"Welcome to the Weekend Chat!" All Members Invited!! September 24th - 26th, 2021 [closed]

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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. 

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WikiTree profile: Pip Sheppard
closed with the note: No Chat next week. Thon time. See you in two weeks!
in The Tree House by Pip Sheppard G2G Astronaut (2.7m points)
closed by Pip Sheppard

Welcome to the first Spring/Fall (depending on where you are) Weekend Chat 2021! And greetings from Cathey’s Creek where the temperature this morning was 44°F, our coldest yet. My wife who likes to sit outside on the covered back deck broke out her electric lap blanket, as she does every year when the weather is colder. Me? I’m inside reading or at the computer (as I am right now).

On the Home Front: Wednesday I attended the funeral of a pastor of a church just north of Asheville in Weaverville. While sad on its own, it was also a relief for the family and those who loved him as he had been suffering from cancer for about a year. The organ music was actually recordings of hymns he had played for his own congregation when they did not have an organist. So, in a way he was playing the music for his own funeral.

It was also an opportunity to talk with several people I’ve gotten to know over the years, several pastors and laypersons, along with our former presiding bishop, whose wife overheard me say immediately after the service that I needed to use the restroom. She took me by the hand and said, “Let me show you where it is.” I was touched in a way.

And… I also had all that driving time just hanging out with my own pastor who I picked up on the way. No theological talk, just sharing our lives with each other. He is my pastor, but we have become close over the years since I retired here, and he has become a very dear friend. He has not been well lately, so I enjoy every time we get together, when we can.

I have noticed over the years that funerals come more frequently. My late mother was saddened as she grew older over the fact that she was the last of her siblings (and brothers-in-law) and also nearly the last of her high school graduating class. I remember when I my great-aunt Rosa died, the last of my grandfather’s siblings. Grandpa teared up a little when talking with me later saying that he had no one left to talk with about “the old days.”

This is one of the reasons I keep in close touch with both of my brothers. We are the last who remember “the old days” of growing up together. And, we really did grow up together as we were born (all three of us) in under four years. (Mom said she planned it that way.) We are the last with those memories, and this includes the memories of growing up across the pasture from Mom’s parents farm, so my grandparents are included in those memories.

So, I’m talking advantage of a break in the action to visit with my brother out west in October (11th – 16th, Carol: take note). This will give me an extended time to pick his brain for memories about our father with whom he was much closer that I was. (I was as mama’s boy.)

Upcoming: a kilt arrival (yes, still waiting) and the Charleston (SC) Scottish Games in November.

On the Genealogy Front: Still picking away at Kongsvinger Lutheran Church Cemetery in Minnesota. Slowly but surely, I am going to get through with this mini-project.

With all the upheaval around the world, natural and otherwise, I hope all of you are finding ways to keep your sanity and find some peace. May you be blessed in all you do.

Enjoy the Chat!

For sanity and peace I leave the TV turned off (7+ years and counting).
I agree, Tommy, when our converter box quit I couldn't think of many good reasons to replace it.
Yeah. Funerals that are frequent are never a good thing. Best to take them in stride. It's all you can do. Just  roll with the punches and do what ya can. Have a good weekend, Pip.
A sad funeral in our area two days ago.  My answer below
explains more.
Hi Pipster! I will definitely make sure I will be in Tucson during those dates. I look forward to meeting you in person and maybe getting a real hug, although I will need to see your photo ID and vaccination card before doing so! Oh, and you have to wear a kilt. Can you speak in a Scottish rather than Southing accent? Ask me how a New Yorker from Wisconsin would sound when you get here. I am so excited about this. My post today is loooooong! Even longer than usual because my sister, Bonny and I were in New York for 5 wonderful days.

I totally understand your conversation with your pastor man to man rather than preacher to person. I TRY to be a good Buddhist, but know that any preacher worth his or her salt chats preacher to person as a person, especially in trying times. As to aging. After our mum dies, I am the eldest living family member and it is a daunting thought.

Sadly, not all deaths are of elders and I'm going to (quickly?) share a story that your pastor playing at his own funeral reminded me of. We had a 21 y/o patient in hospice who died of the same cancer that her mom had died of 11 years before. I will call the patient K as I want to maintain confidentiality even though it was 40 years or so ago. She became the primary caretaker for her 3 younger siblings. Her father remarried the proverbial 'wicked stepmother' and would have these children eat in the basement while her children sat at the table. K's dying wish was to see her father one last time. He never showed up at hospice or K's funeral. It killed us as hospice nurses to see this and we really wanted to 'take a contract out' on the father. Anyway, K made arrangements for her few little belongings to be distributed among her younger siblings and we arranged for the hospice priest, medical director and K's paternal grandmother (who was wonderful) to witness a little will for her. K also used to play guitar and sing in her choir. When she died, all the nurses and staff available who weren't working went to her funeral. As we left the church, K had recorded herself singing 'Today', which I've added for your listening pleasure: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q65943s5AG4) There wasn't a dry eye as we left the church and K, who only got to be 'the oldest' for a short time in her young years captured the meaning of love, life, relationships and transitions.

Cannot wait to see you in October, Pip!
Hi Pip and fellow chatters!

The turning of the season always makes me a little sad, and I realize the importance of holding our loved ones dear while we have them. Hope you and Carol and your brother have great visits.

One of my dearest friends is a priest in the American Catholic Church (as well as a fine musician, and quite a character). It doesn't matter to him a bit that we are of different faiths/spiritualities; he's also a history nut and fun to be around!

44 degrees? I don't think we hit that yet, even at night here in MI.

Be well, all!
After telling you that I had lost an aunt last weekend I have had more sad news this week.

There is a saying that "things come in threes" and how true. A friend in our village who had been diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease last year passed away and the sister of my husband's aunt. Such a sad time for everyone.
So sorry, Hilary. Holding you in the Light.
Thanks for hosting Pip! I love reading about what's happening in your life. I sure hope I can get to meet you while you're out here!
Wait, you said Carol and not Cindy??  I'll be here in Tucson then too, just in case . . .

More seriously I read your about your grandfather sharing his sibling memories and now you and your brothers with interest because I have never felt (yet) the same way with my four sisters.  I am very happy for you that you have good memories to share.  That is something to cherish.
Cindy, all four of us (if we can get Diane to come down from Phoenix) just HAVE to get together!! It would be the first time I've knowingly met any WikiTreers outside of my own little group here.

35 Answers

+22 votes

Good morning Pip and the weekend chatters!

Weather

  • One day of rain this week so far.

Genealogy 

  • One week away away from the source-a-thon

iPad

  • Upgraded to the new iPadOS 15
    • One of the new features is the precise placement of the cursor
    • Another revised and improved feature is Splitview
by Tommy Buch G2G Astronaut (1.9m points)
edited by Tommy Buch
Three days of light rain for us, Tommy.
Seems sometimes as if you have spent the last two months trying to upgrade? Surely not.  But congrats, nevertheless.
+25 votes

Today is....

