OK, Northwest Ohio, where are your poems?

Okay, Northwest Ohio - WHERE ARE YOUR POEMS???? I can only conclude that: 

1. People who read this blog are poetically challenged. 

2. The subject of the poem (genealogy blogs) left you cold. 

3. You were way too busy to bother with something so silly. 

4. You're shy.

I don't know which one of the above, but you forced me to twist the arm of a loved one so I could have a poem to put in this blog today. The person who wrote this wanted to remain nameless and signed it “your sad uncreative parent.” (Definitely NOT true.) The nameless person said I could “feel free to tweak this, destroy, burn or any mode of destruction you wish.” I love it — would-be poets are so apologetic. 

To write a poem with rules so just 

Makes one's attempt a royal bust 

It takes some thought and some trust 

Putting ancestry and history to a test 

And weave a story together at best 

Makes rhyme, reason, and research a must. 

I love you, nameless uncreative parent. I'm not sure if you saved Northwest Ohio's honor but your poetic skills are definitely several notches above those of your your poetically challenged daughter! My friend Terry Thornton also took pity on me and gave me these two beauties. As he correctly points out, “I should have points given for even attempting to rhyme kisser.” So true, Terry — there is something heroic (?) in that effort. 

At the desktop sits Ohio Terry, 

Writing, blogging often weary, 

Genealogy tomes never blurry —

A quick post of the blog

A quick walk of the dog . . . 

Writing never in a hurry. 

Says the Ohio Desktop, "I'm a kisser!

As a car hop, I was a spiller 

Which ruined many a'tipper. 

Serving root beer to any old dear. . ." 

Got her to genealogy, she's a winner. 

I love it! Thanks Mississippi Terry — I'm framing these babies! This concludes our little poetry challenge. I bet you're just kicking yourself for not playing. Let’s never speak of this again. No really, I mean NEVER!

Until Next Time! 

Note this post first published online, February 16, 2008, at Desktop Genealogist Blog at The News-Messenger Online http://www.thenews-messenger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=BLOGS02

© 16 February 2008, Desktop Genealogist Unplugged, Teresa L. Snyder 

A Sunday with Sandusky County Kin Hunters

One of the perks of doing an online blog for the local newspaper is that I have gotten to know some really nice folks. One of those nice people is my new friend, Phyllis (Hi Phyllis!), who belongs to the Sandusky County Kin Hunters, which is the local chapter of The Ohio Genealogical Society. They meet at 2 p.m. the second Sunday of every month (except December) at the Sandusky Township Hall on Oak Harbor Road. Phyllis invited me to meet her at the township hall on Sunday to attend the February meeting. 

I have to admit it was nice going to the meeting knowing that I would have a friendly face to greet me. It’s not easy walking into a strange place where you don’t know a soul. I bet some of you feel that way too. Not to worry. As it turns out, the Kin Hunters are all friendly people, and they make you feel right at home.

Their speaker was John Tate, who talked about using various records to fill out a family group sheet. John kept the discussion lively and interesting (translation – John is knowledgeable and even better, he has a wicked sense of humor, just my kind of guy!). He will return in March when he will lead the group in a question and answer session. Members and guests can bring in their questions, and hopefully, John or someone in the group will have faced a similar challenge and have the answer. The March meeting should spawn some interesting discussions! 

That meeting will be March 9. The cost of an annual membership to the Kin Hunters is $10 for an individual and $12 for two people with the same address. A student membership is $8. All dues are paid for the calendar year.

If you are interested in knowing more about the Sandusky County Kin Hunters, you can stop by their Web site at http://www.kinhunters.org/default.htm. I walked into the meeting with just a pen and a notebook, and I walked out with an arm full of old Kith and Kin newsletters, a bunch of notes, an old picture (thanks Bob), and I hope, some new friends. Thanks guys! 

Until Next Time – Happy Ancestral Digging

Note this post first published online, February 15,2008, at Desktop Genealogist Blog at The News-Messenger Online http://www.thenews-messenger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=BLOGS02

© 15 February 2008, Desktop Genealogist Unplugged, Teresa L. Snyder 

Some neat ways to waste time

As usual, I am way behind on mentioning some interesting blog posts. Today I am going to be very bad and give you a heads up on some posts that are guaranteed to have you lose track of time and exclaim, “Whoa, I haven’t got a darn thing done!” You can thank me later. 

Sometimes you already know about a fabulous website but for whatever reason you simply forget about its existence. Lee Drew of “FamHist Blog,” recently reminded me of this with Lee’s recent blog post of February 3 entitled, “Zoom, Write and Learn” (http://famhist.wordpress.com/2008/02/03/zoom-write-and-learn/).

