Mad!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am so mad at myself!

Last night I made out a mental list of what I would do today.

Up at 8:00
Take a walk at 10:00
Stop in to see Pearl
Go up to the store at 2:00

What did I do?
Alarm at 8:00--hit snooze until 8:45
at 10:00- still playing on Face Book
at 11:00- genealogy
at 2:00--back to genealogy


GEEZ LOUISE!!!  Why am I so undisciplined?

A young girl, whose father I dated when I first moved here, said she didn't know very much about her Dad's family and she wished she could afford to get a family tree book like I make for others.

Her Dad and Mom were never married.  Her mother had been told she would never have any children.  Then she met "A" 15 years older than her and lo and behold!

I met this girl when she was 10.  Every other weekend she'd visit her Dad.  Her Dad didn't get up until 2:00 in the afternoon and then spent the next 6 hours on his computer.  Her Mother was not the greatest woman I ever met either.

I'd take her shopping, or play with her outside, or bring her back here to spend the weekend with me.  I was there, when she was 12 1/2 and woke up in the morning when she realized she had got her first period.  I took her out to breakfast and bought her a bouquet of flowers to celebrate.  

Her Dad died in 2007 from blood cancer.

She is 22 now, married and has two little daughters.   I think she needs to know about her roots.

So, I spent four hours today working on her genealogy.  I want to be able to make and mail her a really nice book
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Tomorrow I am going to do all the things I didn't do today.

I promise!!!!!

Family Genealogy Book

Some people have asked me what the genealogy books I do, look like.  Debbie asked me specifically the other day to show her.  So, here ya go, Debbie.  Not very good pictures as my camera is acting up.

After I have found every tidbit of information I can find on the person's ancestor's, I print out, scan and save into photos, things like Census Reports, newspaper clippings, Town histories of where they lived--everything I can find.  Then I index the photos into two folders--one for the person's father's side of the family, one for their mother's, because it can get confusing if the scanned articles are all in one folder.

Then I find historic photos, cemetery signs and gravestone photos I can save as a photo image.  Sometimes I get real lucky and find a photo of the 10th Great Grandpa.  Birth notices, death certificates--things like that.  Also, photos my clients send me that they might have and want me to scan and insert in the book.

Then--I put all the "numbers and names" information into my Family Tree Maker software.  Making sure every birth and death date is correct and all the children are named.  This is called a Family Group Sheet.

Then, I begin the fun part of putting the book together and writing the story of their lives.
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 I write it in a Word document, adding the scanned images and saved photos as I go along with the story.  Then I have to go back and read every page to make sure there are no mistakes on dates and no typos.  Then I load up my printer with a special heavier bond paper and start to print the book--reading each page again before I hit the print button.  One page at a time, most are double sided.

Then I take it to the print shop for them to put the clear plastic cover on the front and a heavy back cover.  Then, they put it in the machine a bit at a time, to punch the holes along the left side and insert a nice, hard plastic coil.  Not one of those el cheapo tab thingies, but a nice heavy coil so the pages will lay flat.

I've used my own book as an example here.  Again, please excuse the out- of- focus photos.
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 I like to google a photo of the region where the ancestor's came from.

Perhaps another one of the region they settled in America

Before I put in a new family, I insert and fold the pedigree I've made on the right side of this page

They can then fold it out--no matter how many generations long it is.  To see the names and dates for their DIRECT ancestor's.  Just a simple pedigree.

 This is the family group sheet--one family and children with vital statistics

If I have photos of that family, I can insert them and then write a bit about them

Sometimes I am lucky enough to find something written about the person.  Like in the Early Settlers of New York, or micro-fische files I can look through about wherever the ancestors settle, sometimes there will be something written about them and what prominence they held in that area/town.  I also find military records that I insert in the book.

I am real keen on finding where they are buried.  I want to get a photo of the cemetery sign and the ancestor's grave marker.  One day, my client might just want to take a weekend jaunt to that cemetery to physically where the Greats are buried. 

Then I wrap the book really well, put it in a box, along with the invoice that shows my time sheet and expenses for any supplies, lay my hands on the book and pray that my client will find peace, comfort and interest in what I have found and mail if off.

Of course, with a book that is near 200 pages, there is a lot more information, but this is generally what the finished book looks like.

One thing I have to note here.  I am ONLY researching your DIRECT ancestor's.  I am not researching your aunt's husband's family or finding your 3rd cousins twice removed married name.  ONLY your direct Grand Parents and their children's information will be in the book.