              

NATIONAL CHERRIES JUBILEE DAY

On September 24th National Cherries Jubilee Day serves up a tasty dessert. Smitten with this simply elegant dessert, cherry lovers celebrate this sweet holiday with delight.

Auguste Escoffier receives the credit for the Cherries Jubilee recipe. Since he knew Queen Victoria’s fondness for cherries, Escoffier prepared the dish for one of her Jubilee celebrations. However, his original method didn’t include ice cream. Instead, the chef poached the cherries in a simple syrup and poured warm brandy over them. Then just before serving, dramatically set the alcohol aflame.

Later recipes added the liqueur Kirschwasser and ice cream. Escoffier had a knack for simplicity and elegance. He also created the Peach Melba in honor of Nellie Melba. The famous chef even named a macaron after Sarah Bernhardt.

HOW TO OBSERVE Cherries Jubilee Day:

Find a restaurant near you that serves cherries jubilee. As part of the celebration, order dessert first. Or, try making it yourself. Try this delicious Cherries Jubilee recipe.

by Dorothy Barry G2G Astronaut (2.7m points)
I could eat this, lots of it!
Hello Dorothy! Ummmmm...love this dessert and a small helping before bedtime will help promote sleep! Ice cream (well, milk) has tryptophan, which is a precursor to serotonin and tart cherries has melatonin, which regulates the sleep/wake cycle, magnesium for muscle relaxation and is an anti-inflammatory to help the immune system. All this in one yummy treat!
Maybe I can convert this to blackberries jubilee, I now have 20 litres of home grown blackberries in my freezer. I worked out how much it would cost to buy them at the supermarket, $456.
Thanks Dorothy! Sounds delicious; plus, I slept so poorly last night I may have to try this (good to know, Carol...gotta justify all those extra calories somehow) ;)
The dessert looks so delicious!
M, I wish I could buy some of those blackberries from you! Yum!
+22 votes

Good Morning.....Again.....It's still dark here, for some  reason?.......Someone, please turn on the light! enlightened

by John Thompson G2G6 Pilot (346k points)
Prayers answered......sun is sliding down the far hill to the lawn, so, my last chance to mow the grass, then off to the big city doctor and recertify Kathy to operate the tractor, post operation.....then, to return and visit with one of Kathy's sisters, on her 1000 mile drive back home.
Me posting at 6:30 your time, it'll always be in the dark, John!

 At least you are not so far north you have to live with 6 months of darkness. That has to be a plus factor.  cheeky

Cousin Frank picked us up at 9:45 AM and 20 minutes down the Freeway we were stopped, 7th from the front of the lineup, so an air ambulance could land on the road and there we were until noon......cancelled appointment for Kathy and after stopping for lunch, back to mowing lawns for me.......unfortunately a 'flooring' van veered over a bank into a clump of trees, in the median, and we fear all is not well, as a result of a hard hit.....sad day.
Oh, dear!  How terrible.  So sorry to hear of such a bad accident.  There are no words.

Thankyou for your concerns, Candyce.  The news does not report any details today, however, a lady slowly made her way down some of the lineup explaining that at least one person didn't make it......and, at the time, listening to the traffic report, I sensed a calm over our area.

+24 votes

Hello from sunny London! I've got a fair amount of genealogy done this week but it's not been easy.

And that's because I've been researching some local centenarians from the St Pancras Workhouse who are almost always very difficult to find until the end of their lives.

I am very happy that the first person I was able to fully track down was Sarah Pell, however, since she had her father-in-law already on WikiTree.

The current amazing woman I'm trying to trace is Sarah (Williams) Lamb. She had two amazing claims to fame - the first being that, aged 104 when she died in 1907, she was claimed as the oldest verifiable person to have lived in London - and the second being that she personally saw and lived under five British monarchs (George III, George IV, William IV, Victoria and Edward VII). In order to see Edward VII, aged 100 and despite having been bedridden for over three years, she saved up to a charter a taxi to Buckingham Palace.

Unfortunately, I have only a record of her before she was married and once she was widowed. By her account, all I know is that he was a piano maker with the last name Lamb and that there was 'never a bad word between them'.

Hopefully I will be able to make a breakthrough on tracing this woman's husband and the other four centenarians that still don't have WikiTree profiles.

by David Smith G2G6 Mach 7 (76.9k points)
edited by David Smith
Really nice work on Sarah Pell's profile, David. I commend you! Keep us posted on your progress on the others you are trying to track down.
Very Nicely done, David.
+23 votes

Hails and horns, Wikipeeps!

 This week was a somber week of sorts as it's been four years since my grandfather Robert Hamel passed away. I even wrote a blog about it and it went nicely with the theme this week: https://allroadhaverhill.blogspot.com/2021/09/52-ancestors-week-38-fun-and-games.html

I also started a page about Italian Name field guidelines. We didn't even HAVE a page. To say I was vexed is an understatement. You know me. I had to rectify this gross miscarriage of justice! That and the topic came up in the Italy project google group.

Submitted for the approval of the Council of Wikitreers is:  https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:Italy_Project_Name_Field_Guidelines

I know I need to add stuff. It'll get there. Not sure what else to add. Been using the Germany Project's version as a template. The first thing I needed to add was how Italian women ALWAYS keep their birth surnames. How do people not know this? Ah well.

On the non genealogy front, things are going okay. The garden's closed up and I may have pesto sauce again in the not too distant future. That's always a good thing. =D The leaves are changing colors and I'll have to hurry and take pics because one rain storm and "FOOMP!" the leaves drop.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

by Chris Ferraiolo G2G6 Pilot (756k points)
Definitely. So....Shall we call you Contessa Maria Consuela Alverez the Third? =D

Usually we will see a II or III and other such suffix for a woman only when she is royal.  Like QE1 and QE2

A "Contessa" is the title of wife or widow of a count or earl.    However, there is nothing to prevent this title from being bestowed upon a child as a proper name of the child (Queen, King, Major, Contessa, Count, Baron, Duke, Doctor, Pope, Bishop, etc) 

Lol okay okay. It was the first title I could come up with that want the obvious royal ones or “Lady”. But, now that puts a new light on this marvel character: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentina_Allegra_de_Fontaine

blush Well, okay, so much for kiddie komix.  The Comix Code.  Thank God I am oblivious to most underlying (subtle) innuendoes - blind as a bat, in fact ... eep 

cheeky La Contessa has a problematic youth and from the reading in Wikipedia, a problematic young-enough-to-be-seduced adulthood (although we can't be sure he seduced her, might have been her seducing him) 

No doubt you see things I cannot see, Chris.  I did not want to know about the Comix Code. Knowing it cost me my innocence (ignorance).  crying eep

I have French documentation in my nom de jeune fille ( name as literally a young girl: maiden name).  That name is on my medical records, land ownership,  residence documents and presumably the census. At the same time I have  British documentation (my passport)  in my married name. I think I prefer the French usage but not the phrase;  however since 2012 they've changed it to say  name at birth).

