"Welcome to the Weekend Chat!" All Members Invited!! May 29th-31st, 2020

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

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

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

Enjoy yourselves and spread the love!

Comments

Hello, my fellow WikiChatterers, and welcome to the Weekend Chat! Greetings from Cathey’s Creek! It’s been a busy week inside (rain, rain, rain, rain, rain, rain, rain, rain….). Aside from cleaning the house from one end to the other, I was able to get on WikiTree a little more than usual.

On the Home Front: Aside from the rain, rain, rain, rain, rain, rain, I was able to have a couple of upholsterers come by and look at three ancient couches. Now that I have a price for the work, I will need to secure some fabric. I also went on the hunt in town for a partners’ desk. Not finding any, I left my name at one consignment shop. Yesterday, I got a call, and I immediately drove over to find a used one in pretty good shape. A break in the rain, rain, rain, rain, rain, rain, rain, rain (can you believe it?) allowed me to pick it up and deliver it to a woodworking shop for minor repairs and re-staining.

On the Genealogy Front: Well, this has been a week for biographies (because of the rain, rain, rain, rain, rain, rain, rain)! Among others that I was able to add to Uncle Matthew D. Underwood’s bio after I found his signature on a marriage for William H. Rumfelt whose bio I finished. My WikiTree-member brother assisted in both of these.

I added to Uncle Jacob William Underwood’s bio with help from my brother, and completed the bio of my ggg-grandfather, John W. Neel, too. Also, James William Underwood’s bio is done. Here’s something I found out about Uncle Jim:

"Saturday, May the 29th 1886. Church met in conference at Flat Rock School House with Elder Jno. F. Morris as moderator. Brother J. P. Burrage was reported to the church for drunkness & profanity. Brethen J.N. Grice & F.T. Beaty was appointed to see Brother Burrage and inform him of the charges & Notifying him to attend the next conference. Also charges were preferred against Broth. James Underwood for drunkness and being present confessed his fault and asked the forgiveness of the church whitch was granted." (The F. T. Beaty mentioned was Jim’s brother-in-law.)

Finally, I completed the bio for Matthew R. Armstrong, an uncle by marriage. Apparently, there were two Matthew Armstrongs, born and died about the same time and in nearly the same location. It took some digging, but I was able to eliminate an estate record and a FindAGrave memorial as not my Matthew. What I did find were two graves at Castanea Cemetery with only initials and single dates on each. I included a supposition on Matthew’s profile that these might be his and his wife’s.

Some of you may remember that I have a writing OCD. And I mean OCD! Rules of punctuations, spelling, grammar, flow, paragraphing, etc. are the bane of my writing. (I do utilize proofreaders occasionally!) In one whole week, I finished one bio, added to one, and wrote three; that’s all. All I can think of are those hundreds of profiles I’ve created and categorized as [[State: Needs Biography]], nearly all of them relatives of mine. This is my weeping and gnashing of teeth nightmare, and now I believe if I live for another 20 years I just might get it all done.

Be safe and blessed!

Enjoy the Chat!

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I checked out one of those bio's you completed. Good job my friend.

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Thanks for hosting Pip!

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Thanks, Rodney!

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My pleasure, SJ!

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Writing bios certainly bogs me down too.   My goal is certainly to write a WikiTree biography for people that I actually knew..... but  otherwise it's hard to find motivation for writing the bios unless there was something  "special" that's obvious from the records.

We're hoping you'll still be here hosting the WeekEnd Chat 20 years from now...... By then we might have to drop out the discussion on our home "projects"  which are just doing dishes and laundry.   Maybe we'll have bots.

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Great work on those bios, Pip. I dislike writing bios (I mean bios with some meat on them; I'm good with "was born such day, parents X and Y, married Z, and died ..."). Since I manage a lot of profiles for notables which should really have *something* in their bios, it is a nightmare. (mind you, my ancestors are also lacking bios, but since I'm the only one interested in them, they can wait...)

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Oh, Peggy, if you see a house chores bot on Amazon, please let me know!!

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To tell the truth, Isabelle, I get stressed writing bios. I do them because I feel they're needed, not just for my family members (including those who will come later), but to make WikiTree the best genealogy site out there. It is a chore, especially since I've entered hundreds of relatives. Getting a few done feels like only a drop in the bucket.

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There something in my mind about the drop in the bio bucket indoors, and the rain rain rain on your roof, but I'll let you decide if you want to finish the thought.  

I'm in the same boat with you - I think we each strike a balance between quality and quantity.

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I will admit. Writing biographies is one of my weaknesses. I am also horrible at autobiographies.

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Thanks for hosting Pip!

Got an email this morning for someone whose tree is on Ancestry because I edited a profile (noted it as unsourced) during the clean-a-thon. She thought there was mention of her ancestor in Increase's diary. I searched but there wasn't. I also spent over an hour trying see to if I could find any useful info and gave her links to what I'd found on the archive and FamilySearch. Spent over an hour and don't think I'll get anything written or revised on my novel today.

Speaking of writing and OCD -- I've been reading Wolf Hall for a Goodreads book group. Oh my word, the book is driving me crazy because of the lack of proper dialog tags. The author likes to use a colon instead of quotation marks, and it is often very difficult to know who is speaking!

As for rain -- We got a lovely storm through here yesterday afternoon. A heavy, soaking rain came down for about an hour. I didn't expect to see such until the monsoon starts later in June. It's funny how I hated the rains in the Midwest, but love them here. Maybe because it doesn't happen so frequently.

Answer 1

First, have you seen the app Chase Ashley posted in G2G called “Ancestor Listmaker.” What a great little tool. Well done.

I hope all you Wonderful WikiTreer’s had a good week, and will have an even better weekend.

A few scattered thunderstorms scheduled for Central Pennsylvania today. Temperatures forecast to be in the mid 70F range next week, with plenty of sun. Walking around my garden this morning with my morning coffee, I noticed my first few strawberries starting to turn red.

On the tree, I ran into sources for my next family that is buried in the Mill Creek Church of the Brethren Cemetery in Virginia. Our friend Natalie helped me set up a Cemetery Category for this cemetery a while back, and I will soon have it populated with about 60 people. I like this category because it helps me communicate easier to current family members where distant relatives lived and are buried, and it can help future generations locate and find families.

Pennsylvania has a stop light system for opening businesses and easing Covid restrictions. Most counties have gone from red to yellow, and a few may be going into the green category.

Stay safe and hope you enjoy the weekend.

Comments

Baty, that is a magnificent contribution of genes to American History !!

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I checked out that new application React App and while there were only 3 men who qualified for the American Revolution, I was very nearly drowned in an ancestral flood -- 312 of the "All" category ... I was shocked ... 

there's only two options I can see -- American Rev and "All" 

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I'm so jealous, SJ. It looks like a pretty cool app, but as it happens I would have no use for it. None of my ancestors fit into any of the suggested categories. None at all, even if I could expand my tree to 20 generations (I believe it could go as far as 12 or 13 maximum). Going to cry in my room now.

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I'm a nil on the American Revolution list, with one shaky aristocrat. If it could filter on deacons and [suspected] smugglers, now that could be fun.

My 20 generation count of ancestors is at 2700, but who knows how many are conflated or imaginary! I'm still tracing them all, and so far, less than 20% of the first 9 generations are actually finished, with a full bio, and sources for birth, marriage and child. Its a to-do list that might send me to my room in tears!

