Disorder

Today's Water View

I don't do disorder! I need things neat and orderly in their place but more importantly time delays just kind of make me disoriented. It's not so bad if I can semi plan but that doesn't always happen as in today. I knew on Friday our new washer and dryer were arriving between 10 and 10:30 this morning. That meant I would have time to get up and do my normal morning routing before they arrived and I also knew laundry would be slightly delayed. Monday is laundry days here. It used to be Saturdays when the kids were younger and quite often more than that but with just the two of us most days, Mondays work well. It is the start of the week for us and that way we get any weekend laundry out of the way as well, plus we usually have a lot of company over the weekend or take off ourselves so Saturdays are just out.

Ok, so we had the plan all set out and I was ok with that. My husband disconnected the old washer and dryer, pulled them from the wall so I could clean and I figured just a bit of last minute tidying would get things in order in the morning. That meant I could sip on my coffee and take time waking up in front of the computer. Wrong! They showed up at 8:30 am with me still in my pj's. I hollered at my husband who let them in while I quickly changed. He had to be out the door so I had to take over. So much for my coffee or even trying to waken! They left around 11 am so there was the morning gone. The gas installer is due any minute. Hopefully that doesn't take long and I can get things back in order right quick. Hopefully within the next hour the laundry will be happily getting cleaned while I figure out what the heck to have for dinner. See what I mean, everything is out of kilter today!
© 2007

Overlooked Genealogy Resources

Sunset on Ice
later view, last night

We received an early morning call today letting us know an older family member on my husband's side had passed away. Visitation is this afternoon and this evening. The funeral is tomorrow morning at 11 am. I was going to post this picture on yesterday's entry and for some reason decided against it. So this picture is a tribute to her, knowing we will meet again!

Too often when doing genealogy research an important genealogy resource is overlooked - other family members. We let the valuable information slip right through our hands. Now why would that be? Sometimes the answer is quite simple especially for those not growing up or even knowing their biological family but other times the answer is more complex. Do yourself a favour - put any of that aside and pick those family tree branches! Send out information seeking letters. Most genealogy programs even have a function to set this up with a form letter and your contact information. I sent out ten of these on one branch of my family tree and got back only one but that did not discourage me because the one I got back gave me a heck of a lot of information. I also got a phone call from an elderly member of another branch when I did the same thing. We had a lovely chat and I found out so much about my great grandparents, all family stories but all very valuable information.

As a researcher trying to get the most of your research time, do not discount the family stories. Even if there are family problems, you can likely still gain information. You might end up being the peace keeper or the bridge that makes the difference. At the very least, you might gain just even a little tid bit you didn't know about your elusive ancestors.

I recommend using letters, interviews, digital cameras and tape recorders. As always please keep the feelings of your extended family in mind. Ask once and if you don't get an immediate reply consider something may be going on in their life that prevents them from answering. Always ask if a family member minds being recorded as some do not want that. I will tell you this is really a nice thing to have the recordings of your ancestors and other family members but don't push those who don't like the idea. The same applies to digital cameras. If at all possible get that picture but don't force the issue. Your job as a researcher is to get all the information you can without breaking any bridges. Do not discount the valuable information old Aunt Tilly might tell you!

A Quiet Day

Tonight's Sunset on the Water

Today has been blissfully sunny and bright. I've been watching the ice on and off much of the day and that isn't hard with our view. While the ice didn't appear to be moving this morning, sending thousands of little prisms in every direction it must have been moving enough with the current. By late afternoon a path had opened revealing the deep turquoise blue of the water, a direct contrast to the sparkling white and diamond like ice. I took this picture about a half hour ago. We are so very fortunate to be able to enjoy such beauty. No wonder my ancestors loved this area so much!

While I was prepping the photo for uploading, the sad news came on the television about Anna Nicole Smith. I hadn't had the television on all day so only just heard. What a terrible shame!

Ice on Water

Ice is amazing. It can be so beautiful yet cause so much damage and so many problems. This picture of the ice on the water was taken this morning as I pondered over my morning coffee.

