Saints and Strangers

22 November 2022 Saints and Strangers is an amazing show. There are two parts. We descend from Stephen Hopkins through Daniel Tidd and Sarah Jane Eldridge, husband and wife. Stephen is nine generations out from Sarah and thirteen generations from me. The show really brings history to life. I am grateful for our ancestors and the sacrifices they made in coming to this country. The book Saints and Strangers is on my bookshelf and I need to read it again. We have ancestors from many countries who came in various time periods. What a blessing to have history to share with our descendants. Doing family history is so much more than names, dates and places. The past three years have been seasons of discovery. Each time period brought challenges for men, women and children. We have few stories from 1620 to 1720, when the focus was more on survival. From 1720 to 1820 was the period of establishment. They found ways to make everyday living easier and yet continued to be a support to family, friends and neighbors. Then from 1820 to 1920 the world of communication opened up and we could follow our ancestors more closely. The world also began to expand in intellectual pursuits. Genealogy enjoyed a period of awakening to an understanding of our forebears. We now are passing through 1920 to 2020. Our communications span the globe with internet connections. In fifteen years what will we be like? How will we impact the world around us? The United States of America, 1620 to 2020, 400 years of amazing development, what can we learn from those who took courage and crossed the ocean to prepare a place for us? What can we share with the future generations?

Gratitude for Animals

21 November 2022 I love wildlife. Not really so much up close and personal, but certainly in pictures. The birds have flocked to our backyard looking for a winter treat. The hummingbirds are my favorites. My next favorites are the small birds. I love to see a matched set, female and male. Then there are the days when the babies are fledging from their nests. My phone camera helps to capture them whether they are eating, dating or having a bird bath. I also enjoy pictures from our children of animals visiting their homes. The deer are amazing to watch. What I am most grateful for is how much our grandchildren love animals. They learn how to treat them, respect them and meet their needs. It is a great blessing to live in the country where many species of animals live.

Friends - Today, Tomorrow, Forever

16 November 2022 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 cause 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.

My Memories of My Mother

15 November 2022 My mother is a great blessing in my life and the lives of our family. Her family moved to Oregon in September of 1941 and she has lived here ever since. In that time she lived in Portland, St. John's Woods, St. Johns, Linton, Portland and Clackamas. Overall, for the majority of her life Portland was her home. At the age of twenty she married my father and together they raised two daughters and two sons. My siblings and I all married and settled in the Portland area. We are a close family and that is mostly due to my mother and the way she raised us. She is a great example of what a mother should be and do. In my youth she did some limited child care for others, but in our small home in the Cully neighborhood there was not much room for us much less other children. That is not to say that we did not have friends over, as the door was always open for us to bring friends home. Mom is a great cook and we all enjoyed delicious home cooked meals. One of her favorite changes to the house was when they remodeled the kitchen, turned the garage into a dining room, with a utility room off the back. The day the toaster decided to catch a towel hanging above it on fire was not so good, but it was repaired quickly. Another time the dryer decided to catch fire and the fire department came to rescue us. It was caught quickly, a new dryer was bought and things went back to normal. The only other fire that I remember is when we were very young and my brother and I decided to use an oatmeal box for a stove. We were standing at the top of the stairs, where our bedrooms were, and my brother threw the box down the stairs when it became too hot to hold. My parents' bedroom was at the bottom of the stairs and they were awakened by our screams. Our father quickly dowsed the flames and then gave us a stern talking to. Mom just looked on shaking her head. Our Mom always made birthdays and holidays special for us. For birthdays she would bring in special things like carousels and pony rides, and everyone in the neighborhood was invited. For holidays she would decorate the house and sometimes leave the decorations up until the next holiday. One year she had a flocked Christmas tree and just kept changing the decorations for each holiday. For Halloween we always had creative costumes and she would take us through the neighborhood trick or treating. In 1961 she felt we needed religious training and joined the Mormon Church. We attended the 6th and later the 14th ward. She was raised a Catholic, but felt that teaching children in Latin was not very helpful for us. In our childhood she worked in the Primary for many years, serving as the President, Secretary and taught various classes. Mom also was involved in the PTA and served as President. She worked in our Camp Fire, Girl Scout and Boy Scout activities. Baseball was a family event and she often worked in the snack shack. Mom loves to iron and did so for many other people. I can still picture her standing in the spare bedroom downstairs, which was used for a mini family room, ironing for hours. Then when she was finished she would often take us with her to drop off her work to the homes of these people. As I recovered from surgeries she would take my ironing home with her and bring it back all nicely pressed. At one time she had a mangle for doing sheets and other large items. It was a unique contraption not found in many homes. When we were young our parents bought property in Lincoln City, close to the beach. Together we built a small cabin and spent many weekends there. Later when our parents moved to Clackamas and their new home, they sold the cabin. Mom and Dad transformed a hilly, forested hillside into a beautifully landscaped retreat. We all love to wander through the yard to enjoy the flowers and wildlife that come to visit. They planted a garden, blueberries, strawberries, grapes, etc. For years we have worked as a family to harvest the grapes and produce quarts of the best grape juice. My mother's interests over the years included bowling, painting, hiking, golfing, square dancing, traveling, etc. Needless to say, she does not sit still for long. Sewing was the only thing that she did not seem to enjoy as much. She did make clothes for her children when we were young, but she turned the sewing machine over to me. Later when I upgraded to a newer machine, I returned the old Ward's machine to her for doing small repairs. I think it still sits in her closet. She probably bought it when she worked for Montgomery Ward's before her marriage. She also worked for the Hershey Chocolate Company. For a few years she worked doing payroll and billing for the family Pallet Repair Business. Later in life she worked briefly for Meier and Frank, and later for a square dance shop to help pay for her outfits. When our father was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor in 1986, she faced the worst horror of her life. It was a difficult time for all of us and she somehow held us all together. Dad died in 1988, leaving her with a lot of responsibility. Mom's father died in 1956, just after I was born and her mother later married a wonderful man who helped to strengthen our family. Now both he and her mother have passed on, but they played significant roles in her life. In 1990 Mom married her current husband. We enjoy spending time with them, usually eating and playing cards. One of Mom's closest friends was our neighbor. The two of them had a craft shop and worked on many projects together. They would go shopping at garage sales on Fridays. She encouraged Mom to raise birds, and we had finches for several years. Over the years she allowed us to have many animals, birds, cats, dogs, fish, guinea pigs and a rabbit. You might guess who did most of the work for the upkeep of the animals. Mom is a collector of things and her home is filled with many beautiful keepsakes. But, her favorite keepsakes seem to be her grandchildren (ten of them) and her great grandchildren (nine of them). She attends our family birthday parties and other celebrations. Mom was there to watch their graduations, athletic events, marriages, church events, etc. She always has a beautiful smile and warm hug for all of us. We enjoy our precious family time with her. She truly gave us a wonderful childhood, and helps us to appreciate our adulthood. So for this Mother's Day I want to pay tribute to her and thank her for being such a significant part of my life. Thank you Mom!

