"Welcome to the Weekend Chat!" All Members Invited!! April 19th-21st, 2019 [closed]

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"Welcome to the Weekend Chat!" All Members Invited!! April 19th-21st, 2019 [closed]

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New Members Saying Hello (our favorite!)

Puzzles and Tips

"Today Is"

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Where in the World? Share your photos!

Members Checking in via "All About the Weekend Chat"

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

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

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

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

Enjoy yourselves and spread the love!

closed with the note: Great Chat, everyone! See you in TWO WEEKS!

asked Apr 19, 2019 in The Tree House by Pip Sheppard G2G Astronaut (2.7m points)
closed Apr 22, 2019 by Pip Sheppard

Greetings, WikiChatterers, and welcome to the Weekend Chat!

Posting this a little early due to lightning in the area. If I don’t answer you right off the bat, it is because I’m offline to protect my computers.

On the Home Front: Here in Cathey’s Creek we’ve had more rain (and are expecting more today, and the creek is about two feet from cresting. We are still repairing some of the damage from the flooding that occurred, and I was out this a.m. sealing off the four vents in the front of our house… just in case. My heart goes out to all of you who live in the Blessed Realm who are also experiencing this very serious storm.

And now for a special message to all my fellow members on WikiTree

On the Genealogy Front: Today is my One Year Anniversary of receiving my confirmation as a member of WikiTree! I was greeted, confirmed, and followed-up on by three members of the Greeters. This may seem like a small thing, but to me it was a HUGE discovery! WikiTree wasn’t just a site, it was people! It seems so long ago! So… here’s some things I want to say about the past year:

If I were to start naming members who helped me to become a better genealogist there wouldn’t be enough room here AND I’m sure I’d still leave some folks out! That’s just to say that WikiTree members believing spirit of collaboration and having the willingness to assist others in this community accomplished this.

I remember the first time I had a personal communication from a member. I posted a photo of my grandfather in the Mt. Holly Band (ca. 1909). Grandpa had written down the names of the men with whom he played. A WikiTreer jumped on it and started looking for them and found some great information, including one man whose daughter married into a collateral line of my grandmother’s.

I believe that one of the most important things I was able to participate in this past year was the Orphan Trail of the England Project. Two very wonderful and patient Trailblazers led me through the Trail, and I learned more about how to do genealogy rather than always asking someone else to do it for me.

I have made friends in so many different countries, as well as coast to coast in the States. I’m thinking of one that I nicknamed The Texas Ranger who has become a mentor and personal friend. Another member in Missouri saw that I was having such a difficult time with DNA that she offered to talk to me on the phone so she could walk me through Gedmatch. Yet another member has spent (an inordinate amount of) time with me on coding sources and the use of spreadsheets. Another member and I send photos of our families’ goings-on to each other on a regular basis. And The Greatest Gang (my fellow Greeters) always keep my spirits up. Such are just a few of the very many examples of relationships I have been able to discover and enjoy, and they all started here on WikiTree.

We laugh and call each other “cousins,” and the primary purpose of WikiTree is genealogy, but truly, this community has become like a second family for me, and I am forever grateful to all of you who share your lives with me, genealogically and personally, on the Weekend Chat, on G2G, within projects, and via email. I am a blessed man, and I just wanted you all to know that.

There is so much more that I want to say, but there is just not enough room for it all, so… Everyone, enjoy the Chat!

commented Apr 19, 2019 by Pip Sheppard G2G Astronaut (2.7m points)

41 Answers

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Answer 1 · 2019-04-19T14:37:17+0000

First and foremost Happy Anniversary!

HM is Her Majesty? I don't know if there are already telegrams of Monarchs on Wikitree, still haven't run into one. But I know something else:

It was late 1997, end of November, beginning of December when I had a letter in my postbox... ?? Royal Mail? Where do I get from a letter from Great Britain?? I opened it and it was a Thanksgiving card from the Royal Family. When Princess Diana died, I was accidently just in Berlin. And so I went to the British embassy.... It was a Sunday morning, so it was closed, but if it had been open, you would have had problems to come in. Hundreds of pictures, flowers and candles, and it was getting more and more. My thoughts went to the boys, William and Harry. I took a normal sheet of paper I had in my bag and wrote them a letter. It turned out to be a long one, but I so didn't care, I simply wrote and wrote. And when everything was full, I found a bit space on the side to write there my address. And this is why about three months later there was this card in my mailbox. Needless to say I still have that card somewhere :)

commented Apr 19, 2019 by Jelena Eckstädt G2G Astronaut (1.5m points)

Answer 2 · 2019-04-19T14:38:54+0000

Pip, Great message, your enthusiasm shines through. So glad you're here, you are one of the good ones. Here's to a fabulous second year.

