"Welcome to the Weekend Chat!" All Members Invited!! August 27th - 29th, 2021 [closed]

Question

New Members Saying Hello (our favorite!)

Puzzles and Tips 

"Today Is" 

Movies & Music

Where in the World?  Share your photos!

Members Checking in via "All About the Weekend Chat"

Click here if Interested in Hosting the Weekend Chat and earning a Guest Host Sticker? 

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.

Enjoy yourselves and spread the love!

Comments

It's more a question of how many complaints are registered and whether the platform is willing to act on the complaints ...  and whether they can legally do so ...

---

Well if they spoke American ... they don't -- BUT the lyrics are printed out underneath --   

And ... well, I'm protestant and one foul st pat's day I wore orange (which being Irish, I'm allowed to do) and OMG woman I had known 20 yrs PINCHED MY BUTT ... she was catholic and wore green every year ... she'd never before shown such signs of derangement  

Moral of this tail is to keep your back tight to the wall and carry a stout stick ... they may call you paranoid, but the point is, are you paranoid enough? 

Not worried about Pip not wearing orange, more worried he might get scatty from sleep deprivation and "go commando" before his Sig O can corral him ... course they live in the sticks not in a really urban area .. 

---

He wears kilts.

---

I'm neither catholic or protestant and I just found my Irish Immigrants.

---

Yes, but not ORANGE kilts.  Think he has about 20 of kilts  ... they are quite festive 

---

Well, that's okay, it's just as good to not be "something" as it is to be "something" ... I could probably list a hundred things I am and maybe 1000 things I am not

---

I recently got an email about a proposed merge the two profiles were clearly not the same as one was male snd the other female.  Rejected that request

---

Um. Ok, that is noteworthy -- requested merger of a male and a female ... "gender fluid" mentality there, maybe?  someone in a hurry, or sleep deprived ... ? someone chasing points in a marathon? 

---

Time period of late 1700s to early 2800s not known for acceptance of gender fluidity.    So not sure why this person thought this was a good merge prospect.  I wish the match options took dates locations snd gender into consideration.  Would make mergers more realistic.

---

I think "gender fluidity" existed but it was in the closet, kept very private -- I think the social norms and the heavy penalty of being ostracized or shunned was an incentive to stay in the closet -- 

Interesting article It’s Not in Your Head: The History and Science of Gender Fluidity

Answer 1

Good morning Pip and the weekend chatters!

Weather

• Preparing for Aunt Ida (aka Hurricane Ida). She’s coming to celebrate the one year anniversary of Hurricane Laura.

Computer

• My MacBook Pro is at the repair shop. It needs a $500 logic board replacement. 

Comments

Now the storm is looking like it will intensify to a Cat 5. That’s means nothing left in its path. My computer may need more than a logic board after the storm passes over it. At this point I don’t think it will be ready next week.

---

Hope you are okay this morning

---

Doing okay … just got our first rain shower on the west side of the storm. It’s been a northeasterly breeze most of the day.

Lafayette, Louisiana was spared the storm as the storm stayed to the east of them. Lafayette is where my computer is being repaired.

New Orleans is getting slammed with rain and wind as I type this. It’s not good. Water is topping the levees.

---

Like one of those "There's the good news and then there's the bad news, and which do you want to hear first" situations ... so long as the shop fixing the computer has its power and isn't flooded etc ... and doesn't get torpedoed by a tornado -- knock on wood ...

A very very weird-weather year.  Was 2020 this strange weather-wise?

---

Yes. We had two hurricanes pass over the west side of the state of Louisiana in about 6 weeks apart.

---

We are hearing that Houma got slammed. My husband's 85 year old sister and her daughter arrived here in Texas last night. Our niece has received photos from her street in Houma with trees down and reports of roofs blown off. So far, her house appears okay. No electricity so they are probably here for a while.

---

Oh, my gosh, yes, 2020 was a very active year for hurricanes and tropical storms. There were so many they ran out of the regular alphabet-names and started naming them for letters of the Greek alphabet. Where I live in Georgia was blasted by remnants of Hurricane Zeta in late October.

---

Virginia, I'm sorry to read this about Houma. I hope your daughter's house sustained no significant damage and that her neighborhood is cleaned-up and power is restore to them soon.

---

All of New Orleans is now without power.

---

Thank you Nelda but that is the home of our niece and my husband's sister. So glad they came here and our niece's house seems to be in one piece. Thankfully, our daughters live here in Texas close to us. Our son is just over the Mississippi line from Louisiana and they are getting a lot of rain and a reported tornado but he is okay.

Tommy, we read about the New Orleans power outage a bit ago. Not good!!

Answer 2

Hello from sunny London! I had been hoping I'd be able to write to you from the seaside but we've been home for about an hour and a half now. 

I had a very nice holiday but I haven't got even a pinch of genealogy done. Instead I split my time between going out and laughing at the awful actors they have on free-to-watch TV (and you have to laugh because otherwise they'll drive you to insanity). I think the adverts are quite strange because they're so bad that they make me actively not want to buy their product. Thankfully, as I mentioned earlier, we had planned to do a lot of things in town (which had been completely renovated since we last visited in 2018) and the buses ran quite late into evening so we could always get 'home' (which was very nice) easily at night. 

Now it's time for me to get back to work and do my photo, profile and question of the week. Plus, if I get another 70 contributions I'll get my Club 1000 badge for August which would be very nice .

Comments

Thanks for the weekly check-in, David. It's always good to hear what's going on in London and what you're up to. Now, off you go to get your 70 contributions!

---

Well, glad to have you back in London, how else can we know what's happening, the Guardian is more focused on "blood and sex sell papers" whereas you are cheerful ... 

I do wonder though, doesn't London also have free TV? Is it all pay-TV? 

---

Oh, we do. In fact, most of our channels are nationwide and, honestly, quite a lot of them are free. However, there are certain, free 'back catalogue' channels (mainly from the US) that you only watch when you have nothing better to do. Really, we've only been watching a channel called 'Pick' which is British but American channels like 'Paramount' and 'Discovery' are the same. They all air either badly rated or films or documentaries from the 90s and 2000s and make all their money from advertising to the 40+ audience. 

Unfortunately for them, we have far bigger, established channels that take all the large companies and advertisers and since their channels are nationwide they can't get local advertisers either. Thus they are left advertising on the behalf of semi-national or niche companies that simply don't have the budget to make enticing advertisements. Still as I said before, they are usually very funny just because they have so, so many massive plot holes. The key to a good advert is that you focus on the product and don't primarily remember the details of the script. The people that air adverts on these definitely missed that memo.

---

Huh.  Not watched TV myself but a few minutes here and there passing through the room ... the last memorable advert I recall had Lassie (border collie) leaping through the air Ninja style ... took us MONTHS to figure out what product that ad was touting ... turned out to a home security system ... it never showed on the ad nor in the spoken script ...

---

Did you get to the seaside? South Coast?

There is so much more traffic around here. I reckon everyone who can is coming for their holidays. Now, although I have not been up Snowdon, I would not be going, as it is experiencing rush hour, more people than on the Kings Road in Chelsea when I was a student in London.

York is our place for vacation but not until October.

---

I think I'd hate Snowdon at the moment. We've walked in Snowdonia several times but only once up.Snowdon itself. We walked it when our children were 5 and 7. (we were a bit overambitious in those days but the children were probably better on steep terrain than us; as long as they were regularly fuelled). We went up the Miner's track which was fine. When we got to  the top, it  was horrible. The summit was crowded with people walking about, many in totally unsuitable shoes. There was lots of litter and the place was infested with  flies. Most people had  come up on the train. Many went no further than the café..This was an awful concrete  blot on the landscape..(now replaced). I can't imagine what it's like this year. 

We have the same problem in the South West (Dorset). Far too many people coming here for 'staycations'. We're only 8 miles from the sea and we know there will be summer visitors every year  but this year there are just too many.  We haven't been near the sea  since early June.  

Answer 3

Today is....

     

NATIONAL POTS DE CREME DAY 

On August 27th, National Pots De Creme Day sets the table with a delicious custard dessert. Collect your ramekins, because this day gives you another excuse to use them!

Recipes for this delightful French dessert date back to the 17th century. Its name means “pot of custard” or “pot of creme” which also refers to the baking dish. While a pots de creme traditionally bakes in small pots with lids, they may also be baked in other small porcelain dishes. On the spectrum of custards, pots de creme is a loose custard. It should not be set when baking completes.  

