Genealogy: Not Just For Mormons Anymore!

Ever since the show "Who Do You Think You Are?" aired this season on NBC, I've kinda gotten the genealogy bug again.  I've been into family history for almost two decades now and did alot of research until I hit some dead ends and put it aside for awhile. I use a website sponsored by the Mormon church (although I'm not Mormon) at http://www.familysearch.org/.  I'm not completely educated on this, but I believe that the Mormon church strongly encourages lineage search for the sake of baptising family members and therefore they have put alot of emphasis on research.  Alot of work on several of my family lines was already done for me, based on census records.

You can start with a simple book like this, which you can purchase at a bookstore or online. 

I found that my information quickly exceeded the space alotted in these types of books, so my mom was able to give me a copy of a Family Group Sheet and a Pedigree Chart, which she obtained from the Historical Library in Bartow, FL.

These are available for free online at:

http://genealogy.about.com/library/free_charts/bl_pedigree.htm

The family group charts have spaces for husband and wife, their birthdates, deathdates, parents, places of birth and death and then you have room at the bottom to list all their children (up to 14 children--believe me, you'll find that your ancestors were very, very busy!)  Technically, you list the children in birth order but mark with an asterisk the child that is in your family line. 

The pedigree chart is more of a "zoomed out" view of your family tree.  You can see more information on one page.  Always do these charts in pencil, as you will sometimes need to make changes or rearrange things.

If you want to take this to the next level, as I did, purchase the Family Tree Maker software, the most respected genealogy program on the market, created by ancestry.com (also the sponsor of the TV show mentioned above).  I am getting ready to upgrade to the next version because their updates are mind-blowing.  This is a screen shot of the latest version, which makes me a little giddy:

The software allows you to store all of your data in one place, inserting photos, information from records, personal memories, census info and anything else you like.  It has some safeguards in place to keep you from entering incorrect data, such as "your records show that Sarah James was married at 12 years old.  Do you want to continue?"  and various other little Smart Features.  I love my Family Tree Maker! 

All you really need to start on your genealogy journey is the name of an ancestor (about 2 generations back) who has passed away.  You need to know the approximate date of birth or death and the state in which they lived or died.  It used to be that you needed to call, correspond by mail to the local records bureau or go to a local genealogy library to do research.  Now nearly everything is made available online.  There are even websites of historic cemetaries that have photographed every tombstone and uploaded them so you can find your ancestors. 

You may also find that if you come across a relative who was of some importance, such as my great-great-great grandfather, Randall Puckett Langston, who served in the Civil War as an officer, there is much written about them online and in local history books.  This makes their family line much more likely to have been researched professionally.  A line on my maternal grandfather's side has been researched all the way back to the year 1066 at the time of William the Conqueror.  I love that!

Having said that, I know virtually nothing about my biological father's roots.  I have pieced together a little bit from a family Bible and talking to a few existing relatives, but that is going to a project for the future.  That's okay--another challenge to keep me busy!  I do have a few pictures of my great grandfather's family.  Isn't this picture just about the sweetest thing?  I think she looks like something out of a Jane Austen novel.  If I was related to Jane Austen, I think I could die a happy woman.

I had to get busy writing letters to relatives of my husband's to find out anything.  My mother-in-law's sister has done a little research and she had a few names for me that I didn't have before.  Sometimes a letter-writing campaign to all the older memebers of your family is in order.  Or start interviewing them at the next holiday gathering or family reunion! 

If you run into a snag with researching, don't fret.  Memberships to websites like http://www.ancestry.com/ or http://www.roots.com/ will likely turn up a tiny slice of information that will start piecing your puzzle together.  You will become addicted to this stuff!  I'll just warn you now.

If you're lucky, you'll not only unearth the basics (dates and names), but maybe in the process, a story or two.  Genealogy taught me that I'm related to people with names like Jemima, Drewery, Fleming, Ivory, Lenora, Zilpha, and Sibella.  I also had a great-great grandmother named Missouri Wheeler who perished in a housefire because her dress and apron caught fire while cooking. A sad, common truth of the pre-electricity rural homesteads of Florida.  But that story reminds me of 1. how awesome the name Missouri is for a girl and 2. how lucky we are to have electric stoves today. 