My output has dropped a bit this week, due to too many 16 hour days doing genealogy I've become a bit exhausted. Spent the last few days just watching YouTube videos, some of which was about genetic genealogy and a little about biohacking. I should be back to normal, whatever that is, soon.

Take care with those floods buddy!

Answer 3 · 2019-04-19T15:00:34+0000

Hails and horns, Wikipeeps!

Happy Wikiversary to the man, the myth, the legend. The Persistent Pip Sheppard! YAAAAAY!

I know it's been a wild ride for you. I agree. The site is like a family. Like it says on the tin, we're all connected. Some in more ways than others. Right, Quebecois project?

Glad you are here, man. You rock!

Now then. On the genealogy front I found connections to not one but two cousins at the same time over at AncestryDNA. I pmed them and everything seems to be going well. I also posted this blog: https://arlhaverhill.blogspot.com/2019/04/52-ancestors-week-16-out-of-place.html

Seriously, Frances Ford Coppola. Call me. We need to talk about making this happen. I'd have George R R Martin do it but I have a feeling he'd be more bloody than anything.....

So, ya. I connected two more cousins in the ever growing Coppola side of the family. Note: Most Italians I know pronounce Coppola "Co-Pole-a". Not how Frances Ford Coppola does. Directors, man.....

On the non genealogy front, I have a new keyboard and mouse. My old one was rustybuckety. The D key was stuck and so we went to Best Buy and grabbed a new keyboard/mouse combo. We're also getting ready for the invasion (TM). My brother and his family will be coming up for a few days next week as my sister-in-law is a speaker at a Political Science conference.

She's a professor at James Madison University and is coming up to Portland, Maine to speak. Very cool and looking forward to spending time with everyone.

Other than that...not much. No major blockbuster on the horizon that I am looking for starring a genius, a soldier, a spy, a guy with breathtaking anger issues, a guy with a bow and arrow, a talking raccoon and more. Nope. I have no idea what that is.....

Answer 4 · 2019-04-19T15:09:19+0000

Hi Pip, hope all WT'ers are having a great day.

Storms rolling through Central Pennsylvania today as well. On Monday evening during a wind storm, one of my 45 foot tall maple trees came down. Yes I have a chain saw. Most of my week has been spent cleaning up.

Pip, I wanted to thank you for reminding me this week about being able to store links on the Nav Page. I knew that about a year ago but forgot it. You had mentioned this in response to several members posting on you tube. the Data Doctor Productions.

Hope everyone stays healthy and happy. What a great community this site is.

Answer 5 · 2019-04-19T15:14:59+0000

Aloha! This is Tim Culler, who is from Hawaii, but now lives near to Seattle, where it is raining (we didn't move here for the weather)...

I am new to WikiTree, but a long-time family genealogist. There are two family historians in our family, my cousin Richard Culler, who is trying to locate every descendant of our oldest identified Culler Ancestor (John Culler 1784-1876), and share our family history with them, and me, who is working on my family lines, with two goals: (1) to extend the lines back further, and (2) to improve the documentation and clear up errors.

I started back about 35 years ago. I would do research using indexes in the State Library in Honolulu, and write away to government and church sources for copies of original documents. It must seem impossible to anyone who has always had the Internet as a resource to do their research, but it did work. I remember how excited I was to find our original Shidler immigrant (Johann Georg Scheideler 1714-1784), and I wrote to the Pennsylvania State Archives and got physical copies of the passenger list of the ship he arrived on in 1736, and the oath of allegiance the he had to sign to King George!

I see the tremendous value in access to Genealogical Records via the Internet, and I also appreciate the forums, where family members and researchers can assist each other.

Not too long ago, I had my DNA tested, which linked me to a couple of second cousins, with whom I am corresponding! Ultimately, I hope that with more people being tested, we may extend our Culler line back to Germany, since we have no documentation on his immigration.

Meanwhile, a hearty thanks to those who started and maintain WikiTree! I see this as being a great tool for assisting folks new to finding their family histories! I hope that I can be of some help to folks who link to my tree, here, as I get it built.

Tim

Answer 6 · 2019-04-19T15:33:02+0000

A very Happy Easter Weekend from Texas!!

