"Welcome to the Weekend Chat!" All Members Invited!! July 26th-28th, 2019 [closed]

+24 votes
2.7k views

Weekend_Chat.jpg

New Members Saying Hello (our favorite!)

Puzzles and Tips 

"Today Is" 

Movies & Music

Where in the World?  Share your photos!

Members Checking in via "All About the Weekend Chat"

500px-Weekend_Chat-5.png

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.

Granny_s_pictures-11.gif

Enjoy yourselves and spread the love!

closed with the note: Until next week! May you be successful in your WikiTreeing this week!
in The Tree House by Pip Sheppard G2G Astronaut (2.7m points)
closed by Pip Sheppard
That is the craziest story I’ve heard in a long time, the hawk and the pigeons. Have a blast at the reunion!
Absolutely lovely scenery and history and the mixing of it all, Pip!  Thanks so much for sharing that with all of us!  Those are the things that happen with the land and the people who lived it.  I actually believe your ancestors revelled in the beauty of the dawning day just as you do, at least I like to believe that our ancestors saw the same wonders as we do!  Thanks again for sharing those words with us all~Pip is the best!!
Today it is raining, after a week of warm and perfect weather. I just emailed a Wikitreer who has been sniffing around the margins of my brick wall in Washington County, Tennessee (William Thompson, my "Challenging" ancestor from the "Challenging" 52 Ancestors episode a couple of weeks ago).

I thought I had found a Rose ancestor in Person County, North Carolina but it turns out he was the wrong one.  I had to disconnect him from my Roses and merge two profiles.  I also discovered I had to create the "right" father for the children before disconnecting them from the "wrong" father or else the children would disappear into the ocean of unconnected profiles. My daughter said this is very like "playing the Sims."  I have never "played the Sims" and therefore ask if it's anything like managing Wikitree profiles?

My daughter, like Pip, has naturally curly hair--and she HATES it!  I told her it all depends on the fashion of the times.  To her mind, long and curly hair is just a mess to take care of.

I hope you all have fun weekends.
Been thinking of an adequate reply to this ever since I saw this. As you know I am a writer. I am also happy to see this well written piece here. I just have one thing to ask.

.....Can I be your sidekick?
Nah, you’re already a blogger. That puts you a few steps ahead of me!
Aww. Okay. =)
Thanks for hosting, Pip. Always like your stories. The mention of jobs in the textile mills brought back memories. I worked in mills on weekends during high school and summers to pay for college. The mills are gone now and the people who worked in them are fading away but I still remember the people.
Thanks for hosting, Pip. I love your write-up!
The reunion yesterday was very gratifying to my husband.  He remet an old friend he had not seen in about 40 years, who lives in Marysville, Washington.

Before we left, his classmates begged him for a declamation.  He launched into Quint's speech about sharks and the U.S.S. Indianapolis from "Jaws."  This was a piece he did in high school after having seen "Jaws" 28 times in the theater (he was a projectionist).  He had not rehearsed it before and was spot on.  Many cellphones were recording it and the whole place went silent.

Hope you had a good time, too, Margaret! smiley

31 Answers

+21 votes

Today is.....

                

NATIONAL BAGELFEST DAY

National Bagelfest Day on July 26th recognizes the kosher carbohydrate. Toast one and add a schmear or two. If you don’t, you’re not really celebrating. 

North Americans love this crunchy on the outside and chewy in the middle bread. Served with a variety of toppings, bagels also come in a variety of flavors.  In most communities, bagel shops are a staple across the country. 

U.S. Bagel History

Polish-Jewish immigrants introduced the bagel to the United States. Throughout New York City and the surrounding boroughs, they grew thriving businesses. Of course, it didn’t take long for the bakers to organize. In 1907, they created the International Beigel Bakers’ Union. For decades, Bagel Bakers Local 338 held contracts with nearly all bagel bakeries in and around the city for its workers. 

Until the 1960s, bakeries made bagels by hand. Then Daniel Thompson invented the bagel maker and along came a heated debate of man versus the machine. Thereafter, the question of the better bagel dangled before customers. Was it the handcrafted beigel or the manufactured bagel?   

The bagel became more common throughout North America during the last quarter of the 20th century. Credit for the bagels’ spread across the country goes in part to the efforts of bagel baker Harry Lender, his son, Murray Lender, and Florence Sender. Their pioneering efforts led to automated production and distribution of frozen bagels in the 1960s. Murray also invented pre-slicing the bagel.

HOW TO OBSERVE

The day allows us to explore the history behind the bagel and savor the varied flavors. Grab some bagels and your favorite toppings. Post on social media using #NationalBagelfestDay.

