title explained

Onward and upward! something that you say in order to encourage someone to forget an unpleasant experience or failure and to think about the future instead and move forward.

My e-mail: jjmiller6213@comcast.net

Thursday, December 8, 2016

It smells like Little Italy in here---

Spaghetti sauce making continues.


It looks like there is a Christmas tree outside on my front porch.
Just a reflection from my tree in the living room.

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Along with making spaghetti sauce, I am finishing up a genealogy.  Kind of a big one, that will bring me no $$$.

I met this young girl when was just barely 11 years old.  Her mother and father were not married--I was dating the father who had grown children and grandchildren.  This girl was the same age as his grandchildren.

He was kind of a rat--buying all the young ladies drinks.  Her mother would sleep with anyone who bought her a drink--so..............................

The mother was "supposedly" unable to get pregnant.  Well apparently not.  I always wondered if the little girl was really his.  I think he was so flattered to think that he at 51, could get a woman of 37 pregnant, that he never questioned it.  He supported the mother and her--although the parents hated each other.  She spent every other weekend with her Dad, who did absolutely nothing with her--so that's where I came in.

I would sometimes bring her to my house for the weekend, take her shopping, take her out to the farm, take her over to Jennifer's mansion so she could play with the baby, take her to our family gatherings.  She saw and learned a whole different way of life.  Nice table manners, respectful, lots of laughter.  She knew nothing of any of these things, at the time I first met her, she laid her head on her arm, on the table, and shoveled food into her mouth with her hands.  Everyone in my family was very nice to her and complimented her on how well she held and played with Andrew and Elise--Jennifer's kids at the time.

One of those weekends with me, she started her period.  So, I took her out to lunch and bought her a bouquet of flowers and made a big deal over the fact that she was now, "a woman".  No--I didn't explain the "facts of life" to her, I figured that was up to her Mom.

She is now 23, married and two little girls, 4 and 10 months..  When I mentioned on Face Book that I was doing genealogies, she said that she sure wished she could learn more about her father's ancestor's.  

I researched her father's side and then I wanted to do her mother's side too, but her mother didn't trust me with her parent's names. (?)  People don't understand that tracing a family tree is NOT going to show up family secrets or anything bad--unless of course, their ancestor's are well known criminals.  Finally, when explained to her mother, she gave me the names.

Well, my gosh!  I got back 720 years--19 generations on her father's side and 920 years--26 generations on her mother's side.  Ancestor's of hers fought in the American Revolution, and the Civil War and WWI and WWII, Korea and Viet Nam.  On her Mother's side, at one time her people owned an estate in England, that puts Downtown Abbey to shame.  She has a great family history.

It has turned into a large book and I think the information will make her feel good and might even help her mother's self esteem.

Of course, this search and book will bring in zero income to me, but instead of me mailing it, she is coming out to pick it up, along with her hubby and two little girls.  I haven't seen her in 13 years, so that will be my payment. :-)


9 comments:

  1. Bless you. You are a wonderful lady.

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  2. Your tree is magnificent! I love the reflection of a Christmas tree in a window. Mine is all done too and sparkling away out in the sunroom off the TV room. With our house renovation we now have more room for everyone to gather for the presents and visiting. I can almost smell the wonderful spaghetti sauce! Merry Christmas to you! xoxo

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  3. This is just so sweet of you! Such a wonderful expression of love for the "little girl". If only there was more love in this world...

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  4. That is very nice of you and I am sure she will appreciate it!

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  5. Re: your comment on my post...

    Yes, I love the first "The Santa Clause" movie. But there is no reason you have to like any of the modern Christmas movies. I myself, don't understand the pull of "Elf" and I don't enjoy any other modern ones either. Just the house, in "Home Alone"

    Now, the old ones, are different!!! "A Child's Christmas In Wales"... "The Man Who Came To Dinner"... "White Christmas"... "Holiday Inn"... "The Bishop's Wife" The Christmas scenes in "On Moonlight Bay".... Oh that house, in both those Doris Day movies! And decorated at Christmas time! Oh joy! :-)))

    But I can't STAND "It's A Wonderful Life"!!!!!!!!!!!!! So there, I am a grinch, on that one! -grin-

    Luna Crone

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  6. What a lovely story, and what a lovely things you have done for her, for years. Heart warming...

    Do you tell some, about how you do your genealogies, on your blog somewhere? Is there a label, on those posts? Please and thank you.

    All I want for Christmas is one of those 'Ancestors . com" kits. (And it is already here) :-) I am getting more and more interested, in such things.

    Have heard of the Church Of Later Day Saints site, but have not yet visited it.

    But all this, is a fun new interest!

    Luna Crone

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  7. She'll love it. What better gift could there be.
    Your tree is so pretty.

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  8. This is so wonderful - what you have done. This genealogy could put the wind in her sails, bringing her peace and pride and love. I like to think our loving ancestors look after us from heaven, and whisper into our spirit. (I don't know what to think about ancestors who failed to love, like her father, but certainly among all her ancestors the loving ones outnumber the numbskulls.)

    I hope, when you see her, you can fill in some of the blanks, of her life the last 13 years, for us. You're an honorary Grandma of... how many? :-)

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