Happy New Year From Seattle

THANK YOU!

For Reading footnoteMaven in 2008

Let's Celebrate Life's Memories Together
in 2009

More In The New Year!

MAKE A SMALLBOX MOVIE!

The Proximidade Award

Miriam Midkiff of AnceStories just awarded the footnoteMaven blog the Proximidade Award.

In turn, I pass the award on to the following GeneaBloggers. Visit their blogs for some delightful reading. Show your appreciation by leaving a comment.

1. Lidian - The Virtual Dime Museum (I love her research and writing.)

2. Donna Pointkowski - What's Past Is Prologue (Donner, she just gets me and she knows her way around the written word.)

3. Denise Levenick - The Family Curator (She's just brilliant. If only we all had a teacher this remarkable)

4. Sheri Bush - Twig Talk (We are the foster parents of Annie. Sheri is so generous.)

5. Nikki-ann - Notes of Life (What she does with a camera she shares with the world.)

6. Denise Olson - Family Matters (I never go tech without her.)

7. Colleen McHugh - The Oracle of OMcHodoy (A fellow dog lover and great blogger.)

8. Bill West - West In New England (My favorite bookseller!)

Thank you, Miriam, for the Proximidade Award. It is greatly appreciated. Old friends are the best.

I Do Solemly Resolve To . . .

As the new year begins, I look into the future and make what I will call "Year-Long Aspirations of Good Intentions." Jasia, a traditionalists, has referred to them as New Year's Resolutions, Footnote.com might prefer a more professional designation such as annual goals, but call it what you will, it's always nice to strive for improvement as we step into 2009.

Last year I refused to engage in what has always been for me, the resolution farce. You know; clean, organize, lose weight. It always ends in bitter disappointment, defeat, and weight gain.

This year I have been struggling with nostalgia. The nostalgia fire was stoked by Becky Wiseman's post, A Salute to the Old Timers!, and ended with email correspondence between Jasia and myself. Could I be an Old Timer, surely not.

I now write several blogs. It was feeling like several too many so I was contemplating closing down footnoteMaven and moving my blogging life to Shades. I would retain my nom-de-blog, but no more footnoteMaven the blog.

I discussed this with Jasia, a good friend and the engine behind all the GeneaBlogger machinery. She reminded me that footnoteMaven was where my personality resided, where I wrote, where I really interacted with my blogging friends. Shades was the professional me. She gave me a great deal to think about and Becky's post brought back some wonderful memories.

Becky pointed to my first post, Shelter From The Home and Hearth, which was also my first contribution to the Carnival of Genealogy. I was so new, my hand shook as I hit the blog submission button. I had been reading these famous bloggers for months in the certain knowledge that I was not worthy. Now I was about to prove that to the world.

I had joined the 19th Carnival with my blogging idols, Randy Seaver - Genea-Musings, Jasia - Creative Gene (the reason I started blogging), Miriam Midkiff - AnceStories, Becky Wiseman - kinexxions, Craig Manson - Geneablogie, Apple - Apple's Tree, David Bowles - Writing the Westward Sagas, Tim Abbott - Walking the Berkshires, and Chris Dunham - The Genealogue (Chris actually mentioned me in a post once and left a comment on my blog, that Chris. I was so excited!).

These were the Old Guard and I was jumping into the deep end of their blogging pool. They were kind, generous, and welcoming. Encouraged, I wrote more posts and more Carnival submissions. Then, miracle of miracles, I received my first comment. A comment for another Carnival submission, Only Woman-Built Boat On Long Island. Here is that memorable comment and my response:

Apple said...

A very interesting story. Your comment that she evaded her family for most of her life is very intriguing. I hope you'll share more about her in the future as you learn more.


The footnoteMaven said...

The stories of Lois Green have not always been kind. They are the type of family lore that you must be certain of before you plant your ancestral foot in your mouth.

Apple holds a special place in my blogging heart for being the first to comment on an article I had written. You have no idea how excited I was, then again, perhaps you do.

