Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Boo!!

Copyright 2012, CABS for Reflections From the Fence








Photo from about 1957, yepper, that's Man!
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Sunday, October 28, 2012

123rd Carnival of Genealogy :: Gonna Have a Birthday Party

Copyright 2012, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

Our great hostess of the Carnival of Genealogy, Jasia, of Creative Gene, is having a birthday in November.  Her challenge for this Carnival is:

The topic for the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy will be: A Birthday Party! Yep, we're having a birthday party here at the COG and you're all invited! Whose birthday is it? Mine. :-) November is the month of my birthday and in honor of me I'd like to invite you to share a birthday story.

Your story can be about a birthday party you hosted or was held for you. It can be a tribute to someone on your family tree who has a November birthday. Or, it can be a fantasy about your dream birthday! 

I went checking, not a lot of birthday party photos on the computer. Well, hmmmpphhh.  I had just a few parties, well, I can only remember a few.  I found a few photos of birthdays from my kids.  A few of Man, his first and second birthday photos were pretty cute.  Yes, I blogged them, birthday number one is here, and that second birthday is here.  Alas, nothing struck me as blog worthy, or I had used it already, so, I decided, that since Jasia was having a birthday, I would  gather a few items and just throw her a party.

So, Jasia, Let's Parteeeeeee!!

Here are some balloons to decorate with:


Later in the evening we will have some fireworks:


MUST have a hat!  (Thank you to our lovely model, Son # 3.)


And, of course, a cake (actually I borrowed this from Son # 2's fourth birthday party).  We all love a carousel  right?  I'll fight ya for the giraffe looking creature, I have never ridden a giraffe before!  Or maybe that is a funny looking long necked horse?


Here is your present, sure hope you like it:


And, last, but, NOT least, a little bubbly to wash it all down:



Happy Birthday Jasia!



* Graphic of the present, source long lost, apologies to the original artist.  Graphic of the bubbly, fireworks and the balloons courtesy of Dan's Clipart.  (Note, his web site may be numbered in days?  His domain may be for sale?) . Link removed in October 2018 as it shows as a bad link.
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Friday, October 26, 2012

Hey Michelle, I Did It! :: 21st Century Organized Family Historian

Copyright 2012, CABS for Reflections From the Fence


Michelle Goodrum over at The Turning of Generations has been running a very informative and challenging series this year titled, "The 21st Century Organized Family Historian".  Now, I will NEVER admit to being organized, and I have not participated except for one other week.  I responded back in January to her challenge to organize our work space, only I was living in Tana at the time, and well, HAHA, work space in Tana is a weeeeeee bit limited.  Michelle actually suggested we set aside a specific portion of our home just for working.  HAHA, again.  If your curiosity has peaked and you just HAVE to have a look, here is my response to her challenge.  While you read that, I will duck in embarrassment.

Back in early October, Michelle's challenge was about the "Dreaded F Word - - Filing", you can read about it here.  When I read that challenge I kept thinking of the HUGE mess in the Parlor.  The huge mess that arrived in the parlor the month after Man's mother died in 2010, see, shutter, gasp, gulp!!

August 2010:


I do not have any more photos of the parlor over the last two years, it went from this to better, and then to MUCH worse, when all the deck furniture ended up in there for well over 20 months (don't ask).  GROAN.  When we returned home this April from our winter in Gulf Shores Alabama, we immediately took all of that furniture out to the deck.  Whew, that helped a lot.  At that point I was left with mostly piles of papers, notebooks filled with photos and documents and a few crates full of, well, stuff.

Finally in October, I attacked this mess.  I processed, scanned, took some photos, sorted, and removed stuff to other areas of the house.  The parlor is more clean than it has been in over 2 years.



As wonderful as this all is, I will NOT show you photos of the office space upstairs.   I just don't have the energy or the time to clean up THAT mess this year.

But, the parlor is clean(er)!  WOOT!





* Those notebooks off to the far left bottom of this photo, are holding down a very long photo that was curled, we are trying to gently get it straight enough to take a photo, panoramic style.  It may be there till we return from THE Trip, THE Encore'.

