"Welcome to the Weekend Chat!" All Members Invited!! March 1st - 3rd, 2024 [closed]

Question

New Members Saying Hello (our favorite!)

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"On this day..." 

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Members Checking in via "All About the Weekend Chat"

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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

Glad to hear therapy is progressing even if it is painful, you are getting stronger every session. I am so glad you made connections in memory of your friend! I'm sure her family will still be able to benefit and learn from the work done in her memory. That reminds me to go back to a few trees I have been working on for friends, and get them connected up while I can still talk to them about the fun things I find.

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If it hurts, that means therapy is working! Keep it up, man. Soon we'll have you arm wrestle Sylvester Stallone! Wait...wrong movie. Does anyone even remember he was in "Over the Top"? That was a weird movie.

ANYWAY! Keep up the good work, man! Thanks for hosting and stay dry!

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Oh, how I wish I didn't know this, but yes, Stallone was in Over the Top. Per IMDb trivia, he agreed to appear in it because he was offered more and more money "until I finally thought, 'what the hell - no one will see it!' " My husband and I randomly proclaim things DOUBLE ELIMINATION nonsensically because of this movie.

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Prices are double in the States because we are making up for the countries who don't pay much. It has to be paid to the manufacturers to recoup the costs and make a profit but should be equally shared for all.  My two cents worth.

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And unfortunately people DID see it, Erin. Not the worst movie he's ever done. That'd be "Stop or my mom will shoot!"

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When I went through PT with my shoulder, my therapist (I called her the Drill Sargent) always said "The only easy day was yesterday." I've used that a lot over the years.

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It always seems the case that there is one more document when it comes to interaction with the government, no matter what the issue is.

Don't I know it. When we sent in the permanent resident¹ application for the light of my life and the delight of my eyes, it weighed just under 500 grams (just over a pound). And the government wrote back and asked for more documentation.

1. Sort of the Canadian equivalent of a Green Card.

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Another tax form - I'm waiting on one too!  Thought it was done a couple of weeks ago, but no!

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Ah, tax time.
I guess the fact that it's now March means I need to get that paperwork out and get started.

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Cousin Pip! So glad to hear the PT is coming along well. Please keep stretching, as 12 years after my shoulder surgery there are some things I still can't do. A bit stiff.

I didn't know Kathy, but it's great that you've been working on her tree. Wights, you say? I have a Wight in my tree, I think, Abial Wight of Rhode Island. She married one of my Randalls. Gotta dig a bit and see what our connection is. 

St. Augustine's Confessions, wow. It's on my "should" list, but like Carol I've been sticking to history: Harry Caudill's Night Comes to the Cumberlands, which I've wanted to read ever seeing it reviewed in The Whole Earth Catalog. And I won't tell you how long ago THAT was! ;P

Cheers!

Answer 1

 Enjoy a Blast from the Past Parody!

The Heart of WikiTree (is still beating)

Sung to the tune of:

• The Heart Of Rock & Roll
  • By Huey Lewis and the News; Recorded 1983
    • Unauthorized parody by Dave Draper

Here’s the music:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7JVlpm0eRs
  • Copy and paste link in a new window, then come back and try to sing along!

• Music Intro: (heart beating) 34 seconds then:
• New York, New York, is everything they say
• And no place that I'd rather be
• Where else can you find a million members
• At the HQ of WikiTree
• When they make their profiles, ooh those modern profiles
• They like it with a lot of style
• But it’s still those same old record sources
• That really, really drives ‘em wild
• They say the heart of WikiTree is still beating
• And from what I’ve seen I believe ‘em
• Now the old sites may be barely breathing
• But the heart of WikiTree, heart of WikiTree is still beating
• LA, Hollywood, the cem-e-ter-ies
• Is something everyone should see
• Walk of Fame, and the buried movies stars
• Profiled so perfectly
• When they show their profiles
• Their hard sourced profiles
• They like it with a lot of flash
• But it’s still those same old record sources
• That really kicks the others in the...
• They say the heart of WikiTree is still beating
• And from what I’ve seen I believe ‘em
• Now the old sites may be barely breathing
• But the heart of WikiTree, heart of WikiTree is still beating
• Senora! Ow! (Music)
• DC, San Antone and the Liberty Town
• Boston and Baton Rouge
• Tulsa, Austin, Oklahoma City
• Seattle, San Francisco, too
• Everywhere there’s graveyards, lovely graveyards
• Stones with a million styles
• But it’s still those same old record sources
• That really, really drives ‘em wild
• They say the heart of WikiTree is still beating
• And from what I’ve seen I believe ‘em
• Now the old sites may be barely breathing
• But the heart of WikiTree, heart of WikiTree is still beating
• Not Cleveland!
• New York
• The heart of WikiTree

More Weekend Chat Parodies HERE

Comments

Love this line, David: 

• But the heart of WikiTree, heart of WikiTree is still beating

Yes, it is, what with the great community we have here.

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given today's headlines, maybe update the second line; And no place I'd want to be!

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@K  I think you are on to something!

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another good one David

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Another great one! I was singing along in my head without the need for the music.

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I'm hearing the music and singing not reading the words!!

Awesome

Answer 2

Top of the Morning from the Lone Black Jack oak in Little Dixie. By now, some no doubt think I’m a hardcore sympathizer of the Southern cause. Maybe a staunch supporter of Quantrill and his deeds and misdeeds. Well, wrong again, kind of. My interest is in the why some did as they did and how have they been portrayed by history.  George Todd is a prime example. Of Scottish descent, Todd was raised in Canada. It is not clear if his family settled in Canada because they were Loyalist or because they opposed  slavery. What is known is the Todd family moved from Montreal to Chateauguay, New York in 1849-50. By 1860, at age 20 or 21, he is listed as living with his parents in Kansas City. It is here where he enters into the pages of history.

    I will copy and paste much of the following info; Contemporaneous reports noted George as being "of a sullen, morose disposition, having little to say to anyone, and with no close associates, but without vicious habits". The Todd’s worked as bridge masons before the war, and served with the Missouri State Guard before joining Quantrill in 1862. Todd was described as having no "vicious habits" and later described as "savage" and "bloodthirsty" by the same person who wrote a contemporaneous report in 1910.  "At the beginning of the war, the Todds were building bridges and structures around Kansas City. When the war started, the Federals asked (demanded) George's father to help build army fortifications around the border. When he refused he was thrown in prison and put on a diet of bread and water. The cold dampness of the prison disabled the elder Todd, and he became unable to care for himself. Neighbors had to come to the cell to help feed him. George had already joined Col. William Roper's regiment in the Missouri State Guards and when he returned home he was thrown in jail. After his release and seeing the treatment his father was given by the Federals he joined Quantrill in 1862, eventually becoming Quantrill's second in command. It was this incarceration of his father that turned him against the Union authority. 

