Up All Night and Just Wanna Go Back To Sleep Reasons to Love Monday

I had such a rough night that I'm tempted to swear, except I try not to. My back was hurting so bad that I got out of bed and got into the recliner with the heating pad. This normally will take the edge off things to the point that I can sleep and might have worked if not for a little kitty who wanted treats and kept whining and patting me on the arm trying to get treats. I woke up to a bad storm... which sort of explains the back pain that woke me up. Bad weather = arthritis flare = muscle spasms + pain = grumpy Monday.

Seriously, I very nearly just got up, took another ambien with a nyquil chaser and made this a "sleep it away Monday". Instead, I poured me a big cup of coffee... cuddled up with the Oscar dog and decided to try to find some Reasons to Love Monday. Help me Jesus.

1.  Ten. She's ten. How did that happen? Where did the time go? And how did we get so blessed as to have an angel girl who is beautiful, kind and smart? I can't wait until her birthday party at the end of this month. She thinks it's cool that she is my facebook profile picture right now. Our family waited thirty four years after me to have a girl born into our family and she was worth the wait!

 2. He's here. He still wants to live in the mountains and this little detour is temporary, he hopes. They got evicted from the house they were living in... he has plans to get an apartment with Fat Pat but he has to have a job first. In the meantime... he's crashing here on the couch and at least for a little while I don't have to worry about where he is or what he's doing or whether he's eating or wearing clean clothes. The important thing is that he came here by choice and he remembered that I had told him I would always be here for him. We had a great lunch out yesterday and although he's changed the dynamics around here... he's here. God is good.

 3. And what, you say, makes a dog peeing a "Reason to Love Monday"? It just makes me laugh, that's all. Crazy dog who thinks he must have human body heat or else he'll die. If my mom starts getting ready he comes to find me. I got up for a few minutes and I come back to find he's bogarted my heating pad. He's a rotten little dog and I missed him while he was in the mountains with the parents. 

4. This is one of those days that I don't know that I can make it through my abbreviated work day but it's one of those days that I'm still gonna try. I love my job. I want to be there, even if it hurts.

5. How I Met Your Mother is on tonight. New episode. 

6. Three more sleeps, twenty hours at work, one hundred miles and I'm back at the Mountain House for four nights. Four peaceful days of reading, internetting (I made that word up), enjoying the peace and quiet and all that. Plus job hunting with Austin, advance voting, hopefully updating my drivers license and getting Austin's benefit stuff straightened out. 

7. Tomorrow is payday. 

 8. My sweet Jamie-gurl... our little cheerleader. She is soooo much my mini-me! She makes the world a better place just by being in it. 

 9. She's such a good big sister. She was helping Jamie with her worms. Bait worms, that is. Our Mountain House is (for most everyone except me) our family's favorite fishing hole. (I don't fish). 

 10. Ten years ago yesterday I started working for State Farm. Other than my unintentional sabbatical this year, it's been my career, my identity. It wasn't what I "wanted to be when I grew up" but it's been a good way to make a living and even though it's going to hurt.... even though it's gonna be a struggle... getting to get up and go to a job I love is a HUGE Reason to Love Monday.

I hope you find a few of your own reasons. Happy Monday, y'all. 

Close Encounters Courtesy of the Blessed Plan

If life had gone according to Heather's Grand Plan, I would be living in the mountains with my precious 18 year old son, helping him transition into adulthood, enjoying a part-time job that met all of our financial needs and nesting as much as possible so as to keep the pain away.

Obviously the wheels fell off that little red idealist wagon earlier this year. I can't even pretend that I fought the idea of moving back home. Years ago it would have been unthinkable, impossible. Now it just feels like part of the Blessed Plan according to a Greater Power with far more wisdom and insight than  I could ever muster.

I've always been outgoing and relatively outspoken. I've always had a deep need to nurture and take care of the people I love. Yet, as time has marched on (mostly down my brittle back), I have come to spend more time with four legged creatures and less with two legged creatures. Well. And one three legged creature who is basically just furry furniture that eats and poops. The point is that I've become what I optimistically describe as a "unsociable extrovert".