I'm still feeling under the weather so another rather inactive day was forced on me. I decided to go through a small pile of genealogy papers. In the pile there were two thin spiral notebooks of my earlier notes from back about the time I upgraded my software in 1999. I tossed these aside then grabbed them up again and started flipping through the pages. I knew all confirmed information had been entered into my database but what, just what if I had missed something? All entries were written in my normal style complete with date of entry then follow-ups to the entries in other ink colours. It sounds confusing but the system makes sense to me. True enough everything of importance at that time had been entered into the database and carefully noted in red the date entered but I found a lot of little notes and my questions jotted beside so of my entries. Seeing these notes and questions with fresh eyes means more questions. So now I will spend my genealogy time doing a double check between these notes and my database, adding in new questions. Each question may lead to more information unlocking the past!

Canadian Humour...

Rio, Las Vegas, Nevada

Not feeling well today still, so coming up with an idea for today's post was difficult. But as I enjoyed my homemade chicken noodle soup while watching CBC aka most dumped on and hated television station aside of local, not likely to be aired cable stations, it hit me. A tongue in cheek view at Canadian humour sounded pretty good since it's not like we have serious programs like CSI: Toronto. See I am Canadian and I have a strong sense of Canadian humour that others might even think is wacky at times. When I'm not poking fun at our national icons like CBC or Don Cherry or what's that team that hasn't won a World Series in so long my collectors cards are now worthless to the point I can't even sell them on ebay. Sometimes I have to even resort to getting my daily dose of humour from fellow Canadians and Canadian television commercials, so I blog. Hey, it gets us through the long, cold winters, eh! With global warming that shouldn't be much of a problem soon.

There are some television programs that I do turn to for humorous Canadian content aside of the Molsen Canadian famous I Am Canadian commercial and the various lyrical variations. The Rick Mercer should keep you in stitches and is particularly good for satirical comments on our latest government in power. That would be the Conservatives and they certainly are providing a lot of humour content! For more satire or just plain funny stuff on the Conservatives check out This Hour Has 22 Minutes. This is just downright funny show that pokes fun all around not just at the government but other Canadian icons and anything else of fair game. Just For Laughs from Montreal is always a hoot! It is stand-up comedy with many upcoming Canadian comedians so you never know what you are going to be exposed to. The very best Canadian icon is The Red Green Show staring Canadian Steve Smith. If you have not seen this classic, you are really missing one of the best of Canadian humour as well as infinite tips for using duct tape.

The unfortunate thing is all these shows appear of CBC and while I really am upset with them for canceling Emmerdale, at least there is still some humour being aired by them aside of their commercials and news. They even have a new sit com called Little Mosque on the Prairie that is rather humorous. But if anything we Canadians have learned about CBC, if the show is good they will cancel it!

I'm off for another bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup, another shot of Canadian humour and hopefully will be back to normal tomorrow!

Under the Weather

Waterview This Morning

I woke this morning with a horrible sore throat and feeling simply sick as well as tired from yesterday's activities. The house was blistfully quiet so I sat sipping hot coffee enjoying the view from our front windows. The sun danced off the water and ice sending sparkles everywhere. Somehow this made everything ok .

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7) is scheduled for release on July 21, 2007. Like most Harry Potter fans, I am looking forward to this book so will be re-reading the first six books for clues as to what Book 7 may unfold. For me this will be a bitter sweet book as it is slated to be the last in the series and we have already been given the hint that some of the original characters will not survive. Also like many fans I have my ideas of what this book has in store and there have been many hints as well as speculation.

Please keep the families of two fallen firemen in the line of duty in Winnipeg today along with leaving a third fighting for his life in your prayers.
© 2007

Jack Frost

Back years ago through the eyes of a child I loved Jack Frost. He would come though the night when I was sleeping and paint my bedroom window with his amazing paint brush. Oh the innocence of someone with sparkles in her eyes! Fast forward to now and you know what, Jack Frost means energy loss. But for one brief moment, I was transported back to my childhood wonderment!

negative self talk...

Phynx Entrance, Luxor
Las Vegas, Nevada

This photo is of one of the entrances at the Luxor in Las Vegas. Designed after an Egyptian pyramid, this impressive casino and resort is a must stop at on your tour of Las Vegas. The Luxor has the strongest beam of light in the world. It can be seen from astronauts on space missions so this is rather impressive. Pyramids signify strength and endurance and they have been rumoured to restore inner balance.

