November Ancestors

I thought I would do a special post about ancestors or relatives who both were born and died in November. This is because my grandfather Junius Robert Wilson was born Nov 11, 1896 and died Nov 13, 1956. I'm always struck when I read or hear about someone who died on or near their birthday, it seems more poignant somehow, those who die just before somehow more so. Not entirely sure why that is. A bit of superstition left in me, I suppose.

So here are my November ancestors/relations:

Junius Robert Wilson    my grandfather, from Escalante, Utah, oldest son of Richard Edward Wilson and Harriet Esther Laramie. Husband of Winnifred Mary Elizabeth Hansen. Father of 5 children. My father was the 4th child, and youngest son. I should do a post on just him, when my dad gets back in town maybe that's what I'll do.

Mary Barbara Dellit     my 3rd great-grandmother, originally from Lancaster, PA but spent the second half of her life in Frederick County, Virginia. I am named for my grandmother who was named for Barbara's sister Elizabeth Dellit. Barbara was born Nov 12 1819 and died Nov 28, 1876. She was the youngest of 4 daughters of John Adam Dellet and Barbara Stokerman. First wife of John Wingerter. Mother of 6 children, including David Wingerter, my 2nd great-grandfather (and father of Ada May Wingerter, my great-grandmother, who named her first child after her favorite aunt - Elizabeth Dellet).

Isaac Hodgson   my 1st cousin, 4 times removed, his father was from Frederick County, Virginia. He is the oldest son of Robert Hodgson, Jr. and Sarah Renner and grandson of Robert Hodgson and Lurena Watson, my 4th great-grandparents. Born Nov 29, 1828 and died Nov 5, 1914.

Marie Adams  my great-aunt, married to Tommy Dick Lockhart, so my mother's aunt. I met her more than once and she was so lovable. Isn't that a nice way to be remembered? Someone barely knows you but they take away that you're lovable? Anyway, she was very sweet. She lived in this fantastic old house in downtown Winchester, Kent Street, I believe. I knew her at the end of her life, so she was always sitting in the same chair and did not get out of it, I think it hurt too much for her to walk. She had a sister, Kathleen, who she called Moose. I thought that was a strange nickname. Moose I never saw because she was extremely shy. Marie was the oldest daughter of John David Adams and Jessie Haymaker. Born Nov 12, 1912 (100 years ago on Monday) and died Nov 9, 2008 (not bad, she lived to be 96, and died 3 days before her birthday). Maybe I should do a post on just her as well? I don't have Mom here for that, but maybe I can call her. Marie was the mother of 6 children and was from Winchester, Virginia.

Elizabeth Larrick         my 1st cousin, 5 times removed. She was known as Betsy. She was the oldest daughter of Henry Larrick and Margaret Ann (or Nancy) Caudy, and the granddaughter of Caspar Larrick and Elizabeth Sundown, my 5th great-grandparents. She was the wife of William Rosenberger and mother to 7 children. She was from Frederick County, Virginia and is buried in Mountain Falls, Virginia. Her birthday was Nov 30, 1806 and she died on her birthday in either 1888 or 1889.

Florence M. Larrick      my 4th cousin, 2 times removed. She was the daughter of Charles Upton Larrick and Minola Heaume and sister of Victor H. Larrick. Her 3rd great-grandparents were Caspar Larrick and Elizabeth Sundown. She comes through their son Jacob Larrick and his son Benjamin Larrick and his son Vincent Fergeson "Doc" Larrick (her grandfather, father of Charles Upton Larrick). She was from Buffalo, Ohio, in Noble County, and died in Santa Barbara, California. Her birthday was Nov 24, 1904 and she died 21 Nov, 1988 (3 days before her birthday).

Jesse Ray Lockhart    my 1st cousin, 3 times removed. Youngest son of Joseph Josiah Lockhart and Dora Bell Alexander. Husband of Sylvia Frances Pendland. Father of 3 children. He was born in Oklahoma Indian Territory (now Kay, Oklahoma) and died in Dayton, Ohio. His grandparents were my 3rd great-grandparents, James Madison Lockhart and Mahala Oates. He was born Nov 15, 1909 and died Nov 23, 1998.

Bonnie May Lockhart   my 2nd cousin, 2 times removed. Youngest daughter of Walter Vaughn Lockhart and Lulu Wilson. Her birth and death dates are the same as she did not live past the day she was born, Nov 22, 1922. She is buried in Webster, Nebraska. Her great-grandparents, James Madison Lockhart and Mahala Oates, are my 3rd great grandparents. Her grandfather was their son James Madison Lockhart, Jr. (father of Walter Vaughn Lockhart).

Collins Allen Aikens    my 3rd cousin, 4 times removed. 3rd son of George David Aiken and Sally Bell McCormick. Husband of Bessie Mae Miller and father to 4 children. His 2nd great-grandparents were Martin Fries and Catherine Shaull, my 6th great-grandparents. He comes through their daughter Anna Fries and her daughter Anna Hott, mother of George David Aiken. He is from Bedington, West Virginia, in Berkeley County, originally, but died in Martinsburg, West Virginia. Born Nov 30, 1893 and died on his birthday in 1970. Elizabeth Larrick was the other person who was born and died on Nov 30th.

Lela Marie McNabb   my 3rd cousin, 1 time removed. Not sure if her parents are still living, so I will skip them and tell you that she is the granddaughter of Clarence John McCallum and Julia Ellen Ziemer and the
great-granddaughter of Mary Elizabeth Lockhart (Molley) and William L.McCallum and the 2nd great-granddaughter of James Madison Lockhart and Mahala Oates (my 3rd great-grandparents). She was born Nov 12, 1958 and died Nov 15, 1958. She only lived for 3 days. She has 4 siblings (3 half siblings and 1 full sibling). Her mother was from Nebraska.

