"Welcome to the Weekend Chat!" All Members Invited!! March 3rd - 5th, 2023 [closed]

+32 votes
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CHANGE TO BEST ANSWER PROCESS:  After much discussion we have come to the conclusion that all answers in the Weekend Chat are of equal importance and weight.  So we are going to discontinue the Best Answer portion as it adds points and then takes them away from posters and is causing some hurt feelings.  So in the interest of everyone is equal and valued we will delete any best answers given which will deduct those points because it has been pointed out that to give everyone best answer is also not a viable option. 

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

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

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Enjoy yourselves and spread the love!

WikiTree profile: Pip Sheppard
closed with the note: ‘Til next Friday!
in The Tree House by Pip Sheppard G2G Astronaut (2.9m points)
closed by Pip Sheppard
Yep, our weather has been crazy, too. Congrats on the weight loss! I've been working on losing, too. I'm down almost 25 pounds since November.
That's great, Nelda. You inspire me!
Love the uniqueness of this spire.
It looks like the swirl on some of those vanilla ice cream cones. Very nice photo capture, M!

Theology and the science of climate change...
Our cousin Carol is right, Pip. I'm all about injury as metaphor...a wake-up call from the Universe, as it were. Got my own message Thursday night, which I'll discuss later. Not life-threatening, but a whup upside the head that I probably needed. Take care of yourself and slow down a bit! (I know, I know..."if I don't do it, who will?" You'd be surprised.) -D
@M, I love it! Must see someday.

You always have the best pictures of your travels.
D, Thanks but It isn't my photo, I copied it from the local town website, we drove past the church last summer on the way to Old Brampton about 5 miles west where my 5 x GGF lived for a few years and died, he was buried in the local churchyard in 1799, along with his daughter Anne who died at age 1 in 1796.

You'd be surprised, Cousin D. I have greeters covering my three hour morning shift tomorrow as I take my wife to the doctor and the Rx afterwards. I really can't do it all. Learned that the hard way a while back.

Well thanks for all you do get done, including The Chat
My honor and pleasure, K! Thanks!

46 Answers

+31 votes
I went to visit Mulberry Plantation in Camden, South Carolina and had a great visit with my cousins there. The property and the mansion are probably in the best shape of the different plantation homes I have visited. It was impressive.  We also spent some time visiting other areas around town where we lived in the 1960's and the farm where we raised turkeys.  

Genealogy documentation has taken a bit of a back seat while I was traveling.  But I was able to get her some useful info and clarify a few biographical items.  I am just starting to review my data to be sure I have it right
by Gurney Thompson G2G6 Pilot (571k points)
Gurney, if you ever get down to Charleston, SC, you can see several old plantation homes nicely preserved.

I'm sure you are not missing the weather back in Colorado!
Always nice to stroll down memory lane! What type of turkeys did you raise? I read an interesting book about a lady who got into heritage breeds and kind of fell head first down a turkey farming rabbit  hole. (Turkey hole?)
"Turkey hole" HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!
LOL! Love it! (We just have huge flocks of the wild ones here.)
+29 votes

Good morning Pip and the weekend chatters.

I have been preparing for my brother's funeral tomorrow (Sat. Mar 4).

Weather:

  • Currently, it is 62ºF and partly cloudy. It is very windy.
by Tommy Buch G2G Astronaut (2.3m points)
So sorry for your loss Tommy. (((Hugs)))
Tommy, my brother and I have always been close. I want to visit him in California as much as I can while I still can. We will hold your brother in our hearts in prayer.
So sorry for your loss, Tommy (no, system, this is no duplicate!)
Condolences to you and yours, man. :(
Hi Tommy, it is March 4 and I just wanted to let you know that I am thinking of you. I have a zoom call with my Healing Touch nurse colleagues at 10am and will include you and your family in our spiritual healing circle.
Sorry to hear of your loss.
I am very sorry for the loss of your brother, Tommy. Prayers for you and your family.
MY DEEPEST SYMPATHY.  TOO MANY GOOD PEOPLE LEAVING THIS EARTH TOO SOON.SPENT LAST WEEKEND AT A WAKE FOR A YOUNG MAN.  I HATE CANCER, COVID, DIABETES, AND ANY OTHER SERIOUS HEALTH ISSUE THAT STRIKES WITHOUT MERCY.  SORRY CAPS LOCK STUCK AGAIN
Holding you and your family in the Light, Tommy. So sorry.
Tommy: I am so sorry for your loss. Anne
+30 votes

Hey Pip and Weekend Chatters!

Right there with ya on wacky weather, Pip - NE KY had near 80F temps in the last week and have projected snow for next weekend!

I wish I'd known you two years ago when I was down-sizing my ecumenical library - I had a tonna stuff you probably woulda loved.crying

Gen-wise, I had to lay off the USCT and the Frontier Forts projects I started at the first of this month, cause those stories were just a little too sad to take in big bites. For a break I've been working on the Appalachia Project's February Challenge for the Frontier Nursing Service. The stories of these folks are incredible and uplifting - so anyone looking for some good-feels should certainly join in (still plenty of work to do even though Feb is over wink).

by Mel Bishop G2G6 Mach 7 (78.7k points)
Hi there, Mel! I would have loved to see those books of yours, but then just where would I put them?!? My library is packed. Maybe I need to downsize, too.
I'm also having a hard time letting my Frontier nurses go, will definitely keep going back to those hard working women! I have side projects I have to step away from even though I think they are important, like Remember the Children and the Disasters Project. Even working on Civil War Soldiers is heart-heavying at times. I try to keep enough wiki-plates spinning that there is always some other branch to escape to.
I will also keep revisiting the FNS nurses.  There are lots of years of bulletins to give us more names to research.  This month's Civil War challenge for prisoners at Andersonville is rough.  I've found a soldier to work on, but need to get my head and heart in the right place.
The Frontier Nursing Service is definitely special.  I will continue to work on those profiles, too.

Mel, thank you for mentioning the Frontier Nurses.  I have learned so much about a spark of an idea can bring about so much help and good.  makes you wonder who would not be here if it were not for a Frontier Nurse. 

The maternal mortality rate for Frontier Nursing Services was 9.1 per 10,000 births, compared with 34 per 10,000 births for the United States as a whole.

I've gotta check that project out, Mel. Sounds fascinating...too many balls in the air right now, though.
+29 votes

Good morning weekend chat fans! This week has been an absolute whirlwind, such is the life of a toddler-and-school-age-child mom. I can’t believe it is March already though the weather certainly has been roaring like a lion recently. Plenty of rain for those up and coming flowers.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention how in awe of collaboration and kindness I am. Having been chosen as a member to be RAWK-ed, my CC7 has already rocketed up over a hundred connections and I am simply overwhelmed with gratitude. When I started here a year and a half ago I was intimidated to go from essentially nothing (no early tree connections for me) but I have finally found a groove and this is super charging my progress. I am humbled by all those willing to dedicate their precious time to helping boost my connections. I so often find that work on my projects, challenges, etc takes precedence and I have very little left to actually grow my own tree. I AM SO GRATEFUL and yes, that was a shout. Thank you for every kindness. I plan to return the favor, I am RAWKing others even as I myself am RAWKed!

