…with no known connection to “my” Frantz family tree.

I give the “unknown” Frantz as much attention as I give my Frantz family. It took several hours to document these individuals and establish the relationship between husband and wife. Some… might say a marriage between step-brother and step-sister. Actually, the young couple married before their father and mother married. ~~ I love researching and documenting pieces of the puzzle.

In the dining room, at the table….

I smile a lot and offer pleasantries.

Hopefully, I am a “good listener.”

Yesterday, I browsed a Goodwill  store—well–known to me because of my numerous donations. This time, I was looking for an electric hot plate. No electric hot plate but this item (among framed pictures) captured my attention. Words to live by? On another shopping trip, I need Command  hangers for pictures, and this ten-inch wide by thirteen-inch tall wood item.

True story: Two days of browsing in four stores wore me out! Today, I’ll stay in my air-conditioned apartment and enjoy my gourmet coffee.

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POSTSCRIPT @ 11:00 AM: I set up the new indoor-outdoor thermometer—purchased @ Walmart for $47.98. (If the reader has followed my blogs [through the years] you know that the temperature is prominent in my messages.) ~~ “New beginnings” at Lakeshore Estates after the old hot plate failed to operate and, likewise, the indoor-outdoor sensor and display failed to operate.

After the “Big Breakfast” at the RV Park, I browsed the Walmart that I’m familiar with (four miles from the RV Park). Walmart had an “end cap” display with dozens of electric hot plates at $15.96 each. Remember, Target wanted $40.00 for a similar hot plate. I purchased another indoor-outdoor thermometer set—and a rain gauge (will we ever see rain again?). It was much too hot to spend time unloading the KIA so I reserved that for an “after the evening meal project.” No picture… but 102 degrees on the balcony, in the shade, as I prepare this message (at 7:00 PM).

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I’ve “put off” going shopping. I “forced myself” to go this morning because my KIA needed gas, I planned to go to Walmart but could not locate it. I grudgingly went to Target. OMG, their prices are sky–high!! I was looking for an electric hot plate (mine died recently). I wasn’t prepared to pay $40.00 for a hot plate!! I left the store empty–handed. I drove around and finally found H.E.B. (grocery store) and browsed their aisles. No hot plates. I picked up several items on my list. ~~ I inquired instructions to Walmart but got lost (again). Hot and tired, I headed for home and stopped at a station for much-needed gas. I drove out and turned the wrong direction and was hopelessly lost again. I finally found the street I wanted/needed and headed home. ~~ For directions, Google maps was consulted early this morning. H.E.B. and Walmart are reportedly only about four miles from my new home. I drove twenty–four miles today.

Tomorrow, I plan to drive across town to the RV Park for their “first Saturday of the month BIG BREAKFAST.” I didn’t want to trust the gas gauge that read a quarter of a tank. The last thing I need is to run out of gas in this horrible Waco traffic!! Tomorrow, I’m taking a box full of grocery items to share with my former neighbors. I can’t prepare food in my room and (regrettably) the kitchen chef can’t take my unopened items (olive oil, vinegar, rice, quinoa, beans, noodles, etc.). ~~ FYI: The electric hot plate was used each morning to heat water for my gourmet coffee.

Ancestry subscribers had repeatedly listed incorrect information. It took several hours to collect the information and then create the collage. Ancestry recently made a change to formatting. Perhaps the change is meant to force subscribers to document sources–and not copy from another subscriber. Personally, I don’t “copy” and the change makes twice as much work for me. With this family, there were numerous errors that I wanted to correct. One major frustration: David Frantz’ grandfather and ancestry is unknown. I did thorough searches without success.  All that work (ha) and I don’t know if they are cousins.

I’m in extremely good health compared to most of the residents at this Senior facility. I’m discovering that I can be of major assistance to some of the other residents. Yesterday, my KIA transported a resident to Target for groceries. “Specialty items” not furnished, here, for breakfast. Also a stop at the resident’s Bank. ~~ Today, boxes are ready for the family of a departed resident when the family comes for her belongings. ~~ I’ve moved but I haven’t been “put out to pasture.” I can still be “productive.” (Parenthetical: By necessity, I’ve always had to “be thrifty.” I hated to throw those good boxes in the trash. Then I remembered “Mary” [a brief acquaintance] and can share the boxes with her family.)

…and things will eventually get put away.

Several days ago, at the grocery store, I purchased twenty-five more hangers. However, I found that I don’t need that many…

POSTSCRIPT @ 2:00 PM: Genealogy unloaded from the crates and placed on the shelves.  “Oh, my aching back!”  Those crates were very heavy. I’ve decided to spend the rest of the day sitting at the computer, looking at the monitor.

POSTSCRIPT @ 3:00 PM: “On a roll, couldn’t stop.”

POSTSCRIPT @ 7:00 PM: Displaying more empty crates. Fourteen crates on my balcony. Decisions, decisions: What am I going to do with all these empty crates?