Utahna Comes to Town

When I first moved to Lake Almanor Utahna was the first to reach out and take me to the concert with her and her husband.  She would bring me plates of cookies and invite me to her home for Family Night.  I helped her with getting her genealogy going online.  She, Marjorie, and I were in a little singing skit together and she was the star!!  She was 82 then. 

She is now 96 and is still going strong.  She recently negotiated a move to a different Care facility because the place she was at was giving too many pills and would not honor her wishes.  She has also traveled to four weddings around the country recently with the help of a nephew.  Flying and traveling are no problem for her, she enjoys it all.  She has been a widow for several years and moved down to Chico, a warmer climate just 75 miles away.

California girl totally.  She said she left her passport somewhere and they took her aside at the airport and interviewed her and let her through.  Evidently age does have its privileges.  When she went to the Temple she had forgotten her Recommend so they called her Bishop.  After talking to her Bishop the presiding gentleman came out and said, "Stand aside everyone, this lady is going to be translated any minute now." (He had heard such a glowing report on her).

 She is teaching a Bible Class to a group who she said needed experience reading.  She also befriended a gentleman in hospice for three months (she has always cheered the "old people" in the hospital) and he left her a small fortune!!!  Another story to show her commitment and resilience.  Just before a friend called for her to drive her to the Temple she fell flat on her face on the cement and scratched her face in several places.  She went in and washed off the blood and got in the car to go.  Her friend said "I can't take you like that,"  but Utahna insisted they proceed and she went through the 90 minute Temple visit before thinking about her face again and she has the scars to prove it.

 Utahna is such a jewel, I have never heard a discouraging or negative word from her.  I thought I was too old to be concerned about beautifying my teeth and she just had hers done. She thinks I am young.  What a choice lady, Utahna.  Glad she counts me as a friend.

Recent lily blooms--no deer eating them yet--first thing I look at every morning!

 

 

 

 

 

Books and Videos and Life

The power was out at the church today so I spent the day watching the Joseph Smith Papers on the BYU Channel.  It is so amazingly done, the research, the collaboration, the result which is not at all completed but will eventually be about 20 books and is already two seasons of very interesting videos and a very well done web site.  Today I also learned about a big donor to the papers Larry H. Miller.  

He is the owner of the JAZZ among other things but started out working in the maintenance department of a car dealer and ended up owning about 47 Toyota dealerships plus so many more companies in so many different areas.  How does one person become so successful?  We all have the same amount of hours in the day.  He passed away in 2009 but what a legacy he left.  He was also an avid reader of books and history and was so fascinated about the JS Papers project that he was very generous in his support.

The Papers are mainly for scholars which made me wonder how one gets to be a scholar.  Do they have higher IQs to begin with or just apply themselves more in study and schooling and degrees??? Why don't I accomplish more and know more???  Life is such a puzzle.

The other book I have been listening to is Meredith Baxter's life story "Untied".  What is sad to learn is how such a successful and talented actress could have such low self-worth and be so emotionally abused in her 16 year marriage.  She said she is very open about it because she wants other women who are in such relationships to learn from her and not live in a marriage where they have no voice and are mentally and emotionally and physically abused.  Her husband David Birney was a narcissist. She came from a home where she felt no self-worth or love.  What a life she lived and how quiet she was about it for most of her life.  She then went on to have another failed marriage and had had a failed marriage right out of high school as well.  She came out about her successful lesbian relationship in 2009.  I must say it is a very well-written book and she reads it herself which makes it even better.  Her life is really a puzzle but what a beautiful, talented person in spite of it all.  She has five children as well and survived cancer.

Today was so perfect outside, not too hot, not too cool, just perfect.  I am anxiously awaiting for more lilies to bloom, but they are in so much shade...

Day of Movies and Books

I had never read any of David Baldacci books so I chose to read some reviews before I downloaded "One Summer" as a audio on my computer.  It was interesting that  many of the reviews from his fans did not like this book.  It is evidently a big departure from his other best sellers.  However, the ones who did like it, really loved it.  And that is the way I felt about it.  It was like the Nicholas Sparks books.  The author said it was a book that he had been wanting to write for a long time.  I had a good cry in the last part and you became very frustrated at how the legal system works against families, rather than for them much of the time and how we all have difficulty with relationships and communication and how unfair life is sometimes no matter how well you do your part.  Anyway I fell asleep last night and it played to the end and I slept through it all but it was easy to find where I dosed off and hear it all early this morning.  And I am happy to find another author who really knows how to write.  Especially his love letters!!!