Outside genealogy, many of my Webelos (cub) scouts are getting ready to advance at our pack meeting this week so I am very excited for them to put on rank we have been working on since September. Also with scouts this weekend, we have a Robotics camp-in at the air and space center that I am VERY excited for! They are screening us our own IMAX and the kids are building/programming robots, then we camp overnight in the museum. I love when I can bring STEM to the kids, it always goes over well. I have a very enthusiastic little group of scientists so I can’t wait for tomorrow night! 

Wikitree-wise, excited for Bingo today and staying busy categorizing Appalachian cemeteries (Washington County still, lots of partials in there). Always work to be done but glad to be able to see progress. Basically just another week of being amazed and happy to be here!

by Erin Robertson G2G6 Pilot (194k points)
Ain't this community great, Erin?! Your tree has blossomed! I am glad to hear of it. RAWK away!
Erin, a science camp-in sounds like so much fun. Good luck wrangling the scouts for overnight stay. :-)
Erin - Did you mention Bingo and Appalachia in the same sentence?  I'm impressed!  Have fun with the Scouts at camp!!
Erin, you deserve to be RAWKed!
EVER WATCH BATTLBOTS ON THURSDAY NIGHTS ON DISCOVERY CHANNEL?   AMAZING WHAT SOME OF THOSE MACHINES CAN DO
+29 votes

¡Buenos días a todos from the Old Pueblo! It is 8am and 37F (2.8C) with an expected high of 59F (15C) with sunny skies in Tucson. I woke up to snow yesterday! It is something to see snow-capped saguaros and other vegetation in our desert. Snow in Tucson on March 1st. If I wanted to see snow, I would spend time with my family in Wisconsin this time of year. Thank you so much, California, for sending that storm of yours our way.

 I am now enrolled in the AARP HMO POS plan as of March 1st. It was my way of celebrating St. David’s Day this year. I already have appointments for CTA scans of the head and neck, and an MRI of the lumbar spine on Monday. I called imaging to give them the new information yesterday and they had already been contacted by the new insurers. I called Cigna on Tuesday and explained why I was switching plans, expressed my ire at persons sitting in offices looking at my records (and not me) to make decisions as to whether they will approve care that my health providers (who do see me) have ordered. I also told them that I would be sending a letter of complaint to Medicare.

 My office redo was NOT completed this past Monday! I have an office that includes a Murphy bed. I am having the Murphy bed removed to make space for more bookshelves. I paid the contractor in full (big mistake) toward the end of December and was told that the work would be done at the start of February. These are custom made shelves with cabinet doors. The company does excellent work, but this situation has been a fiasco. Two workers showed up on Monday solely to remove the Murphy bed! No shelves, nothing! It is going to be at least another month of inconvenience before these shelves are done. I should have known better than to pay them in full!

 As to the new loos, installation has been postponed due to snow, which was my choice. I do not deal at all well with cold weather. The doors would have been open, only to let cold air in and I did not want to jack up the heat only to heat the outside. The plumber was very good about rescheduling for this next Wednesday. I can only hope we do not have yet another ‘snow day’ in Tucson.

I have a fair amount of genealogy-related information. First, I received my Winter edition of American Ancestors. For those of you interested in genetic genealogy, there is a very nice article that describes the use of FTDNA Y700 to examine kinship between Samuel and Captain Richard Walker of PGM-era Massachusetts. Citation: Walker, Eugene Allen. Samuel Walker, Kinsman of Captain Richard Walker. American Ancestors (NEHGS). Winter 2023, Volume 23, #4. Pages 38-41. S (Hill) Wilson also posted this on the Walkers’ respective WikiTrees.

The Baldwins of Buckinghamshire are going to be my death! I managed to complete Richard Baldwin (1468-1485), his uncle John ‘Baldewyn’ (1438-1469), and Richard’s niece Alice Baldwin (1509-1546). In between completing these profiles, which I adopted a while back, I have been working on Sir John Baldwin, MP, Chief Justice of the Common Pleas during the reign of Henry VIII. Richard is his brother; John is uncle and Alice one of his daughters. This profile is still somewhat of a crap-tangle. It was uploaded as a GEDCOM in 2011 and with very little work done on it. What was done had been barely sourced and conflated with my Baldwin ancestors and several of their children, who also lived in Buckinghamshire about the same time.

 Sir John Baldwin presided over the trials of Bishop John Fisher, Sir Thomas More, AND Anne Boleyn, and her ‘conspirators.’ I am determined to complete Sir John’s profile this weekend so that I can move on to his children and grandchildren, who are a very interesting bunch. Hearsay has it that my ancestors are related, but we do not know the connection. Maybe I will be lucky enough to find the connection, although this Sir John was mercenary on behalf of Henry VIII. Included in Anne’s trial as a lustful conspirator was Sir John’s own cousin Sir Henry Norris, Groom of the Stool (do not even ask). He was found guilty and beheaded as well. I do not really know if I want to claim kinship with Sir John.

 I do, however, want to claim Wiki-kinship with Andrew Millard, Nic Donnelly and Susie Officer of the England Team. I found that John Baldewyne (1438-1469) had a will. I discovered this in the Ancestry site, but the quality of the image was beyond poor. Susie obtained the pdf from The National Archives in London and emailed it to me. I could make out a few bits of information based on my old church Latin; however, Andrew and Nic really filled in some fine information as to contents. We get more than by with a little help from our friends (to paraphrase The Beatles).

 Pip, thank you as always for wrangling the chat! Did Mike let you know about the snow? And to all my fellow Chatterers, I hope you enjoy a happy, healthy and productive first weekend in March 2023.

by Carol Baldwin G2G Astronaut (1.3m points)
edited by Carol Baldwin
Carol, Mike Did send me tome pics of the snow around his home. He was surprised that there was even that much. Bet he's not doping any hiking lately. BTW: He's grown a beard, but I wonder how long he will keep it.

Yep, paying ahead of time makes contractors work slower. Been there, done that. Lesson learned. Now I wait for work to be done before shelling out the dough.

Thanks for tackling those gedcommed Baldwins. I bet it's a mess, but knowing you, you'll get it all worked out.

Hope all the insurance stuff gets worked out so that you can get the attention you need. Hang in there!
Hey Pip, we'll hang in there together! We had a saying  when I worked in hospice, "A joy shared is doubled, a sorrow shared is halved." I think of this during the chats each week and when I am working on the tree with my WT family! You are my brother from another mother.
That is a cool saying. I'm going to remember that one, Carol!
Getting paid should be an incentive, it appears it doesn't work that way, when all is done I would be tempted to post a review on a local contractor review site.
If they don't get crackin' I will likely leave a review. Thanks, M.