Our Father Who Guides Us Still

14 November 2022 Today would have been my father's 88th birthday and I am so thankful for the short time I had with him on this earth. He has been gone thirty four years. It seems like just yesterday we were kneeling by the bridge steps he was working on at their home, discussing the impact of his brain tumor on his life. The two years he spent fighting this disease were admirable, his courage to be productive as long as possible. He loved life, the outdoors, working hard and providing for his family. As a son he honored and sustained his parents. Following his example one can be on a sure path of happiness and peace in this life. It was a huge trial when he passed away after a two year battle with a brain tumor at the age of 53. Our family thinks of him and our mother every single day. He loved life, being in the out of doors and creating things with his own hands. When I was teenager he actually added on to the house over the garage so I could have my own bedroom. As a young child he made me a table and chair set, a kitchen counter set and probably other things I don't remember. As a young person he refinished several pieces of furniture that were long family treasures. He also built items for his grandchildren. He fought the good fight and lived to do and accomplish so many things. I am so proud to be his daughter. His genealogy goes back to the early settlers of New England. We are thankful that we are blessed to have him as the patriarch of our family.

Family Members, New Discoveries, Private Stories

12 November 2022 Today I am grateful for my family. This includes my husband David, all six of our children, their spouses, our six grandchildren; my two brothers, my sister and their families. Then there are my two uncles and nineteen cousins (up from twelve). DNA has been a big factor of finding unknown cousins still living that we did not know. These are people who play significant roles in our lives even if we have never met or we do not see them very often. Families come in all shapes and sizes. Finding unknown cousins can bring a better understanding of the lives of our parents, grandparents, etc. Each generation seems to have unknown cousins and stories that are private and yet wanting to know their roots in a very key part of who they are.

Original Records

November11 2022 I love the process of doing Family History work. When things seem to magically appear when they are needed most or least expected. In the past couple of years it seems when I have a question the answer comes. DNA is certainly a large part of the process. Yesterday a book I ordered came in the mail. I had already read a transcription of this small book, but now I have the original document to compare for myself. Getting to the heart of original records is essential. Then sometimes we have to dig hard to come to an understanding of what even one simple word means. At times this may happen when looking at another researchers work. I am so grateful for the ease of access to looking at original records.

