and wouldn't you know...
Friday, July 20, 2007
the pot at the end of the rainbow
Finally, it's been seen and photographed...
and wouldn't you know...
and wouldn't you know...
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Does such a beast exist?
I've been working on my genealogy -- a lot -- lately. It has always been a passion of mine, but it has usually been put on the back burner.
On our recent vacation, we came home through Kansas so I could stop and dig. Thomas was bored to tears, but had his Gameboy to help pass the time.
I learned a little. I learned much more when I got home and hit ancestry.com. I'm ready to go back to Clay County and Washington County, KS again because I'm armed with much more info and many more questions.
***
Several years ago, I called a cousin I hadn't talked to in years to ask her what she knew of our family history. This is a basic beginning step in genealogy: ask living relatives first. She didn't know anything, but she told me her brother did. Well, thing is, my mom couldn't stand her brother and he always kind of "scared" me because of mom. So, I wasn't going to call him.
Instead, he called me. He was elated to find that there was a family member out there who was into the family history. He had two trunks full of stuff that his son did not want. He wanted to give it to someone in the family. Would I like it? Duh, of course I would like it. So instead of me planning a trip to Colorado to get it, he planned a trip to Minnesota and brought the stuff to me. Wow, a great "gift" delivered!
That was the single most best "gift" I have ever received in my life. Ever.
One of the trunks was lined in newspaper. One of the pages of that newspaper had my great-great grandfather's name and a date of February 1879. I surmised from that that my 2great-grandmother had just received the trunk from her father who had just passed. It is a really old trunk and even if it had arrived to my home empty, I would have been thrilled.
But no, that trunk was stuffed. Full of photos and other "stuff." Newspaper clippings, hand-written scraps of paper, etc. It was a genealogical gold mind.
***
Fast forward to this week. I have all these photos. With all my work, I have discovered some of the photos that I thought were friends are actually related to us. I want to share this stuff with my siblings and cousins. But there are too many pictures to make copies of. I simply could not afford to do that -- even at only .19 per photo. There are too many.
I could write a "book" and print it, but I wouldn't be able to include all the photos and it still would be way too expensive.
I could make a computer disk -- ah, the easiest solution. However, one sister does not own nor does she want a computer.
I have read somewhere that you can make DVDs to play on your TV of your photos. I think this would be perfect. I could make jpegs out of my tree information (family group sheets) easy enough and include those.
Thing is, I'm clueless on how to do this. Is there a software to do this? Plus I'd want an antique-type feel to it. Music would be fun, too. I'm not too keen on narration, as I don't like to hear my own voice. I can make jpegs out of any factual information I want to share to counter the lack of narration.
Does such a software beast exist? In my mind, it is the perfect solution.
I will close with a photo of the road to my second-great-grandparents' home. They lived to the left, a quarter of a mile in. It was gorgeous -- if you love farm country, that is.
On our recent vacation, we came home through Kansas so I could stop and dig. Thomas was bored to tears, but had his Gameboy to help pass the time.
I learned a little. I learned much more when I got home and hit ancestry.com. I'm ready to go back to Clay County and Washington County, KS again because I'm armed with much more info and many more questions.
***
Several years ago, I called a cousin I hadn't talked to in years to ask her what she knew of our family history. This is a basic beginning step in genealogy: ask living relatives first. She didn't know anything, but she told me her brother did. Well, thing is, my mom couldn't stand her brother and he always kind of "scared" me because of mom. So, I wasn't going to call him.
Instead, he called me. He was elated to find that there was a family member out there who was into the family history. He had two trunks full of stuff that his son did not want. He wanted to give it to someone in the family. Would I like it? Duh, of course I would like it. So instead of me planning a trip to Colorado to get it, he planned a trip to Minnesota and brought the stuff to me. Wow, a great "gift" delivered!
That was the single most best "gift" I have ever received in my life. Ever.
One of the trunks was lined in newspaper. One of the pages of that newspaper had my great-great grandfather's name and a date of February 1879. I surmised from that that my 2great-grandmother had just received the trunk from her father who had just passed. It is a really old trunk and even if it had arrived to my home empty, I would have been thrilled.
But no, that trunk was stuffed. Full of photos and other "stuff." Newspaper clippings, hand-written scraps of paper, etc. It was a genealogical gold mind.
***
Fast forward to this week. I have all these photos. With all my work, I have discovered some of the photos that I thought were friends are actually related to us. I want to share this stuff with my siblings and cousins. But there are too many pictures to make copies of. I simply could not afford to do that -- even at only .19 per photo. There are too many.
I could write a "book" and print it, but I wouldn't be able to include all the photos and it still would be way too expensive.
I could make a computer disk -- ah, the easiest solution. However, one sister does not own nor does she want a computer.
I have read somewhere that you can make DVDs to play on your TV of your photos. I think this would be perfect. I could make jpegs out of my tree information (family group sheets) easy enough and include those.
Thing is, I'm clueless on how to do this. Is there a software to do this? Plus I'd want an antique-type feel to it. Music would be fun, too. I'm not too keen on narration, as I don't like to hear my own voice. I can make jpegs out of any factual information I want to share to counter the lack of narration.
Does such a software beast exist? In my mind, it is the perfect solution.
I will close with a photo of the road to my second-great-grandparents' home. They lived to the left, a quarter of a mile in. It was gorgeous -- if you love farm country, that is.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Molly Brown House
When we were in Denver, we took a morning from our "work" and went downtown to visit the Molly Brown House.
I had been there before, in the 70s. I remembered it being very small. Well, it wasn't that small at all, but it wasn't as large as I would have expected.
It is a beautiful house, and if you like that kind of thing, I recommend a visit.
