Feline Friday: Cat Cam!

We recently got a security camera which is linked to our phones. I feel like I just crawled out from under a rock, because I've recently learned that this is the way home monitoring (even baby monitoring!) systems work today. I have to say that the idea is great...especially if you have a cat! 

*** THINK CAT CAM!! ***

It's like we've suddenly gained access to The Secret World of Cats!

We like our camera (cat cam!) so much that we bought one for Bailey, too. Now when she's away, she can make sure everything's OK at home -- and with Rory! It's fun to peek in on her to see what she's up to all day!

(SIDE NOTE: In case anyone is wondering, we've confirmed that cats sleep A LOT of the day away while their meowmies are gone! They should be very well rested!)

Recently Bailey left a bird/squirrel video playing for Rory, just to keep her company when Bailey went to work.

 

Sure enough, the camera caught her watching it during the day! TOO CUTE!

 

 

Then it was back to bed for Rory!😺 The cat cam reveals all!
jp

Still Catching Up on Scrapbooking

UGH.

DOUBLE UGH.

Last year, I made a commitment to myself that I was going to get my scrapbooking situation back on track. I started strong, but then life got in the way, as it always does. The very sad situation with Tinsel really took the wind out of my sails and for a long period of time, I just didn't feel like scrapbooking.

On a happier note, my new-found obsession of genealogy also got in the way. I spent a lot of time working on my family history albums, which was time very well spent.
 

 

 And I finished a Florida trip album set which I'd started too long ago.

 

 And I made a very full summer camp album for my daughter, a project that needed to be done.

I also converted several post-bound albums to 3-ring binders and sorted through mountains of photos as I prepared to "catch up" on my family scrapbooks.

So when I think about what I accomplished scrapbooking-wise in 2017, I was actually pretty productive...just not on the tasks I planned to complete! I did the "B" items on my list and left the "A" item undone. Scrapbooking projects with a fixed beginning and end (like my Florida album) are always easier to complete than chronological albums which don't have an end in sight. It's only natural (and not a bad thing, really) to focus on those "low-hanging fruit" projects, because they can give you a sense of accomplishment and motivate you to keep going.

But my "A" list scrapbooking still looms so this weekend I decided to get back to it, and I couldn't even remember where I'd left off. Turns out I left off in 2003, mired in some journaling for the state fair. The last time I worked on this project was probably June. SIX MONTHS, PEOPLE! Good grief!

Sometimes it's harder to get back into something than it really should be. It's harder to go to the gym after a long absence than it is to go regularly. Chronological scrapbooking is a little bit like that. The longer you let it sit, the harder it is to get back to it.

But this is important to me, so I jumped back in and finished the journaling for the fair pages then moved on to the next event and the one after that. And I'm not putting it away. Each box of photos will continue to sit out on my table as an ever-present reminder to GIT-R-DONE.

This year, I need to figure out one day a week to really focus on this scrapbooking project. If I'd just dedicate time to it, I'd get it under control. I tell new scrapbookers to schedule time for themselves, but I need to more consistently practice what I preach.

That's my commitment to myself.

AGAIN. 😉

 

Feline Friday

The road to my heart is paved with paw prints.

-Alanna Chasin

Family History: Carrying on This Important Work

My family research project continues! I'm on the second of who-knows-how-many scrapbooks and my Ancestry online tree now has 400+ people in it. I've come quite a long way since starting this project a few months ago!

I now have identified all 16 great grandparents, 30 of my 32 great-great grandparents and many beyond that. As I've worked on my mom's side of the family, I've been researching lines that originated in Ireland and England. I've looked at castles, read about religious wars, and checked out family tartan patterns. It's interesting stuff!

In contrast to my dad's side of the family (where I was lucky to start with my grandma's extensive research as a foundation), I really have very little information about my mom's family. Mom's parents were divorced when she and her sister were quite young, and it wasn't an amicable situation. As a result, I know very little about my grandfather's family. In addition, my grandmother became estranged from her own family over the years so I have little information about them, either. 

Still, as I've worked on this project, I've had the sense that I'd somehow be able to figure out everything in due time...that I in fact possess books, documents, photos, or other memorabilia that will help me piece together my family history -- even if I haven't yet been able to see or find the information I need. And so far, this has truly been the case: I've found photos and opened books that I own but have never read to discover all kinds of missing information. It may sound a little weird but I have had the sense that I NEED to be doing this work and that I'll somehow be guided in doing it.

With that mindset, I rummaged through the house to find the few family artifacts I have which might help me start this part of my family tree.

 

The largest item I have is this ancient family Bible from my mom's father's side of the family. I found it in the bottom of an old trunk in my parents' basement after Dad passed away. It hadn't been opened in a very long time and was in such fragile condition that I didn't even look at it. I just boxed it up and brought it home, and it has been sitting untouched ever since. 

