LOOKING FOR SOMEONE?

As you all know I dabble in genealogy. Recently while playing on line I googled my great-grandfather's name and found a link to a genealogy website where someone was looking for information on his family. I shared what I knew and the woman had this photo, above, that she emailed me. What an exciting find! It reminded me of that commercial that has been on TV for Ancestry.com where the woman says, " you don't even have to know what you are looking for, just look"! Kate Spencer North is my great-grandmother, and her father, John North, is my great-great-grandfather. We are not sure of the names of the others in the photo, but all are family, surely. They lived in Syracuse, NY, where Grandma Bessie is from, and Kate is Bessie's mother. This was a very exciting photo for me to come across.

Years ago when I was doing research I sent to England for a birth certificate for Kate. Look at all the great information on this document! Today most of this is available at Ancestry.com. You have to pay to join and then search for the info on line. What a fabulous boon to genealogists! In case you don't already know this, you can go on line to lds.org and download a program called PAF for free. Here you can begin to enter your family genealogy on charts where you just fill in what you know and search for the rest. At new.familysearch.com you can find additional information that the LDS church has compiled. Keep in mind that I have already entered a lot of information, so don't reinvent the wheel. Just ask me!

I want to encourage you all to watch the TV show, Who Do You Think You Are? on NBC, Friday nights. It has been really great! It has followed the ancestry search for Sarah Jessica Parker, Emmit Smith, Lisa Kudrow and Matthew Broderick. If you missed any of them you can see them on line at the above link. You may also have an "on demand" button on your TV remote that lists that show. This coming Friday they will show the episode with Brooke Shields. Check it out!

Love you all!

MOM

ANNIVERSARY BELLS RINGING

I don't know if there is such a thing as anniversary bells, but I am ringing them regardless! Oh how the years fly by! Matt and Anna Marie have been married for 19 years this month! How lucky our whole family was the day Anna Marie said "I do"! And what a wonderful family these two have created! We look forward to having you visit us this summer!

And for Renn and Keira it has been one whole year! You have to wonder how that happens so quickly. They have already blessed us with a new grandson, Isaac! We rejoice in their happiness and love seeing our family grow!

Love to everyone!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!

W. JAMES WINSPEAR
Happy Birthday Dad! 87 years of being a wonderful son, husband and father, and friend to many as well. We are all grateful for the kind of person you are and the influence for good that you have shared. You have always worked hard to take care of us, your children and grandchildren, and played with us as well. As adults you have been there for us to offer your views and assist us with your guidance. We have benefitted from your sense of humor as well as your tender tears. Spending time with you is always a pleasure!

Three Winspear brothers: Jack, Jimmie, and Burt!

Four generations of Winspears!
Randy, Jimmie, Walter (Augie) and Wally

I really should have a photo of our whole family, but I haven't scanned anything new.

Here's to you Dad! Happy Birthday February 20, 2010!

Happy Birthday Keira

Hey everyone, it was Keira's birthday yesterday! Too bad I wasn't smart enough to post this yesterday! Keira, we love you and are so glad you are in our family!

Isaac's Blessing

Our little Isaac is growing! Keira sent me these photos from Sunday, February 7, 2010, when Isaac was blessed.

He just gets cuter and cuter doesn't he? 

Look at that hairline--just like his daddy's!

Love to everyone!  MOM

OUT MY WINDOW

I looked out my window and what did I see? Well, a very unusual sight for Virginia Beach, that's for sure! Despite all the predictions, I really didn't believe this would happen. We have probably gotten five inches of snow so far, and there may be more to come. I see people are beginning to get brave and there are cars going down Shore Drive, but we won't be one of them! We have everything we need right here!

I know, I know, we have seen lots worse than this all those years in Minnesota, but we don't live in Minnesota anymore! This is "the South", we don't expect to have to deal with this!

Dad is hunkered down with a book and a glass of Cream Soda, and I have started a pot of soup and cinnamon rolls. That is our cozy little weekend all wrapped up and warm! Give me a quilt and some hot chocolate please!

Love to you all!

Mom

SO HOW WAS YOUR DAY?

What a day I had yesterday. I left home at 11:30 to go get a haircut. I mentioned to the lady cutting my hair that it smelled like someone had garlic for lunch...not meaning her. I smelled garlic when I walked in the place Well turns out she loves garlic and had it the night before for dinner. In fact she confessed that she adds it to everything.  I think it was coming out her pores. You know garlic does that. She ran for some gum, and I was totally embarrassed and am happy to be left with some hair on my head after that.

I then went to Sam's Club and didn't have my check book, but they said they take debit cards. So I shopped and filled up my cart and went to check out, used my debit card and it wouldn't accept my pin number. I know it was the right number, but haven't used the card in a while, so that was probably the reason. So I tried to go get cash and same thing--wrong pin. Meanwhile the line is forming behind me. Anxiety sets in!
I came back to the cashier and she says "Oh do you want to charge it instead?" Well hell yes! Why are you making me jump thru hoops if I can charge it? I thought the whole point was that I had to do a debit!
So I charged it and took my stuff to the car. I sat in the car and looked at my receipt. I originally tried to get $20 cash back and it looked like I was supposed to get it but didn't. So I went back in and the cashier pointed out how dumb I am, and I misread it. I went back out to my car and...whoops...where are my keys? In the ignition with the doors locked! Aiyee! Again, dumb, dumb, dumb! I went back into the store seeking help. Everyone wanted to know did I have AAA. No, I think I would have at least been smart enough to call them if I had them. And my husband was out of town, so no help from there. Finally someone suggested the mechanics and tires area. A very nice young man came out and tried to jimmie the lock with a coat hanger, but was unsuccessful. So we went back in to call a locksmith. (Oh, and I am probably the only person in this country without a cell phone!) Most of the numbers in the yellow pages were disconnected. This poor kid just keeps dialing number after number and finally someone answers! So half an hour and $40 later I got into my car! By that time it was 3:30 and instead of running the rest of my errands, I came home to put the groceries away. Oh, I had a hot dog and coke while I was waiting for the locksmith. I was starving. It was good.

See how I can totally blow a day whether I am home or not?!   Honestly, the whole time I was thinking, "This must be a bad dream. This isn't really happening because this is my lucky year!"

What a life!