I have not had many substantial posts here for the past week or so due to some intensive research that I've been pursuing. And most genea-bloggers know what I mean: you don't sleep much, you postpone meals, even perhaps forgo that daily shower! It has been that kind of week.
This side trip on the journey I call Destination: Austin Family began about two weeks ago when a poster on the McEntee forum at Genealogy.com contacted me via e-mail. His last name is MacEntee as well and he has been trying to trace his family history to connect the MacEntees found in Ulster County, New York to the McEntees of the same location.
Why is this so important? For several reasons, the first being frequent confusion as to whether the name MacEntee is of Scots, Scots-Irish or Irish origin. Second, to either confirm or dispel long-held notions and oft-told family stories that the "a" was added to McEntee because one brother became Protestant while the other remained Catholic. Third, to do the same for another story that the "a" was added because an ancestor immigrated from Canada and in order to find a job in New York, wanted the name to appear as Scots and not Irish. And finally, to connect the MacEntees to the famed McEntee family of Kingston, New York and the surrounding Ulster County. This "two roads" journey will comprise several posts over the next few days.
Packing for the Journey
To me, much of the fun involved with travel is the "anticipation" not so much the preparedness. And just like flying these days (which I do roughly 25 times a year), you have to be prepared - if you've ever been through the TSA line at an airport, you know what I mean. I follow all the rules, even with liquids less than 3 ounces, in a 1 quart bag etc. less my essentials get confiscated. (Isn't it funny that TSA workers seem to have the best skin, nicest hair, and smell great? coincidence?)
But I knew that no matter how much I prepared for this trip down two separate roads, there would always be some detours, mishaps, and things for which I just couldn't possibly be prepared.
What's In A Name? LOTS!
One main item for my trip: the realization that almost no one will spell the last name the same way. I know this from growing up as do most MacEntees or McEntees. We often hear McEntire, McEntyre, McEntry, McIntee, McAntee, McGinty, McGinnity, etc. However, during my recent research I came up with spellings and just plain stupid transcriptions of names that didn't make sense: McEnt and McEnton! Much of the blame lies with the process used by Ancestry to index the census names. Over the past few days I have made way too many corrections or suggested alternate names. I know that this work is outsourced, and probably to India, but some days I not only laugh at the errors but I get downright frustrated as well. I'm all for globalization when it works especially if it helps lift impoverished countries out of poverty. But in the case of transcribing census data, I think you should use workers who are more in tune with the cultural background behind the names. I think I can better decipher the handwriting of Irish or English names than I could Dutch, or Polish or even Indian. Basically Ancestry is using their paying subscribers as "bug fixers" much the way Microsoft does for many of its so-called security updates. OK, I'll descend from the soap box.
I am also willing to put some of the blame on the actual census takers. I've seen many inconsistencies from census to census with the same person: born in New York and then ten years later born in Ireland; child is 11, then is 25; name is Elmira, then Almira. My favorite was "Gloanna McEntee" with the mistake even being duplicated in a written and published family history. I still haven't determined if the correct name is Gloriana, Georgana, Geoanna, Juliana, etc.
In fact, the reason for the "a" being added to McEntee, could have started with a census taker or some government official. But wouldn't the subject of such an addition, take umbrage and get the error corrected? Or is there some other reason for changing the last name?
My Theory - And I Hope I Can Prove It
So even if I am well-prepared, and think I have mapped out my route or routes, I need a purpose for this trip. Here it is:
The MacEntee branch with Edward McEntee (January 14, 1795 - February 14, 1875) is directly related to the McEntee branch with James S. McEntee (March 21, 1800 - June 30, 1887) with Edward and James S. being brothers. They share a common father Charles McEntee (no dates) and mother Mary ______ McEntee (Abt 1770 to Aft. 1860). There was also at least one other sibling Charles McEntee, Jr. (b. abt 1810).
Along the journey I also hope to prove the following:
- these McEntee/MacEntee branches are only related to the Philadelphia MacEntees and the Boston McEntees if one goes back to Ireland;
- the McEntees of Ulster County, New York are related to the McEntees of Perry, Wyoming County, New York; and
- the "a" in MacEntee was somehow added by Elmer A. MacEntee (November 27, 1881 - November 8, 1948) either by accident but more likely by choice.
Coming up: Part Two - The Famed McEntees of Kingston, Ulster County, New York
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Monday, February 25, 2008
Nicknames
Randy Seaver's post on grandparents' names got me to thinking about other names used in my family - namely (bad pun) nicknames.
I don't know if the same is true with other large families, but in mine, it appears that there is a "naming scheme" for children and then there are nicknames which make almost no sense at all.
Example: my mother grew up with 11 other siblings for a total of 12 children - 4 boys and 8 girls. Most of the girls had names starting with J (Joan, Josephine, Judith, Jacqueline, June, Julia, Jennifer) and the boys had names starting with L (Lawrence, Lee, Lemuel). The excepts were just two children, Pat (from a previous marriage) and Alfred (named after his father).
In talking with others, it seems that using the same first letter when naming children is somewhat common especially with large families. And with Irish Catholic families it can take a twist: I knew a family growing up with 6 girls all named Mary. Mary Ann, Mary Margaret, Mary Catherine, Mary Jane, Mary Jo and Mary Lee.
Besides the naming scheme used in my family, the nicknames abound: Butch, Pudgie, Ginny, Jo'el, Jerry. Sometimes the nickname is related to the person's original name (i.e., Jo'el is Josephine Eleanor) but most times it is not.
My mother's nickname is Suzi and it has nothing to do with her given name of Jacqueline. There is a cute story involved however:
As a child my mother loved to eat Tootsie Rolls and she had earned the nickname "Tootsie." However, the younger children could not pronounce "Tootsie" to the point where it came out as "Sussie" hence "Suzi."
Did your family use nicknames? Do you still have a nickname or did you grow up with one that you absolutely hated? Do you have any funny stories involving how nicknames got started?
I don't know if the same is true with other large families, but in mine, it appears that there is a "naming scheme" for children and then there are nicknames which make almost no sense at all.
Example: my mother grew up with 11 other siblings for a total of 12 children - 4 boys and 8 girls. Most of the girls had names starting with J (Joan, Josephine, Judith, Jacqueline, June, Julia, Jennifer) and the boys had names starting with L (Lawrence, Lee, Lemuel). The excepts were just two children, Pat (from a previous marriage) and Alfred (named after his father).
In talking with others, it seems that using the same first letter when naming children is somewhat common especially with large families. And with Irish Catholic families it can take a twist: I knew a family growing up with 6 girls all named Mary. Mary Ann, Mary Margaret, Mary Catherine, Mary Jane, Mary Jo and Mary Lee.
Besides the naming scheme used in my family, the nicknames abound: Butch, Pudgie, Ginny, Jo'el, Jerry. Sometimes the nickname is related to the person's original name (i.e., Jo'el is Josephine Eleanor) but most times it is not.
My mother's nickname is Suzi and it has nothing to do with her given name of Jacqueline. There is a cute story involved however:
As a child my mother loved to eat Tootsie Rolls and she had earned the nickname "Tootsie." However, the younger children could not pronounce "Tootsie" to the point where it came out as "Sussie" hence "Suzi."
Did your family use nicknames? Do you still have a nickname or did you grow up with one that you absolutely hated? Do you have any funny stories involving how nicknames got started?
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Another Great Scanfest!
I just wanted to say a quick thanks to Miriam at AnceStories: The Stories of My Ancestors for hosting another great Scanfest this afternoon!
If you are unfamiliar with Scanfest or have never scanned photos or documents and would like some assistance from seasoned veterans (and some not-so-seasoned veterans), think about joining us for the next one at the end of March!
If you are unfamiliar with Scanfest or have never scanned photos or documents and would like some assistance from seasoned veterans (and some not-so-seasoned veterans), think about joining us for the next one at the end of March!
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Names I Used for Grandparents
Randy at Genea-Musings brings up an interesting topic in the genea-blogsphere: What names did you use in addressing your grand-parents while growing up? What do or did your children use? Your grandchildren?
Abraham MacEntee (paternal grandfather)
I never had the privilege of meeting my grandfather on my father's side. I do know that he and my grandmother may have been separated since when I saw my grandmother, she was on her own.
Loretta Slattery MacEntee (paternal grandmother)
I only met her a few times, despite her living about 40 miles away. It probably had quite a bit to with the fact that my mother had divorced my father and we really didn't stay in touch with my father's side of the family except for a few of his brothers and sisters.
Alfred Austin (maternal grandfather)
I knew my grandfather somehwat and called him Grandpa. Other of my cousins used the word Poppy. Using Grandpa was confusing since that is what I called my great-grandfather, John Ralph Austin, with whom I was much closer.
My family has a very tortured (literally) past with my mother's father. It is difficult to go into and is almost never discussed by the family except for a brave few. My mother saw to it that there was little interaction between her father and my brother and I with good reason due to sexual and physical abuse issues in the past. I never understood the distance as a child but I now realize not only what my mother endured as a child, but also what she did to protect her children.
Anna Henneberg Austin (maternal grandfather)
My grandmother died when I was 2 1/2 years old but I do remember her being called Nana or Nanny. This was probably due to her German background. My grandmother had been abandoned by her husband, Alfred Austin, and died of a cerebral hemmoragh at age 53.
Jean Rose Austin (maternal grandfather's second wife)
Soon after my grandmother Anna Heneberg Austin died, my grandfather married Jean Rose, making her his second wife. I called her Aunt Jean and was told to do so by my mother. Because of the distance between me and my grandfather, naturally I didn't get to know Aunt Jean very well. Secretly, I liked her but sadly wasn't allowed to express that as a child. She was a spit-fire! Short, about 5 foot tall, smoked unflitered cigarettes like a chimney, and was not shy about sharing her opinion. My kinda gal!! Although I might not agree with her, she had spunk and was what we called "ballsy."