   This information seems pretty straight forward and accurate. Some information is questionable as to George’s demeanor. . He was documented in one place to have a lispy voice (unsourced).  Detractors call him "barely literate," while other sources note he had basic literacy and played the piano some. Others noted he would be seen reading books on military history and enjoyed talking about military maneuvers and tactics but was otherwise reserved and quiet.  KC neighbor, Marietta Allen, noted both George and his family were kind and generous people, on the whole. The information that is undisputed is, he possessed a large amount of personal courage and he bore the mark of several different wounds on his body. Todd was killed during the Battle of Little Blue River, on October 21, 1864.  Todd was buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in Independence, where his grave is a local historical attraction.

   Sorting fact from fantasy is difficult at best. I see Todd as a man caught up in circumstances beyond his control. To fight for those who imprisoned his father, leading to his demise or fight against those that caused his death. My experience tells me a man who is described as morose, sullen, illiterate who lacks interpersonal skills to develop close friendships is not a typical leader. Yet, on his death bed, he struggles to leave messages to comrades and friends. I tend to believe Todd was motivated by revenge of the treatment of his father and the brutality of Union troops before the war started. As in any war, there were/are those who act in accordance of acceptable practices and those who violate human decency.

Comments

An astute observation, K. Personal experience goes a long way toward shaping our sympathies, and in a border state like MO it could go either way. I have ancestors who fought on both sides, but in both cases they were far enough from the theaters of war, at least at the outset (GA and NH) that it would likely have been easier for them to embrace the current mindset.

North Georgia had some Unionists, and there were folks in Atlanta spying for the Union. I'm trying to work some of them into my book.

You were the one who brought Ewing's General Order #11 to my attention. How tragic.

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Josey Wales for sure.

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Here you go D. A little piece of history that survived Order #11 Santa Fe Trail - Kansas City - Rice-Tremonti Home & Aunt Sophie's Cabin - Southwest Discovered

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Great survival, K, thanks for sharing. I like the modest Carpenter Gothic detailing.

Wonder if Sophie has a USBH profile? Rabbit hole...

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Hmm, can't find any record of her last name, and she must not have taken the surname of her former enslavers/employers. No "Sophie Rice" in FindAGrave, and it'd take all night to scroll through the thousands of entries looking for her.

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Sophie White. White was the maiden name of the enslaver, Catherine "Kitty" (Stone or Stoner) White-80627, raised by Sophie, 'Aunt Sophie' as she was referred to. She is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery with the Rice family, in the Rice family section. Raytown Historical Society has quite a bit of info on her. When she was aged, the family added a room and moved her into the main house to care for her. Raytown cemetery is part of local history and Archibald Elihu Rice

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Cool, thanks. Found her in FG, but no WT profile yet.

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Rice, White, Hunter's all need work.

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I'll see if I can create a basic profile for Sophie sometime this week.

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I hate to create a profile for someone I know will not be connected. I just found this one tonight Reuben A Harris (1831-1906) - Find a Grave Memorial that somehow will connect to my second great aunt but, I don't have his parents. Another connection to Quantrill and the Youngers.

I will add to Sophie if you create the profile.

Answer 3

¡Buenos días a todos from the Old Pueblo! It is 8am and 47F (8.3C) with an expected high of 70F (20.6C)

HAPPY ST DAVID’S DAY; Dydd Dewi Sant Hapus to all our Wiki-Friends in Wales. I have a vase of lovely daffodils in my dining room and will be making potato-leek soup later today.

M Ross and her spouse, Robb were here in Tucson for the past week enjoying some warmer weather and different sites than what they are used to in Toronto. I wanted to start out by saying that we all had a horrible time so that Pip might not feel too badly, but I just cannot lie about it. We do wish Pip, Mrs. Pip and Pip’s brother Mike could have joined us, but it just wasn’t to be. Next time!

M, Robb and I had breakfast last week at a lovely little family-owned restaurant, Gourmet Girls, followed up by a trip to Tohono Chul, which I wrote about in our last Chat. On Sunday, M, Robb and I met up with Cindy Cooper at the Tucson Botanical Gardens. Cindy’s Wiki-focus is on the Acadian Project. She was a co-host several months ago on this topic for a Friday Night Bingo and it was fascinating. M, Robb, Cindy and I had a lovely time for several hours walking the grounds of the Gardens. M and Cindy really know their plants. A real highlight was touring the indoor (climate controlled) butterfly garden. There were some of the most interesting and beautiful butterflies I have ever seen. Most of you know that my mum died in January of 2022. She told a niece to look for butterflies as that is how my niece would recognize that mum was still around. Well…she was EVERYWHERE in this garden.

L to R: Cindy Cooper, M Ross, Carol Baldwin

Butterflies snacking on oranges at Botanical Gardens

The day before M and Robb left, I met up with them for a Bon Voyage Breakfast at Gourmet Girls. I know that M will be writing of all that she and Robb did during their visit here, which included Mt Lemmon, Colossal Cave, raptor tour, Mescal Movie Set and so much more. I have included ONE photo of M, Cindy and me that Robb took. At some point, I will upload a couple of photos from Tohono Chul and the Tucson Botanical Gardens (including butterflies), but not this weekend. I really must focus on getting my taxes done, cleaning my house (a pigsty now), and working on our next paper.

As to Wiki Tree, I am learning how to Team Lead the Buckinghamshire group. I revised the Bucks site by adding a map, information about the flag, some history of the county and local lore. Henry VIII took an interest in Bucks because Anne Boleyn’s father owned land there. The Aston Martin got half of its name from a town in Bucks (Aston Clinton). A highlight was welcoming a new member to our team and figuring out how to add her name to the site.