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I used to create my own Cemetery categories,  but it become much more involved.   I too was impressed with how quickly Natalie Trott would create my new cemetery..... She's great.

As the Pennsylvania businesses keep opening up,  I'm sure you're keeping in mind that we're all responsible for our own precautions.   We still haven't gone into restaurants because we're the  "at risk" group.

Always a pleasure to read your posts Rodney.

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OK,

Chase's  "App" deserves an additional note to say   THANK YOU.    This  "Ancestor LinkMaker"  will certainly be helpful to me.   Thanks for sharing your skills with your WikiKin.

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Hi Peggy, thank-you, hope all is well with you. Yes, my wife and I only use the senior hour at the grocery store every Tuesday morning. We have no plans on changing that routine any time soon. You have a good rest of the weekend.

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@Rodney and @Peggy...always happy to help!!

Natalie :-)

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Love this.

Pip was this the app you told me about?

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I think Rodney mentioned it last week. It is pretty cool, isn't it?

Answer 2

Today is.....

        

NATIONAL COQ AU VIN DAY

Each year on May 29th, National Coq Au Vin Day celebrates a delicious French dish. Coq au vin is French braise of chicken, cooked with wine, lardons (salt pork), mushrooms, and garlic.

A French staple, Coq au vin translates to “rooster with wine.” It’s a rustic, peasant-style dish that is easy to serve when entertaining because a lot of the work can be done in advance. And since we all celebrated National Wine Day just a few days ago, you might be prepared and have an extra bottle on hand just for this recipe.

Different legends tell of Coq au vin back in the days of Gaul and Julius Caesar. However, the first documented recipe was in the early 20th century.  There was a somewhat similar recipe, poulet au vin blanc, that appeared in an 1864 cookbook.

HOW TO OBSERVE National Coq Au Vin Day

Whether you make the dish at home or order it from your favorite restaurant, this holiday is worth savoring. We even have a recipe for you to try. Enjoy this Coq Au Vin recipe. You can also learn about the 7 Mother Sauces for this celebration to expand your cooking know-how.

Use #NationalCoqAuVinDay to post on social media.

NATIONAL COQ AU VIN DAY HISTORY

National Day Calendar continues researching the origins of this French cuisine holiday. However, we also have other French holidays for you to explore:

• Mousse Day
• Julienne Fries Day
• Bouillabaisse Day
• Filet Mignon Day
• Bastille Day

Comments

This is a new one for me, Dorothy. I'm not so sure I could make it. I'll have to hunt up a good restaurant, maybe in Asheville, that makes it.

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Given the ingredients, Coq au vin would kill me.  Literally.  Actually.

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Reminds me of a cartoon I saw of a housewife draped over the kitchen appliances, a few chickens draped over pots, .. she's waving a wine bottle and declaring oh, yes, chicken drowned in wine is a winner ...

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I've had it a few times in the past and it can be quite good.

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Good thought!  My chicken is thawed and wondering what to wear for dinner.

Thank you Dorothy

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I need someone to make that for me

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why nor learn to make it yourself? a new project!!

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Not that I begrudge the French nation a day of chicken cooked in wine (29th May) but ... philistine that I am ... when Auntie served up a delicious beef stew that had been cooked with wine in it, I was brash enough (at 14) to ask "WHY??" and got the explanation of "taste".  Having since then had delicious beef stew without the wine cooked in it, I still fail to see the point of adding wine ... BUT, as I say, I don't begrudge the French their foibles National Day for this exotic dish 

NOT to say I didn't learn which wines to serve guests, white wine with this meal, red with that meal, beer with this one, ale with that one, it's just that booze wasn't IN the food messing with it, it was in the glass ... However, this is just a personal prejudice on my part, not a blanket condemnation of cooking with wine ... that is, adding wine per the recipe to what you cook ... 

I dunno, add a hot chili pepper to the pot while cooking, you are not going to miss having wine in the pot ... 

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Dorothy,

You've out done yourself!   

 COQ AU VIN  

My husband has been studying French on DuoLingo,  maybe he'll want to try it.   (Except he doesn't like Vin) 

Answer 3

Hi WikiKin, hope everyone is having the start of a great weekend.

Good news all around here: beaches open on Monday and just in time as the water has hit 21 (70 f) today.  I know what I'll be doing Monday morning, swimming!  Weather is nice, in the 20's (high 70's), sunny as is typical for Spain.

On the genelogy front I've continued work on my 2nd ancestor audit.  I wrote about the first one here:

Have you audited your ancestors?

In this current audit, I'm up to my 7th great-grandparents and so far, 100% sourced and a much higher level of bios written.  When you do an audit, you can immediately see what you know, what you're missing, and what you're lacking:

SJ Baty ancestor audit

I developed some coding for my audit so that I can see at a quick glance how far each profile is developed and which ancestors are missing.

On the homefront, we're enjoying the last of our Covid vacation, work is starting back up so we're getting ready for that.  The new little baby is becoming more interactive and is smiling at things he likes.  He is popular with the older two who think he is more of pet or toy doll.

Looking forward to reading everyone's replies!

Comments

That's a cool chart, SJ. I'm impressed by the number of biographies you've created. This will spur me on to do even more of them, especially for my direct ancestors.

Why did I think you had about five or six kids?

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3 under 6.  According to my wife, all I do is WT 

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Yeah, my wife is a WikiTree widow, too.

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I was inspired by your audit in the winter, and started to work on my own. I'm done the first 9 generations and working on the last 25% of the next five. I'm thinking maybe Chase Ashley's app can help me finish off the rest. It puts things into perspective, for sure, and its already been useful at setting priorities!  

3 kids under 6 makes for a busy house, I remember those days, stepping on toys ...

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stepping on toys ...

exactly!

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SJ.

You're always accomplishing great things.    Glad you can find the time to keep in touch with the Wiki Weekenders.

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SJ: I agree with Peggy. You do accomplish great things. The ancestor audit is a great idea. I really need to go over and fix many of my original postings. As well, thank you for all that you do supporting and recognizing others. Your kind and encouraging words make a difference in so many ways.

Answer 4

Hails and horns, Wikipeeps.

On the genealogy front, I posted a blog for #52Ancestors about "Uncertain". This week, I talked about the Uncertainty of doing Italian genealogy in the time of the pandemic. Difficult doesn't even begin to describe it: https://allroadhaverhill.blogspot.com/2020/05/52-ancestors-week-22-uncertain.html

The responses have been decent so far. People called it inspiring and positive. I dunno. I didn't feel positive writing it because I had just talked to a friend in Italy. He was concerned about the death toll here in the US. I told him that I was doing what I could do stay safe. And that was it.

I also talked to cousins about contacting the commune office. They said it would be fine. So, Monday I might e-mail them. Wish me luck! Really don't want to be a pushy American. But, if it comes down to it, I would rather just ask the cousins.

Still, it was a good blog to do even if the feels were mounting. I just hope everyone stays safe. I recently posted on my Facebook that I don't want anyone to be a statistic. That goes for all of you here.

On the non genealogy front, the week has been kind of rainy and warm some days. The garden is all planted. We shall see what grows! Plans are in motion for my brother and his family to visit this July. The kids look forward to it every year and I can't wait to play games with them.