John Ralph Austin (maternal grandfather's father)
One of the biggest influences in my life and I called him Grandpa. I consider myself fortunate to have had him in my life before he passed in 1977. He and my great-grandmother would tell me stories of life in New York during the first half of the 20th century and I was always enchanted. Curiously, my mother (and her 11 siblings) called him Pa.
Therese McGinnis Austin (maternal grandfather's mother)
An even bigger influence on me than her husband and I called her Grandma while my mother called her Ma. She taught me how to behave, which fork to use, how to be excused from a table, how to greet adults, etc. Spending time with her - be it an overnight or two weeks in the summer - was like going to charm school and college all wrapped into one.
An imposing person at over six feet tall, she was like Julia Child but much funnier in my view. She always had an opinion on something and had great stories to tell. Her 1840s farmhouse was my second home and I miss both her and it. What I remember most is her smell - she wore Emeraude and you could always smell it, faintly like a light touch, when you went to hug her.
Nowadays if a woman walks past me wearing Emeraude, I go into a trance and am transported back to her dining room with its banjo clock, green floral wallpaper, blue ceiling and old dutch plank doors. I can almost hear myself saying, "Grandma tell me about the time . . ."
Abraham MacEntee (paternal grandfather)
I never had the privilege of meeting my grandfather on my father's side. I do know that he and my grandmother may have been separated since when I saw my grandmother, she was on her own.
Loretta Slattery MacEntee (paternal grandmother)
I only met her a few times, despite her living about 40 miles away. It probably had quite a bit to with the fact that my mother had divorced my father and we really didn't stay in touch with my father's side of the family except for a few of his brothers and sisters.
Alfred Austin (maternal grandfather)
I knew my grandfather somehwat and called him Grandpa. Other of my cousins used the word Poppy. Using Grandpa was confusing since that is what I called my great-grandfather, John Ralph Austin, with whom I was much closer.
My family has a very tortured (literally) past with my mother's father. It is difficult to go into and is almost never discussed by the family except for a brave few. My mother saw to it that there was little interaction between her father and my brother and I with good reason due to sexual and physical abuse issues in the past. I never understood the distance as a child but I now realize not only what my mother endured as a child, but also what she did to protect her children.
Anna Henneberg Austin (maternal grandfather)
My grandmother died when I was 2 1/2 years old but I do remember her being called Nana or Nanny. This was probably due to her German background. My grandmother had been abandoned by her husband, Alfred Austin, and died of a cerebral hemmoragh at age 53.
Jean Rose Austin (maternal grandfather's second wife)
Soon after my grandmother Anna Heneberg Austin died, my grandfather married Jean Rose, making her his second wife. I called her Aunt Jean and was told to do so by my mother. Because of the distance between me and my grandfather, naturally I didn't get to know Aunt Jean very well. Secretly, I liked her but sadly wasn't allowed to express that as a child. She was a spit-fire! Short, about 5 foot tall, smoked unflitered cigarettes like a chimney, and was not shy about sharing her opinion. My kinda gal!! Although I might not agree with her, she had spunk and was what we called "ballsy."
John Ralph Austin (maternal grandfather's father)
One of the biggest influences in my life and I called him Grandpa. I consider myself fortunate to have had him in my life before he passed in 1977. He and my great-grandmother would tell me stories of life in New York during the first half of the 20th century and I was always enchanted. Curiously, my mother (and her 11 siblings) called him Pa.
Therese McGinnis Austin (maternal grandfather's mother)
An even bigger influence on me than her husband and I called her Grandma while my mother called her Ma. She taught me how to behave, which fork to use, how to be excused from a table, how to greet adults, etc. Spending time with her - be it an overnight or two weeks in the summer - was like going to charm school and college all wrapped into one.
An imposing person at over six feet tall, she was like Julia Child but much funnier in my view. She always had an opinion on something and had great stories to tell. Her 1840s farmhouse was my second home and I miss both her and it. What I remember most is her smell - she wore Emeraude and you could always smell it, faintly like a light touch, when you went to hug her.
Nowadays if a woman walks past me wearing Emeraude, I go into a trance and am transported back to her dining room with its banjo clock, green floral wallpaper, blue ceiling and old dutch plank doors. I can almost hear myself saying, "Grandma tell me about the time . . ."
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Living Relative Connections: Follow-up Number Two
In my post on Living Relative Connections: Follow-up, I discussed my motiviations for and attempts at contacting my brother as well as my father. As readers might remember I have not had any contact with my brother in close to three years and with my father for close to 35 years.
I have some good news on the brother front. Since my post on February 2, 2008 sending my brother birthday wishes, I have received word, via e-mail, that he is alive and well and safe. That is really all I asked for, so I do believe that wishes and wants can come true. The person who reached out and made contact with me was not Michael but someone close to him who knows his current situation - and they even sent me a current photo! Thrilled and relieved is not the word.
My brother may or may not have valid reasons for not communicating with me or the rest of the family but I can't be the one to judge their validity. I believe that over time he will make a decision to initiate contact and I just want him to feel comfortable doing so. The person who knows him has my email address and I need to just let the matter sit as it is now. And trust that he will contact me when he is ready. I just want him to know that I love him and that I will be here for him.
I have some good news on the brother front. Since my post on February 2, 2008 sending my brother birthday wishes, I have received word, via e-mail, that he is alive and well and safe. That is really all I asked for, so I do believe that wishes and wants can come true. The person who reached out and made contact with me was not Michael but someone close to him who knows his current situation - and they even sent me a current photo! Thrilled and relieved is not the word.
My brother may or may not have valid reasons for not communicating with me or the rest of the family but I can't be the one to judge their validity. I believe that over time he will make a decision to initiate contact and I just want him to feel comfortable doing so. The person who knows him has my email address and I need to just let the matter sit as it is now. And trust that he will contact me when he is ready. I just want him to know that I love him and that I will be here for him.
43rd Carnival of Genealogy - Technology
Well being back from vacation means catching up on not only reading posts but posting posts. And this is one which has been submitted to the 43rd Carnival of Genealogy hosted by Jasia over at Creative Gene.
The topic is technology and how it is used by genea-bloggers in researching their genealogy and family history. As some of my readers know, I am in the Information Technology field and have been in this line of work for over 10 years and using desktop computing applications since 1984. My area of expertise is developing solutions for law firms, specifically with Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel and Outlook. Currently, I manage technology projects which allow me to follow the entire life-cycle of an application from design, to needs assessment, to acquisition, to testing, to deployment, to training, to documentation and then to support and maintenance.
Here are the items of technology without which I simply could not function when it comes to my family history research:
Hardware
I am a strong believer in frequent backups of data and currently use a SimpleTech 250GB external drive for all my storage needs. I purchased mine through Costco on their website but the item is also carried on Amazon as well as other websites and in some brick and mortar stores.
Features include USB 2.0 and a one-touch backup procedure. What I like most is the size: it is about 5" x 7" and I can lock it up in the safe when I go on vacation or I can grab it in case of a fire, tornado or other emergency.
Besides my genealogy databases, I have scanned photos, articles and books in pdf format locate here. And my library of 12,000 mp3 files so I can be serenaded whilst researching!
I, as well as other genea-bloggers have had discussions about backing up data and if you haven't yet made a New Year's resolution, this is a good one to have!
Software
I am partial to Family Tree Maker and am currently using version 16 for entering my genealogy database. Lately, I've been wondering if I stay with FTM simply due to familiarity and not because it is the best program. I will admit that it has its quirks and can be frustrating but for the beginning genealogist it is a fairly easy application to learn and use.
One caution: I have not heard great things about the 2008 version of FTM especially from users who upgraded from version 16 - many did not see any great improvements. Also be aware that if you have Windows Vista installed as your Operating System, you will need to download a patch from the FTM site in order to produce reports in PDF format.
Website/Blog
A very difficult choice since, like other researchers, I tend to rely upon certain websites for days or weeks on end depending upon my research tasks, and then won't visit that site for months. But if I had to pick a website that is most useful and consistently used on a weekly basis, it has to be NYGENWEB.
Both my mother's family (Austin and Putman lines) as well as my father's family (MacEntee/McEntee and Krom) can be traced back to the early days of New York when it was a colony and a state. The NYGENWEB site offers links to each county's website all of which are maintained by a dedicated band of volunteers.
The topic is technology and how it is used by genea-bloggers in researching their genealogy and family history. As some of my readers know, I am in the Information Technology field and have been in this line of work for over 10 years and using desktop computing applications since 1984. My area of expertise is developing solutions for law firms, specifically with Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel and Outlook. Currently, I manage technology projects which allow me to follow the entire life-cycle of an application from design, to needs assessment, to acquisition, to testing, to deployment, to training, to documentation and then to support and maintenance.
Here are the items of technology without which I simply could not function when it comes to my family history research:
Hardware
I am a strong believer in frequent backups of data and currently use a SimpleTech 250GB external drive for all my storage needs. I purchased mine through Costco on their website but the item is also carried on Amazon as well as other websites and in some brick and mortar stores.
Features include USB 2.0 and a one-touch backup procedure. What I like most is the size: it is about 5" x 7" and I can lock it up in the safe when I go on vacation or I can grab it in case of a fire, tornado or other emergency.
Besides my genealogy databases, I have scanned photos, articles and books in pdf format locate here. And my library of 12,000 mp3 files so I can be serenaded whilst researching!
I, as well as other genea-bloggers have had discussions about backing up data and if you haven't yet made a New Year's resolution, this is a good one to have!
Software
I am partial to Family Tree Maker and am currently using version 16 for entering my genealogy database. Lately, I've been wondering if I stay with FTM simply due to familiarity and not because it is the best program. I will admit that it has its quirks and can be frustrating but for the beginning genealogist it is a fairly easy application to learn and use.
