Wordy Wednesday

 

Valentine Shelfie

 

These shelves are above my sink in the kitchen.  The figurines are Kim Anderson.  My parents gave me 3 of the 4. I think they are cute. I guess they are considered vintage very kitsch. 

Weekly Roll

Linky Love

Floret Breeding Seeds/Floret Originals - Mark your calendars for Feb 6th

Free Printable Valentine Bookmarks

How to Remail Valentine's from Loveland Colorado. It isn't too late to send some love.

Inappropriate Thoughts

I hate the word BESPOKE.  HGTV stop having your talent use that word. It is a $5 word for custom or one of a kind. I loathe it. Rant over.

Deep Thoughts

We had a visitor to our library genealogy meeting. They were visiting from Indianapolis; they came because they were pursuing a story about their ancestor who was in Artesia, NM in the 1900's when New Mexico was a territory. This ancestor help drill wells in Artesia. They came only with a bit of knowledge. Our group meets at the library, but it is mainly to just to research our own ancestors. None of us are locals by any stretch. I was reminded why we do this and the stories we want to tell. Secondly, genealogy people like to help. I always think what a privilege it is to share in people's stories. They were able to connect with our local museum and I think they are closer to knowing why their ancestor was here in this time and place.

52 Ancestors - Last Photos

I am participating in 52 ancestors in 52 weeks Amy Johnson Crow.  The prompt last week was Photo.

Recently, I gave my nephew a 35 mm camera that was Pappy's. Pappy was my husband's grandfather, Charlie C Berg. There was still film in it. My nephew took the film and developed it. It was the last photo in the scan was Pappy. 

The haunting to see Pappy on his own film. That is the picture above. We believe my husband took the photo. It was like a shout out, "You finally developed my film." He was clearly amused. 

 I believe the pictures were taken between 2015 and 2017. Pappy liked to take photos. He learned to develop film while in the Army during WWII after several times his film was confiscated. He claimed that a photo he took that was confiscated showed up in the newspaper Stars and Stripes.  The camera he was taking these on he wasn't overly fond of it because it wasn't manual. His old camera was a manual 35mm. Pappy loved the outdoors and nature and grew up in rural Minnesota. Pappy was an avid rockhound.  Pappy had an interesting and amazing life.

Below are a couple of photos that Pappy took from the same roll. These photos were all taken at the house in Lakewood, Washington. Pappy spent the last years of his life living with his daughter in Lakewood, Washington. 

I wrote another post on Pappy called Luck

Operation Fun - Bombs Away

 A couple of Sundays ago we decided on a lark to go get a geocache. It was definitely off the beaten path. We literally were out in the oil fields. You know you are out there when a business has the GPS coordinates on the sign. Below is the geocache description. The cache name was "Bombs Away."

Below is a picture of the cache. It is hard to explain the attraction of finding a piece of Tupperware in the middle of nowhere. Can you spot the cache below.

It was flipping cold. The sunglass picture is to annoy my MOTHER.

Wordy Wednesday

 

Weekly Roll

 

Got the above song officially stuck in my head. Yes, I am one of those people.

Linky Love

Hunt for Genie Lamp in New Mexico and win a Million Dollars

Nick Offerman Paddles a Badass Canoe He built Down the LA River

Sheet Pan Pancakes - where have you been my whole life - this one has blueberries and cherries

Inappropriate Thoughts

It is hard being a Trail Blazers fan. Though they have won 2 in a row. Through the years, they have traded away a lot of talent. It seems like every year is a rebuild. I play a little game of spot the former Blazer on the other team.  They have spread their discarded talent throughout the league.

Dame - The Bucks

CJ McCollum - Pelicans

Trendon Watford - Nets

Nurkic aka Bosnian Beast - Suns

Drew Eubanks - Suns

Little - Suns

Kevin Knox- Pistons

(the list goes on and on)

Operation Fun Details

This is the year of having fun. I decided I needed to schedule it!! Once a month I am going to do a fun thing. I wrote this above quote for a 31 Adventure Post. It has been getting a lot of attention according to my blog stats.

Why You Should Make It a Habit to Have Fun is an NPR article. It said I should identify 4 fun magnets. These are past fun activities. So below are links to 5 things I find fun. 

Geocaching - Cache Machines and Geocaching trips

Special Trips - Hiawatha Trail, Fort Stanton, Sitting  Bulls Falls

Creating/Crafting/Art

Hiking/Walking - Trek for the Treasure

Genealogy

If I really drill down on this, I love adventure, trips, solving puzzles with my friends and family, being creative, researching, and laughing. These are my fun magnets.

 BUT more than anything I like to laugh.  I didn't realize how much that was missing until I visit my family or hanging out with my friends. My nieces and nephews are hilarious (Beth, Tyler, Colby, Colby, and Aubrey), my parents are very funny too, my kids are annoyingly funny, and my friends put up with me, so they have to have a good sense of humor. Not to leave out my husband who I once sword fought in the Army barracks with those pop out swords. He too has a good sense of humor.

Wordy Wednesday

 

Yes, I have quotes on my calendar. Have you met me? This is my January calendar. I believe this is a Cheryl Strayed quote and it is pretty accurately summing up my January.

Booking It 2024 - January

I am linking up to Modern Mrs Darcy's Quick Lit. Check out what everyone else is reading. 

Trail of the Lost by Andrea Lankford

Technically finished this book on 12/29/2023.  My son got me this book for Christmas. I love reading about the PCT, Pacific Crest Trail. This book by Andrea Lankford a retired Park Ranger and her involvement in the search for Kris Fowler, Chris Sylvia, and David O'Sullivan. These are hikers missing from the PCT. This talks about what Andrea and the many volunteers who searched for these three hikers long after the official search. This is both heartbreaking and hopeful. 