Recipes vary, however, the basic ingredients in pot de creme remains the same. Count on needing eggs, egg yolks, cream or milk, and either chocolate or vanilla for flavor. The mixture is baked in the porcelain cups at a low temperature. A water bath helps the custard bake evenly. 

HOW TO OBSERVE #PotsDeCremeDay

Savor a delicious serving of Pots De Creme. Test different flavors and compare them to other custards, too. While chocolate and vanilla are common flavors, don’t hesitate to explore other flavorings. For example, espresso or zesty orange may be the creamy and decadent touch you’re seeking. Fresh berries and whipped cream add a custom touch. Depending on your choice of flavorings, adding chocolate shavings, mint leaves or a dusting of powdered sugar demonstrates a subtle elegance. How about a drizzle of homemade fruit syrup? 

Need a recipe? Enjoy this recipe!
Chocolate Pots de Cream

Comments

Oooo, we can make those!! Just hadn't in a while. Now, a reminder. Thanks, Dorothy!

PS: Hope the floods didn't come close to you.

---

They were mostly west of us, especially in Waverly, Tennessee. Up to 15 inches of rain had fallen in the area over a six-hour period, officials said. We got it in 2010 so was relieved we got a break, but sad for them. 

---

Hi Dorothy, chocolate Pots de Creme sounds a wonderful way to end the last weekend of September 2021. Thanks for the recipe! Have a great weekend!

---

You too Carol!! Always glad to see you here each weekend!

---

Certainly sounds delicious, esp if it  is chocolate and whipped cream in the pot ... had a few ramekins myself bought at a yard sale to use as soup bowls, had no idea you could bung them into an oven and bake something in them ...

---

Dorothy, I always look forward to you 'National Days' and picture you writing about them in your Ruby Red Combat boots. So many of you on The Chat have become like good friends. You take care!

---

@Dorothy...you featured spumoni I think last week. AND for the first time I had it for dessert! I met with friends for Italian dinner earlier this evening, then had a scoop of chocolate and a scoop of raspberry. The raspberry was to die for!

---

Awesome Carol. Sounds like a nice evening for sure!!

Answer 4

Buenos dias a todos from the Old Pueblo! It’s 8am and 87F (30.6C) with an expected high of 104F (40C). OK, weather in Tucson, we can start cooling down any day now! I wouldn’t mind a bit more rain; but this heat is ghastly.

It’s been a lousy week health wise. I saw my neurologist on Monday. I have to see a pain specialist, a neuroradiologist and a GI specialist, then the neurologist again in November. The neurologist is concerned about stroke potential and wants to see if putting a stent or two in brain vessels (!) might help. Plus, he wants me on yet another drug, probably a beta-blocker, to control my blood pressure better (another stroke risk). Then I griped about having some pain in my right glut (that would be butt) thinking I was getting a contracture from the MS. He said nope, it was from the severe stenosis of the lumbar vertebrae. I no sooner left his office and for the past 3 days have had the worst pain ever in my life (right glut down my right leg). I could barely sit at my desk and work on WT profiles. So my first appointment is with the pain specialist this Monday. Plus, I went for a massage yesterday afternoon and the therapist was fierce at attacking those muscles! I actually like deep pressure massages because while they hurt like heck, I feel much better because of the endorphin release. I made appointments with the other specialists, but I don’t care about them. As long as I can control pain, travel, and still write and collaborate that’s all I care about. At this point in my life, it’s quality, not quantity. 

I cannot complain. I heard from my daughter yesterday about her husband. She took him to meet with the cardiac surgeon. Jennifer tells me her husband's genetic heart problem is much worse than they first thought. The septum and right valve have thickened rapidly. He will have a pacemaker and defibrillator placed in October. I think they are doing this as a prolongation. I don’t know if he is a candidate for a heart transplant, which is what his sister had done last year for the same genetic condition. Did I mention that Curtis is only in his late 40’s? So I cannot complain. Jennifer completed her Level 1 Healing Touch on July 17^th and she tells me she is putting her energetic learning into practice with her husband. I keep both of them on our Healing Intention list on a weekly basis.

Our American Journal of Nursing article is still in revision and likely will be published in November or December (of this year, I hope). Meanwhile, our nurse sleep research group will be deciding on our next topic this Wednesday. We have a conference call set up for the first Wednesday of each month to either review what we have done, or start our next project. This will be the next project. I’m thinking that it will be related to health conditions that result from working nights and extended shifts. While we will focus on nurses, it would be relevant to any profession that works nights and long shifts. The World Health Organization published a report several years ago that night shift workers were at greater risk for breast and testicular cancers. It has to do with the natural melatonin production that occurs at bedtime to promote good sleep. People ask if it would help if they took over-the-counter melatonin. I think it unlikely because our bodies produce a number of chemicals when we go to sleep that interplay and interact...something one cannot get from a bottle. I am looking forward to seeing what the group decides on as our next topic.

I got rid of cable to save $80/month. The downside is that I boosted up my internet (modest increase of $5); however, while I can access my Fire Stick, the sound and/or video wavers. The internet provide that I have uses DSL. Other companies have cable. I need to find out the difference between DSL and cable and might have to switch to another provider. I never realized that I can watch a lot of the same stuff on Fire TV and cable at a lower cost. Sadly, the reception is lousy.

On the upside, I’ve extended a number of descendants to the Wharff/McIntire line. It is so interesting to go from the late 1600s to early 1700s, then to the 1800s and see these descendants migrating to Iowa, or Kansas and marry persons from Norway, or Germany. I just finished one descendant who married in India in 1920 and couldn’t figure out why an American was in India at that time. Well...this was my first missionary family! This was a great grandson of the Wharff/McIntire’s from Maine. Their son migrated to Wisconsin. Their son migrated to Kansas. Their son married a woman from Iowa and they did missionary work in India, Burma, China and Japan. That family is all caught up and now I’m headed back to the 1600s as there are families that need connecting.

Mark Weinheimer! You’re such a fun Richardson to work with!

Pip, thanks much for herding the cats through the Chat once again. Everyone take care and have a great weekend! This is the last weekend of August 2021! Hard to believe! Prepare to sign up for the next Thon!

Comments

Carol, my wife once suggested that I print all my Chat messages and put them in a book as a kind of diary of my life over the past nearly three years. Looking at yours, I think you could do the same!

Come to Gulval with me! There will always be lots to do there. If I get all these families connected it will be a big step forward. The parish category now has over 200 profiles in it.

---

Um... I guess I can always look back. 

I will be up for Gulval in a week or so. I am finishing the McIntires of Maine/New Hampshire, then want to work a bit on my Cornwall kin in Sithney and elsewhere. I did some work in Gulval a week or so ago and added photos of the church there (with proper acknowledgements). Might want to check out Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulval)

Joseph of Arimathea[edit]

Within the bounds of the parish lies the disused Ding Dong mine, reputedly one of the oldest in Cornwall. Popular local legend claims that Joseph of Arimathea, a tin trader, visited the mine and brought a young Jesus to address the miners, although there is no evidence to support this.^[20][21] The Ding Dong mines have, according to tradition, been worked since Roman times but by the end of the 18th century it was disused. In 1814 it was reopened and worked until 1878. Attempts were made in 1912 and 1928 to reopen, but these failed.^[22]

---

Jesus never traveled to the British Isles....

---

Katie...I just copied what was in the information about Gulver on Wikipedia. Pip has spent a great deal of time working on Gulver profiles and I have done a few recently. I posted this as a 'tweak' for Pip. It is local folklore, which is why the comment ends with 'there is no evidence to support this.'

Answer 5

Thanks for hosting, Pip.  It's interesting to hear that you were working on Fosses in the global tree, as that is one of my ancestral surnames.  I was just working on adding connections to my 4th great-grandmother, Alexandrine Virginie Fosse, during the Connect-a-Thon in July.

Henri passed through New Hampshire earlier in the week, and thankfully didn't seem to do too much damage locally.  In its wake came a heat wave, possibly the last of the summer season.  I'm pleased to see that there will be cooler temperatures this weekend.  With all the lousy weather this summer, I'm hoping to do a bit of travelling during the months of September and October.  There's been some talk of visiting family in the Mid-Coast Maine region, which would be quite lovely if we can find a good stretch of weather in September.

Comments

Hi Greg!

Good to hear that Henri did not do too much damage to your area of our great Granite State.  We were on alert because we live "in the higher elevations of the Monadnocks" as the folks on WMUR like to call us.  Thankfully we live higher than most and got minimal flooding and damage.