One caution: I have not heard great things about the 2008 version of FTM especially from users who upgraded from version 16 - many did not see any great improvements. Also be aware that if you have Windows Vista installed as your Operating System, you will need to download a patch from the FTM site in order to produce reports in PDF format.
Website/Blog
A very difficult choice since, like other researchers, I tend to rely upon certain websites for days or weeks on end depending upon my research tasks, and then won't visit that site for months. But if I had to pick a website that is most useful and consistently used on a weekly basis, it has to be NYGENWEB.
Both my mother's family (Austin and Putman lines) as well as my father's family (MacEntee/McEntee and Krom) can be traced back to the early days of New York when it was a colony and a state. The NYGENWEB site offers links to each county's website all of which are maintained by a dedicated band of volunteers.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Honoring Our Leaders
For this week's family history blogging/journaling prompt over at AnceStories2: Stories of Me for My Descendants, Miriam has chosen the topic of Honoring Our Leaders.As a child, do you remember celebrating either Lincoln or Washington's birthdays? How did you celebrate them? What do you remember learning about either of these men?
I am old enough to remember there being separate holidays, one for Washington and one for Lincoln. However, Washington's Birthday was always the 3rd Monday in February, not the actual day. In New York we did have February 12th off for Lincoln's Birthday, which here in Illinois, is still a statewide holiday.
Did you get a day off of school, have an assembly, or was there a play performed?
We were off from school. In fact, between the standard Federal holidays, the Christian holidays, and the Jewish holidays of Rosh Hoshanah, Yom Kippur and the first two days of Passover, then throw in a few snow days, our school year ran until the last week of June!
Do you ever remember reading any books or watching any movies about these two leaders?
As a kid we really didn't have access to "movies" the way we do today as in video tapes or DVDs. We had the dreaded "filmstrip" in school which I later found out was how our teacher Ms. Harris dealt with a hangover. LOL.
In your opinion, who was the greatest leader of our country, and why?
This is a very difficult question but in this election year it is so important and relevant. I believe that Americans suffer from trying to see their leaders as "saints" and do the same when they attempt to elect someone for office. Our media has coaxed us to see basic human frailties in officials as "sins" and something which requires discouraging someone from running for office. Take the case of Muskie and his tears or Collin Powell and his wife's history of mental illness. I don't mean outright crimes or misdeeds that truly make someone unfit for office. But for once I'd just like someone who isn't plucked and tweezed both physically and behaviorally.
History has also glamorized our past leaders to the point of disregarding their missteps. Washington and Jefferson, among others, were slave owners. Grant drank. Kennedy philandered. But we choose to put them up on a pedestal and only tout their achievements to the point of glorification.
That's why I like Harry Truman - you knew where you stood with him. He really was just the haberdasher down the street. But one who had to make tough decisions such as using the A-bomb in August of 1945. They really don't make 'em like Harry anymore and I wonder if we'll ever see another leader in this country who could unite a country after a war and put it on the road to prosperity.
In your current career, do you get Presidents Day off? Why or why not?
I do get Presidents Day off as well as Martin Luther King Day. I think the reason I do is this: I am lucky enough to work for a progressive firm that even gives a 6-week sabbatical to all employees after the first 10 years of service, and then every 5 years after that. Our employees are encouraged to volunteer at the local level and can arrange flexible schedules to do so or even receive paid time off. And fathers can arrange for paternity leave in order to bond with a new child.
In many communities, Presidents Day weekend is well-known for sales and special deals. How do you feel about this? Do you like to go shopping on this weekend? Or do you feel this emphasis on commercialism is disrespectful?
I think due to the over-commercialization of life and events in general in this country, you'd think we could avoid a Presidents Day sale. We've come up with Sweetest Day (?), Secretary's Day (sorry, I am not being PC: Administrative Assistant Day or Support Staff Day) and even Bosses Day. I await a Sleazy Landlord Day and a corresponding card from Hallmark.
Once the 3rd Monday in January was made a Federal holiday in honor of Dr. King, I thought for certain there would never be a commercialization of this day with "sales" and special deals. But again, I'm proven wrong.
Presidents Day is also a day when veterans and Purple Heart recipients are honored. Are or were there any Purple Heart recipients in your family or ancestry? Have you written about what they did to earn this great award?
My cousin, Sgt. Kenney Von Ronn, did receive the Purple Heart post-humously after his death in Iraq in January 2005. I have written about him here and intend to remember him and other family veterans killed in battle with several posts around Memorial Day this year.
Meme for Review
A bit like playing the childhood game of "Operator," since I've been tagged by Bill West at West in New England who was tagged by Lori Thornton at Smoky Mountain Family History who was tagged by . . . Or maybe it is more like that shampoo commercial from the 1970s: "and they told two friends, who told two friends, . . ."
So here goes. And like Jasia, I think everyone's been tagged so I will pass on that part of the meme!
What issues/topic interests you most--non-fiction, i.e,
cooking, knitting, stitching, thereare infinite topics that has
nothing to do with novels?
I hardly ever read fiction which some readers may find quite surprising given my writing style. While some tend to be voracious readers of fiction and then find that this helps their writing, I am of the opposite camp. For example, with this meme, I purposely did not read what others posted except for Bill West's since he tagged me. I know that later tonite I will read all the responses, voraciously and joyfully spend hours using links to new blogs, new people, new concepts. But there are times when I need to remove the din of other voices, however wonderful and valid, in order to make mine come through. I hope this makes sense.
I adore non-fiction especially history and religion. While I can easily keep up with some of the most academic tomes, I prefer those written towards the common man but still give accurate information and proper citations, footnotes, etc. Sort of like watching a piece on PBS and then going off to investigate the topic on my own. I am a big fan of US Presidential history (not politics per se, but what the person achieved or failed to achieve while in office), architecture, migration patterns, settelement movements, spiritual movements and sects such as the Shakers and the Oneida or Amana communities. It really is varied.
In terms of religion I prefer works that look at religion, dogma, morals, ethics and spirituality from various perspectives. Favorite authors are the late John Boswell ("The Kindness of Strangers: The Abandonment of Children in Western Europe from Late Antiquity to the Renaissance" and "Christianity, Social Tolerance, and Homosexuality: Gay People in Western Europe from the Beginning of the Christian Era to the Fourteenth Century"), Harold Kushner ("When Bad Things Happen to Good People" and "Who Needs God"), Elaine Pagels ("The Gnostic Gospels" and "Adam, Eve, and the Serpent: Sex and Politics in Early Christianity"), and Karen Armstrong ("A History of God: The 4,000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam").
Would you like to review books concerning those?
I would enjoy writing reviews of works similar to those mentioned above with my motivation being a chance to simply write.
Would you like to be paid or do it as interest or hobby?
I am not sure that I have the qualifications to review such books, or any book really, at a level requiring compensation. Of course, with any reviewer, the interpretation of the work, its quality, its usefulness, etc. goes through the filter of the reviewer. So there is going to be some bias as there is with any reviewer.
Would you recommend those to your friends and how?
The best way to recommend books would be to probably post about them on a blog or one of my blogs. I don't care to discuss books or movies at parties since those types of conversation can often devolve into debates (perhaps I just go to the wrong types of parties).
Another way is to join a book club which I did when I attended a church in San Francisco. Each Lenten season we would select a book and then discuss a chapter or chapters to see how it fit with our own personal view of religion and spirituality.
So here goes. And like Jasia, I think everyone's been tagged so I will pass on that part of the meme!
What issues/topic interests you most--non-fiction, i.e,
cooking, knitting, stitching, thereare infinite topics that has
nothing to do with novels?
I hardly ever read fiction which some readers may find quite surprising given my writing style. While some tend to be voracious readers of fiction and then find that this helps their writing, I am of the opposite camp. For example, with this meme, I purposely did not read what others posted except for Bill West's since he tagged me. I know that later tonite I will read all the responses, voraciously and joyfully spend hours using links to new blogs, new people, new concepts. But there are times when I need to remove the din of other voices, however wonderful and valid, in order to make mine come through. I hope this makes sense.
I adore non-fiction especially history and religion. While I can easily keep up with some of the most academic tomes, I prefer those written towards the common man but still give accurate information and proper citations, footnotes, etc. Sort of like watching a piece on PBS and then going off to investigate the topic on my own. I am a big fan of US Presidential history (not politics per se, but what the person achieved or failed to achieve while in office), architecture, migration patterns, settelement movements, spiritual movements and sects such as the Shakers and the Oneida or Amana communities. It really is varied.
In terms of religion I prefer works that look at religion, dogma, morals, ethics and spirituality from various perspectives. Favorite authors are the late John Boswell ("The Kindness of Strangers: The Abandonment of Children in Western Europe from Late Antiquity to the Renaissance" and "Christianity, Social Tolerance, and Homosexuality: Gay People in Western Europe from the Beginning of the Christian Era to the Fourteenth Century"), Harold Kushner ("When Bad Things Happen to Good People" and "Who Needs God"), Elaine Pagels ("The Gnostic Gospels" and "Adam, Eve, and the Serpent: Sex and Politics in Early Christianity"), and Karen Armstrong ("A History of God: The 4,000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam").
Would you like to review books concerning those?
I would enjoy writing reviews of works similar to those mentioned above with my motivation being a chance to simply write.
Would you like to be paid or do it as interest or hobby?
I am not sure that I have the qualifications to review such books, or any book really, at a level requiring compensation. Of course, with any reviewer, the interpretation of the work, its quality, its usefulness, etc. goes through the filter of the reviewer. So there is going to be some bias as there is with any reviewer.
Would you recommend those to your friends and how?