Researching your ancestors will make you very aware of how hard some of their lives were, as you research their details in your air-conditioned living room on your high-speed internet connection.  LOL.  Happy hunting, my friends!

I Sing Behind The Plow

No, I haven't been overdosing on Little House on the Prairie (although that doesn't sound like a bad way to spend a Friday night).  This is actually the motto of The John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC, also known as Kimberly's Dream Vacation Spot.  I have been receiving the Folk School catalog for several seasons now, each year I say I'm going to go "next year".  I need to sell some plasma (or maybe have a bake sale) and this year, make it happen!  Who wants to tag along? 

You can visit their website to see what it's all about at: http://www.folkschool.org/. 

Did you click the link yet?  Come on, don't be shy.

Just listen to these exciting classes!  This is just a tiny fraction of the almost 1,000 classes they offer.  I defy you to read this little sampling of classes and not squeal with delight.

Belgian Bookbinding
Italian Paper Marbling

Appalachian Basketry

Home Winemaking

Artisan Bread Baking

Home Dairy: Cheese, Yogurts and More!

Blacksmithing for Hearth and Home

The Fiery Creativity of Glass Bead Making

Advanced Broom Making

Celtic Ceramics
French Folk Dance
Storytelling Through Puppetry
Draw & Paint Botanicals with Watercolor
From Sheep To Shawl (Weaving and Dyeing)
Fruit Tree Grafting
Genealology: Discovering Your Ancestors

Stain Glass Panels for Beginners

Scandinavian Knitting

Tinsmithing

Old Time Banjo

Mysteries of the Old-Time Fiddle Revealed!

Intro to Fly Fishing
Beekeeping
Traditional Rug Hooking
Historic Costuming
Creative Soapmaking
Solid Wood Cabinetry
Structuring and Writing Your Novel

Okay, I got a little carried away, but I can't help myself.  I love this stuff.  I've always thought what a shame it was that so many of our traditional trades and hobbies have fallen out of fashion.  This really hit home when I started bringing my knitting projects to the park while I watched my kids play on the playground.  People would come up to me and say, "What is that?" or "Are you actually knitting?"  These were usually young kids or teenagers, posing this question as if I had a third arm.  Or often, the older people would stop by, smile nostalgically and say "My mother used to knit all my socks when I was a little girl."  It was right there that I felt like I was carrying on something valuable. 

I learned quilting on Mom's Singer sewing machine.  The kind that folded down inside of the sewing table.  I learned to make a red and white 4-patch quilt top pillow.  I remember thinking that it was fun, but I wanted to move on to the big stuff, the Double Wedding Ring or the elaborate Hawaiian quilts.  Little did I know that even old-timers consider those designs a massive undertaking.  I think I've always been a little over-ambitious!

So, I guess that's why I want to go the Folk School.  I want to work with my hands, to learn something new, to pass something along.  I don't want old traditions to die.  They are part of a simpler time.  They're comfortable and I think we crave comfortable.  We gravitate toward comfortable.  And I'm gravitating toward Brasstown, NC.....hopefully soon.  I hope to be blacksmithing in no time!

I Love My Public Library!

One of my favorite things to do is go down to the public library with my huge tote bag and load up on tons of new library books.  I have to admit, my city library, The Lakeland Public Library, is one of the nicest I've ever seen.  They get the latest and greatest crafting, decorating, and cookbooks, which makes me very happy.

Here are some from my latest score....