Had life gone according to Heather's Grand Plan, I would have become the Crazy Old Cat Lady Reclusive Aunt who never ventures out amongst the two legged, three dimensional beings. These twists and turns that my life has taken this year have propelled me out of the nest and into the world where I experience many Close Encounters.

For example... yesterday morning I took my daughter-in-law to school. Marquee, like me, did not rush out and get her drivers license the minute she turned sixteen. I was in my late twenties before I actually, really started driving. Marquee is a lovely, intelligent, hard working twenty two year old who just doesn't drive yet. I've always loved her for who she is to Cody. Now that I'm on the Blessed Plan instead of the Heather Plan, I'm able to love Marquee for who she is to me. Driving to the college and back is a royal pain in the rear when you don't want to move from the nest BUT it gives me precious time with my first daughter (and mother of my future grandchildren) and I'm so glad for those encounters.

After I took Marquee to school I was craving (more) coffee and some kind of treat. I went to the Krispy Kreme and got a pumpkin spice latte (nowhere near the caliber of Starbucks) and two little donuts. The line was long but the lady in the drive thru was so pleasant, exceedingly pleasant for what must have been for her a very busy morning. I appreciated her attitude.

Next I had to pick up prescriptions. I hate doing this because I miss my sweet pharmacy in the mountains. I've had some negative experiences with the pharmacy here BUT, I didn't have enough of some vital meds to make it through to my next trip to the mountains a week from now. Not only did the lady in the pharmacy remember me, she was cheerful and speedy. Mission accomplished.

After a brief time back at home, it was time for me to go to work. I say this often but I never want to overlook what an enormous blessing this job is for me. I truly worried that I would never again be gainfully employed and if I was, it wouldn't be in the industry and company where I've been for the past ten years. I love that place. I love going to work. Yes, in my Grand Scheme of Things I would have loved to have THIS working environment in THAT living environment but that wasn't part of the Blessed Plan. If I had my way I would have missed out on meeting the awesome people I work with... I would have left the work force (or at least that industry) with the bitter taste that my unintentional sabbatical had brought. I would have continued to feel rejected, worthless, unemployable. To work in a place where my strengths are celebrated and my weaknesses forgiven is beyond what I could have ever imagined.

Throughout the day, time and time again, I interacted with clients and co-workers and just truly immersed myself in my Work World. Every phone call meant an opportunity to make an impression on someone's life. The life insurance policy I helped sell will potentially bring comfort in a time of grief some time in the future. Helping people understand their insurance policies, make informed decisions, budget and plan for future events makes me feel so ALIVE. In other work environments I've had restrictions that made those kind of extended, genuine conversations impossible due to "word tracks" and scenarios we were required to use. Being free to be me... outspoken, articulate, extroverted me... is a great gift and it's reaping great rewards.

Even driving home... the unspoken traffic rituals... extending courtesy even when it isn't deserved or appreciated by other drivers... being cautious... patient... just absorbing my environment without descending into road rage... appreciating the mild Fall air... missing the mountains but grateful still for where I am and how the Blessed Plan has changed me.

Cody has come over several times to check on me since my parents have been out of town. For years there had been a Cody-sized hole in my life and I'm so glad he's right next door now. It's not always in the words you say, just the physical presence of someone you love that makes a difference.

I'm tired from the extra responsibilities of caring for the Zoo but I'm so glad that they (the fur babies) trust me and keep me company. Lily was a good girl last night and only needed to go out at 11pm and 5am. She let me skip her usual 2am pit stop. Even those encounters... the four legged kind... make me feel more engaged and involved in the world.

At times I've felt like the Nest is the best cure for what ails me. And maybe, physically, that remains true. But emotionally my heart has craved interaction beyond the confines of my laptop and I'm so grateful for the roadblocks and detours and pitfalls that have catapulted me into this season of life and into this Blessed Plan.