Maryanne and I had an fun time watching "White House Down" yesterday.  What an exciting movie and how well Channing Tatum looks!

Then during the witching hours (what I used to call 5 to 7 when the children were little) I really enjoyed a TCM oldie "Devotion".  It was the story of the Bronte sisters when they were writing "Wuthering Heights" and "Jane Eyre".  What a great movie.  Osborne told the story of how it was kept on the shelves for 3 years after it was made as punishment to Olivia De Havilland because she was trying to leave the studio.  Actually eventually she was successful at that and then she won the Academy Award for the picture she made elsewhere.  Then they released "Devotion" and rode success on the coattails of that other movie.  I recorded it originally because Ida Lupino was in it and she is a favorite of mine. 

Anyway it was a day of movies and books and a good thing, too, because I was soooo tired.  Today I must make bread before it gets too hot, I am almost out and tomorrow is the 4th.  Haven't decided whether I want to go into the parade and craft fair.  Maybe Matt will be here.  It did rain last evening so the heat spell is broken.  Good day!

Read a Good Book

I often wonder if what I read is a waste of time or not.  This was a message from our Gospel Doctrine class Sunday which is really good advice to follow.

President Ezra Taft Benson of the Quorum of the Twelve taught: “Today, with the abundance of books available, it is the mark of a truly educated man to know what not to read. … Feed only on the best. As John Wesley’s mother counseled him: ‘Avoid whatever weakens your reason, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, takes off your relish for spiritual things, … increases the authority of the body over the mind’” (“In His Steps,” in 1979 Devotional Speeches of the Year [1980], 61).

Saturday night we had a missionary farewell for Michael D. going to Atlanta Mission.  It was pleasant to finally meet and talk to the Dad of the family--really lovely family.  The display of his activities this year were really great and the décor of the ribbons decorated with cut out ties was really charming.  The whole family gave very enjoyable talks today and Michael especially.  He will have a hard time topping that one when he comes back. 

Our chapel was filled on Sunday and it wasn't all visitors, so that is good.

Whoops, I Did It Again

Today I embarrassed a young girl because even though I was trying to compliment her, it came out wrong, and I find myself more and more doing this,  saying inappropriate things.  I think my daughters may have mentioned this to me more than once.  "No filtering" I believe is what it is called.  I also do the talking about irrelevant things that nobody else is talking about.  I went looking for an answer and I think I found it--woe is me!!!  I decided I better go off Facebook before I get myself into more trouble than I already am and keep my mouth shut more, if I can.

Psychologist William von Hippel of the University of Queensland, Australia, suspected that old people’s insulting remarks aren’t really meant to be insulting, that they related more to a lack of censorship than to meanness of spirit. He knew that the brain—especially the tissue of the frontal lobes—tends to atrophy with age, and that such atrophy could theoretically impair what’s called “executive functioning.” Executive functioning includes such skills as future planning and self-control over thoughts and behavior. He decided to explore a possible link between the loss of frontal lobe neurons, loss of inhibition, and unacceptable behavior.

He used several psychological tests to measure volunteers’ ability to censor themselves. The “trail making test,” for example, presents volunteers with randomly arrayed letters and numbers, and they are required to draw a line from A to 1 to B to 2, and so forth. It’s hard, because to do it right one must override the basic urge to both count and recite the alphabet. Or, in the so-called Stroop test, people see the word red in green letters, and they must quickly say the color of the ink; this requires that they quash the automatic impulse to read. Both of these tests, and others like them, provide a good measure of one’s ability to control and inhibit one’s thoughts.

Old people tend to have diminished capacity for thought control on such lab tests, probably a result frontal lobe degeneration. But here’s the interesting finding, as reported in the October issue of Current Directions in Psychological Science: When von Hippel compared the test results with actual social behavior in the elderly, he found that the only old people who made inappropriate social remarks were those with diminished cognitive capacity. And these people knew their remarks were wrong. They professed egalitarian beliefs, and did not want to be perceived as prejudiced, but they appeared unable to keep themselves from blurting out their unwelcome thoughts.