Negative self talk is something we all do from time to time. While this is destructive and self harming, it really can really become pathological. My self esteem has always been on the low side. I don't know why, likely a combination of genetics, environment and patterning. So the last thing I need is me putting myself down! I think one of the biggest problems with negative self talk is recognizing it. We say these things to ourselves so often we aren't even aware but our minds begin believing these unspoken words resulting in a self-fulfilling prophecy. It is critical to recognize negative self talk and nip it in the bud before it has negative effects on your ego. After all, if you don't love yourself, who is going to?

Well that sounds great coming from someone with low self esteem, doesn't it? Even this question is negative towards my thoughts on the subject but I'll address that in another entry. I don't think I really became totally aware of how destructive negative self talk can be until I said some pretty nasty things, out loud, because I had accidently tipped over a bowl of food in the kitchen. My husband was home but out of earshot so I thought but clearly heard me berating myself for such stupid. I was so used to doing this when I was home alone, it just popped out of my mouth without even thinking! I turned around and there he was. Belying the astonishment on his face, he calmly asked if I would say those things to anyone else. When I replied no, he asked "Then why would you say them to yourself?". That got me thinking as to why would I say these negative things either silently or out loud to myself and ever since that time I have made a conscious effort nip these types of thoughts before they can do damage.

Recently, I had another eye opener. We were out as a foursome with another couple and as normal we gals paired together. Well, one thing led to another finally ending with body size and she made the comment she was "nothing but a fat cow". I automatically said, "Don't say that about yourself" and she seriously stopped short then realized what she said. We talked a little about the negative self talk and how it makes us believe things about ourselves that aren't particularly accurate. Later that night, my husband surprised me by saying he overheard our conversation and was proud of the way I handled that situation. So much for the guys doing their own thing but the compliment was much appreciated!

eyes...

eyes...

These are my eyes and that was to be the topic of today's entry. So I make a really nice animation of my eyes that worked nicely in ImageReady and then I uploaded it to blogger but the animation no longer worked! I'm not sure what I did wrong. Sometimes the animations work when uploaded and sometimes they don't.

They say that the eyes are windows to the soul. I truly believe that as it really only takes one direct look into the eyes of another person to see what type of person they really are. The eyes do not hide the truth. My eyes have seen so many things. Some have been awe inspiring while other things I would rather have not seen, then everything in between. I've seen images that will haunt me until the day I die and likely beyond, things that one should not see. On the other had I have been blessed to have seen such magnificent beauty that sometimes it just takes my breath away. I've seen life at it's molecular level and still the very sight amazes me! Even when I sleep my eyes continue to bring images from my subconscious forcing me to accept or confront those things locked safely away in the recesses of my mind. Other times my eyes lead me through vivid Kodak colour adventures through my dreams. They reflect my mood and whether or not I'm tired, sick, unhappy, excited and a host of other emotions. All have left a mark on my soul and entire being. No one can ever go through life without this happening! Pay close attention to your eyes and what they are telling others about you.

Our Travels

The majority of our travels are within North America. I found this cute site where you can check what states you have visited and it generates a map for you. The states visited are in red so as you can see we still have a lot of travelling to do. While there is a version for countries visited there isn't one for Canadian provinces and territories. Hopefully they will add that soon. We have travelled throughout a lot of Canada with the exception of Yukon Territory, Northwest Territories and Nunavat so those are on our travel to-do list.

create your own visited states map

Winter Thoughts

Winter Ice

This was the view on the way to the airport on the 16^th. Ice on the trees back by brilliant blue skies and bright sun is always a treat. Everything glitters with natural eye candy! The weather in Las Vegas was cool but dry and for the most part sunny. I think the sun makes so much difference as to how we feel. We really do need to get those sunny days to boost our moods and put things in perspective.

We came home to snow, dull grey skies and an air mattress. A new mattress has been ordered so all should be well shortly. We decided on a regular mattress instead of a waterbed mattress. That way we can be away for extended periods without worrying about the bed leaking and we'll save the costs of the heater.

