ORSON W. LAURITZEN was ordained a High Priest on 1 Sep 1946 by Harold B. Lee
HAROLD B. LEE was ordained an Apostle on 10 Apr 1941 by Heber J. Grant.
HEBER J. GRANT was ordained an Apostle on 16 Apr 1882 by George Q. Cannon
GEORGE Q. CANNON was ordained an Apostle on 26 Aug 1860 by Brigham Young
BRIGHAM YOUNG was ordained an Apostle on 14 Feb 1835 under the hands of the Three Witnesses, Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer and Martin Harris
The THREE WITNESSES were called by revelation to choose the Twelve Apostles and on 14 Feb 1835 were "blessed by the laying on of hands of the Presidency", Joseph Smith, Jr., Sidney Rigdon and Frederick G. Williams to ordain the Twelve Apostles. (History of the Church, Vol. 2, pp. 187-188)
JOSEPH SMITH, Jr. and OLIVERCOWDERY received the Melchizedek Priesthood in 1829 under the hands of Peter, James and John.
PETER, JAMES AND JOHN were ordained Apostles by the Lord Jesus Christ. (John 15:16)
Monday, June 29, 2009
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Flip Flop
I am just getting to be more of a klutz.
I taught genealogy classes all week at the OGS (Ohio Genealogical Society) Summer Camp that they offer each year. I've done it every year since they started - except for last year. It's always so good to reconnect with my genealogy friends from near and far. Curt Witcher, who is the director of the Fort Wayne, IN Genealogy Department in their library and is quite renown, was here for the first two days and did a special program at the public library Monday evening. Kerry and I attended it, and I introduced him to Kerry. We laughed, because when Kerry goes with me to research in these libraries, he never has a problem with however long I want to stay. His standard saying is, "How can anyone be bored in a library?!"
But, as I was coming home on Wednesday, my foot got hung on the threshhold and I splattered into the front hall, falling on my elbows and knees! I've been having some trouble with my feet and legs, for sometimes I just can't feel them. That's what happened when I fell - I never knew my foot was stuck. Fortunately, the only thing hurt was my pride - I'm sure the cars going by got a good view.
I must say that I'm really impressed with something - and it's usually pretty hard to impress me. Last Saturday, I attended the wedding shower of Jean's grandson's fiance (figure that one out!). Almost before I could turn around, a thank-you card had arrived for my gift! I was floored - first of all, that it came so quickly and secondly, that I even got one at all. Betty's daughter-in-law, Erin, is the only other person I have given a gift to where the thank-you card almost beat me home. Jolene's thank-you was so sweet and heartfelt, and I was so touched, for I don't know her very well. And, she's young! It was nice to be acknowledged, for sometimes one has to wonder if the gift was ever received. Thank-you's go a long way with me - that's one way to assure they'll get another gift from me in the future. If there isn't at least an acknowledgement, don't hold your breath.
Sorry. I'm old fashioned.
It was really hot this week, too! On Tuesday evening, I heard a clothes rack fall out in my attic. Just as I was going out there to fix it, the phone rang. I multi-tasked and never thought more about it.
That evening, while Kerry was at the temple, I called Eddie to walk him and he wouldn't come. I figured he was just being stubborn. But, he also wasn't at the foot of our bed the next morning. We looked under all the beds, then Kerry asked if he could have gotten out. I didn't see any way that he could.
Then, while getting ready to give up and go to my classes, I called one more time and I heard his collar and tags shake. He had been in the attic from 6:00 pm to 8:00 am!!! Good grief! I opened the door and he shot out of there like a bullet. Poor little feller...I figured his eyes were yellow from holding it in all night, so we raced outside. He would have cooked if he had remained in there all day.
Kerry and I also took a Spanish class Wednesday night from April Graves. She served her mission in Bolivia. Kerry taught me a few basic phrases when we went to Mexico and Guatemala, but we figured we both need to be a little better.
Friday was a good day at the temple. Julie Hoffman goes with me twice a month as a worker, and it's nice to have someone to ride with. We were busy, and the next day found me having some more problems with my legs. They were kind of sore.
Saturday had me reflecting, as moms are prone to do on each of their children's birthdays. Erik turned 25 yesterday - so of course, I remembered the feelings I had 25 years ago when I had a new baby boy. Moms always have a tender heart when looking back on those days. Erik was a bit of a surprise, for pregnancy didn't come easy to me. Every other one had been a miscarriage. But Erik stuck it out. He was supposed to come to our family. That made our little family young and tight - four kids under five! Oh, my - how did we do it? Why did we do it?
Because we wouldn't be the people we are today if we hadn't had a family.
He and Jordan are the same age for a couple of months - they're just 10 months apart. He was the last to be born - I couldn't have any more. It was nice knowing who the baby of the family would be. But, I also wanted to make sure Jordan had his time to be a baby, too. I didn't want him pushed off the lap too soon.
The nice thing is that my mom got to see all of her grandchildren. She died in September, when Erik was just three months old.
Church was good today. April Graves and Joseph Clark spoke on preparing for marriage - which is exactly what they are doing in preparation for their wedding August 14. I was SO impressed with each of their talks. I know their parents were proud of them.
Now we go into a new week, and a new month. Life is good, life is beautiful, and I love and appreciate each day.
This month, we wish a happy birthday to:
Baby Jayden - our grandson - Jul 3 - 2 years old!!!
Jim - Fern's husband - Jul 5
Me - Jul 8
Elyse - Betty's granddaughter - Jul 9
And a happy anniversary to:
Jordan & Melissa - Jul 1
Fern & Jim - Jul 22
Chris & Kristi - Kerry's brother and his wife - Jul 26
(Please remember that the family has gotten so big that I am not including cousins or grandchildren, for the most part. I don't always get notification when new ones arrive, and rather than leave them out, I'm mostly including those that are close at hand and immediate siblings.)
Love to ya'll
Miss P
I taught genealogy classes all week at the OGS (Ohio Genealogical Society) Summer Camp that they offer each year. I've done it every year since they started - except for last year. It's always so good to reconnect with my genealogy friends from near and far. Curt Witcher, who is the director of the Fort Wayne, IN Genealogy Department in their library and is quite renown, was here for the first two days and did a special program at the public library Monday evening. Kerry and I attended it, and I introduced him to Kerry. We laughed, because when Kerry goes with me to research in these libraries, he never has a problem with however long I want to stay. His standard saying is, "How can anyone be bored in a library?!"
But, as I was coming home on Wednesday, my foot got hung on the threshhold and I splattered into the front hall, falling on my elbows and knees! I've been having some trouble with my feet and legs, for sometimes I just can't feel them. That's what happened when I fell - I never knew my foot was stuck. Fortunately, the only thing hurt was my pride - I'm sure the cars going by got a good view.
I must say that I'm really impressed with something - and it's usually pretty hard to impress me. Last Saturday, I attended the wedding shower of Jean's grandson's fiance (figure that one out!). Almost before I could turn around, a thank-you card had arrived for my gift! I was floored - first of all, that it came so quickly and secondly, that I even got one at all. Betty's daughter-in-law, Erin, is the only other person I have given a gift to where the thank-you card almost beat me home. Jolene's thank-you was so sweet and heartfelt, and I was so touched, for I don't know her very well. And, she's young! It was nice to be acknowledged, for sometimes one has to wonder if the gift was ever received. Thank-you's go a long way with me - that's one way to assure they'll get another gift from me in the future. If there isn't at least an acknowledgement, don't hold your breath.
Sorry. I'm old fashioned.
It was really hot this week, too! On Tuesday evening, I heard a clothes rack fall out in my attic. Just as I was going out there to fix it, the phone rang. I multi-tasked and never thought more about it.
That evening, while Kerry was at the temple, I called Eddie to walk him and he wouldn't come. I figured he was just being stubborn. But, he also wasn't at the foot of our bed the next morning. We looked under all the beds, then Kerry asked if he could have gotten out. I didn't see any way that he could.
Then, while getting ready to give up and go to my classes, I called one more time and I heard his collar and tags shake. He had been in the attic from 6:00 pm to 8:00 am!!! Good grief! I opened the door and he shot out of there like a bullet. Poor little feller...I figured his eyes were yellow from holding it in all night, so we raced outside. He would have cooked if he had remained in there all day.
Kerry and I also took a Spanish class Wednesday night from April Graves. She served her mission in Bolivia. Kerry taught me a few basic phrases when we went to Mexico and Guatemala, but we figured we both need to be a little better.
Friday was a good day at the temple. Julie Hoffman goes with me twice a month as a worker, and it's nice to have someone to ride with. We were busy, and the next day found me having some more problems with my legs. They were kind of sore.
Saturday had me reflecting, as moms are prone to do on each of their children's birthdays. Erik turned 25 yesterday - so of course, I remembered the feelings I had 25 years ago when I had a new baby boy. Moms always have a tender heart when looking back on those days. Erik was a bit of a surprise, for pregnancy didn't come easy to me. Every other one had been a miscarriage. But Erik stuck it out. He was supposed to come to our family. That made our little family young and tight - four kids under five! Oh, my - how did we do it? Why did we do it?
Because we wouldn't be the people we are today if we hadn't had a family.
He and Jordan are the same age for a couple of months - they're just 10 months apart. He was the last to be born - I couldn't have any more. It was nice knowing who the baby of the family would be. But, I also wanted to make sure Jordan had his time to be a baby, too. I didn't want him pushed off the lap too soon.
The nice thing is that my mom got to see all of her grandchildren. She died in September, when Erik was just three months old.
Church was good today. April Graves and Joseph Clark spoke on preparing for marriage - which is exactly what they are doing in preparation for their wedding August 14. I was SO impressed with each of their talks. I know their parents were proud of them.
Now we go into a new week, and a new month. Life is good, life is beautiful, and I love and appreciate each day.
This month, we wish a happy birthday to:
Baby Jayden - our grandson - Jul 3 - 2 years old!!!
Jim - Fern's husband - Jul 5
Me - Jul 8
Elyse - Betty's granddaughter - Jul 9
And a happy anniversary to:
Jordan & Melissa - Jul 1
Fern & Jim - Jul 22
Chris & Kristi - Kerry's brother and his wife - Jul 26
(Please remember that the family has gotten so big that I am not including cousins or grandchildren, for the most part. I don't always get notification when new ones arrive, and rather than leave them out, I'm mostly including those that are close at hand and immediate siblings.)
Love to ya'll
Miss P
Friday, June 26, 2009
Who's Your Daddy?
Boy, am I glad to be over that rotten sore throat that plagued me this week. It just hung on and on until finally I had to break down and call the doctor for an antibiotic. Aggravating. Just plain aggravating. It really took the sap out of me this week.
But, I'm back on track now. We've had quite a soggy week, but the last couple of days have been picture-perfect! We have big, white, fluffy clouds floating in the bluest of skies, a good breeze, plenty of sunshine - I'm telling you, it just doesn't get much better than this.
Saturday was quite the busy day. I went to Diana Detillion's baby shower. This is Alice Graves' oldest daughter - she's expecting her second boy next month. We all can remember when she was born. I am so happy for her - and for Alice!
I left a bit early and drove to Joan's house (married to my nephew, Dave). She was hosting a wedding shower for her daughter-in-law to be. Her youngest son, Cory, will be married in August. I am so happy for them!
But today, I am thinking about fathers.
I've been surrounded by good fathers all of my life. My own father was a good man, and a brilliant man. He went no further than 6th grade - but I'm telling you, this man could do anything. I remember watching his hands a lot. The could fix, build, assemble, design, and accomplish just about all one would ever need. If he'd had the opportunity for more education, he would have been an engineer. I was astounded as his mind and his talent. He would also have been a musician - my musical talent comes from his side of the family. His dream was being in front of an orchestra. He filled our humble home with the best of music. He made sure I had a piano at an early age - he sacrificed for it and for my piano lessons.
He worked in the coal mines, and I believed it scared him to death. He said he worked with black and white men, but you were all the same color when you came out. Once, we included him in our family trip to COSI in Columbus - a hands-on learning center. At that time, they had a replica of a coal mine. After we had lunch, I asked him to come on over and go through the opening. It had the yellow canary at the entrance, and it must have been exceptionally authentic-looking, for dad could only take a few steps inside. He could go no further. Later, when he lived with us, I was astounded at how claustrophobic he was. How in the world did he ever work in those mines?
It took him awhile to be baptized into the LDS church - my mom and three sisters did it first. After the missionaries got a little pushy, he moved the family to Ohio (from West Virginia), after checking out employment, educational opportunities for my sisters (I wasn't here yet), and making sure there was no Mormon church. When he was eventually baptized, he - just like my mom - never wavered. When they made up their mind to do something, they did it the whole way, or not at all.
I miss him. I had him a few years longer than I had my mom.
Dave Talaga told me he always craved chicken when he saw my dad.
I'm also thinking a lot about Kerry's dad. Though I didn't grown up knowing him, I know he was a good man. I am grateful for the nearly 30 years I knew him, and am especially grateful for the things he taught to Kerry - both through word and example. Kerry said at dinnertime, his dad always had the baby (whoever it was at the time) at his end of the table and fed them their dinner. He had a brilliant mind, and was a hard worker. I miss him, too.
I also think of the good bishops that have been part of my life - and the good counsel they have given to both Kerry and I as we needed some guidance. They have served as father figures.