Racially insensitive remarks are just one example of social blunders in the elderly. Old people are also more likely to ask awkward questions in public settings, like: “Have you gained weight recently?” Or they just talk excessively about things that are not relevant to what everyone else is talking about—“off-target verbosity” in the jargon. Von Hippel found that these uninhibited behaviors are also linked to poor executive functioning resulting from brain atrophy.

One of von Hippel’s most intriguing and disturbing findings has nothing to do with insults or rudeness. He found that loss of self-censoring power is also connected to a particular kind of depression that strikes late in life. Presumably the normal brain degeneration of aging leads to an inability to censor one’s thoughts as well, leading to rumination, which in turn leads to mood disorders. Grumpy old people, it appears, may be saving the worst of their grumpiness for themselves.

For more insights into the quirks of human behavior, visit “We’re Only Human . . .” at www.psychologicalscience.org/onlyhuman. 

News

Sadie did it now.  No more free running.  Two ladies walked her from their houses and said she had almost gotten hit.  She has now left the inner lots and ventured out to the road.  Where can I take her so she gets some running???  Hmmm.  Sad she did love to run so much. 

I have been putting molasses in my bread, so good, I am eating too much bread now.  Finally have developed a good chocolate chip gluten free cookie, too.  I have too many cookies in my freezer!!  More fun to cook than clean house or anything like that.  We had about 3 days of drizzly rain so I was
inside a lot.

This month I only had to buy gas once!  Says what kind of a life I lead.

James and Linda both had birthdays this week as did my brother Dave and I did not send cards!!!  I did the Blue Mountain thing though.  Anyway I do love them wished them all Happy Birthdays.

At last--First Lily of the Summer

Many more lilies to follow--if only Bambi's will stay away.

The one iris that had four blooms this summer.

Bandido's resting place looks festive.

All By Myself but Much to Be Happy About

Things I am thankful for today:

That I learned to sew when I was young--
    I ordered a Ralph Lauren tiered skirt and it was oceans too wide and oceans too long--it was a big job but I fixed it and even put a zipper in it...yes, I had to undo two of the tiers and redo them...I appreciated how much I paid for it when I realized all the work that went in to it.

Burt Bacharach and his great talent--love his music--
     I saved a PBS special and love to replay his music, I wish some new artists would do it all again.

Trumpet music...love, love, love it, have mostly Chris Botti now, but also some Harry James and
     Herb Alpert, why do some people have multiple talents in music and others of us have none?

That I have the time to take a candlelight bath every night--
      And that I can still climb in and out without any difficulty!

That I have a big fan over my bed, that is very quiet, too--
      Over my adjustable bed, which I love also, it is over 40 years old!!

That my music player has a timer button so it turns off by itself--
       Just wish I fell asleep easier.

That I am still in my home after 14 years!!!
       That is the longest I have lived in any home except our La Jolla casa.

That I am still healthy enough to keep going all day and that I enjoy all my projects--
       Still have much to do before I die.   Made bread, sewed my skirt, watered the yard, cleaned the house, washed clothes, cleaned the fridge and walked Sadie, today.

That I learned about Jergens Face Cream--   
        Works better than expensive ones I have used.

That I enjoy Christmas music all year long-- 
          And that I still have my old favorites like Vic Damone in my collection.

That BYU and Mormon Channel have so many interesting programs on Roku--
          And that I have Roku on both TVs!

That it is summertime and this week I will start noodling at the lake--

Better go to bed--Celine Dion--is singing my life-- "ALL BY MYSELF"--
           I guess a few more phone calls in my life (besides solicitors) would be nice.

Keira on Facebook

Keira and her friend are captured making cookies.  OOh, licking fingers is half the fun.

And at 2 1/2 Keira dons her backpack and sunglasses (in a strictly original Keira way) and sets off for preschool.  Is this "a hard knock life" or what?  So cute. 

Carole and Len Fuqua on Facebook

My sister Carole and Len are at Silver Gate at the Anderson Relative's Roost (family cabin) with lots of their family.  Someone snapped this cute picture of them.

Richard Anderson Family on Facebook

My nephew Rod with sister Kathy (Bishop).  Rod passed away of a heart attack in his early 50's.

My oldest brother Dick (and Rod and Kathy's father) passed away of a heart conditions at 61. Dick was always a great support to me and my girl friends.  He gave us advice about our lipstick, heels, walking, clothes, etc. in a nice way.  I was still in high school when he graduated from BYU after being an Ensign in the Navy and bringing home a new bride, Mary.  Both Mary and Dick were always a very positive influence in my life. Mary lives in New Mexico.