HISTORY

Murray Lender, the owner of Lenders Bagels, founded National Bagelfest Day.  In 1986, Murray started the festival in Mattoon, Illinois, home of the world’s largest bagel factory. Read more here about him:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murray_Lender

https://nationaldaycalendar.com/national-bagelfest-day-july-26/

by Dorothy Barry G2G Astronaut (2.7m points)

I neeeeed a bagel! I think a trip to Panera is in Hubby's near future. cheeky

Bagels with Philadelphia Cream Cheese!! Yum!
Everything bagel! Extra yum!
Heh. Had a bagel this morning. Was an everything bagel.

And then Deb decides to drive to my house. =)
I was introduced to really good bagels in college. We were in Albany and someone would travel home to NYC about weekly and bring back bagels. Haven't had as good a bagel since.
Not a huge carbs fan, but do enjoy a good "everything" bagel once in awhile. Although I can also enjoy a good breakfast blueberry bagel with blueberry cream cheese on it. Add some fresh blueberries and it almost becomes healthy...
Now I need to get a steak, egg, and cheese bagel sandwich....My diet just died
+23 votes
Good morning everyone, hope all is well.

Pip, always love your write ups. The above paints a clear picture in a persons mind.

Great weather here in Central Pennsylvania.

Eating good out of my garden. Fresh blueberries for blueberry pancakes, corn on the cob, cooked cabbage, new potatoes for my home fries for breakfast, fresh lettuce and tomatoes for my BLT's. (bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich).

Worked on 12 unsourced profiles for some distant cousins. I never realized I had so many distant cousins in Ohio.

Hope everyone has a great weekend and enjoys the great weather after that heat wave crossed the country last weekend. Live today like it is your last day.
by Rodney Long G2G6 Pilot (849k points)

Rodney,

You're so right  ..... Live today like it's your last day.    My chores are almost done and I'm going to enjoy this beautiful day.

Blueberry pancakes! Save some for me. Love ‘em. And save a BLT for the wife. A favorite of hers for sure. Glad your garden is producing bountifully, Rodney.
Pip, do you know where I can get any bacon plants for next year.
The chores can wait till next week Peggy, go enjoy the day.

laughlaughlaugh Bacon: an essential food group.

So Rodney's supplying us fellow wikitreers with BLTs?! How kind of you Rodney! I need one to continue my efforts to get my one and only Club 1000 badge.
Well if I was out there in the Steel City area, I would get you one. It appears you have less than 100 contributions to go. You will make it. Have a good weekend C.
Making me hungry for a good BLT now. Good thing is near dinner time.
Double the bacon Scott
+23 votes

Beautiful day here. Will spend the majority of the day here on WT and then pop over to my sister's place for a belated birthday (hers) chat and a swim with friends.

Lobster is on the menu for dinner tonight. 

Life is good. heart

by Deb Durham G2G Astronaut (1.1m points)
Deb, I’m hoping for a WT day, but I think some landscaping may interfere.

Well, I'm playing WT catch-up today as I had a Dr's appointment yesterday that turned into a marathon! surprise

I was under the impression I was getting a tooth (the tooth) out yesterday. Turns out it was just the consult. angry Waste of time.

+22 votes

Thanks for hosting again Pip!  Your "Chat" seemed perfect.   I can certainly relate,   I have similar feelings for my grandparents home in New Blaine Arkansas.   

The weather the past few days in Catossa County, Georgia, is incredible.   Mainly sunny but highs in the low 80s.   We even discussed whether to wear long sleeves for our early morning walks.  We decided short sleeves were the only way to look youthful;laugh everyone knows the elderly are cold natured.   

My genealogy research had a pleasant addition this week.   I contacted  Della Lipe,  because of a message she posted on Find A Grave. (I was looking for stronger proof Cyntha Rogers,  b. 1839,  was my gg grandfather's sister.)  We’ve been collaborating all week on the Rogers and Lipe family from Logan County, Arkansas.   Della started genealogy research back in the 1970s, the old fashioned way, and has some great information that’s not obvious from internet searches.   She’s not interested in joining WikiTree, but she likes having the information she’s collected posted….. I make sure we get the sources.

Also, I discovered SJ Baty’s  “Family Research Statistics Chart”.  I posted it to my profile but have only input my data through the 6th generation.  It’s a great tool to have;  it will certainly help me prioritize the right work.  Apparently,  there was a lot of G-2-G activity about this chart last spring,  when I was  “inactive”.

