This week so many events occurred and I am very behind in posting on this blog. First there was the FamilySearch Indexing Marathon from Sunday to Monday that consumed a great deal of energy. Tuesday I spent time with my daughter and two granddaughters. In between our visit I went and had a mammogram, the first time in ten years. They have vastly improved the testing procedure and I was very comfortable this time. Next time I won't wait so long. My next stop was to see a dear friend who is in the middle of chemotherapy treatments for breast cancer. It was in honor of her that I finally agreed to have the test. Our lives change so quickly and in spite of all we can do to direct our path, the path is mostly out of our control. What we can do is take preventative measures to make the most of the time that we have.
Then there was the wonderful 4th of July and our family get together. The guys in our home made a fantastic barbeque of chicken, corn on the cob, potato salad, marinated vegetable salad and then raspberry cranberry cobbler with chocolate ice cream. We were pleasantly full. Then we played cards and the two guys sorely beat the four girls. After everyone left I watched the fireworks both outdoors and on television. Our view of the valley between us and the Willamette River is spectacular. What amazes me is how in this economy people are able to afford such personal displays. The recordings on television were also very beautiful and patriotic.
Thursday I taught a class on using FamilySearch for our staff at the Family Search Center. When I walked in it was apparent that we had technical difficulties, trying to convert a laptop into a projector just does not work. The class went on without the power point presentation. After talking and sharing some of the recent updates, we moved to a computer so they could see some of the items being referred to. AncestryInsider has shared some wonderful information about the updates this week. It is a challenge when familysearch.org is changing so quickly, sometimes on a daily basis. Learning to use the new tools is critical in our ability to assist patrons and other researchers.
Friday was again spent with my daughter and granddaughters. I finally made it to the other county library so I could replace my unfindable library card. Hannah my granddaughter, aka Orphan Annie (her normally straight hair now all in curls), was very curious about the people and the library. With the temperature outside rather high, my daughter ran into the various places and quickly did her errands while we waited in the car. Then we went to my niece's house and spent some time with her twelve chickens, ten baby chicks and two bunnies. The two little girls had a thrilling experience. Hannah even collected ten eggs from the chicken coop. Sophia was a little taken aback, especially when a chicken became intrigued with her bells on her sandals.
Today, Saturday, I am home alone and enjoying the quiet of the moment. I am feeling a bit melancholy with so many changes taking place in our lives. My husband and two older sons are in Tillamook, Oregon on the coast. Our oldest son who was laid off from his previous job a month ago found new employment in this town two hours from our home. Except for serving a two-year mission he has lived with us for thirty years. He is helpful, courteous, kind, generous and always helped with the household expenses. For some time he has wanted to get a place of his own and this opportunity just kind of sprung upon him. He packed up the very minimum for the first three months, is taking his Suburban and our Nissan, and moving to a one-bedroom apartment. I am thrilled for him and wish him the very best in this new phase of his life. He is very close to his two brothers who still live at home and I am sure there will be many trips back and forth.
Well, you might be wondering what this has to do with a serendipity moment.
During the week I picked up the Humanities at BYU magazine and was reading through it when I came upon the following quote:
'Serendipity, usually referred to as a "happy accident" or "pleasant surprise," is the act (or art) of having things turn out well in spite of oneself. ...In considering, then, the role of serendipity in our lives, Louis Pasteur came up with the maxim, "Chance favors the prepared mind." By J. Scott Miller, Spring 2012, page 13.
This description of serendipity moments would include much of the above and I thoroughly enjoyed each and every "happy accident" and "pleasant surprise."
Hope you pause and enjoy the serendipity moments in your life and genealogy research. I have a strong belief that things happen for a purpose and we need to make the best of those melancholy changes in our lives.
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