Yabba Dabba Can't Wait to Have a Few More Close Encounters Blessed Friday DO to YOU! Love and hugs!

My Political Rant for this Election Season

I'm stoked about the upcoming Vice-Presidential debate tonight. Joe Biden is that crazy old uncle who says random things. Paul Ryan is the young pragmatic Patriot. I expect there to be inaccurate facts and figures from both sides and I expect to be aggravated during the process. It will be fascinating to watch.

I also believe that the time when citizens of our country are able to openly debate and disagree is coming to an end. No great society lasts more than a few hundred years. Our Constitution has been picked apart. Our freedoms have been usurped by the green gods of ecology and economy. The right to elect a leader may not survive the lives of my children and grandchildren.

It's an honor and privilege to be alive at this point in time where women have the right to vote and where we have the right to assemble and believe as we choose. Those days are numbered, I'm convinced. The right to express my views in a public forum is a precious gift that I try not to take for granted.

I believe that we are a society in decline. The country founded by my forefathers in the name of freedom and liberty is now more focused on handouts and government dependence than individual exceptionalism. We have lost sight of the morals and values that provided our foundation of truth in past generations. We no longer accept the Ten Commandments on which our system of justice is formed.

We disdain families, marriage, the rights of the unborn and infirm. We force hard-working people to surrender their income to be spread among those who believe they are entitled to far more than life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Where do birth control and free cell phones fit into those three objectives? The pursuit of happiness?

When did we come to believe, as a nation, that it was acceptable for people to expect to spend a lifetime taking and not giving? I look back over the lives of my ancestors and there I see people who endured great hardship, who suffered much loss of life and love to form the nation that we take for granted. I know of households that blended generations and races under one roof in the name of generosity, in order to be their brother's keeper.

In our past I see several races who were treated like less than human, who bravely fought for the rights of citizenship, who placed their faith in a Greater Being who was their hope and salvation, who now are content to become enslaved again by allowing themselves to be placed in the lower economic echelon far beyond what their God given abilities could provide. How I wish that they could rise up to accept the blessings of liberty that have been allowed at such great sacrifice of others!

We, as a people, all races, have forgotten the legacy handed down to us, the example of the generations that came before us.
We have forsaken the imperative to live within our means.
We have forgotten our obligation to help our fellow man - not through excessive taxation but through compassion and encouragement.
We have hardened our hearts against those in need because we have been conditioned to believe that a Government program of some sort is providing for them.

How much kinder would our society be if instead of seeing dollars slip away from our paychecks, we had to gather a bag of groceries for the hungry next door? How much more respect would we have for the hard work of others if we watched them till the soil and plant the seeds and reap a harvest? What if we looked into the eyes of those who paid the price for us? What if we saw the gratitude of those who enjoy the fruits of our labor? What if each was held accountable for their actions?

In the name of Political Correctness we have let go of the principles that give us structure and provide boundaries. We celebrate the steroid injected falsehood of sports heroes and ignore the true heroes that are on the front lines protecting our freedom. We have lost sound judgment and honor. We sit back and believe the loudest voices hold truth while the wisest voices are drowned out.

My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing...
Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrims pride
From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

Our father’s God! to thee,

Author of Liberty, to thee we sing;

Soon may our land be bright,

With holy freedom’s right,

Protect us by thy might, Great God, our King

Happy Thursday, y'all. God bless. 

Determined to NOT have a Whiny Wednesday

I feel awful today. My eyes are goopy and my head is pounding and my back is in spasms and I don't want to get out of the nest today. But I will. It's so much easier to psyche myself up for five hours of work in a place I really love than to drag my tired bones in for a nine hour day. That whole "not having to hang around during lunch" thing really works for me. Five and done.