Last, I’m heading to a family wedding this afternoon,  so probably won’t have time for the WeekEnd Chart before I return home  late Sunday afternoon.     My treasured 1st cousin Joan is picking me up and we’re heading to Atlanta; following the route Sherman took through Georgia.   

Dorothy, those bagels look tempting.

Enjoy your Weekend!! 

by Peggy McReynolds G2G6 Pilot (470k points)
Peggy, I remember a history professor once saying that the Irish love the English compared to the way Georgians feel about Sherman!

Have a great time at the wedding!
+21 votes
Just a brief moment to spare, but very happy to have my new job and after being here just slightly over a month I'm working hard and learning the ropes. I always find it challenging to jump ship and move to a new position, but I've found you don't always leave all your friendships behind (unless you really want to) and you get the opportunity to forge new friendships where you go.

Looking forward to this weekend of yard work, house work, and if I can fit it in, a little R&R. I'm a hot weather kind of guy, so this latest heat wave has been right up my alley. Break time over... back to work.
by Scott Fulkerson G2G Astronaut (1.5m points)
If you ever run out of chores, Scott, I can think of a few I’d like some help with. Keep hydrated!
On the WT front, I connected a few additional extended family ancestors, managed to connect some notables (mostly science fiction authors, like Fritz Leiber and T.H. White as of a few minutes ago) and worked on a host of others. Busy week.
Scott, you keep that Notables Project hopping. Good for you!
Congratulations on your new job Scott!    My career involved several job changes; at least frequent by the old  "get a gold watch at retirement"  standard.    While it makes you redouble your efforts to establish a reputation,  it's invigorating to learn new things and meet new people.   (It was probably easy for me to adapt to changes,  because I was an Army Brat that had constant change.)  I'm sure you realize how valuable a diverse background becomes.  Great for you for taking the challenge.

Hope you keep up with WikiTree during your learning period!
+19 votes
Good morning all.

Pip you comment above hit home. I just got back from helping Diane with finding where her client is for her job tomorrow and as we drove past Punderson State park my mind drifted back to a discovery I mad on WikiTree. The man the park is named for, Lemuel Punderson, https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Punderson-120 , married a distant cousin of mine who lived in Burton, Geauga, Ohio. I visit the park often but until recently I did not know that the property used to belong to distant relatives.
by Dale Byers G2G Astronaut (1.7m points)
I have had an eventful week, besides cutting the grass I spent most of the day yesterday at Cleveland State University with one of my granddaughters. The drive is about an hour one way but it is on the same road I live on, the time is because of city traffic. I have been working on organizing my certificates from FEMA/EMI. There are a lot of courses that Amateur Radio Emergency Service started to require for those who wish to do certain things and I have most of them. I signed up to take one of the two I am missing, not from FEMA I have all the needed ones from there, and the class starts in October. When that one is done I plan on taking the other course as well. Next week I start running two of the grandsons to band practice as well as starting to teach one the things needed to get his General class amateur license and the other one the Technician class license course as well.
You mowed with that knee of yours?!?
Yes and I am still feeling that dumb move. I have a can cozy that says "That's it. Whoever has the job of keeping me from doing dumb s### is FIRED!"
We stopped at the ReStore on the way home and I found 50 feet of coax with PL-259 connectors on both ends for $5.00. If I had to buy that in the Ham stores it would cost me over $41.00 for the same thing and this was new in the box!
Gotta love the ReStore. My wife sure does!
We also bought 4 corelle bowls and 2 coffee mugs for 50 cents each at the ReStore. I might swing by there tomorrow morning. There was another box of that coax and if it is still there I might just pick it up, that price is too good to resist.
+19 votes

Hails and horns, Wikipeeps!

Hope everything is going well! I got my latest blog up. Check it out here: https://allroadhaverhill.blogspot.com/2019/07/52-ancestors-week-30-easy.html

I actually had a difficult time with this one. It shouldn't have been the case. But, my family tends to tell everyone's story. I recognize not everyone is that fortunate. It's just like "Okay, Chris. Pick someone you had the easiest time researching! GO!"

I think I had an easier time with last week's prompt! That makes sense....

I did have a good time working on that title screen for the Genealogy game. Playable at next year's E3 and is on all systems: Switch, XBox, Playstation and PC. The graphics are stunningly life-like! And it's an open world environment!

On WikiTree, I've been adding more Italian peeps. I've been adding siblings for my 3rd great-grandparents. I'm about a third through my paternal grandmother's side. Some of it gets a little sad. Check out the children of Michele Santamaria. My 3rd great-grandmother is Rosa. But, one of her siblings may have died young.

At least the new Gesualdo category is getting heavily populated. Next up are the Capobiancos.