The best way to recommend books would be to probably post about them on a blog or one of my blogs. I don't care to discuss books or movies at parties since those types of conversation can often devolve into debates (perhaps I just go to the wrong types of parties).
Another way is to join a book club which I did when I attended a church in San Francisco. Each Lenten season we would select a book and then discuss a chapter or chapters to see how it fit with our own personal view of religion and spirituality.
Return from Vacation
I am back from guess where? Reno, of course. At some point in the future I'll blog about my fascination and connection to "The Biggest Little City in the World" but for now, I will be spending the day catching up on great posts, kind comments from fellow genea-bloggers and emails.Also, I have some exciting news about my MacEntee/McEntee lines which I will share later today!
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Off On A Wee Vacation
I am headed out West where the forecast is for temps in the low 60s over the President's Day weekend. It isn't tropical, it isn't sun tan weather, but I will be wearing my camo-shorts and I will be having fun.
I am also ditching the laptop (but not the Blackberry) so I may not be checking emails or posts until I get back on the 19th. Have a great holiday!!
I am also ditching the laptop (but not the Blackberry) so I may not be checking emails or posts until I get back on the 19th. Have a great holiday!!
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Genea-poetry: Limericks, Haikus But No Quatrains
Well, if this doesn't beat all. Now I do love a challenge but this one has worn me out. I was up half the night because I kept trying to find a rhyme for Detroit, and then San Diego, and my brain would not shut off.
I tackled the limerick genre as well as haiku (I'm a fan but who knew?). I opted out of the odes, the villanelles, the sestinas (which seemed more like Sudoku) and especially the sonnets (when one started with "How shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Like that hot August in Zaire during the ebola outbreak . . ").
So here they are - this is about as creative as Thomas gets when he is two days away from a vacation where the daytime temp will be 65. Above.
Apple's Tree
Limerick:
There once was a gal from old Snowville
Whose apples were good and not evil
En route to Ann Arbor
Fun thoughts she did harbor
"Drive in style, not a bus, but a DeVille"
Haiku:
Road to Ann Arbor
Wheels they not go round and round
Find past and future
Creative Gene
Limerick:
There once was a gal from Detroit
who at blogging was known as adroit
her gene was creative
research would be so great if
she only had more time to exploit
Haiku:
Soft breeze from Detroit
She remembers mother's love
Help her blog her past
Hill Country of Monroe County, Missisippi
Limerick:
There once was a man from South US
to lose weight, banned fork under duress
the loss was a fight
and he blogged his great plight
so Sweetie his thighs she would caress
Haiku:
Hill Country I knew
dusty summer dirt roads
games to play all day
Kinexxions
Limerick:
There once was a gal from Ind'ana
searched for family including her nana
a Kinexxion she'd make
blogged the journey she'd take
finding Martians in Louisiana
Haiku:
Kosciusko girl
sought a Wise in Gilead
seeks now Hoffman too
footnote Maven
Limerick:
There once was a girl from Seattle
who fought for right cites, 'twas her battle
known as footnote the Maven
proper form was her cravin'
to blog and not source was pure prattle
Haiku:
An Earth Day baby
love of books never-ending
fans wish her good health
Nordic Blue
Limerick:
There once was a girl from Richmond CA
who lives in a snow-bound chalet
from her warm and cozy desk
on a journey Kafka-esque
she seeks Nords, a hard find to her dismay
Haiku:
Blond daughter of Norge
family mist she recalls
search, write, blog, with great skill
geneablogie
Limerick:
There once was a man from Carmichael
search for kin was just like a bicycle
not as fast as a plane
"pedal hard, don't complain!"
he did say as he went up that high hill
Haiku:
American son
Checkered past not forgotten
seeks truth and answers
Smoky Mountain Family Historian
Limerick:
There once was a gal from Old Smoky
Sought Thorntons in a manner so low key
but with help from cuz' Terry
search was fun and not scary
not like foul and just wrong karaoke
Haiku:
Dixie Chick not quite
Loving soul, nights at home
finding family
Steve's Genealogy Blog
Limerick:
There once was a man from the Bay
looked for relatives quite far away
blogged his finds and successes
did it with such finesses
he could sing that he did it "My Way"
Haiku:
Albany from where
his roots they travel so far
Galicia too
West in New England
Limerick:
There once was a man from New England
an invite he wanted to extend
flutaphones he did dream
parade floats was the scheme
a great meme, fans did love without end
Haiku:
A book-sellng guy
"Young man go West" he knew
great blogging ensues
Genea-musings
Limerick:
There once was a young man from SD
blogged of musings about the genea
but what oft takes his heart
not a family chart
but grandchildren of which he has three
Haiku:
"Warm climes," said Randy
only cold I can locate
is "trail" whilst searching
Janet the Researcher
Limerick:
There once was a gal near Toronto
family trees was the goal and so pronto,
in her roots she did delve
used the web, books on shelve
and she blogged for her fans when she'd want to
Haiku:
"Cold climes," she did say
heart warmed by family finds
blogs it - a good read
AnceStories
Limerick:
There once was a gal out in Spokane
held a party where bloggers could scan
when she sent an IM
joking with all of them
so much fun there was none much better than
Haiku:
I said "Where you from?"
"land of snow and people warm"
she said Alaska
The I Seek Dead People Blog
Limerick:
There once was Lee from Carolina
whose blog people said "none was finah!"
dead people she oft sought
should be easy she thought
the results could induce bad angina
Haiku:
Willow water weep
those beyond she would find
whose tales went untold
Before My Time
Limerick:
There once was TK from out west
she did blog about much and with zest
she'd not often reveal
and thought "what's the big deal?"
'bout the Union Suit that she had possessed
Haiku:
Water, rain surround
her search but a small ripple
in the kin puddle
I tackled the limerick genre as well as haiku (I'm a fan but who knew?). I opted out of the odes, the villanelles, the sestinas (which seemed more like Sudoku) and especially the sonnets (when one started with "How shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Like that hot August in Zaire during the ebola outbreak . . ").
So here they are - this is about as creative as Thomas gets when he is two days away from a vacation where the daytime temp will be 65. Above.
Apple's Tree
Limerick:
There once was a gal from old Snowville
Whose apples were good and not evil
En route to Ann Arbor
Fun thoughts she did harbor
"Drive in style, not a bus, but a DeVille"
Haiku:
Road to Ann Arbor
Wheels they not go round and round
Find past and future
Creative Gene
Limerick:
There once was a gal from Detroit
who at blogging was known as adroit
her gene was creative
research would be so great if
she only had more time to exploit
Haiku:
Soft breeze from Detroit
She remembers mother's love
Help her blog her past
Hill Country of Monroe County, Missisippi
Limerick:
There once was a man from South US
to lose weight, banned fork under duress
the loss was a fight
and he blogged his great plight
so Sweetie his thighs she would caress
Haiku:
Hill Country I knew
dusty summer dirt roads
games to play all day
Kinexxions
Limerick:
There once was a gal from Ind'ana
searched for family including her nana
a Kinexxion she'd make
blogged the journey she'd take
finding Martians in Louisiana
Haiku:
Kosciusko girl
sought a Wise in Gilead
seeks now Hoffman too
footnote Maven
Limerick:
There once was a girl from Seattle
who fought for right cites, 'twas her battle
known as footnote the Maven
proper form was her cravin'
to blog and not source was pure prattle
Haiku:
An Earth Day baby
love of books never-ending
fans wish her good health
Nordic Blue
Limerick:
There once was a girl from Richmond CA
who lives in a snow-bound chalet
from her warm and cozy desk
on a journey Kafka-esque
she seeks Nords, a hard find to her dismay
Haiku:
Blond daughter of Norge
family mist she recalls
search, write, blog, with great skill
geneablogie
Limerick:
There once was a man from Carmichael
search for kin was just like a bicycle
not as fast as a plane
"pedal hard, don't complain!"
he did say as he went up that high hill
Haiku:
American son
Checkered past not forgotten
seeks truth and answers
Smoky Mountain Family Historian
Limerick:
There once was a gal from Old Smoky
Sought Thorntons in a manner so low key
but with help from cuz' Terry
search was fun and not scary
not like foul and just wrong karaoke
Haiku:
Dixie Chick not quite
Loving soul, nights at home
finding family
Steve's Genealogy Blog
Limerick:
There once was a man from the Bay
looked for relatives quite far away
blogged his finds and successes
did it with such finesses
he could sing that he did it "My Way"
Haiku:
Albany from where
his roots they travel so far
Galicia too
West in New England
Limerick:
There once was a man from New England
an invite he wanted to extend
flutaphones he did dream
parade floats was the scheme
a great meme, fans did love without end
Haiku:
A book-sellng guy
"Young man go West" he knew
great blogging ensues
Genea-musings
Limerick:
There once was a young man from SD
blogged of musings about the genea
but what oft takes his heart
not a family chart
but grandchildren of which he has three
Haiku:
"Warm climes," said Randy
only cold I can locate
is "trail" whilst searching
Janet the Researcher
Limerick:
There once was a gal near Toronto
family trees was the goal and so pronto,
in her roots she did delve
used the web, books on shelve
and she blogged for her fans when she'd want to
Haiku:
"Cold climes," she did say
heart warmed by family finds
blogs it - a good read
AnceStories
Limerick:
There once was a gal out in Spokane
held a party where bloggers could scan
when she sent an IM
joking with all of them
so much fun there was none much better than
Haiku:
I said "Where you from?"
"land of snow and people warm"
she said Alaska
The I Seek Dead People Blog
Limerick:
There once was Lee from Carolina
whose blog people said "none was finah!"
dead people she oft sought
should be easy she thought
the results could induce bad angina
Haiku:
Willow water weep
those beyond she would find
whose tales went untold
Before My Time
Limerick:
There once was TK from out west
she did blog about much and with zest
she'd not often reveal
and thought "what's the big deal?"