However, for the record, I have something to say. (Imagine that! Complaining again.)
When we bought our tickets, the gal at the counter was extremely rude. Instead of greeting us with a hello, how are you, her greeting was: How many and what kind. I looked at her dumbfounded, surprised at her bluntness, and told her I needed two tickets, but I didn't know what she meant by what kind. Were there different tours? She was very huffy and said, "What kind of tickets? Child or adult." Oh.
So she told us where to go. We went to the front porch to wait for our scheduled tour. While there, we snapped a few photos. You're not allowed to take photos inside.
Pretty soon lots of people gathered for the tour. A very sweet young girl -- okay, late teenager, but young to me -- came out. She was very friendly and polite. She engaged the entire group in conversation, asking us where we were from, making very nice small talk, etc. She was the kind of girl that makes you smile, because she was very warm and friendly and obviously "going places."
In the middle of our chat with this gal, the tour guide came out. This was a woman perhaps in her 60s. She didn't look at any of the guests, no. Instead, she chose to berate this lovely young girl in front of all of us. She started badgering her about wearing the wrong-colored tshirt. The girl explained that she hadn't had a chance to get the correct colored shirt. This tour guide belittled her in front of all of us. For a couple minutes. It was very awkward for all of the tourists.
The woman next turned her attention to the trash can. She berated the young girl again about the fact that the trash can was nearly full and how it was her duty to empty it, and after this tour, she WOULD empty it. She then turned to all of us and told us that we could throw our gum, candy and water bottles in the trash can or next to it because it was full because the girl forgot to empty it.
I felt so sorry for that lovely young lady. What a tyrant this woman was.
Then she officially started the tour. She rattled off the rules in a loud but monotone voice. Then she let us all know how long she had volunteered there, how wonderful she was, and that the earth wouldn't spin without her presence on it. Well, not quite, but she was so full of herself that she nearly popped.
Thomas whispered to me, "Mom, she's just not very nice, is she?" The women behind us started laughing and told Thomas he had that right.
Then she told us she was giving us an abbreviated tour because she wanted us to watch the movie on Molly Brown.
Out of all the tours I've ever taken, and that would be many, she was the worst tour guide I have ever seen. She lacked compassion for her subject. She seemed to be bored. She also seemed to be very arrogant, knowing all. Her presentation was ice cold. She was ice cold. And it was darned hot in that house.
So, to sum it all up, it was an abbreviated tour which I found very disappointing. Thomas and I went into the movie room, and the movie had already started. It was dull. It was hotter than you-know-what in there, so we skipped it.
My advice to the Molly Brown House museum: Start monitoring your volunteers. It could have been SO much better.
Nonetheless, the house itself was great. So even with that caveat, I still recommend seeing it.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Union Pacific Big Boy 4004
Big Boy 4004
On our vacation, we stopped in Cheyenne to see Dad's engine, the 4004. Of course it's not his engine, but he worked on it. That engine belongs to every Union Pacific Employee who worked on it, who wanted to work on it. That engine belongs to every rail fan there is. It belongs to everyone. That engine is on display at the Holiday Park in Cheyenne, Wyoming. It is one of eight remaining Big Boys.
When Thomas and I were visiting my dad last week, we went through all his railroad stuff -- from the 1940s to the 1980s. As he stated, we went through his life. He had all of his log books. We divided the books into decades, and then distributed them into four piles, so all four of dad's kids would get log books from each decade. That was the best way we could figure to distribute them.
I was going through my (dad's) log books tonight and found one from 1958. Because this blog gets a lot of search hits for Union Pacific Big Boy and steam locomotive, I'm going to share something very special: A page from dad's log book that includes the 4004. October 12, 1958. Dad was the fireman, so his name is not listed. It's the 14th listing on the page. The 4004 is the engine on display in Cheyenne.
The other photos show this gigantic engine. Thomas was happy to pose in front of "grandpa's train."
Click on the pictures to enlarge them.
Thomas is IN this picture. Click on it to enlarge it so you can get a grasp of how huge this engine is!
On our vacation, we stopped in Cheyenne to see Dad's engine, the 4004. Of course it's not his engine, but he worked on it. That engine belongs to every Union Pacific Employee who worked on it, who wanted to work on it. That engine belongs to every rail fan there is. It belongs to everyone. That engine is on display at the Holiday Park in Cheyenne, Wyoming. It is one of eight remaining Big Boys.
When Thomas and I were visiting my dad last week, we went through all his railroad stuff -- from the 1940s to the 1980s. As he stated, we went through his life. He had all of his log books. We divided the books into decades, and then distributed them into four piles, so all four of dad's kids would get log books from each decade. That was the best way we could figure to distribute them.
I was going through my (dad's) log books tonight and found one from 1958. Because this blog gets a lot of search hits for Union Pacific Big Boy and steam locomotive, I'm going to share something very special: A page from dad's log book that includes the 4004. October 12, 1958. Dad was the fireman, so his name is not listed. It's the 14th listing on the page. The 4004 is the engine on display in Cheyenne.
The other photos show this gigantic engine. Thomas was happy to pose in front of "grandpa's train."
Click on the pictures to enlarge them.
Thomas is IN this picture. Click on it to enlarge it so you can get a grasp of how huge this engine is!
Bear Country USA
Warning: This entry has "graphic" photos that may not be appropriate for children. (Unless, of course, they're homeschooled and watch nature shows on TV, then they've seen it all before.)
Bear Country, USA
Rapid City, South Dakota
Late June 2007
We had a lot of fun at Bear Country. When I lived in Rapid City, it was one of the tourist traps I actually recommended.
This was Thomas's first-ever visit. He was excited to see the bears up close and personal.