On the non genealogy front, I've been helping my parents with the garden. Weeding mostly. Been noticing our cucumbers aren't growing like they should. Not sure why. Could it be the rain? Could it be the intense heat from the day globe? Not sure what's going on with them. At least the other plants seem to be doing well.

That's about it from me. I scripted several comics this week and I talked to a half 4th cousin once removed. Was interesting to say the least. He researched Patty/Martha Smart who is our common ancestor. Interesting story to say the least.

by Chris Ferraiolo G2G6 Pilot (756k points)
The “fake” title screen!!! Hahahahaha! How appropriate.

In the game the leaves would be moving and playing in the background would be the most serene music ever composed by the finest composers Nintendo could find. They do some good work. Check these out:

Theme song for Super Smash Brothers  Ultimate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTISQCY6LYo

Anything from Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild works, too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPWBG6_jn4Y

Video game music has evolved. =)

Still like that 1991 Sonic theme, though. Oh and the orchestra has done an orchestral version of the Mario Bros theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wkg8C4sWfp0

+18 votes
I have to echo Pip's sentiments. This week we had the opportunity to ride to the old cemetery and past the houses where my gg grandparents Burk, Spinning and Sands lived, as well as over the bridge where ggg grandfather Woodworth ran the ferry across the Seneca River about 1809. Today the area remains rural with a mix of woods and dairy farms. We were just imagining what it was like 210 years ago when they settled here.

We got some great photos at the old cemetery, and provided a feast for the voracious mosquitoes. I also took the opportunity to drive some of the old country roads named for my ancestors and to visit my parents graves, as well as the hamlet where I grew up.

If you ever have the excuse to research at the libraries at Cornell University you are in for a treat. The librarians at the Rare Manuscript collection are great. The campus is beautiful; my husband and dog spent time walking around the lake and several trails at the Botanical Garden. We also visited a waterfall, creamery and winery.

This weekend is the family picnic - a family of 8 with spouses, most children and grandchildren and several of us cousins. Unusual this year, as is typically a camping weekend to have time to visit with everyone.

At Cornell, I did get a copy of the church record for an 1800 marriage. There do not seem to be any other church records for the family, especially after they moved to the wilderness. Evidence for a negative is difficult.
by Kay Knight G2G6 Pilot (593k points)
Kay, it’s always a good thing to go back to where our ancestors put their roots down. I would love to take that trip with you to hear your narration of the history. Just love other folks stories.

I also have a few of those “into the wilderness” ancestors: one source, a move, and then the vanishing act.
Kay, I was an undergrad at Cornell ages ago... it's "gorges," isn't it?
Supposedly those hills gave the cross country runners a leg up on the other teams.  Can't vouch for the fact.  My high school class valedictorian went there.  We have a 65th reunion this next week.  Maybe I'll remember to ask him.
+20 votes
OMGoodness, I am actually early, I'm acutally here this weekend.   Thanks for hosting Pip and I love your write up, did I say that already?

I have basically kept my head down since the Connect-a-thon; the weather here has been very nice so spending a lot of it outside.  I will be a the computer pretty much all winter so thought i would take the sun while I can.

So that is it for me for now, I wish everyone a very happy weekend.
by Nicole Boorse G2G6 Pilot (884k points)
Oh, yes, take those breaks when you can, Nicole. There is so much more to see and do than WikiTreeing all day (heresy, I know!).
+17 votes
Wow! Pip - that was a wonderful entry to the Chat. Seems it has evoked memories from a lot of us. It made me remember how my Dad felt when we went to his family home in Louisiana to visit. Since I have been going there all my life, I have many memories there, too. The history of the family comes alive since that is where one of my immigrant ancestors settled there and now, I visit a distant cousin and stay on part of the land that ole Henry bought and it has stayed in the family about 170 years.

And, Dorothy has another hit with those Bagels!! We, in the South, did not know what a Bagel was until some years ago. So happy that we now know!!

On the Wiki and genealogy front, I have submitted one of my many Southern lines to be reviewed for the Southern Pioneers Trail. Now working on another one - trying to be sure each generation is proven and the biographies and sourcing is good.

On the boating front, we are back at the boat yard dock. Will be hauled out again early Monday morning to replace the transducer which gives us water depth. Kind of important so we don't have to anchor "by braille". Would not be a good experience as we head up into British Columbia where water can be very deep or depth interrupted by large rocks - ouch!!

It is a beautiful day here in LaConner, Washington - I wish the same for everyone!!