James Israel Ritter, Jr.   my 2nd cousin, 2 times removed. 2nd son of James Israel Ritter, Sr. and Sarah Catherine Chrismore. Brother to Theodore Henkle and E.T. Ritter. Husband of Ursula and father to 2 children. He is the grandson of Ann Rebecca Carper and great-grandson of Alfred Carper and Sarah Welch, my 4th great-grandparents. His birthday was Nov 12, 1887 and died on this day in 1970. His grandmother Carper was from Frederick County, Virginia.

Loren Dale Shaeffer  my 7th cousin, once removed. His father was Vard C. Shaeffer and his mother Elsie Madge Knauss. Grandson of Henry Joseph Knauss and great-grandson of Henry David Knauss, great-great-grandson of Solomon Knauss, 3rd great-grandson of Johan Daniel Knauss
4th grandson of Salome Muller, 5th great-grandson of Elizabeth Frey, and 6th great-grandson of Anna Catherine Levering and Heinrich Frey. Born Nov 13, 1935 and died Nov 9, 2004, from Kunkle, Ohio, Williams County.

John A. Skiles  my 6th cousin, twice removed. 2nd son of Mary Helen Maugans and Andrew S. Skiles. Husband of Keturah Kinsley and father of 2 children. He was born Nov 7 1901 and died Nov 17, 1976, born in Lapel Indiana, Madison County. We are both descended from Heinrich Frey and Anna Catherine Levering. He comes through their son John Frey and also thru their daughter Amelia Elizabeth Frey as John's son Enoch married Amelia's daughter Nancy Ann Leinbach. Then thru their daughter Elizabeth Frey, her son Joseph Maugans, and his son Joseph Maugans, who was the father of Mary Helen Maugans.

Faun Bethel Smith    my 4th cousin, once removed. Born Nov 10, 1916 and died Nov 19, 2009. Oldest daughter of Lola Coe Gore and Clinton Benjamin Smith, wife of John Gilbert Cipra and then Nolan W. Tucker. Mother of 5 children. My 4th great grandfather Josiah Lockhart is her 3rd great-grandfather, however her 3rd great-grandmother was Nancy O'Dell, whereas my 4th great-grandmother was Elizabeth Caroline Triplett. She comes through their daughter Margaret Denny Wilson Lockhart, her son John Marshall Lockhart Gore, and his son Ulysses A. Gore, who was the father of Lola Coe Gore.

Quilt for Nicholas

My sister Angela showing you the finished quilt

Look at that pretty blue ruffle, adorable animal and letter figures, and all the hand-quilting!

The flannel on the reverse side is very soft

 My successes with this quilt:

The quality of the stitching is good, and there is a lot of it. I stitched around each animal/letter figure and then added stitching in between the figures.

I like the overall appearance, the fabrics are adorable, the flannel is soft and compliments the front and ruffle nicely, the contrast of the blue ruffle against the yellow fabric is one of my favorite things. 

Because it hand quilted I was able to use a high loft batting which makes the quilt very soft and cozy (the soft flannel on the reverse side helps with that too).









What I wish was different:

The fabric bunched up, perhaps because I used a hoop to do the hand-quilting. Some of the stitching seems to buckle up and come loose, maybe I need a longer tail when I begin and end stitching, and need to be sure to just use one thread for a given section.
 
You can see that the stitching went into the blue ruffle. Poor planning gave the perimeter of the quilt an unevenness and when I stitched the ruffle there were certain things that couldn't be avoided. The ruffle is also not 'perfectly' square on one corner, which perturbs me. Also, the stitching in between the alphabet letters and animals was an afterthought. I washed the finished quilt, ruffle sewn on and all, and discovered the batting was bunching up and the ruffle part inside the fabric as well. So I added all that quilting to keep that from happening any further. But was unable to get the ruffle to lay completely flat everywhere inside the fabric.

 And the thing that may bother me the most is that darned uneven seam where I sewed the ruffle to the quilt. You may think I didn't take it out to resew it, but the reason for the unevenness is the need to match where I sewed the seam on front and back and that is what was poorly planned and resulted in this seam like this (not the same size so the seam appears different on each side). I was going to sew a ribbon over it, but then I'd loose the contrast of the blue ruffle right next to the yellow fabric, and that was my favorite thing about the quilt. So I just decided to let it go.
 

 I also had planned first to do a box pleated ruffle, but there wasn't enough fabric for that (poor planning on my part), unless I could be content with a very narrow, box pleated ruffle, and I couldn't, nor even with a regular pleated ruffle like that. So I finally went with a flat ruffle (after spending forever trying to make the other two options work) to just finish and be done with the quilt. The irony is that my very first instinct/desire was to do prairie points for the border but I determined that would take too long. However, I discovered just how long I can spend on a ruffle. I could have done the prairie points to begin with. Oh well. Lesson learned!

Now I should say that I started this quilt six years ago for my nephew Eric. He's now in kindergarten and doesn't need this. Nor does his sister Rubie now in preschool. Nor their cousin Atreus, also in preschool. So this is for Nicholas. And he is growing so fast and is such a big kid that I wish he could have more time to enjoy it.

I'm taking a break from quilting baby blankets right now. But not a break from blankets! I am currently cross-stitching a Noah's ark afghan for my newest nephew Isaac. But I learned from Eric's now Nick's quilt. Isaac's afghan is HUGE and will serve even after he's in preschool or kindergarten, as far as size goes. I'll try to post pictures of my progress with that as I go along, and so you can see the size. It is truly enormous.

