Wordy Wednesday

 

Weekly Roll - Superbowl Edition

 

Yep, I didn't realize the Superbowl was this weekend. I had to look it up. Will I be watching the commercials most likely. I will definitely be eating some snacks. 

Super Bowl bingo

Super Bowl Commercial Bingo

Super Bowl Snacks with 3 ingredients or less

Inappropriate thoughts

It isn't a secret I am an NBA Trailblazer fan.  I have a little fun game I play of spot the former blazer on the opposing team.  

Yep, I have a list. It is a well-loved list. However, it is in disarray due to all the trades that went on last week.  

This list is all crossed out and looking pretty raggedy.

2nd Inappropriate Thought

Well this week garners another inappropriate thought. I found this pig hoof (?)in my mother in law's yard. What the heck!  

52 ancestors - Surprising Shorthand Love Story

 So far, I haven't been very successful about following the writing prompt this week was surprise. I have been researching the Bond part of my family tree. I stumbled upon this surprising love story that was all due to a shorthand contest. 

Annie Dupre Galliard was the youngest of 4 daughters of James and Susan Gaillard. They wanted their girls to have the best education possible. Annie attended the secondary boarding school, Chickasaw Female College located in Pontotoc, Mississippi under the southern Presbyterian Church.

By Credit: Courtesy of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History - Source: http://mdah.state.ms.us/arrec/digital_archives/cooper/index.php?itemno=3956, PD-US, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36567400

Chickasaw Female College was founded as Pontotoc Female College in 1851 in Pontotoc, MS, for the purpose of educating young ladies to be accomplished wives, mothers and teachers. Courses offered included Latin, Greek, History, Art History, and Bible Study. In 1853 it was taken over by the Presbyterian Church and the name was changed to Chickasaw Female College. Despite assistance from wealthy benefactors, the college closed in 1936 after many years of financial struggles. MS State Archives

Annie was not only educated in academic subjects but also given piano training. This would serve her well throughout her life as she taught piano and played regularly in the churches she attended.

After finishing college, Annie took up the study of Shorthand on her own using a self-help shorthand textbook and a monthly shorthand magazine. Annie was fascinated by shorthand. 

Shorthand is an abbreviated symbolic writing method that increases speed and brevity of writing as compared to longhand, a more common method of writing a language. -link

Early in 1892 the magazine had a contest and offered a gold pen as a prize to the reader who could best transcribe a certain printed story into shorthand. Annie did it for fun, but her sister convinced her to send it in. In August of 1892 she received a letter from the Magazine notifying her she had won. The shorthand transcription was printed in the September 1892 issue giving her name and address as the winner. She received several congratulatory letters from other readers, all of which were young men. There were very few women who had studied shorthand and secretaries were all men. She replied with thanks to all who wrote. One of these letters was from Z.H Lewis of Covington, Virginia. They began a correspondence in shorthand. 

Zimri Henri Lewis

Z.H Lewis was Zimri Henri Lewis. You pronounce Zimri - ZIM-rye. Zimri is my 1st cousin 4 times removed.  Zim is what his friends called him was born in 1864 in Illinois to Quaker parents, Eber and Mary Lewis . In his early childhood the family moved in a covered wagon to the Kansas Territory from Illinois. During that trip Zimri managed to fall of the wagon and break his leg. Zimri grew up on a farm in the Kansas territory being the youngest of 8. Zim left the farm to attend Baker University in Baldwin, Kansas. College is where he studied business including the newly created shorthand. Upon graduation, Zimri became a professional stenographer /court reporter for Judge Robert L Parrish in Covington, Virginia.

Zimri and Annie's relationship grew through the writing letters in shorthand. Zimri's co-workers teased him over his correspondence. They begged to read the letters. Much to their surprise Zimri let them read them but none of them could because they were in shorthand. 

During this time Annie was working as a governess in a plantation home in Woodstock near Memphis, Tennessee for two girls. It was during Christmas 1894 Zimri visited Annie in Memphis. They were impressed with each other and happily married Aug 14, 1995, at Annie's parents' home in Baldwyn, Mississippi where Annie's dad officiated the wedding.  After the wedding, they moved to Covington, Virginia so Zimri could continue his work as a court reporter. They lived a long and happy life together and they were brought together by a little bit of shorthand.

Interesting Fact

President Woodrow Wilson had mastered Graham system of Shorthand and even corresponded with Graham. Throughout his life Woodrow Wilson used the Graham method. By the 1950 the Graham method of shorthand had disappeared. Wilson scholars had trouble interpreting his shorthand. In 1960, they found an 84 old shorthand expert, Clifford Gehman who managed to crack Wilson's shorthand and translated Wilson's acceptance speech for the 1912 presidential nomination - link

Details are from a History of Annie Dupre Gaillard by A. M. Stromberg and an ancestry.com  family history on Zimri Henri Lewis

Wordy Wednesday

 

This is the heart letterboard I put by my front door.

What is Saving Me

 We are halfway through winter, and I am participating in what is saving me. This is a link up with Modern Mrs Darcy. I have done this for a number of years, and I think it is easy to pinpoint what is killing us but much harder to say what is saving us.

What is Saving Me

Tea - this Twinings Immunity Support tea - Blackberry along with a swig of this cranberry syrup is helped so much. I was sick most of January. This taste awesome hot or iced. The local coffee shop introduced me to this combo.

Candles

We weren't much of a candle lighting family, but my husband suddenly turned into one. There is something nice about lighting some candles at night. We each gave each other candles at Christmas. Most of ours are Walmart but it has turned into a winter ritual. I also like the battery-operated timed candles too. 

Podcasts

I really enjoy a podcast. I like missing person investigative ones mostly. I am really liking Hide and Seek and the Disappearance of Shane Barton Case.  This is a Washington State case. My nephew also recommended Swindled.  I started at the beginning of the series. I liked #2 The Horse Queen/Rita Crundwell and then I watched the episode of Scam Goddess - Horse Heist about Rita Crundwell. I like Scam Goddess for the comedic relief, and I could see the location and Rita.

Creating

Of course, I made homemade valentines, and I have worked on them for a while. I am not ready to share the design quite yet. It is a recycled paper envelope project, and I have saved so many envelopes.  I have really enjoyed what I have been making. It is actually hard to stop making them. It is weird and neat how many different designs security envelopes there are. If you sent me a letter, I apologize but I definitely recycled the envelope into art

Valentine Last Year

Weekly Roll

 

Valentine from 2020

We finally made it to February.  I don't know about anyone else, but January was long.

Linky Love

Get Your Valentine Postmarked from Valentine, Texas

Conversation Heart DIY

Inappropriate Thoughts

I really have a desire to do this. I think pushing everything off the table would feel great. However, I would surely hurt myself and I have no plan.  I HAVE ZERO PLANS let alone a map.

Valentine Shelfie

 

It is officially February 1st, so I think sharing some Valentine decor is a good idea.  This is above my kitchen sink. I have had the Kim Anderson figurines for a long time.  I got the valentine mailbox from Walgreens this year.  and the valentine pics from the dollar store.