Most times, she was left disappointed, but Pete always promised to make it up to her. Either way, her ancestry was very interesting and well-connected, so I got a good tree out of her research.

Hope everyone stays safe this weekend. Buy an extra package of toilet paper just because it's the trendy thing to do these days. Sheesh - I thought it was supposed to be milk, eggs, and snow-bread. Guess I'm behind the times.
by Scott Fulkerson G2G Astronaut (1.5m points)
Was she the inspiration for Jessica Rabbit? Sounds like she could have been.
Scott-- you are also supposed to run to the library and pick up books to read!!  It has been very slow here today.
We'll just say she's nowhere near as...um... top-heavy as Jessica. But the voice and pouty attitude is definitely hers.
Michelle, I'd have to go to the library tomorrow, as it's going to be closed till April 5 after that. Coronavirus strikes again! And besides, I have hundreds of books here at the house to read, so no need to bring more.
Nice save, Scott. HAHAHA! And yeah, I think so too after hearing her.
Scott, sometimes life can be like baseball. You're at bat and expecting a fast ball, but life throws you a curve ball. Why are beans such a musical fruit?

Good luck with the new position!
Scott, I can't remember what your Fulkerson gold for the year was... what was it?

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