November 1 at 7:13am ·
Welcome November. What a great way to begin sharing my gratitude in posts for this month. Yesterday we had a great time with three of our children and our granddaughters. They had a great time walking our neighborhoods in Scappoose. David made gingerbread cookies and they decorated them. For dinner we had toasted cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. Over 100 trick or treaters, small, large and in between. One dinosaur in the street must have been over six feet tall. During all this I was notified that I won a large collection of genealogy products from Genealogical Bargains through Thomas MacEntee. Needless to say I am grateful for all I am blessed with.
November 2 at 10:20am · Repeat
Day 2 of Gratitude. Friends, neighbors, associates all find a place in our lives. They share with us many talents and gifts that enrich our lives. Most gifts are not physical, but from within. Thank you for being a part of my life. I am very grateful for each and every one of you!
November 3 at 7:04am · Scappoose, OR · Repeat
For this day I am grateful to be alive. We often do not take the time to appreciate each day and the challenges that they bring. After all the amazing things that I have experienced in sixty-three years it is a miracle to have survived. Moving forward every day brings new discoveries and renewed confidence in those around me. Enjoy the journey and know that there are many who will see us through to the end.
November 4 at 1:26pm · Scappoose, OR ·
Day four and I am grateful for our family. This year we grew by one more granddaughter. Each of our six grandchildren bring so much joy to our lives. We spent ten days in August with the ones that live in Wyoming. It is fun being a part of their lives whether doing face time or just talking on the phone. The two that live here come by often and we enjoy spending time with them. They are amazing young people being raised by wonderful parents. The best blessing of getting older is being grandparents.
November 5 at 6:45pm · Scappoose, OR ·
Day 5 I am grateful for the work that I have been able to do at the Watts House in Scappoose, Oregon for the Scappoose Historical Society. No more cardboard boxes and things are organized. We even received a $2,500 grant for the fireproof and water resistant lateral file we need. Fundraising for the rest.
In December they will have free Tours of the Christmas Trees at the house on the weekends (Fri., Sat., Sun.) from 5 to 8:30 pm. There is literally a tree in every room and then some. Other times by request.
The Wine Tasting event with food and raffle will be Dec. 9 with a $20 cover charge.
Then on Dec. 16 there are two special visits with Santa at 1 pm and 3 pm for $10 a child. Santa will read the group of 12 children a story, give them a present, take pictures with Santa and then they have refreshments. If you are interested please let me know as these events sell out fast.
November 6 at 9:03am · Repeat
For day 6 of gratitude my focus is on quiet moments to catch up on the order of life. It is great to have a day at home when you can sort, clean, and declutter. It feels so good to put order to paperwork, computer files, calendars and all the things that make our lives run more smoothly. Maybe this has to do with the change of time last night. So grateful for an extra hour of sleep.
November 7 at 2:30pm
Day 7 and I am grateful for my family. I have been blessed with a wonderful husband and six great children. They have enhanced my life in so many ways. The most beautiful part to me is how they support each other. They know that they can call on their siblings for advice, a listening ear, encouragement, and love as needed. They have been taught to work hard, contribute to society and serve others. That service truly begins at home with our family.
November 8
Day 8 and we are one week closer to Thanksgiving. Being Veteran's Day Week I spent some time looking at military records for my Revolutionary War ancestor Daniel Tidd and his five brothers who served, two of whom died at Valley Forge. Then I looked at records for my Civil War ancestors, one who died in the war, Samuel Reed, and one who only filled out a draft registration, Daniel Tidd, but did not serve. There may be more, but so far this is what I have discovered. They all served with a strong conviction in the cause that they fought for. Then there are the parents or spouses who sent them off to fight not knowing they would never see them again. With pride we honor them and are grateful for the service that they gave.
November 9
For day 9 we accomplished some major things at the Watts house. The Columbia County Museum volunteers met me at the house and we went through the items they are going to digitize. This will be such a major thing for them and our collection here at the house. They will do books, documents, pictures, etc. We are off to a good start. Then we got news that some more donations were made towards purchasing the file cabinet. One person gave $2,500, another $700, another $150 and one gave $100. Thank you so much to those who made these donations. Preserving these collections is essential to saving the history of the many people who live here or have lived here.