I found that the Fitchburg, Massachusetts Historical Society has had some film from November of 1941 restored and digitized. At 43:55 starts a clip of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, followed by the Visiting Nurses. At 50:29-57:58 there is footage of the Burbank Hospital Campus-both outside and in, where my dad and I were born - they just kept adding on buildings. The hospital footage segues into the Nursing Program at State Teacher's College at Fitchburg [Fitchburg State College when I studied there, now Fitchburg State University]. In two hours they worked out a pretty thorough tour of some businesses and city departments, a few schools, several churches, and civic events from the Veterans Day Parade to the High School Thankgiving Day football game at Crocker Field. Sadly, not much footage of the various storefronts along Main Street, but the Historical Society has a colletion of stills. It is evident that the draft started some months before, but this was all done just before the bombing of Pearl Harbor.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVoDRSeANV8

Carol, so glad you're getting the insurance fiasco straightened out at last. The office? I hope those guys come back soon to do your shelves. There seems to be a nationwide construction labor shortage; T is restoring a historic building in downtown Laurium and never knows from day to day  whether his help will show up. (True, one guy has another sporadic part-time job at the landfill.)

Your Sir John sounds like he had to "go along to get along" with Henry, otherwise it might be off with his head too. (I can think of a few contemporary, if not so literal, parallels, but never mind...;P) Fascinating mess, the Baldwins! I'm not brave enough to delve too deeply into pre-1700 England yet.

Take care!
Hi D, thank for your comments and I hope the guys get the shelves done soon as well. I could have made interest on that $3K while waiting!

Sadly, "Go along to get along" has occurred far to often in history to suit me! At some point you will take the leap and give pre-1700 a try. I am finding pre-1500 to be a challenge, but get great help and feedback from the England Team!
+28 votes
Hails and horns, Wikipeeps!

How is everyone doing? On the genealogy front, I posted a blog about people that were gone too soon. Be cautious as you will have feels: https://allroadhaverhill.blogspot.com/2023/03/52-ancestors-week-9-gone-too-soon.html

With that in mind, you may want to peek at the g2g thread. So many feels there, too. Wow.

https://www.wikitree.com/g2g/1544063/52-ancestors-week-9-gone-too-soon

People being gone too soon happens. We just gotta deal, ya know. Be sure to have some tissues and make sure no one's cutting onions!

I also cleaned up some profiles from San Pietro as I was unsure about the dates. Now everything seems to be better up to like 1856. Speaking of San Pietro, I asked for help in the commune's Facebook group and some guy tried to pitch me his book on the history of San Pietro. It's in Italian and it costs like 44 Euros. Lovely!

I showed this to my friend in town and she was like "Yeah....I think I'll just help you instead." She's gonna talk to some people. Seriously, dude tried to sell me on his book. That was odd.

On the non genealogy front, it's been snowing off and on here in Salem and we're doing okay here. Mother Nature is clearly heavily drunk. Last night I went out to dinner with my mom and there was this lady nearby cackling like a witch. She barely had one sip of a martini and was cackling. We got out of there before the second round and she started riding around on the broom. Should have told her she was in the WRONG Salem. The other one is  thirty-nine miles away!!

On the ebay front, I may just cancel stuff on ebay. Not getting any hits. It is what it is. I got some people WATCHING but not buying. It frustrates me a wee bit. Whatever.

I hope everyone has a great weekend! Enjoy the blog! Thanks for hosting, Pip!
by Chris Ferraiolo G2G6 Pilot (879k points)

Loved your blog, Chris! If you see someone leaving a comment named "The Old Man", it may or may not be me. laugh

Chris, that pic with your grandfather.... you haven't changed a bit. laugh Seriously, I do know how it is when an anchor of the family dies and everyone seems to go their own way. Since my mom's generation passed on, there have been no plans for any reunion. Those used to happen on a regular basis. No longer.

@ John: Luckily through the power of the Internet and comparing IP addresses I was able to determine "The Old Man" was you and not the late "Old Man in the Mountains" here in NH. Thanks for the comment!

@ Pip: Everyone changes. It's whether they accept the change or not is the tricky part. And yea when an anchor dies, it's so sad. I think he was the one who started those Christmas eve parties. Sounds like his style. Maybe you can start a reunion with your fam. Tell people you want to start one and see what happens. Couldn't hurt to try!
Great blog this week, I hope it was not too sad for you to write about. The gifts our ancestors give us are so bittersweet when acknowledging their passing. I wish we had known my husband's birth mom, she was murdered when my husband was a baby. We talk a lot about all that she missed.
@ Erin: I did have to take a couple breaks while writing the blog. It happens when there's a touchy subject. It's okay to take breaks now and then.

So sorry about your husband's birth mom. =(
@ C Now that you got us all in a moment of reflection, what is your preferred way to bid adieu, a traditional sermon, mass, celebration of life?
I like to say “condolences to you and yours” as it seems like the most inoffensive way to say condolences on the internet,
From time to time, I pause to think about how I think about, stuff. Your question last week inspired me to pause. In my lifetime, funerals have changed almost as drastically as society itself. I have read obits from the past where an estimated 500 people attended a funeral, some traveling a good distance, on horses, buggies and trains. My dad, on the other hand, wanted and expected everyone to go about their business as if he never existed. There is really no point to this post except as an afterthought to your question last week. All who have departed are gone to soon. How we choose to honor or grieve them should also reflect their desires. I often wonder if Joe Diffie's headstone resembles a juke box.
Ciao Cousin Chris! I actually dreamed I was going to Italy last night! Honest to gosh! My sister and I went to Turin to do genealogy on our Giorgio familia! Portent of travel to come following dream travel? My sister will want to travel in a bright yellow Mustang convertible TARDIS.
@ K: Glad I could help. I think about some stuff sometimes but I try not to dwell on it.

@Carol: Sounds like a fun dream! I would love to go to Italy. Mustang convertible tardis, huh? The Doctor must have fixed the chameleon circuit.
Great blog, Chris! The family is lucky to have you. I often wonder who will take up the mantle when I'm gone; no kids, and only one younger cousin on my mother's side with a connection to the New England stuff (he lives in Florida).

I tried to get an Armistead reunion together a few years back, but it was like herding cats in a thunderstorm. Another distant cousin apparently succeeded, but the timing didn't work out for me.

Sometimes, maintaining family connections feels so one-sided.
Chris, my thoughts went to Franconia Notch as well.
+30 votes

Greetings from soggy Mesa, Arizona!  And apparently one of the few parts of Arizona that didn't get actual snow dumped on it during this last storm, although there was a pretty dusting of it on the Superstitions Mountains just to the east.