Actually in the UK you can legally adopt any name you wish as long as it isn't to defraud. 

I think that in the US it is the same -- the court must grant you the legal right to use the new name
@ Susan. Ahh, the Comics Code. That's less of a thing now since regulations have lessened over time. It was initially created because of Frederick Wertham's damaging book "Seduction of the Innocent". It was awful and nearly destroyed comics. Now things are much more relaxed. Besides, there are versions of comics for kids now and for adult readers. Things have changed drastically. Check this article out: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comics_Code_Authority

Comics haven't been for just kiddos for a very long time. There have been stories which involve real world issues and even AIDs allegories. Comics change ya know. Just like the people who read them. =D

Maybe we should have gone with Baroness....

Chris, kiss, I can't be seduced by the glitter of a title. laughlaugh 

For that matter I can't even recall the last time anyone attempted to seduce me for any purpose ... well, oh, yeah, back something like 35 or 40 years ago? to take up and carry an insane load of responsibility for some project ... boy, they were pissed off when I dodged the bullet and ran away  cheeky

EDIT -- CHANGE is inherent ... our life itself is a dynamic, and any Life is dynamic.  

ANYWAY - IN an effort to lure you away from titles and bling --  You are probably acquainted with the idea? concept? theory? of how one's life is a stream, some liken it to water due to the properties of water and whatever image they have of a life, anyone's life.  

One author likened it to being on a boat or raft and seeing other boats and rafts, and the exchange of shouts and waving at each other ... 

Well, after a time, some years, I discarded the idea of  a "river" and decided it was a flood plain with water everywhere ...  not an ocean, because there's no discernible shoreline in view (which is flat watery terrain to the horizon) 

So then I had to wrestle with the issue of birth and death, in this watery context, and decided we simply appeared, a drop of life, upon the raft or boat at our "birth" and at our "death" we were fully evaporated (having evaporated over time).  It's an idea that works out okay in some cultures, but in one that is heavily infused with concepts of heaven and hell, reward and punishment, "good" and "bad", it's a dud.  

Worldly titles and bling don't lure me.  But if you can reconcile some of the Ideas in SciFi, one with another, I might listen with greedy ears to your dulcet words 

As to "change", that's a idea I "get". It's apparent in the world, in our flesh, everywhere around us.  And in relationships.  Neighborhoods.  Etc

The leader of Cultural / Social Change in the US is SCOTUS.  Bit of a time lag on it, the "change" builds up like a wave on the waters and crests at SCOTUS and is "managed" and .... spreads outward from SCOTUS to infiltrate over the next "20 years" into the Culture / Social network

Some "changes" are more resisted than others, and some more soon embraced that others -- the key there is those that detract from power / position / status will be more resisted and those that enhance power / position / status will be all the sooner embraced

In the case of kiddle komix kode, the 'agency' in power is going to embrace what will be seen to enhance it, and resist what is seen to detract -- flip it upside down, and there you will see the artists etc embracing what is resisted, and resisting what is embraced

EDIT  -- read a chunk of that article on the Code, that was "heavy".  It did a very good job of reflecting the Cultural / Social concerns discussed in other professional fields including concerns expressed by religious leaders 

I still contend that if the author is any good and the tale told is told well there is no need for titillation, graphic or otherwise, to be used to sell the book -- ditto the comix or film

laugh OKAY, Chris, now that we have all this sorted out ... I'm guessing it is sorted out -- I'm also thinking I don't know what it is that has been sorted out 
AND
I am left with one question ref to title(s) and bling ...
I seem to have missed a turn in the discussion somewhere and cannot recall why -- if I knew why -- you needed or wanted a title.  Or why you wanted to do something with a title.  

+21 votes
In line with Pips entry I would like to add this.  My granddaughter's school has had to mourn the death of a 14 year old boy who lost his life as the result of a tackle he made in a game and suffering a brain injury.  I don't know more about the case than what has been in the paper but there have been reactions of support from across the country.

My intent is to suggest that we all encourage every one to consider being an organ donor.  It has been related to us that through his parents unselfish donation they have impacted the families of 8 people that have been given hope for their loved ones.
by Beulah Cramer G2G6 Pilot (565k points)
Sad to hear about the loss, here in Wales there is automatic organ donation unless you opt out. More places should consider this.
I've got an organ donation symbol on my driver's license, Beulah. I'm a firm believer in it.
Hi Beulah!!! Francis Albert was with us (well Dean for Bonny) throughout our trip to New York and I thought of you and Sundays with Frank frequently during out trip. It was a really terrific time and I truly believe it helped to reduce some of Bonny's depression with mum being placed in memory care (not to mention the pandemic). I did a really, really long post today and you can read about it. I have to post that URL to Ellis Island in G2G today, but need to pick up my mail at the post office first.

I am so sorry to hear of the death of one so young while playing football. I am truly ambivalent about this 'sport' among high school boys. I had a cousin who died playing football at Marquette High years ago (like 60 years ago). He died of injuries to his kidneys sustained  with a tackle during 'practice.'  I know Americans love their football teams (I love my Packers); however, we are reading more and more of brain injuries sustained during repeated play and that's adults. Anyway, I feel so very badly for your granddaughter, and the parents of the young man who died.

Hope you are doing well!
I also have an organ donor document in my wallet. In 2007 a  football/soccer player in Germany had to get a kidney transplant and in the aftermath of that I got my document.
+22 votes
Still sunny and warm in Colorado.  Finally finished picking all the apples and making applesauce.  It's real good even though we had a major attach of the yellow jackets.  I guess I should have sprayed them.  The last peaches also came off and we made a few pies.  So we are ready for the colder weather now.  Harvest is over.  At least for my 5 trees.  Still a very good bounty this year.

Genealogy wise, I am making progress on the cemetery study.  Now at 15% complete of the 3400 graves.  Everyone is connected too!  So that means I am concentrating on the big pioneer families that migrated out in the mid-1800's until around 1900.  the newspapers are really helping out with these as well to fill in the holes and find the children that never made it to a census.

I guess I should stop connecting them now for the source a thon.  Nah!  That would be cheating and there are so many unsourced profiles already that they are easy to find.
by Gurney Thompson G2G6 Pilot (443k points)
Yellow jackets! UGH! I mowed too close to a ground nest a couple of years ago and got stung three times. It was miserable trying to get some sleep the next two nights as the pain in my legs was awful.