'bout the Union Suit that she had possessed
Haiku:
Water, rain surround
her search but a small ripple
in the kin puddle
St. Valentine's Day
Here I am again, conjuring memories of love found and love lost using Miriam's family history blogging/journaling prompt over at AnceStories2: Stories of Me for My Descendants. Appropriate for the upcoming holiday, she asks us about St. Valentine's Day.
What is the first Valentine's Day that you remember? How old were you or what grade were you in?
I really don't remember much about Valentine's Day in school. From what I do remember I didn't like: it was too much of a "popularity contest" what with the box to drop valentine cards up front. Perhaps, and I hope, it is different. I would think schools would use the opportunity to stress and teach love as a concept: the love of neighbor, the love of colleague, the love of co-student and confonting the problem of bullying. I think too much time is spent these days equating love with sex.
Did you have celebrations at school? What were they like? Were there games and refreshments?
I went to Catholic grade school for the first three years, so we learned more about St. Valentine. I really don't remember any celebrations except perhaps a mid-winter dance in high school on a Friday evening.
Did you make some sort of individualized Valentine "mailboxes" to hold the greetings you received? Or did the classroom have one big box? How were they (or it) created and decorated?
The classroom had one large box which the teacher usually decorated.
Did you buy or make Valentine cards? Did you include goodies such as lollipops, candy message hearts, or Hershey kisses?
Mom usually bought the box set of little cards that you'd put in envelopes and then place in the big box.
Do you remember the first boy or girl you had a crush on in school? Did you have the nerve to send him or her a Valentine? If so, what was their reaction/response?
Sort of. In Catholic school I was in the first grade and I had a crush on a very pretty Italian girl. Of course I was a wee boy of six at the time.
Did your crush send you a Valentine?
I don't remember - I actually think that the nuns frowned upon giving Valentines. They frowned upon most things.
How did you feel about Valentine's Day as a child? Was it fun and exciting, or disappointing and sad? Or were you simply bored with it all?
Not disappointed as much as bored and not realizing the big deal. As a teenager I was struggling with my sexual identity so it was difficult to address that let alone sending a Valentine.
As you got older, did you attend any Valentine's Day dances? Tell about your experiences!
Well during my ballroom dancing days, my dance partner Nancy and I would usually go to a Saturday night dance at the Avalon Ballroom in San Francisco. A great setup: no alcohol, no smoking, and pleasant, civil people who respected the ground rules. We both learned quite a bit from the older, more experienced dancers. And I, for some reason, had a flock of older women always asking me for dances. Perhaps it was my Billy Idol/peroxide hair.
What is the nicest card or gift you have ever received for Valentine's Day? Who sent it to you?
I always receive great cards from my partner. I can't say that any one is better than the other - but I've saved them all, as well as birthday and anniversary cards.
How do you celebrate Valentine's Day now?
I usually make a batch of gingerbread cookies - large hearts decorated with pink frosting. Then I have a sheet of "love quotes" that I print out. I cut them into strips with scrapbooking scissors and place them in the large cellophane corsage bags with the cookies. I call them Love Fortunes.
Do you remember hearing how your parents or grandparents celebrated Valentine's Day?
Not really - my family was never very open with affection including husband to wife, wife to husband, etc. If I ever saw my parents or great-grandparents hold hands it was something to stop and note. In a way that's kind of sad. I would rather note when they didn't hold hands or kiss each other.
What is the first Valentine's Day that you remember? How old were you or what grade were you in?
I really don't remember much about Valentine's Day in school. From what I do remember I didn't like: it was too much of a "popularity contest" what with the box to drop valentine cards up front. Perhaps, and I hope, it is different. I would think schools would use the opportunity to stress and teach love as a concept: the love of neighbor, the love of colleague, the love of co-student and confonting the problem of bullying. I think too much time is spent these days equating love with sex.
Did you have celebrations at school? What were they like? Were there games and refreshments?
I went to Catholic grade school for the first three years, so we learned more about St. Valentine. I really don't remember any celebrations except perhaps a mid-winter dance in high school on a Friday evening.
Did you make some sort of individualized Valentine "mailboxes" to hold the greetings you received? Or did the classroom have one big box? How were they (or it) created and decorated?
The classroom had one large box which the teacher usually decorated.
Did you buy or make Valentine cards? Did you include goodies such as lollipops, candy message hearts, or Hershey kisses?
Mom usually bought the box set of little cards that you'd put in envelopes and then place in the big box.
Do you remember the first boy or girl you had a crush on in school? Did you have the nerve to send him or her a Valentine? If so, what was their reaction/response?
Sort of. In Catholic school I was in the first grade and I had a crush on a very pretty Italian girl. Of course I was a wee boy of six at the time.
Did your crush send you a Valentine?
I don't remember - I actually think that the nuns frowned upon giving Valentines. They frowned upon most things.
How did you feel about Valentine's Day as a child? Was it fun and exciting, or disappointing and sad? Or were you simply bored with it all?
Not disappointed as much as bored and not realizing the big deal. As a teenager I was struggling with my sexual identity so it was difficult to address that let alone sending a Valentine.
As you got older, did you attend any Valentine's Day dances? Tell about your experiences!
Well during my ballroom dancing days, my dance partner Nancy and I would usually go to a Saturday night dance at the Avalon Ballroom in San Francisco. A great setup: no alcohol, no smoking, and pleasant, civil people who respected the ground rules. We both learned quite a bit from the older, more experienced dancers. And I, for some reason, had a flock of older women always asking me for dances. Perhaps it was my Billy Idol/peroxide hair.
What is the nicest card or gift you have ever received for Valentine's Day? Who sent it to you?
I always receive great cards from my partner. I can't say that any one is better than the other - but I've saved them all, as well as birthday and anniversary cards.
How do you celebrate Valentine's Day now?
I usually make a batch of gingerbread cookies - large hearts decorated with pink frosting. Then I have a sheet of "love quotes" that I print out. I cut them into strips with scrapbooking scissors and place them in the large cellophane corsage bags with the cookies. I call them Love Fortunes.
Do you remember hearing how your parents or grandparents celebrated Valentine's Day?
Not really - my family was never very open with affection including husband to wife, wife to husband, etc. If I ever saw my parents or great-grandparents hold hands it was something to stop and note. In a way that's kind of sad. I would rather note when they didn't hold hands or kiss each other.
Monday, February 11, 2008
1001 Reasons Why You Want To Be My Sweetheart
With this being close to Valentine's Day, I thought I'd post my annual list entitled "1001 Reasons Why You Want To Be My Sweetheart." My sweetheart and I are celebrating our 7th such holiday together this year.
I can't claim direct creation of this list. It started with a Craigslist post a few years ago and every instance I've ever seen is usually customized for a specific couple and has many new and funny as well as endearing lines.
By the way - this list is easily adaptable and I encourage outright stealing from me - as long as you promise to customize it with your own little quirks, jokes, good times and bad times - everything that you and your special someone share.
Be in peace and may you have much love.
1001 Reasons Why You Want To Be My Sweetheart
I can't claim direct creation of this list. It started with a Craigslist post a few years ago and every instance I've ever seen is usually customized for a specific couple and has many new and funny as well as endearing lines.
By the way - this list is easily adaptable and I encourage outright stealing from me - as long as you promise to customize it with your own little quirks, jokes, good times and bad times - everything that you and your special someone share.
Be in peace and may you have much love.
1001 Reasons Why You Want To Be My Sweetheart
- I didn't vote for either George Bush
- I'm slippery when wet
- I make Martha Stewart look like a dirty hippie
- I'll make you laugh
- I know the difference between Sondheim and Webber
- I've never been in one of Tommy Lee's movies
- I can make a mean pot of Bolognese sauce
- I'll pretend I didn't see you look at that cute guy/gal
- I know that handcuffs aren't just for the cops
- I recycle
- I do know how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll Tootsie Pop
- I won't steal your vicodin out of the medicine cabinet
- I'll take care of you when you're sick
- I come with my own set of ear plugs in case of snoring
- I'll make fun of you
- I can give a great back rub
- I haven't been a house guest of O.J. Simpson
- I don't care if you leave the seat up
- I've got cookies
- I take a shower every day, twice even sometimes
- I'll keep working until I chip away at your walls
- I don't care that you go out with the boys/girls
- I don't eat crackers in bed too often
- I’ll always respect your parents and enjoy their company
- When you wash the dishes it turns me on
- My heart will jump every time you walk through the door
- I don't care if you cut your toe nails in the living room
- I'll save every card you ever give me
- I won't ever forget your birthday, and remind you when mine is coming
- You just can't stop reading this!
- I've never even seen one episode of Dawson's Creek or Gilmore Girls
- I'll think you're just about the coolest person I know
- I adore your niece and nephew
- I think ordering in pizza and watching a movie is the ideal date
- I've never been on Americas Most Wanted
- I want to grow old with you
- I can tie a cherry stem with my tongue
- My kisses will take your breath away
- You'll never have to cook again
- My weird habits you'll find adorable
- You'll sleep better when I'm next to you
- My tiramisu is the bomb
- I'll thank you every time you open the door
- I’m just as happy with Crown Roast of Weenies as I am with filet mignon
- I'll never waste your love
- I love it when you’re opinionated
- I'll laugh at every joke even when it's not funny
- I'd never embarrass you in front of your friends or family
- It gets better every time
- I won't ever let you leave for work in the morning without your cell phone
- I’d follow you anywhere – and I have
- I don't have a big brother, so you don't have to worry about getting your butt kicked ever
- I'll help you find your keys
- I try not to pick my nose in public
- I like to dish
- I've never owned anything Hello Kitty
- I don't need batteries
- I eat red meat
- I can kill my own spiders and yours too
- I'll clean the house perfect every time
- I met John Waters three times
- I want to get married
- I'll always want more
- I smell pretty good most of the time
- I don't litter
- When I can I give to charity
- I can be ready in 30 minutes or less
- I look both ways before I cross the street
- I never look directly into the sun
- You're more hilarious than anyone I know
- I’m old enough to remember when the first space shuttle crashed
- I can balance a check book
- I'll help you not to forget your mom’s birthday
- I would never yell "fire" in a crowded theatre
- I’m really good at sneaking food into the movies
- I'll never say "nothing's wrong" when there really is
- I've never cried over spilt milk
- I know that being devoted to you means happiness, not a chokehold
- I have never stabbed anyone in the eye
- I've never smuggled drugs out of the country
- I never overload the washer
- I’ll take care of you no matter what
- What else have you got to do?