I admire each and every one of these wonderful people and am still very close to those who encouraged me from my first post. People have often asked why I create a Carnival of Genealogy poster twice a month when the Carnival is Jasia's and not mine. It's really quite simple. I owe my blogging life to the Carnival and Jasia. It is my homage to her for my online start. I will be forever grateful.

Along the way I added many new friends and I have enjoyed their research, writing, and wicked sense of humor. This past year also saw the advent of Facebook and a flood of new Geneabloggers. I hope in some small measure I have encouraged this new crop of GeneaBloggers as I was encouraged. Today, it is so difficult for a new blog to stand out, to get the recognition it deserves with the number of blogs in competition for our viewing. I offer one suggestion - Be yourself, everyone else is already taken.

And with that I get back to the point of this post, my "Year-Long Aspirations of Good Intentions."

1. footnoteMaven will remain. I love writing this blog. It is my beginning and my roots. fM needs a face lift and more articles in the areas I enjoy - writing, sources, citations, humor, family history, and friendship. More of those in the coming year. And yes, I need to put a few more blocks on the quilt.

2. I hate, detest, loathe and dispise my blog reader. Sure you get a quick read, but how I miss the trips to the actual blogs. The redecorating and all the little widgets that show a blogger's personality. More trips to the actual blogs, less blog reader in the new year.

3. More new blogs. No, not ones I'll create, those you've created. More trips to the blogs of new GeneaBloggers. There are so many gems out there.

4. This last year I haven't commented nearly as much as I would have liked. I lay some of the blame with those infernal blog readers. More comments! There are some fantastic blogs out there and I intend to tell them so more often.

5. I once responded to all the comments my articles received. I haven't done enough of that recently. If someone takes the time to stop on any of my blogs and leave a comment I intend to respond. I miss the interaction. More responses in the new year.

6. I am working on that database of photographers to help date our family photographs and would like to have it online in the coming year. It's one of those projects that will never be finished, like our own family history. Shades will be putting out a call during the year for assistance from my readers. I want that database to become a reality.

7. My first love is researching old photos and there will be much more in 2009. Back to the detective work.

8. Oh, those women wearing glasses. The collection grows and I am refining the database that holds them all together. This year I will talk more about the work.

9. I have spent a monumental amount of money on new technology (ask Mr. Maven). Now all I have to do is master that technology. I will spend more time learning the ropes of my hardware and software this new year, in the fervent hope all that technology will make for quality and efficiency.

Do you see a pattern? I'm going back to the things I love,
the things that made me happiest. The reason I became a GeneaBlogger.

10. Step away from the computer! Yes, there is life beyond the keyboard and I'm going out to get some.

Meet me here next year! Same GeneaTime, same GeneaBlog, same GeneaDiscussion. Let's see how my "Year-Long Aspirations of Good Intentions" worked out.

How Cold Was It?

This Cold!
Even HRH Zoe, Hunter & Poppy Made Friends

This will be a Christmas to remember and talk about for years to come. We lost our power Christmas Eve, it happens here often. We went to bed early, certain the power would be on Christmas morning. The power came on at 6.00am. We put the beautiful roast beef in the oven. Within 15 minutes, the power was out again. How long could the power be out on Christmas Day? A call to the power company told us there was no estimate for when the power would be restored. Outside it was a blizzard. We sat down to discuss our next move. Abandon ship!

We called our youngest daughter and told her we were packing the food and heading for her house, an hour and a half away. Our oldest daughter had spent the night with us and set about loading presents and food into the four-wheel drive.

We couldn't chance the back roads (they hadn't been plowed) so we headed for the freeway. It was really snowing, at our house we got another 12 inches Christmas day. The freeway was a whiteout. Driving down Highway 2 (the road to one of our ski areas) was an experience all in itself. People actually stopped to chain-up in the middle of the road. What were they thinking? When they broke down, people walked down the middle of the road, not once turning around to see the destruction derby going on behind them in an effort to avoid mowing them down. It was crazy!