Plus--I don't ever find stories about bad things in the family, UNLESS you are related to Captain Black Beard--then I might and I for sure would include that.  LOL

I keep what I find confidential and don't list any names here in this blog or on Face Book, other than to use the term "Client" and perhaps that I found 30 generations up their tree. 
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Sometimes I find things that the client didn't know.  That can be a bad or good thing.  When I did my friend John's genealogy, I found a newspaper account of when his brother was killed in a paper mill.  John was from a large family and much younger than the brother.  Had heard it whispered about, but no one would tell him how it happened.  Now he knows and was very happy to find it out.

The one I am finishing up now has been fascinating.  My client, a widow, decided that she wanted her deceased husband's family history also included.  Perhaps for books for her children.  I found photos of him in his high school year book!  The sports he was in.  Also photos of where he had worked.  Amazing.  Her book will be well over 200 pages thick.  
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So if any of you are interested in having your genealogy done and put in a nice book, or know of anyone that would like that, please give them my e-mail to contact me and I will go over the costs with them and what they can expect.

Good Grief!

It's Friday--again!!!  Every time I turn around----it's Friday.

I can't believe I haven't posted since last Friday.  I's been busy!!

I got all involved in the PBS Downton Abbey marathon and did a whole lot of sitting in my recliner, watching hour after hour and working on the baby quilt for my Grand daughter's shower on the 17th.  Well, I'm not going to have it done, so I guess I will just give her a picture of how it is supposed to look, when it's finished, and hopefully get it done by October 21st, when little girl baby is due to arrive.

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When the marathon finally ended, I have been extra busy working on a genealogy.  Some of these get to be pretty big--this one is.  I print out all the info I can find.  Then I have to scan each piece, save it as a photo and then index and title each photo.  It takes so much time just to do that part, that I usually don't charge for it.  I had this one done and then the lady decided she wanted to include her deceased husband's info into the same book.  Maybe give her kids each a copy for Christmas.  I think that's a nice idea.  This way, she AND the kids will have a book with both her side and his incorporated in it.

Of course, that meant more hours of researching his family and all the many branches and limbs.  When I get it all done, it is going to be a beauty!!
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Of course, entailed in this week was a big grocery trip.  My refrigerator was down to half a quart of milk and two liters of Diet Pepsi, some cheese and a tiny bit of summer sausage.  I had crackers in the cupboard and was living on that Monday and Tuesday.

My Case Worker called me Tuesday to go over my welfare help.  I had sent in all the needed forms, so our conversation took less than 15 minutes.  Hopefully I will still get my $16.00 a month food assistance and my Medicare insurance paid for by the state--instead of taken out of my Social Security.
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The rest of my time was taken up by twice daily 45 minute visits from John and dog Maizey and every other day 2 hour visits from Dar.  Trying to calm her down and just listen.  She's in a mess with her medical problems resulting from her accident in April.  
She went to the doc on Wednesday and took an hour of his time.  At least, she made him listen to her.  I just feel sorry for his other patients having to wait their turn out in the waiting room.

Everything is fine.  I feel well.  I've been cloistered in my home with the A/C on and not going outside except to run to the car once, to get groceries.  Hopefully the humidity and heat will break on Saturday and then we are in for a week of "normal" September weather.  70's during the day.  50's at night.  My kind of weather.

I'll try and do better with the posting here.  I just do so much typing with the genealogy, that I can barely bring myself to post anything, plus, I have kind of a no-nothing life and so there's nothing interesting to talk about. 

Monday--I promise!!!!!

The Weirdness Continues

Must be a sign of old age, but it seems---every time I turn around--it's Friday again.  The days fly by way too fast.

I woke up this morning and I was freezing!!!  The humidity has left, for awhile at least.  Windows open and a north-easterly breeze.  Even at 68 degrees, the house felt cold.  Now--if I had my electric fireplace, I could turn the heater on for a few minutes and take off the chill.  Barefooted all summer, I guess it's time to start putting my crocheted slippers on inside.

I have itchy bites all over my ankles.  I feared that John's dog had brought fleas onto my new carpet.  The answer?  The heat and drought have kept the mosquitoes at bay this summer.  Now, with the recent rains, they are thriving deep down in the grass.  I made three trips out to the shed and must have been bitten during my walks.  BOY--they itch like crazy!!  No doubt there were a couple of West Nile or Zika bites in there.
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Hey.  I have a question.  If Black Lives Matter, why do "they" keep killing each other?  (I live 50 miles from Detroit and hear the news.)
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Our township has decided on a beautification project. They are putting in a sidewalk from the outskirts of Brighton, west 4+ miles to the outskirts of Howell.  It runs along the busy road out in front of my park.  A 5 lane, always full of traffic road.

There is a pond that goes under the road with a guard rail near the road, right by  my park.  There is not enough room for a sidewalk, between the guard rail and road, on either side.

At various points along this sidewalk, there is not enough room on one side of the road, so the sidewalk ends, but is being made on the other side of the road.