Dring off has become a monotonous process.

---

Yea. Even the granite here is melting. Henri didn't do much but it's currently 86 F here.

Good work, Greg!

---

Greg, looking at a surname map this morning, I saw that France has one of the highest concentrations of Fosses. Would you believe that Norway has the highest?

Answer 6

Thank You for hosting the Chat Pip,

Weather, Hot with storms in the afternoon for the week.

Monday, Worked on cleaning up my front yard and had a club meeting person for the first time since Covid.

Tuesday, Finished cleaning up the tree we cut down and watched the great granddaughter. The club got a nice email from the deputy EMA director. He said he saw how many people signed in Monday night and said he couldn’t otherwise tell we were there.

Wednesday, Babysat the great granddaughter.

Thursday, See Wednesday

Friday, See Thursday

Genealogy, I did do a bit but most was not on WikiTree and nothing to brag about. Progress is not always easy or quick.

Comments

Might be the "quietest" week you've had at home since I don't know when .... been awhile

---

Trust me babysitting a 9 month old who thinks she is 21 years old is anything but quiet.

---

Well, yes, but you have a hearing aid, yes? You can tune it way down?  ?? 

9 months old and prepping to audition for a Broadway musical no doubt -- lot of dancing and singing ... 

nope, not quiet

---

What's up with that tree? Damaged? Too close to the house? Tired of raking leaves?

Three days of babysitting... you know you love it. (I would, too!)

---

Pip, With the tree, all of the above but it is gone now.

Susan, my new hearing aids have 3 programs with 3 volume levels for each program so turning them way down is not an option, but I can turn them off. Even that is not a good idea when watching a baby. She came into our house Friday screaming and only I could calm her down for some reason.

---

Because it’s you, Dale. Somebody knows you love them!!

---

ANYONE would calm down if they were held by a soft warm teddy bear

Answer 7

Hi from southern Ontario: what's happening here? We were away looking after our friends' cottage on Lake Erie last week with no internet, sat on the beach, looked at waves, went for walks, saw many turkey vultures, took lots of photos. We took our bikes with us, but it was far too hot for cycling. 

Two of my sisters and their spouses came to visit us at the cottage on Saturday, we had corn on the cob, baked potatoes, salad and birthday cake to eat. Yes, I am now a year older. 

Chez moi/at home: We have had meltingly hot weather for 10 days, temps up to 32C with high humidity making it feel much hotter, the thermometer in full sun on my back patio read 40C yesterday afternoon. No rain other than about 5mm yesterday afternoon, the vegetable garden has needed a lot of water. I'm picking blackberries, tomatoes and cucumbers everyday and hoping my leeks survive this heat. My butternut squash is I think going to be a crop failure. High temps cause primarily male flowers to grow, so then there are very few female flowers and as the bees stay home when it's very hot, so far there is only 1 squash. 

Today will be cooler about 26 C so I plan to get some garden work done  and tomorrow we are back into the frying pan. 

Alton Cemetery, One Place Study, family history. There are now 258 profiles in the Alton Cemetery category, 17.9 % of the total. It's been so hot I mostly stayed inside and WikiTreed.

I went through the Bio Check for my watchlist and fixed everything that could be, that leaves 14 profiles, 2 are for living people that there are no sources for other than personal knowledge. 

5 are for children that were born and died before the 1851/2 Canadian census, no birth records or burial records, the only records are in a family bible that I have not seen and have no idea who has it. The 1842 census was not done in rural areas and only had names for the heads of households. 

The other 7 are for 1600s ancestors in Scotland that need significant time to research. 

Covid: Ontario is still in Step 3 of the reopening plan, we should be almost back to 'normal' and out of the step process, however with increasing delta variant cases any further loosening of rules has been put on hold. The kids go back to school in person the Thursday after Labour Day. 

Comments

Happy Birthday! Sounds like you had a lovely celebration.

---

Hi M, I missed you while you were on holiday. Happy belated birthday! I'm sure it was special being with family to celebrate another year. I can appreciate your discomfort with the heat. We've had temps hovering between 31C and 40C for a while now and no rain, although I heard we had some good drenches while I was visiting family 2 weeks ago. The delta variant here in the states I'm sure is making news globally given the number of people, particularly in our southeastern region who refuse to get vaccinated. My niece is doing a fellowship in an ER in downtown Milwaukee for a semester and they have had 3 persons thus far come in with Covid so they get gowned up head to toe to admit them to ICU. Were they vaccinated? Nope. Meanwhile, I'll be getting a Covid booster in October, if not sooner. Sounds like you are going strong on Alton and WikiTree. Well done!

---

At least you are not caught in a JohnnyCash song, "Another day older, and deeper in debt ... " Happy Birthday Girl - Happy Birthday to You - YouTube

---

M, we also have had restrictions being put back into place. A few hot spots have shown up in our area. I wonder if this will ever be over!

Corn on the cob and baked potatoes? Sounds like my kind of meal. So, I had a couple of small baked potatoes today and cooked a couple of small ones for my wife. I had to mash the dickens out of those as my wife had a tooth pulled this a.m., and can eat nothing solid.

18% of the cemetery? You are making progress!

---

Pip, It helps that the Robbie's cousin is doing a lot of research though the further we go from the founding members of the village the more complicated it gets.

I'm guessing it will be 12 months before we are finished, I had hoped it would be done by spring.

Maybe if we have a really nasty winter I will spend lots of time on this project. It has become a standing joke,he says  "What are you doing sweetie?" my answer 'still looking for your dead relatives'

Answer 8

Hails and horns, Wikipeeps!

On the genealogy front I decided to take the 52Ancestors prompt about "Characters" and talk about the character some ancestors have with four great examples from my grandparents. Check out the blog here: https://allroadhaverhill.blogspot.com/2021/08/52-ancestors-week-34-characters.html

I'm also working on the tree for Amy Johnson Crow for the Year of Accuracy. So far so good. I can't spoil what I found.. But, you can probably check things out if you look at my activity feed so it's kind of a moot point.

On the non genealogy front, we took the boat out of the water just in case the hurricane came. Luckily we were spared heavy rain and wind. Rhode Island and Connecticut got nailed. But, they seem to be okay now. It never hurts to be prepared. My parents decided to keep the boat out of the water as they usually take the boat out in two weeks anyway. So, what'd be the point of putting it back in? It also costs 600 bucks to put it in. Soooo....Nah. They're not gonna do it. Makes sense. All they need to do is winterize it when the time comes.

Not much else to report. I asked relatives in Maida to look up some stuff for me. I hope they find some things! We shall see.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Comments

Ciao cousin! Read your blog and your Characters post on WikiTree and enjoyed both. Glad to know you survived the 'Noreaster.' Take care!

---

That wasn't even close to a Nor'easter, Carol. Just some rain. But, thanks! And thanks for liking the blog!

---

Good to know you and your family including parents were not messed up like they were in Tennessee & North Carolina, and that Heni did not drop an ocean of water on your area

---

I'm sorry if I was bragging or anything. And I'm glad Henri didn't do much of anything too.

---

TRULY -- You are a high-energy extroverted intelligent articulate ... Type A personality .. there's more on that list.  You sounded as you usually sound. (Well, you wrote as you usually write.) Not a smitch smirtch of any braggadocio in it ... just our usual Chris F.    Very much yourself.  

Tried to figure out whether Heni was what dumped 17 inches of rain in 24 hours on Tennessee ... but I don't see how, I thought Henri was off the Atlantic coast ... Tennessee is land-locked (I thought) 

 

---

Thanks, Susan! I was worried because I hear people talking all the time about their "racist grandpa" or "racist uncle". That was never the case with me. I've asked a friend of mine about it and he said it was more a southern thing. I understand now. =D

It probably wasn't Henri that dropped the rain. But, it was most likely a localized atmospheric event. Henri went up the eastern seaboard and didn't go near inland. But, it is possible that the system did effect weather patterns in your area, causing rain. Weather is weird and has gotten weirder since we...ya know....broke the planet.

---

It is sad to be in a world with troll-talking twits at Twitter and in other social media platforms, who live to tear others apart, like hyenas -- sometimes bully someone so much the victim commits suicide -- so much self-hatred that they attack others 

---

Yeah, it is. =( I use Twitter to put my comic up and talk genealogy. But, that's it. I try to avoid drama. I did use twitter to talk comics and post about my videos, though.