Of course, I am grateful for Mr. Kerry - the father of each of my dear children. The qualities he possesses are ones that as a young girl I didn't have enough sense to look for. He has stood at my side canning apricots at midnight after babies were tucked in, he has held me while I wept, he has praised me when I really didn't deserve it, he helped clean up vomit, changed diapers, attended every concert, sporting event, every ceremony his children were involved in. His hands blessed me and each of the children whenever it was needed. I've never known anyone to forgive as quickly as he can - and does. I hope none of the kids ever forget how important it is to have a father in the life of a child - especially in today's world where fathers are kind of pushed aside and made to feel they are unnecessary.
Kerry has a kind and tender nature. Each one of my kids have inherited that same kind and tender nature. Their hearts are good.
I've always cherished this picture. Look at Kerry's mouth! My dad said the last time he saw a mouth that big it had a hook in it!!!
I cannot forget my Heavenly Father, the greatest father one can have. Without his love and mercy, I would wake up each day with no hope. And - I wake up each day with hope - every single day. Father has given me everything - health, family, home, all of the important things one can have in this life, I have.
I thank all of my fathers.
Love to y'all
Miss P
But, I'm back on track now. We've had quite a soggy week, but the last couple of days have been picture-perfect! We have big, white, fluffy clouds floating in the bluest of skies, a good breeze, plenty of sunshine - I'm telling you, it just doesn't get much better than this.
Saturday was quite the busy day. I went to Diana Detillion's baby shower. This is Alice Graves' oldest daughter - she's expecting her second boy next month. We all can remember when she was born. I am so happy for her - and for Alice!
I left a bit early and drove to Joan's house (married to my nephew, Dave). She was hosting a wedding shower for her daughter-in-law to be. Her youngest son, Cory, will be married in August. I am so happy for them!
But today, I am thinking about fathers.
I've been surrounded by good fathers all of my life. My own father was a good man, and a brilliant man. He went no further than 6th grade - but I'm telling you, this man could do anything. I remember watching his hands a lot. The could fix, build, assemble, design, and accomplish just about all one would ever need. If he'd had the opportunity for more education, he would have been an engineer. I was astounded as his mind and his talent. He would also have been a musician - my musical talent comes from his side of the family. His dream was being in front of an orchestra. He filled our humble home with the best of music. He made sure I had a piano at an early age - he sacrificed for it and for my piano lessons.
He worked in the coal mines, and I believed it scared him to death. He said he worked with black and white men, but you were all the same color when you came out. Once, we included him in our family trip to COSI in Columbus - a hands-on learning center. At that time, they had a replica of a coal mine. After we had lunch, I asked him to come on over and go through the opening. It had the yellow canary at the entrance, and it must have been exceptionally authentic-looking, for dad could only take a few steps inside. He could go no further. Later, when he lived with us, I was astounded at how claustrophobic he was. How in the world did he ever work in those mines?
It took him awhile to be baptized into the LDS church - my mom and three sisters did it first. After the missionaries got a little pushy, he moved the family to Ohio (from West Virginia), after checking out employment, educational opportunities for my sisters (I wasn't here yet), and making sure there was no Mormon church. When he was eventually baptized, he - just like my mom - never wavered. When they made up their mind to do something, they did it the whole way, or not at all.
I miss him. I had him a few years longer than I had my mom.
Dave Talaga told me he always craved chicken when he saw my dad.
I'm also thinking a lot about Kerry's dad. Though I didn't grown up knowing him, I know he was a good man. I am grateful for the nearly 30 years I knew him, and am especially grateful for the things he taught to Kerry - both through word and example. Kerry said at dinnertime, his dad always had the baby (whoever it was at the time) at his end of the table and fed them their dinner. He had a brilliant mind, and was a hard worker. I miss him, too.
I also think of the good bishops that have been part of my life - and the good counsel they have given to both Kerry and I as we needed some guidance. They have served as father figures.
Of course, I am grateful for Mr. Kerry - the father of each of my dear children. The qualities he possesses are ones that as a young girl I didn't have enough sense to look for. He has stood at my side canning apricots at midnight after babies were tucked in, he has held me while I wept, he has praised me when I really didn't deserve it, he helped clean up vomit, changed diapers, attended every concert, sporting event, every ceremony his children were involved in. His hands blessed me and each of the children whenever it was needed. I've never known anyone to forgive as quickly as he can - and does. I hope none of the kids ever forget how important it is to have a father in the life of a child - especially in today's world where fathers are kind of pushed aside and made to feel they are unnecessary.
Kerry has a kind and tender nature. Each one of my kids have inherited that same kind and tender nature. Their hearts are good.
I've always cherished this picture. Look at Kerry's mouth! My dad said the last time he saw a mouth that big it had a hook in it!!!
I cannot forget my Heavenly Father, the greatest father one can have. Without his love and mercy, I would wake up each day with no hope. And - I wake up each day with hope - every single day. Father has given me everything - health, family, home, all of the important things one can have in this life, I have.
I thank all of my fathers.
Love to y'all
Miss P
Long May She Wave!
And a happy flag day to you all! I have seen the flag wave for nearly 54 years, and yet each time I see it wave it takes my breath away. We have a flag in our yard, a flag in one of my flowerpots, flag clothing, patriotic pictures from different events in American history throughout our home, etc.
Don't mess with my flag!
It has been a good week. Kerry and I readied the house for some Relief Society sisters that came here on Tuesday evening as part of a progressive dinner. Our house was one of the ones for the dinner portion, with the appetizers and desserts being at a different home. One of the most important parts of such a dinner is being one time. They were due to be at my home at 7:15 pm - and they pulled in promptly at 7:16 pm! I'm impressed!!! They walked in and were immediately seated to a salad comprised of spring greens, sliced almonds, dried cranberries, mandarin oranges and chopped purple onions. After Kerry cleared those dishes away, out came the main course - baked chicken breasts (which every one of my kids ask for when they come home), couscous with saffron, chives and dried apricots, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans with butter and seasonings, cranberry/raspberry jello, biscuits with apricot butter, and lemonade. I joined them in the van to go to the dessert house, but many of my group were almost too full to enjoy dessert.
Jean and Earl joined us the next evening to help eat up the leftovers.
I enjoy having people here, though I must say I haven't much felt like it in the past year. I just don't have the stamina I used to.
Thursday found me a little under the weather, but it seemed to be gone by Friday - so off to the temple I went. A few of my workers were under the weather, too. Saturday, I woke up under the weather again, so I laid low.
In the afternoon, I drove down to the southern part of the state to be with Jordan and Melissa and the grandboys. They are so cute! JJ immediately wanted to know where Grandpa was, for Kerry is the only one tall enough to lift him up to touch the ceiling. We enjoyed dinner together and I drove on home. Here is a cute video that Jordan sent to me. I'm telling you, I cracked up... http://s20.photobucket.com/albums/b224/azn_ladie82/?action=view¤t=MOV05467.flv You might have to copy and paste this.
Peter is back in the hospital again. He was out for a few days, started feeling down and out again with dehydration, fever and chills - so he's in again. At some point he will probably come home, but not yet. I'm just not so sure he would be able to make the trip very well. We're kind of going day by day.
I am so happy when I hear good news that is happening to my friends and family. I've had a bit of sorrow in my own family as of late, but that doesn't keep me from rejoicing with others' good news. For instance, my friend Alice Graves (whom I have known since the first day of first grade) has a daughter that will be having her second son next month. Diana is Relief Society President of her ward and seems to be blossoming. I am attending a shower for her on Saturday. Alice's second daughter, Miss April, will be marrying Joseph Clark in August. I'm happy for their parents.
And, a former bishop and his wife, Sam and Marva Rogers, have received their mission call to Mississippi! They were assets to our ward, and I learned a lot from them.
Jean's grandson, Cory, is getting married in August, too. His little bride-to-be is a sweet young girl. I'm happy for them.
Betty's son, Justin, and his little family are just the cutest little things. He has been regularly attending church and accepting callings. Her other son, PT, and his little family have just delighted them in holding piano recitals, etc. They are so cute, but I don't get to see them nearly enough. I know Betty and Pete are so proud of them.
Tonight is an early-to-bed night. I'm a little weary, my head is plugged, and my body is tired. But, I've enclosed a few missives to enjoy, as usual...
Love,
Miss P
From Olivia, who's married to my nephew, David:
So I am really nervous about putting this out there but I am trying to meet a really big goal for me which requires me selling myself so in the name of Facebook which was created for networking... Here goes.As some of you may know, I am a natural birth hippy crazy person and I am currently trying to become a certified doula (labor support for mom and dad) with DONA (Doulas of North America) I am a trained doula right now but its kind of like scouts and I am trying to get my next merit badge :) So as part of my certification I have to attend some births as a doula. I am just trying to get my name out there and get my births in so if anyone knows anyone who is interested in having a doula or if any of you would be interested I would love to hear from you. Doulas help in lowering medical interventions in both natural and medicated childbirths so they are not just for "the granola" :)Anyway thanks for all your help and I would appreciate any positive thoughts as well! OliviaFeel free to give out my emails:imabirthjunkie@gmail.comliv2themax@gmail.com
"In November 1974 President Spencer W. Kimball dedicated the Washington, D.C., Temple. Many of the General Authorities were present. Elder and Sister Packer were among them when, on 22 November 1974, the prophet testified: 'The day is coming, not too far ahead of us, when all the temples on this earth will be going night and day. There will be shifts, of course, and people will be coming in the morning and in the hours of the day and throughout the day and we will have no vacations for the temples. But there will be a corps of workers night and day almost to exhaustion, because of the importance of the work and the great number of people who lie asleep in the eternity and who are craving, needing, the blessings we can bring them.'"
http://www.enrichmentcottage.com/living/temple_attendence.htm
I love this! Let's keep it going! No catches. Just the peace in knowing that you were able to share God's love and wisdom to all those you have contact with and even bless someone you don't know. Have a blessed day! 1. Give God what's right -- not what's left. 2. Man's way leads to a hopeless end! -- God's way leads to an endless hope. 3. A lot of kneeling will keep you in good standing. 4. He who kneels before God can stand before anyone. 5. In the sentence of life, the devil may be a comma--but never let him be the period. 6. Don't put a question mark where God puts a period. 7. Are you wrinkled with burden? Come to the church for a face-lift. 8. When praying, don't give God instructions - just report for duty. 9. Don't wait for six strong men to take you to church. 10. We don't change God's message -- His message changes us. 11. The church is prayer-conditioned. 12. When God ordains, He sustains. 13. WARNING: Exposure to the Son may prevent burning. 14. Plan ahead -- It wasn't raining when Noah built the ark. 15. Most people want to serve God, but only in an advisory position. 16. Suffering from truth decay? Brush up on your Bible. 17. Exercise daily -- walk with the Lord. 18. Never give the devil a ride -- he will always want to drive. 19. Nothing else ruins the truth like stretching it. 20. Compassion is difficult to give away because it keeps coming back. 21. He who angers you controls you. 22. Worry is the darkroom in which negatives can develop. 23. Give Satan an inch & he'll be a ruler. 24. Be ye fishers of men -- you catch them & He'll clean them.. 25. God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.
Don't mess with my flag!
It has been a good week. Kerry and I readied the house for some Relief Society sisters that came here on Tuesday evening as part of a progressive dinner. Our house was one of the ones for the dinner portion, with the appetizers and desserts being at a different home. One of the most important parts of such a dinner is being one time. They were due to be at my home at 7:15 pm - and they pulled in promptly at 7:16 pm! I'm impressed!!! They walked in and were immediately seated to a salad comprised of spring greens, sliced almonds, dried cranberries, mandarin oranges and chopped purple onions. After Kerry cleared those dishes away, out came the main course - baked chicken breasts (which every one of my kids ask for when they come home), couscous with saffron, chives and dried apricots, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans with butter and seasonings, cranberry/raspberry jello, biscuits with apricot butter, and lemonade. I joined them in the van to go to the dessert house, but many of my group were almost too full to enjoy dessert.
Jean and Earl joined us the next evening to help eat up the leftovers.
I enjoy having people here, though I must say I haven't much felt like it in the past year. I just don't have the stamina I used to.
Thursday found me a little under the weather, but it seemed to be gone by Friday - so off to the temple I went. A few of my workers were under the weather, too. Saturday, I woke up under the weather again, so I laid low.
In the afternoon, I drove down to the southern part of the state to be with Jordan and Melissa and the grandboys. They are so cute! JJ immediately wanted to know where Grandpa was, for Kerry is the only one tall enough to lift him up to touch the ceiling. We enjoyed dinner together and I drove on home. Here is a cute video that Jordan sent to me. I'm telling you, I cracked up... http://s20.photobucket.com/albums/b224/azn_ladie82/?action=view¤t=MOV05467.flv You might have to copy and paste this.
Peter is back in the hospital again. He was out for a few days, started feeling down and out again with dehydration, fever and chills - so he's in again. At some point he will probably come home, but not yet. I'm just not so sure he would be able to make the trip very well. We're kind of going day by day.
I am so happy when I hear good news that is happening to my friends and family. I've had a bit of sorrow in my own family as of late, but that doesn't keep me from rejoicing with others' good news. For instance, my friend Alice Graves (whom I have known since the first day of first grade) has a daughter that will be having her second son next month. Diana is Relief Society President of her ward and seems to be blossoming. I am attending a shower for her on Saturday. Alice's second daughter, Miss April, will be marrying Joseph Clark in August. I'm happy for their parents.