I do have fabric to hand-quilt another baby blanket similar to how I've done Nicholas' blanket. I also have a pieced top for a baby blanket that is all sewn together just needs batting and quilting. I also have fabric cut out to piece a couple more baby quilts. AND I've also got a monk's cloth afghan with swedish weaving, but I haven't worked on that in a while. I'll post pictures of all this sometime and update you on progress. Now you know the real reason I keep telling you all to have more kids.

Names - Billy

Billy the Kid

Names like Billy and Tommy and Jimmy seem to have fallen out of favor. But they used to be very popular. Sure they were usually nicknames, but they were so popular they began to be the child's full given name. My great-uncle was named Tommy Dick. Not Thomas Richard. In fact, the popularity of these names spread and girls were given these as their full names as well. Vernie and Jimmi and Billie could all have worked in Mel's Diner as waitresses with Alice.

Billy (and Bill, Willie, Will) comes from William

Bobby Brady

Bobby (Bob, Robbie, Rob, Bert, and Bertie) comes from Robert
Tommy (and Tom) comes from Thomas
Jimmy (and Jim, Jamie, Jem, Jack) comes from James
Vernie (or Vern) comes from Vernon
Dick (Dicky, Rick, Ricky, Rich, Richie) comes from Richard
Jack (or Jacky) - can come from various names, John, Jacob, James
Joey (or Joe or Josey or Joss or Jose) comes from Joseph
Mikey (Mike, Mickey, Mick) comes from Michael
Andy (or Drew) comes from Andrew
Johnny comes from John, but could come from Jonathan as well

Little Ricky

Johnny and Jimmy are great. I love that they are nicknames and we think of nicknames as shorter versions of a longer name, though the fact that they come from shorter names - John and James - shows that nicknames are not just shorter versions of a name. They are pet forms of a name, which means they are a name someone uses to indicate a close or casual relationship with you. They are a way of indicating that the person knows you well enough to call you something other than your formal name.

Jackie Cooper

To me these names suggest an innocent little boy. Well, not so innocent, Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn innocent. They might be very mischievous, but they are still children, in the classic, Norman Rockwell vision of innocent childhood, rather than a more modern, inundated with adult innuendo and knowledge childhood.

I have to admit that I prefer the long forms of the name with the nicknames as possibilities, but not set in stone. I only like some. Joey and Johnny are very sweet.

Little Mikey

Any favorite nicknames? Any nicknames you think should come back in style? Stay out of style? Names you can't think of a nickname for? Do you have a nickname? Does it have a story? What do you think of naming a child Billy or Joey for a given name (and not just as the nickname)?

cross stitching again

Not a particularly clear image, but I wanted you to be able to see as much detail as possible. This is the Noah's Ark afghan I am cross stitching for my nephew Isaac. I started it a few months ago but haven't worked on it in a while because I was finishing a baby quilt for my other new nephew, Nicholas. But now I am back to cross stitching, which I love so much! I am excited to make progress on this.

But I thought it was amazing how many different options there are of Noah's Ark afghans you can make. Even just cross stitched ones. But here are a few I saw when looking for the above picture of the one I'm making that I thought would be cool to make.

I thought this was very cute

I know it's a pillow, but I thought it was cool

This was my favorite

How fun is this?

Ok, not Noah's Ark, but a cross stitched crocheted afghan that is very cool.

Name - Newton

Sir Isaac Newton

I thought I would post about the name Newton today. My nephew Isaac, who is almost 6 months old, has a very serious demeanor for his young age, and a rather intellectual look. Which made me think of Sir Isaac Newton. And the idea of using the name Newton for a first name. Because though Isaac may sound like an intelligent person, Newton sounds like a brainy one. Isaac seems like the name of someone who may be intelligent but is not solely defined by that whereas Newton seems like a name for someone wholly immersed in an intellectual world, where ideas are reality.


Newton's origin is simple. It's an English surname which comes from a place name meaning "new town". A possible nickname is Newt.

Now, Newt conveys something rather different from Newton. Newt makes me think of a little creature. Newts are small aquatic creatures, amphibians. A type of salamander. They are found in Europe, Asia, and North America. They metamorphose through 3 stages: aquatic larva, terrestrial juvenile (they are called an 'eft' at this stage), and adult. Adults look like a lizard, as you can see below. They can dwell in the water all the time or dwell on land and only return to the water to breed. The North American variety typically is water-dwelling while the European newt is land-dwelling. A very cool thing about newts is that they are able to regenerate limbs (which reminds me of the book The Arm of the Starfish by Madeleine L'Engle) as well as eyes, spinal cords, heart, intestines, and jaws. An interesting theory is that this regeneration can take place because the cells that do this are similar to tumor cells. Many adult newts produce a toxin in their skin, some strong enough to kill an adult human (if ingested, or if it comes into contact with mucous membranes or breaks in the skin. otherwise they can safely be your pet. be sure to wash your hands though, not only because of the toxins in their skin but the bacteria they carry, including salmonella). The coolest name for a type of newt I came across was crocodile newt and also the warty newt. Both are found in Asia.

I thought this was interesting. Even though Newt is a nickname for Newton, which means "new town", newt as a name for the salamander has a different origin. Remember that the juvenile newt is called an eft? Well, that's the original name of the newt, it changed along the way to euft, then to ewt. In English we use an instead of a before nouns beginning with a vowel, so an ewt = a newt.