I am still working on the Whitten family of Maine but got side-tracked with a family through Whitten marriage. A Whitten woman married a man with the LNAB Frothingham. As I worked on his profile, things did not make sense because his father’s LNAB was Ferguson. Long story short, the father had shot his wife to death in October 1840 leaving six orphaned children. The father stood trial (and the entire transcript is written out, which is chilling) in Exeter, New Hampshire. The two eldest children, John and William, 12 and 10 years of age respectively, had to testify. Three of the children were provided with a guardian, the other three children were ‘adopted’ by their paternal aunt and her husband. The New Hampshire court allowed the children to take their mother’s LNAB, which they all did. This is why I found such a mix-up as I wrote and sourced their biographies. It was interesting to see how these children matured and what they did as adults. One was a lawyer/civil engineer and Colonel with the Union army during the Civil War. Another became a physician, and his sons became physicians. One daughter married a man who served as a Private with the New Hampshire infantry during the American Civil War and died from wounds at Chancellorsville. He also fought at Fredericksburg. So, while this family was not at all related to me, I learned a great deal about how some of these disrupted/disturbing family events were handled in the mid-19^th century. This next week, taxes and Bucks Baldwins!

Pip, as ever, thank you for leading the Weekend Chat. Another week closer to seeing you! I also want to wish all my WikiTree friends and family a great FIRST weekend of March 2024!

Comments

How have I missed the Tucson Botanical Gardens my last two trips, Carol? I saw the Sonora Desert Museum last visit out there. I loved every bit of it. I am so glad all of you WikiTreers got to get together. Remembrances of our visit to San Xavier!

What a great story about Frothingham. Well, not great, but what a story.

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Beautiful! Love it! Thanks for sharing!

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Hi Pipster! We all missed you, but felt you with us in spirit. Next time you visit, you, hopefully Mrs. Pip, Mike and I will go to the Gardens. It is lovely and relaxing. AND the Tucson Japanese Garden is right up the street from the Botanical Gardens. BTW...M and Robb bought some VERY COOL t-shirts at the gift store there. Very unique and colorful. They had them on when we met for breakfast at Gourmet Girls. Even the waitress commented on the shirts. Robb's was particularly colorful and interesting.

Yes, that Frothingham family was stunning. You should read the full court transcript (in mid-19th century English). The transcript even includes the  Voir Dire of the jury! If you like, I will send the link. Just open and read. Despite their many successes as adults, these six children still went through their own personal hells as adults. If Interested, I can also send the wiki-links to these children and you can read each history. These could be used to train current counselors/social workers.

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Carol, I have three tees from Tucson... so far. One I bought as a great little restaurant that Mike now tells me is closed!  The other was from the Desert Museum, a bright yellow with a beautiful Gila Monster on it. One of my favorite tees. The last one I bought during our visit to San Xavier!

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Pip, I don't remember the restaurant tee, but I do recall very clearly the Gila Monster T...you might have worn it when we went to deGrazia Gallery. I think I saw the San Xavier t when you bought it. They are beautiful. I will have to ask M, though, to take a photo of that T that Robb bought at the Gardens. It would be right up your alley as T shirts go.

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I am so glad you had a good visit! Good luck on catching up on the housework, ugh, it never ends does it? The butterfly gardens look lovely, I really enjoy them. I wewnt to one in Aruba, and another in Singapore, and regularly visit the one here at the Norfolk Botanical Garden. That one sort of has my heart because we had my daughter's birthday party at the children's garden when she turned three, and they just so happened (unplanned but very pleasant surprise) to be doing a butterfly release that day so the kids all got to see SO MANY butterflies and they were landing all over our clothes. Just magic for the kids!

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Hi Carol I like your ideas about the revised Bucks site. I hope you don't mind if I borrow some of those ideas. I just became a team leader too for Victoria in Australia, and I'm afraid the Victorian site could do with a bit of an update too.

Love seeing the photo of your get together, thank you

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@Amanda Myers...be my guest for the ideas. I think it was Oscar Wilde who wrote (paraphrasing) imitation is the highest form of flattery. Best wishes on your team leading.

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@Erin Robertson A butterfly garden is the best place for a child's birthday party. Grand idea. I was in Singapore several years ago and went to a buttefly garden...don't remember the exact location. I do remember a colleague and I taking a 'bum boat' to an island where all medicinal plants, trees and shrubs grew. It was awesome. And on our return, the guide pointed out where the Japanese Changi Prison camp had been located. James Clavell was a prisoner there and the location on which his novel King Rat was based. 

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Thanks Carol I have no idea what I'm doing

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@Amanda Myers... hahahaha neither do I! That's the joy of Wiki tree (& being willing/daffy enough to say Yes!).

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I was married to a BULLEN as was Ann's father Thomas surname.  Ann as a young teen changed spelling when in the service as Lady in Waiting in the French Court.  Sir Thomas did not even make objection to Henry when Henry executed his daughter and one of his sons.  Nice guy ??

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@Joseph, Thomas likely kept his mouth shut in the interest of keeping his own head! If memory serves, the Boleyn family was in the doghouse for quite some time afterward.

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Wonderful story and photos, Cousin Carol! Sounds like you had a great time. And it's nice to be able to put faces with the names now.

Quite a sad story about the Frothinghams. But it sounds like the kids turned out ok, though a bummer about the private who died. I had a great-uncle killed at Second Manassas (Bull Run to y'all ;) ), another who died of consumption, and a ton of Bradley and Breedlove kin who bit the dust as well. Fortunes of war. I wonder if your Pvt. Whitten knew my Yankee 2x ggrandpa (2nd NH)? LOL, like the kid who says to his new classmate, "I have a cousin in Texas! Do you know him?" (Well, maybe not quite so bad...)

I had a Whitten dancing buddy in Boston years ago. Wonder if he was related?

Answer 4

Hi from southern Ontario,

Chez moi/at home: what's been happening?

We’re home, landed about 9pm EST last night, flight was uneventful, but 3 hours late leaving. One very unfortunate happening, Robbie somehow managed to leave his wallet in the rental car and didn’t realise it until after we were on the plane, as a result much time has been spent cancelling credit cards, debit cards and arranging for replacements. Replacing his driver’s license and health card will require visiting a Service Ontario government office. 

Our Tucson based vacation was wonderful, I now have about 100 or more photos of saguaro cacti, some of single cactus, some of groups of cacti. The groups look like people having a conversation. In Phoenix airport at one of the many shops I found a magazine published by Arizona highways, I refused to pay the abt $8 cost for the magazine but found it online today.  https://www.arizonahighways.com/article/springtime-desert

I think this is a wonderful description. 

