Another day sorting

I had kind of a fun day.  I've been meaning to sort through a box of "saved stuff" and dump what needs to be dumped and/or put things in a filing system so I can find it later.  Mostly it was my genealogy papers but I came across a whole lot of treasures that needed to be put in plastic sleeves and inserted in three-ring binders.  Will do more tomorrow

My neighbor, Yvonne, sold her house today so she wanted to go out to lunch to celebrate.  She'll be moving in April or May -- probably to the Olympia area.  We went to the Bushwacker and we both ordered the salad bar. I had a bowl of clam chowder with mine and she had a chocolate sundae for dessert.  We also had a glass of wine -- and boy, did it ever taste good!  I don't drink wine often.  I don't drink liquor much at all, as far as that goes.  Like to have a beer now and then and a mixed drink once in a blue moon. I don't recall being at the Bushwacker since 1996 when my daughter, Sue, got married there.

Just looked over the tv schedule for tonight. Kind of looks like a night of taping on two VCRs. PBS has a two-hour show on touring parts of Europe and the animal channel has something about the back woods? Hunter is lounging on the couch with his "device" and Maddie is home with the dog.  Jenni took off for scrapbooking camp for the weekend so Hunter opted to hang out here until Wayne gets off work.

The news is sure boring with a capital B today.  They're making entirely too much out of the Pope retiring.  Not the first time the networks develop a story out of "not much."  Giving Dennis Rodman airtime for hanging out with that kook from North Korea...PLEASE!  Who cares?!  You always know it's a slow news day when they run a story on obesity.  This time it was decided that American women are fat because they don't have to work as hard at housework as they did in the 50's.  Good Lord!  And kids don't walk as much as they did in the old days or play outside and no one walks much. Even most teens have cars, and we don't plant gardens and grow our own food the way we used to. Most don't even wash their own car anymore.  The list is endless.

And I won't even discuss congress and our politial leaders.  Too annoying for words.  And so is Diane Sawyer's voice!

Well, I guess I've complained enough for now.  Got a big kettle of homemade chili simmering on the stove and I think I'll go scoop up a bowl.

Homework

The morning's almost gone but I've managed to get quite a few little chores out of the way. All paper and computer related.  Letters, cards, picture orders, banking, and now blogging.  I'm going to work on photo albums for an hour or so. Have to insert the old pictures I've had in a shoebox onto the additional pages I added to a favorite album. Always fun once you get started.

I got a Town Kid blog posted last night before going to bed. Couldn't find a thing  on TV so I called it a day and crawled in the sack around 9 to read for a while.  Hummingbirds are feeding at both the front and back feeders already so I'm glad I made the effort to put in fresh nectar yesterday.  Been watching my four trees bloom and I'm pretty sure the one out front is dead.  I kind of babied that tree along a lot of the time wondering if it was going to blossom.  This morning it looks just dreadful.

You can't really tell from this picture but if it doesn't perk up pretty soon, I'm going to see if Hunter will help me dig it up and plant a new one.  The ones in the back at least have buds coming out.

Here's a shot of some quail that frequent my place and may even be nesting under the porch. Not sure how long they'll stick around, though, as Sammy is coming to spend the weekend and he does like to chase birds.

Here's a shot I took from the Walgreen's parking lot yesterday when I was picking up reprints. I never tire of seeing the mountains.

And here's some helpful tips from my Rose Johnson email a while back.....

I saw this next picture on Facebook and I thought it was interesting enough to give it a try next time I'm cooking pasta.

I got to thinking the other day about how many "gadgets" I have in my life.  Here's a selection of a few....

I watched a few videos on YouTube yesterday to make sure I knew exactly how to use my foam rubber tube thingie for floor exercises.  All of them looked super easy and I was anxious to get started.  I had a rude awakening, however, when I was unable to do even ONE!  It hurt way too much.  But more than hurting, I just plain could NOT DO THEM!  I think I needed more strength in my arms than I have, not to mention more strength in my legs.  I was very dismayed because I paid $20 for that dang roller and I assumed it was going to be an easy exercise program for me.

I'm going to get on my bike this week and start again on riding around the block to work myself up to a point where I'm not wanting to throw in the towel and kill myself.  I know it's going to be like day one all over again but it's not like I'm expecting it to be anything else.