It may be time to teach them the meaning of fear. I'll have them play Legend of Zelda or the original Mario. >=) 

Comments

Great blog

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Ah, Chris, your roadblocks break my heart. Having to wait so long can certainly be frustrating. I do hope you go ahead and email the commune. What can it hurt? Maybe they won't be able to answer right away, but at least the email will be there. Keep us posted, please!

You play games with the kids because you are only 12 years old.  Well, at least you look like it! 

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BTW, Chris: Do you know DNA pretty well? I need some HELP!

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I'll do my best, Pip. Send me a message and I'll see what I can do. Maybe I can splice your DNA with Foghorn Leghorn. =)

And you are hilarious as always, man. I also play games because they're fun. You should check out Mario Maker. You can design your own course. Though, I have a feeling if you made one for me, it would be a Bond villain style death trap with you at the other end laughing as you stroke your kitty.

"You may have escaped the chain chomp corridor of horrors, Chris. But, now you must face this giant sized Goomba army! MWAHAHAHAHA!"

I will definitely keep you all posted. You're right. What harm could it do?

Send me a message!!

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Ok, I'll get with you later. Heading out for a bit.

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I'd read to the second sentence when the thought occurred to me that I'd hadn't looked again at the existence of my Italian cousins. To explain, partway through the Napoleonic Wars, Claude Fabrin was severely wounded, he was treated and recovered in Italy and he fell in love just with I'm assuming an Italian woman but with the country itself, for he never left. Kind of interesting really, a family of a mixed Danish-Italian bloodline

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Hey Chris,  

It's great you have your brother's visit in July to look forward to!    

I think everyone is now realizing Covid-19  is here for awhile.... but we know what to do to protect ourselves!    Take care of yourself too...... though youngsters like you are invincible.

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If it were up to me, I would hit the reset button and just start the year over again. 

At the end of March I read a tweet of a former tennis player (now coach) in the sense of: "My trial for 2020.exe is over. I don't want the program."  

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@Peggy: I wouldn't call me invincible. That's another Marvel character. ;) Still, the statement holds. Stay safe. Can't wait for their visit!

@Richard: I would definitely look into that story. Sounds very cool!

@Jelena: We never should have turned on the large Hadron collider.

Answer 5

Thanks for hosting Pip.

Weather: Yes, rain rain rain rain! We are predicted to get another 1 to 2" today and tomorrow. This coming Monday is the official start of hurricane season. There have already been 2 named storms.

Home Front: The green beans, squash and cucumbers are looking healthy and there are blossoms on the tomatoes, although all are in danger of drowning. I finally finished a sewing project that had languished in the closet for a couple of years. It seems to be a disaster, so might try another (not that I'll need a bathing suit coverup for a while). We visited the local warehouse store, and they were out of toilet paper, which we last purchased in January; am sure we'll find some before it's critical. I did visit the fabric store to get some more material for masks. I found a really pretty print with hummingbirds. When I got it home I realized the birds have very long beaks, so I'll have to be very careful cutting out the mask so I don't end up with a bird up my nose!

Genealogy: I am continuing to weave Reeds into the WikiTree. I am still looking at Simon and his wife Currance. Shame shame shame on me for not mentioning Currance - she is the one who bore 15 children after all. I've been flushing out one of the children added by an nth cousin who is fairly new to WikiTree, but has some great stuff from research that his mother had done. So far Simon and Currance have 5 children, 31 grandchildren and 314 descendants that include 6 sets of twins. Right now I'm working on the 3 sisters who married 3 brothers.

Have a good weekend everyone, and stay safe.

Comments

Kay, we have two kids on the coast of South Carolina, and worry about them during hurricane season all the time.

Three sisters who married three brothers! I don't have any of those (that I know of!), but I have seen this once in another family in South Dakota.

We're headed to a fabric store, too, but this is to buy material for the re-upholstering three couches.

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haha definitely watch the beaks, I imagine they'd be uncomfortable!

I have see 3 sisters marrying 3 brothers. It gets even more interesting when their offspring intermarry over the generations. There's one place in my family tree that can't be traced on paper without crossing the lines. I may try it in macrame. I lovingly call it the family vine!

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My great-great grandparents were from two of the original settler families on Manitoulin Island, Ontario (Canada). My great-great grandmother was a Lewis and my great-great grandfather was a Laidley. Last year, I learned that two of my great-great grandmother's brothers (Lewis) married two of my great-great grandfather's sisters (Laidley). That makes two sisters and a brother who married two brothers and a sister in the 1860s.

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nice today, no rain , been raining most of the week, what a break!! muggy here in Raleigh,NC

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@Anne. Exactly. My gg grandmother was a Reed and my gg grandfather a Sanford. Her brother Simon married his sister Currance, and I'm looking at their 15 children to get more clues about the move from New York to Ohio then Illinois in the 1820s/1830s, made by the Reed, Sanford and other families. I already found a grandchild who married a Sanford first cousin.

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Kay,

I had to LOL reading your hummingbird mask comment!

In a moment of weakness,  I mentioned to my husband I might make some better looking masks .... and BOOM next thing you know he unpacked my sewing machine and set it up.    Now I'll have to remember how to thread it and fill the bobbin.

Answer 6

Thank You for hosting Pip, Last things first on Genealogy I have done very little this last week, I just did not feel like it, Sorry.

On the home front, Like you Pip we had rain all week so I was inside. My ham radios are eying so I spent a lot of time trying to troubleshoot them with no luck. I then shifted gears to check out my hand held radios to make sure they both work well. The one is fine but the new one required me to write a new codeplug and reprogram it, not fun, imagine trying to program in binary and you will come colse to the feeling. The end result is the radio works better than before. I still have some work to do with other computers in the house but I will get to them soon, I hope!

Everyone if fine as far as health goes so that is a plus.

Saturday and Sunday are supposed to be dry so one of those days I will cut the grass, it has been more than a week so it is a bit long.

Things are opening up here in Ohio but the granddaughter can not take her driving test until late July so she will have to take the test for her temporary license again because her present permit expires in June.

Comments

Dale, glad (as always) to hear from you. I saw that you were getting a load of rain up there. As much rain as we've had, at least we didn't flood... this time. Believe me, Dale, it's OK not to work on genealogy once in a while (HERESY, I know). The first year and a half after I joined WikiTree, I worked like gangbusters. The past six months, not nearly as much.

So, what's up with the ham radios?!?! One thing I do know, if a piece of tech equipment goes bad in your house, at least you do know some things to try. Binary? Not for me. You have another whole skill set than I do, for sure.

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Pip, The radios are OLD and I believe that the problems are mostly with the microphones. Because the radios are over 20 years old I can not just go to the local Ham store, and yes there is one close to me, and pick up a new Mic. The replacement for the cheaper radio would cost more than replacing the radio but the other one the cost would be about $200 and that is only 20% of the cost to replace it so I might fix that one. It is just finding and justifying  the $200 in our budget at this time.

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I have programmed in binary, Hex, BASIC, COBAL, Linux, and other machine specific languages. I have been told by my instructors in college that I think like a CPU. I seem to pick up any programming language fast if I put my mind to it.

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Hats off to you Dale, I used to recruit for the tech sector,and there's always been a shortage of people who can code at the machine-level.

My current tech headache is a brand new computer that came with a Realtek wifi adapter with no drivers for Linux.  Blew my mind. This weekend, I'm learning about ndsiwrappers. Or maybe I'll just take the computer back.