This is the most comprehensive cookbook on pies I've ever come across.  The author is Ken Haedrich.  Since I've stuck a post-it in over 50 recipes that I'm interested in copying, I might as well buy the darn thing.  I'll wait till I get a bookstore giftcard.  Cookbooks can be pricey.  What I love about this one is that there are so many variations of traditional pies (apple pie with a bourbon-crunch topping, blueberry-maple pie in a cornmeal crust, etc.), but then you get the weird and wacky thrown into the mix.  The one that I swear I'm going to try is Watermelon Rind pie.  Apparently, it was popular on the prairie during the Westward Expansion with those dutiful housewives that didn't want to waste a single scrap.  This should make for a humorous little experiment when watermelon season gets here.  I'll report back the results, even if they are disastrous.

Martha has done it again.  Or at least her huge staff has done it again and put her on the cover of this amazing 400 page guide to all-things-sewing.  It even comes with a CD of 150 project patterns and templates.  Thank you public library!  Here are the some of the ones I can't wait to try....fire up the Janome machine and thread the bobbins....here come some neat-o projects.

I love oilcloth!  In my opinion, the fabric store chains don't carry enough variety.  Oilcloth is generally used to make picnic tablecloths or aprons, because of their slick surface and ease of care.  The book notes some mail-order and online resources for interesting oilcloth fabric to make these cute velcro lunchbags.  They aren't just for kiddos.  They are super chic.

Love this multi-compartment tote bag on the right.  Perfect for book club or couponing.  I'm a big fan of customizing your stuff so you don't look like all the other cattle out there.  A good place to find unique fabric scraps is to scour the vintage clothing stores and find the things that nobody wants because it has a stain.  Cut that part away.  If the fabric is beautiful, you can make use of it in other ways.

What a practical, simple idea.  Why didn't I think of that?  Farmer's wives have been gussying up jam jar lids for decades.  Why not make the top of this one into a pincushion?  I'm always looking for my embroidery scissors (you know, the ones that look like a bird) and all my other things like my needle threader.  This would be a great idea to keep all your tiny things in one place.  And they're cute as a button--pun totally intended.

Yeah, I need another apron.  It's time.  This baker's apron on the right has an adjustable D-ring strap for well, my D cup issues.  I likey.

I just learned to knit last year and have been churning out more scarves than the Hermes factory.  However, I don't know squat about crochet.  I figured the best place to learn was a kid's how-to.  Take a look at these adorable little projects!

Oh yes, this will be the first project I crochet.  A patchwork poncho?  I don't care if I'm an adult.  I will wear it with leopard rain boots and go somewhere like a flea market.  People are eccentric at flea markets so I'll fit right in.

Oh, if this isn't the epitome of cute-ness......a cupcake pincushion. 

Yeah, boys crochet.  You wanna make somethin' of it?

Pip Pip Cheerio

So, yesterday was Tuesday, which around here only means one thing:  LOST PARTY!  It started out months ago with my one friend, Donna, who at the time didn't have cable and needed to watch the LOST premiere somewhere--anywhere!  It progressed to what it is today, a large group, a culinary theme and me making my Martha Stewart recipes and forcing them to be my guinea pigs (killing two birds with one stone here).

Last week was Asian week with the eggrolls, this week was British fare!  By the way, I'm thinking of making this Union Jack garland (made from computer clip art, index cards and yarn) a part of my permenant decorating scheme!  I love that little flag.....it reminds me of The Queen, The Beatles and Mick Jagger's annoying tight pants.

Last night, I made shepherd's pie, my way.  That would be without any disgusting green vegetables or tomato paste or heaven forbid--ground lamb (the thought of grinding a lamb makes me cry).  I've taken a traditional shepherd's pie recipe and tweaked it to my liking.  Shepherd's Pie is my favorite food in the world (well, tied with curry), so I take pride in my little concoction.

Oh, good gracious.  That little Miley Cyrus British flag t-shirt is incredibly tight, even by my standards.  I think that will go straight to Goodwill after this week.  I tell you, what we go through around here for a theme!