Mom and dad are heading to the mountains tomorrow for a nice long weekend. I'm so excited that they will get to have some time in the house that doesn't involve moving in logistics and with living room furniture. For the first month and a half we just had the outside porch rocking chairs in the living room for seating. Now there's real living room furniture. My next visit will find me curled up in the upstairs nest, closer to the kitchen, instead of my basement nest. Still no tv but honestly, other than football, I haven't missed it.

I have a nice long weekend the next weekend. And then a short weekend up there the following weekend for Sarabeth's birthday, which we are celebrating later than usual this year due to a school holiday (her school friends were going to be out of town on her birthday weekend). She'll be ten. It hardly seems possible.

Austin called yesterday and said they were being evicted - all of them - so he needs somewhere to go. Now, God works in mysterious ways, I know this from my own life. Last week I felt so burdened for this child that I put him on the church wide prayer request list without really listing my concerns, so as not to embarrass him (I do that enough on here).

For three months a piece of my heart has been missing. Ryan and Cody left the nest and went to Mawmaw and Pop's house and although I missed them... and although I wanted something different for them than the path they were on... I knew that they were safe. I have not known this for Austin and he is the least prepared to make good decisions on his own. I have trusted God to protect him but from an earthly perspective, I have not had confidence in his situation. So while I asked my church family to pray for an "unspoken" request, God knew the burdens I have for this child.

So then... he is homeless... and he says, in the way that Austin does, "I need somewhere to put my stuff". And, of course, there is plenty of room at the mountain house for "stuff", however, living at the mountain house is not a good option for Austin (who doesn't drive or have access to a vehicle) because it is so far from town. He would never be able to walk to work anywhere or walk to get groceries or whatever. And honestly, that house is our nice little refuge, not a place that we want Austin to trash with his typical housekeeping unsupervised. And there's a real risk that he would have people over that we might not WANT to come over... and there's a lake... it's just not a good idea.

He hopes to move in with his friend "Fat Pat" but can't until he has a job. I recommended that he come home with us for a little while so that we can help him get back and forth to a job and he can learn to drive and get some form of transportation set up and then get a job up in the mountains and move in with his friends.  He was agreeable over the phone but I don't know how agreeable he'll be once my parents get up there tomorrow and pick him up. At least, at the very least, I would want him to come back with them because I am heading back up there on Thursday evening next week.

So there's that weighing heavy on my heart. And my spine is killing me... it feels oddly unstable today, like I need counter-pressure on it to hold it together. And there's the blurry eyed stuffy head feeling plus a nosebleed this morning. Which makes me feel like this adds up to a Whiny Wednesday... even though I purpose strongly NOT to let it be.

It's all about perspective. I can do this. In less than nine hours I'll be back to my cozy nest. I'll be gaming and  researching to my heart's content. It will be a good day. It will.

A Farmer From Brooklyn

It's been a short weekend for this old girl who has gotten spoiled with 3 and 4 day weekends. I rested a lot. Did some food shopping for the things that me and mama like to eat that Pop can't have on his diet. Cooked two meals. Cleaned up from one meal. Watched a lot of football. Watched a lot of documentaries. Stayed on the heating pad almost non-stop. Muscle spasms are bending me in two lately. Weakness in my legs, especially when I first get up in the morning. Working less is better than working full time but I am by no means pain free.

Lalalala life goes on.

And now.... even though it's a rainy Monday and I just don't want to move... I'm committed to finding Reasons To Love Monday. I hope you will too!

 1. I snagged this picture from one of Natalie's friends . This is a picture of my niece, Sarabeth (r) my adopted niece Jorjanne (center) and a lady I don't know. What I love about this picture is Sarabeth's natural, true, joyful, unposed smile. That's how I know her. She'll be ten years old on Sunday and it seems like it can't be possible that she's that old... also seems like she's been a part of my life for all of my life. She's just so beautiful and graceful and exquisite. I love her so much. And then I look at Jorjanne and all that she has been through in her life. She's 11 now. She has the kindest, gentlest spirit. She is such a great friend to Sarabeth - she's a sister friend. and that makes my heart swell to know that my girl, SB, knows the kind of bonds of friendship that I've been able to enjoy all of my life. 