NPR article

Fever in the Heartland by Timothy Eagan

This was a Sharon Says So book club read.  It is about Klan and the hold it had on Indiana in the 1920's.  It was a disturbing read for me.  I think it is important to share history even the bad parts of history. This book is researched incredibly well, and the pace of the book kept me reading.  There are a lot of connections with today as well. I am looking forward to discussing this book with book club.

I also read the The Big Burn by Timothy Eagan. That book actually gave me some nightmares about wildfires. I am looking forward to the author talk. 

Weekly Roll

Linky Love

Fool Me Once on Netflix - What a good watch

Jelly Roll Testifies in Front of Congress - I thought what his said was important and interesting

Inappropriate Thoughts

Doesn't everyone practice drawing tumbleweeds. Get with the program!

Deep Thoughts

It has been a week. We had to put down Nonna's cat. That is never my favorite thing to do. Puss use to be our cat but lived out his middle age and elderly years with Nonna. He did not go without a fight. He bit the vet tech and they had to administer Special K just to hit a vein in his leg. It was his last stand. It was the right thing to do unfortunately.

This week found me in the middle actually mad. I don't think I get mad very easily. I am frequently disappointed but not mad.  I initially thought I was mad at a certain person but turns out I was madder at myself for putting myself in that position in the first place. I could have been a better communicator, but I also realize that this person is incapable of hearing me. I should just have communicated and took action. I frequently run up against two true things that are in conflict.

52 weeks of Health

I haven't posted on this lately. I did fall off the wagon during Christmas time. I did manage to get better at taking my blood pressure pills. I still working on the outside time.

I don't know why I have my eyes closed other than it is really cold.

Time to Think About Homemade Valentine Cards

 Yes, really it is especially if you plan on remailing through Loveland Colorado. Valentine's Day is a month away. Above is a sneak peek of this year's valentine. So, my Cricut is winning. It is Heather zero and circuit 2 new mats. I am lucky enough to have a Cricut Maker. You definitely don't need one to make a homemade valentine.

Need some ideas. Check out some of my favorite previous Valentine's below

Wordy Wednesday

 I haven't changed my letterboard in so long. I like funny ones. 

Weekly Roll

 

Shine by Collective Soul is turning 30 years old. Man I am old.

Well this weekly roll is going to be short and sweet. Started the New Year's with a cold.

Inappropriate Thoughts

Thanks Wendy and Trey for the turkey!

We don't know each other BUT you are great friends.

Once again Nonna goat a smoked turkey in the mail that wasn't hers. New Mexico is clearly the land of misdelivered meat. I need to know much it is to send your friends and family a smoked turkey. 

Looks like turkey for Valentine's or Easter. The turkey gift that keeps giving

Deep Thoughts

Has the universe ever sent you a message over and over again. Lately I have been getting a message about how risk adverse I am. I took Adam Grant's test based on his book Hidden Potential that indicated I needed to take more risk. Great just Great.

52 Ancestors - Genealogy Goals 2024

I found I do better if I have some concrete goals for my genealogy research. My parents visited during Christmas, and we were discussing some ancestry stuff. So, in part these goals reflect that conversation.

Revisit Denny Baldwin aka Elias Baldwin's claims. I would like to make better research plan.

tell or write the story of Reason Hoyt - I don't know if I have permission to publicly publish the story. I want to tell it in a way that is sensitive to the topics. There is a bit of more research to do, and I would like to finish that part to my best of my abilities.

Continue writing in the writing Challenge 52 ancestors in 52 weeks. I have pretty much decided the topics I am going to try to write on. 

Attend Roots Tech 2024 virtually. I find this so helpful to my learning. Feb 29 - Mar 2

Attend the Wilson Cobb Genealogical Library Workshop with Rick and Pamela Sayre November 2, 2024.

Operation Fun

I have been doing a yearly project. Last year, I leaned heavily into Genealogy my personal genealogy. This year, I was feeling like I need to add some JOY and FUN to my life. Things have gotten way too serious.  The problem is once you make this a goal does it become unfun? 

Have you ever gone somewhere and laughed and laughed. I hadn't done that in so long. I did that last year and I realized how I was living was drudgery.  I am not into drudgery. I realized too life is short. I don't want to live that way.

More details about operation fun to follow. So stay tuned.

New Year, New Weekly Roll

 

This more idea was a brainchild of Elise Joy. I made something similar last year instead of a resolution. I hate resolutions. I actually looked back at this a lot when I felt I got off track.  I also have done one little word. I have been less successful at that. I like the idea of MORE.  I think I revised this about 3 times this year. Evidently, I need a lot more of many things.

Linky Love

The Most Checked Out Books from 19 Public Libraries - the only books I had read from the list were The Paris Apartment and Crying in H Mart. I thought both were excellent books.

Modern Mrs Darcy's Most Popular Posts 2023

Floret's Interview with Alla Olkhovska and if you haven't watched Gardening in a War Zone you should. Floret is also selling the digital download of Alla's Clematis book. Please check out her Instagram.  There has been a lot of bombing near her location.

Taking on Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge in 2024?  - NY Public Library Suggestions. This was an interesting list. I am not taking this on this year.

I am taking on the Book Girl Guide's Back List Challenge

My Most Read Posts for 2023

What is Saving Me? - this seemed to hit a nerve. Look for my What is Saving Me 2024 post Feb 2

What I Read October - All about me reading Killers of the Flower Moon

What I Read February- All about the Revolutionary Samuel Adams

Inappropriate Thoughts

Deep Thoughts