On the genealogy front, a completely random event led me to solve a mystery on an offshoot of my family tree.  My 3rd great-uncle Morris Freeman married a woman named Freelove who died young, and I was completely at a loss on her LNAB.  She appears only in the 1850 Plymouth, Michigan census, then less than a month later she's buried in the Old Baptist Cemetery of that town.  Having no descendants, she doesn't appear in any family trees.  Well, this week Wikitree's "suggestions" notified me that someone had erroneously merged her Find-a-Grave memorial with that of another woman named Freelove (Wells) Chilson, who was old enough to be her mother.  Going back to the 1850 census, Seril & Freelove Chilson and children are neighbors (!! how did I not see this before?) to the newlywed Morris & Freelove Freeman, Morris working as a blacksmith on or adjacent to the Chilsons' farm.  The ages and birthplaces all line up - the Chilsons were from Massachusetts, but married and had the first few of their children in New York before moving to Michigan in the mid-1830s.  I'm 99.9% certain that Freelove Freeman is Freelove (Chilson) Freeman and updated her profile accordingly.  

by Nancy Freeman G2G6 Mach 3 (39.6k points)
Hello Nancy, from your neighbor to the south in Tucson! Yes, we got dumped yesterday and not just a wee dusting! Saguaros etc. had visible snowl There was enough of the stuff for a brief snowball fight, except I stayed indoors where it was warm. It is still cold today (in MARCH), but no snow.

Congratulations on your find! And I think many of us have had your "how did I not see this before" moment.
Nancy, random events seem to be what drives my WIkiTree work. Good for you that yours led to some more discoveries.
The days I know for sure what will happen, I tend to sleep in.
Freelove Freeman. Amazing.
Woohoo - congratulations on a mystery solved, and thank you for TLC to a woman with no living descendants.
Carol, it's crazy that I was down in Tucson two weeks ago for a trail race, and wearing a skirt rather than tights because the weather was so warm and brilliant!
@Nancy...YUP! And my heating bills are much higher this year than last year and the graph on the bill shows the differences between annual temperatures. Maybe they should start a 'groundhog day' here in Tucson. We could call it Javalina Day, or Coyote Day, or Bobcat Day, or Puma Day or some such thing.

I'm going with Javalina Day!"

I think they do Prairie Dog Day instead.

As a kid, I observed prairie dogs a lot. My father told me that prairie dogs were cousins of the groundhogs. There was one prairie dog in our backyard named Petunia. She was more accurate than Phil in PA. 

@Pip I think most cacti are prone to fermentation. Why not Cacti day! A shot of To-Kill-Ya to ward off the winter.
Uh... how about Glenlivet 12 year single malt?
I was trying to keep it local. I used to plow and till gardens as a side hustle. Every year b/t G-day and St Paddy-Wagon day a group or 6or7 gardeners insisted their gardens to be tilled, so the could get their taters in the ground by St Pats day. Without fail, the majority would come to the garden area w/ a bottle of Scotch and a shot glass as an offering to ward off winter. At least one bottle of home distilled spirits would be present. Something distilled from potatoes that was b/t vodka and turpentine. I'm thinking at least if we used a cacti, we would have salt and lime to get the taste out of your mouth.
@Pip...save the Glenlivet for Scotland, South Carolina

@Eileen, the Javalina are so much more prevalent, though! They even root in our section south of the common pool area. Sadly, I found one lying on the side of Orange Grove and Oracle last week. Someone hit a baby javalina and just left it. It was defiitely deceased. I called our animal control and they have since removed the little guy. People forget that they (and all the other critters) were here first.
+26 votes
Thank You for hosting the Chat Pip.

Musings from Northeast Ohio on Americas North Coast.

Weather, Mostly above freezing during the day and below freezing at night. Normal for around here this time of year but it is taking a toll on these old joints.

Home Front, Monday, Took the elderly neighbor for a appointment at the University Hospitals Cancer Center.

Tuesday, Diane had a doctors appointment then we went to some salvage stores.

Wednesday, Nothing much, I worked on some profiles on WikiTree and designed some business cards for myself. I printed up about 50 cards because with all of the amateur radio things I do it is easier to hand out a card than to try and give the contact information to others who may need it.

Thursday, Went to the store in the morning and then got gas in the car.

Genealogy, Just plugging away with sourcing, formatting and connecting some profiles. As I predicted I did not make 100 contributions in February but here are my top contributions for that month. as of this writing I have made 76 contributions this month and my CC7 is 1030.

My top contributions for last month were February 2023

Surname Profiles Edited COOK list icon #2 contributor 40 YEAGER list icon #2 contributor 5 BURR list icon #5 contributor 4 MERVINE list icon #1 contributor 3 ANASTASSAKIS list icon #1 contributor 2 DUTTON list icon #4 contributor 2 ANASTASAKIS list icon #1 contributor 2 FISH list icon #7 contributor 2 BEAVER list icon #3 contributor 2 SMITH list icon 1
by Dale Byers G2G Astronaut (1.8m points)
Find anything cool at the salvage store this time around, Dale?
Several things Pip. The best was BBQ Tuna in Grits.
I have had BBQ tuna before, but never in grits. Sounds like something this ol' Southern boy would like, Dale.
I've had grits with a seafood omelette down in New Orleans during my summer vacation in 2019. It was so good.
Had shrimp and grits for the first time last fall in Savannah. It was to die for!

BBQ tuna and grits? Hmmm...that might work too...
D, It did work. I might try it again if they still have some at the salvage store the next time we go there.
+28 votes

Trying to remember what I did this week.....

  • Started on the RAWK project. Working on the family tree of Erin (Soltysiak) Robertson.
  • Identified another DNA match, this time a 4C. This was on another line that I didn't have previous DNA matches.
  • So that caused more CC7 work
  • Oh, a cool discovery! I knew one of my great-grandmothers, Jesse Mae (Longan) Thompson. She had 3 marriages. For the life of me, though, my family never talked about any of her husbands. I had minimal info on husbands 2 and 3. Earlier I had talked about my discovery of husband #2. Well, I have finally identified husband #3! John Oscar Thompson. More work still needs to be done of course. But this also added a bunch to my CC7. 
  • I helped various things with people in the Appalachia project. There seemed to be some interest in the Melungeons this week. I need to go back and rework that page some more.
  • Started a case with Adoption Angels project.
I'm sure there's more stuff. But I think those are the highlights.
by Eric Weddington G2G6 Pilot (556k points)
Eric, you had lots of highlights this week!
Eric, there were three great-grandparents still alive when I was born, but only met one of the just once. Congrats on nailing down that third marriage. I bet your CC7 is going to soar!
+29 votes

I would have loved to see the steeple being installed.   I hope you have pictures to share!

I cannot believe that it's already Friday!  Somewhere I lost a week's worth of time doing Genealogy and Reading. 

Genealogy:  I have been working with fellow Appalachia Project members to RAWK our team member, Erin Robertson.  We have connected her tree to Ireland, Italy, and multiple locations in Germany.  Anytime I can help a fellow Marylander always brings me back home to Steamed Crabs & Natty Boh, Fishers Popcorn, and the seasoning that I keep in my purse at all times.... Old Bay.

For my business, it's been a week of research.  I was lucky to do a webcast with a very smart Appalachian (a professor from WV Univ) regarding the enviromental impact of E. Palestine.  My thoughts & prayers go out to my fellow Appalachians & WT'ers in Ohio.  The Professor recommended the movie, Dark Waters.   If you haven't seen it already, definitely see it!