---

Chris, I was surprised you got so little of the wind and rain considering you are just north of landfall.

So, no boating for while. At least you have something to look forward to!

---

Yea. We got a little wind and a lot of rain. Not too bad. But, everyone is fine! =D

---

I just found out that I got a 4th cousin in Haverhill. With an Italian last name. I'm thinking it's not her maiden name. According to 23andMe, she has no Italian. So if you know a Carrabino. That could be a cousin, or relation through marriage. Now I need some pasta, with sausage and peppers.

---

Sadly, I don't know a Carrabino. It's close to Carrabs. I found some Carrabinos in Haverhill now. Might be just a married name like you said. I'll have to dig in more. Now have some pasta!

Answer 9

Virtual Vacation! Today we are visiting Fishbourne Roman Palace in West Sussex, England, we visited this marvellous museum in July 2017. 

The palace is the largest residential Roman building discovered in Britain and has an unusually early construction date of 75 AD, around thirty years after the Roman conquest of Britain. The first Roman presence at Fishbourne was a military fort established shortly after the invasion of 43 AD

The story of its discovery and rediscovery is interesting, it was accidentally discovered in 1805, during the construction of a new home on the grounds of the ancient Roman ruin. Workers discovered 13-foot-wide pavement as well as fragments of columns.

Many other artifacts were discovered, pottery fragments and pieces of mosaic tiles or tesserae, apparently the locals could not be convinced that these items were part of a larger structure that was below ground. 

So fast forward to 1960, during preparatory work for the installation of a new water main, the wall foundations for a masonry building and parts of mosaic floor were discovered while the trench was being dug. Of course, all digging then came to a halt and archaeologists were called in so that the Roman artifacts could be investigated properly.

The Roman mosaics are a superb collection, and some of the earliest and best preserved examples in Britain.

The museum was constructed over the site, there are raised boardwalks over the excavations so that visitors can view the mosaic floors up close. Some of the intricately patterned floors are in situ, while others were moved from their original sites and meticulously reassembled in the museum where they are protected from the elements. The museum is set in re-created, but original, Roman gardens - the oldest gardens discovered anywhere in the UK. The museum covers what was the entire north wing. In this picture you can see the remains of the Roman walls for I think the West Wing. 

I copied the next 2 pictures from a tourism website as there were too many people to get a good picture of the museum interior and garden when we were there.

I took the rest of these pictures.Originally the first version of Fishbourne palace had about 100 rooms, most with mosaics. Some 20 of these earliest mosaics still survive, ranging in size from small fragments to almost entire chambers. It had underfloor heating systems, corridors and courtyards. 

The Roman under floor heating system is called a hypocaust.

Many of the oldest 1st century mosaics are simple black on white geometric designs. You can see the remains of the walls between rooms. 

Alterations were done in the 2nd and 3rd centuries when some of the earlier mosaics were overlaid by much more vivid and elaborately designed mosaics. This mosaic of cupid on a dolphin even has the artist's signature. Thousands of items, including coins, pottery and jewelry found at the site are on display.

More alterations were in progress when the palace burnt down in around 270 AD, after which it was abandoned. The heat was so intense that lead and glass from the windows melted, and some of the ceramic roof tiles were re-fired. The rapid destruction by the fire was a major advantage for future researchers, helping to ensure the long-term survival of the Roman archaeology.

Romans weren’t the only people to occupy this site. This late medieval burial is one of four found in the foundations during excavations. Archaeologists know they are post Roman because the graves were cut through the rubble of the earlier buildings.

Comments

Hi M, I love this particular virtual vacay! It is so exciting when I read of a new discovery of old Roman ruins that generally include mosaics. The black and white are gorgeous and to think that in those days the women might have said, 'Hey, honey, this black and white is so old fashioned. Let's redo with cupid on a dolphin for our love shack.' The photos are exquisite. As to heating, I now know the Romans called it hypocaust. I looked it up for more information and one article says it was invented by Sergius Orata and that after the western Roman demise, central heating didn't reappear in Western Europe until the 20th century. I lived in East Asia for 3 years, primarily Korea and Japan. In Korea, heating in many homes is done under the floor akin to old Rome. It is called 'ondol.' I looked it up and 'hypercaust' is included as a form of under floor heating. The story goes that in the reign of the Silla King Hyo-gong (r. 897–912), a Buddhist master called Damgong built a specially designed Ondol so that even in the depth of winter, practitioners could keep warm and devote themselves single-mindedly to inner cultivation. Of course, another section gives kudos to the Romans: The earliest known record of an underfloor heating system was in ancient Rome. The Romans built this heating system called hypocaust for heat distribution. It was the forerunner of the present day heating systems and ahead of its time.

So, your virtual vacay brought back unexpected pleasant memories of my time in Korea. Ondol was common when I 'temple hopped' at least every other weekend throughout South Korea! That was 30 years ago.

---

I enjoyed seeing the mosaic tile floors, we have tiled floors (no carpets) in all our rooms excepting the kitchen -- the Roman designs are quite intricate in some you showed us

---

Now if only the skeleton could provide some details of who he was and where he lived we would have a source for late medieval Sussex.

---

Like Carol your virtual vacation brought back memories. Way back in about 1967, my Latin teacher took us on a field trip to 'help' excavate the Roman villa at Rockbourne. Our work, as you can guess wasn't on the rooms containing mosaics or the heating system. We were excavating a rubbish pit. It was hard work and a bit of a  shock for London kids. The manual work coupled with a 3 mile walk from youth hostel and back again at the end of the day  was exhausting. Nevertheless, it  was a thrill to dig up square nails,  lots of  oyster shells and animal bones. There were so many nails  that we were allowed to take one as a souvenir. One of my friends found and was helped to excavate fragments of a green glass jug. When I went back to the site about 20 years ago, the fragments were on display. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockbourne_Roman_Villa#CITEREFAllen1989

---

I gotta hand it to the Brits, they know who to make an archaelogical site accessible to the public!

---

@Helen...What a really wonderful first hand opportunity for you! Opportunities for school children in the states are rare. The closest I can think of are 'field trips' taken to Colonial Williamsburg. My daughter teaches 8th grade social studies and American history. Pre-pandemic at the end of the school year, the 8th graders went on a field trip from Wisconsin to Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia. They got to see what life was like in the 17th century and there are some 'digs' still occurring around the Williamsburg and Jamestown areas. Your opportunity was really something, even if it was garbage. One can learn a lot from garbage, old and new.

---

Thanks so much M Ross, for sharing this information and photos. I will have to look online for more information. I am probably one of the last generations of US Americans to take several years of Latin in middle school and High School. I've always been fascinated by the Romans. Trips abroad have given some opportunities to see Roman antiquities, but that is very limited compared to those who live and walk over the ground occupied by the ancient Roman Empire. I was able a number of years ago to walk about 2 miles of Hadrians Wall, I loved the experience.

I am a big Fan of FutureLearn. I've taken a dozen or so courses through FutureLean. About a month ago I took a very short course "Dead Interesting" which is about studying graves at Colchester to learn about profiling a Roman Citizen from the grave remains. 

A short course I recent took recently (also excellent) was directly related to genealogy. The course taught, reading secretary hand, Early Modern Scottish Palaeography.

These courses are free as long as you complete the course in the course time frame plus a couple of weeks.

Currently I am taking "Black Tudors:The Untold Story". It is a longer course, 6 weeks and has lengthy materials to read concerning both historical figures in Britain who were of African descent before the advent of British commercial slavery, as well as, sessions concerning the advent of British commercial slavery of peoples from Africa. I've upgraded this course ( ie, Paid for it ) so that I have unlimited time to study the materials.

Oh, and my favorite Roman Artifacts are "Face Pots". So intriguing and much more interesting than the modern equivalent of "Ash Urns"

---

LG, I agree the Romans are fascinating, I grew up not far from many archeological sites In Shropshire, the Roman ruins at Wroxeter, Stokesay Castle and Wall in Staffordshire.

We too have walked part of Hadrian's wall, walked the Roman walls at Chichester, and visited Bath which while always busy is remarkable.

I was taken to Ironbridge in Shropshire (the first iron bridge ever built 1779) so many times as a child that I'm sure I can still see in my head!

---

Oh - - I have been to Wall !! I worked in Derby England for about 3 months, more than a decade ago. One Sunday I drove down to Wall to see the ruins. Unfortunately the little museum was closed, but I enjoyed seeing the grounds. That is rather funny, as I am not well traveled.