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Thursday, October 25, 2012

The Bill Book And The 1959 Nimrod

Copyright 2012, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

Man's parent's bill book was the last of the cleaning and organizing and scanning of Man's mother's papers we brought here over 2 years ago.  It took a good hunk of an afternoon to absorb, read, chat about, sigh a few times, and read some more.  It listed loans they took out from 1948 until about 1963.  They purchased cars, a boat, storms and screens for the house, a new furnace, at least one clothes washer, cemetery lots, concrete for a drive way, and made payments on "revolving" charge accounts with stores such as Spiegels and of course there was Good Housekeeping, source of loans for many different items and causes.

One entry from that book certainly took my breath away, when in March of 1958 his parents took out a loan with a local bank for "glasses" in the amount of $163.44.  They paid $13.62 a month for 9  months and paid off the loan in November of 1958 with one final payment of $40.86.

Man's folks liked to camp and back in 1959 they purchased a Nimrod camping trailer, a little popup affair.  I found the bill of sale, the conditional sales contract in the bill book.  Of course there is a page recording the 8 monthly payments they made, plus the final pay off.  They borrowed $600.90.  The price of the camper was $520.00 and they purchased an ice chest for the sum of $17.88.  Taxes paid were $16.14 and the "time price differential" was $82.88.


And, here is the Nimrod, cute little thing, isn't it??  Yes, the trailer is cute too, and yes, that is Man standing there, all cute and cool like!


And, yes, I went snooping, err, researching the Nimrod.  I found a wonderful web site with oodles of photos, brochures, magazine articles and more.  I had a delightful hour or so looking around at Popup Camper History.   Do not miss this link/page, it leads to wonderful images!

Man remembers that there were 2 beds, one on each end and a narrow doorway.  Two years later his father purchased a boat and the Nimrod was sold. The boat became the "trailer" of sorts, they would toss all the camping gear, including a tent, into the boat and off they would go.

Man and I have been down memory lane for sure this week, lots of photos, documents, the bill book and the Nimrod.  And, the parlor in the house is finally clean too!  Yep, been a pretty good week.



* Time Price Differential, per the web site, Free Dictionary by Farlex:  "A method whereby a seller charges one amount for the immediate cash payment of merchandise and another amount for the same item or items when payment is rendered at a future date or in installments.

The immediate payment price is called the cash-price; the later price is known as the time-price or credit-price. The time-price differential is the difference between the two prices."

** The disclaimer:  Nimrod, Spiegels and Good Housekeeping names and products are protected by their own copyrights.  They have not asked me to review them, in fact, I am not sure some of them are still in business to do so.  I have no financial interest of any sort in them.  Please also see my page, Disclaim THAT! Beholden to - -

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Monday, October 22, 2012

Kitty Update: Pumpkin N' Patches

Copyright 2012, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

Taken this week.  First up, Pumpkin:



And, here is Patches:


And, here they are together, moments later they were grooming each other, cute, hard to catch on the iPhone.  LOL






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Sunday, October 21, 2012

Sunday's Funnies :: Before You Phone the Service "Doctor"

Copyright 2012, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

Gotta say, I just love this.



Found in the piles of documents and fun stuff of Man's mother's stash.  Year unknown, guessing the 1950's.  From a Sears Kenmore Automatic Washer.  A nine page brochure, 4 inches wide and almost 5 inches high.




* That disclaimer thing:  Sears and Kenmore are copyrighted names, they own ALL the rights, I have no interest in the companies, was not asked to review or share this with you.  Not sharing any more of this as I probably am pushing the limits of fair use in copyrighted materials.  I do not see any copyright information on or in the brochure.
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Saturday, October 20, 2012

THE Trip, THE Encore' :: The Proposed Route, Well Part Of It Anyway

Copyright 2012, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

Two years ago Man and I began to realize the dreams of over 30 years, a trip west of I 35 to places like Arizona, Utah, national parks, red landscape, LOTS of red landscape.  I named the escapade "THE Trip".  I never believed it would be realized, too many times we had hoped to go west and each time the trip was thwarted.   My favorite phrase was, "I'll believe it when I see Indianapolis in my rear view mirror!"  Then in November of 2010, I did see Indianapolis in my rear view mirror.  I think I was in disbelief for months.  It was wonderful!  OK, it was beyond wonderful!

We traveled about 15,000 miles, 6,500 of that was towing Tana.  We were on the road 8.5 months.  We met wonderful people, some of whom changed me forever.  We saw wonderful things, stunning, breath taking scenery.  I took something like 25,000 to 30,000 photos, I lost count!  Did I say it was wonderful??  Yep, it was.