We weren't expecting to see the bear up close and personal being up close and personal. Every direction we looked, there were bears humping. Thomas laughed hysterically only because I got a little flustered and embarrassed. I wasn't at first, but I'm not kidding when I say everywhere we looked, the bears were busy.
Yeah, this will be a tourist activity that Thomas will never forget.
What's bad is that I'm the one that snapped all the photos.
Bear Country, USA
Rapid City, South Dakota
Late June 2007
We had a lot of fun at Bear Country. When I lived in Rapid City, it was one of the tourist traps I actually recommended.
This was Thomas's first-ever visit. He was excited to see the bears up close and personal.
We weren't expecting to see the bear up close and personal being up close and personal. Every direction we looked, there were bears humping. Thomas laughed hysterically only because I got a little flustered and embarrassed. I wasn't at first, but I'm not kidding when I say everywhere we looked, the bears were busy.
Yeah, this will be a tourist activity that Thomas will never forget.
What's bad is that I'm the one that snapped all the photos.
Wall Drug Revisited...
When driving through western South Dakota, one simply must stop at Wall Drug. And we stop every time we go see grandma. And Thomas gets soaked every time we stop.
This year we took a change of clothes in a bag, because I knew he'd get all wet. Heck, it was about 100 the day we went -- it felt good for him to cool off.
What was very interesting was watching passersby. All the children looked at Thomas longingly, wishing they could go get wet. Their parents wouldn't let them.
All the parents gave Thomas the evil eye. I sat back far enough trying to hide so I could make my observations. When a parent did figure out I was the mom, I got a dirty look!
The grandparents/older generation were the most fun to watch. They all laughed. One couple sat down and watched Thomas play. All the "older" generation could appreciate Thomas having fun.
Yup, the parents were the uptight bunch. I take great pride in the fact that I don't fit in, that I think out of the box, and that I let Thomas get soaking wet on a hot day. I march to the beat of my own drummer. Perhaps that's why homeschooling is such a great fit for us??!!!
In all fairness, Thomas got this wet last year, too, and he had a pretty miserable ride out of Wall. Jean shorts are uncomfortable when wet. But he survived and talked about it all year long. It's called happy memories, freedom to be.
Monday, July 09, 2007
When the bed bug bites...
After itching all day, rubbing these welt-type things on my legs, and noticing that there are a couple on my stomach as well, I did some googling.
I think I was bitten by bed bugs.
There is a website here in which the bites on the lady's arm are identical to the bites on my legs. I'd take pictures of my legs and share them, but, um, well, I didn't shave my legs this morning because of the welts, and who wants to see my ugly hairy legs covered in welts, ya know?
Oh joy.
I hope to h-e-double-toothpicks that I didn't bring any into my home. I will watch for little "blood" droplets on the sheets for a week. If we find any, we'll contact an exterminator. If not, we got lucky.
It's quite funny that THE most expensive hotel I stayed in during this entire trip (Holiday Inn Express) is where I got bed bugs...but I hear they don't discriminate. And it's not that a Holiday Inn Express is expensive, for that matter.
How lucky that Thomas didn't get the bug. He had two bites on his shoulder, but that was it.
Now I'm off to Walgreen's to get some anti-itch cream. These itch, and they itched before I figured out what they were. However, now that I know that it was BUGS, they itch all the more.
ARGH!!!
And another thing (Yes, dad, I really do complain all the time) why on earth is blogger not letting me put titles into these posts? Not one single title out of the three entries I posted today. What's up with that?
After itching all day, rubbing these welt-type things on my legs, and noticing that there are a couple on my stomach as well, I did some googling.
I think I was bitten by bed bugs.
There is a website here in which the bites on the lady's arm are identical to the bites on my legs. I'd take pictures of my legs and share them, but, um, well, I didn't shave my legs this morning because of the welts, and who wants to see my ugly hairy legs covered in welts, ya know?
Oh joy.
I hope to h-e-double-toothpicks that I didn't bring any into my home. I will watch for little "blood" droplets on the sheets for a week. If we find any, we'll contact an exterminator. If not, we got lucky.
It's quite funny that THE most expensive hotel I stayed in during this entire trip (Holiday Inn Express) is where I got bed bugs...but I hear they don't discriminate. And it's not that a Holiday Inn Express is expensive, for that matter.
How lucky that Thomas didn't get the bug. He had two bites on his shoulder, but that was it.
Now I'm off to Walgreen's to get some anti-itch cream. These itch, and they itched before I figured out what they were. However, now that I know that it was BUGS, they itch all the more.
ARGH!!!
And another thing (Yes, dad, I really do complain all the time) why on earth is blogger not letting me put titles into these posts? Not one single title out of the three entries I posted today. What's up with that?
Mitchell Corn Palace
In South Dakota, along Interstate 90, is a town named Mitchell. Its claim to fame is the Corn Palace. You may learn more about it here and visit their live webcam here.
When we're driving through South Dakota, we just want to get where we're going so we've never driven into Mitchell to see the Corn Palace. (Okay, I always wanted to but Bob didn't.) Since Bob wasn't with us on this trip, we decided to stop.
It's a building. It has corn murals on the outside and inside. It's a mini-sports arena inside, with the court doubling as a big tourist gift shop.
I think it would be more fun to see it after the harvest when the outside murals are new and fresh.
It's one of those places that you can say: Oh, yes, I've been there...ONCE -- and keep it at that, ONCE. lol
Monday afternoon thoughts.
1. MIL's house appears to be safe, thankfully! It looks as though the fire came within one mile of her. The fire is not contained, but we have our fingers crossed things will continue to go well in fighting the fire.