‘These are cactuses demanding a relationship. They are so vividly connected, I find it hard not to see them as people. Standing in groups of two or three, they are obviously spending their time talking to one another, their language emphasized by arm gestures, and by their postures in relation to one another’.  

We spent time hiking in both sections of Saguaro National Park, plus Catalina State Park which is just north of Tucson. 

There are another 500, probably more photos of other plants and places. Today will likely be a pajama day, spent sorting, and editing all the photos and deleting many photos. 

WikiTree and family history: As expected very little was done, I did spend some time in the evenings continuing my sourcing adventures with the Morris family of Alton. 

They are quite exasperating, someone on Find a Grave with either a twisted sense of humour or an overactive imagination has many family members listed as buried in Alton, and they weren’t or perhaps it made some sort of sense to the contributor to use the same photos of headstones for multiple family members who are not listed on the headstone. I will only create profiles for people whose names are on a headstone, other family members names will be included in the biographies of their relatives. 

What else: I have to replace my cell phone, it is/was a dumb flip phone all it could do was make calls and text, only used in emergencies. About 2 weeks ago the hinges broke, some wires were broken and now it does nothing. I could just replace it for about $50 but I’m seriously considering a smarter or less dumb phone, my GPS is now too old to be updated to more recent road changes and it would be useful to have better directions available but I’m not at all sure I want to spend the money necessary.  

And now that our winter vacation is complete, I need to work on our summer trip to Canada's east coast.

Comments

I'm so glad you had a good trip except for the wallet loss, I know replacing everything is annoying. I also don't understand the motivations of some Find a Grave contributors. It seems to me that if you get into this as a hobby you would be striving for accuracy, otherwise why would you do it?

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It is peculiar with this family as none of the photos of grave markers for members of this family are for the actual people the memorials are for.

Most of the photos are for other family members. Next time I am at the cemetery I will find all the headstones for the Morris family and take pics.

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@M Ross...Hi M (and Robb). I miss you both and think you should return to Tucson immediately. Perhaps you will rent the same vehical and still find Robb's wallet! Who knows where/when seredipity will strike? I know that the saguaro miss you terribly.

Thank you so much for your wonderful visit and for your insights into flora and fauna that I sometimes take for granted giving that I live here. Enjoy your 'jammie' day. I just found out that it is Friday Night Bingo and am gearing up for that.

Answer 5

Checking in From Bloomington - Normal Illinois, USA, Home of RIVIAN EVs, who just laid off my son! 36F Cloudy

Home Front:  50th anniversary March 2, tomorrow.  2 years ago I proposed we celebrate in Hawaii.  Well, Hawaii caught fire and paradise burnt up! Cindy said she would be happy if the whole family could get together and take a family picture.  That happened last week at my granddaughter's graduation party...killed 2 birds with one stone.  Then everybody got sick, some with Covid.  Cindy is still sick.  So, I proposed we drink campaign and watch YouTube videos of Hawaii!

Genealogy Front:  Already in 100 Club at 131 Contributions. Went on live chat with Betsy Ko (10th Cousin) who was out in Vegas at the show!  Gave my WikiTree Hugs to everyone who joined! It was fun!

The Book:  No progress!  Total writing failure this last week! I will update you next week on Chat.

Work Front: My new part time job will give me a nervous breakdown, I'm sure. New sign shop in town ask me to come help get them up and running.  Easy Peasy right? NO!  Trying / struggling to learn Illustrator, new cutting plotter, new wide format latex 8 color printer, new series 300 wide format laminator!  My brain is peanut butter and jelly right now!  Then we get 6 jobs in right away, and the designer (and me) are not up to speed to design a simple sketch let alone even produce the job!  Then my boss put me on a Macintosh computer...now I am way over my head!  So, I went home and got MY computers and took them to the shop!  I'm a nervous wreck!  

I'm taking the day off to recover!

Comments

it's 5 O'clock somewhere....

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Oh no, what a roller coaster! Definitely take some time to rest and relax. Sorry to hear everyone is sick. I'm glad you got the picture though, they are treasures as time goes on. Sending hugs and happy anniversary, even if there is not a big fancy celebration, what a milestone! Congrats.

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And don't forget, penciled names on the back.  I understand ink has some chemical that breaks down the photo over a long period.

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Most photos now are digital. add captions, stories, names and dates as you go. In the early 80's, my photography teacher never said a word about the changes on the horizon of photography. Oh well, much of what I learned in college was overrated.

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Congratulations on 50 years together David that is wonderful and you got the photo too. Hope you find some great Hawaiian videos and that everyone is feeling better soon.

Wow 100 club already you have been busy.

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Sun is always over the yardarm, somewhere.

Answer 6

I know I have not been here for ages, probably over a year at least, but things are happening in my personal life that are kind of upsetting!!

The Good news is that I have been finally able to connect the Star trek Actor Mark Lenard to the Global tree. He was well known for playing Spock's father Sarek.

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Rosenson-5

His profile has been languishing on this site since 2017 with NO CONNECTION.

I had to go through his widow (wife) who is currently still living, but her mother was Canadian and so that was a pretty easy connection to make.

And now for the BAD news.

I have now gone PROFOUNDLY deaf.

I have always been hard of hearing since birth. I basically taught myself to lip read and on youtube, I frequently had to use subtitles.

I will be turning 60 years old this year.

Sometime since January 2024 my hearing has all but disappeared in my good ear so that I can barely hear anything at all. Not even the phone!!!

I can hear when someone is leaving a voice mail message, (even if I cannot hear any details)  but I never heard  the phone ring.

I was supposed to be watching Live Videos at Rootstech this weekend, and since none of them have subtitles, I cannot hear anything.

I can still read fine, but it is upsetting that the sound has now pretty much all gone. I cant even listen to music anymore and I do miss my music!!

As for my regular online chats with my family, I don't know what is going to happen. They now have to type to me, and I dont know if they can do that every week.

We will have to discuss that later today when I am in chat.

i will still hangout here at Wikitree, but I can no longer attend any live events. And I can only watch videos if they have subtitles!!

At least Toronto temps are finally going up. It is currently 4 Degrees Celcius with a High expected of 9 Degrees. That is good!!

Comments

The federal government will furnish a free program that types out all conversations on the phone.  Maybe that might be of help to you.

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TTY yeah I have heard of that.

Not sure how or where to apply for it. Or how much it might cost. We do get phone bills you know.

Remember this is Canada.

Thanks for the reminder. I had forgotten about that.