And, a former bishop and his wife, Sam and Marva Rogers, have received their mission call to Mississippi! They were assets to our ward, and I learned a lot from them.
Jean's grandson, Cory, is getting married in August, too. His little bride-to-be is a sweet young girl. I'm happy for them.
Betty's son, Justin, and his little family are just the cutest little things. He has been regularly attending church and accepting callings. Her other son, PT, and his little family have just delighted them in holding piano recitals, etc. They are so cute, but I don't get to see them nearly enough. I know Betty and Pete are so proud of them.
Tonight is an early-to-bed night. I'm a little weary, my head is plugged, and my body is tired. But, I've enclosed a few missives to enjoy, as usual...
Love,
Miss P
From Olivia, who's married to my nephew, David:
So I am really nervous about putting this out there but I am trying to meet a really big goal for me which requires me selling myself so in the name of Facebook which was created for networking... Here goes.As some of you may know, I am a natural birth hippy crazy person and I am currently trying to become a certified doula (labor support for mom and dad) with DONA (Doulas of North America) I am a trained doula right now but its kind of like scouts and I am trying to get my next merit badge :) So as part of my certification I have to attend some births as a doula. I am just trying to get my name out there and get my births in so if anyone knows anyone who is interested in having a doula or if any of you would be interested I would love to hear from you. Doulas help in lowering medical interventions in both natural and medicated childbirths so they are not just for "the granola" :)Anyway thanks for all your help and I would appreciate any positive thoughts as well! OliviaFeel free to give out my emails:imabirthjunkie@gmail.comliv2themax@gmail.com
"In November 1974 President Spencer W. Kimball dedicated the Washington, D.C., Temple. Many of the General Authorities were present. Elder and Sister Packer were among them when, on 22 November 1974, the prophet testified: 'The day is coming, not too far ahead of us, when all the temples on this earth will be going night and day. There will be shifts, of course, and people will be coming in the morning and in the hours of the day and throughout the day and we will have no vacations for the temples. But there will be a corps of workers night and day almost to exhaustion, because of the importance of the work and the great number of people who lie asleep in the eternity and who are craving, needing, the blessings we can bring them.'"
http://www.enrichmentcottage.com/living/temple_attendence.htm
I love this! Let's keep it going! No catches. Just the peace in knowing that you were able to share God's love and wisdom to all those you have contact with and even bless someone you don't know. Have a blessed day! 1. Give God what's right -- not what's left. 2. Man's way leads to a hopeless end! -- God's way leads to an endless hope. 3. A lot of kneeling will keep you in good standing. 4. He who kneels before God can stand before anyone. 5. In the sentence of life, the devil may be a comma--but never let him be the period. 6. Don't put a question mark where God puts a period. 7. Are you wrinkled with burden? Come to the church for a face-lift. 8. When praying, don't give God instructions - just report for duty. 9. Don't wait for six strong men to take you to church. 10. We don't change God's message -- His message changes us. 11. The church is prayer-conditioned. 12. When God ordains, He sustains. 13. WARNING: Exposure to the Son may prevent burning. 14. Plan ahead -- It wasn't raining when Noah built the ark. 15. Most people want to serve God, but only in an advisory position. 16. Suffering from truth decay? Brush up on your Bible. 17. Exercise daily -- walk with the Lord. 18. Never give the devil a ride -- he will always want to drive. 19. Nothing else ruins the truth like stretching it. 20. Compassion is difficult to give away because it keeps coming back. 21. He who angers you controls you. 22. Worry is the darkroom in which negatives can develop. 23. Give Satan an inch & he'll be a ruler. 24. Be ye fishers of men -- you catch them & He'll clean them.. 25. God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.
Monday, June 15, 2009
100 Genealogy Resources to Discover Your Ancestry
100 Genealogy Resources to Discover Your Ancestry
Research and discover your ancestry with these 100 tools to get you started building a family tree. Trace back as far as you can find and share your results with friends and family. Many of the forums in this list will also garner you a few new friends in the genealogy spectrum. Tracing your roots will give you insight into your family’s past and give you an edge in your own forensic education endeavors.
Genetree: You belong here—Genealogy for the electronic age. Genetree lets you forgo traditional genealogy research methods (dusty books and more library visits than you can shake a family tree at) for a free electronic database that helps you find your connections all over the world!
Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation: Growing the Genetic Family Tree One Branch at a Time—Also offering an online genealogy search engine, the SMGF site focuses primarily on DNA. Going off of a DNA database of samples submitted by volunteers, the site offers “participation kits” that lets you join the database, helping family find you even as you’re finding them.
mitosearch—This no frills search engine is ideal for those who want to quickly begin their genealogical research. You can also compare yourself to users of the site, offering a useful way to find new friends—and even old family.
WorldGenWeb Project—While offering search engines like many sites, WorldGenWeb is much more specific, hosting specific websites for different regions across the globe. These regions are easy to search, and maintained by volunteers—and the site is always looking for those willing to help others in their genealogical quests.
The Federation of East European Family History Societies—Named one of the 101 best sites for genealogy, this site offers a little of everything for genealogical researchers. Hosting resources for different regions and featuring heritage websites of different members, this site’s primary focus is more academic in nature, offering links to various genealogical journals and conferences from around the world.
Access Genealogy: A Free Genealogy Resource—Another no-frills site, Access Genealogy has resources broken down into very specific areas. These include cemetery records, military records, census records, Bible records, and more!
The Ancestry Insider—This site has one very specific purpose: to analyze all aspects of Ancestry.com and Familysearch.com. Sometimes this means defending them, and sometimes it means criticizing them…in all of their actions, however, the site serves as a valuable resource for keeping the world of genealogical research honest.
FamilySearch—The aforementioned FamilySearch offers a quick, registration-free search for ancestors. It also helps you find your nearest family history center—ideal for those eager to pursue genealogy, and not knowing where to begin.
Ancestry.com—Also featuring a free family search, Ancestry.com offers a good mixture of quick searches and in-depth records. Additionally, it offers “recent buzz” about genealogy from sources like the LA Times and USA Today, helping you keep track of rising trends in genealogy.
DistantCousin.com: Archive of Genealogical Data and Document Images—While it does offer the online surname search you’ve come to expect, DistantCousin.com packs in some pleasant surprises. These primarily include image records (such as newspapers, obituaries, and school yearbooks), which supplement the directories in helping you find ancestral information.
Family Tree Magazine—This site provides an ideal beginning for researching your genealogy. It features free how-tos, free downloadable forms, an active forum and a monthly podcast, in addition to offering deep discounts on the print magazine.
FamilySearch Labs: Future Tools to Dig Up the Past—User participation is at the forefront of FamilySearch Labs: as they put, they need your input to “refine new ideas” about genealogy technologies that “aren’t ready for prime time.” More of a site for the leisurely researcher, this offers you an opportunity to find a diamond in the rough—one of these unmarketed projects may hold the key to your genealogy!
Find a Grave—As the name implies, this site’s specialty is in helping you find images of graves, whether of famous people or of your own ancestors. As an added bonus, there’s a discussion forum and a macabre online store of grave-related paraphernalia.
Heritage Quest Online—This no frills site offers quick access to census records, books, and specialized databases. Having been around for 10 years, Heritage Quest is a genealogy search that you can trust.
Internment.net: Cemetery Records Online—This site offers transcriptions from over 5,000 cemeteries across the world. In addition to offering regional searches and an informative blog, Internment.net also lets you publish your own transcriptions online.
MortalitySchedules.com: free search through census mortality schedules—Specializing in offering information above and beyond what was put into census data, this site offers a new way of exploring genealogy. Searches are broken down by state, rather than region, making your inquires more specific.
GenealogyBank.com: Explore Your Family in History—Boasting the largest newspaper archive for family history research, this site is an invaluable resource for your research. Offering monthly, annual, and trial subscriptions, this site’s ready access to over 2400 historical newspapers and documents will keep you coming back for more.
Footnote: The Place for Original Historical Documents Online—Offering a search by names, events, or dates, this site also features a high level of user participation. Featuring over 2500 uploads by members per week, this membership site offers a chance for you to join an entire community of genealogy enthusiasts.
Newspaper Abstracts: Finding Our Ancestors in the News!—As the name implies, this site lets you search newspapers by state, county, and event. Precise information is supplied about the paper itself, making it easier for you to obtain the full article.
We Relate—As “the world’s largest genealogy Wiki,” this site features pages for over 2 million people. The highlight of the site is its community portal, combining the features of information encyclopedias and social networking sites.
FamilyLink.com: growing closer—One of the top 500 Web companies in the world, FamilyLink is a social networking site with over 31 million users. In its quest to help family members find each other, FamilyLink has defined over 150 million relationships since its inception in 2007.
WorldVitalRecords.com—This searchable database features over a billion available records. Hosting several major collections as well as the latest in genealogy news, this site is an all-purpose stop for your research.
Bureau of Land Management: General Land Office Records—This government-run site provides access to Federal land conveyance records for all Public Land States. This includes image access to over 3 million Federal land title records issued between 1820 and 1908, offering a visual tour of both federal and family histories.
The USGenWeb Project: Land of the Free…Genealogy—This easy-to-navigate site provides access to free genealogy websites at all levels. This includes state, county, and even national searches, making this volunteer-run site an impressive wealth of info.
USGS: Geographic Names Information System—Another government site, USGS epitomizes the no-frill site. This resource lets you search, by name, for various landmarks, from woods to bars and everything in-between.
Special Collections and Family History—This specialized site lets you search by groom and bride marriages to delve further into genealogical history. It also lets you browse by counties and states, letting you track Cupid’s arrow through your family history.
Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names Online—Offering a unique way of searching for genealogical history, the Getty Thesaurus specializes in finding information about family when you have too little or—ironically—too much information. You can search by multiple names (ideal for families that experienced a name-change), but you can also search by limited info—if you know a city a relative lived in but do not know what the corresponding state is, it will search all possible matches, helping you narrow things down.
Genealogy Insider—Sponsored by Family Tree Magazine, this blog offers non-stop genealogy news from around the world. For researchers on the go, you can subscribe to their RSS feed for updates, and even follow them through Twitter.
Now what? Expert Answers to Your Genealogy Questions—Another Family Tree blog site, this page focuses primarily on what to do after your genealogy has been researched. These focused entries include how to read old documents, converting old slides to digital formats, and even which for-pay database sites are really worth it.
Family Tree Magazine Forum—This links you directly to Family Tree Magazine’s active community of forum-goers. The primary focus is on questions regarding various software and databases, from how to conduct surname searches to how Google Earth can help trace ancestry.
The Ships List—A very specialized site, The Ships List focuses on passenger manifests on various ships, helping you to trace the comings and goings of your ancestors. Additionally, the site features immigration reports, newspaper records, ship pictures and more, giving you a 3-dimensional view of your high-seas legacy.
Ellis Island: FREE Port of New York Passenger Records Search—Originally envisioned by Ronald Reagan as a simple restoration project of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, this project eventually yielded a searchable database of immigration records. Requiring no subscription at all, this site is ideal for retrieving information about your ancestors’ arrival to America.
CastleGarden.org—Offering a wonderful complementary service to the previous site, Castle Garden offers Ellis Island-related immigration information for the years 1830 through 1892. Subscription-free and easy to navigate, this site lets you begin searching immigration records immediately.
The National Archives—This site preserves the 1-3% of documents and materials produced each year by the US Government, forever. In addition to providing valuable information about family histories and military records, this site features amazing information on budgets and rules, as well as a wealth of informational resources.
Immigrant Ships Transcribers Guild: Bringing Our Ancestors Home. Reuniting Our Families—Another highly-specialized site, the ISTG page offers you an opportunity to search the records of immigrant ships spanning nearly 400 years. As an added bonus, the site helps link you up with genealogists living in the cities of your ancestors, allowing you to form ties across the globe in tracing your family history down.
Genealogy Today: Because Your Ancestors Are Waiting!—This site’s focus is on very specific searchable collections, in addition to their genealogy search. These collections include funeral cards, railroad employees, and even criminal records!
Family Tree Connection—Offering subscriptions for as little as $2.50 a month, Family Tree Connection offers it own special blend of highly specific databases. These include school records, church memberships, employment and tax records, and even old telephone directories!
AfriGeneas: African Ancestored Genealogy—Devoted to African-American genealogy, Afrigeneas offers interactive chats with other members in addition to its vast array of searchable records. The specialty of the records is finding the last slaveholder and first African in every family, offering an amazing link to the past.
Documenting the American South Homepage—Sponsored by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, this site features uniquely southern perspectives on history and culture in America. Offering text, images, and other material, this site is invaluable for students, teachers, and genealogy researchers alike.
Lowcountry Africana—This specific site is dedicated to documenting families and heritages of African-Americans in “the historic rice-growing areas of South Carolina, Georgia and…northeastern Florida.” This site offers a valuable mixture of informative articles, key websites, and research materials.
Afro-Lousiana History and Genealogy—Run by Dr. Gwendolyn Hall (professor emeriti of history at Rutgers University), this site features a search engine derived from her own extensive research. Tracing the genealogy of African-Americans in the Louisiana area from 1699-1860, this site is amazing for scholars and genealogical researchers alike.