- I've never auditioned for American Idol
- I don't eat yellow snow
- My chin fits ‘just right’ in your shoulder when you hold me close
- I'm just that good
- I never had sexual relations with Bill Clinton
- I'm a pepper
- You're getting very sleepy . . .
- I've never been on Jerry Springer
- I may have already won $10,000,000
- You won't be able to get me out of your head
- I know that objects in the mirror are bigger than they appear
- Flowers will get my attention every time
- I've never been caught lip synching on SNL
- I have a $22.82 credit at Borders
- I have clean socks that you can borrow if you run out
- I never run with scissors
- I know how to keep a secret
- I've never failed a survey
- I can almost every time find Waldo
- I never put my fingers in the light socket
- I'm a Capricorn
- I have all my shots
- I'm pretty damn funny
- I'm not a doctor and I've never played one on tv either
- I don't care if you eat off my plate
- When you're sleeping I'll always try to be quiet
- I know the difference between they're, their, and there
- You really like having someone to cuddle with on the couch
- I know how to get stains out of t-shirts
- I'm really good at making lists
- After reading this far you've already got too much invested anyways
Sunday, February 10, 2008
My Life Story - Minimalist Style
Larry Lehmer at Passing It On has written about writing your life story in only six words. I've thought about how I could possibly accomplish composing such a "short story" and have concluded that while it can be done, it is a story that constantly needs updating. What I see now as my "six words" may very well change in a matter of years, even months.
So here is what I have right now:
Raised poor, rich with life, memories.
So here is what I have right now:
Raised poor, rich with life, memories.
Roll Out The Red Carpet!
This post was written for the 42nd edition of the Carnival of Genealogy hosted by Jasia at Creative Gene.
If I were to hold an award ceremony within my own blog and looking only at the best posts made over the past year, I wonder which ones I would pick. With categories such as Best Picture, Best Screenplay, Best Documentary, Best Biography and Best Comedy, I wonder who would win? Here are my picks and I give them several thumbs up!
Best Picture
The award goes to a photo of my great-granduncle Maurice Austin's wife, Anna McPhillips. In the post Frustrating Search - Searching Newspaper Archives for Genealogy Data on October 13, 2007, I included this fantastic 1920's photo while I explained how difficult it can be to find obtituary information about ancestors. Anna was killed in the Bronx, New York in 1925 when a car drove up on the sidewalk and pinned her against a building. This is one of the stories that I continue to research to find out more information on not only how the accident occurred but how it affected our family.
Best Screen Play
This was a tough one. I almost selected the story of my birth and how it involved kitchen cabinets, Wigilia, Midnight Mass, a game of poker, a generator, a maternity ward and a Christmas stocking. But I had to go more with the focus that started me blogging: my mother's story of early-onset Alzheimer's Disease at the age of 58. In Off-Topic: Blood Test for Alzheimer's Disease, I attempted to explain the process of watching a parent "die in slow motion" and how it affects the entire family.
If I were to cast this as a movie, I don't know that I could do much better than Julie Christie as my mother given Ms. Christie's recent triumph in Away From Her. Perhaps only because I recently saw this movie, but she embodied the vitality, intelligence and ambition of my mother in her prime and then went on to depict an unravelling. For my uncle Jerry, my mother's brother, to whom I owe much since he has really done much of the local care for Mom, I'd pick Tom Skerrit. For myself, probably Tom Hanks.
This post is also very dear to my heart since it is what first introduced me to Jasia and subsequently the entire gang of genea-bloggers.
Best Documentary
Hands down, the best informational post for me was The Hidden - LGBT Family Members and Genealogy. Written back on October 17, 2007 when my blogging started to really pick up, this post doesn't win for what it explains about my family. It wins more for what it doesn't explain and how frustrating it can be to try to document the lives of family members who don't conform to the traditional family structures or relationships.
Best Biography
For me, selecting this one was quite easy and I think the post represents not only one of my best biographical sketches but writing it was a cathartic process not only for me but for my first cousin Debra Jackson VonRonn. In Kenny's Choice A Veterans Day Tribute, I tried to document the short life of my first cousin once removed, Sgt. Kenneth Von Ronn and his death in Iraq in January 2005. The post represented about a month's worth of research, interviews and writing and I hope that I've done Kenny's story justice. I later had the post published using Ancestry's publishing tool and sent the finished product to Kenny's mom who continues to cherish it to this day.
Best Comedy
If a post were to include reviews such as "I laughed, I didn't cry, I mostly laughed" and reading the post caused one fellow genea-blogger to elicit stares at her local Panera store, then it has to be A Man With Dolls. Posted on December 7th, in the midst of the Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories, I wrote this as part of the Cabinet of Curiosities hosted by Tim at Walking the Berkshires. I tried not only to explain why my guest bedroom has a large grouping of antique porcelain dolls, but my unhealthy obsession with dolls as a small male child.
If I were to hold an award ceremony within my own blog and looking only at the best posts made over the past year, I wonder which ones I would pick. With categories such as Best Picture, Best Screenplay, Best Documentary, Best Biography and Best Comedy, I wonder who would win? Here are my picks and I give them several thumbs up!
Best Picture
The award goes to a photo of my great-granduncle Maurice Austin's wife, Anna McPhillips. In the post Frustrating Search - Searching Newspaper Archives for Genealogy Data on October 13, 2007, I included this fantastic 1920's photo while I explained how difficult it can be to find obtituary information about ancestors. Anna was killed in the Bronx, New York in 1925 when a car drove up on the sidewalk and pinned her against a building. This is one of the stories that I continue to research to find out more information on not only how the accident occurred but how it affected our family.Best Screen Play
This was a tough one. I almost selected the story of my birth and how it involved kitchen cabinets, Wigilia, Midnight Mass, a game of poker, a generator, a maternity ward and a Christmas stocking. But I had to go more with the focus that started me blogging: my mother's story of early-onset Alzheimer's Disease at the age of 58. In Off-Topic: Blood Test for Alzheimer's Disease, I attempted to explain the process of watching a parent "die in slow motion" and how it affects the entire family.If I were to cast this as a movie, I don't know that I could do much better than Julie Christie as my mother given Ms. Christie's recent triumph in Away From Her. Perhaps only because I recently saw this movie, but she embodied the vitality, intelligence and ambition of my mother in her prime and then went on to depict an unravelling. For my uncle Jerry, my mother's brother, to whom I owe much since he has really done much of the local care for Mom, I'd pick Tom Skerrit. For myself, probably Tom Hanks.
This post is also very dear to my heart since it is what first introduced me to Jasia and subsequently the entire gang of genea-bloggers.
Best Documentary
Hands down, the best informational post for me was The Hidden - LGBT Family Members and Genealogy. Written back on October 17, 2007 when my blogging started to really pick up, this post doesn't win for what it explains about my family. It wins more for what it doesn't explain and how frustrating it can be to try to document the lives of family members who don't conform to the traditional family structures or relationships.Best Biography
For me, selecting this one was quite easy and I think the post represents not only one of my best biographical sketches but writing it was a cathartic process not only for me but for my first cousin Debra Jackson VonRonn. In Kenny's Choice A Veterans Day Tribute, I tried to document the short life of my first cousin once removed, Sgt. Kenneth Von Ronn and his death in Iraq in January 2005. The post represented about a month's worth of research, interviews and writing and I hope that I've done Kenny's story justice. I later had the post published using Ancestry's publishing tool and sent the finished product to Kenny's mom who continues to cherish it to this day.Best Comedy
If a post were to include reviews such as "I laughed, I didn't cry, I mostly laughed" and reading the post caused one fellow genea-blogger to elicit stares at her local Panera store, then it has to be A Man With Dolls. Posted on December 7th, in the midst of the Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories, I wrote this as part of the Cabinet of Curiosities hosted by Tim at Walking the Berkshires. I tried not only to explain why my guest bedroom has a large grouping of antique porcelain dolls, but my unhealthy obsession with dolls as a small male child.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
African-American History Month and My Genealogy
I just want to quickly point out a great series of posts over at Walking the Berkshires that have been dealing with the history of slavery in the United States and how, for many of us, it intersects with our family trees.
If you haven't yet done so, take a look at what Tim has posted. He has done a quite thorough documentation of slave owners among his ancestors and it really has made me start to review my own research to see what I can find.
As I stated in a comment on one of Tim's posts, this isn't easy to do and some may question why it has to be done at all:
"Discussing "ownership" of past offenses and sins against another race or group of people is a heavy topic. With my family going back to the mid 1600s in this country, I am certain that there were slave owners among my ancestors. When I see behaviors or practices that seem very out of place in modern times, putting them in their historical context does not necessarily make them right or help to explain them away. But one of my goals is to thoroughly research my ancestors and their role in the practice of slavery: how did they acquire slaves? is there any evidence as to how they treated slaves? were they part of social or religious communities that spoke out against the slave trade?