Glad to see you making such progress on that cemetery. Means I really need to get into gear and get mine further along!
+20 votes

Buenos días a todos from the Old Pueblo! I have returned to Tucson following five wonderful days in New York City with my sister, Bonny. I planned this trip in September when I visited our 96 y/o mum at the memory center. Mum lived with Bonny and her family for some 6 years before dementia set in. Mum babysat all three of Bonny’s children since birth so there is a long history between them. Plus, Bonny and mum would go on gambling and Bingo trips (mum won $42,000; $28K after taxes several years ago). She was a marvel and winning. Anyway, Bonny has looked haggard from the pandemic, placing mum in the center, and her loss of traveling companion. Since we were vaccinated and NYC was opening up, I though a few days doing what we did pre-pandemic would be helpful for Bonny.

 

We had a marvelous time. First, though let me tell you what NYC expects of visitors…any visitors. You must carry proof of your vaccine, photo ID and wear a mask. We saw several booths in Times Square for vaccine testing (free) and on Wednesday, I saw that health workers had a table set up to provide vaccines. I expect it was Moderna as they had small freezers in their ‘trailer’. Again, vaccines were free. If the police (or any health checker) came into a bar or restaurant to check ALL patrons for proof of vaccine and ID and even if ONE patron did not have these items, the business can be fined $1000/violation! So, businesses were quite firm about vaccine card, ID and mask (when not stuffing food or drink into our faces). We stayed at the Riu on 42nd and 8th and it was FABULOUS. We got a room on the 24th floor, breakfast was a feast and they ran the huge number of people better than a military campaign. And same deal…ever morning we had to show ID and proof of vaccination even if you showed it the day before. If you had neither, no breakfast until you came back with required items.

 

We arrived last Saturday and returned on Wednesday night. Our first task after checking in was theater tickets. We could not afford $359 each for Waitress. We did manage to get 3rd row orchestra seats for $180.00 each for Hadestown (totally outstanding and with cross-generation and cross-racial actors) for Tuesday night. The story is based on a Greek tragedy relevant to modern times. The music, for me, was like being in New Orleans. Here’s the bargain, though. After snagging tickets for Hadestown, we went to the ticket office for Chicago. The young fellow said if we could do it, he could sell us 4th row orchestra seats for THAT Saturday matinee for $70 each, which would normal have been $170! Well, our momma didn’t raise no fools! So, we attended Chicago and were so close to the stage that I was able to lip read the actor who played “Mama” the prison warden saying “thank you” at the end of her standing ovation. And at the end of the play with the final bows, I was blowing kisses from my mask to the cast and several who exited stage right looked at me and patted their hearts! These performers are as happy to be back on Broadway as the audience is to be back in their seats seeing great musicals!  Sadly, Bonny and I will miss Hugh Jackman in The Music Man which opens in October.  

 

Other activities, a walking Ghost Tour of Greenwich on Saturday night (free, but you really tip at the end and it was great), a walking tour of Harlem on Sunday morning (tip at the end, and now we have a new BFF, Derrick). This tour was really outstanding and I highly recommend it. We got great history from the time Haarlem was a Dutch colony until it was sold to the English, the turn of the century influx of African Americans from the South, civil rights, human rights and so much more. Derrick brought it all to life. We also saw the Abyssinian Baptist Church where Cicely Tyson’s funeral was held and where Nat King Cole had been married. All of us listened quietly outside and we could hear the choir, which was very African American Baptist! Fantastic! Following the 2.5 hour tour, Bonny and I walked the streets of Harlem buying from vendors and then went to the Apollo (of course) and took photos of the exterior. It’s being redone on the inside. We caught the subway to NW Harlem and took photos of Alexander Hamilton’s Home (no tours).

 

Monday night found us at the Kettle of Fish, a Packer Bar in Greenwich owned by a native of Wauwatosa. It turns out that the owner’s father was a surgeon at St. Joe’s when I worked there in hospice. We sat with several New Yorkers transplanted from Wisconsin. All wore Packer Jerseys or caps and masks. Plus, we all had to show photo ID and proof of vaccination! Just after half time, Derrick our tour guide from Harlem joined us. He said he would if he could, but we didn’t believe him. Because he is from Illinois, he is a Bears fan (we forgive him). Instead of wearing a Bears t-shirt (and taking his life in his hands at a Packer bar), he wore an original Chicago Athletics Black League shirt! He’s been to this bar for Packer/Bears games, but they like him so much he is forgiven for being a Bears fan and he is also a good sport about singing along to “The Bears Still Suck.” Since we were going on a boat tour of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island on Tuesday, Derrick told us that with our limited time to just take photos of Lady Liberty and stay on the boat to Ellis Island and spend more time there. We did exactly that and the tour of Ellis Island was fantastic. They even have computers so that if you know your family name and arrival, you can look up their processing through Ellis. We were time limited, but the librarian gave me a card with URL such that I can look up my family in their online archives. I will post this URL on G2G for all. It’s free! They are in the process of restoring the old hospital, bare bones right now, and have a limited ‘Hard Hat’ tour for about $30 which goes toward restoration. I would love to have gone, but…no time.

 

On our return from Ellis Island we stopped again in Greenwich because right next door to the Kettle of Fish is The Stonewall, the bar that became the heart and hearth of the gay movement in the 1960s. There is a little park across the street, a national park that tells of the history of the movement with photos, etc. I have a niece who is gay. My sister and I had a drink at the bar (a killer margarita) and purchased a Stonewall T-shirt for my niece for Christmas. I chatted with the gentleman next to me and we swapped numbers. Turns out that he lives in Phoenix and is the stage manager for the Tucson Opera! I’m going to attend this fall and Brandon will give me a tour backstage after the show.

 

On Wednesday, our last day, I insisted we have “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” My kid sister had no clue what I was talking about save that she did know who Audrey Hepburn was. We trekked to 5th Avenue, purchased two pieces each of very expensive Swiss chocolate, donned sunglasses and had a nice person from Switzerland (go figure) take a photo of us with the ‘Tiffany’s’ sign bold as brass behind us. Sadly, I don’t think this is the original Tiffany & Co but bare-boned version of the glorious original. The rest of the afternoon was spent shopping for family members. I got a great poster of the workmen sitting on the beam as the John Hancock building was being built in maybe the 1930’s. It’s a classic photo and my daughter, Jennifer, wants to post if for her 8th grade American History class.

 

I know this is a longer chat than my other very long chats; however, I wanted to share the sights, sounds, etc. of our NYC experience, the history, the opportunities to learn more about Haarlem of the 1600s becoming Harlem today. On WikiTree we talk about how we are all connected generally referring to and through the ancestors who came before us. This trip really reflected and reinforced how we are all truly connected in the present!

 

Finally, M, Pip or any others, if any of my photos of Hamilton’s home, or the Statue of Liberty or Ellis Island turn out really great, should I post them somewhere on WT for others to use if they are related to Alexander Hamilton, or  for their immigrant families if they so choose? I have uploaded photos that I took at Temple Church in London for use with the Magna Carta Barons, but not sure where to post these other photos.