And, I have managed to secure an early copy of Appalachia on the Table.  A discussion about long held preconceptions.  If you are into History & Culture and...food, this book is amazing.  The book, honestly, could be written about many different locations/cultures because it talks about "poor mountain food", soul food, and Native American food as well.   


Guess what day it is for all of us that are #NotAtRootsTech??    Bingo Friday!

At Noon (EST) is the ONS Project on YouTube

At 6pm (EST) is the OPS Project on YouTube

If you have ever been confused or whether to use Wood or Woods, Reed or Reid for ONS, join us for Bingo!

If you have ever wanted to know what is considered "too large" for a OPS, join us for Bingo!

by Sandy Patak G2G6 Pilot (363k points)

really want to watch the OPS bingo. I have had this place rolling arond in my head for about a year now. Maybe this will finally push me over the edge!

I bet Erin is busting buttons, what with all the new discoveries!

I watched both your ONS and OPS bingo nights. They were both informative.

I saw that there was a Hill ONS and it was currently missing a coordinator.  Just wondering if I have the capacity to take on an ONS.

Steph
Hi Sandy, I missed Bingo at Roots Tech due to zoom conference calls. Fortunately, I can go back and watch what I missed at the conference. Hope you are doing well and sounds like you are having fun, fun, fun!

@Stephanie... the great thing about ONS and OPS is that you can always work on them as you have time because for the most part.... they will never end.  I definitely recommend taking on the Hill ONS... and then post in G2G that you are seeking helpers. laugh

+30 votes

Hello, Chatters!

Pip, sorry about your arm.  Hope it's feeling stronger soon. We did get lots of rain this week.  Local mountains had as much as 7 feet of snow and are struggling to dig out.  

Genealogy-wise, I'm working on profiles in Upshur County, WV  that are missing cemetery categories, researching Civil War prisoners who died in Andersonville Prison, Data Doctoring and my CC7 count.  I like lots of variety. smiley  I will also be catching up on RootsTech presentations this weekend.

Happy weekend, everyone!

by Karen Stewart G2G6 Pilot (136k points)

I have one cousin who died at Andersonville, Karen. Ephraim Cobb. His mother got a pension for his service.

That's gotta be a tough project to do, Karen. Andersonville. I wish you all the best on that project!
I have visited Andersonville and although most of it is gone, just standing on that ground is a feeling that I've never felt before.   Thanks for working on this important soliders and adding their profiles.
@ Pip, re cousin Ephraim, he was my 14c2r. How bout you
First cousin, three times removed.
Kind of related to this, I have tied the Smith's to some Underwoods up here in Lone Jack, I think just [prior to the Civil War, I have not revisited connection finder  since the discovery.
+29 votes
While been busy watching rootstech sessions, i have found an undated family on WT that i need to connect to my paternal Tyner family(by marriage). currently they are 30 degrees from me, hopefully by connecting them, they should be closer! weather wise, its cloudy but dry in Wicklow Ireland! i have downloaded the syllabus from a few rootstech sessions so i can look back when i am free!
by John Tyner G2G6 Mach 7 (70.9k points)
Good luck in your research on that undated family, John. Let us know if you make that connection!
John - thanks for keeping us updated on which sessions you have been watching...especially the one that wasn't really your thing (so I could also skip it).
As promised, here is my reply, i have now made the connection, so it has gone from 30 degrees... down to 9 degrees!!
Woohoo! Great work, John!!!!
+25 votes
The weather here has held true to a pattern – snow on Wednesday. We've had it snow 7 out of the last 8 Wednesdays. Not much this time and it melted quickly. It's currently just barely above freezing but should warm up some if the sun comes out. Spring is getting closer.

My design class is working on a landscape design for a sort of memorial for our instructor who was killed. We are finally having classes again. My writing class didn't meet this week due to RootsTech so I've had some time for the writing assignments.  IGHR (Institute for Genealogical and Historical Research) opens registration tomorrow. Still debating a course but will probably pass this year.

Genealogically, didn't get much done. I did find some DNA matches that I need to follow up on. I like the triangulation feature that MyHeritage has.  There are a number of matches that triangulate to the same segment that only have the Robertson surname in common with me plus a few other segements that match with me but aren't triangulated. Trying every way to break down that brick wall.
by Doug McCallum G2G6 Pilot (575k points)
Yes, spring IS getting closer, Doug, and I am all ready for it (as is my wife!). Lots of trees budding out early this year, but other plants are not being fooled by our warmer temps.

I've got to run over to Rootstech! I almost forgot it was this weekend. I missed the WikiTree live cast yesterday.
+25 votes

Howdy folks! Greetings from a sunny, and windy central Oklahoma! We had a derecho blow through on Sunday evening. Derechos are fast moving storms (50-60 mph) that can have straight line winds over 100 mph and can also have small tornadoes imbedded in them. Luckily, the bad stuff went south of us, but Moore and Norman got hammered pretty good. Those two towns, especially Moore, are tornado magnets for some reason. Unfortunately one person died, dozens were injured, and they will be assessing property damage for a while. I hope this isn't how the spring is going to go, but we've had several quiet springs in a row, so here we go. 

We just got back yesterday from Brook's state convention for Oklahoma Emergency Managers Assoc. down in Durant, OK at the HUGE Choctaw Casino. It's always a good time hanging out with those folks. Monday morning Brook called me asking if I would be interested in sitting in on a leadership class. They needed butts in the seats since a bunch of EMs had to go home after the storm. I used parts of my brain that had been shut down for years, but I am now certified for Disaster Resilience against Cyber Attacks through FEMA and DHS. I didn't understand a damn thing that guy was talking about, but I got breakfast and lunch out of the deal, so yayy me. laugh Brook brought the crud home with her, but I'm good so far. Fingers crossed.

On the genealogy front, I improved a TON of my profiles (still have a TON to go) while at the conference. I'm not much of a gambler, and the sounds and crowds are a bit overwhelming for me, so I spent a lot of time in our suite (Brook gets a suite since she is a state officer) working on profiles and doing Ranger duty. It was a productive week. 

Tonight is the meeting about our class reunion. Me and almost every gal that I graduated with in the same room may have been a dream come true back in the day, but tonight I just want to escape with what's left of my sanity and no headache. yes

Thanks Cousin Pip for being the host with the most, and I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!

Until next time.....

John

 

by John Vaskie G2G6 Pilot (255k points)
John -  On Twitter, I saw several pictures of the Derechos and also the Dust Storms from a week ago.  Glad to see you are safe.
Thanks Sandy!
I know you guys like your tornados down that way, do you have many microbursts?
K, those start showing up towards the end of next month and stick around through the summer. Never a dull moment.

"I didn't understand a damn thing that guy was talking about" John, I have been in too many meetings just like this. I can relate! Also like you, I need lots of peace and quiet to get any work done. Noise and movement just feed my ADHD.

I love me some mother nature. The more violent she is, the more I can rest assured that He who created it, is still in control. Nothing like donning your slicker to go crappie fishing during a thunderstorm!
K, I'll go with that!
John, ever chase any tornados?
Hi K.