Martin Hardy Family on Facebook

High School graduation for Kate Sutehall.

Richard's brother Martin and wife Kathy are the proud grandparents.

Sutehall family minus their three sons and daughter in law and granddaughter.

 

Kate Sutehall with parents Susan and John and sister Lauren and Grand parents Kathy and Martin Hardy.

Am I Trouble?

OK, so I went into my neighbor's house and ran around, it was a party, I love partes.
Ok, so I chewed another sandal, Sooo, you  put them on the floor, everything on the floor is mine.
I am just doing my job, being a puppy.  If you wanted someone who cleaned and put things away and stayed home, you should not have rescued me, I'm only Dog.



Today Sadie had a bath, her hair shines and she is feeling pretty.  How different her hair than Bandido's,  It dries fast and doesn't get matted.

Need a Pix to Believe!!

This is as good as it gets for these rhododendrons, I can't believe they finally produced such beautiful blooms after so many years but the stems hardly have any leaves anymore--what is that about???
 

 

On the other hand, the wild daisies are not only late this year but they are very sparse.

I love, love my leaf blower.  How quickly I can clean the decks, rock patio and driveway after a storm like we had and today I even used it to blow all those little tiny spring droppings into a pile.  Wow, cuts yard work time totally.  Which is a good thing, because I just am so fatigued all the time.

I made some delicious gluten free cookies with raisens in them!  And did  a lot of paper work but other than that I am too tired to do much.  However, have been enjoying Eleanor Parker month on TCM--today the movie was "Chain Lightening" with Humphrey Bogart and it was one of the better ones with him.  She is so beautiful, I must read why she didn't stay in movies longer.  Evidently she was married 4 times and had 4 children.

I have really been enjoying the "Longmire" series on Netflix.  It is about a sheriff in Wyoming--very different, very well done.  I took a two hour nap yesterday so couldn't sleep last night and watched about 4 episodes and then slept in.  Retirement is great.  SBA sent me a check for $431.15 with no explanation!!!--Just deposited it in my back.  Since I officially retired in April, it must have been some left over vacation days or something.  Hope it wasn't a mistake because it is getting spent.

Sadie is so proud of herself.  I have been letting her have the freedom the Bruce has when he is here and she has been doing so well.  Sometimes she will roam but she always comes back and sometimes she just sits in the sun like Bruce.  Today she had a lot of running to get out of her.  That is so strange the way she needs to run so fast for so long.  Wonder what that means????

Where's the Bark?

Sadie, Sadie, funny lady.  She just won't bark, why won't she bark and try and communicate with me?  She will whimper, sometimes, but not bark.  Like today, I forgot that I had let her out on her own for a bit and I shut the patio door and then proceeded to do some baking.  Eventually I realize she is not in the house and it is raining hard by now.  She is not standing by the back door, she is not barking, she is not in the back yard.  Where can she be?

I finally open the front door and there she is patiently waiting for me to let her in.  Why didn't she bark and let me know she was there?  I have only heard her bark a few times, like once at a deer when she was frightened,  She was put into foster care away from her mommy when she was just born, why did she never learn to communicate by barking?  Very strange.  When I would occasionally forget Bandido and leave him outside too long, he would run wildly around the room all the time scolding me with his bark, there was no mistaking what he was telling me.

It was a lovely rain today and quite a surprise.  Yesterday the temp was up to 95--it has never been that high in the whole 13 years I have been here.  That was very strange.  Anyway I love to hear the big thunder and they was a warning about lightening fires but so far, so good.

Every time I use that term, 'so far, so good'  I am reminded of that little girl who called 911 when her Daddy had a heart attack or something and the telephone lady was telling her what to do and asking her questions while the paramedics were enroute.  She was asked a question about the status of her Dad and she said, "So far, so good"--it sounded so strange coming out of that little girl, she must have heard her Mom say it many times.

This and That

Early this morning there was a huge black bird and several smaller birds having a frenzy at the back of my lot and then the big (huge like an eagle, only not) grabbed his prize and flew up and away.  The smaller birds scolded and flew the other way.

I wondered why there have not been many squirrels this year.  Is that what has happened to them?  There have been these huge birds soaring around, is that what they eat?

Yesterday a Bambi was trying to get close in the back yard--there are lots of yummy things right now but I have been trying to keep the deer away with spray repellent.  This time I just paraded Sadie out there and the Bambi ran away as fast as she could, but I know I must be very watchful right now as the lilies begin to bloom.

