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.