And thinking of a little salamander creature called a newt made me think of witch's spells where they mix all sorts of creepy ingredients in their special brew in a big black cauldron, like 'eye of newt'. Apparently this comes from Shakespeare's play Macbeth, where the three Weird Sisters, 3 witches, mix a brew, and chant the following:

"Eye of newt, and toe of frog,
Wool of bat, and tongue of dog,
Adder's fork, and blind-worm's sting,
Lizard's leg, and howlet's wing,--
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble."

Now, my instinct was to think that eye of newt was included because a newt has poisonous toxins in its skin, but remember, that's not the European varieties (though they would have other bacteria, and salmonella is quite deadly). However, eye of newt is apparently supposed to be a type of herb or plant, possibly the wild mustard seed.

It's also a little hard not to think of Newt, the little girl in Aliens found moving about rather quickly, like a tiny salamander, through the watery parts of the mining settlement. Ahem. If you haven't seen Aliens that thing behind Newt is the alien, not part of the little girl.

I'm not sure I can 100% recommend Newton as a name, but I don't discourage it either. Although it might be a name to be teased about, with it's nerd connection to the physicist and the American politician Newt Gingrich, it also has a cool factor, since it is a surname and that is a rather popular trend. It fits in with Colton or Easton or Ashton. And of those four names, Newton has more substance, I think, and a very cool nickname.

Honey crisp

These are the best apples! Not sure why I'm so late to discovering them. They are sweet and tart at the same time.

http://www.honeycrisp.org/index.htm

I haven't tried this recipe yet, but I think I should! Let me know if you do (or have) and how it turned out.

Do you grow honeycrips??

Honeycrisp Apple Bread

2 cups sugar
1 cup canola oil
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 cup sour milk (add 1 teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice to fresh milk)
1 teaspoon soda
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups chopped Honeycrisp apples
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)
Mix together all ingredients. Divide batter between 2 greased loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees (at times I have to bake the loaves for 10 or 15 minutes more until they feel set when tapped).  Note: Batter will be stiff.

And what could be more appropriate than Robert Frost's thoughts on Apple picking? He was alive when the variety was created in 1960, even if he never ate one and they did not inspire this poem. I wonder what varieties people harvested a hundred years ago?

After Apple-picking

My long two-pointed ladder's sticking through a tree
Toward heaven still,
And there's a barrel that I didn't fill
Beside it, and there may be two or three
Apples I didn't pick upon some bough.
But I am done with apple-picking now.
Essence of winter sleep is on the night,
The scent of apples: I am drowsing off.
I cannot rub the strangeness from my sight
I got from looking through a pane of glass
I skimmed this morning from the drinking trough
And held against the world of hoary grass.
It melted, and I let it fall and break.
But I was well
Upon my way to sleep before it fell,
And I could tell
What form my dreaming was about to take.
Magnified apples appear and disappear,
Stem end and blossom end,
And every fleck of russet showing clear.
My instep arch not only keeps the ache,
It keeps the pressure of a ladder-round.
I feel the ladder sway as the boughs bend.
And I keep hearing from the cellar bin
The rumbling sound
Of load on load of apples coming in.
For I have had too much
Of apple-picking: I am overtired
Of the great harvest I myself desired.
There were ten thousand thousand fruit to touch,
Cherish in hand, lift down, and not let fall.
For all
That struck the earth,
No matter if not bruised or spiked with stubble,
Went surely to the cider-apple heap
As of no worth.
One can see what will trouble
This sleep of mine, whatever sleep it is.
Were he not gone,
The woodchuck could say whether it's like his
Long sleep, as I describe its coming on,
Or just some human sleep.

Upstairs Downstairs Disappointment

Have you watched the tv show Upstairs Downstairs? It's been on Masterpiece theater the past two Sundays. Last week I fell in love with it. Especially the matron of the family - Maude. Last night I watched the 3rd episode and what do you think? Maude entered in an urn. Yep, dead. It jumps forward a few years. I was disappointed with that, with Maude dead, my favorite character, no appearance from the maid lady who runs the household, another favorite character, Ivy is nowhere to be seen, the fun young maid. What??? At least Persephone does show up, but wait a minute, just long enough to kiss her brother in law. Now, I like a little naughtiness in a show. When she was using the chauffeur it was a mixed blessing, yes it was kind of fun and exciting to have that element, but rather sad to see how little she cared about the person. Now Hallam? I liked this guy in the first two episodes, he seems like the upstanding, noble British man. But now? Not happy. I did like the storyline with the butler. He's cool. Can't help but like him. I also thought it perfect that the young footman has not in a few years grown any additional brain cells. And I'm hoping life becomes very difficult for Persephone soon.

Names - Caitrin

Saint Catherine of Alexandria

Caitrin is an Irish form of the name Katherine. It looks similar to another Irish variant of Katherine - Caitlin - but it is much less common. It is also similar to Katrina or Catrine. I love Katherine and most of her variants and nicknames. Lately Caitrin is my favorite, though I also like Caitria. I love the combination Caitrin Liessa  - Liessa is the name of a character in a medieval Spanish romance, but not a name commonly used in Spanish at all.

Katherine has Greek origins - Aikaterine. It is often associated with the word katharos meaning pure.

