June 2010

"I wonder what it would be like 
to live in a world where it was always June." 
-   L. M. Montgomery

Mr. Smith goes to Seattle!

FRANCES HENRY SMITH

b. August 31, 1903, Santa Barbara, California

I mentioned earlier this month that I had taken up a new hobby. And I'm glad to say it has been worth EVERY penny. 


This past week I found Mr. Smith (I wonder what his real nickname was? He is so adorable, I've decided to call him Hank) in another antique store in the small town where I work. 


This time I hit the jackpot. Included in the box were other pictures of this little guy's relatives - a great aunt and her family, a great-great uncle and two distant cousins. This wasn't clear to me when I initially purchased them, I was just happy to find SOOO many pictures with names and dates on the back. 


As I started to research lil' Hank, I realized several of the pictures had the last name Smith on the back. Though, Smith is a very common name, I crossed my fingers hoping I had found a family collection. 


In no time, thanks to Ancestry.com (no, I do not work for them...but if I could - I WOULD), Hank's family tree began to emerge. And, almost as quickly, I had made contact with Hank's nephew and Hank's son and daughter. They did not know a picture of him as a baby ever existed.


How wonderful is that? 
I happily mailed the four images to Hank's family. 
He is on his way home to Seattle right now!


This here internet thing is awesome!

Here's the spin!

After watching all the news last night, I downed two glasses of wine, wept, and then looked online for some profound meaning. Who knew it would come from ol' Monty Python? 


I mean, so what we've dumped millions of gallons of oil and dispersants into the Gulf Coast, killed 11 miners, destroyed sealife and wetlands, and still don't what the total impact will be in the future? We must keep on drilling because money is more important than the planet! 
But, don't grumble, give a whistle!


And don't forget those Financial and Health Care Reform bills that don't reform? 
Just purse your lips and whistle!


After all, corporations have the same rights as people, say the judges who hold stock in their companies. 
Face the curtain with a bang!


Oh, and if you aren't as depressed as I am yet, might I suggest something besides the news. Last night I also discovered  "Gasland".  Apparently, our destruction of America has no limits. 
And as Monty has just reminded me "The last laugh is on you!".

The Real Reason.

Did I forget to mention that my amazing daughter finished 2nd (by .10) in her age group, and 4th in the nation at the USTA National competition last week? 
Well, I don't mean to brag, but SHE IS INCREDIBLE!!!


This was our real reason for our visit to Springfield, Illinois. 
The rest, as they say, was just icing on the cake.

The Lessons of Lincoln

When Abraham Lincoln was a child what were his dreams? His mind wandering off into the distance after reading, what did he imagine his future life to be?

Dreaming, hoping, praying, looking for inspiration. It seems to me, we all start in this same place. Some of us end up with great successes, and others just end up with huge disappointments. Most of us, however, land somewhere in the middle. 

No matter the decade or century, the stories all end up sounding similar. And history, no matter how hard we may try, seems destined to repeat itself.

I am sure when Lincoln was a boy he never imagined the kind of hatred that would spew when he was elected. Nor, could he have ever forseen the willingness of family, friends and neighbors to turn on each other and split this country in two. All because of the financial greed of the slave trade. 

The fear of cultural and economic change was as frightening then as it is now. And, sadly, we all know how that turned out.

I mentioned the similarities of dislike for Lincoln then and Obama now to my sister. To which, her head immediately exploded as she ran from the room claiming the media isn't hard enough on him. I am constantly astonished at the inability for any civil discourse when it comes to Obama. The same seemed to happen to Lincoln. 

Those opposed to both Presidents used, and are using, rhetoric steeped in fear and hate. There wasn't, and isn't, any truth behind the words. But if the sound bytes get repeated enough - people start to believe them. And if you even attempt to ask questions, remind them what the constitution actually says or, god-forbid, present the facts, you are greeted with eye-popping, face-reddening rage. 

It is frightening. I've seen it first hand. I'm depressed just thinking about it.

I now understand how a country gets to a point of civil unrest. Logic goes out the window. Compassion flees through the back door. Fear makes us its slave. And when fear takes hold, history shows us over and over again, terrible things happen.