Margot sent me this huge (862 pages) paperback "New York" which is three centuries of the city's history with a story woven in.  Love historical novels, it is already a very fun read...thanks to Margot.

Last Sunday when I tried to dress for Church I found so many things that did not fit right that I pulled them all out when I came home--anything that was not ready wearable.  This week I have been working through that three foot pile and am down to the bottom layer.  I have shortened, sewn on buttons, ironed, hemmed, TAKEN IN!, and discarded.  Only two skirts I had to set aside because my waist is still too big.  How am I ever going to get rid of this waistline?  My brother says it is the flesh from our bum which has settled around the middle--I have no clue.  It began to appear after surgery--from lack of walking I think.  Also I am shorter so I suppose the flesh has to go someplace.

Dr. Hemp's office called--they want to check my carotid arteries again--she said it should be done once a year now, but it will have to wait till I go back to San Diego after Christmas (if I am still alive, that is)--last year when they did it, they said it was not any worse than when I had the surgery done in 2010. 

The diet to lower my blood pressure is going well.  I have more energy, yea!!  It is very low in fat and sugar, of course, and very high in grains, fruit and vegetables.

Here's to Non-Bloomers Everywhere...Green is Good, I Guess

OK, so I never brought in top soil and I have a lot of shade, but can't Mother Nature have mercy and let some things bloom?


Lilac bush has never bloomed.

Looks like Iris will have one bloomer this year, yea.

Bandido's resting place may bloom, can't tell, yet.

Laurie's garden has one little bloom.

Amazing, the rhododendrons are blooming, what did I do right?

 

 's
Poor little Blue Spruce, the Bambi's munch on all the new growth on the bottom... I must spray...

 

And finally the guest room gets a new, high mattress and new sheets...so comfty.

And another earthquake last night, but only a 3.07, is my little paradise being threathened???

TCM Makes Me Cry Today and Laugh Yesterday

I enjoy watching some of the TCM movies I was too young for when they were made.  Today was one of the saddest movies I have  ever seen...sad like 'Anna Karenina'.  It was 'Waterloo Bridge' set during WW I.  It was also the favorite movie that Vivien Leigh and Robert Taylor had ever starred in, and the year before Viven Leigh had been in 'Gone With The Wind'--so you know the movie must be good.  Evidently the 1940 version was a remake of the 1931 version but they had to change the storyline somewhat because the 1931 movie would not have passed the current rating code.

Yesterday I watched a really fun movie about real history which I had never heard before.  It was made in 1944 and the money from it sustained the Hollywood Canteen which ran from 1943 until the day after V Day.  It is called 'Hollywood Canteen' and is the story of how it came about.  Movie star John Garfield suggested in 1942 they should have it for the soldiers and Bette Davis took off with the idea and made it happen by recruiting Jules Stiles and his wife.  The Hollywood people paid for everything to have it done or raised the necessary money and donated their time and talent.  It was a movie filled with movie stars sharing their talent at the Canteen---excellent watching and a great story to look up on Google.  Why had I never heard this????

Later I watched another sad movie on Netflix.  'The Other Woman'--Good Grief, what a tale of woe and mean people--at least it had a happy ending.

Who is Who on Facebook this Week?

 

 

 

 

Sarah turns 15 and is here with her cousin Kirra.

 

Niece Kathy Bishop does a 70 mile bike ride in Wyoming.
 

Debbie's Antwone goes to the Dallas Zoo.
 

Fun in Eric's boat in Montana.
 

 Close up and personal with Debbie's granddaughter.

 

Jon, father of the twinnies, catches a big fish while Chris looks on.
 

Stephanie and friend in a beautiful spot at Yellowstone.

Update on the Twinnies

Raina and Sage Fuqua

Mom Heather and Finley and Grandma Carole

Enjoying Hunter's yard by the river in Lolo, Montana

Carole and Sage

Sage

 

Daughter Maria

Maria poses with some of the staff at California State University in San Marcos.
Her boss is on the right.

June Wedding

Niece Stephanie's son Davis marries Adrienne Ellsworth in Lolo, Montana.

Dustan is father of the Groom

The happy couple.

Beautiful place to have a wedding.

There is a story behind the unusual characters on the cake.

So happy...

