A New Award–I’m Honored!!

Thanks to Jenny Keller Ford, I’ve been awarded The Paperclip Award. Here are my questions to answer:

1.When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Famous. Lol. I just always wanted to be in the lime light–an actress, dancer, singer. I used to write my speeches out in acceptance of awards–who knew that I’d be accepting them today as a writer?

2. What is your ultimate favorite place to be?

At home with my family. I enjoy learning about their days and sharing precious time with them.

3.Name one famous person who inspires you (just one).

In a previous award, I named Stephen King, so I’ll go with Marion Zimmer Bradley. I just loved her fantasy novels and when I submitted to her magazine, she actually wrote encouraging words to me. That she took a moment of her time to do so, remains with me all these years after her death as do her intricate, magical worlds.

4. Tea or coffee? I used to revel in tea for my morning drink, but cappucinos came along and coffee has become my all-time favorite.

5. If you could be any other person for 48 hours, who would you be? J.K. Rowling, just to know how she approaches her writing, to learn about her as a person (I’ve heard she’s done some fantastic charity work), and to know what’s it’s like to live in a castle. Lol.

6.What is your earliest memory: Gosh, my memory is thatthick (lol). Um, I was convinced I was adopted. My family was just way to normal…lol.

7. If you could ask anyone, living or dead, anything, who would it be? And what would you ask? I’d ask my grandfather on my mom’s side about his family as I work on genealogy and it’s so frustrating to find such slim leads. I would about his Cherokee mother and her story.

8. What is the scariest thing you have ever done? Walk away from a world of violence.

9. What is your favorite book? Different Seasons by SK for The Body story within.

10. Briefly explain one of the weirdest dreams you have ever had.

Hm..Well, it involved cougar teeth, a creature that tore flesh of a skeleton ate it and also slurped up the blood. Yes. It’s where I get my ideas. Lol.

11. What song best describes you? (Feel free to post a utube video.)

The above song reminds me of growing up in the country. It’s sad though.

Then there’s this ones which lifts me up to being a little risky in life:

12. Pen or pencil?

Pen.

13. Is 13 an unlucky number or not?

Not for me. My daughter was born on Friday the 13th.

And here’s who I’m passing the award off to:

Jody Hedlund

K.M. Weiland

Lisa Lail Green

Rek

 

 

 

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Genealogies are Stories in Themselves

Image via Wikipedia

Genealogies are Stories in Themselves

Traci Kenworth

 

I’ve been researching my family for years. I’ve poured through hundreds of birth and death certificates, tax and census records, and even old addresses. Anything to find a clue, a link to the next stage or to fill the pieces in clearer on the person/s in particular I’m looking into at that moment. It’s always exciting to learn their stories. For instance, in the 1800s, my family owned a stagecoach inn here in Ohio that burnt to the ground at the turn of the century.

My family also was quite well off (wish I could say the same for me. lol.). They owned a lot of acreage, giving some away to churches and dowries for their daughters. My great, great grandfather was one of the earliest pioneers in Ohio, coming here from New York. It’s been a struggle to find anything going back further than that or who his parents are, but I’m not giving up. It just takes turning over that piece of puzzle to make it fit.

On my mother’s side, our great, great grandfather comes from PA. We know who his parents are but have little info on them. Sometimes records get lost in fires or misplaced. I do know that we have Cherokee blood in us from my Mom’s side as well. It’s been fascinating learning about these people and their lives. You can see the hardships and triumphs they’ve gone through. This same great, great grandfather, for instance, married a second time to a woman who turned out to be a gold-digger.

It’s been difficult to trace some of my mother’s side as well as there are 16 kids on that side (no, we’re not Amish. Lol.). People lose touch and move on. That doesn’t always mean their life stays invisible to us though. It just takes a little more effort. I’ve been fortunate to find three others who share my passion for looking into our roots. They’ve filled a lot of blanks in for me, and I hope I’ve returned the favor.

Pictures are scarce from days past, but when found they are a true treasure. To see the resemblances, the face of someone who helped shape your future. I’m trying, right now, to link my family pages with as many of them as I can. Oh, and FB, believe it or not, has become a good source of info as well, though you still have to cross-check your facts.

I encourage everyone to look into their past. Open those family Bibles, you’d be surprised at the stories you’ll find. And get people talking—what they have to say may surprise you. Moms, dads, grandparents, aunts & uncles, cousins, you’ll be fascinated by what they went through and what led to defining who they are. So take a look, have a listen, you may be delighted to find that some ancestor kept a journal, wrote a book, invented something, stood out in battle. Good luck!

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