American Battle Monuments Commission—This government-run site has a very specific purpose: letting you research information about soldiers interred overseas. Offering a wealth of information, this site specializes in overseas-interred soldiers from World Wars I and II as well as the Korean War.
Civil War: Soldiers and Sailors System—Another government-run site, this page focuses on quick searches for simple information regarding sources on both sides of the Civil War. In addition to specific searches, the site features specific soldiers, sailors, regiments, battles, and more.
American Civil War—The focus of this site is community interaction. It features interactive battle maps, forum discussions, insightful polls and links to the most recent Civil War information.
eHistory—Run by the Department of History at Ohio State University, this site features a rare treat: a searchable database of “The Official Records of the War of Rebellion” (the Civil War). In addition to this awesome resource, eHistory features book reviews, timelines, maps, and more Civil War info than anyone can process in a single sitting.
United States Department of Veterans Affairs—The primary focus of this governmental site is allowing you to search for the gravesites of deceased service men and women. Additionally, it offers info about military burials—from honors and burial benefits to (and this is most important to genealogy) obtaining military records and medals.
The American Civil War: forging a more perfect union—The official National Park Service Civil War web site, this site serves as an all-purpose destination for information regarding the Civil War. This information comes in the form of info about Civil War parks, Civil War lesson plans, and information about how you can participate in preserving historic American battlefields from the Civil War.
Library of Virginia: Military Records and Resources—This site has a single purpose: allowing you to search military documents, including payrolls and pension records. Serving more as an informational hub than a database itself, this site prominently features useful search engines and collection guides to help in your genealogical research.
Louisiana State Archives: Genealogy and History Section—An utterly no-frills site, these archives are invaluable for those researching ancestors in Louisiana. This site requires no subscription or other forms of registration, allowing you to search immediately!
New York State Archives: Where History Goes on Record—This site focuses on military service persons, allowing you to search by regiment, specialty, and race. In addition to these searchable archives, the site provides countless pages of information on the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, World War I and more.
Pennsylvania State Archives—Like its name implies, this site offers you access to various sections of Pennsylvania’s Archives Records Information Access System. Highlights for genealogy researchers include archives for National Guardsmen, Civil War vets, Revolutionary War files, and more.
Archives and Manuscripts: Texas State Library and Archives Commission—Like it sounds, this site focuses on various Texan documents, such as maps, Confederate pension applications, and even the (not yet fully prepared) records of George W. Bush. This site is an amazing resource for those tracing their ancestors through the Lone Star state.
Archives of Maryland Online—This site provides quick access to over 471,000 historical documents from Maryland’s government. The ability to search fiscal, land, military, and even probate records will help you track your ancestry to and through the great state of Maryland.
Arizona Department of Health Services: “Leadership for a Healthy Arizona”—The ability to search through Arizona’s birth and death records is this site’s primary specialty. For those tracking ancestry through Arizona, this site is an awesome resource, complete with information to contact them quickly if you need help.
The Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection—This no-frills site provides exactly what it sounds like: a searchable archive of Colorado’s newspapers. The site also lets you browse papers as well—an ideal solution for those who don’t have full information before beginning their search.
Florida Memory: State Library and Archives of Flordia—This specialized collection offers a sunshine state’s worth of info about Florida, including World War I service cards, Florida’s early constitutions, Spanish Land Grants, and more. Of particular note to art-minded genealogical researchers is The Florida Folklife Collection, offering 88 individual series documenting Florida’s cultural and historical contributions.
Illinois State Archives—This Illinois-specific site offers a wealth of information on Illinois war veterans. Additionally, the site links to records in a variety of Illinois universities, offering a selection of academic resources beyond measure.
Maine.gov: Official Website of the State of Maine—Obviously focused on Maine records, this site offers genealogical research drawing from court, census, land office, military, and local records. One nice feature of this site is the ability to instantly consult librarians, making your own genealogical research that much smoother.
Making of America—This digital library focuses on the social history of America from the antebellum period to the reconstruction period. You can search for specific terms or people, or simply skip to a subject search, making this no-frills site as navigation-friendly as it is browser-friendly.
Massachusetts Archive—While offering a vital records search, this site primarily focuses on Massachusetts history, from 1841-1910. This site is backed up by the actual archive in Massachusetts, making it a natural stop for those whose research takes them to Massachusetts.
Minnesota Historical Society: People Finder—Also named one of the 101 best genealogy websites by Family Tree Magazine, this site has all your needs covered when it comes searching Minnesota records. This includes searchable birth and death records, a census index, immigration resources, and more.
Missouri State Archives: Research Room—While it is more famous for its documents about Jessie James and Harry Truman, these archives boast an impressive amount of searchable information. Their records (County, Judicial, Land, Military, and more) are paired up with an impressive set of photography and digital resources.
New England Historic Genealogical Society - What separates this New England-centric searchable archive apart from the rest is its frequent updates. As of this writing, they’d added seven databases within the last month, which range from the census and cemetery records you’d expect to immigration sketches and Bible records.
Oregon State Archives—In addition to providing an easy surname search through their archives, this site offers lots of information about Oregon itself. This includes historical and county records, as well as provisional and territorial records, providing your genealogical quest with maps, images, and much more.
Washington State Digital Archives—Another no-frills site, the Washington State Digital Archives offers an easy search engine that peers through over 64 million records. While offering the standard collections as well (browse through birth, death, contractual, institutional records, and many more), it also offers rare audio records, helping to bring your past to life.
Wisconsin Historical Society—Offering a searchable genealogy index as well as a genealogy service that can help you immensely, this site’s other focus is on Civil War records. They prominently feature Civil War service records, rosters, and other key information about Civil War vets.
AncestralFindings.com—For those weary of various pay databases charges, this searchable genealogical index prominently features an assortment of free databases. It also includes loads of practical information, such as how to interview family members in order to dig up information about your familial past.
American-French Genealogical Society: A genealogical and historical organization for French-Canadian research– This site’s specific mission is to preserve vanishing Franco-American traditions by helping users trace down their own ancestors through Canada’s emigrant past. Offering a mailing list, lending library, and other archival sources, this site will help trace your Canadian ancestry.
Cyndi’s List of Genealogical Sites On the Internet—Just like it sounds, this site is Cyndi’s compiled list of sites, broken down by both region and circumstance (adoption, orphans, even oral history). What’s impressive here is not the site layout (though there is something to be said for its pleasant simplicity), but the sheer amount of sources she has found, making this a site you should bookmark immediately.
The Genealogy Register—Providing thousands of links to surname, census, military, passenger records (and many more), this no-frills site gets you right into the action. It also has specific city directories and a helpful messageboard.
Genealogy Spot– While offering links to various records on and offline, this site’s specialty is helping beginners start their genealogical search. It also offers a sobering reminder about double-checking the veracity of online searches, reminding researchers of the need to, well, re-search for corroborating info.
Social Security Online: The Official Website of the U.S. Social Security Administration—A source that is often overlooked by genealogy researchers, Social Security Online has helpful guides to requesting records from various government agencies. And, of course, you can easily request help, on- and offline, for your search.
Surname Genealogy Search—Billing itself as the first genealogy search that only needs your surname, the Surname Genealogy Search has been helping online researchers for almost 15 years. With one quick, you’ll have access to your surname referenced across the years and across the globe.
Make Your Family Tree—After you’ve done some level of genealogy research, this site helps you form a family tree from your information. This site serves as a quick and easy guide for this crucial step of the genealogy process.
Yourfamily.com: Online since 1996—Another decade-plus veteran site, Yourfamily.com helps you search for family, document findings, and even develop a family homepage. It also hosts a very specific message board, where you can request that folks help you track down specific people.
rootsweb.com: Finding Our Roots Together—Another site ideal for beginners, rootsweb takes you through the entire genealogical process. It is also very community-oriented, hosting multiple pages for its own members, a mailing list, and a message board.
National Genealogical Society—Founded over a century ago, NGS caters to novice and experienced historians alike. Their primary purpose is academic in nature, offering a wealth of trustworthy resources and online courses that will help hone your genealogical research skills.
Caleb Johnson’s MayflowerHistory.com—This site is advertised as the “most complete and accurate” website for information on the Mayflower, Plymouth Colony, and the Pilgrims themselves. Now in its 15th year, this site is a treasure trove for teachers and genealogical researchers alike!
The Linkages Projects—This site concentrates on its database on human communities from all over, offering over 150 ethnographic cases to aid your family research. Run by the University of California’s School of Social Sciences, this site is a scholar-friendly view of linked communities around the world.
National Obituary Archive—This streamlined site lets you find obituaries from all over the world. Additionally, the site features family memorials, including a special section for September 11th memorials.
JewishGen: The Home of Jewish Genealogy—As the name implies, this site focuses on genealogy research for those of Jewish heritage. In addition to its easy-to-use searches, the site features informative articles, active discussion groups, and links to various special projects.
Kansas Interactive Genealogy—Short and to the point, this site features searches for genealogy, history, and travel regarding Kansas. You can easily add your own Kansas genealogy research to theirs online, helping out countless others with their searches.
Lineages.com—For more than 25 years, Lineages, Inc. has traced over 100,000 family lines for their clients. In addition to searches, they offer information on helpful software and other products to aid you in your research.
WWW Page Access Counter at Rootsweb—Part of the Rootsweb network of sites, this page offers a bevy of HTML tricks for creating your family history webpage. Offering visual examples of each trick, this is a great resource for soon-to-be webmasters.
ProGenealogists: Trust Family History Research—This site primarily serves as a hub for other searches, offering you a convenient, one-stop shop for genealogy research online. Additionally, the site features a large amount of free resources, easy any researcher’s wallet in this rough economy.
Ireland Roots—This free service has one goal: helping you uncover your Irish roots. Offering a healthy mixture of history, messageboards, and search resources, this site brings the luck of the Irish to your genealogical research.
GenWriters: Writing for Future Generations—A very specific site, GenWriters helps you make the most of your written family histories. From quickstart resources to detailed bibliographies, this site has it all.
FamilyTreeMaker—Run by ancestry.com, this site has everything you need to create your family tree. This includes software, tutorials, and a detailed set of frequently asked questions.
Genealogy.com: Learning Center—This site offers how-tos, genealogy classes, and a wealth of other resources to help you research the past. Very newbie-friendly, this site walks you through every step of research, collaboration, and discovery.
Genealogy Resources—This site offers 89 links to genealogy resources around the web. While offering no unique resources itself, this site belongs in any genealogy researcher’s web bookmarks.
US National Archives: Records on Footnote—Representing millions of historic documents, this site gives equal exposure to documents, images, and indexes. Ideal for historians and genealogists alike, this site will keep you clicking again and again!
Eastman’s Online Genealogy Newsletter—A daily newsletter for genealogy enthusiasts, this site prides itself on “straight talk.” The blog-like format mixes in gentle humor with insightful news and commentary, making it an easy read for those who wish to stay informed about genealogy.
National Archives Research Centers—As a break from all of the online research sites, this page has one focus: helping you locate national archives research centers all over America. For those willing to put their feet on the street for research, this site provides you with the very first step.
Genealogy Resources—Another link repository site, Genealogy Resources provides dozens of useful sites to aid you in your research. Aside from the links, the big draw for this page is its collection of genealogy white papers, offering an invaluable archive for family researchers everywhere.
The Genealogy Homepage—This no-frills link repository is helpfully broken down by region and subject. Operating for 15 years now, the Genealogy Homepage has received national attention through the New York Times, CNN, and has many more distinctions.
University of Minnesota: Genealogy Resources—Focusing on genealogy information and resources for Minnesota, this site offers a mixture of helpful reference info and research about common surnames. While very specific, it is difficult to imagine a more thorough site for Minnesota genealogy.
All Surnames Genealogy—The polar opposite of the more specific sites, this page provides an alphabetical list of all surnames. While it would likely be better to switch to more specific archives when you know more, this site is a great starting point, especially for beginners.
Genealogy Resources by State—This government-run link archive does just what you’d imagine: linking you to specific genealogy resources for each state. This site allows you to research in relative comfort, as the links provided have been verified as reliable by the US government.
KindredTrails.com–Linking the World Together With Roots—This site boasts of having the world’s largest family history library. With news, tutorials, and specialized collections, this site helps you find your family tree.
WWW Virtual Library - American Indians: Index of Native American Genealogy Resources on the Internet—This Native-American-centric research site hosts information, links, and media regarding Native American matters. If you are searching for information about Native American ancestry (or just enjoy the historical information), this is the perfect site for you.
Now that you are on the right track to rediscovering where and whom you came from, share your family tree on a blog or in an email to encourage other genealogy enthusiasts to keep pursuing their roots too. You never know, you may even find a long lost cousin that way.
Research and discover your ancestry with these 100 tools to get you started building a family tree. Trace back as far as you can find and share your results with friends and family. Many of the forums in this list will also garner you a few new friends in the genealogy spectrum. Tracing your roots will give you insight into your family’s past and give you an edge in your own forensic education endeavors.
Genetree: You belong here—Genealogy for the electronic age. Genetree lets you forgo traditional genealogy research methods (dusty books and more library visits than you can shake a family tree at) for a free electronic database that helps you find your connections all over the world!
Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation: Growing the Genetic Family Tree One Branch at a Time—Also offering an online genealogy search engine, the SMGF site focuses primarily on DNA. Going off of a DNA database of samples submitted by volunteers, the site offers “participation kits” that lets you join the database, helping family find you even as you’re finding them.
mitosearch—This no frills search engine is ideal for those who want to quickly begin their genealogical research. You can also compare yourself to users of the site, offering a useful way to find new friends—and even old family.
WorldGenWeb Project—While offering search engines like many sites, WorldGenWeb is much more specific, hosting specific websites for different regions across the globe. These regions are easy to search, and maintained by volunteers—and the site is always looking for those willing to help others in their genealogical quests.
The Federation of East European Family History Societies—Named one of the 101 best sites for genealogy, this site offers a little of everything for genealogical researchers. Hosting resources for different regions and featuring heritage websites of different members, this site’s primary focus is more academic in nature, offering links to various genealogical journals and conferences from around the world.
Access Genealogy: A Free Genealogy Resource—Another no-frills site, Access Genealogy has resources broken down into very specific areas. These include cemetery records, military records, census records, Bible records, and more!
The Ancestry Insider—This site has one very specific purpose: to analyze all aspects of Ancestry.com and Familysearch.com. Sometimes this means defending them, and sometimes it means criticizing them…in all of their actions, however, the site serves as a valuable resource for keeping the world of genealogical research honest.
FamilySearch—The aforementioned FamilySearch offers a quick, registration-free search for ancestors. It also helps you find your nearest family history center—ideal for those eager to pursue genealogy, and not knowing where to begin.
Ancestry.com—Also featuring a free family search, Ancestry.com offers a good mixture of quick searches and in-depth records. Additionally, it offers “recent buzz” about genealogy from sources like the LA Times and USA Today, helping you keep track of rising trends in genealogy.
DistantCousin.com: Archive of Genealogical Data and Document Images—While it does offer the online surname search you’ve come to expect, DistantCousin.com packs in some pleasant surprises. These primarily include image records (such as newspapers, obituaries, and school yearbooks), which supplement the directories in helping you find ancestral information.
Family Tree Magazine—This site provides an ideal beginning for researching your genealogy. It features free how-tos, free downloadable forms, an active forum and a monthly podcast, in addition to offering deep discounts on the print magazine.
FamilySearch Labs: Future Tools to Dig Up the Past—User participation is at the forefront of FamilySearch Labs: as they put, they need your input to “refine new ideas” about genealogy technologies that “aren’t ready for prime time.” More of a site for the leisurely researcher, this offers you an opportunity to find a diamond in the rough—one of these unmarketed projects may hold the key to your genealogy!
Find a Grave—As the name implies, this site’s specialty is in helping you find images of graves, whether of famous people or of your own ancestors. As an added bonus, there’s a discussion forum and a macabre online store of grave-related paraphernalia.
Heritage Quest Online—This no frills site offers quick access to census records, books, and specialized databases. Having been around for 10 years, Heritage Quest is a genealogy search that you can trust.
Internment.net: Cemetery Records Online—This site offers transcriptions from over 5,000 cemeteries across the world. In addition to offering regional searches and an informative blog, Internment.net also lets you publish your own transcriptions online.
MortalitySchedules.com: free search through census mortality schedules—Specializing in offering information above and beyond what was put into census data, this site offers a new way of exploring genealogy. Searches are broken down by state, rather than region, making your inquires more specific.
GenealogyBank.com: Explore Your Family in History—Boasting the largest newspaper archive for family history research, this site is an invaluable resource for your research. Offering monthly, annual, and trial subscriptions, this site’s ready access to over 2400 historical newspapers and documents will keep you coming back for more.
Footnote: The Place for Original Historical Documents Online—Offering a search by names, events, or dates, this site also features a high level of user participation. Featuring over 2500 uploads by members per week, this membership site offers a chance for you to join an entire community of genealogy enthusiasts.
Newspaper Abstracts: Finding Our Ancestors in the News!—As the name implies, this site lets you search newspapers by state, county, and event. Precise information is supplied about the paper itself, making it easier for you to obtain the full article.
We Relate—As “the world’s largest genealogy Wiki,” this site features pages for over 2 million people. The highlight of the site is its community portal, combining the features of information encyclopedias and social networking sites.
FamilyLink.com: growing closer—One of the top 500 Web companies in the world, FamilyLink is a social networking site with over 31 million users. In its quest to help family members find each other, FamilyLink has defined over 150 million relationships since its inception in 2007.
WorldVitalRecords.com—This searchable database features over a billion available records. Hosting several major collections as well as the latest in genealogy news, this site is an all-purpose stop for your research.
Bureau of Land Management: General Land Office Records—This government-run site provides access to Federal land conveyance records for all Public Land States. This includes image access to over 3 million Federal land title records issued between 1820 and 1908, offering a visual tour of both federal and family histories.
The USGenWeb Project: Land of the Free…Genealogy—This easy-to-navigate site provides access to free genealogy websites at all levels. This includes state, county, and even national searches, making this volunteer-run site an impressive wealth of info.
USGS: Geographic Names Information System—Another government site, USGS epitomizes the no-frill site. This resource lets you search, by name, for various landmarks, from woods to bars and everything in-between.
Special Collections and Family History—This specialized site lets you search by groom and bride marriages to delve further into genealogical history. It also lets you browse by counties and states, letting you track Cupid’s arrow through your family history.
Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names Online—Offering a unique way of searching for genealogical history, the Getty Thesaurus specializes in finding information about family when you have too little or—ironically—too much information. You can search by multiple names (ideal for families that experienced a name-change), but you can also search by limited info—if you know a city a relative lived in but do not know what the corresponding state is, it will search all possible matches, helping you narrow things down.
Genealogy Insider—Sponsored by Family Tree Magazine, this blog offers non-stop genealogy news from around the world. For researchers on the go, you can subscribe to their RSS feed for updates, and even follow them through Twitter.
Now what? Expert Answers to Your Genealogy Questions—Another Family Tree blog site, this page focuses primarily on what to do after your genealogy has been researched. These focused entries include how to read old documents, converting old slides to digital formats, and even which for-pay database sites are really worth it.
Family Tree Magazine Forum—This links you directly to Family Tree Magazine’s active community of forum-goers. The primary focus is on questions regarding various software and databases, from how to conduct surname searches to how Google Earth can help trace ancestry.
The Ships List—A very specialized site, The Ships List focuses on passenger manifests on various ships, helping you to trace the comings and goings of your ancestors. Additionally, the site features immigration reports, newspaper records, ship pictures and more, giving you a 3-dimensional view of your high-seas legacy.
Ellis Island: FREE Port of New York Passenger Records Search—Originally envisioned by Ronald Reagan as a simple restoration project of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, this project eventually yielded a searchable database of immigration records. Requiring no subscription at all, this site is ideal for retrieving information about your ancestors’ arrival to America.
CastleGarden.org—Offering a wonderful complementary service to the previous site, Castle Garden offers Ellis Island-related immigration information for the years 1830 through 1892. Subscription-free and easy to navigate, this site lets you begin searching immigration records immediately.
The National Archives—This site preserves the 1-3% of documents and materials produced each year by the US Government, forever. In addition to providing valuable information about family histories and military records, this site features amazing information on budgets and rules, as well as a wealth of informational resources.
Immigrant Ships Transcribers Guild: Bringing Our Ancestors Home. Reuniting Our Families—Another highly-specialized site, the ISTG page offers you an opportunity to search the records of immigrant ships spanning nearly 400 years. As an added bonus, the site helps link you up with genealogists living in the cities of your ancestors, allowing you to form ties across the globe in tracing your family history down.
Genealogy Today: Because Your Ancestors Are Waiting!—This site’s focus is on very specific searchable collections, in addition to their genealogy search. These collections include funeral cards, railroad employees, and even criminal records!
Family Tree Connection—Offering subscriptions for as little as $2.50 a month, Family Tree Connection offers it own special blend of highly specific databases. These include school records, church memberships, employment and tax records, and even old telephone directories!
AfriGeneas: African Ancestored Genealogy—Devoted to African-American genealogy, Afrigeneas offers interactive chats with other members in addition to its vast array of searchable records. The specialty of the records is finding the last slaveholder and first African in every family, offering an amazing link to the past.
Documenting the American South Homepage—Sponsored by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, this site features uniquely southern perspectives on history and culture in America. Offering text, images, and other material, this site is invaluable for students, teachers, and genealogy researchers alike.
Lowcountry Africana—This specific site is dedicated to documenting families and heritages of African-Americans in “the historic rice-growing areas of South Carolina, Georgia and…northeastern Florida.” This site offers a valuable mixture of informative articles, key websites, and research materials.
Afro-Lousiana History and Genealogy—Run by Dr. Gwendolyn Hall (professor emeriti of history at Rutgers University), this site features a search engine derived from her own extensive research. Tracing the genealogy of African-Americans in the Louisiana area from 1699-1860, this site is amazing for scholars and genealogical researchers alike.
American Battle Monuments Commission—This government-run site has a very specific purpose: letting you research information about soldiers interred overseas. Offering a wealth of information, this site specializes in overseas-interred soldiers from World Wars I and II as well as the Korean War.
Civil War: Soldiers and Sailors System—Another government-run site, this page focuses on quick searches for simple information regarding sources on both sides of the Civil War. In addition to specific searches, the site features specific soldiers, sailors, regiments, battles, and more.
American Civil War—The focus of this site is community interaction. It features interactive battle maps, forum discussions, insightful polls and links to the most recent Civil War information.
eHistory—Run by the Department of History at Ohio State University, this site features a rare treat: a searchable database of “The Official Records of the War of Rebellion” (the Civil War). In addition to this awesome resource, eHistory features book reviews, timelines, maps, and more Civil War info than anyone can process in a single sitting.
United States Department of Veterans Affairs—The primary focus of this governmental site is allowing you to search for the gravesites of deceased service men and women. Additionally, it offers info about military burials—from honors and burial benefits to (and this is most important to genealogy) obtaining military records and medals.
The American Civil War: forging a more perfect union—The official National Park Service Civil War web site, this site serves as an all-purpose destination for information regarding the Civil War. This information comes in the form of info about Civil War parks, Civil War lesson plans, and information about how you can participate in preserving historic American battlefields from the Civil War.
Library of Virginia: Military Records and Resources—This site has a single purpose: allowing you to search military documents, including payrolls and pension records. Serving more as an informational hub than a database itself, this site prominently features useful search engines and collection guides to help in your genealogical research.
Louisiana State Archives: Genealogy and History Section—An utterly no-frills site, these archives are invaluable for those researching ancestors in Louisiana. This site requires no subscription or other forms of registration, allowing you to search immediately!
New York State Archives: Where History Goes on Record—This site focuses on military service persons, allowing you to search by regiment, specialty, and race. In addition to these searchable archives, the site provides countless pages of information on the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, World War I and more.
Pennsylvania State Archives—Like its name implies, this site offers you access to various sections of Pennsylvania’s Archives Records Information Access System. Highlights for genealogy researchers include archives for National Guardsmen, Civil War vets, Revolutionary War files, and more.
Archives and Manuscripts: Texas State Library and Archives Commission—Like it sounds, this site focuses on various Texan documents, such as maps, Confederate pension applications, and even the (not yet fully prepared) records of George W. Bush. This site is an amazing resource for those tracing their ancestors through the Lone Star state.
Archives of Maryland Online—This site provides quick access to over 471,000 historical documents from Maryland’s government. The ability to search fiscal, land, military, and even probate records will help you track your ancestry to and through the great state of Maryland.
Arizona Department of Health Services: “Leadership for a Healthy Arizona”—The ability to search through Arizona’s birth and death records is this site’s primary specialty. For those tracking ancestry through Arizona, this site is an awesome resource, complete with information to contact them quickly if you need help.
The Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection—This no-frills site provides exactly what it sounds like: a searchable archive of Colorado’s newspapers. The site also lets you browse papers as well—an ideal solution for those who don’t have full information before beginning their search.
Florida Memory: State Library and Archives of Flordia—This specialized collection offers a sunshine state’s worth of info about Florida, including World War I service cards, Florida’s early constitutions, Spanish Land Grants, and more. Of particular note to art-minded genealogical researchers is The Florida Folklife Collection, offering 88 individual series documenting Florida’s cultural and historical contributions.
Illinois State Archives—This Illinois-specific site offers a wealth of information on Illinois war veterans. Additionally, the site links to records in a variety of Illinois universities, offering a selection of academic resources beyond measure.
Maine.gov: Official Website of the State of Maine—Obviously focused on Maine records, this site offers genealogical research drawing from court, census, land office, military, and local records. One nice feature of this site is the ability to instantly consult librarians, making your own genealogical research that much smoother.
Making of America—This digital library focuses on the social history of America from the antebellum period to the reconstruction period. You can search for specific terms or people, or simply skip to a subject search, making this no-frills site as navigation-friendly as it is browser-friendly.
Massachusetts Archive—While offering a vital records search, this site primarily focuses on Massachusetts history, from 1841-1910. This site is backed up by the actual archive in Massachusetts, making it a natural stop for those whose research takes them to Massachusetts.
Minnesota Historical Society: People Finder—Also named one of the 101 best genealogy websites by Family Tree Magazine, this site has all your needs covered when it comes searching Minnesota records. This includes searchable birth and death records, a census index, immigration resources, and more.
Missouri State Archives: Research Room—While it is more famous for its documents about Jessie James and Harry Truman, these archives boast an impressive amount of searchable information. Their records (County, Judicial, Land, Military, and more) are paired up with an impressive set of photography and digital resources.