Back in the day, the fire department I was on, trained as storm spotters. At one point the insurance people put a stop to it. When the 3 May 1999 tornado outbreak happened, I spent 3 days searching for survivors, and recovering fatalities. People think I'm a bit whack because I like to watch tornadoes. They fascinate me.
We were coming back from a show in OKC and ran into a wall of green. Hail so big you thought it was going to knock your windshield out. Since we saw an occasional car on the other side of the highway, we kept on. Got kind of nervous when we didn't see any oncoming headlights for a bit since we had far less than 1/4 mile visibility. Obviously, we survived. I was very surprised to learn there was no reported tornado.
+26 votes

Hi from southern Ontario,

Chez moi/at home: what's happening here?  The weather forecast says: Friday afternoon flurries, Friday evening blizzard, Friday night blizzard up to 5cm of snow per hour, the blizzard's cause a Texas Low. surprise Thanks everyone in Texas for sending this gift!

Changing to ordinary snow about 1am with about another 8cm by 10am, Saturday, by the afternoon it will be 4C and sunny, just in time for shoveling.

Some snow on Saturday night, Sunday afternoon 5-6C and sunny, good weather for shovelling any remaining snow. 

WikiTree: Not much got done this week, I finished uploading the headstone photos I have taken at Alton. 

Then fixed or ignored, designated as False suggestions, many Find a Grave related suggestions. I find it annoying when Find a Grave managers add birth and/or death dates to a memorial plus family members when they are not on the headstone, or the inscription is illegible and there are no records to support either date. 

Its why I prefer Canadian Headstones they have their own photos, transcribe the inscription and don’t add unverified or unverifiable info. 

Cousin Sharon is researching/working on a new group of families for me to add to WT. 

Other: The stove repair person came on Monday with the replacement parts, only to find out he only had 1 part and there was supposed to be 2. No new parts are available for part #2, so amazingly he said our lab can fix the old part and or build a new one, if necessary, that did mean he had to take the old part to the lab. Which also meant that the burners don’t work now.  

He said they set up the fixing and manufacturing lab, because of the parts shortage plus it gives people the more environmentally friendly option of fixing rather than replacing. 

We have the microwave, the BBQ, an electric one burner, and a slow cooker, it is working out alright, good thing my freezer is full of homemade soups, casseroles etc. 

The new counter will be installed on Monday, then the new sink goes in, and the dishwasher gets reconnected, by this time next week all should be done, and photos can be posted for Carol Baldwin’s review! wink

by M Ross G2G6 Pilot (954k points)
M, seems like the issue with getting things done around the house has turned into an epidemic (see Carol's post above). We have a lot of the same appliances you do, so if our oven and stovetop ever went out, we'd survive, but maybe not happily.
@M Ross, It sounds like your stove repurpose is akin to my 'Murphy bed' repurpose! As mentioned in my post, I paid these guys in December and they only just put the 'door' of the bed as the back frame of the bookcase on Monday. I have no idea when my cases will be done!

I am looking forward to the reno photos! Please post before & after!
At 11.26pm we now have about 18 inches of snow on the ground and it doesn't look like stopping any time soon.

The wind is blowing the snow directly on the front of the house and its getting hard to open the front door.
Stay safe and warm, M. That would be too much snow for us down here.
@M! What Pip said. We got those winds in Tucson from California!

The blizzard of March 3 2023!

The most interesting/ exciting part of the storm was the thunder snow, that's when there is a thunderstorm happening during a blizzard, with both loud thunder and lightening flashes that light up the sky  as far as you can see.

I took this picture from inside about 10.30 on Friday night. The snow was blowing directly on the front of the house. This is the storm door with so much snow stuck to it that I couldn't see outside.

500px-Miscellaneous_images-134.jpg

Then there is after the storm finally stopped, and we had had spent several hours shovelling. Same front door from the outside.

500px-Miscellaneous_images-140.jpg

Oh my! I have never been in snow like that, even in the 1993 "Storm of the Century." And, unfortunately, I have never seen a thunder snow. I'd have like that part.
Wow, M...great pictures. Reminds me of Boston (1978) and Buffalo (1985?). Here in MI it's not usually so bad; worst thing is the ice. Put me in the ditch a few times and, last week, cattywampus on the front steps!
+25 votes

Hei, hyvä viikonloppua!

I have kept up with daily Finnish practice so that a few of the fundamentals are beginning to set. Progress is very slow; I haven't managed to collect much knowledge of grammar and Duolingo does not teach this explicitly.

I have begged off visiting my mother until after this weekend's storm. Living on the coast has spoiled me - so often my hometown gets 6 to 8 inches of snow while here in Quincy we get one inch before it switches over to rain. That is the forecast for this weekend as well- different climates separated by 60 miles. Roots Tech and mother's aversion to genealogy barely factored into my decision to stay put-I blame the weather!

I spent some time this week scoping out the tree beyond my direct ancestors. I've sketched out plans to fill in several families of notable abolitionists which I know something about but feel motivated to do more reading and research. Many of these people were supported by networks of family and friends who shared their views, which had grown and evolved over the course of three or four generations. Now I need to sort out the tools Wikitree has to document these FAN type relationships. The notables project is so much more nuanced than the cemetery project!  

Discovering so many family legacies of advocacy entwined with my direct ancestors and how those commitments were rooted in their faith has given me a new understanding of my own experiences with advocacy. So often, I have questioned (and been challenged by others) whether I'm too far out ahead of those around me on issues of human rights. Now I realize that in many ways I am following in the footsteps of my ancestors.

Pip, thank you for hosting the chat!

Have a good week, everyone. Happy hunting!

by Anonymous Reed G2G6 Pilot (203k points)
edited by Anonymous Reed
A, I saw that "All Means All" button in your photo, and I was reminded of a Lutheran pastor who hammers that home (and always got onto the Calvinists for saying the opposite).
@Anon, I adore the 'Believe those who seek the truth...' button. This is a great collections. Very family genealogy worthy. It is something to reflect on those who have gone before us and realize how they have influenced us even separate from DNA in this lifetime.
Carol, That button is also one of my all time favorites! It did not come from a particular campaign but I feel that it is a healthy reminder to follow principles rather than charismatic individuals. The one I most cherish is "Making History in Health Care" from the day health care insurance reform was signed into law for Massachusetts. While I poured heart and soul into that campaign, a variety of people noticed I had skills I never imagined I had and encouraged me to use them by deploying them before I could think of saying, "I can't."

Pip, I've been known to mutter about what I call "competitive Calvinism" from time to time... From the outside looking in, it seems too easy to confuse temporal success with divine approval - this is always a problem, but within the Calvin's system there seems to be plenty of empty space for Luther's question to echo, "How can we know?" I have to admit though, that I am pretty ignorant regarding how Calvinist doctrine is used in pastoral care. [Invitation to be schooled.]