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I'm sorry to hear about your hearing Robynne. I am deaf in my right ear and losing hearing in my left thanks to Meniere's Disease and it is very frustrating. Do you have hearing aids? I find things like bone conduction headsets really help if you have any hearing at all. Please don't give up on things even though they are difficult. Staying in touch with loved ones is important.

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Funny, because I had just seen the ad on tv when I read your answer.  Probably Canada wouldn't be the same as New York.

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I hesitated to respond earlier but, my condolences go without being said. Thomas Edison - Wikipedia  As he was completely deaf in one ear and barely hearing in the other, it is alleged^[17] that Edison would listen to a music player or piano by clamping his teeth into the wood to absorb the sound waves into his skull. As he got older, Edison believed his hearing loss allowed him to avoid distraction and concentrate more easily on his work.

At 15 years of age, in 1862, how close were we in losing one of the world's greatest inventors to war?

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Robynne, have you seen this website?

Services that provide hearing devices and communication aids, as well as programs that help cover the cost of purchasing these items. If eligible, the Ministry of Health's Assistive Devices Program (ADP) may contribute to the cost of customized equipment.

https://www.torontocentralhealthline.ca/listServices.aspx?id=10286

They provided a device, I'm not sure what it was called  for my granddaughter before her hearing problems were correctly diagnosed and mostly corrected.

I assume you are in the Greater Toronto Area as you mentioned Toronto Temps are improving.

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OOH thanks for that. Will have to check that out after my chat!!

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OK good news is that I can hear my sister through my headphones - directed sound. Which is good. That plus lip reading her, and if I have the Skype captions on, we managed to talk for the usual 1 hour. She had type in chat for some things but not everything so that was good, and I could lip read her no problems. So maybe it wont be too bad.

I will look into TTY - we have to buy our own phone equipment - new phones with large screens and then apply for the service. But we will see what happens.

NOT sure of ADP will help, but it wont do any harm to ask.

I feel a lot better now that I can communicate with my sister on skype at least.

Thank you all for your help.

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Only 2 other things to remember, get your family doctor involved and do not back down on any requests for things that might help, make sure that everyone on the medical side understands the immense impact your hearing problems have on your life.

Examples: Can you walk down a street and hear any vehicles that may be coming too close?

Could you hear a smoke alarm in your home or somewhere else?

Make a list of everything that is difficult or impossible to do because of your hearing problems.

I have spent 25 years advocating for my disabled daughter and her special needs child and learnt the hard way to be demanding and not to take No as an answer.

A neighbour who has had hearing problems since she was a child, now has cochlear implants covered by OHIP and hears very well.

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@ Robynne Lozier: Hi Robynne, first I am terribly sorry to hear of your profound hearing loss.

Second: Everything that M Ross recommended! I cannot suggest or advocate because I am in the USA. I do have a grandson who was born extremely prepature (1lb, 11oz), which is a bit heavier than a large steak. He is blind due to retinopathy of prematurity and was diagnosed with hearing loss when he was 7 years old. He has some hearing with aids, but his dipstick father (he and my daughter are divorced) didn't want his son wearing hearing aids! So, my daughter arranged for the social worker to tell him the son wears hearing aids, or my daughter gets FULL custody. The aids help him immensely.

M and I shared our child/grandchild experiences and I have no doubt that her recommendations will help you receive the help that you need.

The Edison story is interesting. I read that Beethoven, as he was going profoundly deaf, would lay his head on the piano as he wrote compositions to 'hear' the music through vibration.

Robynne, please keep us apprised as to getting the equipment and help that is needed.

Answer 7

Hails and horns, Wikipeeps!

Hope everyone is doing well as we MARCH into spring. Get it? Get it?! Huh?! Okay, I'll stop. For now.

On the genealogy front, I wrote a blog about name changes. And no name was changed at Ellis Island. https://allroadhaverhill.blogspot.com/2024/02/52-ancestors-week-9-changing-names.html

Check it out! I talk about how Vincenzo became James. That's probably one of the biggest puzzles ever seen. At least according to some people.

I got the okay to put up some Coppola pics after I asked my cousins if it was okay. One of them said she might have more for me. I hope so!

Looking ahead to 52 Ancestors I see we have a free space page. I might do the genealogy of a certain wallcrawler we know as the Amazing Spider-Man. Should be cool. I mean his parents were CIA operatives with ties to a certain eye patch wearing super spy. =D

I've also been contacted by a guy on Ancestry who has a San Pietro tree. We've been talking back and forth. So far so good. I am hoping he can help me with a few things.

Hope everyone is doing well! Thanks for hosting, Pip!

Comments

Ciao Cousin Chris...the Marching into Spring is so 'punny' it almost slaps us on the cheek. I enjoyed your blog. Wishing you a great first weekend.

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Thank you, Carol. I try. =D Glad you liked the blog!

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Chris, when I saw the topic of the week, I knew this one would be right up your alley! Kudos on another great blog. Vincenzo = Cenz = James. I get it completely!

Wonder if that guy who has a San Pietro tree would be willing to come to WikiTree, and contribute toward amassing San Pietro genealogy.

Answer 8

Busy February but many things were accomplished. I lost my emotional support companion animal in January and didn't realize how much her constant calm presence abated my worst depression and PTSD symptoms until she was suddenly gone.  I have spent the last few weeks exhaustively researching to find a rescue dog I could adopt that might have the right demeanor AND could handle cats and kids. So many shelters turned us away because of my three-year-old (mainly because they are afraid of liability in the case of irresponsible owners whose families mistreat the animal and get bitten). It was getting so demoralizing being turned away over and over, knowing that we have a good loving animal friendly home. But, I finally got lucky this week and we adopted a little pocket pit bull who is a sweet squishy little love. We named her pickle because my tween says "her squishy face gives off real Pickle vibes" whatever that means lol. I am so at peace with another furry friend to care for. She is curled up on my legs as I type this, napping happily. I hope she can really relax here and feel truly at home soon. It must be so hard to go from being abandoned on the streets (found chained to a pole in a cemetery with an entire litter of new puppies) --WHO ABANDONS A PREGNANT DOG?!?!? -- to being kenneled up in a shelter and stressed out to going to a weird new location with new people...we are doing everything we can to ease her transition and help her feel like part of the family.

     As for genealogy, I have been splitting my time between RAWKing, connecting, and the Appalachia/USBH collab. That one was so tough but so important. We made several connections of interesting notables, I worked on football star Ernie Davis and poets Effie Waller Smith and Nikki Giovanni. I love finding new people to learn about and connect them in to our big tree.

