Clip art is an important part of my blog messages. Because I seldom use Facebook, I do not use emojis. Here I am wasting our valuable time with trivia about World Emoji Day.

For decades, I’ve been a good “touch typist.” Overnight, my left thumb gave me pain, and is swollen. Can’t type!! I’m “picking” the letters for this message. This is a reminder of the unsung valuable of the thumb when typing.

The 10:00 PM news started with pictures, and details, about tornado  damage in Livingston. Wow!! Too close for comfort!! Some of the details can be found on the NBC -TV website. ‘Twas a surprise to hear/see Livingston in the news because we are eighty miles from Houston.

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Oops!! A couple of letters were lost in the scanning process!! Somewhat like the situation of the blogger?! She’s lost “R” (reason), and “S” (sensibility). I am so hopelessly addicted to Ancestry.com, I cannot walk away from my computer. I skip meals….

I had an enforced “break” when we experienced another extreme thunderstorm. I relaxed (briefly)… but was startled several times by nearby lightning strikes and deafening thunder. At almost six PM, the outdoor temperature has dropped to seventy-three degrees. Wonderful cool air; a rest for my air-conditioner!!

My Ancestry Member Tree currently has six-thousand-six-hundred-eighty-one intertwined individuals.

I just watched the movie The Freedom of Silence on a Christian television station. Have you seen it??  Very sobering!! Personally, I think the appropriate title would be The Silence of Freedom.

During the storm, I had TV but no Internet. Divine intervention?!

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The reader is undoubtedly weary of my complaint about being exhausted. Well, this is my “journal” and I write about what’s on my mind. During the day, I dream about getting a good night’s sleep. At night, I’m wide awake because my mind is thinking about the computer projects. I need to be twins so I can accomplish all the tasks awaiting my time and attention!! ~~ This morning, I took pictures of the clutter (lots of boxes) and admit I’m ashamed to publish the images. 

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As curious as it may seem, searching for clip art, and preparing a blog message, is relaxing (somewhat relaxing). For a few minutes, it takes my mind off “the elephant in the room.” ~~ Gardening is a joy but that is limited to a couple of hours, early morning. The heat and humidity is depressing!! Perhaps my imagination but I think worse this summer.

Those new red vases; recent purchase from Dollar Tree.

Some of my neighbors think the bottles (in my yard) look “trashy.” What do you think? ~~ Last year’s project; this year “downsizing.” (Boxes, etc. [indoor stuff] –not planters or bottle displays.)

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I washed the fountain a dozen times yesterday but this is what greeted me this morning. I think the fountain—and the weeds—are in collusion: “Make her work.”  (The weeds are ruthless.) A year ago, I devoted all my time to my “yarden.” This year, the scanning project tops my priority list.

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This was the first time I put dish soap—with bleach—in the fountain. Usually, just bleach circulating overnight.

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I thought I thoroughly flushed away the soap and bleach!! Forty minutes later, fountain still has foam.

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Two hours later, still has foam.

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Remember the old Brylcreem commercial (?): “A little dab’ll do ya!” Obviously, with Dawn dishwashing soap “A little dab will do ya.”

Yes, that’s a computer phrase. It’s 2:50 AM as I start this message; couldn’t sleep. Another thunder-storm last evening and we lost power (again). Hey, no TV, no Internet, “bed time.”

“Garbage in” refers to the time I imported information from an Ancestry.com “Member Tree” into my personal member tree. Frankly, I’ve paid for the Ancestry subscription for many years but seldom visited the information. As with any computer program, there’s a “learning curve.” Until recently, I never “got the hang” of Ancestry. (To my dismay, the program totally changed a couple of years ago.) Perhaps two weeks ago, simultaneous with the scanning project, I visited Ancestry.com for information. You’ve heard my lament; I couldn’t walk away!! I wrote about “chasing rabbits.”

“Garbage out” was my goal. It has taken an enormous amount of time to individually work the families and undo the errors. Now, a little background information: My ancestry is wrapped up with the Old German Baptist Brethren–a Christian group you might mistake for the Amish. The families lived on neighboring farms, worshiped in the same Church, and intermarried. They moved from Pennsylvania to Virginia, to Ohio, to Indiana, to Kansas, ever westward seeking farmland. The families are knit together like an afghan (is that a good illustration?). My recent labor only involved three surnames: Frantz, Brubaker and Blocher. In essence, it only involved three families. Here’s the problem: Two and three marriages each. I hasten to say that death robbed the families of a mother or father (divorce was unheard of in those days). Simply put: Father had ten children, Mother just died in childbirth. Within the community, a widow is struggling with her seven children. The woman (in this case) married her sister’s husband. The couple marries–it’s what we now call a “blended family.” Step-brother and step-sister marry.

When I imported that family circle from another Ancestry “Member Tree,” I had “a can of worms” (figuratively speaking). Because it looked like “Father” had seventeen children. The names of the wives were confused. During long hours working with names, and dates, I (hopefully) established the true family structure.

Now, I am very wary of those Ancestry “Member Trees”!! Now, I only work with original sources: Census, marriage, death. Now, I recognize that the Census records play a big role in the family structure “problem.” All the children listed and a researcher (perhaps new to Ancestry) just adds that data to their Member Tree.

Quite frankly, I’m indebted to my publication Frantz Families–Kith & Kin for many of the answers to my recent frustration in Ancestry. Published in 1996, well researched, well documented–and much easier to identify individuals on the “black and white pages.” Remember, I mentioned they lived in community, worshiped in the same church, intermarried? Frantz Families–Kith & Kin is three volumes, 3,180 pages. By the grace of God, and my familiarity with the surnames, I was able to get the “garbage out.” 

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Twelve-fifty PM note: Now I’ll “publish” this message. I went back to bed about three-thirty this morning and did not get up until nine. I’ve frittered away the morning picking up downed tree limbs, sprinkling poison to kill fire ants, preparing more nectar for the Hummingbirds, etc., etc. The Hummingbirds disappeared for several weeks so I took down the feeder. I had no desire to “serve” sour nectar when they return. Well, while “frittering,” I saw a Hummingbird in my “yarden.” ~~ I’m excited to share a picture of the Plumerias ready to bloom.

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I have a habit of grabbing a tiger by the tail and then recognize I can’t let go!! I couldn’t “let go” of the mess on Ancestry; I can’t “let go” of my garden.

Later today, I’ll return to the scanning project. I’ll continue adding resource material to the digitized library.

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Late afternoon sunshine on one of my bottle bushes.