A, everyone thinks that all there is to Calvinism is TULIP, but it's much more. All of it is based on the sovereignty of God. From that flows most of Calvin's thought, and that is very pastoral.
@Anon: The Making History is my second favorite button in the bunch! I am so very glad that there were people who recognized your many talents and encouraged you to make substantive contributions for change for the better!
Great sentiments, A. Makes me want to jump into community involvement again. I'm not much of a door knocker nor thick-skinned enough to run for office, but will write postcards and engage in polite one-on-one discourse. "Polite" being the operative word.
+23 votes
Top of the morning, to those near and far, from gloomy Lone Jack, Mo. 37 degrees, rain and snow. Today is not a good day, or I would have said so in my address by saying, Good Morning. It seems the universe, or at least the microcosm I choose to associate with, has deployed assassins to infringe upon my pursuit of happiness. (my little playbook entitled "Plans to Happiness") another story in and of itself. For now, WikiTree is that microcosm. While I surfed profiles and points of interest, I looked at g2g from time to time, as I have virtually all day every day for about 3 months. I came across a cousin who is supposed to have participated in JFK's 21 gun salute at his funeral. I'm thinking that's pretty cooo, short for cool, I will try to find a source so I can add a Bio later, after I learn more about sourcing and formatting. After adding his profile, I noticed some mistakes. An unavoidable reality it seems given some impairments that I contend with. So, back to g2g. One of the first "questions" I read was one regarding manipulation of points or point wrangling. The most I got out of it was they had contributions and g2g points and points in general confused. I came to this conclusion after researching the difference and how points are acquired. Another Question was why should one, thank another, for making a simple correction and doing a full save, since it was "obvious" it was done for points???? As I close in on 100,000 g2g points, (in a relatively short period of time) I can't help but think I am irritating some to their breaking point. I ask too many questions, or I talk too much. I spend too much time on WikiTree. I don't Wiki like everyone else. Whatever the case may be. On the other hand, I see people w/ a lot of points that have a high level of involvement and have had for a long time. Those are the same people that have gone out of their way to help me, and countless others, to maneuver this sight. To some I say thank you, the others get a "shame, shame, shame" (@ Chris, that's a phrase Gomer used on The Andy Griffith Show , so you don't have to look it up) This was not a Rant but rather an Op-Ed.
by K Smith G2G6 Pilot (453k points)
I think you're great for WT and entertaining to boot. Some folks like to gripe just to hear themselves talk, so you just keep on keeping on and have fun with it!
I agree with John, K. Keep on keeping on!
A priest told me: Questions are good.

All historians and genealogists ask questions.

I just got the points for just making suggestions, voting for an answer or thanking them for commenting or asking a question.

I find information before creating a profile especially with my cousin who died of AIDS almost 30 years ago.

Ask away. I might have an answer. Otherwise, ask Pip or Chris.
It does pose an interesting impasse of how to proceed. Do I go for 100k points before I hit 5000 contributions? Do I dare go for 2000 CC7 before i hit 5000 contributions and be accused of taking credit for all of "my" connections that were made by others before I knew WikiTree existed. Should I decide to coordinate !00k, 5k and 2k to coincide, at the same time, I will surely be guilty as charged of manipulation.
This tree is about collaboration. If you make a mistake, it's okay. Ask for help if come across something that is questionable.
@ Eileen   I have found that you never ask a Dr for a second opinion for they will always find twice as much wrong with you. For me, g2g is a venue to people watch. I look for those w/ a heart of a teacher and those with a spirit of a bully. I view one as a learning opportunity and the other as one to teach.

K, Here's my take on this,, for all its worth...

Since Wikitree is a collaborative tree, there are two main parts to be considered; which takes precedence is like arguing whether the chicken or egg came first. The goal is an interesting, well sourced tree that connects as many people as possible with each accorded their full measure of human dignity. That really requires the kind of communication that only develops through relationship building. When you encourage others by engaging in Weekend and 52 weeks threads, that is probably the recharge they need to slog through their list of sources or write those biographies. Or maybe you are making new friends who are your future research project team mates. Absolutely no need to apologize for that! 

I don't pay that much attention to raw stats. I get concerned about accuracy when the contribution log shows someone skipping around at break neck speed, but I'm learning data doctors and military researchers do that- and they are legit. My reaction has a lot to do with my research style.

The CC7 is about filling in family groups and building a good foundation  of 20th and 19th century research. If the descendants of your 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th great grandparents are filled in and well sourced, that is cause for rejoicing! Who did that work probably matters much more to you than to someone separated by 10 degrees. Go ahead and connect so you can enjoy the connection and relationship generators.

@Anon...AMEN, sister!
Lies, damn lies and statistics. Lies are used to sway an opinion. Damn lies are used when the previous lie fails to deliver. Statistics are irrefutable proof of the lies even though they were manipulated to validate the original lie. I consider this a long-term project and therefore work in stages. For me, bios and multiple sources are phase two. When I come to unsourced files, I will find a source or consider that a brick wall. As I approach these milestones, I feel as if I have only scratched the surface.
K, May I consider you my friend? We are both a year into this adventure...shall we find our way together?
I don't see why not, as long as we can agree to disagree and not take disagreements personally, as we agreed to disagree in the first place. As long as we understand that even though our ancestors may have the same roots, or not, they still may have shot at one or the other, not because he thought the other was wrong but, they believed they were right. Not because I need someone to tell me how to Wiki to have fun but, because you may tell me how to Wiki better to have more fun. Relationships are tough to figure, sometimes I feed my fish dinner, sometimes they are the dinner. Either way, I enjoy them both ways.
Well...I'm becoming convinced that no one in my family seems to have had an ounce of humility. If sometime in the future we come to disagree, I think you just left the door open for me to say, "Bite me!" (I have a warped sense of humor sometimes.)
That sounds reasonable to me. I am more and more convinced that I am genetically inclined to both my shortcomings and my strengths. Before I started doing genealogy, I knew of my 3rd gr grandfather that came from Kentucky He was known to be opinionated, fair and direct. His sons, and those that followed, all seem to share those traits. Some would deem them qualities while others would call them faults. Since genealogy, I have seen these traits in several ancestors. My favorite story so far is the tale of, "The Dual That Never Happened" where a cousin and a grandpa, of mine, met, came to blows and resolved their differences in 24 hours because they were able to remain focused on the big picture.
+30 votes

Virtual Vacation! 

Today we are visiting Betws-y-Coed, Caernarfonshire, Wales, We visited Betws-y-Coed on 3 July 2022 which was a drizzly day and is why 2 of these pics are from the Geograph.org website with Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike licence. 

This photo was taken on a narrow country road on the way to Betws-y-Coed. 

500px-Virtual_Vacation-697.jpg

Betws-y-Coed is a village in the Conwy valley, in Caernarfonshire, Wales. It has about 600 inhabitants, it is one of the primary tourist areas in Snowdonia National Park. Many hiking trails start from Betws-y-Coed. It is where three rivers meet, the Conwy, the Llugwy and the LLedr. 

This photo is on the road down into the valley.