 

Missing Robin Redbreast

Where did all the birds go?  I loved watching them drink and bathe and hop around in my yard and they haven't come for awhile.  Was it the earthquake that scared them away????  Something to wonder about.

Family History Update 2013

I am so excited.  My rhododendrons are actually going to bloom soon and I see some lilies ready  to pop, too.  Thank heaven the deer have been staying away!

Saturday night Jean called and asked if I would share information about family history and bring some of my books.  I actually put them in a suitcase and a few more in my back seat and took them Sunday morning plus I had prepared the following regarding my record keeping.  I did not read it but more or less said it.  Anyway I will print it here as a reminder of how I got into this blog business and life books, etc.

 

Family History and Genealogy

I don’t know when my interest in family history and genealogy began but I always kept diaries, wish I had some of those earlier ones. And I have always kept scrapbooks and photo albums.  Wish I had those scrapbooks from high school. 

Temple Record Book

When I was a freshman at BYU  I took a Genealogy Class taught by Archibald Bennett, who was the author of the manual.  However, he hardly ever referred  to the book in class and one day I asked him why.    He said, because it doesn’t  matter how much you know about genealogy, you won’t do it unless you catch the spirit of it.  And so he tried to inspire us and I guess I was inspired.  I traveled to Ogden, Utah to talk to my Aunt Erica about what information she had.  She entrusted me with this book of original Temple records started in1925 and she told me to take good care of it and she felt it was my mission to carry on the work that she and her father had started.  I will never forget how I felt as she handed me this precious book all wrapped up in a linen cloth.

I had joined a Social Unit at BYU (which is like a sorority) but they had their meetings on Thursday night but that was the only night the bus went from BYU to the Genealogy Library and I wanted to go and gather up all the records I could find so I quit the Social Unit and thus began the beginning of hand writing all those Family Group Sheets .  Thus when we were asked to do our 4 Generation Sheets and submit them in the 70's I had the information and gathered the rest from my brothers and sisters on their families and submitted both Richard’s and my 4 Generation Sheets. We had a great Genealogy teaching class in our ward and I learned how to keep files you are working on in my brief case to take whenever I go to FH Centers.

Book of Remembrance

In the meantime I continued to gather and save any information I thought was important.  I had Book of Remembrances for ourselves and each of our children.  A lot of it was just saving and gathering until I had time to put them in books.  I used labeled  manila envelopes as I do today for my pictures. When my children left home they had a Book of Remembrance and a box of Christmas  ornaments.

Christmas Books

I had saved all of our Christmas pictures and Christmas letters that I wrote so when my daughter in law gave me a Christmas Notebook Cover I organized all those Christmases by date and I now have three of those notebooks.  I also kept scrapbooks of important happenings and all greeting cards received.  What wonderful information is on them!!!  So when  I write my history, there is all my information.

Journals

My first real journal I started in 1960 and that is one thing I gathered up when my son died and I knew we would need information about his life for his eulogy in San Diego.   After my husband died and I was living with my daughter, her bishop invited me in to talk—one thing he told me, write it all down what you are feeling, it is so important for your family to have that record.  My daughter-in-law had given me a journal for Christmas and I did write it all down and I am glad I did.  You think you will remember how you felt, you won't, write it down. 

Family Group Sheet and Pedigree Working Books

When the Family History Center in Salt Lake opened up the library to everyone to come in and print off their family records—I believe it was early January 1990 I went in with my granddaughter and put in my daughter’s name and came out with about a six inch stack of records.   Those 4 generation sheets had linked to the records they had.   So from 1951 through the 90's most of my family history work was gathering and preparing for the temple, individual names.

Direct Descendant Chart—Ahentafel Book

With all that wonderful information I was also able to do when interesting things for the grandchildren.  When Meagan was in Jr Hi I was now computer (as of 1985) literate and had all these records on my computer.  I was able to do a direct ancestor chart from her to   Count Foulgues III of Anjou France  in 926.  When my grandson Jacob needed information on family I ran off a Ahnentafel book for him showing him direct ancestors for 15 generations.  I think knowing who you are, where you came from, and having a sense of family is important to us.  Yes I am a historian. I don't keep all this information on my computer anymore, but it is available online.