Ginny
by Virginia Fields G2G Astronaut (1.2m points)
I need to do that, too, Ginny, work on one of my Southern Pioneer lines. I guess I’ll get to that, too, one of these days. Keep us posted on the boat and activities! Can’t wait for y’all to actually get going.
+17 votes

Hello all. I hope everyone has a wondrous weekend smiley

Got up before dawn this morning. Thoughts of my third great-aunt filled my mind, and I just couldn't fall back asleep. I'm over my writer's block so I'm again focused on writing my family history. In many ways, I feel the women of the late 18th century were as amazing as the men!

As I write, I wonder, "How did Susannah feel as they packed their belongings into the wagon? Did Jonathan argue with her about taking two dairy cows? Did they fight about leaving New England to go to the frontier?"

So many women left their comfortable homes behind to live inside log cabins or palisades. Though I'm not the profile manager, I'm itching to add to her minimal biography. There currently is no mention of her riding horseback driving the cows while her husband and 3 children rode in their ox-drawn wagon. Nor that their trip took five months.

I did start adding a few Rice profiles, but got bogged down with the bio for Levi Whipple (his mother was a Rice). Levi's bio will be at least as long as my third great-grandfather's one. It takes time to go through the histories and note the important details. lol

Happy weekend! Thanks for hosting, Pip!

by Diane Hildebrandt G2G6 Pilot (109k points)
Like you, Diane, I love writing a good bio. Takes me a few hours, but the end result is worth it. I haven’t done many, spending time getting relatives into the Tree, but occasionally I’m so struck by the events of one of my entries to stop and do justice to his or her life.

Diane,

Exactly! I found some letters published in a local newspaper memories from the past. I remember reading the reminisces by one woman about how her (grand?) mother had not wanted to move to the wilderness and refused to travel to visit relatives who had moved further west unless the youngest daughter went with them or was married. Found it...this story https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Risley-698

Pip, I labor over the biography as much as I do writing my novel. I want to portray an accurate "picture" of their life. I confess I've spent more time on relatives, but I plan to do more research on all of them. It's just so much easier to do my family because I've spent over 4 years researching them. lol
Kay thanks for sharing the Risley link. Very interesting and detailed history which provides a glimpse of one family's journey with successes and defeats.
Diane, I am soooo very behind in doing bios for even close relatives. In my research into distant collateral lines, I once in a while come across someone who I feel like they deserve a really good bio. And like you, I labor over those bios.
+19 votes

Greetings, WikiCousins!

Pip, thanks for hosting the Chat!  That was a beautiful intro you wrote this week.  Well done, sir!

It's been warm and just a bit muggy in New Mexico.  Our annual monsoon is here, and every day it rains or at least promises it.  It's the only time of the year when the word humidity enters our conversation.  On top of a wetter spring than usual, my area is as green as I've ever seen it.

Not a big week for me Wiki-wise, as daily life activities needed attending to. I did help sort out some Honsingers and merge some Maggards (two three-way merges in process there).

This week, for no particular reason....

Koi by Riccardo Foschi

Cheers,

Herb

by Living Tardy G2G6 Pilot (762k points)

Cool Koi, Herbert.

We haven’t had much rain here lately, but just enough so that when my riding mower broke a steering arm, the grass (and weeds) in the back 40 grew two feet. Fixed now, the mower is struggling at its highest mowing level. Mowing half a row at a time. Now enjoying our green so much. sad Glad yours is purdy, though. 

Thanks, Pip!  smiley

With your gamy shoulder, do you think you can swing a scythe?  This dude makes it look pretty easy:  https://youtu.be/VVn1kiZnldQ

That dude wore me out (loves an audience), but he knows his stuff. Right now, after shoveling about six tons of dirt and one tome of rock, I couldn’t pick up his three pound favorite. (But he sure did make it look easy, even convincing!)

Morning Herb My love.❤

Muggy here to but we will definitely get rain before sundown.

Will try to blow some your way.

Cool Koi.yes

Have a great weekend smiley

Dont work too hard Pipsmiley

Have a lovely Weekendyes

Thank you, Sharon!  blush

........x
XXOOO Sharon!

.......blush

Sharon, it was only a 5 1/2 hour day today, but it was hot and heavy work. Both of us are worn out. Broke at 3:30, and we’ve decided to reward ourselves by eating out tonight.

Good one Pipsmiley

Smart idea....No dishes at the end of the meal.

Hope the meal is top notchyes

+19 votes

Good evening,

this week it was HOT hot hot. The hottest ever day was recorded with something over 42C. In my area it was "only" 40.2C. Last night it was in Frankfurt 25.7C lowest temperature.