     March is bringing some fun new opportunities, sourcing unsourced Appalachian profiles, creating Civil War Soldier profiles of the Vicksburg National Cemetery, and of course connecting connecting connecting. I am also working a personal project for a scout friend who commented that she didn't know much about her genealogy past her grandparents so I did some quick searching and by the next week's meeting had her back several generations for her to "meet." I know I adopt a lot of projects but I like to stay busy in case I get stuck on one I can move to another and come back with fresh eyes.

     Wishing everyone a happy healthy March! May good weather and fun genealogical finds come your way!

Comments

 --WHO ABANDONS A PREGNANT DOG?!?! Those are the ones society wastes billions of $$$ on trying to rehabilitate every year. Many are damaged beyond redemption. As a civilization, I am afraid we are circling the drain. Need more Boy Scouts and Scout leaders!

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Hi Erin glad you found you new furry friend. Like you I'm in a few projects to - guess we both like variety lol

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Hi Erin, who abandons a pregnand dog, indeed! Pickle is cute just for you (and your family). I know how devastaing losing a beloved pet can be. I recall your writing of the death on the Chat earlier this year and wept thinking back on all my animal losses. I am sure Pickle will thrive with your family. I also know that these beloved pets are some of the best medicine (better than pills) for PTSD and depression. My son-in-law retired from the Air Force after 25 years of service a couple of years ago. He did 3 tours of duty in the Middle East. He has PTSD and the best medicine has been their dogs. My sincere best wishes to all the family including the new Pickle.

Answer 9

We had an unusual green Christmas and Valentines Day.  Just our luck the day that should be green, St. Patricks, will probably be white!  They forecast a week of close to 60*
but I hope it doesn't encourage everything to start budding and then get blasted with freezing temps during March.  We also need rain to bring up the water table with the lack of snow melt.

Comments

I heard yesterday on the news that we may have a hot March in Australia. The weather has gone completely crazy

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Beulah, I told my wife to not get too comfortable with the almost spring-like temps we have been having. March has a way of taking vengeance on those who get complacent!

Answer 10

Howdy folks! Greetings from a chilly central Oklahoma USA! 

The weather has been a bit psycho. We were in the 70s and 80s through Tuesday. Wednesday morning we woke up to a balmy 27F. We're supposed to be back in the 70s by tomorrow, so there is that. I had to slap my hands and NOT plant anything outside yet. It never fails, we have great weather in late February and the desire to get in the dirt hits hard. Brook usually slaps me out of it.  My pepper and tomato sprouts are looking good. They're probably a month or so away from being planted in big pots. 

We are leaving Sunday for our annual trek to the big casino in Durant, OK for Brook's annual Emergency Management conference. It's a week of suite living and hanging out with some awesome folks. A beer or two may be consumed. 

Genealogy wise, I've been plunking along on my Bolling/Bowlin lines and progress has been slow, but there has been some progress. Thankfully my cousin hooked me up with a bunch of stuff to work with back at Thanksgiving. Other than that it has been Ranger and Greeter duty.

Thanks Pip for being the host with the most, and I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Until next time.....

John

Comments

Radishes, peas, carrots, beets. I used to put in a small row to appease the need to get into the garden. I was often pleasantly surprised by how much survived a light freeze with a little cover.

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You can plant romaine seeds as soon as the soil has thawed, that is if it was frozen. It can tolerate frost.

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John, I have a Bowling line that is a brickwall for me. It apparently comes out of the Upstate into my county in the mid-1800s, but tracing the parents has so far proved fruitless.

"A beer or two may be consumed." Uh huh, yeah, I bet! 

Answer 11

Last Tuesday night, Old Man Winter dumped 2 inches of snow on our doorstep, which the morning rain quickly washed away, however, our son-in-law, along with his helper, had traveled to Whistler to service hotel elevators and were rewarded with 3 feet of snow, by Wednesday morning and after 2 hours of trying to get out of town, they were forced to stay until Thursday........as a result, I have just finished writing my hundred lines of, "I shall not attempt to influence the seasons without parental supervision" and my magic wand had it's batteries removed and hidden, along with my sharp stick, under my parents bed.

Comments

Rain beats a shovel 100% of the time. I hope your son-in-law planned ahead and took his skis.

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He said he didn't even take boots suitable for the snow.

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I guess that is why Ron Propeil invented 'The Pocket Fisherman'. Easier to carry than a snow shovel or ski equipment or even snow boots.

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Didn't know 'The Pocket Fisherman' existed.....had to look it up.  Now I'll have to find out if it requires parental supervision.

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I think I had one as a kid. I wish I had it now for my fishing cabin. It would make for a fine conversation piece. But wait, there's more.....

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The name Ron Propeil jumped my memories back to late night tv sales.  In my current situation the tv station runs a car sales program, at full loudness, even after the station has officially signed off.

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Ron Popeil on YouTube.

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I forgot about the Mr Microphone. He was the Thomas Edison of my lifetime! I wonder who would have sold more shamwows, Ron of Vince Shlomi (aka Vince Offer)? The world will never know.

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Look what I found, K, grab that "Pocket Fisherman".

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You must be an insomniac. While I was dreaming about fishing, you were up typing about it. I'm afraid those type of fishing days are in my rear-view mirror.

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Just got back from Battleford, Saskatchewan. 

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What was happening there?

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Keeping track of my children......my oldest daughter just travelled 700 miles to Ponoka, Alta., my youngest daughter's grandparents were, for a time, NNE of Battleford, also, my 3 stepchildren lost an ancestor, the first casualty of the nearby Riel Rebellion (1885), while, my grandfather was on the opposing side......my, my, my........I'm sorting it out as I enter it on WikiTree  

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You know what they say, choose your friends wisely because you can't choose family.

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Hmmm, K, back in '76 my friend introduced me to his dirt bike buddy, who had a daughter, whose mother had a sister that I am now married to.......in the 2000's  I figured out the buddy was my cousin, now cut that distance in half and you're his cousin.

Answer 12

Has it really been a week since the last chat. Wow. The weather in Victoria has been up and down like a yoyo, hot one day and cold the next - just makes the grass grow quicker at my place. I was fine the hottest day we had but got sick the following day - not sure why, I thought I'd had plenty to drink, so I took it easy and am fine again.