Well, I am thrilled to announce we are going to give the west another whirl.  This year we are planning/hoping to go further west.  Some of the bucket list visits are: Oregon, Washington, more of California, Nevada, maybe the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, Yosemite National Park, Crater National Park and the goal this time out, Glacier National Park.  Two years ago when we were sorta close to Glacier they still had 90 FEET of snow up there around July 1st.  Yes, that's right, 90 FEET!  Well, hello, how do you think they get glaciers, eh??

We have been doing some planning, which in of itself is a bit weird, as for the last few years, we rarely plan anything, we just sorta blow around in the wind.  We can do that in part because our home has wheels.  No planning is a bit scary and in some ways, strangely, liberating.  We let our Maker be the planner, we just rolled with it.  However, this year, at least at the start of our tour we expect to have friends with us, RVing friends, with a lovely Motorhome and toad (car they tow behind), a border collie, a love of cameras, history, flowers and geocaching (they taught us geocaching).  Yes indeedy, we are going to do part of this trip together.  I am getting so excited!  What a blessing to go traveling around our beautiful USA and then to be able to do so with such good friends is a double blessing, maybe a triple blessing!

Part of the planning was figuring out where to land for the holidays, I need to "nest and rest" over Christmas and New Years.  We decided on Tuscon, our reservations are made already!  Amazing!

Another part of the planning was to decide what to do between now and then.  Man has long wanted to visit Big Bend National Park so that was put on the plan as a "must do".

The bucket list grew and it shaped the first 6 weeks of THE Trip, THE Encore'.  And, thus, a map was born, and here it is.  The proposed route, this is NOT written in stone, just scratched in a bit of dust.



(I do note that there is a bit of an error on this rough outline map, number 8 will not happen!  LOL)

So, God willing and the creek don't rise, starting in just a couple of weeks, we will wave at Indianapolis, Nashville, the Natchez Trace, Jackson Mississippi, New Orleans, Galveston (via Port Bolivar and the free ferry), San Antonio, Big Bend National Park, and Benson Arizona on our way to Tuscon for the holidays.

Between now and then, I have some serious packemup chores to do, and some family to hug.

On the road again - - you know that song.



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Friday, October 19, 2012

Baby's Welfare, ca 1950

Copyright 2012, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

Man's mother saved everything, or nearly everything when it comes to documentation.  In Man's baby book I found this page.  It is so worth taking a few minutes to read, enjoy, I'll bet you will chuckle.


A closer look, easier to read:



In another part of this "Baby Record" book it says:

"Moreover, Milk is not only rich in food values, but, it is one of the most easily digested of all foods, thus making those food values available in health or sickness....

Milk, properly considered, is a food, not a beverage.  It should always be "eaten" - - that is, sipped.  The reason for this is that milk turns to curds in the stomach.  When it is drunk rapidly, it forms large curds, which are not so easy to digest as the small curds that are formed when the milk is taken slowly."

All in the name of Baby's welfare.



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Thursday, October 18, 2012

Treasure Chest Thursday :: The $100.00 1938 Hupmobile Loan

Copyright 2012, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

In going through Man's mother's papers recently we found a note/chattel mortgage Man's father took out in 1946 for $100.00 to purchase a 1938 Hupmobile,  the engine number, serial number and title number are even on this document.  Oh, and the 1946 license number too!  CJ 4591


Now, you know the researcher types, it did not take me long to go looking for an image of a 1938 Hupmobile, and it did not take me long to find one either!  LOL  So, used with permission of Flickr user Alden Jewell - -



I am in love!!  Let's go shopping!!  That color will be just perfect, thank you!




*  Many thanks to Alden for the permission to use his image.

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Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Wedding Wednesday :: Lilly Anna Gerth & Friedrich Johann Gehrke

Copyright 2012, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

On September 15, 1910 at the St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Pigeon/Linkville, Huron County, Michigan, Man's grandparents were married.




The photo was a small reward to me for cleaning and organizing for THE Trip, THE Encore'.  I did not have this particular photo of their wedding scanned.  I do now!




* Record from the original record book of the church, generously loaned to me many years ago.
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Tuesday, October 16, 2012

WHY? Why Cut The Photo?