So, if someone were to ride their bike or walk these 4+ miles, at several points, they would have to get off, and walk their bike along the edge of this very busy road.  Or cross this very busy 5 lane road, to get to the sidewalk on the other side.  This makes no sense to me and I think the $$$ for this project could have been better spent!

Of course, Dar is so enthralled with this project.
"Oh.  I walked everywhere when I lived in Greece.  This is going to be wonderful."

I said, "Let me know when you are going to walk it because I want to come out and watch you cross Grand River to get to the sidewalk across the road."

"When the kids lived here, I used to walk them up to church alllllll the time."

"Yes, but...the new sidewalk is on the opposite side of the road.  So you'd have to cross Grand River and all the traffic to get to it now.  Then cross the road again when you got down by the church."

"Well, I think it's marvelous!"

"Okay.  The next time you have an appointment down at Woodland (the little hospital 1/2 mile down the road), I will expect to see you walking to it."

"I just might!"

This from a woman who can barely walk from her front door to her mailbox.  Yes--it has been 5 months since her accident and STILL, no doctor/physical therapist/specialist can find out why she is in such pain in her neck/back/legs.  X-rays show nothing!  CAT scans show nothing!  MRI shows nothing!

She is frustrated and thinks "none of these doctor's take me seriously!"

She was born with Platybasia--the top part of her spine is up into her skull--the skull is flat in that area and her C1 and C2 disks are fused.  This affects her turning her head, her swallowing and her cough reflex.  It "can" also affect her reasoning, thinking and memory.

Hm-mm.

BUT--she refuses to accept that the accident might have inflamed this area--refuses to take any inflammatory meds, refuses to take any steroids, or pain meds.  She has hired a personal injury attorney and wants him to prove that the accident caused her injuries to her legs and back.  Completely discounting that her upper spine is the cause for any of her arm numbness, back or leg pain.

She has x-rays that were taken when she lived in Greece and fell and broke her hip, and leg.  She is keeping them secret so that no one can use that old injury as a reason for this now pain.  

Attorney's for both insurance firms, hers and the other lady's and one doctor have all stated that the minor bump to her car could NOT have caused such injuries to her.  

Poor Dar.  She'll probably end up with a million dollar pay out.
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Worrying about my friend J.B. and my Sweet Girl Chris out in Hawaii.  Hurricanes headed their way. 
JB, it might be time to visit your family in Oregon, where you only have to worry about a small shiver of an earth quake?

Chris has just spent weeks in Italy, where the climate seems to make her sick, helping her career soldier hubby pack up and get ready to transfer to Hawaii.  Now, she's in Hawaii helping him settle in and there are two Hurricanes coming.

I suspect she can't wait to get back to her home-twenty in Texas where all she has to worry about are floods and an occasional tornado.  Love you Chrissy Poo!!
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My Fur Kids are enjoying the new couch and carpet.

Buddy sleeps like any normal cat would sleep 

Maggie likes her nose down in between the cushions 

Sometimes she uses a toy for her pillow 

Yesterday, she just laid down part on the kitchen floor and used

the carpet for her pillow 

Have a great Labor Day weekend.  I will be here packing my white pants and shorts away for another season and swapping out my white purse for my navy one--because.....I'm old school about no white after Labor Day. :-)

Question Answered

I have been asked to explain the genealogies I do for people.  What is in the report?  What “bad” thing might I find?

First of all, there is nothing “bad” to find out.  There are no stories.  I will not find out that your 10th great grandfather was a horse thief—even if that family story is true.

What genealogy shows are the names and dates of when your ancestors were born and died.  Where they were born, where they lived, their parent’s names, their children’s names, perhaps where they are buried and a photo of their grave stone.  

Perhaps a birth/baptism/death certificate and census reports.  What occupation they had.  If they fought in The Revolutionary or Civil War—any military time they may have spent. 

The only time I would find a “story” about them is if they were an early settler in New York or Massachusetts and their names are listed in the “Early North American Settlers” book.  That story would merely tell of when they came to America and where they settled.

No scandals are revealed in a genealogy report, at least not in the ones I have done.  Only facts or demographics, or perhaps ethnicity are found.  In my own genealogy, I found “we” are related to Thornton Wilder and by marriage to Almonzo Wilder; Laura Ingalls Wilder. Pretty cool stuff.

So, don’t ever be afraid to search up through the branches of your family tree.  It can be the most fascinating discovery of your life. 

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The humidity is gone!!!  At least for a few days.  I have all the windows open  and---my feet are freezing!  Down in the 50's tonight.

I love it!

Fun Times

I am not kidding you...I had a near panic attack late Friday night.  I got so fraught with fear about driving home from our class reunion, in the dark.  Well, a well time Ativan took care of the shakes and I slept well.