How many versions are there of the name Katherine? Not really sure, but I've found these:

Katrina (or Caitriona)
Aikaterine (from which it originates)
Ekaterina
Katerina
Katharina (pronounced like Katerina)
Katalin
Katarin
Katell
Katica
Katka
Kathrine
Katrine
Kaya
Karen
Kate
Katie
Kathy
Katelijne
Katelijn
Katinka
Katja
Caitlin
Kathleen
Cailey
Cailin
Kaye
Kayla
Karina
Catlyn
Kit
Kitty
Trina
Tina
Caja
Ina
Trine
Kadri
Kaisa
Riina
Triinu
Kata
Katri
Ketevan
Catrin
Katina
Kakalina
Kalena
Kateri

Katalinka
Kato
Cateline
Catalina
Kari
Katarzyna
Kasia
Yekaterina
Katenka

Kai

I've also come across the name Katiria in Spanish, which may be a form of Kateri, a form of Katherine, not sure on that though. In addition to Kathleen, there are the possible forms Kathlen and Kathlina, and in addition to Katharina pronounced like Katarina, it's also possible that an English speaker might say "kath ah ree nah", which would be an additional form of Katherine. Quite a few more spellings of the above names as well.

Any favorites of the name Katherine?

Quite a few famous Katherines also. Saint Catherine of Alexandria is one of the saints who spoke to Joan of Arc. Her martyrdom is rather famous, as she was tortured and then put on a spiked wheel to torture her but the wheel was miraculously broken in response to her prayer. She was then beheaded. Also a rather wonderful detail about her is that her body was taken to Mount Sinai and a monastery built there in the 6th century AD (about 1600 years ago). It is a famous pilgrimage site still and there are various Christian relics, artwork, and illuminated manuscripts there. I think if I ever go to that part of the world, this would be a site worth visiting. Saint Catherine was also known to be a scholar. She is one of the Virgin Martyrs. It is a bit creepy (to me anyway) that her fingers are supposed to be in Rouen. Seems like she should have been left all in one place. Her feast day is November 25th.

What would you buy on eBay?

I love looking for things to buy on eBay (alas, lately my finances require me to buy NOTHING, no matter how inexpensive). But I'm a window shopper and eBay lets me do that when I have insomnia at 3 a.m. and what's more, I can look for things that are out of print or hard to find. I love that.

One of my passions is cross stitch and other needlework, especially books or patterns or magazines containing designs. But, I'm very stingy about what I will spend for it used on eBay. In my mind, a small pamphlet of patterns should be under a dollar, no more than $2, possibly $2.50 if I really love it or it's hard to find. Magazines no more than $2.50. Books I'd prefer to keep to $3.50 and under but I suppose a fantastic book could squeeze up to $5 from me.  Some people list the patterns and books for the price they were originally or even more than they were originally. That only works for me if it is a specific pattern I need and am looking for and it is exceptionally hard to find (so far this has not been the case, but I'm allowing a hypothetical here).

Here are two I would consider buying. The first is a kit, which is why I would spend that much for just one pattern, because it includes the fabric and threads. However, shipping changes it all, with shipping it's $5 so that would be a no!

The second is a blackwork kit, but the seller is in Great Britain so the shipping alone puts this out of the range I would pay for something. There are a lot of fabulous designs that you can only really get from out of the country so if I really really wanted it I would have to consider paying a high shipping fee, but the price as well, $49.99 is something I wouldn't pay. Now, that is actually rather reasonable for a good design like this, coming in a kit, I just would never pay that much. This is the sort of thing I'd consider paying $10-$15 for, if I were absolutely dying to have it, $20. But posting it on my blog is as close as I'm going to get for now!

So, what things have you found online that you would buy IF the price was right? (obviously if it is, you've already bought it, so the price must not be)

Names - Margaret

Saint Margaret and the Dragon

Since I am obsessed with names, I thought it would be fun to do a post on some I love. I've really been fascinated with all the Margaret names. Margaret comes from Greek and means 'pearl'. It comes from the Greek 'margaron' for 'pearl'.

Margaret
Margarita
Marguerite
Margot
Margery
Margareta
Margarette
Megan
Margriet
Margrieta
Marietta
Merete

A fun nickname for Margaret is Maisie. Other nicknames are Maggie, Margie or Marge, Madge, Midge, Mags, Meg, Peggy, Peg, Greta, Gretchen, Gretel, Grieta, Mamie, Metta, Mari, Mai or May, Daisy, and Rita.

There are of course many more versions of Margaret, more nicknames, and quite a few other spellings of all the above, but these are the ones I wanted to share with you. Lately my favorite has been Margot, but Marguerite is quickly rising in my esteem. I've also been enchanted with Margery a lot lately. Margaret feels a bit boring next to some of the variants and nicknames. But it is still a very classic name and has a certain respectability and old-fashioned beauty about it.

Suggested first name/middle name combinations for Margaret or her variants

Margaret Alice 
Margaret Sarah
Elisa Margaret
Fiona Margaret

Marguerite Ailsa
Ava Marguerite

Margot Esmeralda
Calantha Margot

Margery Winona
Margery Esther
Ella Margery

Harvest time

I love the sound of the rain on the dry cornstalks, or the wind rustling through them.

A new poem of mine - September Evening

O hushed September evening while

the sea gulls over the cornrows sail

make the night's dark and deepening hours

regale us with all the stars can show.

Unveil one light in a periwinkle sky:

one high above the mountain peak,

one lower down near the airplane's streak.

Lure us into your pleated charms,

near the lake's edge by dry rush beds,

guide us to a soft repose.

A flitting eyelid is all

between your promise of dreams

of a moon-enthroned god and a red

pulsing beacon of Reason's flight.

And into the night of your silent song,

bring us one upon one to throng to the beating

of moth wings and the long slow wail

of the train on the track and the wind's growing gale.

If not for the ache of human remiss amid concrete walls

and financial abyss,

if not for the chains of civilized shame, then for the love of hope's regain,

lead us but slow to walk beneath the navy blue wealth of space

punctured with light years away constance, and prophecy,

a gaggle of swirling flames

that dance in the length of Cronos' beard and promise us hope's regain.