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Laurie, The machines I programmed for work had programs like "M1 G95 G0 X..500 Z.1

  G1 F.002 Z0

X-.005

  G0 X.1 Z1.5

M0"

With variations depending what machine it was for. I never enjoyed programming in that language but I could do it when required and that happened quite a bit because the department I worked in made the prototypes and the engineers made more mistakes than they should have.

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To all, We just got a text that yet another family member passed. This one is in Arizona so I don't think we will be traveling for her services, but our thoughts will be there and with the family that is traveling to that area.

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I'm so sorry for your loss Dale! This has been hard on your family.

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Sorry for your loss Dale

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Dale,

Our family has cancelled two weddings previously scheduled for this summer...... so I'd also expect less attendance if a funeral is required.  Certainly not the best of times.

It's great you have your grandchildren to distract you.

Answer 7

Currently, it's 24˚ C in Fort Erie, which is already 2˚ warmer than the predicted high for today. This surprises me not at all, since for the last two days, the actual high has beaten the predicted high by at least 8˚ C. Perhaps the weather office is having a hard time adjusting their forecasts. After all, we did have frost overnight just 15 days ago. But that's the way it is in Fort Erie: the weather goes from too cold to too hot like flicking a switch. Apparently, there's no such season as "Spring" here. Maybe the Lower Mainland of B.C. should offer the Niagara Peninsula a remedial course in how Spring is supposed to work.

Our next door neighbour showed up one day with his riding mower and beat down most of the lawn. (He's generous like that.) I had been making an effort, but our current mower is a wee little thing, and takes more passes to mow a given area than our old one did before it died, and I'm not as young as I used to be, so I wasn't exactly winning the battle. (All the rain last week didn't help any.)

This week, we pulled out and dusted off our portable air conditioner, and put it in the bedroom. But by the time we got around to it, the worst of the heat wave was over. (For now. I'm sure there will be more opportunities to hide out in the bedroom before the summer is over. Especially since other places to get some relief from the heat are closed to us during the lockdown.)

This is the last weekend of the month for me to get in some work on Slades. To my surprise and delight, I've been able to connect disconnected Slade branches to one another on three separate occasions this month, although the number of Slade heads of line that have been tagged with the name study template has still gone up by one since the beginning of the month. Still, I have hope that we will eventually start to see more and more of the fragmented branches connected to one another. I don't know if we'll ever be able to find one single umpty-great granddaddy Slade. On the one hand, being able to claim at least some of the DNA of a genius like Thomas Slade would be pretty cool, but then I would have to admit that I also share DNA with Sir John the Idiot. (The light of my life and the delight of my eyes always giggles when I call him that.) 

One item that caught my attention was that Sir John's grandson Reginald spent some time in my hometown; long enough to be registered in the 1901 census. I would complain that he didn't stop by to say hello, but my Slade ancestors were still in The Land Without Spring at the time, so it's not like he was being snooty or anything. (Actually, my great-great grandparents were registered as living in what is now Niagara Falls during the 1901 census, so they were about 20 kilometres from here. And wouldn't I love to know where their home was actually located?)

For a tip, I should probably point anybody who is working on profiles from the UK (including Ireland up to 1922) to The Gazette. I keep forgetting about it, but then I keep being reminded of what a terrific treasure trove of source material it is. I do need to be creative with my search terms to find my quarry. Sometimes, that's because some of the transcriptions in the index are a bit dodgy, sometimes it's because the spelling of names in the original is a bit dodgy, and sometimes it's because The Gazette is inconsistent in naming people. (Cecil William Paulet Slade was a case in point: searching on his full name only got me a couple of hits. Searching for "Paulet Slade" managed to turn up one more, in which his first name was mistranscribed in the index, but it wasn't until I searched for "C W P Slade" that I stuck gold.) But still, I've managed to find sources for all kinds of people who I wasn't finding in the usual places.

Comments

Greg, I one lived further south than I do now, and we also had no spring. Three weeks of winter, 49 weeks of summer. 

I once had a mower so small I had to mow at half width just so it could handle it. The rain hadn't helped here either, even though I have a mower that should be able to handle the foot-tall grass.

The profile of Sir John Slade doesn't mention why he should carry the nickname you gave him. 

I've learned to look for ancestors in newspapers if I use only initials + a surname. It was very common around here back in the day.

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 Pip, no, I left the juicy bits out of his profile. Here's part of what is says on his Wikipedia entry:

Slade rode with the leading squadrons, instead of attending to the supports, and Wellington and others blamed him. Wellington was furious, writing privately: "I have never been more annoyed than by Slade's affair. Our officers of cavalry have acquired a trick of galloping at every thing. They never consider the situation, never think of manoeuvring before an enemy, and never keep back or provide for a reserve." Such criticism from his commander-in-chief was echoed by some of his subordinates; one cavalry officer wrote: "As a leader of cavalry he was deplorable. He was a byword for inefficiency throughout the army." Another officer wrote, commenting specifically on the Battle of Sabugal: “[General Slade] … let no possible opportunity for inaction to pass him - pretending not to comprehend orders, which the events passing before him would have made comprehensible to a trumpeter, … a curse to the cause, and a disgrace to the service.” Sir Charles Oman expressed the view that he was capable only of following definite orders and lacked initiative.

I figure Wellington probably knew a thing or two about how to conduct a battle, so his criticism is worth noting. However, he apparently did not have Slade sacked, and apparently Slade had something of a talent for convincing those who weren't actually there that his efforts were vital to the cause, because he ended up getting a baronetcy.  

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What a story! Now I know.

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He must have had some redeeming qualities! I know it was possible to buy yourself a captaincy, but I'm not sure you can buy yourself into general, or baronet. It might be interesting to find any paperwork that argued in favour of that decision.

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It certain now!    Your family history is more interesting than mine.   I'm rarely impressed with the aristocrats,  but  "the idiot" and  "a curse to the cause" certainly deserve aggrandized biographies by descendants.

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Alas, Peggy, Sir Thomas, who apparently had something between his ears, and Sir John, who may not have had so much, are not (known) ancestors of mine. In fact, I have to go through Henry VIII or one of the other anchor profiles to demonstrate any kind of relationship to them at all. I only started working on notable Slades because I had hit a brick wall working backwards on my own Slades. I had hoped that by starting back then and working forward, I might be able to find some kind of connection. But so far, I've found a whole lotta nothin'. Since I start looking, I discovered that the part of London where my third great grandfather married my third great grandmother wasn't exactly the ritzy part of town. Wikipedia has this to say about it:

By the late 16th century, the suburb of Whitechapel and the surrounding area had started becoming 'the other half' of London. Located east of Aldgate, outside the City Walls and beyond official controls, it attracted the less fragrant activities of the city, particularly tanneries, breweries, foundries... and slaughterhouses....

Population shifts from rural areas to London from the 17th century to the mid-19th century resulted in great numbers of more or less destitute people taking up residence amidst the industries and mercantile interests that had attracted them....

By the 1840s, Whitechapel... had evolved into classic "Dickensian" London, with problems of poverty and overcrowding....

William Booth began his Christian Revival Society, preaching the gospel in a tent, erected in the Friends Burial Ground, Thomas Street, Whitechapel, in 1865.

So I'm thinking that the reason I can't trace "my" Slades any further back than when the British government began registering all births, deaths and marriages (from 1837) and keeping census rolls (from 1841) is because they were just too poor and obscure for anybody else to take any notice of them.