Answer 10

Good evening to everyone. My weekend has officially begun!

At home:

The weather's been okay-ish. No rain today, but little sun and too much wind to go sit outside, unfortunately. Temperature wise it would be fine, if the wind hadn't been chilly for the time of year.

I'm going back to work on Monday after having enjoyed a nice summer holiday, which means I spent today trying to finish my list of chores around the home I wanted to do this holiday. As always, I didn't get nearly as much done during my holiday as I wanted to.

Also, I ran out of my favorite tea and will have to do without tonight until I can go to the shop tomorrow and get some more.

Genealogy:

I completed my PIP Voyage this week. It's been great; I learned so much about WikiTree and building good profiles while doing it.

I've also been putting in some more hours to my level-up challenge, doing lots of research from online sources. I know I'll have less time once work starts up again, so I'm trying to cram in as many hours as I can right now.

Also, I've been catching up on my genealogy podcasts. Still have quite a bit to go, but I'm having fun listening to them.

Comments

I suppose you could get a tea mug with "All good things come to an end" printed on the bottom of the mug? Give everyone else a laugh anyway ...

will you have to wear masks and stay 6 ft apart at work? That could be awkward

---

I would love a mug like that!

I do have to keep my distance to my colleagues, but masks are only for the places where keeping that distance isn't possible like hallways and when walking in communal spaces, while sitting it's okay to take it off because you're supposed to sit 6 ft apart. Which means I don't wear a mask for much of my workday, thankfully. Honestly, the rules aren't any different than they have been for the last year or so. So nothing new there.

---

MUGGING AROUND -- Online you might make inquiries about the mug at  Custom Mug Maker Online – Design and Enjoy Branded Coffee Mugs | FreeLogoServices

At worst they could say no, at best (??) you might have to only order a dozen or 2 dozen or whatever . . great xmas gifts, graduation gifts, birthday gifts () if you have order bulk ... ?? Doubt you'd have any problem disposing of 2 dozen (oh, dear...) 

Locally, there might still be one of those places that print logos and mottoes and such on shirts and banners and plates and whatever? 

I suppose that having everyone stay their distance in the office or warehouse DOES encourage productivity at work ... can't congregate and gossip in other words ... huh ... ? 

---

Congratulations on finishing your PIP Voyage, J! I had to go to port on my second profile as I have been swamped with stuff, WikiTree and non-WikiTree. It really is a challenge, but you are right: there is lots to learn about making a profile a good profile.

Enjoy your weekend!

Answer 11

Happy weekend, everyone!  We dodged the worst of Henri (garage got wet, as usual when we get a lot of rain), then lost power for an hour and a half on a clear sunny day yesterday.  Go figure.  More rain coming over the next few days.  Tried to get my truck inspected this morning but the power outage apparently toasted the garage's machine, so I have to go back Monday.

I finally ran out of excuses and started working on course prep.  I've taught both courses before, so the content is all set.  The problem is that I'm now having to build in covid contingency plans that we didn't think we'd need back in June.  I also just picked up an extra section of one class.  A bit more work, but it'll mean a lighter teaching load in the spring.  Meanwhile, my kid is getting ready to start at a new school (so far so good!), and my husband is gearing up for a second career as a physics tutor.

Genealogy:  not much this week.  No progress on my mysterious "stolen patent" story.   Tidied up the work on my husband's grandfather's surprise half brother.  So now I suspect I'll just see what grabs my interest next.

Comments

Hi Lisa, best wishes on your courses and teaching. My daughter is back in class teaching 8th grade social studies and American history. Sounds like teachers have a lot in common as to the Covid contingencies! You take care.

---

At least you don't also have to deal with the mess from Heni.  This is good.

---

The Covid contingency plans ought not to be to troublesome, Lisa. You've taught through Covid before. Here's hoping the fall semester goes smoothly and you have a great set of students!

---

Pip, the problem this time around is planning for multiple possible teaching modes... we're supposed to be in person, but who knows what's going to happen.  So I have to be ready for anything.

Talked to my mom earlier; she's been going through family letters again.  During the Depression, my great grandfather and family moved from Baltimore to Wilmington, looking for work.  She found the addresses where they lived and I added them to my Google map.  Turns out that in about 1929, they lived outside of town pretty much exactly where his grandfather had been apprenticed to a farmer in 1850.  Time to dig into that relationship some more!

---

Lisa, a stolen patent.

Apparently we have one in my dad's family, a patent for a release device, that is probably the best description, for stirrups, so that the rider or perhaps more accurately the person falling off would not get dragged along the ground by the horse

The story is that my 3 x grt GF invented the device, then showed to someone who copied the design and patented it under his name.

Answer 12

Here in Everett, Washington the sky rolled over yesterday morning and shook drops on us.  Last night it emptied a watering can enough to get the pavement wet. It is drizzling this morning.

Preparing for the Lighthouse Festival Sept. 10-11 has been interesting.  Husband was clenching his fists at the laptop that would not save his revisions to the 3D Sketchup model. The Festival Board asked me and him how the Historical Society was coming along finding an antique car for us to ride in.  The Pioneer of the Year usually rides in an antique car, but, there being no Pioneer this year, it looks like the two of us will be the riders.  At last night's Historical Society board meeting we were told that there is a 1906 Cadillac (with no top, so a problem if it rains; but husband said no problem; he has a big hat and so do I). I asked how many seats there were. I was imagining if there were two seats, then husband would be sitting beside the driver and I--in my hoop skirt and crinoline--would be sitting on the fender?? There is also a Model A available, with a roof, but it comes with a $100 donation made to another historical society.  All right, then, if Push comes to Shove I will WALK the parade route as I usually do, beside the 1906 Cadillac, waving, passing out freebies (not candy), and holding one of the signs that our daughter contributed with glitter and streamers.  I usually shout out: "Check out our award-winning cemetery tour!" "Our award-winning tour of old town Mukilteo!" "Record your family history!" And even "Come visit the lighthouse!" (you'd be amazed how many locals have never been there). At the end of the festival we are usually exhausted and often one of us gets sick. But we do it every year.

This Monday the adult children and I are going to the Evergreen State Fair in Monroe, Washington. I am going to be at the Project Linus booth recruiting kid visitors to assemble 4" squares into nine-patches and then I will be sewing them together.  I am also planning to buy some new dresses and specialty socks while there.  I hope to find some new socks from the vendor who sold me the Shakespeare socks and the Jane Austen socks.

On Tuesday the children and I went to a Fathom Events showing of "Coraline," a modern fairy tale that we all enjoyed.

On Wednesday I went to a Project Linus batting event and got batting for six more quilts.  I have about a dozen now waiting to be stitched.

I plan this weekend to stitch some 4" nine-patches at home and donate them to the Project Linus effort on Monday.  I bought a lot of thread yesterday at Jo-Ann fabrics. I expect that fair attendance will be down this year so I want to help out.  We keep statistics during the event so that we know how many blocks have been made, etc.

This morning I'm taking daughter to work.  I hear her upstairs getting breakfast.

Oh, and I got the watchlist down to 5000 this morning.

My best to you all this week.

Comments

What are you going to do with the quilts when finished? And what have you done with previously finished quilts? Are they sold or donated or used in your home(s)? 

---

Susan, these quilts are all donations to Project Linus. They go to children here in Snohomish County.  I have already made WAY more quilts than my family will ever need!

---

Ah, good to know.  (Had to good Linus while i was at it) Bless you all for your labors

---

I am soooo glad that the festival is going forward, Margaret, even if you have to ride in a car with no top wearing a large hat! (Now that would be a picture.)

Answer 13

Good morning, all!

Greetings from cloudy Seattle- we've had some light drizzle recently, but haven't fully returned to the weather I'm most comfortable in yet. 

I returned home from my vacation a couple days ago- had a pleasant time travelin' along the west coast, though I, unlike quite a number of people, am not especially fond of beaches. On a brief visit to Portland, I bought myself a book of works by Federico García Lorca (looks like he still needs a profile here), the Spanish poet known for his ties to the surrealists, & for having been murdered by the fascists for being openly gay. In addition to just wanting to read the poetry, which I've been thoroughly enjoying, it has also given me the opportunity to practice my Spanish, which I'm far better at reading than I am at speaking.

Now I'm back home, I have a giant amount of work I need to get done in the next few days, & I'll have to find some way to prevent myself from getting too distracted with genealogy for a little while, sadly, but oh well- the world of the living still needs to be tended to.