500px-Virtual_Vacation-698.jpg

Betws-y-Coed originated around a small monastery built during the sixth century and, until the increase of local lead mining in the nineteenth century, it was a small village with an agricultural economy. The new church was built in the 14th century and was dedicated to St Michael. Another new church St Mary’s was built in 1873. 

In 1815 Thomas Telford- the fellow who built the aqueduct in a previous Virtual Vacation also built a suspension bridge that crosses the river Conwy not far from the village. No pics too rainy. 

This new road constructed across this new bridge led to the village becoming a major coaching centre and a rapid development in tourism. In 1868 the road was supplemented by the arrival of the railway line from Llandudno, which led to a further development in the size of the town. This is the main road and the railway station and is one of the pics from Geograph.uk.

500px-Virtual_Vacation-703.jpg

Pont y Pair Bridge was built around 1500, it's original purpose was to provide a means for packhorses to cross over the river. But, it was later widened in the 1800s to allow stagecoaches to use it as well. And is still used by motor vehicles, not bad for a bridge that is 500 years old. 

500px-Virtual_Vacation-700.jpg

The Pont y Pair Bridge became an important bridge, as people used it to deliver goods and food stuffs to the village. The bridge is still a main crossing point for traffic. It still very narrow with no sidewalks and crosses some significant waterfalls that are under the bridge.  It is very difficult to take photos of the falls as there is no level ground to stand on, this is only 1 small part of the falls. How about trying to take a packhorse over these before the bridge was built. The pic above is also from Geograph.uk. 

500px-Virtual_Vacation-701.jpg

This is the village green where an antique car show was taking place, the main street with the railway station is in the background.

500px-Virtual_Vacation-702.jpg

This interesting vehicle was in the village car park.

500px-Virtual_Vacation-699.jpg

by M Ross G2G6 Pilot (954k points)
Thanks for posting these photos.  I really enjoyed seeing them.
Such a lovely place, M, even if nearly all the names are unpronouncable to me! I read up once on just how to work through pronouncing Welsh words and names, and if course, because I didn't use it, I forgot it all.

M...What a perfect Virtual Vacay to celebrate St David's Day (the Patron Saint of Wales, March 1)!.yesI was in Betws-e-Coed when I was on tour in 1978. Other than the roads being widened it is still much the same and I love it! And it was raining when we were there as well. Thank you so much for these lovely memories. I don't remember what Betws means, but Coed means 'trees' and your photos really highlight the trees!

Following Betws-e-Coed, our tour went through Portmeirion, which is just down the road a few miles from Betws-y-Coed. It was used as the site for the classic The Prisoner with Patrick McGoohan. I still have my original Prisoner Puzzle Book! I also recall hearing that Wisconsin-born architect Frank Lloyd Wright spent some time there, although his design was more naturalistic with some Japanese influence here and there. I love his style and my office actually has his 'mission' look.

Again, thank you for this wonderful tour down memory lane for me. Belated Ddyd dewi sant hapus (Happy Saint David's Day).

+23 votes
Greetings from Rochester, Minnesota, USA!

Temp: 40°F

Wind Chill: There is no wind chill at this time. Are you shocked???

Although, we are not done with winter yet. Snow and rain in the forecast next week. Minnesota weather is always unpredictable.

Genealogy: Nothing was done this week on WikiTree. I'll get my DNA results from Ancestry on Monday. I'm working on my family tree via Ancestry. I was able to find more information. I opened up Pandora's box. It's interesting.  @Chris: I have a few relatives that have gone too soon. I'll post once I get the information.

School: Spring Break is next week! The only thing I did this was a couple of lectures, took a lab exam and watched a video on antibiotic resistance. Apparently we get bacteria and viruses from humans and animals. I'm not surprised.

Work: Let's just say that has been interesting. Viral infections, staffing changes and yet...I got a gift card from my employer because of National Employee Appreciation Day which is today. No virus was detected in me as of 11:45 CST.

That's it for now.
by Eileen Robinson G2G6 Pilot (241k points)
edited by Eileen Robinson

I though Minnesota was so flat that there was always windchill, Eileen! laugh

My daughter the paramedic going back to school for certification to teach (even though she is in the classroom now) took her final last week and passed. She ended up with a "C" in the class (A&P) and was just glad to get through it. Not well taught, she said. 

Can't wait for you to get your DNA results!

Hi Eileen! I, too, am anxious to hear of your Ancestry results. I had my sister's, mother's, brother's and mine done with Ancestry about 10 year ago (when they still listed haplogroups). I sometimes use Ancestry for genealogy, but there is a lot of 'conflated' information so I have to be very careful.

I am sure you will really enjoy your spring break. Please know that I keep you in my intentions every day for your grades and your entry into nursing school. You would be a great addition to the profession.
+24 votes
Good Morning from Everett, Washington, where we have awakened to a light dusting of snow 3 out the last 4 days. Temperatures in the high 30s.

This morning I spent over one frustrating hour making a 6 1/2" quilt block in the Rocky Road to California pattern. I have been away from this particular pattern for over a year now. I ripped out stitches, rotated the 2" squares, redid them, and finally came out with a block that has double-triangle squares in the corners. Good enough. Rocky Road to WikiTree.

I am still a bit tired from the birthday celebration last night. Husband Chris took me and Isabella to Cheesecake Factory where I had a moderately larger dose of carbs than usual, including their brown bread dusted with oatmeal, a sangria cocktail and two desserts with candles. I made sure to drink enough water overnight but still woke up slightly dehydrated. Daughter has a hangover.

Yesterday son George went to Seattle for the Emerald City Comic Con and got his photo taken with lots of anime cosplayers. His friend Dean was wearing a Godzilla suit that was a big hit among the waitresses in the anime cafe.

The birthday weekend celebration continues with a barbeque on Sunday on the Olympic Peninsula with a church family we know whose son shares my birthday.

I have not got a big project on WikiTree just now except for the reduction of the over-5000 watchlist. Letting go of profiles is as hard for me as letting go of quilting scraps.

You all draw near to God this weekend and expand your joy.
by Margaret Summitt G2G6 Pilot (368k points)
You guys sure know how to celebrate a birthday, Margaret. I don't think I'd have been able to resist those enticements either. I'm guessing you didn't give up carbs for Lent. Speaking of which....

Stations of the Cross tonight at our small church. Is your church doing this?
@Pip: My parish is doing Stations of the Cross every Friday. This evening it will be led by the music ministry. I'm excited for this holy moment!

I'm glad there's no Cheesecake Factory in Rochester, MN, instead we have Dairy Queen (opens up again this month) My mouth is watering over that sangria.
We had a terrible storm come through right before the Stations. High winds, pouring rain, but we were blessed to have seven folks show up.
No Stations last night. We had the Ember Friday Mass. It has been raining, sometimes heavily.

The Barbeque tomorrow is cancelled because the family all have stomach flu.
I am sorry to hear that, Margaret (about the stomach flu gong around). I've had it before and am usualldy miserable until it's over.
Stomach flu is hideous. Hope everyone gets better soon!

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