Copyright 2012, CABS for Reflections From the Fence


Family history always has mysteries.

This is Man's father, in First B in 1926 (Lincoln Park, Wayne County, Michigan).  He is the one directly under the huge X, which is cut through the photo.

WHY??






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Monday, October 15, 2012

The Blame, Errr, The Thanks Goes To Margaret

Copyright 2012, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

Over the weekend we received the news of the passing of Man's mother's cousin, Margaret.  I will admit Margaret's passing set me back, took my breath away.

For those of you that have lived through a few of my rants during book formatting times, we can all thank or blame Margaret.  It's all her fault!

A few moons ago when I started family research much of it was done via snail mail (remember that stuff, it comes in an envelope to your home?).  I sent out reams of paper printed with group sheets and pedigree charts, begging for information.

Margaret responded.  Margaret responded in a BIG way.  Then, seeing what she deemed value in my new "sport", she decided it should be published, RIGHT THEN!  So, she pushed me over the edge into publishing books.

Now, she did not just push, she shoved, she helped, she drove to libraries, had me visit for weekends, she drove all over the county knocking on the doors of people she knew were family members, sitting them down and convincing them to fill in group sheets and begging photos.  She was a whirlwind and determined.

Without her I may never have finished a book.  But, she helped and pushed until she had her book, then, somehow she and her sisters, convinced me to do one for them, research and all, for one of their other lineages.  I had no personal interest in this line, fascinating as it was.  I never would have researched it.  She convinced her nephew to collect and process the photos when I begged off, crying, I cannot do all that work and the research and the book formatting and have a life.  

And, so was born the second family history book I was involved with publishing.


Note, I said second family history book.  Note, I have not done another family history since.  I have formatted a number of research books for the local genealogy club.  Note, I have not had, nor will I ever again, have Margaret pushing me to publish a family history.  I fear, maybe I don't have enough push by myself to ever do another.

I miss you Margaret, pushy, dear, sweet, loving, energetic, wild and wonderful Margaret.

Maybe I can muster up enough push to finish another work, in your honor.  I mean, it was all your fault, thank you!

Love ya Margaret.  You were one special, one of a kind lady!

Rest In Peace




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Thursday, October 11, 2012

Thursday Tech Report :: Got Mail? Great. Got a Back Up Plan??

Copyright 2012, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

Some of you may remember back about August of this year I was hacked over at my Yahoo email.  After I had the mess sorta under control I went looking for ways to address the situation, said situation, in my opinion was too much dependence on Yahoo (and Gmail for that matter).  I have for years only used internet mail, I ditched out of Outlook so long ago I cannot remember when it was.  Until this "little" incident, I have been happy with the email just floating around out there in cyber-land, now commonly known as the "cloud".

No longer am I happy trusting the cloud 100%.

I looked at many solutions, some involved $$, some did not.  After much snooping, questioning friends, reading more specs than I can to remember and learning some MORE new techy terms (which I have promptly forgotten), I chose to go with MailStore, with their free email archiving downloadable software.

My opinion, remembering that I usually have shaky internet connectivity:  it is free, it does work, it was not fast, but, it did work.

Now, I have some email accounts that I use to store things on, and there are well over 1,500 messages in at least one of them.  Archiving those accounts to my hard drive took time, and more than once MailStore stalled out.  Not all was lost, as soon as I started the archive process again, MailStore took off from where it  had stalled.

Overall I am satisfied, I have backed up the most important email accounts on both Yahoo and Gmail to my hard drive.  The backup file is 1.23 gigs.  I guess that is why it took a while!  LOL




* The disclaimers:  You know me, I use products, in this case Yahoo, Gmail and MailStore.  Sometimes I have good results, sometimes I have dismal results.  I pay if payment is required, I use free whenever I can find free that suits me.  Then there is that copyright stuff, Yahoo, Gmail and MailStore own their copyrights and all that means, everything, totally, more than 100%.  I get no $$$ from them for using their products, they have not contacted me to write reviews. I have a fancy smancy disclaimer page,  Disclaim THAT! Beholden to - -
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Tuesday, October 9, 2012

The Bee's Nest Cache

Copyright 2012, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

Nope, that is not the given name of this cache, it is the name I gave it, cause to pull the cache out, you need to be a bit careful, as it is guarded by a nest, of bees.