 

Everyone have a great last weekend of September. I will be working with the Might Oaks on the Thon next weekend. Meanwhile, take care and stay safe.

by Carol Baldwin G2G Astronaut (1.1m points)
And as Frank Sinatra sang "start spreading the news".  Great
recap of a well deserved trip for both of you.  A paper vacay!

Hi Beaulah! Just left a post at your post. I thought of you a lot! Paper vacays are all I am good at. M is the true photo-journalist! I think you would have loved Hadestown. The music reminded me of New Orleans. So glad you liked my chatty chat. Oh, and here's something I didn't mention...eau de ganja (marijuana) on every street corner even with cops standing nearby! Ganja mixed with aroma of Hilal food, ganja mixed with aroma of pastrami, ganja in the subway...even through our masks we could smell it! I couldn't help but take a deep breath in (frequently). I could even see my hands!

Recreational  marijuana was recently made legal.  Local political, (townships, cities, counties, etc,) can vote to not allow it in their confines but they forego the lure of tax incentives.  New York's total is around 14% tax .  In our upstate area most of them are so far choosing to not allow
the sale.  They figure the small 1-2% returned tax, will not repay the costs of destruction caused by the users.  There are large costs to become a dispenser and many restrictions on allowable sale places.  The political entity can later change their mind and approve sales and an application signed by enough registered voters can make a requirement for a vote to override the political decision and
get approval.  Must be New York City has had approval.
Hugh Jackman said of his appearance in "Oklahoma" that it was not worth the price of admission to hear him sing; by now he may have improved.
Beautifully written.  I was "there" with you on that trip.  What an exciting and memorable time you had.
Hi Margaret...no one can compete with Gorden MacRae when it comes to singing the songs from Oklahoma!
Hi Candyce! Hope you are doing well. I'm working on biographies and sourcing for the Vandervort/McIntire family and want to finish them off tonight! Thank you very much for your kind words about our 'trip narrative.' It really was a great time, but now I have to re-enter and back to work.
What a fantastic trip!  I live spitting distance from the city and somehow never manage to do all the touristy things.  My kid loves the Hadestown songs and it's at the top of our list of things to see.
Hugs coz! {{Carol}} so glad you had a glorious visit with your sister in NYC. By the way, your rain dance has gone way overboard LOL, but we did have a few days of sunshine before the rains started up again.

Hoping to meet both you and Pip in October! Hugs!

@Liza...be sure to take your kids to Hadestown. It's one thing to hear the songs and music another to see the whole musical! We loved the way the musicians actually 'participated' in the play (well, both plays...Chicago and Hadestown). All the musicians except for the 'horn' instruments work masks. The drummer in Hadestown was center back in a screened cubicle. He was masked, had headphones and watching him drum made me think of the muppet 'Animal'. Loved it! I might buy the CD so I can sing along. I learned some hip hop with my Hamilton CD.

@Diane...Hi Cousin and {{{Diane}}} backatcha! I apologize for the rain dance. I didn't think it would be this effective. I've read that the southeast on up has been trounced with rain as well. Maybe it has less to do with dancing and more to do with climate change? There has been a drought in Wisconsin and the corn crop has been affected. It's so not nice to mess with mother nature.

It would be so grand if we could all get together when the Pipster is here. Plus, then we could get and give 'real' hugs!
@Coz Carol Hah! You must have been naked when you did that dance, and now you just don't want to admit it. Hope this made you laugh!

Looking forward to that "grand" time and definitely want real {{Carol}} hugs!

angelWell, coz Diane, I do have an enclosed back meditation garden and, um, well, sometimes I, uh, have been known to wear my, um...birthday suit? {{{Diane}}}

Carol, you could make a free space for those photos, maybe call it pictures of New York, i'm not quite sure how people would know about it, is there a way to search free spaces?

Yes at the bottom of the search page, you can search images, free spaces and other stuff.

Or you could put them on the New York sources page, it already has images

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:Sources-New_York
Hi M, I will add some NYC photos little by little on the Sources-New York link that you sent! Then I will do a VV with a few photos of NYC for each chat for a few weeks in a row. Thanks for this link! They would be most appropriate for this sources page that is already set up! Thanks so much!
+20 votes

On this day:

1541: The Swiss physician Paracelsus dies

1846: During the Mexican/American War, the Battle of Monterrey is fought.

1896: The American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald is born

by Jelena Eckstädt G2G Astronaut (1.4m points)

Hi Jelena! You and your mum had Frankfurt, my sister and I had New York City. Thanks for the history update! I'll take F. Scott Fitzgerald and This Side of Paradise or The Curious Case of Benjamin Button to slide down from my trip to NYC.

I decided on Paracelsus for today as it is out of my knowledge set. Thanks, Professor!
+20 votes
Thank You for hosting the Chat Pip,

Weather, Seasonal and that means average temps in the 70's and a mixture of rain.

Last weekend I took the weekend off on Wikitree. No real reason I just felt like it.

On the Home Front,

Monday, I spent most of my time working on Radio projects.

Tuesday, We had the baby great granddaughter so other than a bit on WikiTree in the morning not much else done.

Wednesday, We went shopping, gotta eat. Then in the afternoon there was a bad storm front so our Skywarn net was activated.

Thursday, Not much and it was still a bit wet.

Genealogy, I found and adopted some profiles that were uploaded as a GEDCOM file in May of 2011 and never touched after that. I started working on some of those profiles to improve the formatting and add sources. I have not done much with the biography's yet but at least with the sources others have something to work with. I figure that after more than 10 years untouched I am justified with only picking the low hanging fruit.
by Dale Byers G2G Astronaut (1.7m points)

Tuesday, We had the baby great granddaughter so other than a bit on WikiTree in the morning not much else done." Dale, I think you did a lot by being there with your great-granddaughter. Way more than you think!

+23 votes

Good afternoon from good ol' Germany,

Thanks God the election campaign comes to an end, on Sunday at 6pm we'll have the first tendencies of who will win. I have my favourite and my "absolutely not" candidate, and there is one I could live with.

Last Saturday, there was a murder at a gas station, because the clerk told him to wear a mask. Anti-maskers and anti-vaxxers get more radical by the day, it's terrible and frightening.

The covid numbers decrease a bit, which is good, but still our quota of vaccinated people is not high enough to open up everything. On the other hand, we are in all but one region over 60% fully vaccinated people now.

Personally, we had a quiet week. On Wednesday we were in the next city to get some threads for mum's embroidery and some stuff out of the Asian foodstore. And we found a great Japanese restaurant. Mum enjoyed her sushi (I don't like that) and I had some other tasty food.