Do We Really Know Our Ancestors

10 November 2022 I put away Halloween decorations and put out some of the Thanksgiving decorations. I am not into spooky things, but I do like the childlike wonder of the holidays. The weeks in between seem to pass so quickly and these days this is even more true. For November I enjoy looking at depictions of the Pilgrims, and other symbols of their lives. I ponder about what their lives were like. Were they really like how they are portrayed in drawings and other works of art? What was it like to step off a ship or small boat and know there was no going back? Did they have scary times when their lives were in peril? Most of our ancestors lived fairly long lives. What made their simple homes enjoyable and their families comfortable? I am grateful they were brave enough to come to New England. What do we really know about these ancestors?

Grandchildren - A Ray of Sunshine

9 November 2022 I am so very grateful for our grandchildren. So far we have six, three boys and three girls. They are like a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day. Today was a day to slow down and recover some from a busy week. These days give me time to pause and reflect on all of our many blessings. Each of the six are so unique. They are loving, caring, thoughtful, patient especially with me, considerate of others and generous to everyone. Their parents have taught them well. I treasure the earlier years when we spent more time together. I am thankful for the Internet and easy phone or video access for the moments we share on a regular basis.

Book Serendipity

8 November 2022 Another book serendipity moment. Somehow in my purchase of books for the writing of our family history I managed to buy only one I already had a copy of. I was thinking that it did not really have information about the families we are researching. It is, “A History of the Cutter Family of New England,” by Dr. Benjamin Cutter in 1871. There are four entries in the index for the Tidd family. This copy is a revision by William Richard Cutter. This is a copy of the original. The other copy I donated to a Family History Center. With my GFO life membership it cost only $6, so it was not a lot of money and now it is in a new home. The key for the serendipity moment was found as I entered the information about the newest purchase into the database of my 800+ collection of genealogy books. On the cover page it lists after the author’s name, “of Woburn, Mass.” The lightbulb went off in my head as I realized that these were associates of our ancestors from 1640 at settlement to the 1785 death of the last relative. There were a total of 42 births, 38 marriages, 38 deaths and 3 burials for the Tidd family during that time. The book has a great index, but there is so much more about the history of the place that it certainly warrants a good reading! I am very thankful to live in a time when we have so many resources available. The key is using them fully and recording them for future researchers.

Medical Personal and Gratitude

7 November 2022 I am celebrating the good news that since my most recent lab work results were so good that I can bypass the annual MRI until a year from now. That reprieve means a lot to me. Having several medical conditions and quite a group of doctors is a huge challenge. This year I received another new General Practitioner (6 in 6 years), a new Dermatologist and a new OBGYN. I still have the same ENT who is wonderful, the same Podiatrist and the same Endocrinologist. I worked with hearing aid specialists, had my vision reviewed and got reinstated with my dentist after getting bumped to someone else during Covid. My foot care home nurse who is moving and I will surely miss her. Gained a new house cleaner who is fantastic. Had my blood pressure monitored for 24 hours. The greatest blessings are that many of my doctor visits are by phone or sending messages with pictures as needed. I am very grateful for every one of these medical personal. I am thankful for having survived having Covid. Learning how to work within the medical systems is amazing. Mostly I learned how wonderful it is to have so many people to assist me with living.

Opportunity to Vote

6 November 2022 I am grateful to have the opportunity to vote. The results may not always be what we want, but hopefully the candidates listen to the concerns of the citizens in the process. My prayer is that we can hold onto our homes, have health care we can still afford to use and gas that does not become too expensive to use. I have been voting since I was eighteen and one of the first young people of that age to vote in 1972. I am grateful that my children also honor the privilege to vote. (This was first posted ten years ago.)

5 November 2022 For day 5 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.

Working with Public Employees

4 November 2022 Today I recovered from the activity of the day before. Being retired certainly changes the pace of life. On the days that I am at home I visit more with my family and friends on the phone. The ability to share our lives through electronic devises is critical. I love it when I talk with our grandchildren and they give me a tour of their home and things they are working on. Then there is the ability to work on family history projects as my health may limit me from going to places physically. I am so grateful for these tools. On this day I spoke with two printers and a public librarian. Sometimes I put off making such calls and then afterwards I wonder why. They were very considerate and thoughtful in answering my questions. Being thoughtful of the person working with us can directly affect our involvement with them.