New England Historic Genealogical Society - What separates this New England-centric searchable archive apart from the rest is its frequent updates. As of this writing, they’d added seven databases within the last month, which range from the census and cemetery records you’d expect to immigration sketches and Bible records.
Oregon State Archives—In addition to providing an easy surname search through their archives, this site offers lots of information about Oregon itself. This includes historical and county records, as well as provisional and territorial records, providing your genealogical quest with maps, images, and much more.
Washington State Digital Archives—Another no-frills site, the Washington State Digital Archives offers an easy search engine that peers through over 64 million records. While offering the standard collections as well (browse through birth, death, contractual, institutional records, and many more), it also offers rare audio records, helping to bring your past to life.
Wisconsin Historical Society—Offering a searchable genealogy index as well as a genealogy service that can help you immensely, this site’s other focus is on Civil War records. They prominently feature Civil War service records, rosters, and other key information about Civil War vets.
AncestralFindings.com—For those weary of various pay databases charges, this searchable genealogical index prominently features an assortment of free databases. It also includes loads of practical information, such as how to interview family members in order to dig up information about your familial past.
American-French Genealogical Society: A genealogical and historical organization for French-Canadian research– This site’s specific mission is to preserve vanishing Franco-American traditions by helping users trace down their own ancestors through Canada’s emigrant past. Offering a mailing list, lending library, and other archival sources, this site will help trace your Canadian ancestry.
Cyndi’s List of Genealogical Sites On the Internet—Just like it sounds, this site is Cyndi’s compiled list of sites, broken down by both region and circumstance (adoption, orphans, even oral history). What’s impressive here is not the site layout (though there is something to be said for its pleasant simplicity), but the sheer amount of sources she has found, making this a site you should bookmark immediately.
The Genealogy Register—Providing thousands of links to surname, census, military, passenger records (and many more), this no-frills site gets you right into the action. It also has specific city directories and a helpful messageboard.
Genealogy Spot– While offering links to various records on and offline, this site’s specialty is helping beginners start their genealogical search. It also offers a sobering reminder about double-checking the veracity of online searches, reminding researchers of the need to, well, re-search for corroborating info.
Social Security Online: The Official Website of the U.S. Social Security Administration—A source that is often overlooked by genealogy researchers, Social Security Online has helpful guides to requesting records from various government agencies. And, of course, you can easily request help, on- and offline, for your search.
Surname Genealogy Search—Billing itself as the first genealogy search that only needs your surname, the Surname Genealogy Search has been helping online researchers for almost 15 years. With one quick, you’ll have access to your surname referenced across the years and across the globe.
Make Your Family Tree—After you’ve done some level of genealogy research, this site helps you form a family tree from your information. This site serves as a quick and easy guide for this crucial step of the genealogy process.
Yourfamily.com: Online since 1996—Another decade-plus veteran site, Yourfamily.com helps you search for family, document findings, and even develop a family homepage. It also hosts a very specific message board, where you can request that folks help you track down specific people.
rootsweb.com: Finding Our Roots Together—Another site ideal for beginners, rootsweb takes you through the entire genealogical process. It is also very community-oriented, hosting multiple pages for its own members, a mailing list, and a message board.
National Genealogical Society—Founded over a century ago, NGS caters to novice and experienced historians alike. Their primary purpose is academic in nature, offering a wealth of trustworthy resources and online courses that will help hone your genealogical research skills.
Caleb Johnson’s MayflowerHistory.com—This site is advertised as the “most complete and accurate” website for information on the Mayflower, Plymouth Colony, and the Pilgrims themselves. Now in its 15th year, this site is a treasure trove for teachers and genealogical researchers alike!
The Linkages Projects—This site concentrates on its database on human communities from all over, offering over 150 ethnographic cases to aid your family research. Run by the University of California’s School of Social Sciences, this site is a scholar-friendly view of linked communities around the world.
National Obituary Archive—This streamlined site lets you find obituaries from all over the world. Additionally, the site features family memorials, including a special section for September 11th memorials.
JewishGen: The Home of Jewish Genealogy—As the name implies, this site focuses on genealogy research for those of Jewish heritage. In addition to its easy-to-use searches, the site features informative articles, active discussion groups, and links to various special projects.
Kansas Interactive Genealogy—Short and to the point, this site features searches for genealogy, history, and travel regarding Kansas. You can easily add your own Kansas genealogy research to theirs online, helping out countless others with their searches.
Lineages.com—For more than 25 years, Lineages, Inc. has traced over 100,000 family lines for their clients. In addition to searches, they offer information on helpful software and other products to aid you in your research.
WWW Page Access Counter at Rootsweb—Part of the Rootsweb network of sites, this page offers a bevy of HTML tricks for creating your family history webpage. Offering visual examples of each trick, this is a great resource for soon-to-be webmasters.
ProGenealogists: Trust Family History Research—This site primarily serves as a hub for other searches, offering you a convenient, one-stop shop for genealogy research online. Additionally, the site features a large amount of free resources, easy any researcher’s wallet in this rough economy.
Ireland Roots—This free service has one goal: helping you uncover your Irish roots. Offering a healthy mixture of history, messageboards, and search resources, this site brings the luck of the Irish to your genealogical research.
GenWriters: Writing for Future Generations—A very specific site, GenWriters helps you make the most of your written family histories. From quickstart resources to detailed bibliographies, this site has it all.
FamilyTreeMaker—Run by ancestry.com, this site has everything you need to create your family tree. This includes software, tutorials, and a detailed set of frequently asked questions.
Genealogy.com: Learning Center—This site offers how-tos, genealogy classes, and a wealth of other resources to help you research the past. Very newbie-friendly, this site walks you through every step of research, collaboration, and discovery.
Genealogy Resources—This site offers 89 links to genealogy resources around the web. While offering no unique resources itself, this site belongs in any genealogy researcher’s web bookmarks.
US National Archives: Records on Footnote—Representing millions of historic documents, this site gives equal exposure to documents, images, and indexes. Ideal for historians and genealogists alike, this site will keep you clicking again and again!
Eastman’s Online Genealogy Newsletter—A daily newsletter for genealogy enthusiasts, this site prides itself on “straight talk.” The blog-like format mixes in gentle humor with insightful news and commentary, making it an easy read for those who wish to stay informed about genealogy.
National Archives Research Centers—As a break from all of the online research sites, this page has one focus: helping you locate national archives research centers all over America. For those willing to put their feet on the street for research, this site provides you with the very first step.
Genealogy Resources—Another link repository site, Genealogy Resources provides dozens of useful sites to aid you in your research. Aside from the links, the big draw for this page is its collection of genealogy white papers, offering an invaluable archive for family researchers everywhere.
The Genealogy Homepage—This no-frills link repository is helpfully broken down by region and subject. Operating for 15 years now, the Genealogy Homepage has received national attention through the New York Times, CNN, and has many more distinctions.
University of Minnesota: Genealogy Resources—Focusing on genealogy information and resources for Minnesota, this site offers a mixture of helpful reference info and research about common surnames. While very specific, it is difficult to imagine a more thorough site for Minnesota genealogy.
All Surnames Genealogy—The polar opposite of the more specific sites, this page provides an alphabetical list of all surnames. While it would likely be better to switch to more specific archives when you know more, this site is a great starting point, especially for beginners.
Genealogy Resources by State—This government-run link archive does just what you’d imagine: linking you to specific genealogy resources for each state. This site allows you to research in relative comfort, as the links provided have been verified as reliable by the US government.
KindredTrails.com–Linking the World Together With Roots—This site boasts of having the world’s largest family history library. With news, tutorials, and specialized collections, this site helps you find your family tree.
WWW Virtual Library - American Indians: Index of Native American Genealogy Resources on the Internet—This Native-American-centric research site hosts information, links, and media regarding Native American matters. If you are searching for information about Native American ancestry (or just enjoy the historical information), this is the perfect site for you.
Now that you are on the right track to rediscovering where and whom you came from, share your family tree on a blog or in an email to encourage other genealogy enthusiasts to keep pursuing their roots too. You never know, you may even find a long lost cousin that way.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Long may she wave...
And a happy flag day to you all! I have seen the flag wave for nearly 54 years, and yet each time I see it wave it takes my breath away. We have a flag in our yard, a flag in one of my flowerpots, flag clothing, patriotic pictures from different events in American history throughout our home, etc.
Don't mess with my flag!
It has been a good week. Kerry and I readied the house for some Relief Society sisters that came here on Tuesday evening as part of a progressive dinner. Our house was one of the ones for the dinner portion, with the appetizers and desserts being at a different home. One of the most important parts of such a dinner is being one time. They were due to be at my home at 7:15 pm - and they pulled in promptly at 7:16 pm! I'm impressed!!! They walked in and were immediately seated to a salad comprised of spring greens, sliced almonds, dried cranberries, mandarin oranges and chopped purple onions. After Kerry cleared those dishes away, out came the main course - baked chicken breasts (which every one of my kids ask for when they come home), couscous with saffron, chives and dried apricots, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans with butter and seasonings, cranberry/raspberry jello, biscuits with apricot butter, and lemonade. I joined them in the van to go to the dessert house, but many of my group were almost too full to enjoy dessert.
Jean and Earl joined us the next evening to help eat up the leftovers.
I enjoy having people here, though I must say I haven't much felt like it in the past year. I just don't have the stamina I used to.
Thursday found me a little under the weather, but it seemed to be gone by Friday - so off to the temple I went. A few of my workers were under the weather, too. Saturday, I woke up under the weather again, so I laid low.
In the afternoon, I drove down to the southern part of the state to be with Jordan and Melissa and the grandboys. They are so cute! JJ immediately wanted to know where Grandpa was, for Kerry is the only one tall enough to lift him up to touch the ceiling. We enjoyed dinner together and I drove on home. Here is a cute video that Jordan sent to me. I'm telling you, I cracked up... http://s20.photobucket.com/albums/b224/azn_ladie82/?action=view¤t=MOV05467.flv You might have to copy and paste this.
Peter is back in the hospital again. He was out for a few days, started feeling down and out again with dehydration, fever and chills - so he's in again. At some point he will probably come home, but not yet. I'm just not so sure he would be able to make the trip very well. We're kind of going day by day.
I am so happy when I hear good news that is happening to my friends and family. I've had a bit of sorrow in my own family as of late, but that doesn't keep me from rejoicing with others' good news. For instance, my friend Alice Graves (whom I have known since the first day of first grade) has a daughter that will be having her second son next month. Diana is Relief Society President of her ward and seems to be blossoming. I am attending a shower for her on Saturday. Alice's second daughter, Miss April, will be marrying Joseph Clark in August. I'm happy for their parents.
And, a former bishop and his wife, Sam and Marva Rogers, have received their mission call to Mississippi! They were assets to our ward, and I learned a lot from them.
Jean's grandson, Cory, is getting married in August, too. His little bride-to-be is a sweet young girl. I'm happy for them.
Betty's son, Justin, and his little family are just the cutest little things. He has been regularly attending church and accepting callings. Her other son, PT, and his little family have just delighted them in holding piano recitals, etc. They are so cute, but I don't get to see them nearly enough. I know Betty and Pete are so proud of them.
Tonight is an early-to-bed night. I'm a little weary, my head is plugged, and my body is tired. But, I've enclosed a few missives to enjoy, as usual...
Love,
Miss P
From Olivia, who's married to my nephew, David:
So I am really nervous about putting this out there but I am trying to meet a really big goal for me which requires me selling myself so in the name of Facebook which was created for networking... Here goes.As some of you may know, I am a natural birth hippy crazy person and I am currently trying to become a certified doula (labor support for mom and dad) with DONA (Doulas of North America) I am a trained doula right now but its kind of like scouts and I am trying to get my next merit badge :) So as part of my certification I have to attend some births as a doula. I am just trying to get my name out there and get my births in so if anyone knows anyone who is interested in having a doula or if any of you would be interested I would love to hear from you. Doulas help in lowering medical interventions in both natural and medicated childbirths so they are not just for "the granola" :)Anyway thanks for all your help and I would appreciate any positive thoughts as well! OliviaFeel free to give out my emails:imabirthjunkie@gmail.comliv2themax@gmail.com
"In November 1974 President Spencer W. Kimball dedicated the Washington, D.C., Temple. Many of the General Authorities were present. Elder and Sister Packer were among them when, on 22 November 1974, the prophet testified: 'The day is coming, not too far ahead of us, when all the temples on this earth will be going night and day. There will be shifts, of course, and people will be coming in the morning and in the hours of the day and throughout the day and we will have no vacations for the temples. But there will be a corps of workers night and day almost to exhaustion, because of the importance of the work and the great number of people who lie asleep in the eternity and who are craving, needing, the blessings we can bring them.'"
http://www.enrichmentcottage.com/living/temple_attendence.htm
I love this! Let's keep it going! No catches. Just the peace in knowing that you were able to share God's love and wisdom to all those you have contact with and even bless someone you don't know. Have a blessed day! 1. Give God what's right -- not what's left. 2. Man's way leads to a hopeless end! -- God's way leads to an endless hope. 3. A lot of kneeling will keep you in good standing. 4. He who kneels before God can stand before anyone. 5. In the sentence of life, the devil may be a comma--but never let him be the period. 6. Don't put a question mark where God puts a period. 7. Are you wrinkled with burden? Come to the church for a face-lift. 8. When praying, don't give God instructions - just report for duty. 9. Don't wait for six strong men to take you to church. 10. We don't change God's message -- His message changes us. 11. The church is prayer-conditioned. 12. When God ordains, He sustains. 13. WARNING: Exposure to the Son may prevent burning. 14. Plan ahead -- It wasn't raining when Noah built the ark. 15. Most people want to serve God, but only in an advisory position. 16. Suffering from truth decay? Brush up on your Bible. 17. Exercise daily -- walk with the Lord. 18. Never give the devil a ride -- he will always want to drive. 19. Nothing else ruins the truth like stretching it. 20. Compassion is difficult to give away because it keeps coming back. 21. He who angers you controls you. 22. Worry is the darkroom in which negatives can develop. 23. Give Satan an inch & he'll be a ruler. 24. Be ye fishers of men -- you catch them & He'll clean them.. 25. God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.