November 10
Day 10 and I placed my order using the amazon.com gift card buying one DNA kit and two books. The books are Mayflower Descendants and Their Marriages, for Two Generations After the Landing: Including a Short History of the Church of the Pilgrim Founders of New England (Classic Reprint)
Achievement, Bureau of Military and Civic; and Britain's Royal Families: The Complete Genealogy by Weir, Alison.
My first order ever was in 2008 for Gables Against the Sky and The Gable Faces East: Novels by Stansfield, Anita. One of my friends had a set for sale at a garage sale and then I was hooked.
I ordered in 2012 fourteen children's books and a negative scanner for film.
One order in 2016 for the book Peder Victorious: A Tale of the Pioneers Twenty Years Later by Rölvaag, O. E., a novel about early Norwegian settlement in the U.S.
In 2017 I ordered two more genealogy books and two more DNA tests and two Disney gophers for office assistance for gophergenealogy.blogspot.com. I am grateful for the ease of ordering when health problems discourage me from shopping in stores. Today I am thankful I finally found the phone number to call for assistance as I had made a mistake in how I used the card. The customer service rep. was fantastic. Thank you Bliss T. at Amazon.
November 11 - Repeat
For today, I am thankful for a day in which to honor those who served in the military. There are ancestors who served in every United States war and in between. They served in every branch of the military, both males and females. Then there are those who served supporting those who were off to serve. Remembering those who helped to make our country what it is today is an honor and a privilege. I am grateful for the members of the United States Armed Forces and their families.
November 12
I missed day 12 as I was working on a client project and also setting up volunteers for the Christmas Tours at the Watts House. It is good to be busy. Give me a genealogy project and I am off to find the connections. I am grateful to have work that I enjoy doing. This coming week we will be entertaining two of our granddaughters for several days. Looking forward to spending time with them. When the grandchildren are here I do not even try to work on genealogy. It is wonderful to be able to balance the time in our lives. With David retiring this year we have certainly enjoyed a change of pace in our daily activities.
November 13
Day 13 I am thankful for our children. This week so far we had visits from our oldest daughter and oldest son. As a mom you never stop wondering how they are doing. Just having them in the same room as us means so much to me. In the next two weeks we will see most of them at our home and the ones from Wyoming on face time. It is hard to imagine that they all came in to this world as tiny infants. That time passes so quickly and they become independent adults living their own lives. That they take time to spend with us is one of our greatest blessings.
November 14 - Repeat
November 14 is my father's birthday and I am so grateful that he looked after me for 34 years on earth and continues to every day of my life. He would have been 83 today. He is a wonderful influence in my life and the lives of all family members. We honor him by how we live our lives and remember to reach out to others along the way.
November 15
Day 15 has been busy. David worked with me at the FHC in St. Helens. We took lunch with us. I worked on some client work and helped him look for records on his family. No one else came so it was very quiet. Then when we got home I had three prize packages waiting. Received the report on research for my Civil War ancestor and now need to get busy and do some research. The Internet is such a vital tool in family history research. I am very grateful for the skills that I developed over the years. Just love those serendipity moments when I strike gold and find a critical record!
November 16 - Repeat
Day 16 - Today I am grateful for friends. Some I have known for forever and others I just became acquainted with. The best of them listen to my struggles and offer warm hugs when times get tough. The memories of sharing the experience of raising young children causes me to reflect on some very special friends. Those that have passed on are treasured. My life would not be nearly as meaningful without the compassion of some of the best people on earth. My prayer is that each of us can have many such people in our lives.
November 17 - Repeat
Day 17 - Education is such a great blessing. Twelve years ago I finally completed my BGS degree through BYU. Since then I continue to learn by attending conferences, institutes and watching webinars. It is amazing in life how much we can learn from each other. My grandchildren are so smart and share their newly acquired knowledge with me. Every day we should strive to learn something new whether or not it leads to a diploma, degree or certificate. Just for the sake of enhancing our experiences in life we need to grow intellectually. What would you like to learn?