2. I have bug bites -- huge red welts -- all over my legs. They itch. No one else has them. What a PITA.
3. I need a vacation after my vacation. I am still in my jammies. I've been online all day trying to catch up with blogs, groups, emails and I'm not close to catching up. I've also been reading about the fire. Forget the fact I have unpacking to do, floors to vacuum (Dear Bob, love you, hon, appreciate the house being picked up when we arrived home and that you bought me my Fat-Free half and half for my coffee, but remember we have two cats and one dog -- have you ever heard of a vacuum, man?)
4. I need to start Weight Watchers again. The photos taken of me on vacation are SCARY.
5. My legs itch. Oh, I already whined about that.
6. My dad says I complain all the time. Who in the heck does he think he is telling me that I complain all the time? tee-hee-hee I can't help it that I cannot stand Denver traffic -- I actually have nightmares about it. Really, that's all I complained about, but apparently it was all the time.
7. I have seen very little of Thomas today. I have no idea what he is doing. Bad mom. I think he's unwinding, just as I am.
8. I am so thankful to be home and that our trip was safe. I was so sad to leave dad, though.
9. Kansas is flat. Very, very flat.
10. Nebraska isn't much better. Neither is eastern Colorado.
11. Driving through Omaha (yes, I was nervous about that) wasn't nearly as bad as I thought. It reminded me of driving into Denver 20 years ago.
12. Although there is so much to do in big cities, I will never live in one again. Too many people and cars.
13. I love doing genealogy. I love walking cemeteries, even when it is 95 degrees. I loved putting my 85-cent flowers that I bought at Walmart (Memorial Day clearance items) on the graves.
14. I love my dog. I did not, however, miss his constant farting. What a rude awakening to come home to that. We were joking with my dad about Denver's brown cloud, and Thomas spoke up and said that Jerry has a brown cloud of his own. So true, Thomas.
15. When you have a fear of driving in Denver (basically the interstates) such as I do, old highways are your friend. I drove for one hour on Colfax all the way through town so I could avoid the interstates when leaving. It was lovely. It was stress free. It was SOOO worth it. Just ask Thomas -- I didn't complain during that drive at all.
16. I am proud of myself. Even though I fear Denver interstates, I faced my fear coming into town. I was going to get off I-25 as soon as I hit the outskirts of Denver and head over to Wadsworth, but I didn't. Something deep inside me dared myself to face my fear. I drove I-25 all the way in. Yes, I had sweaty palms. Yes, I was astounded at the amount of traffic on a Saturday. Yes, I was freaked out when there appeared to be six lanes of traffic on a few occasions. However, I learned to be a right-lane driver. I learned the right lane is my happy place. I did it. And I set an example for Thomas: Face your fears.
17. My legs still itch.
18. My animals love me and went crazy when I got home. All came to greet Thomas and I, even the finicky cat.
19. My husband loves me. He went crazy when i got home. He greeted me, hugged me, had purchased my favorite dinner-in-a-box for me and my coffee creamer. He changed the sheets. He even did the majority of his laundry while I was gone. (I know he didn't vacuum and I have to check to see if he paid the bills -- but he's a good man.)
20. I love my home. It's a small, unpretentious place, and I am glad to be back.
21. I love to procrastinate. I have work to do and yet I sit at the computer...
1. MIL's house appears to be safe, thankfully! It looks as though the fire came within one mile of her. The fire is not contained, but we have our fingers crossed things will continue to go well in fighting the fire.
2. I have bug bites -- huge red welts -- all over my legs. They itch. No one else has them. What a PITA.
3. I need a vacation after my vacation. I am still in my jammies. I've been online all day trying to catch up with blogs, groups, emails and I'm not close to catching up. I've also been reading about the fire. Forget the fact I have unpacking to do, floors to vacuum (Dear Bob, love you, hon, appreciate the house being picked up when we arrived home and that you bought me my Fat-Free half and half for my coffee, but remember we have two cats and one dog -- have you ever heard of a vacuum, man?)
4. I need to start Weight Watchers again. The photos taken of me on vacation are SCARY.
5. My legs itch. Oh, I already whined about that.
6. My dad says I complain all the time. Who in the heck does he think he is telling me that I complain all the time? tee-hee-hee I can't help it that I cannot stand Denver traffic -- I actually have nightmares about it. Really, that's all I complained about, but apparently it was all the time.
7. I have seen very little of Thomas today. I have no idea what he is doing. Bad mom. I think he's unwinding, just as I am.
8. I am so thankful to be home and that our trip was safe. I was so sad to leave dad, though.
9. Kansas is flat. Very, very flat.
10. Nebraska isn't much better. Neither is eastern Colorado.
11. Driving through Omaha (yes, I was nervous about that) wasn't nearly as bad as I thought. It reminded me of driving into Denver 20 years ago.
12. Although there is so much to do in big cities, I will never live in one again. Too many people and cars.
13. I love doing genealogy. I love walking cemeteries, even when it is 95 degrees. I loved putting my 85-cent flowers that I bought at Walmart (Memorial Day clearance items) on the graves.
14. I love my dog. I did not, however, miss his constant farting. What a rude awakening to come home to that. We were joking with my dad about Denver's brown cloud, and Thomas spoke up and said that Jerry has a brown cloud of his own. So true, Thomas.
15. When you have a fear of driving in Denver (basically the interstates) such as I do, old highways are your friend. I drove for one hour on Colfax all the way through town so I could avoid the interstates when leaving. It was lovely. It was stress free. It was SOOO worth it. Just ask Thomas -- I didn't complain during that drive at all.