Wikitree: I put up the latest mini Montevideo Maru connectors challenge yesterday, of the 30 names, 7 are connected already so I'm ecstatic about that. I started watching some of the Rootstech sessions but I just can't seem to get too enthusiastic. The Wikitree chats have been interesting if not challenging (sound is not great on one) but I guess they're the ones I need to watch for another of the 16 missions. There's one with the WT tech team that was really good. I got a third of the names on the 2 war memorials done and linked to profiles but they're on the back burner while I do some sourcing. I found a cemetery category that someone created profiles for but barely sourced anything so I'm sourcing and connecting as I go.

Someone brought up something about a group of 1500 boys (12-18) that were transported to the Australian colonies and New Zealand between 1840-1854 (I think) from Parkhurst prison on the Isle of Wight. They were brought over to be used as apprentices in some states. About 500 boys arrived in Victoria and another 500 or so went to Tasmania so a collegue and I are trying to get a list of names which we think are in a set of notes left to a state library in another state. A book was published about the first 2 years of the scheme in 1984 and all the author's notes were donated so now we need to track them down. The boys arrived on convict ships and aren't identified separately. So I see yet another project ahead of us.

Thank you Pip for hosting the chat. It's nice to see what others are up to. Afraid my family don't share my interest in any kind of history.

Comments

I'd forgotten NZ got some of those, and from what I remember from Uni History neither most settlers nor Maori were at all happy with the treatment of these boys and they had a lot of help escaping.

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Hi Gary From what I read NZ had no idea that the 2 ships that were sent out to them were even coming. They refused to have any more after the second ship. I found a document where they at least asked Victorian authorities if they could sent the boys there.

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Have you seen this?

https://slwa.wa.gov.au/dead_reckoning/private_archives/n-s/parkhurst_boys

Also this could help https://www.amazon.co.uk/Parkhurst-Prison-Boys-TRANSPORTATION-AUSTRALIA-ebook/dp/B071F8SYNR

There are also various  records from Parkhurst Prison but they're in the British National archives https://www.prisonhistory.org/prison/parkhurst-prison/

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Thanks Helen Unfortunately the State Library of Western Australia (SLWA) seems to cover the Parkhurst boys in WA. The notes they had donated to them are from the first book.

That's fantastic Helen Thank You. I didn't know about the second book.

I did look up Parkhurst Prison online, but not the British National Archives. They were mentioned in the forward of the first book.

We've been discussing it in one of the discord chats and apparently the Parkhurst boys are widely know about in WA. The scheme was to never refer to them as convicts but apprentices (indentured) and to, I guess, give them a chance at a new life in WA. In the other states Victoria and Tasmania, we hadn't heard of them before it was mentioned, they were just part of the convicts, as far as I can see.

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"So I see yet another project ahead of us." Oh, yes you do!  If you find the documents and get started, let us know about the progress you make!

Answer 13

On this day:

1872: US President Ulysses Grant declares Yellowstone a national park

1904: The Big Band conductor Glenn Miller is born

1936: The Hoover Dam is finished

Comments

Hi Jelena, I am going with two today! First, Ulysses Grant (a 6th cousin/5xr MRCA Priscilla Grant). And if no one has ever been to Yellowstone National Park, it is a must see!

Second is Glenn Miller, who is not related but made some of the best Swing Music ever! My mum and dad won dance contests back in the 1940's to Glenn Miller's tunes!

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After a schedule-filled weekend, I am going to do all three lessons tonight. First up, Glenn Miller! Thanks, Professor!

Answer 14

Good evening from Germany,

where the weather was nice this week. It's too warm for this time of the year, there are flowers blossoming outside that are due usually only earliest in Mid-March, but for our trip to Stuttgart the weather was exactly right. Yesterday we went to Stuttgart to see an exhibiton of Amedeo Modigliani. We went by train, but we also walked quite a bit to get to the museum and then later to get back to the railway station. The station in Stuttgart is already for years a construction site because Deutsche Bahn (German Railway) wants to change the rail head in a through station. They say they can process more trains there when it's a through station.

On Wednesday we also got a new internet contract. Same company, but better contract. That didn't help us though, we were the whole Wednesday offline (or online only on our cell phones). Because I don't like WikiTreeing on the phone, I didn't do anything on WikiTree on Wednesday

Genealogy: Well, with two days more or less offline, there wasn't that much going on genealogy-wise. But I am still adding profiles to my current project and constantly building reconnections. Sometimes it's interesting how clusters of people get related by marriage and then interconnections get closer and closer. 

This week I also realised that our FFP2-masks "depot" is nearly empty. I ordered new ones, they will be there for a while then. Stay safe!

Comments

Jelena, I am not adept enough to WikiTree via my phone. When we lose internet, that's it for me! I just have to wait it out.

Answer 15

Currently, it's 11˚ C and partly cloudy in Fort Erie.

Last Friday, when I went to the diabetes clinic, the dietician told me that I should eat more home-made soup. That was all the light of my life and the delight of my eyes needed to hear. She immediately started simmering up pot after pot of soup. I'm not going to complain, because her soup is awesome. (Seriously. I never liked soup all that much before I tasted hers.)

Life is still insane, but I did manage to get a little bit done on Whites and Nickels, and made a quick pass through the Unconnected Notables page, where a bunch of notables have been connected since the last time I checked (including some that I have been longing to see connected for years), so that's good news.

Comments

Homemade soup. My wife makes great ones, Greg, but I often have to remind her that it's been a while since the last one. Less work to eat, more filling, and healthier (which is just what I need).

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Yes. Soup (at least her home-made soup) gives me much less of a blood sugar spike than some other meals.

Answer 16

Greetings from Rochester, Minnesota USA!

Current Temp: 55°F (13°C)

Wind Chill: 51°F (11°C)

It was winter in Tuesday with blowing snow now it's spring again. The snow melted.

I have a nurse mentor and it feels good!

 I've started passing meds again but I was a little rusty with time management. It was my first day of training.

I'm on track in returning to school in August. I must talk to my advisor next month.

I'm also getting a crown next week. Not a Buckingham Palace crown or even Crown Royal. My back tooth needs TLC badly. This will be my first dental crown

I did get a message from a potential cousin via Wikitree. Fact: I graduated with my cousin from high school in Tucson.

I haven't done much on WikiTree recently. I'm just going to Mass and practicing for upcoming choir commitments such as Wednesday of Holy Week and the "Three Day Mass" better known as the Easter Triduum in Catholic Church.