Familywise I saw on Facebook today that the husband of mum's second cousin died either last night or this morning. It is the cousin mum had lost contact to in the late 1960s and got in contact again in 2016. 

Wikiwise I added about 60 persons to the siblings Scholl (Hans Scholl and Sophie Scholl) to connect them to the big tree, but still I didn't find a connection. Oh well, I'm gonna look for more profiles, it's gonna be a big cluster connected once they are done. 

Have a great weekend all!

by Jelena Eckstädt G2G Astronaut (1.4m points)
Been watching those reports of the heat in Europe. Lots worse than here, and I live in the South! Stay cool Jelena!
I lived in Spain for a year, and that summer I traveled through Europe....I cannot even imagine those temperatures in Paris, Frankfurt, even Northern Europe is HOT.

We have had several hot days,  38/100 this weekend is supposed to be close to 42/107.  By next week it should be back to normal.
We got normal this week after two weeks in the high 80s to mid-90s! Lost some weight then!
+17 votes
Happy weekend, everyone!  Quiet week here; I spent a lot of it researching my great great grandmother Annie Gray's family.  Solved some mysteries and may have broken through a couple of brick walls.  I finally found a death record for her mother that confirmed (as my uncle and I suspected) that she died shortly after giving birth to stillborn twins in 1860.  I also found a death record for Annie's father, who outlived at least 5 of his 7 children and died in a home for the aged poor outside Boston.  And one for her brother, the last surviving sibling, who went to an orphanage after their mother died, married twice but had no kids, and died at age 56.  Two other siblings also died young, one of scarlet fever and one of pregnancy complications.  One brother is still a mystery; no records after 1860 (age 10) and I suspect he died young.  My great great grandmother is the only one of the seven who had a child, my great grandfather George, whose paternity I'm currently researching.  Life was hard for Irish immigrants in New England in the 1800s.  However... the death records for Annie's parents gave me their parents' names, and a naturalization record I'm still verifying hopefully tells me the county in Ireland that her father came from.  So with luck I'll be able to learn more about their origins.

Pip, when I visited Maryland last weekend we drove past the house I grew up in... familiar and strange all at the same time.  They've built a huge addition off the back (not sure how... the yard was already tiny!).  It was nice to be able to show it to my daughter.
by Lisa Hazard G2G6 Pilot (263k points)
Seems like you had a productive week.

This "known and strange" feeling at the same time, I know it. I was at the house my uncle lived in in Belgrade and I was nearly every day when I was in Serbia. He's already dead for years and since his wife died (this was also already some years ago) I have never been again in the house. The house has also changed and it was strange...
Glad you got a chance to see the old homestead. I recently went by my grandmother's old house in Haverhill and it looked the same except something seemed off in the back. I checked it out on Google Earth. They built a HUGE swimming pool in the backyard. Kinda cool. And at the same time I kinda wish they kept it because that backyard was awesome to play in and the pool area takes up 2/3rd of the yard.

Sounds like you had a great week, though. Oh and saw you post in Genealogy Squad. Great stuff as always!
Youre quite the detective, Lisa! Nice work.

I saw my boyhood home last summer for the first time in about 20 years and almost missed it, the neighborhood had changed so much. Not as pretty as when we lived there.
+16 votes

Things are beginning to quiet down for me on here now.
The primary focus at the month during this term of study is a project which demands 450 hours (timeframe of July 15 - October 21), target by this weekend was at 60 hours completed

The main thing I think I should mention, is that my focus is reverting to the background with updates that I'm needing to make

by Richard Shelley G2G6 Pilot (245k points)
Busy as a bee. I don’t know how you do it.
+15 votes
The weather here in Nebraska has been almost perfect this last week. I drove over 1200 miles. Just going to job sites around the state inspecting, servicing fixing various pieces of construction equipment. I got to go 186ft straight up in the air inspecting an aerial lift. The kid I'm training almost wet himself. He doesn't like heights very much.

Got tickets for the final Slayer concert ever in Omaha this November. I'm excited to go watch, in my opinion. The greatest thrash metal band ever. On their final tour.

Other than that, I played some guitar. Removed training wheels from my almost 7yr old sons bike. Taught my 17yr old daughter and 15yr old son the joys of basic automotive maintenance. The oil stain may never leave my driveway. My 9yr old daughter tried teaching me some piano. Then she taught me how to use my company issued iPhone. I suck at piano. Sick worse at the iPhone.

So basically my week was pretty good. My wife has been getting things ready for my almost 7yr old baby boy to turn 7 this coming Tuesday.