In the post, Lee talks about both Google Earth and Microsoft’s Live Search Maps. I admit I had visited the Google Earth website a year or so ago, and then just forgot about it. I’ve spent the last week zooming in on my house, a company I work with in Baltimore, the Outer Banks, the St. Louis Arch, my friend KC’s house in California and just about any other place that came to mind.

The coolest place I visited was Budowo, Poland where my great-grandparents were both baptized. I now know that they were about an hour away from the Baltic Sea, and close to four hours away from Berlin. This might not be tops on your list of need to know things, but they have been the subject of an ongoing discussion between dad and I. 

Hey Dad, Budow was a lot farther than we thought from Berlin. 

Even better, on Google Earth (http://earth.google.com/) they had pictures loaded onto the website, and by clicking on a specific icon, I could see the countryside where my great grandparents grew up.

Google Earth and Live Search Maps (http://maps.live.com/) both get thumbs up from me. Thanks Lee for the nifty reminder. 

Okay if you managed not to waste time on that one, here’s one that will get you daydreaming. The premise was proposed by Robert Ragan, “What would you do if an Eccentric Rich Old Uncle offered You a Million Dollars to Do Your Family’s Genealogy Research?” (http://amberskyline.com/treasuremaps/cool-genealogy-stuff/a-million-dollars-to-do-your-family%E2%80%99s-genealogy-research.html). Well two bloggers answered that question themselves. Schelly Talalay Dardashti of “Tracing the Tribe” answered the question here: http://tracingthetribe.blogspot.com/2008/01/million-dollars-for-your-research.html.

I loved Schelly’s answer. “Well, I’ll assume I could use some of the million to pay household bills …while I’m traveling the world for research.” I laughed aloud when I read that because it was the first thing I thought of too. However, I was most intrigued by the answer of Becky Wiseman at “Kinexxions.” Becky had this all thought out, right down to hiring a driver for her newly decked out motor home. (One suggestion though, Becky, make it a masseur/driver position. That way if you get a knotted up neck from all that traveling, he/she can take care of that too. Just a suggestion.) 

I also noticed that many of the places Becky wants to visit are the same places I’d like to go. So Becky, if I promise to be good, would you consider swinging on by my house on your way to Virginia? How ‘bout it Becky? (Does anybody know- does Becky take cookies or brownies for bribes?) Okay, you’re all daydreaming about the million aren’t you? You can read all of Becky’s details here: http://kinexxions.blogspot.com/2008/02/million-dollars-just-for-genealogy.html. 

 “The GenLady” has posted her “Where Were You” Carnival on the census, which you can read at http://www.genlady.com/2008/02/11/where-were-youblog-carnival-1/. Her next topic for the Where Were You carnival is where were your ancestors during the Great Depression. Hmm – I’m already thinking. 

Finally, last weekend Terry Thornton put together a “Harvest from the Blog Garden” http://hillcountryofmonroecountry.blogspot.com/2008/02/harvest-from-blog-garden-february-9.html. He had a baker’s dozen, and I confess I whiled away one whole Saturday afternoon. Each post was different from the other, and all were satisfying. Okay, I know people always say that, but you have to go check these out. Not only did he link these posts, but he also included each of the blog banners. This was a mighty pretty post, Terry.

Feel free to have your family and friends drop me an irate note asking me what I was thinking when I gave you these fine time stealers. Enjoy! 

Until Next Time – Happy Ancestral Digging! Note this post first published online, February 14,2008, at Desktop Genealogist Blog at The News-Messenger Online http://www.thenews-messenger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=BLOGS02

© 14 February 2008, Desktop Genealogist Unplugged, Teresa L. Snyder 

A poetry challenge: Terry Thornton's Incredible Throw-Down

Okay, so maybe incredible poetry throw-down is overselling it a bit. But how many times does a 54-year-old grandma get to participate in a throw-down? My good friend, Terry Thornton, of “Hill Country of Monroe County, Mississippi” (http://hillcountryofmonroecountry.blogspot.com/2008/02/blogbloggerbloggingpoetpoems.html) has issued a challenge: 

 “RULES: Each Genea-Blogger or H.O.G.S Blogger may submit no more than three original poems about their blog. Any BLOG READER may submit ONE poem in the comments section of his/her favorite genea-blog. Each of the poems must be along the lines of a limerick (naughty is permissible but raunchy is not!) which follows the general rule for limerick writing. Six lines - the first three lines must end in rhyming words, the fourth and fifth line must rhyme and the sixth line must rhyme with the first three. Here is the general rhyming scheme to follow. AAABBA.” 

Leave it to Terry to make up his own type of poetry, calling these “BLOG SESTETS.” He later said that he would also allow a traditional type limerick. So, of course, I can't let a good challenge pass me by. Unfortunately, hello, I was a business major and poetic mastery was not a discipline that I explored. In other words, I'm really bad at this. I didn't realize how bad until I read Al my sestet and he actually grimaced. 