Family Histories and Hard Copy Family History Books

Trunk of Vida’s materials

In the meantime Richard’s mother passed away and we were all at her house deciding what to do with all her things.  I found she was also a saver and though no one was interested in all those family pamphlets and family history books from family reunions and all her boxes of records of her husband and children I gathered all that up and put them in a huge trunk.  And what treasures they were—handwritten notebooks to her husband telling him what she was going through, telling him about the children, lamenting that she was alone.  I treasured all that information she had saved.  Plus she had Richard’s report cards, certificates, letters, everything.  Plus all the family history books.  As I say a trunkful.   When my husband died I passed the trunkful on to his elder brother and he eventually gave it to a niece and she produced a beautifully written book on the life of Richard's parents.

 

JI Earl Book

But what has this all to do with Family Histories—all those relatives have histories of the ancestors and I was gathering those up, too.   Richard's cousin took two years to travel and gather information on the grandparents of my husband and then print it in two big volumes and he used some of the materials from Vida's trunk I shared with him.  He also printed a book of J I Earl's journal and that is interesting to read.  There are letters going back and forth between two brothers about the Manifesto and whether one was committing adultery or not.  One short item I was interested in was when Vida eloped.  He just said something about how they were surprised that Vida married yesterday to Merlin Hardy.  He was such a good man and they welcomed in to the family.  No recrimination, just the family facts which he always noted as to who was having a birthday, wedding, birth.  He was a faithful journal writer. 

Richard and John Memory Books

After my husband died in 1996  I was living in Pacific Beach near  the only person I ever brought into the church.  She was also single and we bought beach bikes and road around the Mission Bay and Pacific Beach in the mornings before we went to work.

I found out that she was the 7^th Ward Historian and Nadine is a wonderful craft person and the history book that she was creating for 7^th Ward was magnificent.   I just  learned so much from  her about creating Memory Books.  

Thus it was when I moved to Lake Almanor a couple years later I started my  first Memory Book. It was of my husband, of course.  And I had all the wonderful records, pictures and certificates and letters that his mother had saved plus all the things I had saved so it was not hard to do.

My Life from Lake Almanor and Beyond

In 2005 I was working in Texas after Hurricane Katrina and I flew home for a granddaughter’s wedding.  My daughter told me I should start a Blog so they could read about where I was and what I was doing and I wouldn’t have to write emails to everyone.  So she set it up and showed me how to do it and those started all my Blogs.

I now have that main blog which I print off every year into a book—it is like a journal with pictures of my thoughts, family happenings and gatherings, and it is on line as well as my hard copy.  Then I did The Montana Years my life from birth to 1956, The San Diego Scene which is only up to 1980—have 18 more years to do.  Then Linda and I did the Anderson and Larson Family Histories and the Hardy and Earl Family Histories,  Our Favorite Family Recipes, John Hardy, Memoir and John Hardy Web Space, and I am currently working on an enlarged Memoir of my husband.  When I finish my San Diego book I will print it and give to my children and then I will do a Gap Book from 1999-2005 and that will finish my personal history books.  Two of my granddaughters have expressed that they read my blog, others may also some day—just as much as I like to read about how things were in my Mother’s life and my grandmother’s life and how they lived and found joy . 

I have 10 inch notebooks which letters, emails, writings, etc dating from 1942 to 2005. There is where the main information for my life histories come from—besides the three Christmas Books with pictures and yearly Christmas letter.   

Mother’s Book of Remembrance and Book at the Cabin

When I visited my mother in the 80’s I made a Book of Remembrance for her plus two photo albums—later I would copy much of that information plus her a my Dad’s life stories and put it all into a huge Memory Book that I sent up to the Family Cabin in Silver Gate, Montana all in plastic sheets and a sturdy box and It is in a safe place there for all the descendants to read about their grandparent, (or great grandparents), who built this cabin that they all enjoy.  I have received many messages of thanks for all this information and pictures. 

So the important thing in Family History Writing I think is 1—to keep journals, any kind, write it down, you won’t remember, you think you will, you won’t.  Have an organized way to saving valuable records and papers—by name, by place or whatever, but save what is important of the past.

If you have the records and you have the journals, eventually you will find a way to share it and pass it on to other generations.  With the internet it is especially easy to do. 

Currently I have:

 Nine blogs on line plus 160 photo albums on line
 

20 Photo Albums—travels, weddings, places,  etc

7 Scrapbooks

12 Hard back Family Histories

8 blog books printed

10 4 inch notebooks of chronological  data, letters, etc.

Many sorted pictures in labeled manila envelopes 

"My life is an Open Book!