My mother’s maiden name is SHOWALTER. I have a Showalter cousin as passionate about Showalter documentation as I am about FRANTZ documentation. Recently (as noted in recent blog messages), I have been working to correctly identify two (or three) men named Charles Showalter. Naturally, I consulted “cousin” (with more than 100,000 individuals in his “tree”). He offered valuable information and sent these two newspaper clippings. Searching for information that might help me with “same name” men, he found a previously unknown (to him) Showalter for his tree. “Thank me?” ~~~ “Cousin” and I state emphatically that family history is extremely interesting.

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Below is a collage I prepared so “cousin” and I can compare details about men named Charles Showalter. Many novice subscribers to Ancestry have inaccurate documentation. Ultimately, I’m just a janitor cleaning up messes.

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I’m so tired, I only want to relax in my easy chair. I don’t want to watch TV; I don’t want to look at Ancestry. My battle with the new Ancestry format has drained my brain and my energy! ~~ Relax today and VOTE tomorrow!!

Last night I searched for an Ancestry support group. On one site, I left the following message:

Today is Sunday November 6th and I’d like your narrative regarding the new changes on Ancestry. Yesterday, Ancestry foisted changes on us regarding the way we document individuals. I’ve been an obsessive-compulsive subscriber for ten years. I spend eight, ten, twelve, and fourteen hours a day documenting my large extended family. I have more than 80,000 individuals in my tree. I’m not a novice. In my humble opinion, these changes are terrible. I’m curious about the experience of other subscribers to Ancestry. Are other subscribers experiencing a problem? ~~ Lorraine in Waco, Texas ~~

Number one: My head is spinning due to the documentation changes on Ancestry. Number two: I may “spin” around and walk away from Ancestry. Previously, I considered myself an expert; currently, I see myself as an infant looking at the genealogy program for the first time. Worse than a Rubik’s Cube.

I couldn’t go to sleep because tangled relationships—on Ancestry—were a merry–go–round in my mind. I had exhausted every Ancestry hint so I went to FamilySearch. Even less information is available!! “Showalter” is a well–documented surname. Why are some families so difficult to find? I’ll keep trying… Illusive relatives, and a new format on Ancestry, is so frustrating!! ~~~~~ One–twenty in the morning; time to go back to bed.

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Postscript @ 10:45 AM: The detective in me will not allow me to walk away until the mystery is solved.

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Ancestry made a major change in the way we document the family. I considered myself an expert navigating Ancestry until this morning. I’ve been attempting to unravel a problem relationship along with maneuvering through frustrating changes. ~~ Please Keep it Simple for this Senior.

Yesterday morning, I heard unfamiliar sounds on the other side of my back fence. I opened the curtain on my bedroom window and  observed a dozen men. Not a familiar face in the group. No explanation needed; they were there to build a porch, and ramp, for my ninety-three year old veteran neighbor. “Mr. Gil” has been in the hospital, twice, recently, but  currently is “stuck” at home. I do not know the details. ~~ When work stopped and all was quiet, I took one of my ladders to the back fence and peeked over. “Looking good.”

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I’ve had some health problems recently but they are small compared to the health problems of some of my neighbors. Across my yard, beyond the side fence, a neighbor is recovering from a stroke. Across the street, the wife struggles to care for her husband suffering from Alheimers. Down the street, both husband and wife have been in the hospital and “rehab.” At 5:00 PM an ambulance drove in and I can surmise the wife, home alone, had an emergency. ~~~~ Counting my many blessings.

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This little fellow was on the fence so I kept my distance (and used the telephoto lens) until he jumped down into my neighbor’s yard. Looks like a turkey to me. I wonder where it came from.  ~~ I was in my yard to peek over the fence to see the completed ramp.

‘Twas the day after Halloween and all through the house, I suspected gremlins were frolicking around my computer mouse. ~~ I had a problem beyond my expertise so I consulted a brilliant cousin. We exchanged email messages—and screenprint images—but “old lady Lorraine” never unscrambled the problem. ~~ I went to bed (after ten) but my mind wouldn’t stop attempting to resolve the situation. Wide awake, I returned to the computer and repeated the sequence of steps from earlier in the day. Finally, well aware that the information could not be restored, I deleted the two accounts that had been clashing. ~~ I went back to bed at 1:25 AM and slept until 9:00 AM. Hopefully, the gremlins have been banished.

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The message may be: “Spend much less time ‘climbing the family tree.'”  First: The failure of the battery backup kept me off the computer for several hours. Second: Neglecting the toilet tank leak has cost me hundreds of dollars! Third: Gremlins on my computer. ~~ “Third times a charm”: I see the message.

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POSTSCRIPT: Very shortly after publishing this blog message, I lost TV and WiFi service. Almost as though an exclamation mark was added to the above comments. The service was off for three hours. During that time, I did a few projects in the yard.

Number one: I hate to get up in the morning because I’m so tired from lack of sleep. I grudgingly got up and headed for the “throne room.” OMG, I walked into, and upon, a soaking wet bath mat. “Where did all this water come from?”  This “bad“ old lady confesses to a toilet tank leak but has never had water on the floor.

Number two: Remorsefully, I walked to the Clubhouse (after getting dressed), to share my problem with the group who gather for coffee. They said “good morning” and I growled “bad morning.” Mr. Red was informed of my problem and shortly thereafter he and his grandson were surveying the situation.

Number three: Mr. Red headed for Home Depot while his grandson stripped the faulty parts from the toilet tank. Later the two men installed the new parts. While his grandson was busy, “Mr. Red” displayed the following message on his Smartphone.

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Because my trailer home is terribly cluttered–and dirty–I have not wanted anyone inside my home. I knew I had a toilet tank leak but deliberately refused to tell anyone. This crazy old woman would prefer to pay the high price of water overage!