Tomorrow I watch my teens now my yard. Then I ship them to Pip to dig a hole or remove vines. Or whatever else he needs.
by Paul Kreutz G2G6 Pilot (129k points)

Sounds like you’ve had a great week, Paul. I’ve need your work crew all week. I’m beat!

+14 votes
Thanks for hosting once again, Pip!

I love those moments when we can feel the connection with ancestors - they seem few and far between but are oh so very special. I recall one summer trip, maybe 10 or 11 years back, we went up to Gorman Falls in Bend, Texas - about a two hour trip from where we lived at the time. Bend, Texas sits between San Saba and Lampasas counties and is just getting into the west Texas section of Texas. It's hot, dry, and scrubby, with lots of rattlesnakes.

The day we went was so hot - guaranteed over 100. We hiked and were rewarded with the 70' spring-fed waterfall that is the namesake of Gorman Falls. It drops down into the Colorado River along a little river bend and it is absolutely stunning. Such a reprieve from the oppressive Texas heat.

I remember thinking about my great grandparents that moved to the area in the 1870s and 1880s - they would have surely found this little oasis in the middle of the near-desert a very welcome sight. I remember wondering how many of my relatives had also escaped the Texas heat at this waterfall and swimming hole? Such a great summer memory.

Beyond reminiscing about summer's past -

Gardening has been going fantastic this year - we nearly have some tomatoes ready, my first blooms didn't set, but these last round did. I finally pulled my pea plants out as they were done for the year. Green beans going strong, not sure why some aren't climbing their poles while others seem to be doing so enthusiastically.

I made cinnamon rolls today for the hub's birthday breakfast tomorrow. Always a good birthday with a sweet breakfast.

Hope everyone else is doing well and avoiding the heatwave as best they can!
by Patricia Ferdig G2G6 Mach 3 (36.4k points)
What a new fun trip. I’d have thought the same, wondering which of my of my folks had cooled their heels in the water. Sounds like you garden is booming! Do you can or freeze stuff for later?
Thanks for sharing about Gorman Falls, Patricia. One of the goals for our eventual retirement is to visit waterfalls all over the USA. With that in mind, I've created a personal GoogleMap with pins for waterfall locations. Gorman Falls has now been added.

Pip - We seem to be keeping pace with the production of the garden at this point, so no canning yet. I'll maybe start next year if I get enough. I think the library has a canner and supplies I can check out for a weekend. We do go pick blackberries starting around this time and for about a month and or so after, we'll freeze those. 

Debi - Gorman Falls is well worth the trip and that area of Texas is beautiful. If you're in the area, I'd suggest Enchanted Rock if you're headed south, or if you head a few hours west, you'll come to Sonora Caverns - one of the most decorated caves in the world. It's an amazing sight and well worth the stop in the middle of nowhere. 

Oooh I also forgot to mention that I got my CleanAThon shirt in this week! 

You’re working in your WikiTee?!? Or just posing? I got mine too and wear it around town hoping someone will say, “Oh, are you a WikiTreer, too?”
Just a quick morning over to the garden and playground before we settled into the house for the day. No real work done besides picking some basil, a few beans and a zucchini that was ready! I did throw the shirt on today and tell my husband to take my picture to show off, so maybe half posing, half working? Working hard? Hardly working? hahahaha
+15 votes

I'm in for a mellow weekend this weekend, so I've decided to chime in. 

Yes, I have met some new cousins recently! I'm working on a book about my grandmothers side of the family, and as part of that project, I have been getting in touch with relatives that I've never met and asking them to allow me to write up their personal story. I've done this for dozens and dozens of people so far, and usually it has been done by phone. But recently I traveled to Calgary and Edmonton and met several cousins in person, which was a nice change. It was much better than chatting via phone. I met several dozen cousins, over the course of several days, many of them for the first time. It was great to finally meet them in person, and they quickly became enthusiastic supporters of the book I am working on. Their contributions will be deeply appreciated for generations to come!  

Now, I can't help but notice, this book project would go much more easily if only I had Pip's talent for writing... !  wink

by Alex Stronach G2G6 Pilot (363k points)
This is the very thing I oughta be doing, hooking up with cousins to get their stories. It’s that kind of extra that adds so much more to to the dry dares and locations. I commend you for your efforts, Alex. Your book will bloom with all this new information.
+15 votes

Today is.....

                 

NATIONAL CREME BRULEE DAY

National Crème Brûlée Day on July 27th presents an opportunity to enjoy a mouth-watering custard for dessert. Since there are several flavors, don’t miss out!

Crème brûlée is also known as burnt cream, crema Catalana, and Trinity crème. The dessert consists of a rich custard base. The custard is then topped with a contrasting layer of caramelized sugar. Chefs achieve this final layer by using a small propane torch. 

