My People

My People
My matched set of grandchildren - Oliver and Cosette

Friday, January 9, 2015

Connecting The Dots

It's cold outside. I think it's mostly been below freezing since Wednesday evening. (Quick calendar check to make sure it was really Friday. I lose track.) This week has been the worst round of EGP I've had in - ever. It's easing up today but is still there. Between the water in the basement and all the mess that caused... and the EGP on top of my usual pain... and the fact that we still don't have Fox News in a busy news week so I'm stuck watching CNN... it's a wonder I haven't ended up in a straight jacket. I'm sure my "really bad week" pales in comparison to what most people are dealing with. I can usually spend about thirty seconds on Facebook and find someone who has it worse than me - or at least thinks they do - but I find it counter-productive to try to one-up someone in the woes department. As I've said many times, your worst thing may not compare to someone else's worst thing but it's still your worst. If that makes sense. And my worst thing now is still tempered by the things that I don't have to do while suffering from worst things like I used to - you know, by being in a bad marriage or having to work full time and raise kids, or having to deal with a catastrophe with no funds and no help - so although the pain is worse, the suffering is lessened.

I'm still not back into the swing of cross-stitching 8 hours or more a day that I was doing before Christmas. I don't have that kind of focus right now. I have also been trying to have a better balance to my day by sewing a little and working on Ancestry.com a little and so forth. I have to have these things to measure the passing of time otherwise the days really do blend together. I can hardly remember 2013. Seriously. There are a few things that stick out such as my last day working and my Uncle's funeral and so forth but really, time just passed and the view rarely changed. 2014 at least felt more productive. This year will be a banner year for many reasons - grandbabies and wedding and things like that. Still, in these days that are full of cold and pain and such misery, I at least have to do something to make me feel like a participant in the human race.

At the beginning of this post is a document I found on Ancestry.com At the end of this post is the connection to me from this ancestor, if my research is accurate. Working on Ancestry.com is sometimes like chasing rabbits because I'll run across a place or event that I am not familiar with and I have to get the context before the names and dates mean anything. Really, if you think about it, genealogy is all about finding your place in history - matching the events with your ancestors who lived through it. For that matter, watching the news is about relating to people and events in the current day which is why I've been suffering along with CNN this week. I would never go to Afghanistan or know anyone there, other than someone in the military maybe but I know people who go to France (not just Kim Kardashian) and their lives look a lot like our lives. My mom mentioned that the terrorist activity in France makes her worry about my brother and his fiancee's planned trip to London in the Spring. It all seems very close but they actually live in New York and to me, that's the biggest target for terrorism. Nowhere is safe. Bad stuff happens everywhere. You can't let it consume you. I mean, your house can be struck by lightning... I would never have imagined that happening. You can find yourself disabled in your forties. Definitely wasn't in my "happily ever after" plan for my life. All we can do is make the best of what we have and enjoy every person, place and thing to the fullest while we can.

My parents are out running errands and Austin is out and about with Tasha. It's just me and three dogs and three cats and we're all just bundled up trying to stay warm. I'm heading down to the southside to see Cody and Marquee on Sunday so I'm trying to just rest up for the drive. I haven't been there since June 2013 - haven't driven that far since then. It's not going to be easy but it will be worth it. Then we'll go to the doctor with Marquee and see how Peanut is doing and then drive back home Monday afternoon. I know it will be good to have a change of scenery. I'll rest up Tuesday and Wednesday and then go with Tasha to check out Cosette on Thursday. And another week will be gone!

And that's about it for now... happy weekend! Stay safe and warm! *hugs* Heather





Henry Chamberlain (1592 - 1674)
is your 10th great grandfather
daughter of Henry Chamberlain
daughter of Faith Chamberlain
daughter of Faith Patterson
daughter of Sarah Worth
son of Sarah Lawrence
daughter of Elisha Johnson
daughter of Rebecca Johnson
son of Deborah Ann Clayton
son of Elias M Gant
son of Theodore Stogden Gant
son of Bruce Bronson Gant Sr
You are the daughter of James Edward Gant Sr - (not you?)

1 comments:

Back Porch Writer said...

That is so interesting of the work you have done for your ancestory. Has it been hard? Hope you have a good drive and upcoming trip tomorrow! Take care.