But nothing that I do in the way of research or writing can ever even touch the pain or misery that such a practice has wrought - not only upon those enslaved and their descendants but among those of us who involve ourselves in the "looking back" and sometimes don't like what we see."
If you haven't yet done so, take a look at what Tim has posted. He has done a quite thorough documentation of slave owners among his ancestors and it really has made me start to review my own research to see what I can find.
As I stated in a comment on one of Tim's posts, this isn't easy to do and some may question why it has to be done at all:
"Discussing "ownership" of past offenses and sins against another race or group of people is a heavy topic. With my family going back to the mid 1600s in this country, I am certain that there were slave owners among my ancestors. When I see behaviors or practices that seem very out of place in modern times, putting them in their historical context does not necessarily make them right or help to explain them away. But one of my goals is to thoroughly research my ancestors and their role in the practice of slavery: how did they acquire slaves? is there any evidence as to how they treated slaves? were they part of social or religious communities that spoke out against the slave trade?
But nothing that I do in the way of research or writing can ever even touch the pain or misery that such a practice has wrought - not only upon those enslaved and their descendants but among those of us who involve ourselves in the "looking back" and sometimes don't like what we see."
Blogging Homework - Or Sleep?
So tell me, how did this blogging thing become akin to going to school and coming home with six hours of homework assignments? Not that I'm complaining, but I will be heading off for a short five-night vacation late next week and here's what I have due on my "blogging homework" list:- Miriam at AnceStories2: Stories of Me for My Descendants will be coming out with the next journaling prompt on Monday, February 11th. I find these alot of fun and usually tackle them within the same day they are posted.
- Tim over at Walking the Berkshires has the 4th Cabinet of Curiosities coming up which is being hosted over at Archeoporn. This is set for February 18th but I'm not sure of the submission deadline, so this one has to get done before I leave on the 14th.
- The 42nd edition of the Carnival of Genealogy is due for submission on February 15th with the topic being The Best of The Best! The Academy of Genealogy and Family History. I am hoping there won't be a writer's strike for this one since Jasia at Creative Gene continues to do a great job and seems to attract all these bloggers to her carnival - 31 last count!
- Now Terry at Hill Country of Monroe County, Mississippi is hosting a poetry smackdown called the First Annual Blogger Poet Roundup and wants submission by February 18th. And he expects me to be creative at that! This will be fun I'm sure.
- Then there is the 4th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture hosted by Lisa over at Small-leaved Shamrock. The topic will be anything and everything about Irish heritage, genealogy and culture. At least the deadline is March 14th and that leaves me some time to summons me muses to help me a wee bit.
- And as if that were't enough, Terry - the instigator that he is - points out a neat challenge which, while at six words seems simple, really isn't. Larry Lehmer at Passing It On has written about writing your life story in only six words. I'll need to see about this one - but I love the idea.
See, the problem is I spend all this time reading some great, great blogs and no wonder why I am then up until 3:00 am researching my Welsh ancestors who settled in Lewis, Oneida and Oswego counties in New York. I think what I need to do is compose the "Genea-Blogger's Prayer" which has to somehow include the words weary, eye-strain, and sleep.
Now I get it. It seems I've not only just done a "roll-up" of upcoming carnivals and challenges, I've also off-handedly put out a challenge to compose a prayer! Well Saints Alive! I think we all need to say a prayer or two this week and get writing!
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Another Typical Chicago Election
In my adopted city of Chicago where the well-worn phrase is "Vote Early and Vote Often," here is a summary of some of the antics that took place yesterday, courtesy of the Chicago Tribune:- Oh No She Didn't!: "In Chicago's West Loop, an election judge was charged with battery after punching another judge at a Washington Boulevard polling station, according to police.
The female judges, whose party affiliations were not immediately known, were quarreling over procedures when one punched the other in the face, Central District Police Capt. Joseph Vaclavik said.
The judge who was punched, believed to be in her mid-50s, was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital for evaluation, Vaclavik said. The other, in her late 30s, whose name was not released, was charged with misdemeanor battery."
- Invisible Ink: "Later that afternoon, election officials shook their heads in disbelief as investigators confirmed 20 ballots in the 49th Ward's 42nd precinct were cast with inkless pens.
Apparently, the poll workers at 1723 W. Greenleaf Ave. told incredulous voters -- including one spouse of an election judge -- that the touch-screen stylus was actually an invisible-ink pen to fill out paper ballots, city elections spokesman James Allen said.
"You spend months trying to prepare for every contingency," Allen said. "Trying to anticipate every possible way people might be confused ... Then this? Incredible."
Even the ballot scanner knew better, he said, rejecting all 20 ballots. Each time, the judges overrode the scanner and recorded the vote as blank. By 3 p.m., only five of the 20 voters had been contacted to return to recast their votes.
Amy Carlton, 38, of Rogers Park said that all the judges at the polling place insisted they had been trained in the use of the pens.
"I've voted before," Carlton said. "I was thinking 'This is crazy.' But when someone in authority insists, what are you supposed to do?""
Going Up! My Elevator Speech
Over at Genea-Musings, Randy Seaver has a great post on his "elevator speech." In response to the common question, "What do you do?" he states you should always have at the ready a 15 to 30 second "elevator speech" to deliver the minute someone says "What do you do?" in an elevator or other closed environment.And Terry seems to have turned this into a meme/challenge (see how these things get started? And you wonder why we don't have time to do our research or read other
blogs? LOL!) and I figured I'd play along.
"I'm a varied enthusiast. For income I am an Applications Assistant for a global law firm with 13 offices on 3 continents. For fulfillment I am nourished and help nourish my large family of far-flung relations and friends with travel, cooking and writing. For intellectual stimulation I research and document my family's history and genealogy and blog about it on the Internet. Thanks for asking. And what are your interests?"
I've always disliked the American penchant for asking "What do you do?" as a form of greeting or conversation-starter. It makes us seem so focused on career and money. Many times it is a way of sizing up the other person to see if they are worthy of networking with. I'd much rather hear "What are your interests?" But at least it is better than one of my older relative's greetings especially when meeting someone new: "Who are you? And who are your people?"
Photo: By ATIS547 on Flickr.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Carnival of Genealogy - 41st Edition Is On The Stands!
In case you haven't seen it yet, the 41st Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy is available over at Creative Gene. Jasia always does a great job of summarizing the entries and this time she had her work cut out for her with 31 entries! Whoo-hoo! The these this go-around was: "If you could have dinner with four of your ancestors who would they be and why?"
It is going to take me a few days to read all the posts and I am looking forward to them - perhaps while I am making a batch of garlic soup tonite!
If you haven't yet participated in the COG, please consider doing so. And if you are in the habit of forgetting to create an entry before the deadline, do what I do: as soon as the next theme is announced, I create a draft post and paste all the info in the body of the post. I also change the date to the day before the deadline. This way, at least with Blogger, when I go in and review my posts, I look at all my "drafts" as my "to-do" list. When it is time to create the final post, I just create a brand new one, add a title, copy the body text in, post and then delete the "draft" that I created. Easy, no?
Here's next month's theme and links to submitting an entry:
"The Best of The Best!" It's Academy awards time... time for the Academy of Genealogy and Family History aka AGFH (an esteemed organization that all genea-historian bloggers who participate in this next edition of the COG will become founding members of) to honor their best blog posts of 2007* in the following 5 categories:
Best Picture - Best old family photo that appeared on your blog in 2007. Tell us which you liked best and why.
Best Screen Play - Which family story that you shared in 2007 would make the best movie? Who would you cast as your family members?
Best Documentary - Which was the best informational article you wrote about a place, thing, or event involving your family's history in 2007?
Best Biography - Which was the best biographical article you wrote in 2007?
Best Comedy - Which was the best funny story, poem, joke, photo, or video that you shared on your blog in 2007?
The award given to these very deserving examples of quality writing of family history will heretofore be known as the iGene Award.
Start digging back into your archives and choose which of your blog posts deserve to be recognized for outstanding achievement. This is not a competition between bloggers but a chance for you to spotlight your own shining efforts at recording your genealogy and family history in 2007*. There is no nomination process. You just need to announce your winning blog posts for the 5 categories mentioned above in an article on your blog and submit it to the Carnival of Genealogy.
Please act as your own "award presenter" by writing an introduction and include it in the "Remarks" box on the BlogCarnival submission form. The deadline for submissions is February 15, 2008.
*We're going to define "2007" to include any posts written in 2007 as well as those written Jan. 1-Feb. 15, 2008 as well (so that new bloggers can participate).
To submit your post to the 42nd Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy use the carnival submission form.
It is going to take me a few days to read all the posts and I am looking forward to them - perhaps while I am making a batch of garlic soup tonite!
If you haven't yet participated in the COG, please consider doing so. And if you are in the habit of forgetting to create an entry before the deadline, do what I do: as soon as the next theme is announced, I create a draft post and paste all the info in the body of the post. I also change the date to the day before the deadline. This way, at least with Blogger, when I go in and review my posts, I look at all my "drafts" as my "to-do" list. When it is time to create the final post, I just create a brand new one, add a title, copy the body text in, post and then delete the "draft" that I created. Easy, no?
Here's next month's theme and links to submitting an entry:
"The Best of The Best!" It's Academy awards time... time for the Academy of Genealogy and Family History aka AGFH (an esteemed organization that all genea-historian bloggers who participate in this next edition of the COG will become founding members of) to honor their best blog posts of 2007* in the following 5 categories:
Best Picture - Best old family photo that appeared on your blog in 2007. Tell us which you liked best and why.
Best Screen Play - Which family story that you shared in 2007 would make the best movie? Who would you cast as your family members?
Best Documentary - Which was the best informational article you wrote about a place, thing, or event involving your family's history in 2007?
Best Biography - Which was the best biographical article you wrote in 2007?