My musical selection for the morning would seem to be Nina Simone's rendition of New World Coming, which I've had stuck in me head the past couple hours.

On the genealogy side of things, I've spent what time I could this week working on a Dutch-American family tree, doing extensive work on the American side in Newaygo County, Michigan. It is not the first time I've worked with Dutch records, & I've observed all the wonderful folks using them in past challenge weeks, but it is the first particularly extensive project in Nederland that I've done, & I am thoroughly enjoying it, both because of the access to records, & also just the language. Makes me wish I had a more substantial Dutch line, but alas- I am relegated to only being able to work with these records when working on others' trees.

I've also finally begun looking into setting up a blog... I'm not sure when I'll actually be able to publish anything, but I've at least been taking steps in the right direction. After getting some advice from genealogy Twitter, I think I'm probably going to set it up on WordPress. If anyone has any particular advice or suggestions for someone just starting blogging, please let me know! Would love to hear it.

Anyway, that's most of what's been going on, methinks- just doing a lot of organization around the house & such right now, & handling the departure of a dear friend moving across the country next week, which is bittersweet to say the least.

If we could lighten the load of rain you're getting in NC, Pip, we'd happily take some more here, & I know Lynette Jester could use a bit of it too! Unfortunate that it doesn't work that way. I try not to spend too much time on social media like Twitter, but I am on there occasionally, & there are at least a handful of people I follow purely because they tweet in Scots, which I thoroughly enjoy reading.

&, on the subject of textbooks, chances are you can find them for very little, or even for free, with a little searching around on the internet. Enough people know, rightfully, that such costs have no place in education, so many, many such resources have been made available if you can figure out where to look.

Thank you for hosting!

I hope everyone is well,

T.L.

Comments

Working with Dutch records is a lot of fun (then again, seeing that I am Dutch myself, maybe I'm biased), so I'm glad you can at least work with them sometimes.

I have a blog on wordpress myself, and I quite like it. I also like the fact that if I want to, I can upgrade to the paid version without losing what I've already done. As a bit of advice: keep it simple, don't put too much pressure on getting it perfect. Just see what works for you. It's supposed to be fun, otherwise it's hard to keep up. (Speaking from experience here)

---

 All that self-discipline in resisting the temptation to do genealogy instead of all that worldly grown-up stuff that will pay your bills and feed and house you WILL BUILD STRENGTH OF WILL ... yes, very isometric or aerobic or whatever .... has to be a silver lining there somewhere 

---

Boy, oh, boy did I wish i could send some rain out west, Thomas. Actually this weekend, it's going to be clear... well... as clear as Transylvania County can be. I actually might get some work done outside for a change. NOT mowing. I have a guy for that now. 2.5 acres has become too much for me.

Fortunately for me, our assistant pastor took the course track I am just starting, and he says he still has all his books. I'm, hoping these will be the same as the ones I will be required to read.

---

Thomas, I have thought about creating a blog many times, somehow it just seems a very steep learning curve.

And I'm still learning how to do many things here.

---

J- Yes! I'm especially enjoying working on families during that 1812 transition from patronyms to surnames, since there are some especially fun surnames involved. I've got another Norwegian family to work on after I'm done with these Dutch records, but once I get through them, I think I might go looking for another family from Nederland to work on. Thank you for the advice on the blog! Glad to hear WP has worked for you, & you're absolutely right- I'm going to try to avoid allowing it to be source of stress.

Susan- yes, it's very much a skill I tend to struggle with, so I'm putting a lot of effort into trying to balance all my goings-on right now... we'll see how well I do. It's times like these that make me think maybe I should try to just become a professional genealogist.

Pip- yeah, 2.5 acres sounds a bit much. My family owned a good bit of property w/ house & farm up in Wisconsin, which was purchased by my great-grandparents, but now my aging great-uncle is the only one really actively involved in its upkeep, so he's been selling off portions of the farm for a while now. Being a lifelong big-city-slicker myself, I have to admit I've never actually had to do extensive mowing at any point in my life... Glad to hear you likely have access to all the books!

M- That's completely understandable, & I have a lot going on in my life right now too, so I'm still somewhat debating if & how often I can maintain a blog, but I'm gonna give it a try, & we'll see what happens! There's always room for growth

---

Keep in mind that  (temptation) || (resisted) =  

That's what all the various gurus (teachers) have said and still say -- 1,000's of years of the same advice ... "Just say 'No.' " \

ALSO - Your worst enemy is always yourself. That's another Ancient Wisdom.  We sabotage ourselves when our desires are in conflict with Self-discipline. We can always find a reason to do what we want to do. 

HOWEVER you sound like you pretty much have it all in hand, maybe a touch wobbly but nevertheless in hand 

Answer 14

On this day:

1832: The Black Hawk War ends

1941: The Kamianets-Podilskyi massacre starts

1965: The Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier dies

Comments

Love the TDIH posts! I've got one to add for today:

On this day in 1587, John White, governor of the second colony attempt at Roanoke, Virginia, reluctantly left the colony at the request of the colonists to inform England of their struggles & to request help. Upon arriving in England a couple months later, he was instead made to help the motherland in their fight against the Spanish, & wasn't permitted to return to Roanoke until 1590. Upon returning to the colony, it was found to be deserted, the only evidence of where they had gone being the word "CROATOAN" written on a post. Though many conflating theories have been invented as to what happened, & many people & history textbooks making claims with little to no evidence, in the classic American tradition, the generally accepted fact is that the colonists came to live among the Native peoples of the area.

---

Thomas, there are every day so many ideas I get from the literally eight different Wikipedia-versions I walk through that I have to make a choice. (I try to avoid the English Wikipedia though.) And I always try to bring a variety of subjects. Yes there are often wars, but battles or wars one has nearly never heard of. I try to mix in (the development) of science and technology and to add some artists also.

---

Wasn't being judgmental or anything along those lines in the slightest! I think you do a wonderful job condensing it down to a good selection of events, & I think it's wonderful that you're using numerous of the different language Wikipedias, as they're an excellent resource. The only reason I was bringing it up is because it's of a particular interest to me, unlike most colonial American history, & not because I felt it was missing.

For a long time, my father's former employer, who owned a bookshop here in Seattle, ran a TDIH calendar online which focused on international writers & artists, in addition to other things, which I liked to read regularly, though it sadly got taken down last year.

Anyway, thank you for posting these!

---

Thanks for that!  I've just finished profiles for several Reed ancestors who settled in Buffalo Grove then moved their families to Peoria County because of the Black Hawk War. They later returned. According to a county history, Samuel was friends with a native who warned him to move his family.

There was also a Reed who married a Dixon - who ran a ferry at Dixon's Landing.

---

recent (updated Feb 2020; original article Aug 2015 ) excavations found some maybe clues - article at Archaeologists Find New Clues to “Lost Colony” Mystery - HISTORY -- found artifacts at two sites 

---

I read the massacre bit today. Seems like a few other countries bear some guilt for what happened. Germany gets all the blame, but there was plenty of racism in other countries, too, just as there is now. Thanks for the lesson, Professor!

---

Hi Jelena, hope you and your mom are doing well. When I was visiting family and friends in Wisconsin, I chatted with a friend of my sister's who is of the Sioux nation. The topic of the Black Hawk War came up! She was telling me that some of the Potawatomi and Ho-Chunk nations participated, but for reasons of their own! Apparently, white men were damming streams, which interfered with the ability to fish for food. When I get a minute, I'll check out the Wiki-page you posted and see if the Wisconsin tribes are mentioned.

You and your mom take care!

---

Thomas that is a really sad story .. not one I've heard or read, knowing I was not related to any of them

Answer 15

Mōrena from Aotearoa New Zealand. We’re still in full lockdown until Wednesday which is a full 14 days from our first community case of covid in 170 days. While case numbers in Auckland are slowly rising and more people are in hospital, it’s looking positive that the lockdown is having an effect, When most of the country drop to Level 3, it’s basically full lockdown with work, plus click and collect and takeaways. Schools remain closed except for the children of essential workers. My life won’t change much except my husband will be able to get some potting mix to set up our summer garden. He grows a lot of vegetables from seed, and as it’s early spring, is ready to get underway. On the genealogy front, I’m down a rabbit hole from the Connect-a-thon cleanup and have come across connections to a couple of notable NZ families which I have been improving. Enjoy your weekend, everyone, and thanks for hosting, Pip. We too have wet weather, but thankfully no flooding after a horrifically wet and damaging winter.