2. And this angel... there are no words to express how deeply I love this child. She is like looking into the past and seeing myself... although I think her spirit is far more pure and sweet and innocent than I ever was. She'll be 8 in December. She's missing enough front teeth to be a jack-o-lantern. She loves girly frilly stuff. She's style conscious. She's just simply amazing and I can't believe how blessed we are to have a Jamie in our lives.

3. I will work today, be off tomorrow, work three days and then off two. It's not the perfect schedule but it works with the things we've got going on this week. 

4. Mom has a scan to check for any new/different cancer growths. I'm able to be here and be off and be with her. I have had so many medical procedures that I just wished that there was someone with me, to take the pressure off of me... to make the drive there and back less stressful... to make the wait in the waiting room more social and less sterile. To help me remember what the doctor said. To help interpret what the doctor said. To just. not. feel. so. durn. alone on the planet. It's a great thing to be able to be with mom. Sitting in waiting rooms sucks for my back. It's one day. I can do it.

5. The weather has turned cooler and that means I'm wearing *my cute boots!* (said in my booming Oprah voice). Hello fall! Come and stay awhile~!

6. I found some interesting stuff through my research this weekend... that's part two of this entry. I tried to highlight some points that stuck out to me (in case you just want to scan through). 

Hope you have a great Monday! Keep reading if you'd like to find out about our Farmer from Brooklyn.

Wolphert Gerretse Van Kouwenhoven, one of the founders of New Amsterdam (New York) was one of five "head farmers" first sent by the Dutch West India Company to New Netherlands in 1625. Wolphert came with his wife Aeltge Jans, whom he married January 17, 1605 in the Dutch Reformed Church of Amersfoort, and their three surviving sons, Gerret, Jacob and Pieter. Until his return to Holland in 1629, Wolphert farmed Bouwerie (farm) No. 3 in New Amsterdam and, through his wife Aeltge, engaged in the profitable fur trade.

While in Holland, Wolphert signed a six year lease with the Dutch West India Company for Bouwerie No. 6 (about 91 acres). He also contracted with Kiliaen Van Rensselaer, patron of Rensselaerwick (comprised of thousands of acres along the Hudson including most of present day Albany) as a factor or director and also to be in charge of Bouwerie No. 7 inNew Amsterdam. All this bore tribute to Wolphert's reputation for competence and dependability. Upon his return from Holland May 24, 1630 on De Eendracht (The Unity), Wolphert farmed Bouwerie No. 6, and for about two years served under his contract with Kiliaen Van Rensselaer.

On June 30, 1636, Wolphert was one of five men allowed to purchase land on Long Island called Keskateuw from the Indians. Here was established the first known white settlement on Long Island. Wolphert called his "plantation" Achterveldt, shown on the Manatus map of New Netherlands as Farm 36, near the Indian long house of the Keskateuw tribe. Wolphert's house, surrounded by palisades, was the focal point of the village of New Amersfoort (later called Flatlands). He and his sons farmed the 3600 acre Achterveldt until Wolphert's death in 1662.

Of Wolphert's children, the eldest, Gerret, born about 1610, was especially close to his father. They were both farmers at heart, and shared houses across the road from one another within the palisades of Amersfoort in 1639. He married Aelte Cornelis Cool in about 1635. Stiles says they lived "on either side of the road that led from Flatbush to the Ferry, later Fulton, Hoyt and Smith Streets in Breucklen." In 1643 Gerret was one of a group sent to the Staats General in Holland to present the forlorn and defenseless condition of New Netherlands settlers due to Director Kieft's inciting war among the Indians. Sadly, in 1645, Gerret died, a young man, a great loss to his father.