Kimberly's Shepherd's Pie That's Good Enough For Jude Law

2 pounds ground beef

1 packet of brown gravy mix
5 lb. Russet potatoes, peeled, and boiled (reserve about 1 cup liquid from pot)
2 teaspoons white pepper
1 Tablespoon grated fresh ginger (you can also use fresh ginger paste)
6 Tablespoons butter, sliced into small sections
1/2 cup half-and-half or heavy whipping cream
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
1 onion, chopped
1 package mushrooms, sliced
1 Tablespoon each of fresh herbs: Tarragon, Rosemary, Thyme, Parsley
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 cups shredded Sharp Cheddar cheese

While potatoes are boiling, saute onions and mushrooms together with a little butter or olive oil.  Add ground beef.  While you are waiting for it to brown, mix brown gravy with water according to package directions. When meat is browned, drain fat, then add gravy mix to the pan.  Sprinkle in fresh herbs and cinnamon and salt and pepper to your taste.  Turn down to medium low for a few minutes until gravy mix thickens a bit.
Mash potatoes with half-and-half and butter. Use reserved potato liquid, a little at a time, until the desired thickness is achieved. Add fresh ginger and white pepper, then salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside.
Using a deep cassserole dish, transfer the beef mixture to the bottom of the pan.  Spoon the mashed potatoes over the meat, smoothing with a spatula.  Sprinkle cheese on top and bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes.  Garnish with chopped parsley or fresh herb leaf if desired.

What really took all day to make, and was the most labor-intensive thing I've made all year next to ciabatta bread, was handmade English Toffee.  Here is the finished product, which I have to say is AMAZING. 

I need to get rid of it as soon as possible, because it is dangerous to have around here.  The recipe has 4 sticks of butter and almost 3 cups of sugar.  And that is why it is amazing.  Here are the Cheddar-Dill Scones. Katie, the recipe is coming soon to an inbox near you!

The food was tasty and of course, the leftovers are always fantastic on Wednesdays.

All this talk of England is making me a little homesick.  In college,  I attended Cambridge University for a summer semester and that is where I feel like I really "found" myself.  That was in 1996, but every memory of every ancient cathedral, every  rose garden around each corner, the smell of every drop of rain during the daily afternoon storms, it's all as vivid as something that happened yesterday.  There's nothing like walking the sidewalks of a school attended by Sir Isaac Newton, Lord Byron, Charles Darwin and other people way smarter than me......

Experiencing all of those things alone was part of the maturing process.  You can do a lot of deep thinking when you're by yourself, accompanied only by your thoughts and a tattered old journal.  I carried that journal around everywhere, filling it each day with my adventures. It is now one of my most treasured possesions.

I fell in love with England that year, and within a week of returning back to the States, the boy I fell in love with before I left asked me to marry him.  I want to go back there again with him, as my husband, and relive all those memories.  And make some new ones. 

So happy 800th birthday, U of Cambridge.  You don't look a day over 300.

Take A Photo, Make A Pillow, Make Someone Smile

I found this amazing product while perusing the fabric store and I wanted to share it with you.  It's printable fabric by the June Tailor company!

I found it at JoAnn and lo and behold, it was 50% off.  Yay, me!  I know things like this have been around for a few years, but the quality hasn't been that great in my opinion.  They either jammed in the printer or they didn't allow the ink to set very well and ended up distorting in the ironing process.  I had no problems whatsoever with these sheets.  The results were professional, crisp and clear.

To make an photo heirloom project for yourself or as a much-appreciated gift, here's all you do:

1.  Scan an old photo.  I was able to get a hold of my grandmother's old photo box several years ago and made a bunch of color copies while I had the chance.  This project used a scan of a color copy and the quality is still very nice.
2.  Bring up the image on your computer and select print.  If your image is scanned, the scanner software should ask you whether you want to print one 8x10, 2-5x7s, 2-4x6s or several smaller shots.  You can even print an entire sheet of thumbnail shots of the same photo.  Think of the mini-project possibilities! 
3.  Load your printable fabric sheets according to your printer's specifications.  Usually you load specialty papers face down.  Now print your image!  Let it dry for 10 minutes flat and undisturbed.
4.  Peel off the back paper.   To set the image, iron directly over the image for 2-3 minutes WITHOUT STEAM.  There are also directions for making your image color-safe for washing.  Just check the package.