Sacred Liberty

To The TRADESMEN, MECHANICS, &c. Of the Province of PENNSYLVANIA.

My dear and much Respected Brethren, At a Time when a corrupt and prostituted Ministry are pointing their destructive Machines against the sacred Liberties of the Americans, the Eyes of all Europe are upon us ; and much is expected from the known Resolution and Conduct of the Pennsylvanians,amongst whom the industrious and respectable Body of tradesmen and MECHANICS hear a very large Proportion. The Point in  question is, Whether we have Property of our own, or not? whether our Property, and the dear-earned Fruits of our Labour, are at our own Disposal, or shall be wantonly wrested from us, by a Set of luxurious, abandoned and piratical Hirelings, to be appropriated by them to  increase the Number of such infamous Pensioners,and support their unlimited Extravagance? The Result depends on our determined Virtue and  integrity, at so important a Crisis. The Nature of the detestable TEA-SCHEME, and the pernicious Consequences of submitting to receive it amongst us, subject to a Duty payable here, and levied on us without our Consent, have been so judiciously set forth, and demonstrated by abler Pens, as to leave no Room for one of my Capacity to undertake it; and, if the trifling Duty of Three-Pence were ONLY to be considered, it would not be worth our while to oppose it; nor worth while for the Ministry so strenuously to insist on; and take off, in Lieu thereof, a much greater Sum payable in London: But, that by this Breach (though small) they will enter the Bulwark of our sacred Liberties, and will never desist, till they have made a Conquest of the Whole. These arbitrary Measures we have virtuously opposed hitherto: Let us for our own Sakes, for our Posterity's Sake, for our Country's Sake, stedfastly persevere in Opposing to the End. Corruption, Extravagance, and Luxury, are seldom found in the Habitations of Tradesmen. Industry, Economy, Prudence, and Fortitude, generally inhabit there; and I expect to see these commendable Virtues shine  forth upon the present Occasion, with more than brilliant Lustre. Let not the artful Insinuation of our Enemies, That the Duty will be paid in England, by the East-India Company, and not in America, have any Weight amongst us: This is one of their Toils to ensnare us. The Act of 11th of Geo. 3, expressly lays the aforesaid Duty, on all Teas imported in America from England, payable on its landing here; And no private Contract between the East-India Company and the Lords of the Treasury, no Power under the Crown, nor even the King himself, can dispense with, set aside, disannul, or make void such a Clause, or any other in any Act of Parliament, but the same Power and Authority by which it was enacted. The grand Point in View is, by every Artifice to enslave the American Colonies, and to plunder them of their property, and, what is more, their Birth-Right, LIBERTY. It is therefore highly incumbent on us unitedly, with Heart and Soul, to resist the diabolical Delusion, and despise the infamous Projectors. But supposing the Act was repealed, and the Tea could be imported free of any Duty, Impost, or Custom; yet, is it not a most gross and daring Insult to pilfer the Trade from the Americans, and lodge it in the Hands of the East-India Company? Let us not be prevailed upon to suppose that this will affect the Merchants

only:—We need not concern ourselves with it:—It will first most sensibly affect the Merchants; but it will also very materially affect YOU, ME, and every Member of the Community. The East India Company at present have shipped their desperate Adventure in chartered Bottoms; it was prudent so to do, or else possibly their obnoxious Vessels and Cargoes might become a Sacrifice to the Resentment of a much injured and exasperated People. The same Consideration might probably have induced them to appoint our Merchants their Agents to support the first heat of Action, rightly judging that if we would chastise our Friends with Whips, we should chastise their Factors with Scorpions. But if they can once open the Channel of Trade to themselves, they will hereafter ship their Teas in their own Bottoms. They have passed a gross Affront upon our Merchants in appointing such, whom we respect, Commissioners. Hereafter, if they succeed, they will send their own Factors and Creatures, establish Houses amongst US. Ship US all other East-India Goods ; and in order to full freight their Ships, take in other Kind of Goods at under Freight, or (more probably) ship them on their own accounts to their own Factors, and under-sell our Merchants, till they monopolize the whole Trade. Thus our Merchants are ruined, Ship Building ceases. They will then sell Goods at any exorbitant Price. Our Artificers will be unemployed, and every Tradesmen will groan under the dire Oppression. The East-India Company, if once they get Footing in this (once) happy Country, will leave no Stone unturned to become your Masters. They are an opulent Body, and Money or Credit is not wanting amongst them. They have a designing, depraved, and despotic Ministry to assist and support them. They themselves are well versed in tyranny, plunder, OPPRESSION and bloodshed. Whole Provinces labouring under the Distresses of Oppression, Slavery, Famine, and the Sword, are familiar to them. Thus they have enriched themselves,—thus they are become the most powerful Trading Company in the Universe. Be, therefore, my dear Fellow-Tradesmen, prudent,—be watchful,—be determined to let no Motive induce YOU to favour the accursed Scheme. Reject every Proposal, but a repealing act. Let not their baneful Commodity enter your City. Treat every Aidor or Abettor with Ignominy, Contempt, &c. and let your whole Deportment prove to the World, "THAT WE WILL BE FREE INDEED."

A MECHANIC.

Philadelphia, December 4, 1773.