Wolp hert's second son, Jacob, born about 1612, was taken into the Dutch West India Company by Governor Van Twiller and became a tobacco planter and brewer. Jacob married Hester Jansen in Amsterdam, Holland, on December 1, 1636 and they were parents of six children. In 1643 Jacob and David de Vries volunteered to go to the Rockaway Convention to spend the night with the Indians to make peace. Ever the businessman, Jacob was an "inveterate speculator," determined to build the largest brewery in New Amsterdam. He was forced by the Schout in 1656 to sell some of his properties to pay his debts. Nevertheless, Jacob was a respected leader in the town, being named for three years on of the "Nine Men" whom the Dutch West India Company let help rule the settlement. In 1664 he was licensed by Governor Nichols to trade in his sloop with the Indians along the Hudson River. On July 3, 1643, the West India Company granted land to Jacob in Brooklyn on the East River including what is the Brooklyn Navy Yard, City Park and the Fifth Ward. In 1649 and 1650, under Peter Stuyvesant, Jacob was a member of the Court of Arbitrators. In June of 1649 Jacob was sent to Holland as one of three men to represent New Netherlands at the Hague. Jacob lived until 1670.

Pieter , youngest son of Wolphert, was a miller and brewer. His brewery was at what was later the corner of Pearl and William Street, New York City. In 1640 he married Hester Symons. After New Amsterdam was incorporated in 1653, a court of Schout (Sheriff), Burgomaster and Schepens (Sheriffs or Aldermen) was established. On February 2, 1653, Pieter and four others were appointed first Schepens of New Amsterdam, an office he held for ten years. Pieter was one of two Orphan Masters who received the first appointment to sit in court from October 19, 1655 until 1660. In September, 1655, Pieter was one of three men who negotiated with marauding Indians for return of Christian captives. In 1663, as Lieutenant, he was sent by Stuyvesant to retaliate against the Indians of Esopus (now Kingston, New York). On March 12, 1665 he was appointed City Surveyor. In 1665 Hester died. Pieter was the first of Wolphert's sons to move to New Jersey. That year he married Aeltge Sibrants and settled with her in Elizabethtown, New Jersey. He died after 1700.

Peter Cownover, son of Lt. Pieter Wolphertsen Couwenhoven, was the first of the name to settle in southeastern New Jersey. His deed for land in Great Egg Harbor is dated November, 1695. Peter Cownover's sons, Peter and John, were among the first owners of Absecon Beach, now Atlantic City, New Jersey. Grandsons of Gerret - Cornelius, Albert, Peter and Jacob - settled in Monmouth County, New Jersey, about 1700. Another grandson, William, remained in the Flatlands. Well into the twentieth century the Kouwenhovens of Flatlands wrote their name in full but were referred to among themselves and by neighbors as Conovers. In New Jersey there were many variations. While Cowenhoven and Covenhoven were prominent, we find such spellings as Couenhoven, Kovenhoven and Cr(K)ownover. Three stones in the Conover-Schenck cemetery, Holmdel, New Jersey, show John Kouenhoven, Cornelius Conover and Christopher Kovenhoven, sons of Cornelius A. Covenhoven!

http://www.vankouwenhoven1625.com/found ing.html

Van Kouwenhoven-Conover Family Association

Wolphert Gerretse VanKouwenhoven (1579 - 1662)

is your 11th great grandfather

Gerret Wolfertse VanCouwenhoven (1610 - 1645)

Son of Wolphert Gerretse

Marretje Gerretse VanKouwenhoven (1644 - 1708)

Daughter of Gerret Wolfertse

Neeltje Coerten VanVoorhees (1676 - 1750)

Daughter of Marretje Gerretse

Rachel Schenck (1710 - 1779)

Daughter of Neeltje Coerten

Elizabeth Longstreet (1736 - 1811)

Daughter of Rachel

Jonathan Johnson (1778 - 1857)

Son of Elizabeth

Hannah Johnson (1803 - 1885)

Daughter of Jonathan

John Harvey (1823 - 1905)

Son of Hannah

Mary Hannah Harvey (1844 - 1933)

