OK, my 6 month subscription (plus a 30 day free trial) to Ancestry.com has ended. For many, this would have been more than enough time to find, enter, catalogue and do anything else you wanted with all the names of your reletives from the past. Richard has less than 30 family names available using both this program and information we already had from his mom. But when I got into the search engine for my family, it just went on, and on, and on. I have accumulated over 15,000 names to date. Most from the first 16 generations. But I did vear off a few times, actually following a couple family lines as far back as BC. How can that be? Well, contrary to general thought, there are records out there. They consist of land transfers, wills, church records (births, christenings, marrages, deaths), etc., as well as historical records. This geneology program brings them all together in a powerful search engine.

It was fun to play around with this program. For the free trial period, I plugged in what I already knew and was able to sort of fill in some blanks. Then I started to do some real research, pulling up political, religious, and geographical info surrounding some of the periods of history and circumstances of these folks. There are some amazing personal stories available too. What's more, I discovered that my family, both sides of my family, were directly connected to an incredible number of historical events. For instance, between my mom and dad, there were passengers on the Mayflower numbering in the teens. Richard teases me about this and several other findings.

The past few weeks I have been systematically trying to complete the work on those first 16 generations. Of course not every line goes out that far, but certainly many do. When you consider that each tree has the potential for 30 new names (4 generations per tree) and that each of the 16 names in that 4th generation then has the potention for a whole new tree, well you get the picture. Bottom line is that I completed all 16 generations for my moms family and about half for my dad's. They are all catalogued by family (mom or dad), generation, branch, and number. Now to file them in order, ID info that ties to them, etc. By the way, I have run into many duplications, where more than one branch follows the same line. If I pick up on this, I generally make note of the fact and follow it from that point only once. This saves a whole lot of duplicity. An example of this is that several lines run through Charlemagne. So if I get to him (again), I just add *THIS LINE NOTED ELSEWEHRE and stop. I will fill in info later as to just where to look for continuation of that particular line.

There is enough family info here already to fill a library. But in a few months I will go at it again. I still have a lot of family to pull up and plug into their rightful slot. But for now I need a break. Next project, paint the living room.

overdue visit

It has been 22 years since Yau Tang and Judy Tsai have been in Corvallis. Can you believe it? It has been 9 years since we last saw them at their son's wedding in California. Time passes so quickly. Our visit was sweet, but oh too short. They arrived around noon on Monday and left just after lunch on Wednesday. We just did not have enough time together, but they promised to come back soon.

Judy really loved all the green around the house, took tons of pictures of our flowers, and spent time sitting on the deck looking at photos of our trips to Europe. She would like to float the Rhine and see all the castles on the hills, now that they are finally retired.

Even though Yau Tang and Judy had lived in Corvallis for many years, they had never visited the municipal rose garden in Avery Park. I took them there after dinner on Tuesday.

Judy loved our quiet hideaway, the deck on the northeast corner of the house. It is bathed in morning sun and is shady in the heat of the afternoon. Very nice for sipping morning coffee and for reading later in the day.

random thoughts

I was talking to my sister the other day. She is moving to Arizona because, among other things, she really needs to see blue sky. Many people have a problem with the cloud cover in the northwest. Fortunately, I am not one of them. To me it is like a warm comforter, cozy. Yesterday the sun was out all day. Yes, it was beautiful. But the air pressure changes when it is warm, really warm. I had problems with my sinus and just didn't feel well at all. Of course the pollen count was up too. But these two things often go together. Today I feel better because the sky is overcast. The pollen count and air pressure are down. I won't be moving any time soon.

We are getting ready for company. Some dear friends who live in Taiwan will be coming to visit next week. It will be so good to see them after many years. He just retired and is finally able to travel. Hopefully there will be many more visits in years to come. I have already done some deep cleaning and will give the floors a good polish just before they arrive. But these friends are not picky. They are coming to see us, not our home. I just hope I can get the weed eater going next week end to spruce up the lawn a little. Our mower is in the shop and won't be ready for about 2 weeks. These friends have always enjoyed our garden and it is extra incentive to work outside.

The squirrels have been driving me wild again. Last year they repeatedly knocked the glass top off an old crock I use as a table on the deck. I ended up putting a heavy pot on it, seemed to solve the problem. Turns out they are after the salt/brine that has seeped into the crock from when I used to make pickles in it. They still lick the sides of the crock. This year they have been digging in my potted plants. I have gone out several times to find plants nearly uprooted. I guess the soil is soft and easy to dig in. Anyway, I ended up placing shells and/or stones around the top of the bare soil. I don't think they will be digging in that, but we will see. These critters are amusing to watch, but they are a real pain as well.

My research into our family genealogy has been going on since the first of the year. To give credit where due, my cousin Mike has been doing research on my dad's side of the family for some 20 years now. He was gracious enough to share those results. I have spent way too much time in adding to his findings and delving into mom's line, first using only the Internet, then Ancestry.com. Amy purchased 6 months worth for me. Boy do we have a lot of identifiable ancestors. So far, I have identified no less that 12 individuals on the passenger list for the 1620 Mayflower, tied into the European nobility on both sides of the family, and pin pointed the dates and state of immigration for most of those who came over from the British Isles and Europe, some 19 pages of them, all but two prior to 1750. It is a mixed bag of folks. Some escaping political or religious persecution, some looking for land, still others just needing a way to make a living. These people all brought with them stories that could fill volumes, as attested by the printer ink I have gone through (I don't have that much space on my hard drive).

