Happy day after Thanksgiving!
I hope you had a lovely day yesterday, whether your day was low-key or filled with festivities. We took it easy in the morning, where we could be found sitting side by side on the loveseat investigating a two-week free trial of Ancestry(dot)com. I’d been on it a few years back but stopped using it because I didn’t want to pay the hefty monthly fee. My plan is to get all that I can from it, print out my family tree and then stop my membership. I did that five years ago, but even so, when I registered as a new customer yesterday, all of my initial research was still there. That’s good to know!
So far, I’ve gone back to the 1700s on my dad’s (Hill) side of the family and on my mom’s. The only roadblock as been with my paternal grandmother’s ancestry. I can only go back as far as her father, and all it says is “Born in Germany.” The other three grandparents are from English, Scots and Irish stock. One of my ancestors was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, which gave me a little thrill.
Don actually got as far back as the 1600s, when his ancestors traveled from England to settle in Maryland. It’s fascinating, that’s for sure!
I had a lovely, quiet birthday. Don was in the city until mid-afternoon. He brought home a special dinner for us from a local restaurant and a birthday pie complete with candles. I told him I didn’t want anything this year, as we just had a spectacular trip full of lovely surprises and gifts. But he came through anyway, because he’s such a sweetheart, with a book of naughty French phrases and a beautiful reprint of a vintage map of Paris. It’s so gorgeous! We’re going to get it framed.
Thank you so much for the lovely messages on my birthday. I read each and every one of them.
Yesterday, we went to Rick and Doug’s for Thanksgiving dinner. Two of Rick’s longtime friends were there and we had a lovely dinner.
Much to my surprise, I was serenaded with Happy Birthday for a second time, also with a birthday pie:
Doug took this photo.
Rick made the most incredible apple pie! Scrumptious!
All in all, the past two days have been pretty wonderful. We’ve been in the midst of a deep freeze, though, and it was so cold this morning that it took forever to warm up the house. It will be warmer tomorrow, but in the meantime, yours truly is staying inside.
Happy Friday.
So glad you had a lovely birthday! And pie twice!
That table at Rick’s is amazing! What is inside it? Curious mind here!
Stay warm!
I think it’s filled with polished pebbles, but I’m not sure!
Happy to hear you had a wonderful birthday! Pie and gifts!! We had a good Thanksgiving with a few hiccups. Sara is sick so we moved the meal over here and between my duplex and Mom’s we got it done! The kids were so cute and I buy them ‘kid’s wine’ (sparkling grape or apple juice) and they get to drink out of special wine glasses. They loved it. Ashleigh played with them after dinner and I helped clean up the mess. We sent lots of food home with them. Blake helped clean up also. Tiger lost another tooth, this time in a roll! The new tooth is already coming in. All in all it was a good day, but exhausting! Today I’m resting and letting others shop all they want. Hugs!
So sorry that Sara was sick on Thanksgiving! I know you’re enjoying all the time spent with family, my friend.
A very memorable birthday year for sure!! Unexpected pie and a serenade…. who could ask for anything more??
We had some sun this morning, but it has gone into hiding again. It is actually supposed to get up to 45* today, and we haven’t had such “warm” temps all month. Just a few weeks ago they were saying it was supposed to be warmer than normal and less precipitation this year. Maybe they were talking strictly about Winter, and it will warm up on Dec 21?? We can hope.
Have a great Friday! Keep warm!
It was 5 degrees the other night with a daytime high in the twenties. Tomorrow, it will be 51 degrees. What???
So happy to hear you had a great birthday…it makes getting older all the better. We had a great Thanksgiving…good food and family…that’s all I need. I did exhaust myself yesterday…..so I might just take it easy today….Black Friday is not for me. Hope you have a restful day as well. We may or may not be getting a snowstorm on Sunday…depends on where it tracks. Fingers crossed it goes south! I’m not ready for a snowstorm! ;)
I never shop on Black Friday! Why would I subject myself to crazed crowds? Hope that snowstorm misses you altogether!
you have a wonderful life!!!
not the least of which… you’re surrounded by men who find you adorable!
and that one special tall one … oh my!
here’s to a cozy winter of good books and happy looks and a beautiful fireside.
XOXO
Ah, thank you, Tammy. Unfortunately, we don’t have a fireside, but at least Rick and Doug do!
Claudia, the two photos sure evoke a very cozy warm feeling. Ummm, pie squared! Unfortunately, I can’t trace my ancestry very far back, only to my paternal great-grandmother. I’ve heard the family stories. The ancestry books were burned when my relatives fled their village ahead of the Communists. No one wanted to be caught with the ancestry books, since that would endanger all the relatives. A frightening time.
Oh, my. How sad that ancestry books had to be burned! I didn’t know that, Wendy.
Hello Claudia – Glad you enjoyed your dual celebrations! Regarding Ancestry subscriptions, I’m a library worker in the UK and most libraries here will allow you to access this service free of charge whilst you’re on their premises. It might worth asking if your local library does the same.
I’ve been using American genealogy sites to find out more about my great great Aunt Mariah who emigrated to the States (on her own!) . I’ve traced her on a passenger ship from Liverpool to New York in 1906, she was only about 20 years old and she fascinates me. She used to come back to England but I was only 3 years old the last time she was here.
There’s so much detail on the American sites, whereas the British ones are mostly found through parish registers.
Enjoy your research x
I’ll definitely check that out at my local library – though it’s quite small, so I’m not counting on it!
I’ve been thinking of all my ancestors who sailed across the Atlantic to live in a foreign county. How brave they were – just like your Aunt Mariah. Don has an ancestor who sailed here in 1660! Much, much braver than I.
Oops, your birthday got away from me. Happy belated birthday. Your trip was an amazing early present ! My older son’s birthday is the same as yours, BTW.
I found lots of my Puritans who came over 1630-1640 to Boston, and all the men were deacons in that religion. When I got back to Henry II and Wm. the Conqueror, that was enough. Never tried much with Kelley and Miller. Too hard !
Enjoy the weekend. I get most of your weather but later here in CT.
So far, I can only go back as far as the mid-1700s. After that, there are no clues.
Happy Birthday to your son!
Glad you had a nice birthday. I love hearing about your ancestry search. My mother’s side goes all the way back to the Huguenots. She has a lot of history in her family. My fifth great grandfather fought at Bunker Hill and Concord. We are direct descendants to John and Priscilla Alden. Her family goes back to William The Conqueror. My father’s side is not much at all. He was orphaned at seven and a half years old. Most of his family passed away at an early age, so there is no one to ask. Three of his grandparents were born in Ireland, we do not know where. The other was born in Holland and no city is mentioned. We have not given up and hope to find out some information eventually.
Marilyn
Such interesting ancestry, Marilyn. Most of my family came into the United States through Canada, so I don’t have ancestors that fought in the Revolutionary or Civil War. Keep searching, that’s what I plan to do!
So sorry I missed your birthday this year…I’ve been more busy than usual lately…but you know I always wish the best for you…Have fun doing your family histories…I would love to try it sometime!
Thank you, Nancy!