WikiTree-wise: Last weekend I participated in the challenge for Dana Leeds, and for those who watched the video, the four grandparents of Katharina Kern in Baden, those were my findings (from 9:05).

And then I added some new relatives to two bunches of people who are connected to Eckstädts, but not yet to me. I always try to get them connected at least to the Big Tree, but I had no luck yet. I think I still have to use Jamie's missing links app to find more people. Somewhere there will be a connection.

by Jelena Eckstädt G2G Astronaut (1.4m points)
Hi Jelena...I am anxious to see who will be elected in Germany. Very sorry to hear of the murder at the gas station over wearing a mask. Personally, I think it's flat out selfish for us to not want to look out for each other. This notion of 'my freedom' is not freedom to do as one pleases in a pandemic. I think it was the English philosopher, John Locke, who wrote that 'a state of liberty is not a state of license.' I know our U.S. founding fathers copped a lot of his words verbatim for the Declaration of Independence. Congratulations on your contributions to Dana Leeds' ancestry! You totally rock!
+21 votes
Friday again so soon?? Time seems to fly by faster and faster. Thank you Pip, for hosting. I have a comment about everyone around us dying - I am the last living first cousin on my Mom's side. That was a sobering realization when it happened. There are still about 10 of us on my Dad's side. I remember when my last paternal aunt was alive (she died last year at 102), she said she missed her siblings and being able to visit with them. Her husband was also deceased for a long time before her. I guess that is life but it is sad.

We had two birthdays this week - youngest grandson was 14 and my birthday was yesterday (Thursday). Hubby and I went out to eat last night and our two daughters are treating me to lunch today - in just a few minutes!! My big event this week was Wednesday when four of us spent the day at the Dallas Public Library - it was so wonderful to grab stacks of books off the shelves and to through them searching for those elusive ancestors!! We had to make an appointment but we had almost the entire genealogy floor to ourselves.

I am anxiously looking forward to next week's SourceAThon. That is always a tiring but fun weekend. I plan on plenty of snacks and the required dark chocolate and the occasional glass of red wine - and a lot of iced tea (yes, it is Texas!!)

Have a grand week everyone. See you all here again in two weeks!!
by Virginia Fields G2G Astronaut (1.2m points)
Happy birthday and happy hunting
Hi Ginny! A belated happy birthday to you. It sounds like you had a nice time with family. And a day at a library is like a day at a museum (maybe even a bit better). I am looking forward to the Thon as well. I like your food lineup and will have to follow your plan, especially the chocolate!
+20 votes
It's now officially Fall at our house ... furnace for a bit in the morning and then air conditioning in the afternoon.

Bit of a busy weekend ahead ... football games to watch, Ryder Cup golf (USA up 3-1 after this morning's rounds), grand daughter has a basketball game or two down here tomorrow ... and then I'll have to cook dinner for the kids tomorrow night ... whew!

Genealogy wise I'm trying to find info/sources for a John Pemberton from King William, Virginia ... late 1600's into the 1700's.  Family Search has a tree of some sort that has him all mixed up with a guy from Bradford, Massachusetts.  Wife just has a first name, three children with some sketchy sources ... The search goes on ...
by Bob Jewett G2G Astronaut (1.2m points)
Bob, we did the same. Heater in the a.m. and air conditioning in the p.m. This is that in-between seasons time. Soon, though, it'll be all heating. It's like that here in the mountains.
+21 votes

Hi from southern Ontario, 

Chez moi/at home: what's happening here?

Good morning, no its afternoon, I'm late today, its cold, well 14 C not that cold but very heavy clouds, that have been here since Tuesday, we have had over 100mm of rain since Tuesday, my garden pond is now 10-12 inches deeper than usual, part of the lawn was underwater, the water level is slowly dropping, but as the ground is completely soaked the water has nowhere to go. 

I had to turn the gas fire on this morning as my hands were too cold to use the keyboard. 

Our federal election is almost over, mail in ballots are still being counted, and are making a difference in ridings with close races, we have another minority government, which means that the leading party in this case the Liberals have less government seats than the other parties put together, though they do have more seats than any other party. Many Canadians like minority governments because it means that the party in power has to convince other people to support their ideas in order to get their legislation passed. 

Alton Cemetery, One Place Study, family history: I'm still working on the Hunter family, I have completed profiles for all the Hunters buried at Alton, but I want to add the members of the other 4 Hunter families, because they are descended from the same husband and wife who arrived here in 1836. And it will tie them all together. 

I contacted the Alton Village Association and have permission to post on their Facebook page, I'm hoping that current residents will be interested in sharing information about their ancestors, which could speed up the process. 

There are now 300 profiles in the Alton cemetery category 20.8% of the total. 

Reading: I'm rereading Sarum by Edward Rutherfurd, it must be 20 years since I last read it, and while I know what its about, I had forgotten all the myriad details and stories that happen in each time period. 

What else, Covid is getting very scary out west, here Delta variant cases are increasing but all seems manageable for now. We have a very good vaccination rate in Ontario, over 70% have 2 shots and over 75% have at least 1 shot. Covid vaccination passports came into effect on Wednesday, and that has given the unvaccinated reason to get jabbed. 

That's all folks, Gotta go finish the Virtual Vacation!

by M Ross G2G6 Pilot (708k points)

Hi M! OMG! Sarum! I read that for the first time about 8 or so years ago. I purchased it at 'Renaissance Books' the independent bookstore at the Milwaukee Mitchell Field International Airport at that time. A couple of years later, I found London by Rutherfurd at that same bookstore. There is a third book, as I recall. Cannot think of the name right off, but when I was at the airport yesterday I asked the owner of Renaissance if he had any Rutherfurds, which he didn't. I have to buy it there as it's like adopting Rutherfurd orphans in Renaissance Books at the airport. 

Your vaccine numbers are very good. Oh that we had those numbers, particularly in the Southern states. I saw a cousin yesterday at the airport. He is a big wig with TSA there. We chatted for a bit and I was gobsmacked when he told me that he would likely be resigning because no one was going to tell him that he had to get vaccinated and blamed the current administration for his getting cheated out of full retirement because of the vaccine mandate! He really scared me with his verbiage and I was speechless (which is shocking, I know, given my very long chats). He even went on about how the only people he knew of who died were persons who got the vaccine! So, I just wished him the best, gave him a cousin hug and went on my way.

Now I will forage for the virtual vacay! Take care!

Rutherfurd's books, I have them all, Sarum, Russka, London, The Forest, The Princes of Ireland, and the Rebels of Ireland.