16. I am proud of myself. Even though I fear Denver interstates, I faced my fear coming into town. I was going to get off I-25 as soon as I hit the outskirts of Denver and head over to Wadsworth, but I didn't. Something deep inside me dared myself to face my fear. I drove I-25 all the way in. Yes, I had sweaty palms. Yes, I was astounded at the amount of traffic on a Saturday. Yes, I was freaked out when there appeared to be six lanes of traffic on a few occasions. However, I learned to be a right-lane driver. I learned the right lane is my happy place. I did it. And I set an example for Thomas: Face your fears.
17. My legs still itch.
18. My animals love me and went crazy when I got home. All came to greet Thomas and I, even the finicky cat.
19. My husband loves me. He went crazy when i got home. He greeted me, hugged me, had purchased my favorite dinner-in-a-box for me and my coffee creamer. He changed the sheets. He even did the majority of his laundry while I was gone. (I know he didn't vacuum and I have to check to see if he paid the bills -- but he's a good man.)
20. I love my home. It's a small, unpretentious place, and I am glad to be back.
21. I love to procrastinate. I have work to do and yet I sit at the computer...
Sunday, July 08, 2007
FIRE!
We got a call from my sister-in-law tonight. It seems my mother-in-law has been evacuated due to a wild fire. News reports state 20 - 27 homes have been destroyed, one person has died. MIL knew the man who perished, but his name has not officially been released, so I won't mention it. Apparently he was calling his dog as he was evacuating and his propane tank exploded, killing him.
We're assuming no news is good news on the state of her home, but we don't know yet. We're just very thankful that MIL is safe, in a local motel with her new kitties and her daughter who was visiting at the time of the evacuation.
This is so sad and so scary. We were just there a few weeks ago and it was very dry. She worried about lightning all the time, and that is the apparent cause of the fire.
Please keep her in your thoughts or prayers.
We're assuming no news is good news on the state of her home, but we don't know yet. We're just very thankful that MIL is safe, in a local motel with her new kitties and her daughter who was visiting at the time of the evacuation.
This is so sad and so scary. We were just there a few weeks ago and it was very dry. She worried about lightning all the time, and that is the apparent cause of the fire.
Please keep her in your thoughts or prayers.
We're Back
We're home.
I am so completely exhausted I can't see straight.
Will blog (lots) later. Right now I'm going to take a nap!
I am so completely exhausted I can't see straight.
Will blog (lots) later. Right now I'm going to take a nap!
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Denver
Thomas and I arrived in Denver late yesterday morning. It was a safe journey and mostly fun.
I had planned on getting off I-25 as quickly as possible, but braved the bumper-to-bumper traffic and drove it all the way in. For that, I am very proud of myself.
Dad looks much better than I thought he would, but he says he doesn't feel well. He tires quickly.
I probably won't blog much because his computer is *so completely messed up* that I cannot repair it. I've run scan disk, defrag and deleted temporary files, but it takes a few minutes for a page to load, Ugh.
Yesterday I did grocery shopping, unpacked, and insisted on Taco Bell for dinner. Today I cleaned his laundry room, his kitchen -- the fridge was a nightmare -- and bathroom, did four loads of laundry, tried to fix the computer, sorted through a box of his railroad papers, cooked supper, emptied garbages, started reading a book, ate two cinnamon rolls, and putz-cleaned -- ran around the house and picked up, organized a bit.
Tomorrow we're going shopping and to lunch and will continue to sort his papers.
I'm exhausted already and we've only just begun.
This computer is going to drive me crazy.
I had planned on getting off I-25 as quickly as possible, but braved the bumper-to-bumper traffic and drove it all the way in. For that, I am very proud of myself.
Dad looks much better than I thought he would, but he says he doesn't feel well. He tires quickly.
I probably won't blog much because his computer is *so completely messed up* that I cannot repair it. I've run scan disk, defrag and deleted temporary files, but it takes a few minutes for a page to load, Ugh.
Yesterday I did grocery shopping, unpacked, and insisted on Taco Bell for dinner. Today I cleaned his laundry room, his kitchen -- the fridge was a nightmare -- and bathroom, did four loads of laundry, tried to fix the computer, sorted through a box of his railroad papers, cooked supper, emptied garbages, started reading a book, ate two cinnamon rolls, and putz-cleaned -- ran around the house and picked up, organized a bit.
Tomorrow we're going shopping and to lunch and will continue to sort his papers.
I'm exhausted already and we've only just begun.
This computer is going to drive me crazy.
Friday, June 15, 2007
Train Excursion Photos
Thomas watches out the window.
What our neck of the woods looks like.
Pardon those filthy toenails! Eeeks...Those foot rests brought back childhood memories for me as well. I annoyed the heck out of the passenger sitting in front of me because I played and played with that thing, swinging it full circle, moving it up and down. I told Thomas and he gave it a try.
The lounge of the women's restroom. Not as nice as I remembered.
In case you've never seen a toilet on a train.
Dare I say it, but these 1950s cars are much more comfortable and roomy than today's Amtrak.
Bob, with a smile on his face.
Trains, Trains, Trains: Aren't We Lucky?
Today has been the best day I've had for a long time. I felt good all day, and I've been sickly for the past couple weeks. That alone was great. However, I got a kick out of Carole's blog this morning and while I was reading that, I got a call from Bob at work.
A few weeks ago they were handing out free tickets for a train excursion from a town about 20 miles from here to our town and back. It was a safety train excursion put on by Union Pacific. Our train club had been given tickets to distribute. When Bob told the head hauncho how many tickets he wanted, the guy told him: UP rules, NO children. Bob said then I don't want your tickets.
We all three grumbled about the no children rule then forgot about it. Until this morning. Today was the day of the excursion. One of Bob's co-workers is also in the train club. He told Bob that it was not true that children couldn't ride along, they could. Bob called to tell me he'd be taking the afternoon off and to alter my plans. He was calling everyone in the club to get some extra tickets. We wound up with two tickets and got a third when we arrived at our destination.