Comments

Fiona, there are always alternative activities to do during a lockdown. It ought to make for a spectacular garden later in the year. Hang in there!

---

 From the sounds of what Fiona said, Pip, she already has 1,000 things to do with planting ... and ridding herself of those pesky rabbits  ...

Which moves me to ask, Fiona, and it's a dumb question, but are rabbits a "major concern" for a veggie garden in NZ? And do you have to enclose the garden in "wire fence"? 

I figure rabbits are found world wide. I've never read that there is anywhere that definitely does NOT have rabbits

---

Susan, rabbits were introduced into New Zealand, and in rural areas of the country like Central Otago, they are in plague proportions and require constant eradication. In town, they are not a problem. Similarly, possums introduced from Australia, have wrecked NZ’s flora and native birds. Stoats and weasels also cause problems with birds, especially the flightless ones as their eggs get eaten. In terms of vegetable gardens, our biggest non-insect issue is sparrows who eat young foliage. Peas, beans, lettuces etc. have to be netted. Snow pea seeds were planted in a new spot up against a fence this morning to make netting easier.

I’m hopeful that covid numbers are dropping. 82 and 83 over the last few couple of days and only 50ish predicted today.

Answer 16

Hello from Germany,

the weather seems to think it is already fall (well for meteorologists it will be on September 1 for statistical reasons). If I could choose, it would be still warmer. The Covid numbers rise and rise, it's the epidemy of the unprotected, not vaccinated people now. The neighbor in the house who is a Covid survivor and was on the ICU said today: "When I am asked if Covid is bad, I answer: 'It's not bad, it's worse than bad'" But on the other hand, my vaccination-opposing relative laughs about the people in Sydney who (have to) stay at home for more than two months. In fact I now believe he opposes the contact reducing measures because he feels bored at home.

In four weeks there are the elections for the national parliament here. I only just started to read the programs of the parties to see what they want to do in the next four years, so I actually know what I will do the rest of the month and the beginning of September. Yes that is something I do before every election that affects me. I want to know what the important parties (the ones that are in the parliament) want to achieve in the next few years. We will do the postal voting, so that we don't have to go in the polling station.

Personally, we are again trying to stay at home as much as possible just because of the rising numbers. In my county the incidence is nearly at 80/100000 inhabitants. For younger, not vaccinated people it is much higher, but we don't want to risk too much. Mum finally got her B12-injection today, and her tireness is instantly gone. She has to get the injection quarterly and always towards the end of the quarter she is tired.

Genealogy-wise, I helped Florian Straub yesterday to decipher some church book entries from the Serbian-orthodox church that were written in cyrillic. Those seem to be ancestors of his mother-in-law. Will be interesting to see if he is able to put those entries in her tree. Here on WikiTree, I reached the 1000 contributions today. So the next few days is time to read the party programs (see above).

Keep the distance and stay safe from infections and weather troubles that might come your way.

Comments

How cool it is to see WikiTreers helping each other, especially when it come to records in other countries and in other scripts! You have a big heart, Jelena, and I admire your skill in those areas.

You and Mum stay in! It's safer there. It turns out that by far most of our cases are unvaccinated people, particularly younger people.

---

I am always astonished at the way diseases, pandemics, and natural disasters are politicized

---

Hi Jelena, you are just a wonderful helper. I still bless you for the help you provided with the French translation of  the marriage records for my maternal German ancestors living in the Alsace/Trier region in the early 1800s.

I am still staying put as well given the Delta variant and fools not getting vaccinated. I had to witness a signing document today for two friends who are re-financing a condo in Boston. We all wore masks and distanced. On my way home, I was listening to an interview on our Public Radio with a 50-year-old man in Tennessee who admitted to being a conspiracy theorist and anti-vaccer (appreciated his honesty). Well, he got the Delta variant and was in the ICU for WEEKS. He was recently discharged to his home. It was painful to hear him still wheezing and gasping for breath during his interview. In addition to all of the usual symptoms, he also was treated for related blood clots. He said he was a believer now and wished he had not paid attention to social media. He said he was 6 feet tall, healthy and a runner, but doubts he will ever be able to run again. He got his vaccines since he got home, but knows it would have been better had he done it before. He did mention that he was able to get some of his anti-vax friends to get vaccinated. Really...so sad to hear him gasping as he told his story.

---

I saw a short report that says, most anti-vaxxers who are getting their jab now do it because they know someone who either barely survived or died.

---

They reinstated the mandatory mask mandate in all businesses in our county.

---

Good on them. I also saw today that the tennis US Open force workers there (except foreign players) to be vaccinated. I like that.

---

It is a weird world when people have to be forced by a law, to take precautions so that they can remain alive.  Whatever happened to their survival instincts?? 

When Death takes someone "next to you", family, or friend, co-worker, neighbor, or someone you usually see at the shops (clerks etc) THAT is an incentive to (finally) take precautions. After all, Death might turn around and take you also. 

Think I will go pound my head on the wall ... it might help me understand anyone could lack their survival instinct 

---

For my Balcan relative the incentive could be his wallet. When he will need to pay every time to get a PCR-test (and that likely at least once a week) it is simply cheaper to get vaccinated. I don't care as long as he eventually gets vaccinated.

Edit: Susan, your "head on the wall to understand..." is my #CommentOfTheDay

---

Awesome, Jelena ... social platforming ... youtube, twitter, etc

What does your Balcan relative pay weekly (up to now) for each test?

---

I don't know. I will tell him how much a pcr will cost here once the (average) prices are out here. So that he knows how much he would have to pay when he comes to Germany. We won't give him a single penny for those tests, that's for sure.

---

A health related company in the United States has added a $200 per month charge to all unvaxed subscribers to help pay for their extra expensive health costs.  May that wake some of them up.

---

Lufthansa (one of the German flying companies) also forces its employees to get vaccinated. Too many states want to have a vaccination certificate of pilots and steward(esse)s now.

---

I'm glad I'm vaccinated. I wish my 11 and 9yr olds could be vaccinated. I don't mind wearing the mask. It's a minor inconvenience for the short time I'm on a store.

---

well, the 11yr old can get the jab within the next year. You can start counting the months. Or the days, whatever is more convenient

---

10 more months

Answer 17

Thanks for hosting Pip. The weather here is hot, humid with afternoon thunderstorms. My surgery a week ago Tuesday went okay and I came home Monday. Everyone says that I'm doing great. I spent too long at my desk working on WikiTree yesterday and now know to keep those legs elevated. So I'm spending a little time adding the unsourced category/template to profiles so that they will show up for SourceAThon

Comments

Kay, I am so glad you checked in this week. I was beginning to worry about you with all that you've been through lately.

---

Ah, welcome home ... do you have to have therapy of some sort? so many surgeries seem to require physical therapy.

Answer 18

GENEALOGY & FOREIGN FRUSTRATIONS ? -- QUERY from England

"I note you have Edward Parnell Hyde on Wikitree and have updated the information recently.  Hyde family and Parnell family are my ancestors I'm wondering what official data you have to price Edward was son of Henry Hyde who was my Ancestral Great Uncle?"

I had only done a Suggestions for that profile, correct the marriage locale.  HOWEVE, I sent a lengthy reply including shot of Changes and suggested some places in England she could investigate and all the rest of this -- hopefully since she's in England she can root out (pun pun) the documentation for the claim ... it certainly is not sourced unless the 3 census cited (no URL ) had Edward in the household of Henry and listed as a son ... 

I did check at familysearch and confirmed his birth was registered, but it did not list his parents 

Short life, 1882 - 1922, m. 1913, and died in the Royal Infirmary in Liverpool, so I suspect he was in the military in World War I -- possible he had children but the woman in England is better positioned to find that out 

However, a relevant 1891 census is sourced on Henry Hyde's profile and can be accessed at familysearch.org, so that may be the source for the proofs she seeks ... 

HOME FRONT -- meals delivery did not occur as the driver did not report for work today ... last week the truck he was using was once again malfunctioning although it does seem odd he did not phone in sick or a family emergency or whatever .... have to wait to find out if he is back in harness next week ... 

however, our friends who also get their food delivered by the same driver phoned the company and asked and was told, despite the driver being AWOL, someone would deliver the meals tomorrow, Saturday so Sig O also sent the company an email, just to remind them WE are on that route also so we'll be included -- just in case, knock on wood 

Comments

A 1922 death. Spanish flu, possibly?

So, you have not had deliveries for two weeks? Am I reading that right? I really do hope the stuff gets there tomorrow.