(My maternal grandfather's family seem to have had pretty much the same story: they were living in one of the grottiest parts of Glasgow for three censuses in a row.)

Supposedly, I'm a direct descendant of Charlemagne and all kinds of mediaeval celebrities, but those connections are all through the supposed father of my eighth great-grandfather, and I know that link is incorrect. The only notable I have been able to find among my real ancestors is my fifth great-grandfather, who was in the Legislative Assembly of the Colony of Nova Scotia for three years. 

Answer 8

Thanks for being host once again Pip.

Catossa County, Georgia:  Weather here has been great.  Enough rain to support the new plantings with tender roots.   Not too hot, but we’ve moved our walks to the morning until September.    Not all stores and restaurants are open yet, but most are open with reduced hours.  About 30% of people wear masks in stores.  Costco REQUIRES anyone entering the store to wear a mask..   Our county of 67,000 people has had 72 cases of Covid-19 and no deaths   (probably because we don’t have any assisted living facilities or a hospital).   My husband and I continue to take the precautions recommended for our ages.  (Yes, even my husband is wearing a mask!)

 SHORT ON SUPPLIES?   For at least a month stores have restocked supplies of toilet paper, isopropyl alcohol, and hand sanitizer but they limit the number you can purchase.  Chicken has returned in a limited manner. Today was the first time we found a thermometer to buy (only $5) at Walmart.   (We haven’t seen  our thermometers since we moved ….So it’s time to admit there’s a lot of boxes yet to unpack)….. We ordered a thermometer from Amazon but it was off by 10 degrees and had no way to calibrate, so it was returned. 

Home Projects:   We’ve finally turned the corner on Home Improvement Projects.    Our incomplete project list is down to 4 pretty minor projects…… and we’ve vowed to not start any of the 3 envisioned  “big” projects before September.   Time to focus on cooking better meals, longer walks and routine stretching exercises. 

Genealogy:    This week I returned to the profile of Gunter-1230,  who wrote a matter of fact but heartbreaking letter in 1866.   The letter to his friend in Texas listed many of the deaths in his community  called Harkey’s Valley, in Arkansas where my ancestors lived.   This letter was very valuable to me because it was the only record of when my 4 great grandparents died.    I decided to “expand”  Monroe Gunter’s family since his letter was so important to me.   And sure enough, his daughter married into my McReynolds family.  Not surprising for a small isolated community.   However, this made me take a look at the early work I had done on my McReynolds family line and it was hard to ignore the work that’s needed there.   So much to do, so little time.

Looking forward to reading your posts this Weekend.

Comments

Peggy, how could you be so close (geographically) to me and not get a soaking downpour?!?

We have LOTS of nursing homes and such here as this is a retirement destination. We had an uptick this past week, but only up to 12 cases. Most of these have already recovered.

Peggy, would you believe that after 4 1/2 years of living here, we STILL have boxes we have not opened from the move?

Home improvement projects for us are down to cosmetic things. All our big projects are done, at least until we think up more!

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Peggy, I last moved in December of 2016 and I still have boxes in my shed to unpack. Possibly if another couple of years I might get to them.

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Glad you're getting settled in, moving is a lot of work!

Answer 9

PIP: I gather there was a spate of rain, rain, rain, ... um, seven or eight "rain"  ... but nevertheless you sit in a clean house, after spending what six months or more landscaping and have a partner's desk being furbished and some genealogically approved works to strut about .. there's a sight to see, you in a kilt holding a bushel basket of biographies with precision drill team of bagpipers marching behind you ... 

I saw that, once upon a time, they were in full regalia, there was about 2 dozen of them, they marched in unison, they blew those pipes in cadence with their marching steps, and the bags were swung a bit from side to side, enough so I was worried about someone getting gored by a bag pipe ... sight and sound wrapped up in regalia ... [man next to me was totally approving of their outfits kept saying "By <profane>, they're wearing the full outfit !!!" ... which clued me in]

We here in Central Calif had a spate of heat wave 4 or 5 days of 100+ ... today a drop of about 10 degrees due to a cloud that is scattered by some blue sky thrusting its way into its midst 

Ah, and due to being confined due to this and that I've massed 1,680 Contributions (clicks) ... I note that several months ago? was it? I had 1,950 profiles and I now have 2,053 ... I guess this is that famous 2 steps forward and 1 backward ?? Been a productive week ... ten days, actually, ... well, there IS "sitting on your laurels" -- I nailed the Club 1,000 with something like 10 days of  month remaining ... sitting on my laurels didn't suit my temperament ... I kept slogging away ... and I still have 2.5 or days full of hours that  remain in May to fill up ... people talk about being OCD and about binge-ing on WT activities and ... I do not doubt the veracity of this statement ... 

Comments

"...there's a sight to see, you in a kilt holding a bushel basket of biographies with precision drill team of bagpipers marching behind you ... " Susan, you win the "made Me Laugh Outloud First Award" for today. Good one!

I saw that your temps were way up. Funny how I watch the Weather Channel now. When they show stuff around the country, I'm thinking about the WikiTreers who live there.

I just barely passed 1000 contributions this month just a couple of days ago. It happened during a Greeters shift. It was the biographies that put me over 1200. A lower number than usual. Too much kilting going on here to WikiTree all day long! 

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 Pip, my OWN range of activities is 90% in profiling and these are my watch list profiles for the most part or their in-laws.  I don't "do" Biographies nor roam around doctoring nor do I roam around sourcing ... I will occasionally add sources to a profile and I will occasionally correct a typo ... but my habitat is small, a minute portion of the profiles at WT ... 

it's really easy to be focused if you aren't spread out all over ... said the river to the flooding ... 

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"it's really easy to be focused if you aren't spread out all over ... said the river to the flooding ... "

Ain't that the truth!

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Glad you had a drop in temp. We're still pretty moderate 1000 miles north of you, the high is on average about 75, which is perfect for me. My Canadian blood doesn't tolerate 100+ very well.

I'm impressed at your focus!  I need some variety in my day - so spending time in my garden, going for walks and doing creative projects around the house keeps my WT contributions down below 1000 most months. Helps with the Watchlist creep too.

Answer 10

Hello to all from beautiful southeastern Arizona. Been in a bit of a funk the past few days. This morning, I even scolded a hummingbird because it continually chases another one away from the feeder

My funk is the result of several things. (1) My heart has been aching since reading a FB post about a man's parents in nearby Sierra Vista. Both had been unconscious for several days when they were found. They are now hospitalized in Tuscon and covid-19 was confirmed. He doesn't think his father will survive. (2) I'm upset that I can't find more information without traveling to Ohio and who knows when it will be safe enough to do so! (3) I received a wonderful email from a librarian saying she loved my novel. I've begged her to write a book review on Amazon and Goodreads. She replied that Goodreads was "too professional" and reviews aren't her forte. *sigh* So, I still only have 3 reviews on Amazon. The 1 review on Goodreads was written by another author. From reading it, it's easy to see he didn't bother reading my book! Now I'm pondering whether I should add a section to my website for emails and FB posts. Why is it so difficult to get reviews? (4) The national news has been depressing.

WikiTree: I spent hours on the profile of Nathan Willis III this week trying to find when and where he died. I know his father moved their family to Pittsfield, Massachusetts before 1820 (due to a census record). Intention to wed his first cousin Susan Willis was recorded in Rochester in 1828. I haven't been able to locate anything after that date. Vital Records for Pittsfield are still under copyright and not available. I added a research note recording where I've searched. I detest leaving a bio so incomplete, but I still have another 6 of his siblings to add.