While vanilla is the most common custard base of crème brûlée, the dessert comes in a range of other flavors. Coffee, citrus, nut, chocolate, and other fruit flavors find their way on to menus frequently. However, other unique flavorings such as green tea, lavender, liqueurs, and even savory crème brûlée add an interesting finish to any meal. 

The earliest known reference of crème brûlée, as we know it today, appears in Francois Massialot’s 1691 cookbook.

HOW TO OBSERVE

If making a crème brûlée at home, follow the recipe precisely. Don’t make any substitutions. Here is a crème brûlée recipe for you to make and share. Or, invite a friend to join you at your favorite restaurant.  

https://nationaldaycalendar.com/national-creme-brulee-day-july-27/

by Dorothy Barry G2G Astronaut (2.7m points)

The very first recipes for crème brûlée date from the seventeenth century. 

Le cuisinier royal et bourgeois of François Massialot

Philippe, duke of Orléans. Portrait by Pierre Mignard, 4th quarter 17th century. Bordeaux, Musée des Beaux-Arts. Source: WikimediaThe recipe is taken from a French cookbook that was written by Massialot at the end of the seventeenth century.
François Massialot  was born in Limoges in 1660 and died in Paris in 1733. Barbara Ketcham Wheaton (zie bibliografie) suspects he was not in service, but an independent cook who was hired for special occasions. He has prepared meals for Monsieur (Philippe, duke of Orleans, brother of Louis the fourteenth), Madame (princess Liselotte, wife of Monsieur), the Dauphin, and several dukes and marquesses. So it would be safe to say he was quite successful.

https://coquinaria.nl/en/creme-brulee/

My wife can make a great creme brûlée but, sigh, our diets make them few and far between.
I believe I saw a cooking video where crème brulee was made with a blowtorch.
That is one of my favorite desserts! I make it for me and mom sometimes.
+14 votes

Things around the home and work front are on an even keel. Nothing stands out as worthy of note. That's mainly because my brain is over full with excitement at my genealogical week.

It's always been said that my 2xgreat-grandmother Mary Malenda Shinn was the daughter of Thomas Jefferson Shinn. It's even in a book LOL which is, of course, unsourced *sigh*  The oldest records I have for her are the bond her husband posted for them to marry and the 1850 Census enumeration where the young couple was living in the home of TJ Shinn ... before relationships were included. I have searched for 15 years for the elusive proof of the relationship and ... 

Well, here's the transcript of the chat I was in as I found it:

  • I'm kind of dancing in my seat over here. I might have found a clue that lets me claim the next generation for my 2xgreatgrandmother
  • damn ... I think it's as close as I'm going to get but the convolutions I have to jump through to prove it are ginormous
  • second wife in a county where the 3xgreat didn't die gets administrative rights, identifies my 2xgreat as Linda Smith wife of Wallan Smtih (easily misread as William Smith and really Mary Malenda and Valentine Smith). Not till the second wife wants to sell the land in 1896 (after MM Smith dies) does she name MM's children as heirs
  • in item IV of the petition to sell she writes Malinda Smith who intermarried Val Smith who died leaving the following children >>> WAHHOOOOO
  • I've got goosebumps and tears and laughing all  at the same time Thanks for being here to listen LOLOOLOLOL
  • Now to download the 221 images so that I can review it ... one by one because there is no way to get them all in one fell swoop
So now you can see why all else this week pales in comparison. 
by Debi Hoag G2G6 Pilot (393k points)
Great!!!

221 images! I had to do that once for a Revolutionary War pension record. It was enough to discourage me from ever doing it again. All that 1830s handwriting!

LOL I need to get back to that. I only got the first 32 pages done (through the end of the Petition to Sell). It takes me even longer because I rename each image as I download it so that I can easily find what I'm looking for later.

For that all important evidence image, I actually saved it twice. 

  • within the sequence "1891 Shinn, Thomas Jefferson - Probate image 028 - Petition to Sell Land Assets pg 3 18960526"
  • "1891 Shinn, Thomas Jefferson - Probate image 028 - proof of relationship to Malinda Smith, wife of Val." 

I do it that way because later I won't remember which page it was on.

Now that’s smart! I’ve been in such a hurry that I’ve made the mistake of NOT naming each page. How dumb of me! No fun having to hunt for a particular doc for lack of naming them. I’m so excited for you!

Related questions

WikiTree  ~  About  ~  Help Help  ~  Search Person Search  ~  Surname:

disclaimer - terms - copyright

...