Comments

Eileen, you just might need some Royal Crown after dental crown! I feel for you as I have had the same a few years ago.

Answer 17

Hi All!

On the genealogy front, I have several projects I have committed to participating in. I hope I have enough time to finish them before it runs out; I don't know how much is left.

On the business front, we are just waiting for the funding to disburse & we will be able to start the Projects. Since that could happen literally any second, we are for obvious reasons very excited! Since this is where my genealogy projects might run out of time, I'm of two minds of it happening. The sooner the funds get disbursed, the sooner I can start the Humanitarian Project that is my Soul Purpose, but that also means my WikiTree time will come to an end. I am glad to have been able to make a difference in the lives of those I've touched & to make a difference for the Tree.

Cambio hamushan, cheqaq kaqmi rikuchikunqa; mana yachankichu kikiykiq kawsayniykiq cheqaq kayninta. Q’otuqkunallan tukukuypiqa chay qolqeta paganqaku. Sichus mana ima parteykipas karqanchu llullakuykunapi nitaq pakaypi chayqa, manan ima llakikuypas kanchu; chaylla riy flujowan hinaspa casarakuylla chiqap kaqwan. Vibracionniykita huqariy, cambiota chaskiy hinaspa allinmi kanki. Musuq paradimo hamuchkan; ¿atiwaqchu chaskikuwaq askha kawsayman, allin kawsayman pusaq cheqaq kaqta?

Comments

Sorry Pat you won't be with us but you have to follow your heart and it sounds like it is needed elsewhere. We'll still be here in the future if you need us.

I wish you all the best for your project

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Oh, Pat, it will surely be a loss for WIki8Tree when you move on to your passion, but I'm with you on that one.

Answer 18

Hello to all my fellow WikiTree'ers from Down Under (Australia or Oz). 

The weather in my home city Melbourne is a cool 18.9 degrees celsius at the minute.

I am keeping a close eye on cricket scores for international cricket matches being played currenly. Aussies versus Kiwis in first test match and also Ireland versus Aghanistan both hold interest for me.

Hope everyone has a wonderful time at Rootstech 2024 if you are there or watching online. I had a tentative look yesterday and enjoyed the video i watched.

WikiTree is really such an addiction I have to say. I am completely hooked. It feels excellent to be able to contribute to human knowledge pool of those who have come and gone before me.

Have a great day whatever you are doing from coolish Melbourne, Australia.

Sláinte and táinte !!

Comments

Hi William I'm in Melbourne too - so much for summer. Which video did you watch? I saw the Australian GSV one

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William, I haven't been able to see any of the videos, but that's not a tech problem, it's a schedule problem. I'll sit down this week and try to do a little catch up.

Answer 19

Hello, WikiTree Cousins!!!

Rainy, rainy day in Georgia! (My Gladys Knight pseudo-impersonation.)

Today is my husband's 91st birthday. We celebrated at lunch with friends and a couple of family members who made the trip over from South Carolina to see their dad. I made him a pound cake. Fortunately, it turned out well considering I haven't baked a cake in a few years.

I tried very hard this week to make it to 1000 contributions for the month of February, but I only made it to about 900. I give myself an A for effort, though, considering my internet wasn't working properly a good bit of the time. My top 3 surnames this month were Davis, Hildreth, and Murdock. I got #1 in Murdock, Cotter, Arkhugh, and Alsobrook. The latter two of those were from my work on the USBH 1880 Census project.

Hope y'all have a wonderful weekend!

Comments

Hi Nelda Happy Birthday to your husband.

It's not easy to get to 1000 when the internet won't co-operate but you did very well with 900.

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Gladys Knight... I have to laugh at that. I was singing along, Nelda!

You DO get an "A"! 900 contributions IS an accomplishment.

Answer 20

Dear Friends,

Today is St. David of Wales' feast day, in honour of which I made leek sauce to go with our orange roughy. I do not scorn to wear the leek upon St. Davey's day (although I have no Welsh ancestry that I know of). Tonight daughter and I are going to Stations of the Cross, and maybe other members of the family too. We are waiting for son to return from the Emerald City ComicCon in Seattle. Daughter is going tomorrow--

Tomorrow! is my birthday! And it looks like son and I will be alone here, while daughter is at ComicCon to meet Elijah Wood and Sean Astin, and John Rhys-Davies (there's Welsh for you). I think that tomorrow I will go shop for fabric, or at least LOOK at fabric, if not drag it home.

I wanted to get myself a new, simple, analog silver wristwatch, as the one I am wearing no longer works (except twice a day). The little shop where I expected to get one, I fear, has gone away.

Then we will celebrate with a family dinner on Sunday night, maybe at an Irish pub where we can have corned beef in pasties.

Weather here is being watched to see whether it will snow, and for how long. Monday we were pelted with little, fuzzy hail bits. It caused a Boeing tour bus, with husband aboard as guide, to go sliding back down a hill and to make a detour in which he got to point out: "There's my house!"

The new VP of the historical society, and the treasurer, and I, will draft a letter to the county Boy Scout Council announcing a potential Eagle Scout project in the Pioneer Cemetery. Meaning, the mixing of mortar to hold a broken stone in place. Applying the mortar, though, would take someone with masonry skills.

This past month I made 1000 contributions. The top surnames were Shields and Kissinger, from my own family, and Culp and Payton, for Curley Culp and Walter Payton of the Super Bowl Legends Challenge.

We have still not scheduled our vacation in Oregon for next month. We would have done it Wednesday, but someone at Boeing made husband come to work and stay all day for a meeting that didn't involve him. It was catered, too. Nice food. Meetings are not to be used as a substitute for a social life.

So it is time to take off again. My best to all of you.

Comments

Hi Margaret Happy Birthday. I hope you have a wonderful day. A dinner at the Irish pub sounds great. I'm sure your plans for Oregon will get sorted soon

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Happy birthday!

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My daughter had Elijah Wood autograph a photo for my birthday. As Frodo, in the photo, he is lifting the light of Galadriel in Shelob's Lair. He was super nice. Sean Astin was also there at the Emerald City ComicCon.

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Margaret, last Friday we had only four folks show up for Stations. The weather, rainy/sleety and cold, kept people at home.

I celebrated St. David's Day by going to my kiltmaker's website to check out the Welsh tartans. I do not have a kilt on in one of these... yet. Looking forward!