Finally, bought a packet of wildflower seeds to fill empty pots on my balcony. One showed sprouts in just a few days. I shifted the pots around, and now see results in the other three planters.

Here's hoping the upcoming week will be better than the last. Stay safe and healthy my wikikin!

Comments

Diane, we have the same kinds of hummingbirds, not the same species, but very territorial. We tried putting the two feeders out of sight of each other, to no avail as the territorial one parks in a tree where he/she can see both!

I know what you mean about spending hours on just one profile!!! Frustrating as the dickens. Sometimes, just when I think I've got it pegged, I discover that a source actually points to someone else. Grr....

Chin up! Morning comes after night. 

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Diane, I have heard stories such as yours by other authors whose books have recently been published. Promotion is very difficult during this time. Three reviews on Amazon is a start. I hope that this grows soon.

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Oh your hummingbirds will wage glorious wars over those wildflowers when they bloom!

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@Pip I forgot to tell you thanks for hosting! I call that becoming flustrated (Frustrated to the point of being flustered, or vice versa.) I've had the source pointing to someone else too!

@Anne: Thanks! I'm just dismayed that my cousins who have enjoyed it, can't or won't be bothered to write a review. I guess 3 reviews in 4 months isn't that bad, but I really did hope for better.

@Laurie: Don't need them fighting any more war than they already do over the autumn sage and feeder! lol I do hope the wildflower mix will attract butterflies

Answer 11

Greetings From Brightlingsea, Essex, England

A warm & sunny week here on the Essex Sunshine Coast. Been keeping busy with gardening and such. Also investigating the "garden shed"  which is badly in need of a tidy out.  Need to get back to painting the beach hut on the promenade, get it ready for use during the summer. Plenty to keep me busy.

As regards Wikitree have been looking through my watchlist and going back over profiles set up in my earlier days on here, tidying up as appropriate and adding further data I have found.

Have a good weekend everyone.

Comments

Chris, you're still painting that beach hut?!? That's what gardening does, keeps you from other stuff (or at least it does here).

I cringe when I find one of my early profiles, but then I think, "Here's something I can do to improve the Tree!"

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Oh the garden shed!  My aunt has one so tidy, it doubles as a gin shack, but my mission is to lower the standard.  Gin's pretty good under the shade of a tree.

Answer 12

Still a mixed weather bag here (N. Colorado) ... rain and wind one day and sunny and warm the next.  Most of our flowers are planted and doing well.  Love Canna Lilies and we just started doing some Asiatic lilies that are beautiful also.

On WikiTree, I added info on one of my cousin's family that I just found more information on ... kids and grand kids.  She has two sets of twins as grand kids ... wow.  And, of course, doing minor edits on additions other folks make.

Pip, Coq au Vin ... you just need to start with a big glass of the Vin!!  Also, your kids are on the South Carolina Coast ... where?  My niece lives in Mt. Pleasant ... just across the river from Charleston.  We used to go there every year in the spring ... several families and we rented a beach house on Isle of Palms.  Brother-in-law and I would play golf in the morning as the girls shopped.  Then beach time and a gourmet dinner fixed by someone ... amazing how many good cooks are in the family.

Tonight it's beef short ribs in the pressure cooker with twice baked potatoes and, of course, a bit of 'vin'.

Comments

Bob, one daughter is in Hanahan, just next door to Mt. Pleasant.

Our Asiatic lilies have yet to bloom! We have to keep an eye out for rabbits that love the leaves.

And... if I'm cookin', then I'm gonna need some vin! Won't help, but then it won't hurt either.

Answer 13

On this day:

1790: Rhode Island turns the 13th state of the USA

1920: The Nobel Prize winner for Economics John Harsanyi is born

1953: Sir Edmund Hillary reaches the top of Mount Everest

Comments

It's crazy how the brain is working. When I ran through the Wikipedias to look for events, I saw: "The Nobel Prize winner John Harsanyi is born." (Yeah, same wording as mine, only in a different language.) And I immediately thought: "Was he the one who got it with [[Selten-4|Reinhard Selten]]?" (Biography in German.) You gotta know, I know of Reinhard Selten because he knew Esperanto and mum knew him personally. He was honorary member of the Esperanto-club mum is member in even though he didn't live anymore in the city. And last year one of the members of the club made a "lecture" about Reinhard and I also went to the lecture as I wanted to see again one of Reinhard's brothers who we both (mum and I) know. And in that lecture the name John Harsanyi was mentioned. But that was all of contact I had with that name... 

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Small world, huh?

Almost through with the proofreading. Now if I just didn't have all those danged interruptions! Look for it SOON!

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Edmumd Hillary? Got to the top of everest?? Today?? REALLY??

I thought it was June? or maybe that was when it was announced.

GO New Zealand!!

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Well Robynne, several Wikipedia-versions and his own English entry say 29 May 1953.

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Robynne, I think the June confusion arises because the climbing of Everest was announced on the day of the Queen’s coronation - 2 June 1953.

Answer 14

Greetings from Everett, Washington!

Sunny and springlike weather with less rain than last week has made me want to look out the window more as I do the routine of meal preparation in between trips to the dining room table to cut fabric and to the sewing machine to sew the bits together.  I have made nine quilt tops since March and it hasn't made a dent in the mess.  The latest one was red, white and blue, featuring a "101 Dalmatians" fabric from the Disney remake that had been sitting in a drawer since maybe 2015.  I am close to finishing a boys' top of 3" squares in earth tones.  I keep finding bags of scraps that I had squirreled away, meaning to cut up.  

I would like to go to a fabric store to buy batting but I haven't ventured into retail shopping except for groceries.  I saw a line of masked folk standing in line outside a Jo-Ann Fabrics store and decided, uh-uh, not for me.  My back hurts when I'm standing for any length of time with nothing to lean on.

My husband and son have gone down to Auburn to visit grandma today.  Later my son will practice driving with him on country roads.  When they return I will work with him on the final course my son needs for this year's certification: caring for patients with autism.  Both my son and the client he works for are on the autism spectrum.

My husband told me he is contemplating the possibility that he may not have a job to return to due to the looming layoffs at Boeing.  The problem is not so much the factory being open, but the desire of the public to take tours.  Moreover he is gradually losing feeling in his extremities due to diabetes and he doesn't have the physical energy to make his voice boom out over the factory noise. We have not been living off his Boeing salary for many months so his retirement would not be a big problem for us.  

We may have the opportunity to attend Mass on Pentecost, due to the yeoman work of our priest and his brother priests at the priory in Idaho.  Three Masses on Sunday and many precautions.  I may be able to deliver the bottle of "Secret Squirrel" wine to my friend that I've stashed away since before Lent began.

Another friend of mine from Toastmasters has been feeling especially isolated but has been slowly contributing her family to Wikitree without finding connections yet.  I am eager to help her find connections. I have been working wherever the whim takes me, depending on how much time I have.

I will have to break down and make some YouTube videos on Mukilteo history subjects, as it appears the Historical Society will plan for a Zoom meeting in July.  They have been bugging me for months about making videos or even power points of the "Mukilteo Minute" features we used to do ("used to do"--how sad that sounds!). Yesterday my husband and I were in three Zoom meetings.  I have minutes to type up and send to the board members.  I have been getting used to Zoom but when I get bored I confess I study my own image as in a mirror.  