Imagine my surprise when the train showed up: It was the Portland Rose. I blogged once that my father was the engineer on the very last run of the Portland Rose out of Laramie. The photo of him and the crew is on this very blog here.
The entire journey lasted two and a half hours. It brought back many memories for me. As a child, dad took me for a train ride from Laramie to Cheyenne. He wasn't as attentive as my mom was, so I ended up playing in the bathroom a lot on that trip. I just had to take a photo of the bathroom, which is a little smaller and not as nice as I had remembered.
Thomas and I called dad from the train and said, "You'll never in a million years guess what we are doing right this very minute." Dad got a kick out of it.
A good day was had by all. Even Bob, who has worked in the train industry his entire life and isn't really into trains, had a good time.
Oh My Goodness
I've been working on my genealogy this week, filling in gaps of cousins. I know my direct line pretty well. I've been working on Stonebacks and Keims who moved from Pennsylvania to Kansas in the late 1870s.
Now how weird is this? Carole at Mt. Pleasant Acadamy is hosting Adventure Mouse right now. Carole posted about their trip to French Creek State Park. I clicked on Carole's link to French Creek State Park and sprayed my coffee on my computer screen.
Lo and behold, Carole, her kids and Addie Mouse were at the very place where my 2nd great-grandparents (and 3rd, and so on) lived and worked! Hopewell Furnace is a part of French Creek State Park and that is where my Samuel and two of his brothers worked before traveling to Kansas.
I never thought I'd be green with envy over a mouse's adventures. The mouse gets to meet all my blogging friends, travel the world, and now the mouse sees my ancestors' homeland. Oh Addie, wish I could go with you!
What a small world it really is.
Found in my research:
John, Samuel and Jacob lived the rest of their lives in Kansas.
The Pioneers:
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This is supposedly a photo of my third great-grandparents, Anne Houck and George Stoneback. A very distant cousin sent this to me but he wasn't 100% sure of its authenticity. I wonder how it felt for them to have four of their children up and move to Kansas?
This is my second great-grandfather, Samuel Stoneback, the pioneer.
This is Samuel's wife, Susanna Keim, who traveled with him to Kansas.
This is Samuel's brother, Jacob, late in his life.
Now how weird is this? Carole at Mt. Pleasant Acadamy is hosting Adventure Mouse right now. Carole posted about their trip to French Creek State Park. I clicked on Carole's link to French Creek State Park and sprayed my coffee on my computer screen.
Lo and behold, Carole, her kids and Addie Mouse were at the very place where my 2nd great-grandparents (and 3rd, and so on) lived and worked! Hopewell Furnace is a part of French Creek State Park and that is where my Samuel and two of his brothers worked before traveling to Kansas.
I never thought I'd be green with envy over a mouse's adventures. The mouse gets to meet all my blogging friends, travel the world, and now the mouse sees my ancestors' homeland. Oh Addie, wish I could go with you!
What a small world it really is.
Found in my research:
John Millard married Sarah Stoneback, the daughter of George and Anne Stoneback. Sarah also had a brother John. It is believed that John Millard or John Stoneback and his sister Sarah Millard moved to Mulberry Creek Kansas in 1878, and purchased a 140 acre farm for $900. It is documented that a John and Sarah left on April 2, 1878. A party was held at the Bethesda Church near Hopewell Village for them prior to their leaving. The three Stoneback brothers (John Jr., Jacob and Samuel) had worked at the Hopewell Furnace as had John Millard. A few days later 30 people including Samuel & Jacob Stoneback, the brothers of John Jr., loaded two boxcars which were part of the mail train, and headed to the same location in Kansas. The two brothers purchased each a 160 acre farm within sight of John and Sarah's farm.
John, Samuel and Jacob lived the rest of their lives in Kansas.
The Pioneers:
.jpg)
This is supposedly a photo of my third great-grandparents, Anne Houck and George Stoneback. A very distant cousin sent this to me but he wasn't 100% sure of its authenticity. I wonder how it felt for them to have four of their children up and move to Kansas?
This is my second great-grandfather, Samuel Stoneback, the pioneer.
This is Samuel's wife, Susanna Keim, who traveled with him to Kansas.
This is Samuel's brother, Jacob, late in his life.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Feeling Nostalgic
I was going through my genealogy tonight, trying hard to relax, and came across this photo. Elsie Stoneback is my great-grandaunt. Mabel Stoneback is my second cousin twice removed. Mabel ended up marrying Allie Hunt who is behind her in the photo.
Elsie was born in 1884, so I'm assuming this photo is around the turn of the century. I am just taken with it because the young ladies all look so lovely, and the young men so handsome. I wonder what the story is behind the photo. Was it, perhaps, the 4th of July?
Were the girls hot? Were those high-necked collars bothering them? The gloves? Nah, that's the way it was then, they were used to it.
I wonder what happened to them all. I know Elsie married a gentleman by the name of Purvess and moved to California. I know she had two daughters, one of which died at birth -- on my birthday June 27th -- in 1927. I know her daughter married and had one son. But what was her story? I have a photo of her when she was much older standing with her brother, my great-grandpa. I still wonder.
I also have a photo of Elsie with her father, my 2nd great-grandfather. He was a pioneer, having moved to Kansas from Pennsylvania in the 1870s along with his wife and my great-grandpa.
What's his story? Was he a good man? Was he fun? Was he a hard worker? Did he miss his family back in Pennsylvania?
I always wonder. I assume he had a great spirit, what pioneer wouldn't? On the back of the second photo, my grandmother wrote, "Grandpa Stoneback and the goose that used to chase me."