Journeycake (or Johnny Cake)

 

Grandmother to the wife of my 1st cousin 4 times removed John Edward Campbell, son of Rebecca Anne Lockhart and Robert Madison Campbell. Sally Williams Journeycake was the daughter of Abraham Williams and his wife whose maiden name was Castleman. She served as an interpreter for Methodist missionaries to the Wyandotte Indians in Ohio (her mother had been taken captive by Native Americans) and later for other missionaries in Kansas. Her son Charles Journeycake was the last chief of the Delaware Indians and made the trek from Ohio to Indian Territory (Kansas and later Oklahoma) as a boy. He was later also a Baptist minister. His wife was Jane Sosha. His grandchildren through his daughter Emeline "Emma" Journeycake and John Edward Campbell were Roberta, Robert, and Herbert. His great-grandchildren through this family (as many as I've found) are Edward Lawson and John Campbell. Edward's father was Eugene Lawson and John's mother was Flora Dougherty.

What you can do with a little thread and a flour sack

 

This  pillow was made from a flour sack and embroidered, I think. Anyhow, belonged to President Herbert Hoover, not sure who gave it to him, part of an exhibit of embroidered flour sacks from WWI at his presidential library. Not where I usually wind up when looking for cool embroidery!

I loved seeing what people had done with flour sacks. There was a cute set of bloomers made from flour sacks that said American Commission down one side, and another jacket made from flour sacks.

Some of it was quite amazing, but this was my favorite. I would not have guessed it was a pillow.

Marie Antoinette Shoes

So the previous post got started because I came across those fabulous Christian Leboutin shoes that reference Marie Antoinette (the hideous thing around the ankle imitates her crazy hair style that incorporated a ship on top of a mass of hair). Anyhow, then today I found these shoes that are just lovely and sweet, seem to have a lower heel. Not that I'd wear these without losing some pounds, but, they are more in the realm of the possible! Those other things you need to be short and weigh 100 lbs to wear! Anyway. I adore these as well. Not sure who the designer is though. I think the powder blue are my favorites, but why wouldn't you just have one of each color?

Shoe Style

I recently discovered this French shoe designer, Christian Leboutin. Now, not that I could wear these shoes, but, I can appreciate them. They are so beautiful and feminine.

9

I don't usually do a post on movies, but I thought this warranted it. 9 is an animated movie (cgi animation I suppose) about an apocalypse that destroys humanity and all that's left are the creations of a scientist, little dolls that can think and talk and move, and machines that were created using his intellect that are capable of creating more machines. It's a classic tale of good (the dolls) versus evil (the metallic machines). It's very well done. The story is solid and it's beautiful to look at. In the special feature afterward they had considered making it silent (no talking) for the whole movie and not just the first little while. I think it would have been more powerful that way, but I understand that commercially some people would not have responded. Although, Wall-e was relatively silent and very successful (and a somewhat similar story in that machines seem to be the hope of the world and all that's left on a barren planet, find each other, their struggle to help each other, etc). 9 has a different feel, it's much darker and scarier. While I think you could watch Wall-E with a 4 or 5 year old I would not necessarily watch 9 with such young children. Though I think a 7 year old should be fine, there are some rather scary moments even for a 7 year old. 9 or 10 year olds for sure though. But it's very enjoyable for a teenager or an adult, I think. The music is quite incredible also (partly why you could have made the show silent, but also, it just would have been more haunting and to some extent, even though there's not tons of talking, it's almost a distraction, I think.) But I give this 2 thumbs up for sure. And for some people 9 would be a 5 star movie I think. It was at least a 4 star movie for me. Wall-E had a more powerful impact on my soul, I think, which is what made it 5 stars for me. This one comes very close.

July Ancestors

These are people with "Jul" in their name somewhere, since July is named for Julius Caesar and most names with Jul in them come from a similar origin. I'm restricting this to people with a first and last name and who have a date of some sort associated with them and some sort of place. Leaving out anyone who might still be living and  here's what I've got in my genealogy databases:

Women
Julian FitzMaurice                 born 1249 in Ireland
Anna Juliana Sauer               born 1688 in Germany
Julianna Maria Watnert         married 1772 in PA
Julianna or Juliett Pugh         married 1809 in WV
Caroline Julianne Peter         born 1811 in Ohio
Julia Ann Albin                    born 1823  in Indiana
Julia Ann Knauss                 born 1825 in PA
Julia Ann Graybill                born 1826 in Ohio
Julia Anne Bausch               born 1828 in Bavaria
Julia Murdock Baldwin        born 1831 in Utah (obviously the date and place don't match, she would have been born elsewhere, or, if in Utah, 1847 or later)
and her twin
Juliann M. Baldwin              born 1831 in Utah   (same for her twin)
Julia Ann Lockhart               born 1833 in Virginia
Julie or Julia Ann Triplett      born 1833 in Virginia
Julietta Everett                     married 1856 in Utah
Julia A. Shimp                    married 1878 in Virginia
Julietta Hudson                   born in 1850 in Utah 
Julia Baker                          born 1851 in Virginia
JuliaAnn Boyd                    born 1851 in Utah
Julia Ann Anderson             born 1853 in Virginia
Julia Monken                      born 1856 in Illinois
Julianna Osowski                born 1858 in Poland
Juliaette McMurray             born 1869 in Utah
Sarah Julia Fenn                  married 1894 in Iowa
Julia E. Lockhart                  born 1884 in Virginia
Julia Brule                          born 1886 in Nebraska
Julia Mae Chinn                   born 1886 in Missouri
Julia Ann Monken                 born 1892 in Illinois
Julia Elizabeth Jensen            born 1894 in Utah
Julia B. Foreman             married 1928 in Maryland
Julia Ellen Ziemer                  born 1911 in Nebraska
Julia Elizabeth Lockhart        born 1914 in Virginia

Men
Julius Schneider                 born 1860 in Minnesota
Julius Upton Pugh                 born 1870 in Virginia
Julius Monken                      born 1880 in Illinois
Julius Welby Newton Hott    born 1884
and buried at Hott's Chapel
Julian Kaplon                       born 1899
and buried in Virginia
Julius Beverly Evans             born 1907 in Indiana
Walter Julian Lockhart          born 1921 in Virginia

There are so many Julia Anns. I wonder if in practice they went by Julia, Julie, or Julianne. Rather like the Mary Anns in my database. More often than not they went by Mary Ann and not Mary alone (or Polly, Molly, etc). I think double names used to be much more common - Sarah Ann may have gone by both and the middle name was not dropped the way it is nowadays.