We arrived at my daughter's house; her streets being the worst stretch of road yet. She had added 18 inches to an already record total snow fall. We made it to her house safe and sound, although white knuckles are now a permanent condition for me.

There was a heavy snowfall all day, but it was a wonderful Christmas and an even better Christmas dinner. We all got what we asked for, but the White Christmas was a bit over the top for Seattle and definitely not over.

Since 1891, Seattle has had only ten snowfalls of one inch or more on Christmas Day. It takes one inch to be classified as a White Christmas.

We decided to leave my daughter's around 4.00pm; not wanting to hazard the roads to our house any later, any colder, and any darker. We loaded the cars, but the snow had gotten much deeper and my oldest daughter and her boyfriend got stuck in the driveway. Mr. Maven chained their car to his four wheel and attempted to pull them out. It couldn't be done, and Mr. Maven got the four wheel stuck (we know he's good, so we know it was bad.)

A neighbor dispatched his truck from down the street, which promptly became mired in the snow. Another one bites the snow. Three vehicles all stuck in the driveway and blocking the street. What a mess! A huge truck showed up to cheers and applause and got Mr. Maven out as well as the other two vehicles. By now it was 6.00pm.

Finally we were on the road to our house, but things didn't look good. Not a single light to be seen in any of the houses along our road. We rounded the corner in time to be met with a pack of small power company trucks shining their spotlights in the trees. Just in front of the trucks was a huge power pole and transformer snapped in half.

It didn't look like a simple fix, so we turned around to head for town and Starbucks where we intended to wait for the power to be restored. You guessed it! Every Starbucks was closed for Christmas. We ran the length of town finding nothing open. Just as we were about to head for the freeway we saw a flashing red OPEN sign. It was our favorite Chinese restaurant!

Mr. Maven laughed as visions of his favorite Christmas movie flashed through his head. (A Christmas Story, and fortunately the staff did not sing to us.) It was warm inside, the TV was on and we had hot tea and several appetizer platters.

Around 9.30pm we decided to head home. Surely they must be finished restoring power. Again, we headed up the hill, this time we were met by huge power trucks, one carrying a new pole and transformer - on the truck, not in the ground. We stopped to talk with one of the employees whose Christmas tale made ours look tame. It would be at least midnight, he told us, before the power would be back on.

We live in a house built in 1899. When they go cold, it's really cold and it takes days to get them warm again. Our generator was frozen solid and the propane tank for our travel trailer had frozen and blown its cork expelling all the propane. Welcome Home!

We decided to bundle up and go to bed, fully expecting the power to be on at midnight. As you can see, the family pets made friends and took up half the bed. (I left the wild eyes so you could see that it was dark in the house.) Mr. Maven said it was a "three dog" night, although we only had two and Poppy, it was enough to keep us fairly warm.

At 1.30am I asked my husband the time. I asked again at 2.30am, 3.30am, and by the next time I asked I was crying from sheer frustration. I wanted my electric blanket.

The power returned the morning of December 26th, Mr. Maven's birthday. It has started to rain. The streets are a layer of ice covered by another layer of slush and snow. It looks as if we will be able to get out of the house by Wednesday. (Today even the snowplow took a nose-dive into the ditch at the end of our street.)

No, I'm not complaining. It was, IS, an adventure.

I would, however, like to publicly thank the men and women of Puget Sound Energy who worked so diligently to restore our power. It was dark and cold. It was Christmas. They told me they had started at 6.00am and had 126 calls, ours their most challenging. They strung three sets of wire on our road, connected two residences, dug a hole in frozen ground, replaced a pole and a transformer, and our electricity. Thank you for giving up your Christmas for ours, even if it didn't work out as you or we had planned.

May the New Year bring us all - NO MORE SNOW!

Merry Christmas All!