So reach out, encourage, and bring hidden people to light.

Comments

Batting? You need Batting, Margaret? I never knew how much of that my Mom had until I opened her fabric closet.

When Mom had a lot of pieces left (what quilter doesn't?) she made baby quilts, runners, place mats, and table cloths. We found dozens of place mats and runners with a Christmas theme.

If/WHEN you make those history videos, you know I'll be asking to see them. Do post the URLs here! With all the work you shared with us, we feel like we know the place. Now it would be great to see it, and especially to have an expert talking about it (you!).

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Margaret, I agree with Pip. Please post the links to your videos. I am sure that there are many of us on Wikitree who would enjoy watching your lectures.

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The JoAnn near us have order online with curbside pickup, they bring it to your car. That might work for your batting.

Answer 15

Hello folks,  Coming from Waverly Hall, Ga here.  That's about 30 miles north of Columbus.  Its actually sunny here today but it wont be lasting long cause I hear thunder.  Yesterday it was hot as a firecracker here but we never got that afternoon shower.

Im still having a hard time with what I believe they call wikitree markups.  Not sure if that's what yall call them at all but it where you put the symbols in and it suppose to mean something??  like <ref> and </ref>..its so frustrating to not be able to understand that....but it will click in one day...I hope.

Comments

Hi, Laurie! I use the <ref>  </ref> tags when I'm doing inline citations in a biography. I don't use them that much since the "C" button above the bio creates them for me. I just have to add the source in between them.

I highlight and copy (Control C) a source citation first, then place the cursor where I want the citation to go, and click the "C" button. Then I hit Control V to paste the citation.

Where's OUR rain? It was supposed to rain here today, but we've got some sun and plenty of HEAT!

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Laurie,

Pip gave you great instructions in how to use the  Reference Tags used in In Line Sourcing......  I'll point out  that things can get even more involved but at you current  skill level  (which is about where I'm at),  don't get bogged down with learning the intricacies of   "in line sourcing".

Sources are the key addition to a profile,   as your skills improve you'll start writing biographies that appreciate the skills of  "in line sourcing"  and not just a list of sources.

There's a lot to learn but no expectation to learn it all at once!

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Hi Laurie, the codes basically tell the computer how to display and use the information. I use this link as a reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Wikitext. It explains how each of the codes work, and I wonder if it might answer some of your questions.

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Thanks Laurie,

I'll have fun browsing through the WikiText help too!

Answer 16

Hi peeps,

 Ok you may remember back in March when my mother had a visit from one of my dads cousins (cousin John) and they sat and talked at my mothers home sitting 6 feet apart.

Later that week cousin john had to abandon his car at christchurch when NZ announced their lockdown and he left the paper with all the questions I had asked, behind in his luggage.There was nothing I could do.

Now that the lockdown in NZ has partially lifted, John flew back to Christchurch and drove his car home. He has now sent me an email answering all my original questions.

I replied giving me some links here on wikitree.

He wrote back telling me that he thought I was just a "casual" genealogist. But with all the work I have done, clearly I am not just a casual genealogist!!

So he will be looking for photos and more details to send me later - I am looking forward to whatever details he can send me.

Can't wait to research a new branch of the family!!

I consider myself to be at the intermediate level.

Ciao for now

Robynne

Comments

Casual, hah!  I'm glad you are finally getting some of the information you've been hoping to find.

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Oh, Robynne, I hope you discover some great stories and info! Let us know what you find!

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Great Fun for you!!

Even to me,  it seems like Cousin John was stranded FOREVER.     But glad he's working with you to capture valuable family records and history.

Answer 17

Colorado has moved into Summer mode. It is just under 80F/25C today - a bit cooler than earlier in the week. The BIG  garden bed is finished (50 feet long by 8 feet wide) and the last small bed is finished as well. I finally have time to mow but it is slow going. Already broke one belt on the mower.

Genealogically I've been continuing with a French Canadian line and starting to do some additional DNA work to nail down part of the line. I've got a growing list of profiles to work on and might get to the later this weekend.

Comments

I'm sending you sympathy for the mower trouble.  We replaced the lawn here with crushed stone several years ago, and very pleased with the lack of mowing.  I still need to wield the whipper-snipper tho.

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Finally! Summer in Colorado. About time. You've been prepping for this for a while (like you do every year).

I hate breaking mower belts. It doesn't have frequently enough to remember how to run it around all the stuff. It happens too often for me to be anywhere close to happy about it.

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Thanks. We do want to reduce what needs to be mowed but that will take some time. The front we want to convert to the native shortgrass prairie that was here 150 years ago. We'll see how much more garden goes in the back next year, So far, just the beginning of an orchard is scheduled. Crushed rock would just make things hotter here.

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Mostly they are breaking since I waited too long to do the first mowing. At least it wasn't the drive belt. That one is a real pain to replace.

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We're trying to do the same, reducing the area that needs to be mowed. Black walnut trees are good for that, but waiting for them to grow enough for effect tries patience. Better (for us): beds with small shrubs and trees in river rock (lots of that here!).

Answer 18

Hi all from a sunny and (too) dry Germany,

we had a really sunny week here, and the German Meteorological Service announced today that the spring months were far too dry. We had only half of the rain we usually had in the last 30 years, which is the long-term period meteorologists compare the weather to.

All of you complaining about rain rain rain rain rain rain and even more rain are officially allowed by me to send it over the pond. We could use it here.

This week was my WikiTree-anniversary (on Monday) and my birthday (yesterday). So on WikiTree I still add and orphan profiles, but the process in closing open browser tabs is a very slowly one. Oh well, one day I will get there. One day...

At home we prepared our car to be moved a little, because one of my social sisters would come this weekend (which is a long one here with Monday being holiday). She came by train so that her husband could have the family car when he wants to do something with the boys, but that means she needs a car, and because our car is now standing anyway, we filled the battery and now it's going for a few rides this weekend. Her mother (and my social mother) had her surgery and all went well. She came back home on Wednesday and yesterday mum and I went to her to have a bit of birthday coffee and a good chat. Before that mum and I went out into our favorite restaurant, where we ordered a table to eat outside. I didn't want to be inside the restaurant because there you don't have to wear masks and what do I know if there are people there inside that are infectious. Our Mediterranean food was great as always and we had something special because we couldn't have it for so long.

Another thing where I really need your recommendations: If you could recommend one genealogy book to buy, which one would it be? I'm really curious to see your suggestions.

Have a great weekend, stay safe and healthy

Comments

Happy birthday Jelena!

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thanks Eric

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Happy Birthday

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Happy birthday, and happy anniversary! 

I generally buy books that are relevant to my research and my community. My reading list includes the books recently published by Diane Hildebrandt, here, and one of my good friends. Right now I'm knee deep in a specific book Montbéliard Immigration to Nova Scotia, because it gives me relevant context and resources for specific ancestors. I think the choice of book really depends on your interests at the time of purchase.

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If you need rain, Jelena, just pack up and you and your mom move to where I live. 70 to 90 inches a year.

Happy birthday to you! I won't ask the age. First, it would be impolite. Second, my mom was 39 for 53 years! My birthday was last Tuesday. 39 again, just like mom.

And, happy anniversary, too! My second year was on April 19th.

As to a genealogy book to buy, I'd have a hard time advising you.Most genealogy books are so area and time specific. However, for me, I'd want a DNA book for dummies (because, like, I'm a DNA dummy!).