Daughter of John

Theodore Stogden Gant (1884 - 1951)

Son of Mary Hannah

Bruce Bronson Gant Sr (1924 - 2000)

Son of Theodore Stogden

James Edward Gant Sr (1949 - )

Son of Bruce Bronson

Heather Nancine Gant (1968 - )

Daughter of James Edward

Jan Martense Schenck House - More Genealogy

I haven't shared a lot of genealogy information lately because I've been bogged down about a millennium ago (not joking) and the anecdotal information from that far ago is 1) rare as hen's teeth and  2) not that interesting (to me and therefore, I assume, to you). 

However... I decided to fill in some blanks of more recent and relevant (to me) branches of the family tree and found another old ancestral home in, of all places, the Brooklyn Museum. Or, as my 9th great-grandfather called it, "Breuckelen".  And nothing cracks me up more than the irony of a Southern Belle being more Yankee than Reb, so I thought I'd share this little tidbit of family history. 

According to the Brooklyn Museum website

The Jan Martense Schenck House represents the oldest architecture in the Museum's period room collection. It is also the most complex of the period rooms in terms of reconstruction and interpretation.The house is a simple two-room structure with a central chimney. Its framework is composed of a dozen heavy so-called H-bents, visible on the interior of the house, that resemble goal posts with diagonal braces. This is an ancient northern European method of construction that contrasts with the boxlike house frames that evolved in England. The house had a high-pitched roof that created a large loft for storage. The roof was covered with shingles, and the exterior walls were clad with horizontal wood clapboard siding. A section of the clapboard has been removed at one corner to expose a reconstruction of the brick nogging used as insulation. The interior walls were stuccoed between the upright supports of the H-bents.

A kitchen was added at a right angle to the house probably in the late 1790s. In the early nineteenth century a porch with four columns was also added. Finally, sometime about 1900, dormer windows were installed above the porch. The interior of the house was also changed. The large central chimney was removed, probably about the same time as the kitchen wing was added and new chimneys and fireplaces were built on the outer walls. Old photographs of the interior of the house on site in Flatlands show it with early twentieth-century wallpapers and an assortment of nineteenth-century furniture, all of which was discarded when the house came to the Museum.

Now, old Jan Martense is the brother of my 9x great-grandfather. Family tradition holds that Jan and Grandpa Roelof shared interest in a gristmill that was near the location of the home, which was described in a guide to NYC from 1939 as being on Avenue U between East 63rd and 64th streets. The home was in the family for about three generations. 

During the American Revolution the home was occupied by British Major Thomas Moncrief. An American raiding party that included Capt. John Schenck kidnapped Major Moncrief and carried him back to New Jersey. Capt. Schenck was familiar with the area because it was formerly owned by a "close relative". His father's name was Garret Roelofse Schenck, same as my 8x great-grandfather but the two Garret Roelofse were born about 40 years apart. I believe Captain John was a distant cousin. 

Even this particular twig of the family tree is more Jersey than Brooklyn, having relocated there prior to 1700, but all of that is still way farther north of the Mason-Dixon Line than I had perceived. Anyways... here's how we got from Brooklyn to Atlanta:

Roelof Martense Schenck (1619 - 1704)

is your 9th great grandfather

Garret Roelofse Schenck (1671 - 1745)

Son of Roelof Martense

Rachel Schenck (1710 - 1779)

Daughter of Garret Roelofse

Elizabeth Longstreet (1736 - 1811)

Daughter of Rachel

Jonathan Johnson (1778 - 1857)

Son of Elizabeth

Hannah Johnson (1803 - 1885)

Daughter of Jonathan

John Harvey (1823 - 1905)

Son of Hannah

Mary Hannah Harvey (1844 - 1933)

Daughter of John

Theodore Stogden Gant (1884 - 1951)

Son of Mary Hannah

Bruce Bronson Gant Sr (1924 - 2000)

Son of Theodore Stogden

James Edward Gant Sr (1949 - )

Son of Bruce Bronson

Heather Nancine Gant (1968 - )

Daughter of James Edward

Finding Success... My Wonderful Adventure

My cat Trouble is incredibly curious about what happens on our screened in porch. He is so curious that he constantly tries to slip out when the dogs (and Eddie the cat who thinks he's a dog) go out. Honestly, I don't believe he would venture beyond the porch but I just love him too durn much to risk losing him. He's my baby!