It's snowing again today. Since we are so tired we barely notice but we have noticed the changing view and the water fowl while sipping our morning coffee then later curling up with a hot chocolate. January is almost over so things aren't so bad. February is a short month but the Old Farmer's Almanac is predicting six more weeks of winter. That really isn't too bad since November and December were so mild. In no time it will be time to start seeds and get the garden going. For now, I'm going to focus on genealogy and writing my book. Both are nice activities for cold winter days when I really don't want to go outdoors.

Mime
Venetian, Las Vegas

Mimes intrigue me! Not because they do their job so well and they do but because they can remain so still for so long. This mime at the Venetian in Las Vegas is one of the best I've seen. He or she did a mime of a statue. It was very, very good and very believable.

I wish I could be like that but I can't. I obviously inherited a you must be in constant motion gene. Wiggling and squiggling is just normal for me and it has worsened since being in an accident resulting in not being able to sit more than 15 minutes at a time. It darn neared killed me having to sit through seminars where that kind of movement is simply not acceptable. I managed to find a way to jiggle my feet and do mind exercises to compensate but it got me through and I still rely on those techniques today. Even when in semi-sleep or sleeping I'm in constant motion.

Being a geneticist and into genealogy has be thinking. I know for sure this particular trait was passed onto two of my kids so there is genetic link. Looking back on my genealogy, I've found no direct comment regarding this trait but there have been some very good indicators that this trait is fairly prevalent in my family history. It certainly has been prevalent in newer generation. Now what I would really like to pin point is which ancestor this trait came from. I'm thinking it is autosomal dominant given the pattern in my family history and in our kids. Back to researching...

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Winter Vacation in Las Vegas

Golden Nugget Casino
Las Vegas, Nevada

Winter vacations help break up the long winter months. Generally we like going somewhere warmer than home. We left on the 16^th of January for Las Vegas, Nevada. Our home base for this nine day trip was the Golden Nugget Casino right in the midst of the Fremont Street Experience in downtown Las Vegas. We've stayed in the downtown area of Las Vegas for most of our past trips, preferring that area to the strip. However, since we always rent a vehicle while in Las Vegas, we manage to do a fair amount of sight seeing. Most of our meals were comped. The room for most of the trip. The first night was spent in one of the two story luxury suites at the Golden Nugget. This suit was absolutely gorgeous complete with spiral staircase. Very plush!

We met friends of ours who were staying at the Mirage Hotel & Casino. They arrived a day before we did and left a couple of days before we left. I think one of the first things to deal with is the time difference of three hours earlier in Las Vegas than where we live. That doesn't seem like a lot but when the plane lands it is already three hours earlier and in Las Vegas the time just doesn't matter. We ended up going to bed about 5 am their time or 8 am our time effectively being on the go full tilt for well over 24 hours! From there it was just a whirl wind of activities. While the weather was cooler than expected it was still warmer than home with no precipitation. The sun was warm enough to enjoy a few days and we even sat outdoors by the pool one day taking a break from the gaming floor.

Shark Tank

We stayed at the Golden Nugget in May of 2006. At that time the pool area was undergoing a huge renovation. Despite rumours from other players that they were errecting another tower, they replaced the pool with a pool encircling a shark tank. There is a large two story water tube that you can ride through with clear viewing inside the shark tank. It is very impressive! The pool area includes a bar, hot tub and several seating areas.

We arrived home about 8 am this morning so it has been a tiring day. All in all it was a wonderfully relaxing vacation. Now that our winter vacation is over it is back to our normal routine. I'll be spending a fair amount of time on my book and genealogy. My husband has already started planning our spring vacation. Life is so much more pleasant with vacations!

On Our Winter Vacation

January 16 - 25, 2006
See You Soon!