 “What, I shouldn't put this on my blog?” I asked noting the pained look on his face. 

 “No, its, ah, fine.”

Liar, he just didn't want me mentioning him in the blog, and he has learned to say as little as possible when I talk “blog speak.” So, since you the reader can also play, I am hoping that some of you will submit your poems by 9:30 p.m. Thursday in the comments section of my blog, and I will post any and all on Friday, and then give the link to the poet master, Mr. Thornton. 

Whaddaya say? Help a girl out and save the honor of Northwest Ohio's poetic skills. You are about to see why they need saving: First, my attempt at a limerick: 

A purveyor of words am I.

Into ancestors lives I pry. 

As their stories unfold,

My own truth is told 

'Tis Death that I seek to defy. 

Wait, it gets worse! My attempt at a “Terry Thornton sestet:”

A genealogy blogger am I.

Not a poet, I won't even try. 

Historical truths are my high. 

So readers respond to this lure.

Save our honor as poets for sure 

'Cause my skills would make a bard cry!

Okay, see what I mean. HELP! 

Until Next Time! 

Note this post first published online, February 12, 2008, at Desktop Genealogist Blog at The News-Messenger Online http://www.thenews-messenger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=BLOGS02

© 12 February 2008, Desktop Genealogist Unplugged, Teresa L. Snyder 

So Long, Farewell, Auf wiedersehen, Adieu

Eric, our intrepid editor, who for me has been THE FACE of the News-Messenger, has deserted his “bloglings” to head north to pursue personal and professional opportunities yadda yadda.

Like most of the other genea-bloggers on the Internet, I blog for the pure joy of it – although the joy is a little forced some days. And like the majority of my colleagues, I don’t get paid for the privilege of inflicting my sometimes skewed view of the world and genealogy on an unsuspecting public. But unlike the others, I had Eric, our editor, to share some of the little victories that this experiment of ours has spawned. 

“Hey, our blog was mentioned on so and so’s blog,” I would email him, or “I was quoted” exclamation marks abounding – pretty heady stuff for a newbie blogger. Though he would sometimes change my titles, Eric always knew which ones not to touch. And although he would occasionally correct a grammar or punctuation error, he never once changed or rearranged my words. 

In one of my posts, I mentioned in passing that the editor might be mumbling under his breath over some of my antics. When the confirming email arrived letting me know that the post had been received it also contained the message “Only a few words under my breath this morning.” Don’t you love an editor with a sense of humor?

So I hope, dear reader, you won’t mind if I use today’s post to say a public “Thank you” to my friend Eric. 

Thanks E for all your encouragement and help. I’m gonna miss you, and I know that even though I can be a big PAIN, you’ll miss me and my little emails too. (I’ll betcha there is a manila folder with my name on it and the words CONTROL FREAK scrawled across it.) The other bloggers and I have been left in the very capable hands of the assistant local desk editor who is probably wondering what terrible thing he did to deserve this fate. Don’t tell him, but I have Eric’s permission to torture him – okay, not exactly permission but close enough.

So best of luck Eric and - so long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, adieu! (Now aren’t you sorry I can’t embed sound files?) Until Next Time! 

Note this post first published online,February 11, 2008, at Desktop Genealogist Blog at The News-Messenger Online http://www.thenews-messenger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=BLOGS02

© 11 February 2008, Desktop Genealogist Unplugged, Teresa L. Snyder

Where were you?

The GenLady has asked the question — Where were you during each of the U.S. Censuses? 

U.S. CENSUS 1960 

I turned 7 years old on the official day of the census in 1960. I don't know what possessed the government to make April Fool's Day the official census day, but with me, it was just a matter of being late, as usual. You might say I “fooled around” until 18 minutes after midnight before deciding to make my first appearance into the world. My birthday and the official census have been linked ever since. My family lived in Fremont, Ohio, which is where you will find me each and every census. It was just my sister and I along with our parents. 

I was a first-grader at Hayes School. The first grade happened to be the year, and I might point out, the only year, that I threw up in front of the entire class. I had warned my teacher that I couldn't drink that whole bottle of milk, and I guess I proved my point. All of you did want to hear my throwing up story, right? Oh, and first grade was the year of my first mutual kiss, behind the bushes on the corner of June and Whittlesey streets. I'm not counting the kiss I was given by a certain someone in kindergarten, as we lay on our nap rugs, because 

1. I was HORRIFIED and 

2. Some little goodie two shoes tried to tell the teacher about it and I was DOUBLE HORRIFIED that I might actually get into trouble for something that wasn't my fault, unless of course, my being irresistible was considered a fault. 

