Here’s the confirmation that I have more energy and I’m “feeling human.” In other years, I’ve filed as early as February (as soon as I received the proper form from L.A. County Retirement and Social Security). The move from Livingston to Waco (first of the year) was stressful followed by two nasty weather months. Then the Coronavirus pandemic. My life has been upside down!! TurboTax (on-line) is so simple; I can “do” in my sleep (almost). Pray with me that my life will be right-side-up from now on.

Here is another “story” from your blogger-storyteller friend: Years ago, in Lancaster, California, I belonged to a chapter of International Toastmistress organization (since merged with Toastmaster). Believe it or not, I was shy and had difficulty talking in public. The ladies were respected and allowed to “ease into” public speaking. My “icebreaker speech” was about the desert tortoise (because my sons and I had a backyard full of desert tortoise). I made all kinds of comparisons about myself and the turtle (because the objective of our first speech was to introduce ourselves). The “punch line” of the speech: “Turtle or Toastmistress, we don’t get anywhere unless we stick out our neck.”

“In all of us there is a hunger, marrow-deep, to know our heritage- to know who we are and where we have come from. Without this enriching knowledge, there is a hollow yearning. No matter what our attainments in life, there is still a vacuum, an emptiness, and the most disquieting loneliness.”

This quotation (above) came to my attention while watching Jeopardy. With the (over)emphasis on “Black Lives Matter” perhaps Alex Haley‘s book about “Roots“  may get censored like “Gone With the Wind” —and patriotic monuments. (I should keep my mouth shut?! Quotation is OK but opinion better left unsaid.)

“Air-conditioners”–I hate air-conditioners. It seems (to me) they create a “draft.” Perhaps I should say “I hate drafts.”  I’m forced to use an air-conditioner here in Waco, Texas. Our weather is so-o-o-o HOT and the weatherman says “for the next two months.”

Does it ever happen to you? Do you catch yourself remembering a misspelled word? At 3:50 this morning I answered an email message. After I hit the “send” button (but continued to reflect on the message), I realized I misspelled “lapse.” I said “laps” and the spellchecker didn’t catch my mistake. OMG, “spellchecker” is always identifying a grammar error or misspelled word!! Maybe “spellchecker” was asleep?? Lorraine wishes she was “asleep” at 3:00, 4:00, 5:00 in the morning!!

This image captured with my Canon camera. I do “creative things” on my blog but I would be unable to replicate the design of that message. This “thought” in the most recent issue of Mennonite Family History. Honestly, I haven’t thought of “a hundred years from now” but I’ve prayerfully considered ten, fifteen, twenty years from now. In my Ancestry.com database, I’d like to leave an accurate record of my Quaker, Mennonite and Old German Baptist Brethren ancestors.

God, my Heavenly Father, gave me the precious gift of ancestors who lived their Christian faith. “He”  inspires me to live my Christian faith and share with folks who may read my documented information “a hundred years from now.”

Mary O. Acton Miller is not a member of my family tree (although she is in my family tree). I’d like to think the information I unraveled will help another researcher.

This researcher is frustrated to no end!! I’m meticulous and they are careless.

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Yes, another long day spent on the computers. I work back-and-forth comparing… and searching. The Catherine Sager/Sayger misinformation is “the last straw” for today and I’m going to bed!!

Many years ago I worked for Walmart. It was a negative experience! However, during my travels (with my T@B Teardrop Travel Trailer), I would spend the night in a Walmart parking lot. I’d shop for a few groceries as my thanks for free parking. Right up to 2020, I’ve frequently said “I have a love/hate relationship with Walmart.”

I am now forced to say I have a love/hate relationship with Ancestry.com. I love, love, love the research capability. I am now “an armchair researcher.” I hate the distribution of inaccurate information. I’m discerning but many folks accept the information believing it is reliable.

The volumes of information available on Ancestry amazes this researcher. And the requested data is available almost instantaneously. When desired information doesn’t conveniently appear on the monitor, this researcher starts digging. (I’m a good detective.) Today, I found an elusive shirt-tail relative and I’m patting myself on the back. I’m so happy. “Shirt-tail relative” has been a mystery for several months. Although millions of records… sometimes the “maiden name” is not listed in many records. My “cousins” (the Old German Baptist Brethren) are a tightly woven family. It is sometimes difficult to correctly identify “same name” individuals. This lady, this surname, has never been documented previously (by me).

Sometimes (oftentimes) my mind is working like a computer. Today (totally unrelated search), I “stumbled” across the name Grace Dempsey and I thought “Oh, that’s Henry Miller’s daughter.”  (33,825 names in my database and I remembered “Henry Miller.”) A dozen “sources” for Grace led me to Mary Acton (she was simply “Mary Miller”).  ~~~ Click this link to see Mary O. Acton in my Ancestry database. ~ ~ ~

This “elation” compensates for the “frustration” documented in the previous blog message (Crazymaker).

This message copied from the Facebook page of Shannon Edwards.

From the book: “The Screwtape Letters” (1942) “And how did you manage to bring so many souls to hell at that time? -Because of fear. -Ah, yes. Excellent strategy; old and always current. But what were they afraid of? Fear of being tortured? Fear of war? Fear of hunger? -No. -Fear of getting sick. -But then, no one else got sick at that time? -No. -Yes, they were sick. -I’m sorry. -Nobody else was dying? -Yes, they died. -But there was no cure for the disease? -There was. -Then I don’t understand. – Since no one else believed and taught about eternal life and eternal death, they thought they had only that life, and they clung to it with all their strength, even if it cost them their affection (they did not hug or greet each other, they had no human contact for days and days); their money (they lost their jobs, spent all their savings, and still thought themselves lucky to be prevented from earning their bread); their intelligence (one day the press said one thing and the next day it contradicted itself, and still they believed it all); their freedom (they did not leave their house, did not walk, did not visit their relatives. …it was a big concentration camp for voluntary prisoners! They accepted everything, everything, as long as they could overcome their miserable lives one more day. They no longer had the slightest idea that He, and only He, is the one who gives life and ends it. It was like that, as easy as it had ever been.” From the book “The Screwtape Letters” by C.S. Lewis, the Christian author of the Chronicles of Narnia The book was published in 1942.

Two comments with names withheld.