Two nights ago I was settling in to read in bed when I saw and heard this huge black fly who thought I needed company.  I absolutely cannot sleep knowing there's a flying insect in my room so it was to retrieve the fly swatter and kill that bugger!  Didn't take any time at all, for which I was thankful 'cause I've experienced some killing escapades that took on a life of their own while it was me against the bug for a long period of time.  I guess I'm going to have to make sure I always shut the door when I go in and out. At least it's a sign the weather is warming up.

And here's a very colorful video for your viewing pleasure.....

The Oscars

My cousin, Cindy, commented on FB that I'm the only one she knows who watches The Oscars. That's surprising.  Course I know a ton of people who have zero interest in the awards but I know quite a few who tune in.  I used to watch all the award shows but some are avoided now as they're just too teflon-covered and predictable.  Like the Peoples' Choice Awards and the Country Music Awards.  I still like a lot of country music but most of my really hardcore favorites are from the "over the hill gang."

It's 4:30 a.m. and I've been up for an hour.  I am tired, though, so I'm hoping a little blogging will help bring on sleep.  I surfed my usual websites and found little of interest so at least when I get up a second time later this morning, I can get right to ancestry searching.  I spent a lot of time hunting for Charlie Blankenship with no success so I'm going to switch gears and go hunting for my great grandmother's family (Downs) out of Delaware.  My clues include a copy of a letter her sister, Henrietta, wrote her back in the late 1890's.  I think I'll have more luck working on Henrietta to find out exactly how Jane Downs came to leave Delaware and end up in MO or IL where she married Lewis Blankenship.

Anyhow, back to the Oscars....  I've read a couple of reviews online of what the critics had to say about the host and other acts on the show. I agree with some but disagree with more.  I thought Seth MacFarlane was far from entertaining and funny.  Many of his jokes were in poor taste and I don't recall laughing once at anything coming out of his mouth.

One of the most tiring things about the Oscar show is the steady run of celebrities coming out to present awards and subjecting us to how cute they think they are before they get around to announcing the winner.  Nine times out of ten, their skits and banter are boring with a capital B. I thought it was ironic how music was rudely played loud or  ushers walked on stage to guide long-winded thank yous off-- yet they'd let the presenters waste our time with their lame routines. Most of the thank you speeches are entirely too long but on the other hand, there are those people who wait anxiously hoping to hear their name from the winner's lips.  I know if I had anything to do with a movie that won an award, I'd sure love to hear my name announced to the world.

 I do enjoy seeing all the gowns and hairdos.  I pretty much like all the dresses except for the ones where the starlets have half their boobs hanging out.  Seen one boob, you seen 'em all. But oh well, it is Hollywood and they have enormous egos.

As someone who struggles with her hair on a daily basis, I'm always surprised at the stars who can afford good looking hair and come out looking like they just left their bed.  One of the women who got an Oscar for make-up and hair design looked especially unkempt.  Robert DeNiro needed a lot of help and so did Jack Nicholson (who could also use help getting dressed).  But he can look anyway he wants, I suppose. Especially when you google him and you only have to type "jack n" to get a hit.

I have a desire to see more "shorts" and documentaries and foreign films after watching the Oscars and I intend to look into that in the coming months.  I don't have any desire to see Django Unchained. It just looks too dang sad and upsetting. I'll probably watch all the others once they hit video as frequent theatre outings can be hard on the budget.

I did go to see Silver Linings Playbook and Argo.  I was pulling for Argo from day one as I thought it was a terrific thriller.  I liked all the music numbers except for Jennifer Hudson.  She has a really good voice but I don't like it when she chooses a song that has her screeching and bellowing. I ended up putting her on mute.  Barbra Streisand made me feel like I wanted to watch 'The Way We Were' again.  That was one good movie.  Also enjoyed Adele.

I thought it was interesting to see what stars showed up on the red carpet or were presenters who weren't there in previous years. Sometimes I think it depends on whether your "ex" and his/her new spouse are in attendance.  I could have done without the 'cut to the White House' for Michele Obama to say a few words.  She gets enough air time on the talk shows already.  Course if it was Hillary up there, I'd think it was fine. 