I have many old photos, some I'll share here because it is a big part of who I am. I have always loved family history. I am trying to figure out how to provide copies of these photos to my siblings without breaking my bank. Two do not have computers.
For now, though, I'll just enjoy looking and wondering. I still admire those girls and their pure beauty, all dressed up in their finest with their beaus behind them. One small moment of their lives frozen in time for me to enjoy.
Elsie was born in 1884, so I'm assuming this photo is around the turn of the century. I am just taken with it because the young ladies all look so lovely, and the young men so handsome. I wonder what the story is behind the photo. Was it, perhaps, the 4th of July?
Were the girls hot? Were those high-necked collars bothering them? The gloves? Nah, that's the way it was then, they were used to it.
I wonder what happened to them all. I know Elsie married a gentleman by the name of Purvess and moved to California. I know she had two daughters, one of which died at birth -- on my birthday June 27th -- in 1927. I know her daughter married and had one son. But what was her story? I have a photo of her when she was much older standing with her brother, my great-grandpa. I still wonder.
I also have a photo of Elsie with her father, my 2nd great-grandfather. He was a pioneer, having moved to Kansas from Pennsylvania in the 1870s along with his wife and my great-grandpa.
What's his story? Was he a good man? Was he fun? Was he a hard worker? Did he miss his family back in Pennsylvania?
I always wonder. I assume he had a great spirit, what pioneer wouldn't? On the back of the second photo, my grandmother wrote, "Grandpa Stoneback and the goose that used to chase me."
I have many old photos, some I'll share here because it is a big part of who I am. I have always loved family history. I am trying to figure out how to provide copies of these photos to my siblings without breaking my bank. Two do not have computers.
For now, though, I'll just enjoy looking and wondering. I still admire those girls and their pure beauty, all dressed up in their finest with their beaus behind them. One small moment of their lives frozen in time for me to enjoy.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Scattergories
Meg at Get In, Hang On did this meme, and I thought I would follow suit.
The game is SCATTERGORIES…it’s harder than it looks! Here are the rules: Use the 1st letter of your name to answer each of the following. They MUST be real places, names, things…NOTHING made up! If you can’t think of anything, skip it. Try to use different answers if the person before you had the same 1st initial. You CAN’T use your name for the boy/girl name question.
Your Name: Frankie
1. Famous Singer/Band: Frank (as in Sinatra)
2. 4 letter word: four-letter word starting with F -- tee hee hee -- uhm, FORT yeah, that's it, fort
3. Street: First Street
4. Color: fuchsia
5. Gifts/Presents: flowers
6. Vehicle: Ferrari
7. Things in a Souvenir Shop: flags
8. Boy Name: Fred
9. Girl Name: Felicia
10. Movie Title: Frankenstein
11. Drink: Fresca
12. Occupation: Farmer
13. Celebrity: Farrah Fawcett
14. Magazine: First
15. U.S. City: Flagstaff
16. Pro Sports Teams: Falcons
18. Reason for Being Late for Work: flat tire
19. Something You Throw Away: furry food? filthy feather dusters?
20. Things You Shout: Fore!
21. Cartoon Character: Fred Flintstone
I'm going to tag:
http://wickedpickles.blogspot.com/
http://ragamuffinstudies.blogspot.com/
http://twicebloomed.blogspot.com/
http://onejellydonutplease.blogspot.com/
http://mylittlesoapbox.blogspot.com/
http://growinginthegardenstate.blogspot.com/
The game is SCATTERGORIES…it’s harder than it looks! Here are the rules: Use the 1st letter of your name to answer each of the following. They MUST be real places, names, things…NOTHING made up! If you can’t think of anything, skip it. Try to use different answers if the person before you had the same 1st initial. You CAN’T use your name for the boy/girl name question.
Your Name: Frankie
1. Famous Singer/Band: Frank (as in Sinatra)
2. 4 letter word: four-letter word starting with F -- tee hee hee -- uhm, FORT yeah, that's it, fort
3. Street: First Street
4. Color: fuchsia
5. Gifts/Presents: flowers
6. Vehicle: Ferrari
7. Things in a Souvenir Shop: flags
8. Boy Name: Fred
9. Girl Name: Felicia
10. Movie Title: Frankenstein
11. Drink: Fresca
12. Occupation: Farmer
13. Celebrity: Farrah Fawcett
14. Magazine: First
15. U.S. City: Flagstaff
16. Pro Sports Teams: Falcons
18. Reason for Being Late for Work: flat tire
19. Something You Throw Away: furry food? filthy feather dusters?
20. Things You Shout: Fore!
21. Cartoon Character: Fred Flintstone
I'm going to tag:
http://wickedpickles.blogspot.com/
http://ragamuffinstudies.blogspot.com/
http://twicebloomed.blogspot.com/
http://onejellydonutplease.blogspot.com/
http://mylittlesoapbox.blogspot.com/
http://growinginthegardenstate.blogspot.com/
Saturday, June 09, 2007
I Love a Parade
I do, I love parades. And one thing my small town has going for it is that it has good parades.
Every June my town has a parade. We always go. Today was the lucky day. The parade lasted two hours! Tons of marching bands (my favorite), floats and give-aways. Very few horses in small-town Minnesota -- miss the South Dakota parades for lots of beautiful horses.
Our town has a 3M plant. I lose all manners during the parade because I love the 3M give-aways. This year I got five no-scratch sponges. Woo-hoo. I gave one to my friend because she didn't get one. I also got a super-sticky notepad, a tape dispenser, a sticky-note dispenser and a leaf sticky-note pad. All from 3M. All because I BEG. I also make my husband beg. He does, because he knows how fun the 3M stuff is for me.