Still a bit nerved up Saturday, I packed a plastic bag with my emergency flashlight, a bottle of water and a bottle of frozen Diet Pepsi and a candy bar.  Just in case I ended up in the ditch.

I rode up to Byron and then caught a ride from there on with a friend and her husband.  It was no nice not to have to drive.  I could look around at how the area has changed.

The combined class reunion was fun!  Some of the kids from the year ahead of us--it was their 60th reunion, I hadn't seen since they graduated!!!  I recognized very few.    Some recognized me, which was nice.  

The food was not worth the price of the ticket, or so I thought.  Pork and chicken slices with some veggies.  A small salad, dinner rolls that weren't really dinner rolls, but some other strange grain.  Ice tea, Lemonade, coffee to drink.  No alcohol, which didn't bother me, buy I think some would have enjoyed a glass of wine or a beer.  I did bribe one of the wait staff to find me a Diet Pepsi.  :-)

Ever since high school, my class has joked about how the class ahead of us seemed so much older.  They still do!  They look older too.  Their class was quiet and sober, serious and dull.  Our class was more noisier, and fun loving.   They dragged along, we were spunky.   Even Saturday night, one of my Dear Friends said, "Why are they so much older than we are?"

We invited our one teacher that is left.  Mr. Braden taught us Biology and also taught Agriculture.  He is 95 and doesn't look much older than we do.  Here he is, sitting down, talking to one of his ex students.

The Class of 1956.  Tell me--don't they look old?

My class.  All the women are the ones that get together for our monthly lunch. 

 At least we had two guys. 

30th reunion

50th reunion 

59th reunion  

Our old gang.  

Minus 3 best friends who have passed.

Hey--we've still got it.  LOL

Now--something shocking at least to me.  

The guy in the blue shirt, with the large stomach and fat face?  That is my ex.  None of my friends recognized him.  

I don't think many in his class recognized him.  It makes me so sad!  He was the star baseball pitcher, and football player.  Even when we divorced, he still had an athletic body.  I think his marriage to the new wife did it too him.  She took all of his spunk out of him and "whipped" him and now, he is just fat and old.  Sad.

Not too many years ago------------------------

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By the time we got back to my friend's house, it was pitch black.  For some reason, I wasn't afraid of driving the 20 miles home.  Thankfully, last spring I had my car head lights, polished up and resurfaced, and that really helped.  It was foggy in some of the low places, but as long as I could see the white line on the side of the road I was fine.  The only problem, oncoming car headlights.  But, I made it and it only took 5 minutes longer than usual.  

I live to fight another day!!!!!!!!!!!

Well then..........

Personally?  I can't wait for August to end.  It's been so hot.  The humidity has felt tropical.  In fact, this whole summer has been miserable.  Not like a normal summer for us here in the Mitten State.

But--as my Uncle used to say, "Quitcherbellyaching!"
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Tuesday I traveled up to my Cousin's to fix her computer.  Windows 10 had install itself while she was away at her Grandson's wedding.  Quite on it's on--just like Windows 10 installed itself on my computer during the night--while I slept.

I drove up the expressway.  So scary!  I just kept singing my "get through" hymn, "Be not afraid what ere be tide, God will take care of you.."  She has Windows 8.1 so it all looked different than my Windows 7, but we got it figured out, had a nice early supper and a great conversation, and I came home the back way, which was a much pleasanter drive!

Wednesday, I ran all over the county!  Well, not really, but I did go down to Brighton to get some groceries and embroidery floss,.  It was so humid when I got back home, I didn't want to tote all those heavy bags of groceries into the house.

Just then, as sometimes these coincidences happen, a Mom and four little boys came walking by.  I stepped down toward the street and said, "Hey guys, if it's all right with Mom, I'll give each of you a dollar if you carry my groceries into my house."

Mom nodded in agreement and those cute little guys (4-10 yrs old), made two trips and the job was done.

As I passed out the dollar bills, the one named Mason, 7 years old said, "Thank you so much.  I really needed this dollar because...I am flat broke!"  Each boy thanked me, over and over.  What a blessing and such cute little kids.
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I have my latest genealogy almost done.  51 hours of "charged" research--a few more hours I didn't charge because it was me editing my own work.  14 generations up the tree.  Lots of early pioneers/settlers.  Now I just have to put it all together, print out the book and mail if off.  I think she will be well pleased!
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I went to a funeral today--for a friend of my Dad's. It was a Baptist funeral, so it was very long.  Why do they always play/sing "Amazing Grace" at every funeral I go to?  It won't be played at mine.  It's too fu·ne·re·al  fyəˈnērēəl/.  I want something happier like, "When we all get to Heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be...."

The best part of a funeral, is the procession to the
Cemetery.  You don't have to stop for any stop lights or stop signs.
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At the wedding--the little moppet was playing shy with his Mimi.