Hello World. We are without electricity again! No cooking Christmas dinner at my house. We have packed all the food and headed out to my daughter's house an hour away. It's a blizzard!

My daughter has electricity so we are cooking here. Enjoy your Christmas and the electricity if you have it (how are you Miriam?).

More And More And More Snow!

Well, we swept the cars after the last snow post, so this is all new snow. The snow you see against the black of the car is not snow falling off the car, but snow falling. It's rather difficult to capture snow falling, so I haven't done this storm justice.

The heart shape in the snow on the window is, I'm sure, a sign. Thank you, God. I've had enough.

Now after watching the wonderful video below you'll see why those wussy dogs and I really have nothing to complain about.


Merry Christmas from Bailey the Unknown Reindeer

I Resolve, I Resolve, What Do I Resolve?

63rd EDITION OF THE COG

The topic for the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy is:

New Year's Resolutions!


What plans do you have for your genealogy research next year?

- ¤ -

How about for your blogging?
More? Less?

- ¤ -

No groaning or whining now.
We're all grown-ups here.
(At least most of us.)

- ¤ -

Write 'em up and let us know!

- ¤ -

Be creative! We all know you need to organize.
Tell us what you plan to do!

- ¤ - ¤ -

The Deadline For Submissions Is
January 1, 2009

Attention All COG Participants

Please use a descriptive phrase in the title of any articles you plan to submit and/or write a brief description/introduction to your articles in the "comment" box of the blogcarnival submission form. This will give readers an idea of what you've written about and hopefully interest them in clicking on your link. Introductions for your articles will not be provided for you due to the volume of articles submitted. Thank you!

Also, check out Jasia's post "FAQs About The Carnival of Genealogy," for all you need to know about submitting a post. First-timers always welcome and greatly appreciated!

Submit your blog article to the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy using the carnival submission form or select the 63rd Edition COG poster in the upper right hand corner of this page. Past posts and future hosts can be found on the blog carnival index page.

Wet Wild Western Washington!

I am sitting at my computer with extra layers of clothing, a cup of Harney & Sons Holiday Tea, and two wussy dogs who won't go outside. In the photographs below you'll get an idea why those wussy dogs want in my office next to the heater.

I have internet today, something I was missing yesterday, really missing.

I didn't leave the house to get
this photograph.

Now I know most of my blogging friends have seen snow like this and so much more, but we don't see it here very often. Few people know how to drive in this kind of weather in Western Washington and they demonstrated that fact all day.

Yesterday morning my husband sat in front of the television and watched the live "bumper car" coverage. Every school district closed schools and the TV reporters took their children with them to cover the storm. Metro buses, even with chains, couldn't make it up and down the hills of Western Washington. Everywhere you looked there was a bus stuck in the snow. Interstate 5 and SR 520 were parking lots.

Mr. Maven, a Montanan, asked, "Did they ever close your school for snow?" "No, I don't think so," I answered. But as we watched I realized it had nothing to do with how tough we are in Missouri or Montana. No, there were only 10 cars in my husband's childhood town in Montana and in Missouri, the tractors outnumbered the cars on my road. Looking at the pictures of I-5 it was evident we didn't have to dodge any amateurs where we had lived and learned to drive. Here it is so much safer to stay home.

When the tow trucks outnumbered the cars on the freeway, Mr. Maven headed for work in his four-wheel drive. After arriving, he called me marveling at how many people he saw with front wheel drive who put the chains on the car's rear wheels. Truly a time for amateurs here!

At work he received a call from one of his employees who was trying to get to the hotel, but had been stranded at a bus stop for over two hours with no buses in sight. Mr. Maven to the rescue! He jumped in his batmobile (four-wheel drive) and headed up and down the hills of Seattle to find his employee.

There were no cars, no buses, and those walking were falling down right and left. When he arrived at the bus stop his employee was so glad to see him it was clear he never thought Mr. Maven would make it. Mr. Maven is a Montanan and knows no fear of snow and is endowed with monumental amounts of common sense. He has saved me in the snow on many occassions.