So, this is called a drive by, you are supposed to be able to retrieve the cache without getting out of your vehicle.  Cute thought and clue.  Can you see the cache??  Nope, but, it is there, very close to that bees nest in the upper right corner.  I know the photo is pretty lame, and shooting into the sun too.


Once retrieved, there is a very dry log, actually two logs, and even a gift, if you are so inclined to take it.  Man and I don't take the gifts, we just look, smile, enjoy, replace and move on.  Today the cache contains a decal and 2 very small hair barrettes.


We tried to claim this cache during the summer, but the bees were very active.  After last nights freeze they were a bit subdued. Man was brave enough to retrieve it and put it back.

Logged it, blogged it, moving on - - -




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Saturday, October 6, 2012

A Lot of Black, And a Little Bling

Copyright 2012, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

Spent hunks of this last week in stores, shopping, some clothes, but more fun, shopping for some techy toys and accessories.


So, what have we here?

Black case on the left is the new home of my 2 new external hard drives and cords.  One hard drive on one side of the case, cords for both with the second hard drive on the other side.  Compact, yet safe for our nomadic lifestyle.

Some bling in the middle.

To the far right, the single case (black of course) for the small external hard drive that I use daily for files that change.  Again, compact and safe.

Oh, that bling.

Snicker, my new cell phone cover.  The phone is a iPhone 4S.

I so rarely do bling that no one can believe it, even I.  Who knew??  Bling!  WOOT!



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Thursday, October 4, 2012

Color or White

Copyright 2012, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

I've been playing with the template and colors of Reflections again.  You may have noted some differences here on the blog - -

Or not!

I also have a test blog where I play with templates and colors.  Usually it is hidden behind a wall of privacy, but, I recently opened it up when I asked a couple of blogging friends for their opinions.

The test blog is here.  Comments are disabled.  Don't bother signing on as a follower, because in a day or so, it will be put back behind the wall of privacy.

But, for now, it is open and I invite you to have a lookie see.

Color or white??

Leave comments, if you so desire, here on Reflections.  As I told my friends, I have my big girl pants on, be truthful.  Not brutal, you can like or not and still be nice!  But, truthful is appreciated.



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Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Mary MNU Revisited

Copyright 2012, CABS for Reflections From the Fence 

On April 13, 2012, I shared this death certificate with you, not being able to read the mother, Mary's, maiden name.


I even enlarged the area with her name, for a closer look:


Several readers hazarded some guesses, such as Eamersen? Emerson? Eamiers? or Eanuens.

I revisited that death certificate a couple of times this week, as I really need to link it to John, but, I am reluctant to do so until I figure out his mother's maiden name, I know - - - - I'm funny like that.

Last time I looked at the document, I noted that it said Mary E??????  was born in Princess Anne County Virginia.  I know from census work and such that she was born about 1828.

So, I had this brainstorm (well, more like a brain burp, but, whatever - - )  To check the 1830 and 1840 census for Princess Anne County Virginia to see what surnames that begin with "E" might be found.  SOOO, I did:

1830 Princess Anne County Virginia:

Eaton
Edmond(s)
Edwards
Etheredge
Ewell

1840 Princess Anne County Virginia:

Eaton
Edmonds
Eldredge
Emond(s) (Edmond)
Encell (sure looks like Ewell to me)
Erard (Ward, really, looks like Ward)
Etheredge
Evered
Ewell

I am leaning towards Edmonds - - maybe - -

And the search goes on.  And, nope, I have NOT found the marriage of Edward Dews and Mary E??????

SIGH



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Tuesday, October 2, 2012

A Little Fall Festival, And A Little Grandtwins Time

Copyright 2012, CABS for Reflections From the Fence 

Last weekend the grandtwins came for a visit.  We had a delightful time.  Most of Saturday was spent at a fall festival in a town near here.  The festival includes a terrific car show, junk food (of course), and a judged arts and crafts show.  Photos of the crafts are discouraged, so, I only snapped one, which I am not sharing.  The car show people have no issues with photos of their cars.  I think this may have been my favorite.  Note, there is even a trailer for the bike!


Catch the backside of the bike, how COOL are those taillights???



Good hunks of Sunday were spent doing homework, but, we ended the day with a game of bocci ball once the parents arrived.  I believe Son # 1 may have scored bestest!






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