Winter 2010

This has been the coldest winter in years and we have already had two big snows. This last one was 7 inches and due to the temperatures, will most likely be around for a while. The above picture is one I found online. It is the Viaduct at Grandfather Mountain. It was made January 10, 2010, so it is recent. Being snowed in has given me time to do genealogy research. It has also given me time to go through closets and cabinets, cleaning out and cleaning up. But I am longing for Spring, for the daffodils and tulips, for the plowing of the garden, for chirping of the birds and for sunshine. God blesses us with seasons but I like Spring the best.

Blizzard of 2009

This has been the coldest winter we've had in 30 years. The 19th of December we got 12 inches of snow where we live and other places in the county got up to 15 inches. It has been four weeks and all of it has not melted yet. It has been too cold. Now they are predicting another storm. I just hope it is not as bad as this last one. It certainly makes for beautiful picture taking however and watching the flakes fall is just breathtaking. So pretty. Then after the roads are driven on and scraped and the snow starts to melt some and becomes slush - it isn't pretty, just messy. But this is just one more of God's beautiful portraits he paints and gives us, just like the sunrise and sunset. Happy 2010.
Anita

Southern Christmas Show

This is my grandson Ryan who is 3 years old. He is in awe of the tree, lights and 'snow'. Of course he wanted to touch everything. We were entering the Southern Christmas Show that is held in Charlotte, NC each year at the old Coliseum. We had Ryan's stroller and after a little while of walking we put him in it. It wasn't long until he was lulled to sleep. The Christmas Show is an annual event and we have been three times. It is very crowded. You see so many pretty trees, sample lots of tasty food and drinks, get a chance to purchase some Christmas Gifts, hear Christmas music and get into the Christmas Spirit. I got sick right after this event with the flu and it took me almost two weeks to get back to normal. But we had a good time. My daughter, my sister and I went together. We always have lots of fun together and the Christmas Season is just very special. I hope everyone recognizes the reason for this season, the birth of our Lord. I hope you will take time to engulf yourself in His love and care. He is Our Heavenly Father who wants the best for us but expects our best for Him. Praise God from whom all Blessings Flow.

Tell Me More Ancestor Stories, Grandma

As an avid genealogist I have learned that if another person is not interested in their ancestors, you may as well stop talking about them. Not so with children. They will listen for as long as you can talk. They will ask you 'why?' They will laugh at your stories. They never seem bored or wonder when you are going to stop talking. Lastly, they love stories. They seem to think the things you are telling them about when you were a little girl are just so great! I tell them what they call 'ancestor stories'. Then, the next time I see them they will say, "Tell me more ancestor stories, Grandma." Then, of course, I get started!

OUR ANCESTORS

Beatitudes Of A Family Genealogist
Blessed are the great-grandmothers, who hoarded newspapers and old letters, for they tell the story of their time. Blessed are the great-grandfathers, who filed every legal document, for this provides proof. Blessed are the grandmothers who preserved family Bibles and diaries, for this is our Heritage. Blessed are the fathers who elect officials that answer letters of inquiry. For some they are the only link to the past. Blessed are the mothers who relate family history traditions and legends to the family, for one of her children will surely remember. Blessed are the relatives who fill in family sheets with extra data, for to them we owe the family history. Blessed is any family whose members strive for the preservation of records, for theirs is a labor of love. Blessed are the children who will never say, "Grandma, you have told us that old story twice today".
. . . . . . . . Genealogist climb trees

I Loved My Grandmother - her name was Maggie

My paternal grandmother was born in 1900 and died in 1969. I was very close to her and remember her very well. I have so many wonderful memories of her, the things we did, the trips we took and her kindness and goodness. She inspired me with her work ethic, her love for her church, her love for her family and her ability to always be there for everyone and make it appear to be without effort. I loved her very much. When she died, a part of me died too. I was 21 years old. She was born in Georgia and she left her home and family when she married my grandfather and came to North Carolina. I know she must have missed them terribly because she only went back to Georgia occasionally due to work, family and responsibility. She and my grandfather had one son, my dad (1924-2001). She is on the left in the photo above. This was made about 1940. Life moves on.........

How I was Bitten by the Genealogy Bug!

I became interested in genealogy in 1978. I was completing the genealogy section of my daughter's baby book. She was two years old at the time. I realized then that I did not know (for sure) who her great-great grandparents were. I decided to find out. Little did I know that by doing this, I would be bitten by a bug named Genealogy. Once bitten - you're infected forever. Back in those days, we had no computer. You used the library, the courthouses and you corresponded with other people. I subscribed to a magazine called, 'The Genealogical Helper'. In it you could post queries and see if others might be searching the same family. You would travel to out of town courthouses and cemeteries. You made lots of pictures and paid to have them developed. Then you sorted the pictures, your data and notes into manilla file folders. I remember keeping my file folders in alphabetical order - in a cardboard box. In 1981, when she was 5 years old and started kindergarten, I returned to college to finish my nursing degree. I put the Genealogy Folders in the closet - but from time to time, I would get them out. Someone would write me with an inquiry and I just had to respond. So off and on during those years - I continued to add to my data and correspond with others but not as much, due to working and raising two kids - (my daughter and her brother who was 5 years older than her). In the year 2000 - genealogy once again came to the front of the line. About that time I bought the Family Tree Maker program for my new computer. I began making family files and adding lots and lots of data. Since then I have updated the Family Tree Maker program three times. I was so afraid I'd have a computer crash that I invested in a computer backup program. It backs up my computer data every Wednesday so now I've stopped worrying that I would loose everything. I bought the 3 volume McDowell County, NC cemetery books - and also have been a member of Ancestry.com for about 7 years now. This lets me do research from home most of the time. So you could say that I am a Family Genealogist. I love helping others research their family. I love sharing my notes with others. I am always eager to learn new things about genealogy and I am always so happy to find new cousins.