5.  Now, you are ready to get to work making something super-dee-duper.  I chose to use pinking sheers and clip close to the edge of the fabric, because I wanted an edge that wouldn't unravel.  I found some fabric scraps in my stash.  One was a piece of a celery-beige-ish home dec fabric that was nice and sturdy.  I zig-zag stitched my image right on top of a square of this fabric.  Then, I sandwiched some vintage trim I found in a thrift store for pennies between the fabric with the photo on it and another piece of fabric (remember, right sides together so you can turn it inside out in the end). The backing fabric I found was something I've had for years, resembling old postage letters.  I sewed around the whole square, stopping about 2 inches from the end so that I could stuff it with polyfil and make this little decorative pillow......

My Papa, James Lester Freeman passed away in 1998, just months after I got married.  This is one of my favorite photos of him as a young man in the U.S. Navy.  I was so excited and honored to be able to give her this pillow for Mother's Day.  I think it made her day :)

I could have easily taken any image, printed it smaller, and made tiny stuffed Christmas ornaments by adding a handle made of ribbon, cording or other trim.  Really, this project is completely versatile and limited only by what you've got in your stash.  I've got some cute ideas for photo gifts for my mom, but I'll refrain from sharing.  She reads my blog.  LOL.
Send me some ideas......what would you do with a treasured photo on fabric?

A shout out to my mom, Iris on this fabulous Mother's Day.  Without you, I wouldn't be me. 

Love you til Niagra Falls,
Kimmy

Picking Blueberries, Dancing With A Goose

Today I got up early with my youngest son, Solomon and headed to Shady Oaks Farm, a blueberry farm in north Lakeland.  There are 10 acres of blueberries--row after row of plump juicy love!  First of all, blueberries are beautiful. 

You've got your green berries and red berries that will make you pucker.  And then the frosty blue ones and the deep blueish-purple ones that you pop in your mouth and all you can think of are "aaahhh..blueberry pancakes."  I love the fact that it's all-you-can-eat "grazing" while you're picking.  You can fill up on berries until you're sick, and then start putting them into your bucket!

 I have so many recipe ideas for our bounty from today --if they last that long.  The pile in the bowl seems to be getting lower and lower every time I look.  I better hurry up and do something with them!

After we left, we dropped by Indian Summer Farms.  Just driving by this place just makes you sit up straight and say "Oooh! ooooh!  Can we go there??? Please???" 

Vegetable stands can be small and quaint, set up on a little card table on the side of road.  But that won't do at this place. 

They've done a marvelous job merchandising their veggies and fruits, jams, relishes, flowers and loaves of bread. 

It was a pleasure browsing and snapping photos of their goodies.  We bought a watermelon and chatted with the owners. 

Here's "Chica", who came along with her Mommy!  I'm a sucker for dogs in clothes.

Now, on to Mayfaire-by-the-Lake....the annual Mother's Day's day art extravaganza around Lake Morton.  As always, fabulous artists, fantastic chicken kebabs (and Italian ice and cinnamon pecans, and..), and lots for the kids to do.  But we were really there this year to support my friend Katie, known in the literati circles as Katherine Boll, local children's author and teacher.  

Katie has created for us a treasure in her new book, "Dante the Dancing Goose", based on the birds of Lake Morton (the geese, the ducks, the swans, the blue herons, and all their friends).  I personally own 3 copies now!  Katie's love of dance and literature really come together in this little book.  It's so fun to read out loud!  It'll make you shake your groove thing....  Give this link a click to make Dante a part of your life...http://www.dantethedancinggoose.com/

Here are Katie's parents, Skip and Jann, two people I am proud to have in my world :)

....and here are some of our friends who came to give a shout out to Dante!  We are sweating like crazy here.  They don't call Mayfaire "Bake By The Lake" for nothing.

Until next year, Mayfaire....Maybe next year, I'll actually pay attention to the art. LOL.