 

 I'll confess that in my state of grief, I very briefly considered putting this old Bible on the auction (I was so overwhelmed that made a few wrong-headed decisions at the time). But I'm very glad I decided to keep it because when I opened it up, I found several important family records. I have since learned that family Bibles are a very important (but often discarded or overlooked) source for genealogical research.

Lo and behold, tucked between the pages were baptism certificates, marriage records, and lists of relatives with birth, marriage, and death dates -- exactly the kind of information one needs when doing genealogy. All of this was hidden in the Bible and I didn't even know it. Again, it was information already in my possession that I just wasn't ready to find until now.

The Bible itself, although in fragile condition, is beautifully illustrated with large fold-out pictures and charts.

 

There are even a few family photos in the back. The information in this family Bible will be tremendously helpful in building my mom's side of the family tree.

I also remembered that I inherited a booklet compiled in 1948 by my second great-aunt Mate, a witty and colorful lady who I had the opportunity to know. It contains a family history of sorts written in story format, complete with her hand-drawn illustrations. I'd never even opened it until last week.

 Turns out it was so interesting that I couldn't put it down!

 As I read through it late one night, I kept the Ancestry app open on my phone and added in the generations my Aunt Mate detailed. As I found family member links on Ancestry, I could verify them using the birth dates she included in her book. It was almost like we were working on this project together across time and space.

And then I turned the page to find this beautiful picture of my great-great grandmother Hayes, Aunt Mate's mother, to whom she dedicated her book. I'd never seen her before.

This book is a real treasure, to say the least. Aunt Mate paints a very vivid picture of all the people she knew personally in her family and includes many humorous and poignant stories. Her writing breathes life into the people in my family tree.

And then at the very end, when I could hardly keep my eyes open, I was struck by this paragraph:

This closes this little story about my ancestors. I hope you have enjoyed reading it. There are many things left out that I'm sure you would have said, but I have done this to the best of my ability and sincerely hope some one will carry on where I have left off.

 Sure enough, I thought...THAT'S ME. The torch has been passed, and I'm doing my very best to carry on where Aunt Mate left off. 

This family history is important work, and I'm the one who must do it. I knew it all along! 

jp

Kitchen Upgrades!

 It seems that having less than stellar kitchen tools runs in my family. My mom never had great equipment to work with and, since I've never felt very competent in the kitchen, I haven't invested in the best tools for myself. But I'm slowly trying to change that, having purchased an immersion blender and even a meat pounder recently. Now I don't have to flatten chicken with my magnetic craft hammer! (NOT KIDDING)

Awhile back, I decided I was tired of using the same silverware we've used since we got married many moons ago. I've never liked it and frankly I'm not even sure where it came from. My guess is that I earned it by purchasing groceries back when I was still living with my parents after college. (I earned an entire set of {ugly} china in that same way!) 

So I'd been looking for new silverware with a cleaner, simpler design and eventually found a set at Target. As it worked out, our daughter purchased it for me (us) for Christmas. I recently washed it all and put it into use and all I can say is WOW! It's a real treat to actually like the silverware you're using. Spouse requested service for 12 (!!) so now we never run out of any utensil!

 As if that's not exciting enough, Bailey gave me the most beautiful pan for my birthday! This is one of those really fancy pans that can go from stove top into the oven to finish whatever you're cooking. Now you must understand that this is a really big deal for me! My pans are in various stages of disrepair, and I have to tighten the handles to keep them from falling off. I've certainly never had a pan that could go from stove top to oven. There are recipes I have not been able to try because I didn't have the proper pan. It's like a whole new world!

I recently tried out the pan using Bailey's favorite chicken recipe. You coat the chicken in a dry rub mixture of spices, then brown it on both sides.

 

After browning, you pop it into the oven to finish cooking. Awhile back, Bailey also gave me a fancy instant-read thermometer so I could check to be sure the chicken was completely done. It was delicious! It's amazing what even I could do with this beautiful pan!

Thanks to Dear Daughter, I'm excited to have some wonderful new kitchen upgrades. With luck, this will mean more culinary success in the new year, and that's something EVERYONE can get excited about!

jp

Feline Friday: Yoga with Rory

Rory has decided to take up yoga in the New Year! She especially likes Yoga with Adriene because Benji the dog can often be seen on camera. This encouraged Rory to give it a try! :)

Since she's just getting started, Rory is spending a lot of time studying each pose very carefully. I CAN DO DIS!

HAY WHATS DIS ABOUT DOWNWARD DOGS?

  Part of Rory's yoga preparation is riding along with her meowmy on poses such as the "reclined twist" to better understand how it's done.

DIS YOGA IZ RELAXXEEN!