November 18
Day 18 Spent some time with my oldest grandchild and we had a great time. After two days of being in the house with her sister, who has a cold, I needed some fresh air. We went to the library and met the new director. I offered to teach genealogy classes in the spring. Then we went downstairs to the library book sale and got some great books, one for free and the others buy one get one free. I bought Christmas books as I am in the mood for some light reading. She enjoyed browsing through the children's books, bought books for herself and some for her sister. After that we went to a church bazaar in St. Helens. She asked to buy a gift basket for our neighbor who lives by herself. We also bought a yellow duck soap made from goats milk for her and some fudge to share. I am so grateful for grandchildren who are kind and loving. When they put others first when they could buy for themselves shows their true character.
November 19 – Partial repeat
For day 19 I am grateful for direction from above. Each step of the way I feel a guiding force to help us make decisions. This is probably how the pilgrims and pioneers felt when they left their homes and ventured to a new land. We often have to make tough choices and it helps to have a little extra guidance. Yes, we are grateful for those who blaze the trails before and beside us. This year in particular I am grateful that we were guided to sell our house and move two years ago. With David's company being sold and our change to retirement living this is a huge blessing.
November 20
On day 20 I went to lunch with my father's cousin and another relative. The three of us have been going to lunch for about twenty years. In 1997 the cousin and I made a trip to Norway and England. Our in common ancestors are from Norway and she is half Norwegian and I am 1/4. Today we ate at the Broder Soder, the Scandinavian restaurant in Tigard, Oregon. Just go online and look at their menu! https://www.broderpdx.com/
We went about a month ago and were anxious to return. It was just as much fun this time. I am grateful to be able to celebrate my ancestry with relatives in a local restaurant and will be forever thankful to have visited their homeland.
https://www.yelp.com/biz/broder-s%C3%B6der-portland for more pictures.
November 21 – Partial repeat
Day 21 - I am not a black Friday shopper. Crowds are not my thing, especially if I can avoid them. Being at home is the time I enjoy the most. So the Friday after Thanksgiving you will find me at home putting away the decorations and starting to process the Christmas decorations. They have been accumulated over 40 years and some are from my parents and grandparents. They are the things that remind me of the special people in my life. I love twinkling lights, the smell of greenery, the sound of music and the laughter of my grandchildren. If they are combined that is the best blessing of all.
November 22
Day 22 and I am grateful for my mother who passed away in 2013. As her oldest child she spoiled me in many ways. When I look around our home there are many things which she gave to me. Her collections (of which I have a part) are impressive. She also would give to my sister and me items that matched what she had. After she died I discovered how smart she was as she worked to preserve the estate she had built with our father who passed away in 1988. As her personal representative I was grateful that she had prepared me for her passing. Our parents started from scratch, as did their parents, in providing a rich heritage for my three siblings and me. Watching her give testimony with regards to the family property three days prior to her passing she amazed me in how well she communicated important facts. She truly had unconditional love for each of her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.
November 23 - Partial repeat
Day 23 - Happy Thanksgiving. While so many friends and family are struggling at this time of year I want to remember them in my prayers. Prayer is a very powerful tool. For my family they are always foremost in my prayers. We are not a perfect family, but we love and support one another. May you find peace and joy over the next few days. Simple acts of kindness can help us to feel connected. Reach out to those around you that do not have family close by them. Everyone needs to be loved and recognized. I am so thankful for those who contribute to my daily life.
November 24 – Partial repeat
Today I am so grateful for our grandchildren. They each are unique and they are so loving and kind. When we talk on the phone or Skype sometimes it gets a little crazy with all of their energy, but those times are often the best in my day. It is hard to be so far away, especially during the holidays. Three girls and three boys who share with our family a wonderful heritage. May they always know just how much they are loved by all of us!
November 28
My mother, me and Betsy playing cards. Such sweet memories of my mother. This was just after my head surgeries. We have so much to be thankful for. Being able to take pictures and videos to remember our loved ones after they have passed on is a great blessing. My memories are sometimes lost and the pictures seem to bring them back.
November 30
Today I mailed my first Christmas cards. They were sent to the women from church that I visit and one went to my daughter in Wyoming. I have never sent cards this early, but the church dinner is this Saturday and I wanted to remind them. Then my daughter called in the middle of doing this and I wanted to send her something for Christmas. Worked at the FHC today. After a short nap when I got home I started in on the seven totes of decorations David brought in for me. There are still a few in the garage, but it is beginning to look like Christmas in our house. It is my favorite holiday.
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