Don't mess with my flag!
It has been a good week. Kerry and I readied the house for some Relief Society sisters that came here on Tuesday evening as part of a progressive dinner. Our house was one of the ones for the dinner portion, with the appetizers and desserts being at a different home. One of the most important parts of such a dinner is being one time. They were due to be at my home at 7:15 pm - and they pulled in promptly at 7:16 pm! I'm impressed!!! They walked in and were immediately seated to a salad comprised of spring greens, sliced almonds, dried cranberries, mandarin oranges and chopped purple onions. After Kerry cleared those dishes away, out came the main course - baked chicken breasts (which every one of my kids ask for when they come home), couscous with saffron, chives and dried apricots, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans with butter and seasonings, cranberry/raspberry jello, biscuits with apricot butter, and lemonade. I joined them in the van to go to the dessert house, but many of my group were almost too full to enjoy dessert.
Jean and Earl joined us the next evening to help eat up the leftovers.
I enjoy having people here, though I must say I haven't much felt like it in the past year. I just don't have the stamina I used to.
Thursday found me a little under the weather, but it seemed to be gone by Friday - so off to the temple I went. A few of my workers were under the weather, too. Saturday, I woke up under the weather again, so I laid low.
In the afternoon, I drove down to the southern part of the state to be with Jordan and Melissa and the grandboys. They are so cute! JJ immediately wanted to know where Grandpa was, for Kerry is the only one tall enough to lift him up to touch the ceiling. We enjoyed dinner together and I drove on home. Here is a cute video that Jordan sent to me. I'm telling you, I cracked up... http://s20.photobucket.com/albums/b224/azn_ladie82/?action=view¤t=MOV05467.flv You might have to copy and paste this.
Peter is back in the hospital again. He was out for a few days, started feeling down and out again with dehydration, fever and chills - so he's in again. At some point he will probably come home, but not yet. I'm just not so sure he would be able to make the trip very well. We're kind of going day by day.
I am so happy when I hear good news that is happening to my friends and family. I've had a bit of sorrow in my own family as of late, but that doesn't keep me from rejoicing with others' good news. For instance, my friend Alice Graves (whom I have known since the first day of first grade) has a daughter that will be having her second son next month. Diana is Relief Society President of her ward and seems to be blossoming. I am attending a shower for her on Saturday. Alice's second daughter, Miss April, will be marrying Joseph Clark in August. I'm happy for their parents.
And, a former bishop and his wife, Sam and Marva Rogers, have received their mission call to Mississippi! They were assets to our ward, and I learned a lot from them.
Jean's grandson, Cory, is getting married in August, too. His little bride-to-be is a sweet young girl. I'm happy for them.
Betty's son, Justin, and his little family are just the cutest little things. He has been regularly attending church and accepting callings. Her other son, PT, and his little family have just delighted them in holding piano recitals, etc. They are so cute, but I don't get to see them nearly enough. I know Betty and Pete are so proud of them.
Tonight is an early-to-bed night. I'm a little weary, my head is plugged, and my body is tired. But, I've enclosed a few missives to enjoy, as usual...
Love,
Miss P
From Olivia, who's married to my nephew, David:
So I am really nervous about putting this out there but I am trying to meet a really big goal for me which requires me selling myself so in the name of Facebook which was created for networking... Here goes.As some of you may know, I am a natural birth hippy crazy person and I am currently trying to become a certified doula (labor support for mom and dad) with DONA (Doulas of North America) I am a trained doula right now but its kind of like scouts and I am trying to get my next merit badge :) So as part of my certification I have to attend some births as a doula. I am just trying to get my name out there and get my births in so if anyone knows anyone who is interested in having a doula or if any of you would be interested I would love to hear from you. Doulas help in lowering medical interventions in both natural and medicated childbirths so they are not just for "the granola" :)Anyway thanks for all your help and I would appreciate any positive thoughts as well! OliviaFeel free to give out my emails:imabirthjunkie@gmail.comliv2themax@gmail.com
"In November 1974 President Spencer W. Kimball dedicated the Washington, D.C., Temple. Many of the General Authorities were present. Elder and Sister Packer were among them when, on 22 November 1974, the prophet testified: 'The day is coming, not too far ahead of us, when all the temples on this earth will be going night and day. There will be shifts, of course, and people will be coming in the morning and in the hours of the day and throughout the day and we will have no vacations for the temples. But there will be a corps of workers night and day almost to exhaustion, because of the importance of the work and the great number of people who lie asleep in the eternity and who are craving, needing, the blessings we can bring them.'"
http://www.enrichmentcottage.com/living/temple_attendence.htm
I love this! Let's keep it going! No catches. Just the peace in knowing that you were able to share God's love and wisdom to all those you have contact with and even bless someone you don't know. Have a blessed day! 1. Give God what's right -- not what's left. 2. Man's way leads to a hopeless end! -- God's way leads to an endless hope. 3. A lot of kneeling will keep you in good standing. 4. He who kneels before God can stand before anyone. 5. In the sentence of life, the devil may be a comma--but never let him be the period. 6. Don't put a question mark where God puts a period. 7. Are you wrinkled with burden? Come to the church for a face-lift. 8. When praying, don't give God instructions - just report for duty. 9. Don't wait for six strong men to take you to church. 10. We don't change God's message -- His message changes us. 11. The church is prayer-conditioned. 12. When God ordains, He sustains. 13. WARNING: Exposure to the Son may prevent burning. 14. Plan ahead -- It wasn't raining when Noah built the ark. 15. Most people want to serve God, but only in an advisory position. 16. Suffering from truth decay? Brush up on your Bible. 17. Exercise daily -- walk with the Lord. 18. Never give the devil a ride -- he will always want to drive. 19. Nothing else ruins the truth like stretching it. 20. Compassion is difficult to give away because it keeps coming back. 21. He who angers you controls you. 22. Worry is the darkroom in which negatives can develop. 23. Give Satan an inch & he'll be a ruler. 24. Be ye fishers of men -- you catch them & He'll clean them.. 25. God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.
Such gentle little bugs...
I saw the first lightning bugs of the season tonight! As I was walking Mr. Eddie, I had my own little fireworks show as these gentle little bugs began to sparkle through the fields and trees. They serve no purpose that I know of. My kids would catch them and put them in jars - using them as a flashlight. One night, Kerry and I were entertained when one got stuck on our ceiling fan and it twirled around for hours - giving us a little laser show.
But, enough of bugs.
I have been painting all week. There is a room downstairs that is basically a "nothing" room. When we first moved here, it was where we put our freezer. Then, my office and genealogy files and computer ended up there. Then, I painted the dark paneling white and turned it into a bedroom. Two of my kids had it for their bedroom.
When I had it for an office, I was just getting used to email and computers and such. I belonged to a Mountain Recipe list and enjoyed just reading through the recipes. One day, I was clicking through my emails and saw one that I thought said "hot spuds". It seemed like an interesting title. I clicked on it.
Oh, my gosh! All of a sudden, this man's rear end began filling up the screen. I wasn't wearing my glasses, and the title had actually read "hot studs". I was mortified and kept trying to get it off my screen.
It was at that moment that my kids decided to enter the room. "MOM! What are you looking at?" Of course, they didn't believe any of my excuses. They helped me close it down, and teased me about it.
Soon after, I began receiving all of this correspondence from Gay and Lesbian web sites. You know, sometimes I just wanna...
But now, it was time for a new phase.
I wanted to begin painting it a year ago, but my enthusiasm gave way to a year of surgeries and recuperation. I finally got my groove back. I knew I would be painting the window and door frames white, but just couldn't make up my mind about the walls. Then, while perusing at Walmart, I found cans of paint that were 50% off - nothing was wrong with them - they just were the wrong shade and a customer didn't want them. I found one that looked interesting and bought it. At 50% off, I was determined to make myself like it.
I love it! I would NEVER have chosen this from the paint cards, for sometimes I have no vision. It's almost mud colored. But, framed in white it is just right. It also made an interesting hair color and nail polish. Now, we will move bunk beds down to that room and just have it for a spare.
Jean and I made the trip to Planktown for some meats, cheeses, and pantry items. It is SO much cheaper there - especially when we make a marathon trip every few weeks.
I enjoyed lunch with Fern and Jim this past Wednesday. They, along with Jean and Earl, met at Olive Garden. We haven't gotten together much lately, due to some health problems with various family members. We cherish each moment.
Kerry and I enjoyed working at the temple on Friday. We only get to do that every six weeks when he has a long weekend. On the way home, we stopped at a little country church for an ice cream social. It's that time of year when they just begin popping up everywhere. We love going to them, for they always bring out their best. We had a great dinner, came home to let Eddie get over his madness at being left at home all day, went to Walmart, got ice cream (Eddie loves ice cream!), came home, and I mowed the back field. A full day.
But, I sure was stoved up all day. At the temple, my little workers were grinning at me as I gimped around. For some reason, my hind legs hurt. I thought it would be my arm and shoulder that would be sore from painting. But, it was my hind legs.
After painting some more on Saturday, I went to Joseph Kennedy's graduation party. I can't believe he's all finished with school. It seems like he was just a pup when they moved here. As a matter of fact, we had lots of people graduate this year: Joseph, Kevin Wharton (Master's), David Keck (Ashland University), Julie Cupach (NCSC), Andrea Clark (law school), Content (Kerry's sister - BA in Japanese and BA in Theatre Arts Education), Dane Lauritzen (University of New Mexico), Brennan Lauritzen (high school). I'm so proud of all of these people that have completed a good goal. I'll just bet their parents are so proud of them - Young and old alike!
I've received so many comments about the pictures I include. Y'all seem to like them. Here's a couple more:
This is Kerry's sister, Content. She's #3 of the eleven children.
Betty, Jean, Peggy, Fern, Brooke (Betty's daughter). This is probably about 15 years ago at Betty's cottage at Lake Erie.
Have a good week!
Miss P
But, enough of bugs.
I have been painting all week. There is a room downstairs that is basically a "nothing" room. When we first moved here, it was where we put our freezer. Then, my office and genealogy files and computer ended up there. Then, I painted the dark paneling white and turned it into a bedroom. Two of my kids had it for their bedroom.
When I had it for an office, I was just getting used to email and computers and such. I belonged to a Mountain Recipe list and enjoyed just reading through the recipes. One day, I was clicking through my emails and saw one that I thought said "hot spuds". It seemed like an interesting title. I clicked on it.
Oh, my gosh! All of a sudden, this man's rear end began filling up the screen. I wasn't wearing my glasses, and the title had actually read "hot studs". I was mortified and kept trying to get it off my screen.
It was at that moment that my kids decided to enter the room. "MOM! What are you looking at?" Of course, they didn't believe any of my excuses. They helped me close it down, and teased me about it.
Soon after, I began receiving all of this correspondence from Gay and Lesbian web sites. You know, sometimes I just wanna...
But now, it was time for a new phase.
I wanted to begin painting it a year ago, but my enthusiasm gave way to a year of surgeries and recuperation. I finally got my groove back. I knew I would be painting the window and door frames white, but just couldn't make up my mind about the walls. Then, while perusing at Walmart, I found cans of paint that were 50% off - nothing was wrong with them - they just were the wrong shade and a customer didn't want them. I found one that looked interesting and bought it. At 50% off, I was determined to make myself like it.
I love it! I would NEVER have chosen this from the paint cards, for sometimes I have no vision. It's almost mud colored. But, framed in white it is just right. It also made an interesting hair color and nail polish. Now, we will move bunk beds down to that room and just have it for a spare.
Jean and I made the trip to Planktown for some meats, cheeses, and pantry items. It is SO much cheaper there - especially when we make a marathon trip every few weeks.
I enjoyed lunch with Fern and Jim this past Wednesday. They, along with Jean and Earl, met at Olive Garden. We haven't gotten together much lately, due to some health problems with various family members. We cherish each moment.
Kerry and I enjoyed working at the temple on Friday. We only get to do that every six weeks when he has a long weekend. On the way home, we stopped at a little country church for an ice cream social. It's that time of year when they just begin popping up everywhere. We love going to them, for they always bring out their best. We had a great dinner, came home to let Eddie get over his madness at being left at home all day, went to Walmart, got ice cream (Eddie loves ice cream!), came home, and I mowed the back field. A full day.
But, I sure was stoved up all day. At the temple, my little workers were grinning at me as I gimped around. For some reason, my hind legs hurt. I thought it would be my arm and shoulder that would be sore from painting. But, it was my hind legs.