At the bus stop were four other people. Two young men trying to get to work at the Space Needle and two women with luggage trying to get to SeaTac to catch a plane home to New York for Christmas. They had been there an hour longer than Mr. Maven's employee and they were cold and trapped.

Half way down a long hill, the temperature falling, the ground extremely slippery, they couldn't get back up the hill to their homes and going downhill would mean traveling end over end. Yes, they were trapped.

On The Street Where I Live

Mr. Maven put them all in the truck and delivered them to downtown Seattle where they could get a bus to work and a taxi to SeaTac. Yes, yesterday was quite a day here in Western Washington and it appears those Montanans do know their way around a snow storm.

I spent the day safe at home, as I will today. Yes, I had no internet, but I did get to play with my Christmas present, Adobe Master Collection. Ah, the things it can do!

Another storm is expected Saturday night with winds in the foothills gusting to 90mph. We live in the foothills and will be spending today and tomorrow preparing for the storm. Montanans are always prepared.

Note: Mr. Maven has emailed requesting that I not call his sled dogs wussies. Sorry, I call it like I see it, and I see one dog asleep on my feet and one in front of the heater. Wussy dogs and great company!

GeneaSanta Baby!

Dear GeneaSanta (I still say he looks just like Randy Seaver):

Merry Christmas GeneaSanta and thank you for all the GeneaLuck I've had this year, for myself and for others. Careful coming down the chimney and safe journey around the world with the sleigh and eight tiny reindeer. Oh, by the way, I know Donner and Killa personally.

I thought deciding on three wishes would be an easy task, but it wasn't. You see, I would like so many precious family heirlooms, but I've settled on three, things that actually exist and are in the hands of others.

The Rose Museum at Carnegie Hall has my Great Grandfather Louis Salter's autograph book. I would love to have it if only for a little while. Something he touched everyday, something that contains reminders of his life as the Superintendent of Carnegie Hall. I read in a book once that it was worth a King's ransom, but that was in the thirties. Today, Carnegie Hall assures me it is only worth about $15,000. They're wrong, it's worth everything to me because it belonged to him. I held it once, Santa, before such things meant so much to me.


For my second wish I would like the hat my Grandmother wore for her wedding. I have always loved the hat and this picture of my Grandmother. The photograph is framed on the wall over my dressing table, but the hat in a shadow box would be a lovely addition. Originally it was thought to be safeguarded by my Godmother, but she is gone and its whereabouts are unknown. But GeneaSanta you know everything so I'm counting on you.

My last wish is for the photograph of my Great Great Grandfather, John Campbell. It is mentioned in a manuscript written in 1940 by Frank Tull, John's grandson. Frank's mother Jennie Reed had died giving birth to Frank and he was adopted by Jennie's sister, Hattie Tull. Hattie had become the keeper of the Campbell heirlooms and she had a photograph of her father, John Campbell. Frank Tull became the keeper of the family history and inherited the photograph on Hattie's death. I want this more than all my other wishes combined.

Thank you for your consideration in this matter.

I remain,

-fM

Do You Hear What I Hear?

GeneaBloggers Gather 'Round

THE TREE OF BLOG CAROLERS

Carols Old - Carols New

A Celebration of
Christmas & Hanukkah

Listen!

Do You Hear What I Hear?

"God bless us every one!"
~ Tiny Tim ~



THE BOOK OF CAROLS & CAROLERS

(Blog Carolers are listed in the order
they appear on the tree.)