Thomas made a haul with the candy! Between Bob, Thomas and our friends, I think we only brought half the candy home with us -- they sat and munched on Tootsie Rolls during the entire parade. (I don't like candy unless it is chocolate, and Tootsie Rolls just don't count for me.) Lots of people gave out cold water bottles and Popsicles, which went well with the candy.
This was a lovely parade, but I do have one complaint. Ahem, go figure, ME complaining -- again. There were a few horses. I'd guess a dozen in total. As one rode past us, I knew there were problems. That horse was NOT happy. He was jumping around. I told Bob to look. We both sat there with our mouths open because we knew something was going to happen. The rider wasn't experienced at all -- it was a woman in her 20s. She had no control over that horse and he was all over the place. They went by us and I just kept staring at the horse.
The horse and rider were about four units ahead of us and that horse had had enough. It bucked and bucked and finally threw her off. I actually screamed and everyone around me stood up to look and gasped. The woman landed flat on her back. The horse was ticked off, someone grabbed it, and the woman got up. Thankfully it appeared she wasn't hurt. Now at this point the LOGICAL thing to do -- well, based on my seeing that horse/rider for the three minutes I saw it -- would have been to TAKE IT OUT OF THE PARADE. Ticked off horses do not belong in a parade -- way too much potential for injury. Little kids, old folks, crowds -- un-huh.
So what does the gal do after she dusts herself off? She mounts the horse. I couldn't keep my big fat mouth shut and I screamed, "Take the horse out of the parade." I am just so awful. But that was just so logical. Guess what the horse did? Started bucking -- again. This time instead of getting bucked off, the gal got off and led the horse. He was frisky, still not happy, darting around -- and then they turned the corner and went out of my sight.
I hope it settled down. That just really scared me. Bob and I both knew she was an inexperienced rider because she was digging in with her hips -- I can't explain it well, like she was bearing down, kinda-sorta. It was just odd and atypical. We also thought she was terrified -- and the horse knew it.
Here's a picture of our stash. I'm already looking forward to next year: What will 3M give away next?
Every June my town has a parade. We always go. Today was the lucky day. The parade lasted two hours! Tons of marching bands (my favorite), floats and give-aways. Very few horses in small-town Minnesota -- miss the South Dakota parades for lots of beautiful horses.
Our town has a 3M plant. I lose all manners during the parade because I love the 3M give-aways. This year I got five no-scratch sponges. Woo-hoo. I gave one to my friend because she didn't get one. I also got a super-sticky notepad, a tape dispenser, a sticky-note dispenser and a leaf sticky-note pad. All from 3M. All because I BEG. I also make my husband beg. He does, because he knows how fun the 3M stuff is for me.
Thomas made a haul with the candy! Between Bob, Thomas and our friends, I think we only brought half the candy home with us -- they sat and munched on Tootsie Rolls during the entire parade. (I don't like candy unless it is chocolate, and Tootsie Rolls just don't count for me.) Lots of people gave out cold water bottles and Popsicles, which went well with the candy.
This was a lovely parade, but I do have one complaint. Ahem, go figure, ME complaining -- again. There were a few horses. I'd guess a dozen in total. As one rode past us, I knew there were problems. That horse was NOT happy. He was jumping around. I told Bob to look. We both sat there with our mouths open because we knew something was going to happen. The rider wasn't experienced at all -- it was a woman in her 20s. She had no control over that horse and he was all over the place. They went by us and I just kept staring at the horse.
The horse and rider were about four units ahead of us and that horse had had enough. It bucked and bucked and finally threw her off. I actually screamed and everyone around me stood up to look and gasped. The woman landed flat on her back. The horse was ticked off, someone grabbed it, and the woman got up. Thankfully it appeared she wasn't hurt. Now at this point the LOGICAL thing to do -- well, based on my seeing that horse/rider for the three minutes I saw it -- would have been to TAKE IT OUT OF THE PARADE. Ticked off horses do not belong in a parade -- way too much potential for injury. Little kids, old folks, crowds -- un-huh.
So what does the gal do after she dusts herself off? She mounts the horse. I couldn't keep my big fat mouth shut and I screamed, "Take the horse out of the parade." I am just so awful. But that was just so logical. Guess what the horse did? Started bucking -- again. This time instead of getting bucked off, the gal got off and led the horse. He was frisky, still not happy, darting around -- and then they turned the corner and went out of my sight.
I hope it settled down. That just really scared me. Bob and I both knew she was an inexperienced rider because she was digging in with her hips -- I can't explain it well, like she was bearing down, kinda-sorta. It was just odd and atypical. We also thought she was terrified -- and the horse knew it.
Here's a picture of our stash. I'm already looking forward to next year: What will 3M give away next?
Friday, June 08, 2007
US Geography
| You Really Know Your State Capitols |
 You Got 19 State Capitols Correct You're either a geography buff... or you have an excellent memory. |
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Everybody's Playing -- 5 Minutes for Mom
Lots of my blogging budies are playing, so I thought why not, I will, too.
5 Minutes for Mom is giving away 5 FREE 6-month subscriptions to Netflix. What a fantastic idea. All you have to do is leave them a comment including your favorite movie or two and link to them on your blog.
Anybody who has ever read my blog knows my favorite movie, worth mentioning yet again: The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio.
It's worth a shot.
5 Minutes for Mom is giving away 5 FREE 6-month subscriptions to Netflix. What a fantastic idea. All you have to do is leave them a comment including your favorite movie or two and link to them on your blog.
Anybody who has ever read my blog knows my favorite movie, worth mentioning yet again: The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio.
It's worth a shot.
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