Thankfulness Transferred, Basis of Gratitude

3 November 2022 On this day I want to focus on Thoughtfulness. In our world this is one of the most important characteristics that we can develop. Today I had an appointment at 7:30 am at the dentist. It is very hard for me to get out of the house by 6:30 am. I am grateful that my husband David drives me to most medical appointments. It was very dark when we left, but at least the rain held off until after we returned home. I appreciate the dental staff that were there ready to be of service. They are helpful, kind and patient. It had been three years and they did not chastise me too much. The next two appointments are in the early afternoon so we can be home before the afternoon traffic. Thoughtfulness seems to be transferred between individuals. It is the basis of Gratitude.

Gratitude Grows

2 November 2022 There is so much in my life that is good. I am grateful for opportunities that help me to grow and learn new things. Our parents were amazing. They always put our family first. As I learn of new discoveries in their lives my gratitude grows. We grew together in a small four bedroom, one bathroom home. As four siblings we learned to share so many things. We learned patience, respect, and concern for each other. Now that we are all in our sixties we continue to share memories that only the four of us know and understand. Thank you to my siblings for all of your love and support over the years, not only to me, but to each other.

Downsizing to a Smaller Home

13 November 2022 On this day I am thankful for the blessings of living in our home in Scappoose for seven years. When we were out looking at houses and totally not finding what we wanted, our daughter spotted this home that had just been listed. We made an offer and it was accepted right away. Then the real work began in packing up our belongings gathered over 37 years. It meant sorting, organizing, donating and finding places to fit what we kept into a much smaller house. There are still things to be sorted through: holiday decorations, my mother's things, family photographs, family history collections, the kids school work, etc. Each day is a work in progress, just don’t look in the garage. We are very blessed to be living in this home. The beautiful yard is a wonderful part that we enjoy very much!

Grateful for Medical Personal

7 November 2022 I am celebrating the good news that since my most recent lab work results were so good that I can bypass the annual MRI until a year from now. That reprieve means a lot to me. Having several medical conditions and quite a group of doctors is a huge challenge. This year I received another new General Practitioner (6 in 6 years), a new Dermatologist and a new OBGYN. I still have the same ENT who is wonderful, the same Podiatrist and the same Endocrinologist. I worked with hearing aid specialists, had my vision reviewed and got reinstated with my dentist after getting bumped to someone else during Covid. My foot care home nurse who is moving and I will surely miss her. Gained a new house cleaner who is fantastic. Had my blood pressure monitored for 24 hours. The greatest blessings is that many of my doctor visits are by phone or sending messages with pictures as needed. I am very grateful for everyone of these medical personal. I am thankful for having survived having Covid. Learning how to work within the medical systems is amazing. Mostly I learned how wonderful it is to have so many people to assist me with living.

Sticky Notes

I try to winnow down the stack of sticky notes by putting information for individuals and families in my genealogy database. Even phone numbers, addresses and other ways that I communicate with them. For friends and associates I created a list for contacts and even their family members in a word document. I did this when I was having major surgeries so my family would know who to communicate with. Then I have a list for our family members with their contact information, birth dates, and their relationship to me. Each of these lists is printed and placed in the annual monthly planner. I update them about once a year when I switch to the new planner. I do not like piles of little notes except for a very temporary reminder. I like the planners with a full month view and large squares for the days. The stickies fall off, stack up and I am always searching for the one I want.

GRATITUDE

November 2022 is here and fall is preparing us for the winter months. Life feels like we are slowing down. I am grateful for the seasons in our world and the seasons in our lives. There are still many challenges in our world. This may prove to be a difficult season for those who do not have secure employment. I have read several books on Christmas in preparing for the advent season. A couple of years ago I bought some books from an acquaintance and the last ten were still sitting on my shelf. I committed myself to finish them and then pass them on. Then came the last one, The St. Nicolas Anthology, with 541 pages. Thinking the book was about Christmas, I was surprised to find that it is a collection of stories from a children's magazine from 1873-1939; 1948-1950; 1983 edition. In 2016 a hand drawn copy of the cover picture of this article was auctioned for $2,340. For me the second article is of most value. "The Soldiering of Beniah Stidham" is a view of a young man's life in the Revolutionary War. According to genealogy information about him on ancestry.com and familysearch.org provide more information about the family and the place where they lived. It was a serendipity moment of gratitude for this book being sent my way! This is what I wanted to find in my research. It helps me to see my ancestors in ways history books seldom do. The anthology is available online. There is no index to guide me on, but it compels me to search for stories about my ancestors so I can know them better.