Best Comedy - Which was the best funny story, poem, joke, photo, or video that you shared on your blog in 2007?
The award given to these very deserving examples of quality writing of family history will heretofore be known as the iGene Award.
Start digging back into your archives and choose which of your blog posts deserve to be recognized for outstanding achievement. This is not a competition between bloggers but a chance for you to spotlight your own shining efforts at recording your genealogy and family history in 2007*. There is no nomination process. You just need to announce your winning blog posts for the 5 categories mentioned above in an article on your blog and submit it to the Carnival of Genealogy.
Please act as your own "award presenter" by writing an introduction and include it in the "Remarks" box on the BlogCarnival submission form. The deadline for submissions is February 15, 2008.
*We're going to define "2007" to include any posts written in 2007 as well as those written Jan. 1-Feb. 15, 2008 as well (so that new bloggers can participate).
To submit your post to the 42nd Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy use the carnival submission form.
The Betty Ford Clinic for Genea-Bloggers
Well, here are the results so far. It seems that Miriam at AnceStories is our resident Amy Winehouse of Genea-bloggers with a whopping 82%!AnceStories: The Stories of My Ancestors: 82%
Transylvanian Dutch: 81%
Genea-Musings: 80%
Geneablogie: 78%
GenLady: 72%
kinexxions: 70%
Nordic Blue: 68%
Hill Country of Monroe County, Mississippi: 65%
Orations of OMcHodoy: 64%
West in New England: 61%
Fruits of My Mind: 55%
Destination: Austin Family: 54%
Jessica's Genejournal: 54%
Genealogy Reviews Online: 50%
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Crafts and Hobbies
As you can see in my last post I am not like you other blogging addicts - I barely even break the 50% mark. But there should be a quiz to tell if you are addicted to Miriam's family history blogging/journaling prompts over at AnceStories2: Stories of Me for My Descendants. How addicted am I? Let's put it this way - Miriam now has her own tag/label on my blog called "AnceStories 2 - Journaling Prompts."This week, she continues with a cold weather theme, and she asks us to write about some of the activities that used to keep us busy indoors on cold and snowy days in Week Thirty: Crafts and Hobbies.
What kinds of hobbies or crafts have you enjoyed over the years? Are they activities that you've created (visual art, needlework, metalwork, etc.) or items you've collected (model railroads, dolls, spoons, postage stamps, etc.)?
As a child I always had a creative bent - my mother knew not only could I create beautiful works of art but I was also creative when it came to mischief and mayhem. The problem, if you can call it that, was being a precocious kid with an overactive imagination. Like the time I thought that, while playing Army with my brother and other male cousins, that Mom's supply of Kotex would make neat bandages to be applied to our heads on other wounded parts. Well she didn't think it was so neat as we ran around the neighborhood and the phone calls from concerned mothers starting pouring in.
So I started out with stamp collecting which was fun, could entertain me on a cold winter day, and educational since I learned about many countries and the people, places and things depicted on the stamps. But the hobby could easily get expensive what with albums and purchasing stamps.
So I progressed to artistic expression including painting and drawing. It is something I still enjoy to this day but I just don't get enough time for. But I do keep a "creativity journal" where I can jot down ideas when the muse strikes and then hopefully I can revive that same "spark" at a later date.
How did you become interested in them? Were you taught them by a parent, grandparent, or other relative? Did you take a class, or teach yourself? Did you inherit a collection that you decided to build upon?
I didn't inherit any collection but I remember my great-grandparents saving stamps for me and encouraging me. I don't know where the painting or drawing came from to be honest. There was a minor Hudson River School artist named Jervis McEntee who may possibly be related to me since he also grew up in the same part of Ulster County, New York where my MacEntee relatives did. As for mischief and mayhem - there is actually a long line of tricksters in my family.
Do you have a hobby or craft room where you can work or display your collection or store your supplies? If not, what would your dream hobby or craft room look like?
I don't think I want to get to a point where I need a "craft room." It seems a bit decadent - like people who have a gift wrapping room. I kid you not - I know one of those people. To me, it not only means a hobby gone amok, but the need for just another room.
Currently, my obsession has been nature crafts. This past Christmas, as some of you may know, I created over 300 hand-made ornaments for my tree this year. I knew that in a small 2 bed/2 bath condo and only 3 closets (I kid you not) that I would need to think about the storage angle. Add to it the over 300 glass ball ornaments. And 1500 lights.
So, before the end of 2007 we did a total closet/possession purge and donated many items to our local AIDS agency thrift store which opened up some space. I have everything in those copier paper boxes but ideally I'd like to get some large plastic bins to place items in, especially to keep the creepy crawlies out!
What is it that your hobby or craft does for you? For instance, I know someone who took up crocheting to keep her hands busy while she was quitting smoking. Another relative knits items to donate to others as a way to give to the community. As for myself, I like the relaxing feeling of a hook and yarn between my fingers.
What it does most for me is it challenges my creativity. As a parent with early-onset Alzheimer's Disease that appears to be genetic in my family, I have this constant fear that if I don't challenge my brain in a variety of ways that I will fall victim as well.
So, I sketch out different ideas, create an "idea sheet," look for materials that are easy to purchase or gather out in the wild, and then usually make a prototype ornament. Not everything works but that's part of the fun and helps you determine what you feel "art" is.
Have you ever created your own patterns? Have you ever done a pattern enough that you've memorized it and create the object without reading the instructions? What one item have you made many times?
I had several female relatives who were quite reknowned with a needle and thread. They could walk past a shop window, look at a suit or dress, and then create a pattern from memory. I was always amazed especially since what they created were not your basic cotton dress with lace collar to use for going to church on Sunday. Their creations were fully lined wool suits, with unique, sometimes handmade buttons. Now I know where my obssession with detail comes from on my Christmas ornaments.
I've never worked much with a needle and thread (Mom did insist that I learn how to sew on a button and quickly fix a hem, even if it involved tape!) but I've always been fascinated with cross-stitch. I guess if I weren't so embarassed to be a male who was interested in needlecrafts I would just pick up cross-stitch - the intricacy and the math part interests me the most.
Have you ever shown or displayed your hobby or craft at a collector's show or fair? Have you ever marketed your hobby or crafts either in a physical store, crafters' fair or online?
This is part of my dilemma: I would love to start a line of nature-inspired holiday ornaments but the logistics and economics are just not right. We've become so "price pressured" in this country that many people shy away from buying something if it isn't made in India or China for the lowest price. And I don't have the desire to hire a staff, run a production line etc. Perhaps if I could design them for a company like Christopher Radko or Department 54 that would suit me just fine.
Where do you purchase your supplies or items for your collection?
The Internet, of course. It has become a running joke with my friends and family that I can find and will buy practically anything on the Web. My new obsession is buying my dry-goods groceries from Amazon. I usually shop at San Francisco Herb Company which I used to frequent in person when I lived in SF. And not just for craft supplies - their spices are phenomenal and cheap and good quality. A list of my suppliers is on my other blog A Catskill Christmas.
Name your one--or several--favorite things you've created or collected? Why are they a favorite?
Probably my Cabinet Photo Ornaments. It is a way of combining my passion for family history with art. I'm hoping to branch out this year and come up with different ideas and ways to use these photos.
What hobbies or crafts do you remember your parents, grandparents, or other relatives doing? Or what have you learned, if you've researched your family history, about the types of hobbies and crafts your ancestors did?
My mother loved to crochet - that was where it was at in the late 1960s and early 1970s. She'd host a "party" once a month where a group of women, usually co-workers, would bring their projects and either crochet or knit away, all the while telling off-color jokes and laughing with the raspy, kittenish purr one could only get from smoking three packs of Lucky Strikes a day. My mother used to call them her "stitch and bitch" parties since most of the time these women complained about their husbands or not having a husband.
Friday, February 1, 2008
A Wall Broken Down
I am happy to announce some progress on the MacEntee side of my family tree. I have been able to determine my 2nd great-grandfather as John W. MacEntee born about 1846 in New York state.
For the past few months I have been stopped at his son, Elmer A. MacEntee (b. November 27. 1881, died aft. 1930) but some diligent research brought me to John.
In the 1910 Census for the town of Gardiner, Ulster County, New York, there is a page that is very poorly digitized. So much so, that the name comes up as "McEnton."
But, as we all you, you should still give a look especially since there was an Elmer as the head of household. Sure enough, on the last line for the family group was listed John W. MacEntee, father, aged 64.
Since all the other members of the household match up with the Elmer A. MacEntee census records for 1930, 1920 and 1900, I'm much convinced this is the correct person.
Now I'm off to get more information on my elusive John.
For the past few months I have been stopped at his son, Elmer A. MacEntee (b. November 27. 1881, died aft. 1930) but some diligent research brought me to John.
In the 1910 Census for the town of Gardiner, Ulster County, New York, there is a page that is very poorly digitized. So much so, that the name comes up as "McEnton."
But, as we all you, you should still give a look especially since there was an Elmer as the head of household. Sure enough, on the last line for the family group was listed John W. MacEntee, father, aged 64.
Since all the other members of the household match up with the Elmer A. MacEntee census records for 1930, 1920 and 1900, I'm much convinced this is the correct person.
Now I'm off to get more information on my elusive John.
Happy Birthday Michael
And speaking of blue eyes (which seems to be all the rage today), it is my brother, Michael Lee MacEntee's birthday!
If I knew where he was I'd be able to call or send a card but, for some reason, we've been apart for over three years. If you know Michael or how to get in touch with him please send me an e-mail. While he and I may not agree on everything, life is too short for this long a distance.
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If I knew where he was I'd be able to call or send a card but, for some reason, we've been apart for over three years. If you know Michael or how to get in touch with him please send me an e-mail. While he and I may not agree on everything, life is too short for this long a distance.
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