My intent is to use this vast amount of information as the basis for gifts. There is enough there to last for many years. In fact I have already given a small gift of the direct paternal family line as a graduation present to one family member. So if you are related to me, you can count on receiving at least a branch or two off this forest of a family tree. We are related to Lady Godiva, King Henry I, William the Conqueror, Charlemagne, Antony (as in Antony & Cleopatra), and so many, many more notables. But it is the stories of those who laid it all on the line to settle this country that intrigue me most. It reads something like our own family version of "How the West Was Won", a real study in American history. I will spend time this fall, after the 6 month subscription is over, putting material together for Christmas gifts. It should be fun.

53 years and counting

Time flies in more than one way. Not only has it been more than 2 months since my last post, but today marks 53 years since Richard and I vowed to love, honor, and cherish one another till the Lord took us home. Some of those years were pretty rocky. Some were exhausting. Yet it was those same hard times that have mellowed us like a fine wine. We are closer now than ever before. We depend on one another. We are each other's best friend.

Richard can no longer get out to shop. We don't have disposable cash anyway. So he drew a couple pictures of me as a gift. I like the less colored one best. Which one do you like?

I am fixing a steak dinner with all the trimmings as my gift to Richard. This is something he loves and doesn't often get. We will eat on the deck surrounded by roses. I will put on some quiet music. It will be secluded and intimate. What more could you ask for than to share a good meal in a lovely setting, with the one you love?

Ouch, it's been over 2 months since I last posted anything. Yes, I have been here, but pre-occupied with research and the chore of day to day life. But yesterday Shelley gave a tea for my birthay and I just want to recognize her for the effort. It was not something expected, but much appeciated. This was sort of an odd year. I turned 71. Just a year ago I had a total knee replacement. All is healing beautifully, but I don't get around as easily as I used to. My energy level is fading as well. Things I was compelled to do (gardening, shopping, etc) take a lot out of and so they don't happen as frequently. But yesterday was nice. I slept in, had a simple breakfast, took a long hot bath, got dressed, fixed a bite for Richard's lunch, and spent the afternoon being pampered. Shelley spent a lot of time and effort preparing high tea. We had small delecacies inthe form of cucumbr and chichen sandwiches, mini scones and chocolate cupcakes, fruit, and of course tea. It was very laid back, but famcy at the same time. Dianna, Lissa and Charlotte, Gladys, two of Eric's sisters and one of his nieces were guests. The presented both Shelley (her birthday is in a couple weeks) and I with a variety of gifts, too. I recieved a beautiful scarf, hand cream, an assortment of garden supplies, jams and jellies, and a cute Oregon tea towel and placemats for the deck. Shelley even sent home some gluten free mixes for her dad. Thank you everyone. It was nice to visit with you and catch up. Thank you also for the thoughtful gifts. I know I will use and enjoy them all.

Slowly making progress

2011 is getting off to a slow start. I am just plain tired. Why, you ask? There are a number of contributing factors. Some have to do with activity levels that I can control. Some to climate and temperature levels (inside as well as out) that I can't control. Then there are so many interruptions that I can't seem to really concentrate on what I need to accomplish.

Yes, I am being vague. I could blame the fact that I don't sleep well due to being too warm (my husband suffers from poor circulation). To house dust that affects my sinus (totally my fault). to rain and icy conditions that make it unsafe for me to take my "normal" 30 minute walk this time of year. To scheduled medical appointments and other weekly commitments that interrupt my day. But I will be able to move forward soon.

One more week of physical therapy will free up 2 days a week. Holiday stuff is down and most of it put away. I am cleaning a section of the house every day and cooking enough at a time that there is enough prepared to last at least 2 or 3 days. Income tax computations are complete with one small exception that I must wait on. No, I am not just sitting on my rear doing sudoku, even if it might sound appealing. However, I do spend several hours each day in the living room with Richard. This is a priority - spending time together. The work will get done. It just takes forever to do it at my snails pace.

easy to lose time

It is so easy to get lost in the process of research. One thing leads to another and before you know it, hours have passed. Focus on details makes all else just fade into the background.

Over the past couple weeks I have been following the trail of a couple ancestors. One of my cousins back in Kansas has been sending me copies of his research for several, actually more like 20, years. So after getting set for Christmas, I started looking at his information. Long story short, I found some discrepancies, new information, and some family lines that are off the wall.

One line thought to connect us directly to Presidents John and John Quincy Adams turns out to be false. Oh we share DNA through John Adam's great grandfather, but not through the presidents themselves.

This finding lead me to discover that John Adams great grandfather had married a widow following the death of his first wife. We are directly descended from the second wife who's family line leads directly to John Alden and Priscilla Mullins of "Mayflower" fame.

Still further research found me going into the LDS ancestral files only to trace still other family lines through an illegitimate son to British and European nobility, early (600 AD) Welsh ancestors and still another to ancient nordic kings (200 AD). All this takes a bit to digest.

I plan on taking small segments of "family" history at a time, putting it together with photos and stories, where available, and giving a copy to each of my off spring. It should be good for several years worth of Christmas presents. Some of the grandchildren have asked for information on family history in the past. Now they can get it from their folks and add to it from their own additional branches.

This will be quite the undertaking. Each branch needs to be verified. I don't really need another huge project right now. I am still far from wrapping up all the sorting of boxes in the basement. So I will work on genealogy as a diversion from that priority task only, at least for awhile. Life has challenges. Some are external and some self-imposed. This falls into the latter category, so I can pick it up or put it down as I see fit. It should be fun, not a burden.

Happy New Year everyone.