They are all good but Russka is fascinating, until I read it, I didn't know that Russia has never had anything at any time that even resembles democracy.
Hi M, yes...Russka! That's the one I'm waiting for when I visit the Renaissance Books at the Milwaukee airport. It will be there one of these trips! The other three that you mention sound intriguing and I will have to see if I can get them at the independent books store in Tempe, AZ and break down and order them through my Kindle. I am trying to avoid Amazon because I don't want to give Bezos any more of my money for him to waste on spaceships that look like dildos while he pays his employees next to nothing including no health benefits. He owns Amazon, the Washington Post and Whole Foods. He doesn't need any more of my money.

Have a great weekend!
Do you have Indigo Books? They're Canadian, they do mail order.
Try Thriftbooks, Carol, generally cheap books, many supplied by charities.
Leant over to the bookcase 'Dublin' is another. Sarum is my favourite  but I'm probably biased because my daughter and grandchildren live there so it's  also a favourite place.
Just Googled him, I am way behind in knowing what he wrote, to add to his list, New York published 2009, Paris published 2013 I have read it how did I forget it , and the newest China published 2020.

Dublin is another name for The Princes of Ireland.

thriftbooks link

https://www.thriftbooks.com/a/edward-rutherfurd/197102/
The only one of his books I did not like and could not finish was the one on Russia.  It was dark and felt hopeless.  I recommend any of the others
+17 votes

Morning, all, and glad to see you back in the saddle again, Pippy - thanx for hosting Weekend Chat

A Howdy Doody Day to y'al -- Its Howdy Doody time!!! 3rd August 1949 - YouTube -- well, maybe not quite that enthusiastically ... eep - raucous, noisy, loud, deafening? yes

The dog from across the street is back home. Again.  We'll see how long our respite endures. My respite.  I did say keep the d*mn garage door shut !!! so the dog will not escape but I said it very politely, on my honor ... it is possible the garage door will be kept shut. Possible. Not expected, but still, possible. 

One of my cats howled a mighty howl yesterday AM and ran into my room and barfed .. took awhile to clean that up 

One of the same three cats decided to have a cat fight with either the dog (before it left) or the "new cat" willfully adopted and given privileges by Sig O (in the opinion of the three cats born in situ) - fortunately for the other one, whichever it was, the little warrior merely howled loudly and hissed a lot -- me and the other two cats were on the scene ASAP 

My Kindle Fire is still telling me it is too fat (full). As far as I can tell this device is insane. I checked the settings (Storage) and it's not too full

Exercise, such as it is, continues. The Sig O count the reps. Tween his strong arm and his piloting lead on my left, and my cane on the other side, I am conducted back to my room ... urk. But it's a long term project I do not doubt

My genealogical forays at WT continue -- at 1150+ Contributions on this day as of 10:23 AM - only twice did I get fouled up with one of those dreadful YOU HAVE A DRAFT SAVED situations and you CANNOT because of  that do a FULL SAVE on the profile you are addressing  ... gah !!!  Sincerely hope they get this mad-man's bollix fixed -- the causes of such insane antics of the WT software remain obscure (to me)  -- it's a FUBAR frankly 

Weather remains consistent if not much loved; so does the air pollution from the fires, worse some days than others and never "clean and clear" 

Okay, that is the sum of it 

Thank again, Pip  

by Susan Smith G2G6 Pilot (652k points)
Susan, I have so enjoyed your dog story (stories) over the past few days.
+21 votes

Virtual Vacation!

In July 2009 we went east along the St Lawrence River, stopping at several places. These pictures are from a 3 hour cruise among the 1000 islands. Called The 1000 Islands (pronounced “Thousand Islands,” not “One Thousand Islands”)

You can sail, canoe or motorboat, between islands, you can camp in the 1000 Islands national park., you can bike along the shore, go to bird sanctuaries and dive down to villages that were drowned when the St Lawrence seaway was developed. 

500px-Virtual_Vacation-197.jpg

There are actually about 1864 islands in the river. They straddle the Canada–US border in the Saint Lawrence River as it exits from the northeast corner of Lake Ontario. They stretch for about 50 miles (80 km) downstream from Kingston, Ontario. Some of the bigger islands are joined together with bridges.

Some are small even tiny rocky islands, others are very large, the biggest ones Wolfe Island, and Howe Island have year-round residents and are accessible by ferry. Apparently the official definition of an island in the river is a piece of land that stays above water throughout the year and supports a living tree, some resources say 2 trees. 

Of course the size of the island dictates what can be built. This one has the required tree but not much else.

500px-Virtual_Vacation-198.jpg

This one is completely different, the castle is built on one part of the island, the rest of it is almost park like. For avid fisherpeople, I'm told that the fishing is great.and includes small and large mouth bass, northern pike, perch, walleye, bull-head, channel cats and the mighty Muskie. 

500px-Virtual_Vacation-199.jpg

And then there is the yacht house, designed so that 3 yachts or perhaps 4 can be moored inside sheltered from the weather. 

500px-Virtual_Vacation-200.jpg

And I guess this is what happens when maintenance is not kept up, it seems to be collapsing.

500px-Virtual_Vacation-201.jpg

Then we have just enough space for the cabin, cottage, I'm not quite sure what to call this building, and there is no tree, perhaps there used to be one.

500px-Virtual_Vacation-203.jpg

This island or islands are called Zavikon Island, there is a common misperception that the small island is in New York and the larger in Canada, making the bridge the shortest international bridge in the world, but both islands are in Canada. I think this is quite a nice place for a summer home. Maybe you can get pizza delivered!

500px-Virtual_Vacation-202.jpg

by M Ross G2G6 Pilot (708k points)
I recognize Boldt Castle's play house, third picture down.
Beulah, I thought you might be familiar with this area!
Yes, I've taken the Uncle Sam boat tour a few times and been on Heart Island several times.  They are making great strides
in recreating and finishing what Boldt started for his wife.  I wonder what it would have been if she had not died.  It's a beautiful drive along the St. Lawrence on the Canadian side, returning from Kingston to the T. I. bridge area.
Hi M! Yet another exquisite VV. Is the roof of that yacht house thatch or tile or slate? It really looks to me like the thatched houses I've seen around the Lacock area. The photos are beautiful, peaceful, serene (except for the poor orphaned building that's falling in on itself). Did you know that everyone up and left the buildings on Ellis Island around 1954 and only the Coast Guard patrolled the islands. It wasn't until around 1990 when restoration began. We took photos of photos of the old decrepit buildings on display and this collapsing building made me think of the decay. They are just now beginning to restore the medical building and it is bare bones. So painful to see this history go without care. Thanks M, for this relaxing vacay!
You're welcome! The yacht house, not thatch, not slate, could be split cedar or regular roof tile, my guess more likely split cedar its water resistant and expensive.

I know nothing of any substance about Ellis Island, only the occasional snippet from movies or books. Never been to NYC.
I'll show this photo to my brother. He will likely know if it is split cedar.