I'm dreaming, hoping, praying and looking for inspiration that those of us in the middle, don't end up paying the price AGAIN because of the greed and fear of others.

Speaking of Springfield.

I recently had the opportunity to visit Springfield, Illinois for the second time in my life. The first time was almost 40 years ago, when my father took my sisters and I to visit Abraham Lincoln's home and tomb. A lot has changed since then.

Home to more than 120,000 people, Springfield truly is the land of Lincoln. Community leaders and visionaries have done a remarkable job of not only working to restore their city, but in also dedicating their efforts to teach the true story of Abraham Lincoln and his role in American history. 

The city also boasts of being a home to midwest value. I would agree. Hotel rooms and restaurants are reasonably priced; bus services to historical areas will cost you a whole $1 and when you get to your destination, most are free. 

I've heard the best things in life are free. I think many of them might be in Springfield!

Click here to visit the Springfield Visitors Bureau website.

Click here for Historical Sites in Springfield, Illinois.

For more images from Springfield, click on the montage below to visit my flickr photostream.

Yes. Another bird picture.

I know. I KNOW. But, I couldn't help myself. 

I mean, look at the little guy.

During a recent trip to Springfield, Illinois, I discovered this sweet baby complaining from his perch on a fence rail. 

While momma bird swooped and chirped, this toddler let the humans gathering around him know how unhappy he was.

Lucky for this little bird, his home was in a tree near Abraham Lincoln's historic Springfield house, where park rangers were in charge of his destiny.

Within minutes, through careful manipulation with a tree branch (no human touch), he was lifted back to the tree from where he fell. 

Momma bird greeted him with a firm lecture.

Like I Need A New Hobby

BECAUSE I don't have enough to do, and I'm cursed with an enormous lack of focus. Like right now, I should be wrapping up things here at work, preparing for tomorrow, heading home to fix dinner, taking a walk, cleaning house and continuing to prepare for my son's graduation party.

INSTEAD, I am obsessing over someone else's long lost relatives. I already spend about 15 hours a week on Ancestry.com (I didn't mention that in my list above, because I've already used it as an excuse not to do the above.) researching family trees on both my husband's and my sides of the family.

It all started about two years ago when I was given a stack of pictures that belonged, I thought, to my husband's grandmother. While a few had a year, and some had "mother" or a first name scratched on the back, most were left blank. I have been piecing together the clues ever since.  Turns out they were actually my husband's grandfather's mother's and grandmother's (are you still with me here?) pictures. The ones I've identified, I've shared with relatives and with strangers searching their roots on Ancestry.com. I have gotten a lot of satisfaction from the joy the images bring. Definitely, it has been a very rewarding hobby.

But, now, I think I might be a little out of control. 


Yesterday, I randomly spent my lunch hour at a local antique store. While thumbing through an old box of pictures, I found the lovely ladies above. I've always wondered how old family photos wind up in these stores. Old photo studio duplicates? Maybe misplaced in something else and thrown out accidently? Or, perhaps, because 99% of them are unmarked, people just don't know who they are and, thus, don't place a value on them? 
That's the one that really makes me sad. These images of past generations now forgotten by the next. Certainly there has to be someone out there looking for them? The picture had three names on the bottom, two with last names. Maybe I could find someone on Ancestry.com that would be interested? 


I do a quick search through other booths, but sadly, this is the only image with any names in the whole store. (I contemplated the one that said, "Father, 1923" and found myself saying out loud, "yeah, that's just nuts". So I did put that one back).


After work last night, I did a search of the two ladies, Bessie and Lola Isett. Turns out they were sisters, from Ohio. Within a few hours I was able to find and make contact with three Ancestry.com members who were thrilled to have the image. I think we were all surprised at how something so random could brighten all of our days. As one member said, "You may have turned me on to a new hobby". 


And I'm thinkin' why not? Imagine if everyone who is into genealogy could be on the look out for images like this? And when they discover them, grab them up, post them online, and everyone could benefit. 


A completely wonderful, random act of kindness that hardly costs anything, and best yet, these previous generations can be seen and cherished by the families who had lost them.


ONE MORE THING, here is the lecture part of today's post.

PLEASE, PEOPLE....if nothing else, put FULL NAMES and dates on the back of your pictures.