After painting some more on Saturday, I went to Joseph Kennedy's graduation party. I can't believe he's all finished with school. It seems like he was just a pup when they moved here. As a matter of fact, we had lots of people graduate this year: Joseph, Kevin Wharton (Master's), David Keck (Ashland University), Julie Cupach (NCSC), Andrea Clark (law school), Content (Kerry's sister - BA in Japanese and BA in Theatre Arts Education), Dane Lauritzen (University of New Mexico), Brennan Lauritzen (high school). I'm so proud of all of these people that have completed a good goal. I'll just bet their parents are so proud of them - Young and old alike!
I've received so many comments about the pictures I include. Y'all seem to like them. Here's a couple more:
This is Kerry's sister, Content. She's #3 of the eleven children.
Betty, Jean, Peggy, Fern, Brooke (Betty's daughter). This is probably about 15 years ago at Betty's cottage at Lake Erie.
Have a good week!
Miss P
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Healthy eating - homemade crockpot yogurt
For the past nine years, I have worked on eating healthier - and have lost 187 lbs. in the process! Has it been hard? Oh, yes! Has it seemed impossible? Many times! Have I ever failed? Somestimes daily. Has it been worth it? Of course. I don't know how many years I have left on this earth, but perhaps whatever time I have left will be healthy ones.
I came across another blog that included a recipe for homemade crockpot yogurt:
--8 cups (half-gallon) of whole milk--pasteurized and homogenized is fine, but do NOT use ultra-pasteurized. (Debbie recommends starting with whole milk until you get the hang of yogurt-making)--1/2 cup store-bought natural, live/active culture plain yogurt (you need to have a starter. Once you have made your own, you can use that as a starter)--frozen/fresh fruit for flavoring--thick bath towelThe Directions.This takes a while. Make your yogurt on a weekend day when you are home to monitor.I used a 4 quart crockpot. This is so exciting. My fingers are shaking!Plug in your crockpot and turn to low. Add an entire half gallon of milk. Cover and cook on low for 2 1/2 hours.Unplug your crockpot. Leave the cover on, and let it sit for 3 hours.When 3 hours have passed, scoop out 2 cups of the warmish milk and put it in a bowl. Whisk in 1/2 cup of store-bought live/active culture yogurt. Then dump the bowl contents back into the crockpot. Stir to combine.Put the lid back on your crockpot. Keep it unplugged, and wrap a heavy bath towel all the way around the crock for insulation.Go to bed, or let it sit for 8 hours.In the morning, the yogurt will have thickened---it's not as thick as store-bought yogurt, but has the consistency of low-fat plain yogurt.Blend in batches with your favorite fruit. I did mango, strawberry, and blueberry. When you blend in the fruit, bubbles will form and might bother you. They aren't a big deal, and will settle eventually.Chill in a plastic container(s) in the refrigerator. Your fresh yogurt will last 7-10 days. Save 1/2 cup as a starter to make a new batch.
It can even be thickened by adding a bit of powdered milk. So good...
I came across another blog that included a recipe for homemade crockpot yogurt:
--8 cups (half-gallon) of whole milk--pasteurized and homogenized is fine, but do NOT use ultra-pasteurized. (Debbie recommends starting with whole milk until you get the hang of yogurt-making)--1/2 cup store-bought natural, live/active culture plain yogurt (you need to have a starter. Once you have made your own, you can use that as a starter)--frozen/fresh fruit for flavoring--thick bath towelThe Directions.This takes a while. Make your yogurt on a weekend day when you are home to monitor.I used a 4 quart crockpot. This is so exciting. My fingers are shaking!Plug in your crockpot and turn to low. Add an entire half gallon of milk. Cover and cook on low for 2 1/2 hours.Unplug your crockpot. Leave the cover on, and let it sit for 3 hours.When 3 hours have passed, scoop out 2 cups of the warmish milk and put it in a bowl. Whisk in 1/2 cup of store-bought live/active culture yogurt. Then dump the bowl contents back into the crockpot. Stir to combine.Put the lid back on your crockpot. Keep it unplugged, and wrap a heavy bath towel all the way around the crock for insulation.Go to bed, or let it sit for 8 hours.In the morning, the yogurt will have thickened---it's not as thick as store-bought yogurt, but has the consistency of low-fat plain yogurt.Blend in batches with your favorite fruit. I did mango, strawberry, and blueberry. When you blend in the fruit, bubbles will form and might bother you. They aren't a big deal, and will settle eventually.Chill in a plastic container(s) in the refrigerator. Your fresh yogurt will last 7-10 days. Save 1/2 cup as a starter to make a new batch.
It can even be thickened by adding a bit of powdered milk. So good...
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Hear! Hear!
Oh, my head. My aching head...
While rinsing my hair Thursday night, a rogue drop of water found its way into my ear canal. I'm telling you, I couldn't hear a thing for three days. I kept telling people to talk into my left ear. At church, I couldn't tell if I was playing the right notes on the organ or not.
I had used drops. I tried irrigating it. But tonight, I conquered it by flushing it mightily - and I won. I can now hear what is going on in the next county.
We had a wonderful and beautiful week. It began with a Memorial Day picnic at Jean's. I wasn't able to attend it last year, for I was in the hospital. Kerry brought me down ribs and all the fixin's. I couldn't eat much of it. But, I was grateful to be able to attend it this year. Jordan and his little family, and Erik and his roommate, Oscar, were there also. I've included some pictures:
Jean's boys - Steve and Dave - always close brothers.
Jordan's little family - Melissa holding Justin, JJ, Jordan holding Jayden
Justin, Jayden, JJ, Jordan
Grandpa and Jayden
JJ
Mr. Erik
After the picnic, Erik and Oscar came over to our house for a couple of more hours. We talked and laughed and enjoyed each other a little morel.
The next day, I went with Betty to her doctor's appointment here in Mansfield. She has a particularly bad twitching of her left eye and face and must get injections to help arrest it. Later, she and Jean and I went to a restaurant that is straight out of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives (Food Network). It truly is a hole in the wall, but oh - the food is so good! As a matter of fact, Kerry and I returned there again on Thursday.
Wednesday night found us in Columbus for a scrumptious dinner with Erik. He had given us a gift card for Christmas that we needed to use, and it was the perfect evening. He told us that he thought we would really like it.
And, we did! It seemed very familiar to us - just like the one Harmony took us to in Honolulu our fist night there. I think it's called Buca de Beppa, or something like that. It's Italian - my personal favorite. I'm sure we'll go there again - if only to see the twirling Pope's head.
Kerry worked at the temple Thursday evening and I was there Friday. That's three days in a row in Columbus. It's okay. We enjoy it.
Kerry and I appreciate all of the faith and support and prayers that you offer in our behalf. They truly hold us up. I received a lot of emails after the missive I sent last week, and I have saved each one to draw on when I need strength. Thanks to you all. As an update - Peter went into the hospital last Sunday evening and is still there. They have done a battery of tests on him. He anticipates being out in the next couple of days.
This month, we wish a happy birthday to:
Content - Kerry's sister - Jun 5
Miss Debbie! - our good friend in Florida - June 10
Justin - Betty's son - Jun 16
Marion - wife of Kerry's brother, Kelly - Jun 17
Erik! - our son - Jun 27
And a happy anniversary to:
Jean and Earl - Jun 25
Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer,> > Cleveland , Ohio> > "To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me.. It is the most-requested column I've ever written.> >> > My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once> > more: 1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good. 2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone...4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch5. Pay off your credit cards every month.6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.14. If a relationship has to be a secret,you shouldn't be in it.15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.19.. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer. 21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.24. The most important sex organ is the brain.25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'27. Always choose life.28. Forgive everyone everything.29. What other people think of you is none of your business.30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.33. Believe in miracles.34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.37. Your children get only one childhood.38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's,we'd grab ours back.41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.42. The best is yet to come.43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.44. Yield.45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."
"I testify of angels, both the heavenly and the mortal kind. In doing so I am testifying that God never leaves us alone, never leaves us unaided in the challenges that we face. '[N]or will he, so long as time shall last, or the earth shall stand, or there shall be one man [or woman or child] upon the face thereof to be saved' (Moroni 7:36). On occasions, global or personal, we may feel we are distanced from God, shut out from heaven, lost, alone in dark and dreary places. Often enough that distress can be of our own making, but even then the Father of us all is watching and assisting. And always there are those angels who come and go all around us, seen and unseen, known and unknown, mortal and immortal."May we all believe more readily in, and have more gratitude for, the Lord's promise as contained in one of President Monson's favorite scriptures: 'I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, . . . my Spirit shall be in your [heart], and mine angels round about you, to bear you up' (D&C 84:88). In the process of praying for those angels to attend us, may we all try to be a little more angelic ourselves—with a kind word, a strong arm, a declaration of faith and 'the covenant wherewith [we] have covenanted' (D&C 90:24). Perhaps then we can be emissaries sent from God."
Jeffrey R. Holland, "The Ministry of Angels," Ensign, Nov. 2008, 31
While rinsing my hair Thursday night, a rogue drop of water found its way into my ear canal. I'm telling you, I couldn't hear a thing for three days. I kept telling people to talk into my left ear. At church, I couldn't tell if I was playing the right notes on the organ or not.
I had used drops. I tried irrigating it. But tonight, I conquered it by flushing it mightily - and I won. I can now hear what is going on in the next county.
We had a wonderful and beautiful week. It began with a Memorial Day picnic at Jean's. I wasn't able to attend it last year, for I was in the hospital. Kerry brought me down ribs and all the fixin's. I couldn't eat much of it. But, I was grateful to be able to attend it this year. Jordan and his little family, and Erik and his roommate, Oscar, were there also. I've included some pictures:
Jean's boys - Steve and Dave - always close brothers.
Jordan's little family - Melissa holding Justin, JJ, Jordan holding Jayden
Justin, Jayden, JJ, Jordan
Grandpa and Jayden
JJ
Mr. Erik
After the picnic, Erik and Oscar came over to our house for a couple of more hours. We talked and laughed and enjoyed each other a little morel.
The next day, I went with Betty to her doctor's appointment here in Mansfield. She has a particularly bad twitching of her left eye and face and must get injections to help arrest it. Later, she and Jean and I went to a restaurant that is straight out of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives (Food Network). It truly is a hole in the wall, but oh - the food is so good! As a matter of fact, Kerry and I returned there again on Thursday.
Wednesday night found us in Columbus for a scrumptious dinner with Erik. He had given us a gift card for Christmas that we needed to use, and it was the perfect evening. He told us that he thought we would really like it.
And, we did! It seemed very familiar to us - just like the one Harmony took us to in Honolulu our fist night there. I think it's called Buca de Beppa, or something like that. It's Italian - my personal favorite. I'm sure we'll go there again - if only to see the twirling Pope's head.
Kerry worked at the temple Thursday evening and I was there Friday. That's three days in a row in Columbus. It's okay. We enjoy it.
Kerry and I appreciate all of the faith and support and prayers that you offer in our behalf. They truly hold us up. I received a lot of emails after the missive I sent last week, and I have saved each one to draw on when I need strength. Thanks to you all. As an update - Peter went into the hospital last Sunday evening and is still there. They have done a battery of tests on him. He anticipates being out in the next couple of days.
This month, we wish a happy birthday to:
Content - Kerry's sister - Jun 5
Miss Debbie! - our good friend in Florida - June 10
Justin - Betty's son - Jun 16
Marion - wife of Kerry's brother, Kelly - Jun 17
Erik! - our son - Jun 27
And a happy anniversary to:
Jean and Earl - Jun 25
Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer,> > Cleveland , Ohio> > "To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me.. It is the most-requested column I've ever written.> >> > My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once> > more: 1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good. 2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone...4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch5. Pay off your credit cards every month.6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.14. If a relationship has to be a secret,you shouldn't be in it.15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.19.. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer. 21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.24. The most important sex organ is the brain.25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'27. Always choose life.28. Forgive everyone everything.29. What other people think of you is none of your business.30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.33. Believe in miracles.34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.37. Your children get only one childhood.38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's,we'd grab ours back.41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.42. The best is yet to come.43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.44. Yield.45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."
"I testify of angels, both the heavenly and the mortal kind. In doing so I am testifying that God never leaves us alone, never leaves us unaided in the challenges that we face. '[N]or will he, so long as time shall last, or the earth shall stand, or there shall be one man [or woman or child] upon the face thereof to be saved' (Moroni 7:36). On occasions, global or personal, we may feel we are distanced from God, shut out from heaven, lost, alone in dark and dreary places. Often enough that distress can be of our own making, but even then the Father of us all is watching and assisting. And always there are those angels who come and go all around us, seen and unseen, known and unknown, mortal and immortal."May we all believe more readily in, and have more gratitude for, the Lord's promise as contained in one of President Monson's favorite scriptures: 'I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, . . . my Spirit shall be in your [heart], and mine angels round about you, to bear you up' (D&C 84:88). In the process of praying for those angels to attend us, may we all try to be a little more angelic ourselves—with a kind word, a strong arm, a declaration of faith and 'the covenant wherewith [we] have covenanted' (D&C 90:24). Perhaps then we can be emissaries sent from God."
Jeffrey R. Holland, "The Ministry of Angels," Ensign, Nov. 2008, 31
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