Thank you Pip for your hosting. I had no idea you had only been here a year!! My, you have had a verrrrry busy year and accomplished so much. Kudos to you - Makes me feel like a slacker!!

Here in the DFW area the weather is beautiful but extremely windy. Had a bad weather scare Wednesday evening but fortunately the tornadoes and large hail did not hit our area. It scooted off to our east leaving only some hard rain during the night. Pip, hope you all escape any undue flooding - that is not fun!!

On the Genealogy front - I have had a tremendous event. My Henderson brick wall came tumbling down and left only dust in its wake. After years of agony, it happened so fast and because of DNA!!! I am now compiling all the different DNA matches and relationships in order to post them to the appropriate profiles. Next, will notify other distant relatives with whom I have corresponded over the years. Will probably never get all the inaccurate information off all the internet trees but maybe at least a few of them.

Have a Blessed Easter and stay safe.

Answer 7 · 2019-04-19T15:41:52+0000

Fantastic testimony of WikiTree, Pip!! That is exactly how I felt when I joined WikiTree. It was not just a website, but REAL people who are in the same struggle I am~to solve those family history mysteries!

My wonderful older sister was born today and the youngest of my three brothers was born tomorrow! Funny, my siblings were born April 10, April 19, April 20, May 22 and me on May 19. Wonder what was going on in Pennsylvania in July and August? <Silly grin>

Have a Happy Easter everyone!

Answer 8 · 2019-04-19T16:15:47+0000

Today is.....

NATIONAL AMARETTO DAY

National Amaretto Day is observed each year on April 19.

Amaretto in Italian means “a little bitter” and is made from bitter almonds or apricot kernels or both. The nuts are infused in pure alcohol or brandy resulting in a strong almond flavor. This traditionally Italian liqueur is fragrant with legend.

Taking us back to 1525 Renaissance in Saronno, Italy, painter Bernardino Luini selected a young innkeeper as his model for a fresco of the Madonna of the Miracles. In gratitude for being selected the innkeeper gave the artist a gift of her own secret blend of almond and brandy.

It’s not until centuries later that well-guarded recipe was produced on a larger scale in Saronno, Italy. At the turn of the 20th century, Disaronno began producing their amaretto for a broad market. It began appearing for sale in advertisements in the United States in the late 1940s. The family still bottles their recipe today.

Another Amaretto tale comes from the same area of Italy but is of a young Lazzaroni couple blessed by the Cardinal of Milan in 1718. The couple honored his visit with a special recipe of their own, producing an amaretto cookie like no other. This one came in a bottle. Their recipe was also a closely guarded family secret for generations. The Lazzaroni family began selling their amaretto liqueur in 1851, and it is still being produced today.

HOW TO OBSERVE

Enjoy this Almond Amaretto Bars recipe !

Answer 9 · 2019-04-19T16:44:01+0000

Hi All, well this week has been a busy week for me but also a sad one.

It was warm, it was cold, it rained, the sun came out!!! Sure can't explain the weather ups and downs but the greenery is back and the trees are growing their leaves again.

Been trying to catch up with Pip on the Integrator challenge, How does he do it, but more important where does he find the time ????? Anyway he has 276 to my 174 entries... WOW!!!

Before I share the sad news, I want to wish everyone a great "Easter" Weekend especially for those who celebrate!

Earlier in the week I got the news from my brother that my cousin Shirley had moved on to be with the Lord. Shirl passed away very peacefully surrounded by those who love her. Her nephew Tim, and Jill Burr said she put up a good fight against cancer. Our prayers go out to them and those who loved her.

During the mid 70's Shirley was a caregiver for her aunt, (my mother) Dorothy M Barry in Woonsocket, Rhode Island before she passed away in August of 1977. (I was serving in the military at the time). More recent Shirley had been a caregiver for her brother Richard W Taft Sr before he passed away in August of 2015. And more recent Shirley was there there being a caregiver for her sister-in-law Murial Taft.

I don't have the words to say properly but I know she was appreciated and loved for all she done and for those she cared for throughout the years. Many memories of us growing up together and our families visiting back and forth from Connecticut to Rhode Island where she lived come to mind.