How's the smoke in your area?

---

Meal deliveries okay LAST week; meals are delivered on Fridays (usually) 

5 frozen meals for Sig O in one box; and 5 frozen meals for me in one box. 

each box has a loaf of bread, 5 milks, five juices or fruit cups or a mix thereof; 5 TV dinners (a main entree with veggie side or soup) at 400 calories to 500 calories  

The loaf of bread is whole grain, there's usually 12 slices  incl. heels, and the size of a slice is about 3 x 3 inches ... 

LAST Friday the delivery truck was not functioning correctly, again, and a thaw was happening but it had not thawed totally. He's been having that same problem with the truck twice before.

THIS Friday, today, he apparently did not even phone in that he was not coming in ... I believe all employers ask their employees to phone in if they are not going to be there ? Was that way back in the 1960's through 1990's when I worked

The COMPANY is based in GA, and it is the State of CA that has contracted with the company to deliver these boxes qualified seniors and disabled.  And disabled seniors, for that matter. 

So to ask or complain whichever, we have to phone GA or email them  

Anyway our friend phoned at 1 00 PM our local time -- the company is based GA and shuts its Eastern time zone doors (3 hrs) at 4 PM their local time  -- the person in GA is the one who told our friend the driver was AWOL but that the meals would be delivered Saturday, tomorrow

And Sig O, knocking on wood, also emailed the company to let them know we ALSO didn't get our meals delivered just in case knock on wood

Meals Company located in GA has for all intents and purposes NO California office; so far as the State of CA personnel, all they know is we're on a list, put there by someone in or at Meals on Wheels, unless that's also State of CA dept for seniors and disabled;  the employees that actually drive the truck and deliver the boxes are employed by the "absentee employer" I think ... 

so one person - one box with 5 meals - delivered once each week all frozen 

usually. unless something goes awry or astray 

---

PIP As to whether the man died of the Spanish Flu in 1922 or not, I have no idea. did not see (on a fast search) any death record

that he died in the royal infirmary in liverpool, england suggests he was in the military.  i know nothing about england's procedures and don't know if that was a military or civilian hospital

that his birth is registered, got that much

woman is in England presumed to have more access to the records that I do and I suggested places she could inquire -- David Smith in London would know how that system works

MY only contact with Edward Parnell Hyde was that correction on the location of his marriage, and that was an error listed in Suggestions for that surname (Hyde)

---

PIP As to the smoke filled skies, whether we can smell it depends on wind direction but over all it's either gray skies from cloud cover or haze or gray skies from smoke from fires

You'd think there would be nothing left to burn after 2019 and 2020, but ...

---

 Saturday AM -- friend phoned us that at 8 AM she had been phoned by someone to notify HER that her boxes of meals were on the front porch.  There they were. She's happy. 

Sig O and I concluded that we will not be getting our meals delivered today.  It's already 9:40 AM.  If they are not here by noon, they won't BE here. 

He thinks maybe he should have phoned earlier, because the office in GA was closed when he did phone. He did email. 

We agree we might get the missing meals by Wednesday this coming week.  

He has pulled out a HUGE can of chili beans (restaurant size) and sauteed up a bunch of ground turkey so we'll be eating chili con carne --  for breakfast, he cooked up some scrambled eggs with some sauteed ground turkey and some onions, very tasty 

We will not go hungry 

 Besides, the Uncertainty experienced each week of whether we will get meals delivered leavens our lives with an appreciation for those meals being available to us (when they are) 

(Always helps our spirit to find a silver lining in any situation or condition. Granted, sometimes when you DO so, others Look at you, like "Is she crazy? or is she crazy??" ) 

EDIT EDIT EDIT ... meals were delivered by a couple at 10 40 AM -- first the one box and then they consulted a long list and pulled out the 2nd box and gave that to us also.  

Bit of stomach clenching on my part  ref getting that 2nd box even though I know we have food in the pantry and won't go hungry  

---

That GEDCOM import needs cleaning up and sourcing.

Let me see what I can do with it.

---

Be my guest, Hilary.  

there's also another zillion gedcom imports as needs "work"... AND if you find yourself bored (not too likely to happen) ... 

---

Someone in the England Project has started on it but the search in WikiTree+ is not working for me at the moment. It Worked last night when I noticed that there were nearly 700 profiles in that one.

Currently Greeting so having nothing else to do. Not likely.

---

700+ with the same number of OMG ... does not sound "the sweet notes of harmony in my ears" ... Blessings upon your Greeting duties ...

Answer 19

Good afternoon Pip and All!

This past week has been one of finally settling in to the hotel life and I have not done the back and forth to the house as much. Some of the wood floors have been removed so progress! This has left a bit more time to Greet and work on some profiles. I found that a wrong child had been added to a Thomas family (brother of my great grandfather). I found his parents, detached him and added the correct parents and listed the siblings. Today, I cleaned up a lengthy mess on a profile that was an old GedCom leftover.

Then, I got the word that the hurricane (Ida) would be a Cat 4 and began to field texts and phone calls from our son in south Mississippi and our niece in south Louisiana. She will be retrieving my husband's sister (her mother) from assisted living and heading our way in the morning. I wish that decision had been made earlier as I think tomorrow will be a huge mess going north. Since the storm seems to have shifted more to the west, our son is staying put. I hope this is not another Katrina for our Louisiana family and friends!

I hope everyone has a good weekend and stays safe from Covid and Hurricanes.

Comments

Praying for safe travels for your family fleeing the storm. Praying for safety for your family who will be braving the storm. My son is also in south Mississippi. He and his wife lost everything during Katrina. Even so, they usually stay put during hurricanes but this one looks like it's gonna be a doozy.

---

It sure does, Nelda. I hope your son and wife are safe through it all. Tommy Buch just posted that it looks like a Cat 5 now. That is scary!

---

How much longer on the home repairs, Ginny? At least you've settled in as best you can. I wish we would get our floors redone. Hate the color (and the slapdash job that was done before we bought the place).

Hope you son stays safe and your niece makes it out OK. The Gulf sure has taken a pounding this year.

---

Hope it all turns out well

---

Hi Ginny, I will keep all your family in my positive intentions and away for any stormy weather. As Pip said, the Gulf has taken a pounding.

Answer 20

Happy Weekend!!!

Pip, thanks for hosting!

Personal news--my husband had oral surgery on Tuesday. He has not been a happy camper.

Bathroom is complete except for just a couple of things. I've been moving my "stuff" back into the bathroom. I have a few boxes of "stuff" to give away and I've thrown away a lot. How do we accumulate so much unnecessary and duplicate "stuff"?

WikiTree--still just plugging along. Got my 1000 contributions a couple of days ago. I mostly add/improve profiles from my Hildreth side. But this afternoon I did some editing/formatting on someone from my Gilchrist side for whom I'd created a profile back in 2020. Then I created a profile for one of her daughters. Then I started to create a profile for her husband--a match was suggested. Clicked on the match and what do I find--previously created profiles for his wife I created back in 2020 and for the daughter I had just created. I think the reason I didn't get any suggestion that they were already on WikiTree was because I had the wife's surname spelled correctly when the other profile did not and I had precise birth and death dates and a current last name (as well as last name at birth) for the daughter and the previously created profile did not. And...surprise, surprise...the daughter's only source was "first-hand information as remembered by..." The mother had that and FindAGrave. So, merges proposed and I wait. The other manager has been recently active, so maybe the merges will be completed soon. I hate finding out I've created duplicates.

I hope you will all have a safe and peacefully relaxing weekend!

Comments

Howdy, neighbor! What's the "couple things" left to do in the bathroom? I know you'll be glad when it's all over. Nothing like a repair job (or moving) to help one get rid of the accumulation of "stuff."

I'm expecting that you got more rain than we did since you were closer to the center of the storm.

---

No, we didn't have as much rain from Fred as y'all did. Now we get to see what Ida will bring. Hurricane season--bah!

The bathroom things which need completion--some final caulking and the exhaust fan. Newer exhaust fans do not cover the hole where the old exhaust fan was, so they've ordered a new motor for the old fan, hoping that will work, and then they will figure out a way to nicely cover it (the old cover was not usable.) Our ceiling and walls are all tongue-and-groove, so that has been a challenge all along trying to get new things to fit in old places without having to replace so much t&g. Where they have, though, they've done a good job of making the new blend in with the old.

---

What with all the experience some of the Chatters have at moving from pillar to post, y'all could just about start a business on DIY Relocations