End of an Era

Heavenly Blue Morning Glory

When it rains, it pours so the saying goes. Most of yesterday we had freezing rain on and off that continued into the early hours today. I had just settled into bed when I heard a dripping sound. At first I thought it was just the way the ice pellets were hitting the windows but then the rhythm was too consistent so I got up to investigate. Not finding any obvious drips I kept following the dripping sound around the bed and sure enough right by my husband's sleeping head, the waterbed was dripping! Of all times, the day before we are leaving on vacation. I quickly awoke him and we set to work. The leak was right on a seam so the chances of repairing were slim even if we could find the repair kit. So we propped up the spot with towels. I stripped the bed and got the drain kit while my husband braved the freezing rain to get a hose from the greenhouse. Once set-up we tried draining into the bathtub but that was just too slow since there was not enough gravity. Finally we took the screen out of one of the windows and hung the hose outside which sped up the process. With the mattress finally drained we gathered everything including the heater to toss out. Thank goodness we have a self inflatable queen size mattress so we put that into the frame, remade the bed and then crashed. It was only 3:30 am!

Things happen for a reason. Had the bed done this after we left, we would have come home to a real mess! Our bedroom is right over the tv room portion of the great room so there could easily have been a lot of damage. But what we found when we removed the heater was even scarier. The bottom of the heater had several rust spots, a good indication of a potential problem. I shudder to think of what could have happened! Someone in the big upstairs was surely looking out for us last night.

We've had a waterbed almost from the time we were married. In that time we've only had three leaks including this one. One resulted in a new mattress but this time we will likely consider alternatives. Leaks are never fun to deal with! It's an end of an era.

Protecting Genealogy Data

Aberfoyle Model Train Show

It's funny how things will pop into your mind just out of the blue and then take a life of their own. This was the case with my genealogy data recently. We are getting ready for our winter vacation so as always I worry. A few nights ago, I had a dream about the Aberfoyle Model Train Show and for some reason ghosts of my ancestors flitted through the dream. I awoke in a distressed state trying to make some sense of the dream when finally it hit me. Consciously, I recognized the great deal of time, love, dedication and effort that went into creating the Aberfoyle Junction display but subconsciously it came to me through my dream the thought it would be such a horrible shame to have it destroyed. The ancestral ghosts forced me to think of my genealogy data and how to protect it. Subconsciously, I recognized the need to protect my data further. It is just interesting to me how it blended together the way it did in the dream. I believe dreams always give us a lesson. It's up to us how we use that lesson.

I have a large genealogical database consisting of almost 7,000 individuals along with notes, annotations, sources and pictures. That database is always backed up each time I work on it. A copy is stored on each computer, each laptop and on a CD then a weekly copy is stored in a safety deposit box. Now this might sound like overkill but considering the amount of time and money I've spent on researching my family, it really is a very small price.

What I hadn't considered was protecting the hard copies! The vast majority of my hard copies have been scanned and of course backed-up but as the information is added to the database but that is not the same as the actual hard copies. I have at least four 4" binders stuffed full of documents, pictures and supporting evidence. It hit me that I've been extremely complacent. While this is most digitalized it is still a work in progress. If we ever had a fire almost 25 years of work would be gone! I expressed my concerns to my husband. He came home the next day with a fire and waterproof safe big enough to hold all four binders!

It is extremely important to scan and back up any genealogical data and it is very important to do regular and frequent back-ups. But don't forget to protect those hard copies!

CBC - Changing Times

I have been a huge fan of both Coronation Street and Emmerdale for years and before that Country Practice. CBC decided quite some time ago not to air Country Practice anymore but now without any warning or notice to the loyal fans of Emmerdale have now cancelled that program as well. They have done the same thing with Canadian soaps that had loyal followings like North of 60. There are a lot of fans very upset about the cancellation of Emmerdale but life goes on. It would be nice if CBC started listening to the viewers but as they continue to not listen then viewership will decrease. So I will bid goodbye to Emmerdale with tears in my eyes as I watch CBC shoot themselves in the foot once again. Pretty soon when they have no viewers we will wave a tearful goodbye at another Canadian icon called CBC!

Welcome the New Year 2007

Greys

And so a new year begins. I'm out of sorts and exhausted from all of the excitement of a new grandbaby. But now things are starting to settle down, I'm still out of sorts. My Dayplanner isn't ready for the new year. My desktop is simply over cluttered and I don't even want to think about my inbox! My husband has already booked our winter vacation and quite frankly all I really want to do is snuggle up on the couch. We'll be leaving later this month for a week in the sun but I need to spend time on my planner so I can put the wheels in motion for this coming year. I don't function well without the organization!

Welcome 2007!