— ¤ —— ¤ —


Randy (GeneaMusings) - Angels We Have Heard On High

— ¤ —

Donner (What's Past Is Prologue) - O Night Divine

— ¤ —

Wendy (All My Branches) - Mary, Did You Know

— ¤ —

Sheri (The Educated Genealogist) - Santa Baby

— ¤ —

Apple (Apple's Tree) - What Child Is This

— ¤ —

Terry (Desktop Genealogist) - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

— ¤ —

Becky Wiseman (kinexxions) - Little Drummer Boy

— ¤ —

Janet (Janet The Researcher) - Bring A Torch Jeanette Isabella

— ¤ —

Pam (Taylorstales Genealogy) - The Little Drummer Boy

— ¤ —

Miriam (AnceStories) - I'm Dreaming Of A White Christmas

— ¤ —

Bill (West In New England) - Gaudette

— ¤ —

Jasia (Creative Gene ) - Silver Bells

— ¤ —

Denise (The Family Curator) - Away In A Manger

— ¤ —

Kathy (Kathy's Genealogy Blog) - O Come O Come Emmanuel

— ¤ —

Thomas (Destination: Austin Family) - In The Bleak Midwinter

— ¤ —

Sheri (TwigTalk) - What Child Is This

— ¤ —

Colleen (Orations of O'McHodoy) - Do They Know It's Christmastime

— ¤ —

John (TransylvaniaDutch) - Adam Sandler's Original Hanukkah Song, How do you spell Channukkahh?, Hanukkah in Santa Monica, Light One Candle, and My Name is Christmas Carol

— ¤ —

Terry (Hill Country) - Angels We Have Heard On High

— ¤ —

Jessica (Jessica's GeneJournal) - God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

— ¤ —

Becky (Grace and Glory) - Joy To The World

— ¤ —

Elizabeth (Little Bytes Of Life) - Ave Maria

— ¤ —

Jennifer (Following In His Footsteps) O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

— ¤ —

Schelly (Tracing The Tribe) - "Ocho Kandelikas" (Eight Candles)
, Songs in the Key of Hanukkah

— ¤ —

Linda (From Axer To Ziegler) - Oh Holy Night Was A Silent Night

— ¤ —

Kathryn (Looking4Ancestors) O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

— ¤ —

footnoteMaven - (footnoteMaven) - What Child Is This

— ¤ —

Chris (The Genealogue) - The Chipmunk Song "Christmas Don't Be Late"

— ¤ —— ¤ —


Thank You To Everyone Who Spent The Weekend
BLOG CAROLING

HAPPY HOLIDAYS !!

Glad Tidings!

Yes, you are still Blog Caroling! fM has been getting more carols this morning by email and comment.

So, if you would like to join in, Blog Carol your little hearts out. I will extend the deadline to include the entire weekend.

The Book of Carols will appear next week.

You are certainly spreading
Holiday Cheer!

Thank You All!

Come Celebrate The Tradition of Blog Caroling

Perhaps one of the most famous and certainly one of the oldest songs which has survived through history is the "Ballad of Green Sleeves," to which reference is made in Shakespeare’s the "Merry Wives of Windsor."

This beautiful melody, believed to be of Irish origin, has served for various songs of widely different character in different periods of English history.

Originally a love song, today it serves in a modernized version as a Christmas carol, and is sung in churches on Christmas morning. Because of its beauty and its interesting history, it is one of my favorite Christmas Carols.

I Now Blog Carol – What Child Is This?

— ¤ — ¤ —

What Child is this, who, laid to rest,
On Mary's lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet,
While shepherds watch are keeping?
This, this is Christ the King,
Whom shepherds guard an:l angels sing;
Haste, haste to join His praise,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.

— ¤ —

To bring Him incense, gold and myrrh,
Come, peasant. King to own Him;
The King of kings salvation brings;
Let loving hearts enthrone Him.
Raise, raise the song on high,
The Virgin sings her lullaby:
Joy, joy, for Christ is born,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.

— ¤ —

Why lies He in such mean estate,
Where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christian, fear; for sinners, here,
The silent Word is pleading.
Raise, raise the song on high,
The Virgin sings her lullaby;
Joy, joy, for Christ is born,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.

— ¤ —— ¤ —

Are you Blog Caroling? Please let me know in the comments.
A post listing the Carolers will be created.