SOooooo relaxeen...DIS IS CALLED ZEN!

Good job doing yoga, Rory! :)

jp

P.S.: If you'd like to try yoga, Rory HIGHLY recommends Yoga with Adriene's free YouTube videos. You (and your kitty or dog) can practice in your home at your own pace. Check it out!

Ancestry DNA Results

 If you've been reading my blog, you know that last year I started working in earnest on my family heritage albums. This involved creating a family tree on Ancestry and learning a lot about genealogy in the process. Although I still have miles to go, I feel like I have a really good start to this project and -- importantly -- I'm excited and motivated to continue!

To supplement the information I've compiled and verified on my family tree, I decided to take the Ancestry DNA test. I sent in my test in early December, expecting 6-8 weeks or more to receive the results. Since then, I've been reading and watching videos on Ancestry to understand what to expect and how to use the results to augment my family tree research.

 In taking the test, I hoped to validate my "paper trail" so far and find clues for further research. I also wondered if there would be any unexpected results, which I've heard is often the case.

 

To my delight, the notification came back just a few days ago that my results were already in. I could hardly contain my excitement! And yes, there were a few surprises!

  This is a screenshot of my ethnicity estimate. Of course, I was expecting to see Europe West as I have already validated that my dad's father's side of the family came primarily from France and Germany. I also expected to see Ireland/Scotland/Wales as I know that my mom's side of the family came from that part of the world, even though I haven't put together that part of my family tree.

But Scandinavia? This was a total surprise and I had no idea what to make of it. My immediate thought was: AM I A VIKING? LOL Short answer: Probably not...but maybe a tiny bit. :)

(not actually me!!)

Further study helped me understand that the Vikings and others from Scandinavia invaded (and sometimes came to live peacefully in) northern France (where my family is from) and the British Isles (where I also have roots). So this influence could be from either side of my family, since both lived in areas of invasion. I will never know for sure, but further study might enable me to make an educated guess.

  The other trace amounts are also interesting. I was very surprised to see only 5% Great Britain as I know that my dad's mother's family hails from England. Obviously that ethnicity became diluted over time. The Iberian Peninsula factor (Spain, Portugal) also warrants further research, but I understand that trace amounts are common in people with Great Britain in their DNA profile.

 In addition to the ethnicity estimate (which you have to remember is only an ESTIMATE based on Ancestry's methodology), Ancestry provides some really interesting migration charts which show how populations moved over time. In the chart below, you can see on the right the regions where my DNA comes from and on the left, where those groups migrated.

 

These charts are consistent with the research I've done so far which indicates that I had family settle in New England and move from there on to Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and finally Iowa.

 You can take the Ancestry DNA test without being a subscriber to Ancestry.com, but the results are far more useful if you have a family tree on Ancestry which is filled out as much as possible. This is because the test results also connect you to "cousins" (I found one 2nd cousin, a few 3rd cousins, and the other 500+ are 4th cousins and beyond) who may be on the same research journey. You have the opportunity to connect with these people to collaborate on family history, or at least make use of their documentation. 

 

The only frustrating part of this process is that the vast majority of my DNA matches either do not have a family tree at all or have a very small tree with only a couple of generations listed. Without that information, you can't see how you might be related, unless you message the person privately.

 

 So I quickly discovered that in order to make the most of my results, I needed to add more people to my tree. Up until this week, I had only focused on my dad's side of the family. Now I've started to fill out my mom's side of the tree with as much information as I have been able to validate so far. In working on a couple of those lines, I've been able to verify which line came from Ireland, consistent with the DNA results. There's even a family crest! 

 

For the first time, I now know the names of all 8 of my great grandparents, and all 16 of my great-great grandparents. In the screenshot below, each little arrow at the right indicates that the family tree continues even farther back on some lines. My immediate goal is to fill in each line at least to the homeland, where research becomes more difficult. The more information I can fill in, the more useful the DNA results will become to me.

I know that there are many people who view genealogy as a very dry subject but for me, it is having the opposite effect. I'm fascinated with learning as much as I can about the people who came before me and in turn, hopefully more about myself.

 Much more to come on this subject! Thanks for hanging with me on this journey. :)

jp

Feline Friday: BRRR!

 Brrrr...it is COLD here in the Midwest! We've been in the deep freeze for several days now. It's rough on people and kitties alike!

Just how cold is it, you ask? Well, here in Iowa, it's so cold that you can find Lily on top of the furnace vents! That's COLD!

 And it's even cold in Texas! In response to the 20-degree weather, Rory has actually grown a winter coat, making her look a whole lot fluffier than usual. She has also been wearing her sweater and tunneling under the covers, sometimes for hours at a time!

 It's obviously a rough life for these kitties! They're just hoping to make it until spring! :)

Stay safe and warm, everybody! 

jp