As a family historian, I want facts. This grave marker does not  give me any information. Frantz is her married name; I want her birth and death dates.

What is more frustrating? As I mentioned in earlier blog, not finding any information regarding the individual.

Not quite six o’clock in the morning and I’ve been up for hours!! I have two computers that are causing problems. I was computer “chatting” with a McAfee technician for more than one hour (and he had remote control). Last week I purchased “Total Protection” from McAfee–and it isn’t working!! It still isn’t working and my next experience will be with Microsoft to see if they can diagnose the problem and supply the needed updates. I’m told my problems stem from “updates” that have “failed” to install. Once problems are solved on this computer (my every day computer), I’ll try to gain access to the Dell computer (used for the family history scanning project that was interrupted by the disruptive move from the CARE Center).

I have “too much” on my mind and I cannot get a good night’s sleep. So-o-o-o many projects: The cargo trailer still has boxes of family history to scan (so I can discard); many things to sort, and haul donations to Habitat for Humanity resale store. The yard is a full-time job (which I love) but I should be “doing” other things. “Clutter” inside my trailer home is a frustration. All these on my mind–and I can’t get a full night of sleep. As mentioned in an earlier blog, I’ve tried various over-the-counter sleep aids and they have limited benefit. ZzzQuill helped (best) but last night it only provided four hours of sleep (ten PM until two AM). I wanted to go back to sleep but was wide awake so I tackled the computer problem. Usually, I just continue to lay in bed wishing I could go back to sleep. This morning I didn’t want to “waste time” “wishing I could go back to sleep.”  Lack of sleep obviously contributes to fatigue; I’m always so-o-o-o tired. I need a gardener in addition to a computer guru? It’s really tough getting old! My brain says “do” but the body says “don’t.” (Know what I mean?)

Losing my vision; new glasses are so strong it makes me feel off-balance. The second pair–for the computer–is helpful but I still need a magnifying glass. This morning, with McAfee technician, the “chat” was in tiny print so I was using computer glasses AND magnifying glass.

I don’t want to end on a negative note. I’m so grateful for my eyesight, and reasonably good health. I appreciate my trailer home parked under a roof, with wonderful shade trees in the yard. I’m blessed!!

…a picture she saw (on her travels) and it reminded her of Lorraine.

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With 20/20 hindsight, the flowers might look better in sunshine but, visually, they are spectacular in early morning shade. In the afternoon, in sunshine, they quickly wilt. When I water…, I think the plants–with blooms–say “thank you.” ~~ With new glasses, things (everywhere) look more spectacular. ~~ But new glasses don’t make me any smarter. I was up on the ladder cutting down a limb (rubbing the roof).

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“Sad” the blooms only last a few hours. However, tomorrow morning there will be a dozen, or more, new blooms.

The following is the comment I attached to an individual in my Ancestry family tree.

This isn’t remotely a connection to “my” family tree. It all started very innocently (yesterday) when I was documenting a “shirt tail” relative. But the name “Remen Happreck Peters” appeared as a child of Jonathan Peters. That name didn’t make sense (imho) so I set out to find–and document–the individual. It has taken hours but I’m confident I have all the accurate information. I suspect someone transcribing Census records couldn’t read writing (lol) and Carrie Happock became Remen Happreck. ~~ The name, and locality, did not “fit.” I found her with another set of parents (with the same names) in the proper locality. ~~ My “Nancy Drew” mystery is solved and I can return to Frantz/Garst family history.

There’s more to the story, of course. Personally, I strive for excellence; I attempt to have my information accurate (right down to dotting the “i” and crossing the “t”). It makes me so angry when I check my information against other individuals family tree. They are so careless!! Sometimes ten or more individual family trees have the same misinformation (because they copied…). I shout at the computer sometimes (directed at the culprit): “Don’t you check your information? You have each child listed three times!”

Recently, due to extreme heat and frustrations, I’ve spent a lot of time indoors on Ancestry.com attempting to correct all the misinformation that has crept into the Frantz family tree. I published Frantz Families–Kith & Kin in 1996. The information is readily available including the website. Every individual is listed with sources, in the published book. There’s no excuse for wrong dates and locations.

It’s almost three o’clock and I’m still in my nightgown. My only meals the last couple of days: watermelon, peaches, strawberries, protein bar, coffee, and iced tea (“fast food”). I can’t tear myself away from Ancestry. Well, preparing my blog messages is pretty addictive, too, and I thought I had a good topic for today.

Twenty-five years ago, I thought it was my God-given assignment to document the Frantz family–and collateral lines. Now I want to correct the data on Ancestry before old age clouds my memory. I offer thanks to my Heavenly Father for reasonably good memory, and reasonably good health, at eighty-three years of age.

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Perhaps I’m the only one to find “a new find” heartwarming. Two days documenting the “Peters”  family led me to the “Angle”  family. Carrie Happock Peters had a sister named Louiza who married James Daniel Angle. During earlier documentation, I could say (to myself) “I’ve been there; I know that area” (genealogical research trips). Now I could exclaim “I know that family; I was in the home of a descendant” (in Rocky Mount, Virginia). The memories brought me to tears!! I had been attending the Garst Family Reunion in Salem, Virginia (2004). Just before it ended, an “extended family” member invited me to their home in Rocky Mount. At her home, she served me a tomato sandwich (homegrown large yellow tomatoes). True story: I had never eaten a tomato sandwich!! Numerous family members greeted me; I visited several homes; I was an overnight guest. I can distinctly remember the beautiful quilts adorning the wall, and second story balcony rail, of an attractive log house. I was in the presence of my Old German Baptist Brethren “cousins.” More recently, several days ago, I was documenting Old German Baptist Brethren, and Church of the Brethren, extended family members. I thought I got side-tracked but it was a (Divine?) circle right back to ancestral roots. I don’t travel any more but memories are precious of those earlier years, earlier travels.

…before dashing outdoors to water plants, etc., etc.

I was up early and able to upload pictures and complete “Touched by an angel.”  The computer had been shut down (last night) and rebooted, so this program the only one running. ~~ Yesterday, thirteen hours on Ancestry, doing genealogy, and yard was ignored. Plants wilt in one day without water.

…the vines were cut into smaller pieces.

That’s enough strenuous work for today?! ~~ The question mark was added because it’s quite possible I’ll be back in the yard after breakfast. I love working in the yard!!

No, I’m not dead or dying.  This old computer, used for blog messages, and pictures, is not uploading pictures. The other “newer” computer still has me “locked out.” To assuage my frustrations, I have been working on family history–on Ancestry. I’ve traded one frustration for another!! The multitude of errors in Ancestry individual family trees could drive a serious genealogist crazy. I published Frantz Families–Kith & Kin in 1996 (three volumes, 3,180 pages) and  it is “free” on the Internet. Names, dates, sources… but people add bogus information to their tree. My devotion to accuracy (prior to publication in 1996) is now rife with blatant errors. Am I fighting a losing battle in an effort to make wrong right?

Good news: The blog message I want to publish is titled “Touched by and angel.”  Yesterday, an angel caught me up in arms, or wings, and saved me from another serious fall/accident. Maybe I’ll be able to “publish”–with pictures–soon.