If there is one thing for you to do when you visit NYC (other than the memorial), do tour Ellis Island just for the history.
You can see it here, Click where it says click here to see the original which is bigger.

https://www.wikitree.com/photo/jpg/Virtual_Vacation-200

No plans to visit NYC or any other large cities!
Thank you for another wonderful VV, M.
+21 votes

Greetings from Brightlingsea, Essex, England.

Its another Friday. so where did this week go? Met up on Monday with a former  civil service colleague for coffee which extended into shopping at the Marks & Spencer Outlet Store at Clacton Shopping village  (I was looking for some shirts) and then lunch at the Smugglers Cove pub followed by a visit to the nearby Lidl supermarket. A nice day all in all....

The rest of the week followed a usual pattern, however Thursday evening saw the first in person meeting for 18 months of my Foresters Court - Court Lifeboat No 4390 of the Ancient Order of Foresters - Brightlingsea. We had held meetings by conference call - but to meet in person was really great.  we caught up with a few issues as a result. We are looking at our social program for 2022.  We meet at the Royal British Legion Club in Brightlingsea, where we are made most welcome. W

Today, we have had a dull start to the day but around 11.30 am the sun came out and things looked alot brighter. Spent the afternoon at our beach hut - it was bright & sunny and i even got a swim - as it was an afternoon tide.

As regards wikitree have some some work on the "Burrow" connections this week.

Have a good weekend everyone.....

by Chris Burrow G2G6 Pilot (220k points)
edited by Chris Burrow

smiley Our hopes of no one at your in-person meeting being infectious.  

crying Several hosts on a national broadcast network (the View) were pulled out of a interview with VP Harris ... which put the interview "on hold" until matters are cleaned up --  

But on the whole, you sound a tad more perky, being able to get out and around 

+23 votes
Dear friends from WikiTree,

Right now I have a LOT on my plate, genealogically speaking.

A descendant of the founding mother of Mukilteo https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Upper_Skagit-1 contacted me and is proposing that the new hybrid class Washington State ferry be named after her. Time is very short for us to get all our ducks in a row (deadline October 8) and I doubt it will go through. But this is an opportunity for the Historical Society for some future commemoration. We just need more documentation about what De-Dowble-Sa (Mary Warren) Fowler did that was significant.

At the same time, the descendant is actively looking for people who know the whereabouts of Jacob Fowler's diaries. These diaries were in the possession of a local historian who died in 2013 and they were passed to her son; he says he wants MHS to have them but tracking him down has proven difficult.

A merge was proposed that had me scrambling for sources; fortunately the great Kathie Forbes stepped in and provided amazing help.

A descendant of another distant connection contacted me with her theories about a deep dark secret in post Civil War Missouri and Kansas; a wife disappeared from the records; she wanted me to call her but the phone number didn't seem to work.  

In the mean time I am grinding away with adding contributions, trying to reach 1,000 by the end of the month (30 days hath September) which is one less than many.

Tomorrow there is a work party to prepare the lighthouse interior for painting. I plan to go and say hi to board members and discuss the ferry naming situation. The next board meeting isn't until the 30th.

We have had cooler days and rain is forecast for the coming week. The county chose today to begin repaving the road that our cul-de-sac opens into.

I am thankful for you all and for WikiTree.
by Margaret Summitt G2G6 Pilot (315k points)
Busy, busy, week you had.  Image of you spinning like a top came to my mind
Hi Margaret, we are thankful for you and all you are doing not only for WT, but for preserving that outstanding Washington State history! I will cross fingers, toes and eyes with hopes that the ferry can be renamed to recognize the contributions of De-Dowble-Sa.
+21 votes

Good Friday evening, one and all!

Pip, because you host this Weekend Chat so often, you must definitely be a Wiki-Angel, if there is such a thing.  

I have spent my time very much split between two diverse activities:  one is my work on Wikitree, and the other is my desire to enrich my life by cherishing it and working diligently to make it better.  That means to get back to my COPD physical therapy daily exercises and to try to lower the carbs I eat.  (But, oh!, how I love my carbs!)  And I know that you all know full well that exercising and Wikitree are complete opposite actions.  Unless you count the exercise my fingers get on the keyboard!  But as they say ... "She perseveres."

Additions to the French Family line with Billerica, Massachusetts roots are being added more and more on Wikitree.  There's a ton of source-searching that needs to be done for each one.  I love it!  I'll probably work on just one more of the profiles before calling it a night.

May you each be blessed.

by Candyce Fulford G2G6 Pilot (117k points)
Hi Candyce, I would be willing to help with your French line every now and then. I have ancestors from Billerica and would like to see the town grow in tandem with its Baldwin and French inhabitants.

I know carbs are yummy and the companies that make these delectables know exactly how much to add to make them addictive (which is why they are so hard to not eat). First and most important, though is your COPD PT. Maybe just treat yourself to a carb right after PT, then switch to fruits, veggies and salads. Oh, one recipe I learned in Ecuador: they served a yummy dish comprised of vanilla yoghurt mixed with fresh grapefruit slices, some chopped walnuts, a sliced banana, and a few purple grapes. They topped it with some fruit gel specific to Ecuador, but I mix up all the other stuff and it is still delicious!
Candyce, hosting the Chat each weekend is a joy for me,, a privilege and an honor. Thank you for stopping by each week to check in and share your life!
+20 votes
Good Afternoon

My daughter defended her masterʻs thesis this morning, and passed. The encapsulated title is "Connecting Museums & Rural Communities Through Collaboration and Participation".

The main theme is to learn from the community what is important to the community and how they remember the past. Of course there was lots of academic research, but a good part of the work was done through conversations and formal oral histories with community members.

There is so much to learn that is not in books and records, so I want to encourage everyone to talk to anyone who might help you with your search for ancestors and the lives they led. Not everything will agree with the records but we can add to biographies the interesting bits we learn (cite your source, even if it is "Uncle Joe Said") and get hints from stories we hear about where to look for more details.

The last slide in my daughterʻs presentation showed four of her interview subjects who died during the time she was working on the thesis. She choked & the committee chair had tears . . .

The moral of this story is DO IT NOW.  And if you are the top generation** TELL YOUR STORY, or write it down. NOW.

** Top generation - like me - no living relatives in the generation above.
by Kristina Adams G2G6 Pilot (343k points)
That would be a grief indeed, to get to know them and then to have them pass on.
Hi Kristina, first kudos to your daughter for the successful defense of her thesis! That is fantastic! And many of our students have have experienced so many deaths these past now almost two years! Students have mourned the deaths of instructors and students whose programs require experiential placement have had to make do with practice sessions in other ways. Your message should be a message every day for everyone and not just during a pandemic...do it now!
Congrats to your daughter, Kristina! I'm just glad I did not have to write or defend a thesis for my master's.
Thanks, Pip. It was a lot of hard work, especially needing to do oral histories on Zoom because of Covid.

I am glad it wasnʻt me. I tested for my letters!

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