You will be relieved to know that my promiscuity peaked along with my popularity in first grade. 

U.S. CENSUS 1970 

I turned 17, and of course, I knew everything. And I mean everything. I loved my parents but they were “square.” My siblings, two more had been added, were annoying. In that junior year of high school, my plan involved going to college to become an elementary school teacher and/or maybe saving the world. Important stuff to be sure, but my main goal in life that year was to have sleek, long straight hair ala Cher. 

I tried letting my hair dry naturally (as opposed to sitting under a bonnet dryer), rolling my hair into one huge jumbo roller on the top of my head, and ironing my hair — with an iron and an ironing board. If you think laying your head on an ironing board and ironing your hair yourself is easy, I suggest you try it. Thank goodness, it didn't work, or back surgery would have probably figured big in any future plans.

The summer of that year, I had my first non-babysitting job. I worked as a carhop at the A&W Root Beer stand. I got off to a rocky start when I spilled Black Cow down the side of one hapless customer's car. After that, things went well and I made good tips, on top of the whopping $.75 an hour that the job paid. I managed to save over $200 that summer, which my dad made sure, was deposited into the Credit Union — fiscal irresponsibility being akin to a deadly sin in my family. 

U.S. CENSUS 1980 

The 1980 census found me turning 27, married, with three children aged, 7, 3 and 1. A stay-at-home mother, those years are one long blur. I enjoyed being a mom, but the days went by too fast, and there were never enough hours in a day. I looked longingly at women who went to work and had an identity outside of mom. I didn't realize that they still had to take care of sick kids, buy groceries, run errands, wash clothes, pay bills and try to figure out how to stretch a dollar, IN ADDITION, to holding down a job and keeping another whole group of people happy. The grass is always greener, right?

U.S. CENSUS 1990 

In the 1990 census, we received the long form to fill out. I was really ticked at the time, because it was a pain to fill it all out. Al and I had been married less than a year, and all six of our children were living with us at the time. Between the two of us, we had six children, 5 boys and 1 girl, aged 10 to 17. We never had a table big enough to seat all of us at the same time, and in fact, the very first meal we had together was predictably noisy and chaotic. 

I had just doled out the last of the spaghetti, when the youngest one ran in the back door announcing, “I'm here!” Al and I looked at each other horrified. In all the confusion, neither one of us had realized that one of our little chickadees was missing. Oh yeah, we were going to be GREAT at this blended family thing! We still shake our head at those years with the whole crew. We always say

1. You have to truly love and like your partner to survive the stresses of a blended family. And, 

2. WHAT WERE WE THINKING? 

U.S. CENSUS 2000 

By this census, I was 47 years old and living in the country, half way between Fremont and Clyde, just my favorite fellow and me. I drove 45 minutes one way to work every day, and I would amuse myself by calculating how many weeks of my life I was spending on the road in a year. Ah, good times! 

I was working at a bank and my friend, a loan officer who shall remain nameless and shameless, pulled me into a corner the day of my birthday and said in a James Bond fashion, “Do you have your purse with you today?” My crazy nameless loan officer friend had me go get the purse. Then looking both ways and over her shoulders to make sure the coast was clear, she grabbed something out of her purse and shoved it into mine. I looked down, and saw what I would later learn was a Mike's Hard Lemonade. She had brought it for me as a birthday present. Mike and I have been good buddies ever since. Ah, Carole, I mean Nameless, I miss you! That's what I was doing during each census. How about you?

Until Next Time — Happy Ancestral Digging! 

Note this post first published online, February 6, 2008, at Desktop Genealogist Blog at The News-Messenger Online http://www.thenews-messenger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=BLOGS02

© 6 February 2008, Desktop Genealogist Unplugged, Teresa L. Snyder 

Carnival of Genealogy has arrived

The Carnival of Genealogy is in town! There are 32 entries for this edition of Carnival. I haven’t had a chance to read all of them yet (there were 32, after all), but you will find a variety of responses to the question: If you could have dinner with four of your ancestors who would they be and why? Some are guaranteed to make you laugh, some will make your mouth water, and some will make you think. Jasia, as usual, has played the gracious hostess, and gave a brief synopsis of each of the entries.

You can find the links to each at Jasia's Creative Gene: http://creativegene.blogspot.com/2008/02/carnival-of-genealogy-41st-edition.html So which four of YOUR ancestors would you have to dinner and why? Until Next Time – Happy Ancestral Digging! 

 Note this post first published online, February 5, 2008, at Desktop Genealogist Blog at The News-Messenger Online http://www.thenews-messenger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=BLOGS02

© 5 February 2008, Desktop Genealogist Unplugged,  Teresa L. Snyder