Shirley Taft Obituary

Answer 10 · 2019-04-19T16:51:01+0000

Good morning, I hope everyone survives this weekend. I have been concentrating on my suggestion list because I will be busy next weekend and a lot of the suggestions on my list could look easy but could be easy to really mess up. I have also reverted to my old laptop because the grandson gave his new one to his big sister. Her computer totally died and she is a very good student that relies on her computer for school. He told her it was her graduation gift from him so I am giving his old one back. The weather looks good for next weekends Maple Festival so I expect to be very busy with large crowds there. I took the puppy, Oscar, to the vet this morning and he is fine. He also weighs 23 pounds so far. This weekend I have to get my desktop ready for the festival along with working on programming the Raspberry Pi computer, also to use at the Festival. I am waiting on confirmation of the dates but as of now I will be teaching an entry level Ham radio class every Friday from June 14th until the July 19th.

Answer 11 · 2019-04-19T16:52:21+0000

Thanks for hosting Pip! Glad you decided to join the community.

Its hinges and bondo weekend for me! Weather permitting, I'm helping my 86-year old father fix up an old camper he plans to drive from Nanaimo BC to Newfoundland this summer. He's always been an adventurer, was climbing mountains at 81 and dislocated his shoulder in a fall off his dirt-bike at 82. But he's spent the past few summers in chemo or radiation, and he's stolen a little time for an adventure.

Answer 12 · 2019-04-19T17:29:24+0000

Happy WikiTree anniversary Pip, and thank you for hosting!

We had a family friend in this past week who is also into genealogy. Needless to say most of our conversations ran along those lines while the men tried to ignore us.... One of the things we did was go research in Parish for Barbara's family (not THE Paris, but Paris, Kentucky). While we were there we drove out to the Cane Ridge Meeting House Shrine - where her ancestors worshipped. I had never seen an enshrined church before, it was really amazing!

The original wood structure was built in 1791. In 1804 a Presbyterian pastor and his congregation traveled there from North Carolina and formed a movement they called Catholic. The building was enshrined in the 1930's, including beautiful stonework and stained glass. Wikipedia says they still practice there, but they actually stopped using it as a church in the early 1940's. They have bibles from that era encased in glass and pictures of the original pastors and some of the congregation. What a treasure to find!

Answer 13 · 2019-04-19T17:37:09+0000

We've had beautiful weather all week but rain is forecast to start any time now and last through the night. I've been working on getting my travel office ready for a proof of concept trip in mid-May. Today we got the tires on the trailer and shuffled things around in the yard so that I can work on it more easily. The American Wisteria is blooming and I took some pictures. This one is my current Facebook cover photo:

This week's Sourcing Sprint citation tip was on how we might need to modify the source citations provided by various websites. Those citations are usually written generically, so some things need to be added from a genealogical perspective.

The Greeters Project published our April Newsletter and put out a new call for Greeters. We're especially interested in members who speak more than one language and members who are from non-American time zones.

Answer 14 · 2019-04-19T19:07:29+0000

Greetings from Everett, Washington!

Pip, have plenty of buckets ready. Thank you, thank you for your attention to Wikitree on so many fronts. Now go defend your house.

Tim Culler, welcome to Washington! It's raining in Seattle. Only tourists carry umbrellas.

Today we had the new dishwasher and a new kitchen faucet installed. I was shown a hole in the floor where water from the dishwasher has been dripping through to the downstairs bathroom. Also we will need to have our roof replaced. Husband doesn't know yet.

The fire at Notre Dame hit me like a punch in the gut. It was a delayed reaction as I heard about it during another emergency, involving a sick dog. Our old guy was checked out and given some meds and he's fine now. Our Pomeranian-Chihuahua mix has been having a cough and both are on meds now and apparently recovering.

Today I am going to the Stations of the Cross with the children and my daughter will take photos. Then we will have the communion service and go downstairs to the Altar of Repose and say prayers.

Oh, and I have been helping a friend of mine with her Oregon genealogy.

Yours faithfully,

Margaret Summitt

Answer 15 · 2019-04-19T19:24:18+0000

Super windy day here, but the warm temp is appreciated. Took a drive to Hanscom AFB to do Easter provision shopping at the base commissary, which I thought would be mobbed. To my surprise, there were only a few people shopping, so what a nice change that was. I didn't have to fight for space in an aisle! And there were still some nice chocolates left, even some imported German and Swiss stuff. (And I bought Dallmayr coffee. I love the commissary.)

I wish you all a Happy Easter if you celebrate it!

Thank goodness nobody moved any categories this week. PSHEW!

And a Happy One Year Anniversary, Pip! Glad to have you here!

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"Welcome to the Weekend Chat!" All Members Invited!! April 19th-21st, 2019 [closed]

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Today is.....

NATIONAL AMARETTO DAY

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“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!”

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