Yesterday while I was waiting for Lily, the old arthritic dog to take her sweet, ever-lovin' time coming through the door, Trouble slipped out. I dashed after him, forgetting that "dashing" is no longer in my bag of tricks. I stepped/slid/tripped on Eddie and took an odd step that wrenched my spine and found myself in a whole new world of pain.

I did, however, catch Trouble.

In my full-time working season I would have probably called in sick... but I only had FIVE hours to work and I had sooooo much to do. There were emails from Tuesday that I hadn't even looked at yet. There was a stack of stuff going back a week that needed my attention. There were two life insurance quotes that I hadn't sent out. I needed to go to work.

I went to work. The drive in was a particularly curious adventure. This is no leisurely jaunt through farmland as it was in the mountains. There are thirty-eleven traffic lights, a half dozen school zones, several shopping centers... it's chaos. Twice, maybe three times, (ok. just TWICE but still!) there were cars who needed to turn left but missed getting in the turning lane so they just stopped in the middle of the road. IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD! Who does that? There was much slamming on of breaks and frantic lane changes to go around these two roadblocks.

There was another guy who was busy texting (against the law in Georgia, mind you) and missed an entire light cycle. Just sat there... people honking... ok, just me honking but still... with his Florida State bumper stickers (had to mention that)... alone on the planet.

And then there was the Georgia Power work crew who were blocking half of the road that my office is on. The flag bearer was trying to wave me toward the detour... I kept frantically pointing to the parking lot entrance ten feet away from him where I needed to go... He stood there staring at me waving his little flag. I inched closer to him... rolled down my window and yelled, "I WORK THERE! RIGHT THERE! RIGHT BEHIND YOU! NO WHERE NEAR WHERE YOUR LITTLE TRUCKS ARE!"  Finally, he got it and allowed me to pass. He probably makes more per hour than I do.

So glad I stopped and bought the VENTI pumpkin spice latte at Starbucks. Worth every penny.

Work was great. I love my job. Love my office. Love my co-workers. Love the attitude and environment. Love dealing with customers. There is just a peaceful, easy feeling there, even when all the phones are ringing and things are piling up and you don't have time to take a bathroom break. I love that place. If I could move that office closer to the mountain house, I'd be over the moon.

My back hurt way more than usual. I felt the knife of pain with every step...and I do take a lot of steps at work... greeting customers as they come in... taking papers to their various destinations... conferring with co-workers... taking bathroom breaks because I drank a venti pumpkin spice latte... it hurt. It was only in the last half hour that I thought, "I'm not going to make it through my entire shift"... but I bit the bullet... got busy on another little project and looked up at five minutes before time to leave.

Success comes in many different forms. Some people find success in a promotion. Some find it in large paychecks. Some find it in recognition. For me, some days, success means just being able to tough it out.  Success is going beyond what you thought you could do. Pushing beyond my limits. Knowing that I'm making a difference in somebody's life. Participating in life.

Speaking of success... My friend Natalie's pre-release party for her book is today. You can purchase your own copy here and I hope you will. She is a precious, precious girl and I am so grateful to call her a friend. If you know anyone who suffers from mental illness... if you know anyone whose life was touched by suicide... if you know anyone who is struggling with grief... they need this book.

So this is Friday. I *only* have a two day weekend ahead due to schedule changes at work. I will work Monday and then be off Tuesday, then work three days and then... I'm not sure from there, it's written down but I haven't committed it to memory. It's still a "yabba dabba do day" even if it is only two days. Hope you have a great weekend!