Born and Died in July

These distant relatives were born and died in the month of July.

Lula May Anderson

Margaret Rebecca Hott
Sarah Maria Smith




None are my direct ancestors, but Margaret Rebecca Hott is my 1 cousin 6 times removed - we are both descended from Martin Fries and Catherine Shaull.

Lula May Anderson is my 1 cousin 3 times removed - we both are descended from Alfred Carper and Sarah Welch.

Sarah Maria Smith is my 5th cousin 3 times removed (how's that for distant relations?), both of us descend from Heinrich Frey and Anna Catherine Levering.

Samuel Lockhart of Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey

in 1733 a Samuel Lockhart served as a witness to a will for Matthew Moore.

Abstracts of Wills", NJ Archives, First Series, Vol. XXX, p343

 Is this the same Samuel Lockhart who was master of a ship that often sailed from Perth Amboy, New Jersey? And what other information is available on him?

Born Today on My Family Tree

I saw this on another genealogy blog and wanted to try it here as well. People born today on my family tree:



Orvis Carson Whitacre in 1928
son of  Leslie G. Whitacre and Clara Virginia Pugh
husband of Deloris Kerns and Doris Marie Kerns
my 2nd cousin 1 time removed via my Pugh ancestors

Ethel Heaps in 1910
daughter of Thomas Heber Heaps and Susannah Alvey
very distantly related via my Denny line, though ironically enough I assumed it was my father's line because Ethel is from Escalante, Utah and Heaps, Alvey, Roundy, etc are all names down around there, but, actually, it goes like this:

Susannah Alvey had a sister named Anna Elizabeth.
Anna Elizabeth Alvey married James Issac Barker.
James Issac Barker's brother was Peter Barker.
Peter Barker's son Peter Orrin Barker married Johanna Roundy.
Her brother Ammon Roundy married Elizabeth Liston.
They had Blanche Louise Roundy.
She married Rufus Stice.
His mother was Alice Mae Speer.
Her mother was Rachel Isabelle Lunsford.
Her mother was Sarah Ann Denny.
Her father was William Robert Denny.
His father was Robert Denny.
His sister Margery Denny was my 5th great-grandmother.

More simply put, Ethel's uncle's nephew's niece's mother-in-law's 3rd great-grandgrandfather is the same as my 6th great-granduncle (technically, you could say we're not actually related, but, for interest's sake, we are 'connected' through relations, and it's easier to just say 'very distantly related').

Henry R. Hallam  in 1896
husband of Alice Barbara Kline
His wife Alice is my 1st cousin 3 times removed via my Wingerter ancestors

William Samuel Howard in 1881
son of Andrew Jackson Howard and Ann Eliza Hodgson
William is my 3rd cousin 3 times removed via my Hodgson ancestors


Emma Streit in 1878
wife of Lemuel Clark Alexander
Emma is my distant relative via marriages on my Lockhart line (I'm not doing what I did for Ethel on all these folks, it was just so interesting that it was my mom's line not my dad's that I connected to Ethel on. With Emma, I don't have who her parents are and as she is a Streit, she's possibly more closely related than I am currently aware of, since I am descended from Streits. For now, just 'distant relative' will have to do.)

Aretha Alice Breeze in 1875
daughter of Margaret Lucinda Underwood and Lieutenant Cornelius Newkirk
wife of Wycliffe G. Jackson
very distant relative on my Lockhart line


John White Addison  in 1846
son of Sallie Dearborn Lockhart and Dr. John Addison
John White Addison is my 1st cousin 4 times removed via my Lockhart ancestors


Massie Whitacre in 1825
daughter of Wilson Whitacre and Rachel Kerns
wife of William Henry Mauzy
distant relative via marriages on my Oates line

Jane Bond in 1664
daughter of James Bond and Anne Parker
wife of John Whitaker (or Whitacre) Jr.
Jane is distantly (oh, very) related to me through marriage on my Oates line

State Representative from Adams County, Ohio - Josiah Lockhart 14th Legislative Session 1815-1816

What I find to be the most interesting pieces of business mentioned, are that they moved the state capital to Columbus, outlawed dueling, and in the process of setting up laws to restrict 'gaming' two types are mentioned. One, is shooting a gun across a city street. The other is exhibiting a puppet show for pay.

from the book Ohio statesmen and annals of progress: from the year 1788 to the year 1900 ... By William Alexander Taylor, Aubrey Clarence Taylor


Oh, yes, Josiah Lockhart is my 4th Great-Grandfather. And I notice among the men he served with at least one he would have already known from his service in the War of 1812 - Duncan MacArthur, who was the General commanding the Regiment he served in.


Sidenote: I got to thinking about WHY you would outlaw puppet shows and realized, well, not all puppet shows are put on by your local library or Mr. Rogers. Puppet shows could have had rather vulgar humor and so they may have felt that this contributed to tearing down the moral fabric of society - profanity, crude jokes, and obscene acts, albeit by puppets but encouraged by the crowd, and the crowd encouraged by the show. Just in case anyone else was as innocent about that as I was at first glance!