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I'm late. Happy Birthday

Answer 19

Hello, everyone.  We've had sun, sun, sun and more sun, until this afternoon.  Now it is 106 degrees and a thunderstorm passed by and gave us a few sprinkles, not enough to get the patio wet, but enough for me to bring in the cushions just in case.

Weather out of the way, I've not done much on Wikitree - well there's always some - because I decided one of my long standing projects needed to get done.  I'm preparing to transfer 20,000 photos from iPhoto to Photo on my Mac, and then from that Mac to a different one I'm actively using now.  I should have done it several years ago, but some things need to be fixed up due to what is kept and lost in the transaction.  Each of the last days I've thought - today I'm ready, then doublechecking things - I have more to do.  Maybe tomorrow.

Plus a lost a day because our refrigerator died so we have food at some houses in the neighborhood, and a new refrigerator on order.  Not so much selection because factories have been closed and they have lots of backorders now.  Not a quick installation either because not enough workers are available for the installation.  I guess we are eating light and eating out until Tuesday.

And I got to spend a day at the car dealership only for them to say they couldn't fix it.  Wouldn't you think a trunk should actually close all the way like it has all along.  Why did it start having this problem two weeks ago?  And now it needs body work?  I just really don't believe that so it will get a second opinion or maybe a third one.  I find it hard to WikiTree on my phone and tablet while waiting - only the simplest things.

On the bright side, my daughter received a contract for a teaching job she really wanted.  It's a career change and she already moved, so I am very happy it came through.  She'll be working on her Masters Degree at the Univ of Louisville while teaching 6th grade science at an all girls Academy in the public school system in Louisville.  This took a lot of work on her part to get into the Teach Kentucky program, get accepted for school and then get the actual job.

So maybe this weekend I can be back with the Acadians, still working on those marriages on Isle St. Jean (now PEI).

Comments

Congrats to your daughter! What an achievement! I know you are proud of her.

Cindy, if I could somehow avoid all those interruptions of life, I'd get more done on WikiTree. If it was up to me, I'd be on the computer all day doing genealogy. But things just keep getting in the way (like your fridge and auto).

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Thank you, Pip.  If I could, I'd be on WikiTree all the time.  Sometimes I even go to bed thinking about some of the more difficult situations.  Some of those families really stay with me.  I love filling in the gaps and improving profiles too.

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OMG! You go to bed thinking about WikiTree, too?!?!

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I am glad that I am not the only one who thinks of research that I want to do as I am falling asleep. Congratulations to your daughter. It seems that all of her hard work is paying off.

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Thank you, Anne.   So the WT sickness is real!

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Cindy, I really recommend having your photos kept in more than one place! External hard drives are pretty cheap now. My last was for around $90 CAD for 5 TB. One of the Seagate Expansion Portable Drives, although most brands make ones of the same quality, size, and form factor. And they work seamlessly with Mac, Windows, & Linux computers.

On the genealogy side, what's drawing you to work on the Acadians?

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Yes, I completely agree JN.  I have the photo library on two different hard drives plus a Timemachine backup plus an external server my husband has set up.  They are not all current, but have all the photos anyway.  As soon as I'm done with this upgrade, I'll sync them all again!  I've been backing up my prep work on a hard drive every few hours plus the timemachine regular backups so I don't lose much if something goes wrong while I'm working (and it has, of course).

My father's family were some of the first Acadians (Bourg) and his mother's family has quite a few early ancestors from Acadia (La Tour, LeBorgne, D'Abbadie).  I always knew about the idea of us being Acadian from my Dad and he did a lot of genealogy work with my cousin (before internet).  That helped me find or make them on WikiTree.  After I got them all in, I had to keep going so I got involved with the Acadian Project and it's just run away from there!  I hardly ever work on my own family anymore, though I really should go back and edit those early entries!

Answer 20

On the genealogy front, I made the horrible discovery that I can very effectively browse through Family Search's collection of Quebec Parish Registers on my tablet.... but at least I need not be stuck at the desktop looking for clues. 

I've been doing more Quebec stuff of late. I'd like to see a few more French Canadian notables on WikiTree since it's much  more feasible to ensure that they're connected and have a substantive tree. To that end, I recently did the tree for a Canadian scientist who did a lot of fundamental work, including the first first planned synthesis of sugar back in the 1953, Raymond Lemieux. A lot of his subsequent research into carbohydrates was the basis by which other scientists understand much of standard modern biochemistry. This June he would have turned 100. First task was his tree (pretty much done!... unless someone can figure out the parents of his grandmother, Alice Pariseau)... next I'll fill in his bio more fully since there's lots of material available. 

I've also started down a bittersweet genealogical path of re-evaluating one of my French Canadian lines. I haven't touched it for about 5 years probably, and it was done largely when I was a genealogy n00b (~ 6 years ago!), so I was more heavily relying on information and opinions from others. But my eyes wandered back to this line a couple days ago and something isn't adding up: There are several seemingly irreconcilable facts contradicting the previous narrative. And the person who I was following (also on WikiTree) has made some very outlandish suppositions in order to justify the questionable connection. Unfortunately the records for this particular branch seem kind of spotty, so that makes neatly solving the mess difficult.

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Right now though I'm trying to get outside a bit more. British Columbia is in a very good state with respect to COVID-19 (see: https://covid-19-status.ca/bc.html), thanks to our public health officials and the responsible behaviour of the vast majority of our citizens. And we're rather actively being encouraged to enjoy the outdoors at a safe distance from others. So I'll leave you with a couple photos from my excursion last weekend:

A local Columbian ground squirrel... 

...not to be confused with the local yellow-bellied marmots.

Some Calypso orchids which are an almost weirdly tropical-looking flower.

Comments

JN, by the time I got to WikiTree two years ago, I was prepared to have much of my database disproved (and added to as well). Fortunately for me, I had some great mentors and members who saw I needed help here right off the bat, so that what I have now (on WikiTree, not my database!). So, when I go back to my earlier profiles, it's the profiles that need work, less the lines. I hope It really won't be too difficult for you to make those corrections.

You photos are beautiful. British Columbia seems to have so much flora and fauna that's different that what I've seen (living my whole life in the SE US).

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Wow JN,

More incredible nature shots.     Did you retire from National Geographic?    I remember your earlier impressive shots of a Red Tailed Hawk,  a flicker, and a bald eagle   (separate shots, not all cuddled together )

Also,  Thanks for the labels.......I'm not familiar with the Columbian Ground Squirrel and would have confused him with the yellow bellied marmots.

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The trick, Peggy, is to just take a lot of photos... then show a couple of the best ones. Though taking a lot of photos is the best way to learn and improve. And it's helped me since I was a kid to get to know the names of many of the species that live around us. It's also a great motivator for getting out for a walk or hike. I'm not a pro photographer by any stretch and I'm very far from retired :P

Pip, it's definitely something for which I'm prepared. As with all human knowledge, we need to follow the evidence to get to the truth. Here things are a little muddy, since the data is a puzzle... is it two couples (with near identical names) in the same place or one couple who had some really strange shenanigans going on. I'm all for "interesting" ancestors, but in my experience (and following the principle of parsimony) the vast majority of ancestors are a little on the boring side, at least with the very limited sets of facts that we have. 

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I'm probably not going to get to see the calypso orchids this year but they are quite spectacular as are your photos.