My favorite actor and actress to see?  Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep.  All they have to do is show up and I'm happy.

Busy Bee Saturday

I don't know what all was going on in my dream last night but as soon as I woke up this morning, I had this overwhelming urge to clean out closets and rearrange where I kept stuff.  I actually had a lot of things stored in really dumb places.  Finding new spots for various treasures is what makes my life full. 

My working area out here on the kitchen table was getting messier by the day and I knew I had to take a break and get things straightened up.  Part of the straightening up included fixing photo albums.  I still had a little money left on my Joanne's gift card so I stopped by there and picked up two packages of photo album pages that I was pretty sure would fit in my "old family pictures album."  It meant taking the cover off and using a screw driver and putting an extension screw on but it was kind of fun once I figured out what I was doing. It's all ready for me to add more pictures and then I discovered two more empty albums in the hall closet that I haven't even used yet.  Maybe I'll save them for gifts.

 

I've been making trips back and forth using my old scanner when I want to get a crisper scan of some old photo.  As I was going through my various photo stashes, I came across this one that I'd never really paid that much attention to before.

 

There's two little stickers on the back that say: "Dad is one with scratched off face." And..."Dad's school in St. Louis."  I'm not real sure who's handwriting it is. I know it's none of my uncles so it must be Elva or Velna although I sure don't recall them doing it for me.  What caught my interest today was the name written above these two little stickers.  It's in old time script writing (looks like a woman's) and it says Charlis Blankenship.  Now that's a mystery.  Mainly because of this family portrait I've been wanting to ID in the worst way.  My cousin, Bonnie and I are pretty sure we have everybody identified but the boy in front continues to baffle us.

 

I'll figure it out someday. All in good time.

 

I finally discovered exactly what this cheeping noise was I kept hearing.  I thought it was a hummingbird outside my sliding glass door but today I surprised some quail who were under the porch and now I know who was making the noise I couldn't locate.

Went to a memorial service for a former neighbor I had in Sequim. Big crowd. Nice lady.  She was step-sister to Patty Fraker, who I went to school with until she left in high school.

This is Vivian, John, and Linda.  Other neighbors in Green Acres.

 

 

Well, I guess I'll scrounge up something for dinner. Looking forward to the Oscars tomorrow. As usual, I wish I could have seen more of the movies up for awards.

 

Here's another cute picture I liked.   Love that little wagon my dad and his brother are sitting in. I bet their dad made it.

 





Wintery Day

I drove over to the casino this morning to meet friends for lunch. Decided I'd stay long enough to play my $20 bill.  I changed that plan once I got to the point of being $7 ahead of the game.  I was $10 ahead but it started to reclaim so I opted out. At least I got my lunch paid for.

It was Joanna Rosanna Danna's birthday. Well, it will be her birthday next week.

I made two quick stops in Sequim at Rite Aid  and Walgreens. Was hoping to find a curling iron like the one I have that blows hot air like a hair dryer.  They must not make them anymore because I've hunted in three or four places. Finally just bought a hot iron roller thingie.  Stopped at the library in Port Angeles as I had a book in. Life among the Modocs from the 1930's. They borrowed it from another library for me.

I did a little bit of research on one of my grandpa's brothers -- James Summer. (Or Sumner, I'm not sure which)  Anyhow, I had this picture that was labeled James and his friend, John Moore.  I can't find the picture anywhere so now I don't know for sure where I even saw it. Perhaps online.  Anyhow, I researced John Moore to see if I could find him in a census with my James and I did!
They were loggers together in Dayton, Mason County in 1910. Jim was listed as an engineer and John was a skidroad.

I may do a little more searching on John later, just for the heck of it.   I haven't been able to find much on James but do know he died in Eureka in 1949 and did some goldmining.  I've probably already mentioned this before. It sounds familiar at any rate. Jim is on the left.

Guess I'll turn off the computer and settle down in front of the tv for a while.  I'm tired and will probably have to tape both the 10 pm shows I wanted to see. Going to a memorial service tomorrow. Hope the weather doesn't get too nasty.

Quiet Thursday

I spent the morning scanning obituaries in my file notebook and then proceeded to scan some photos. Been wanting to post various things on my Family Tree on Ancestry so that others can see it and hopefully, I'll hear from other "cousins" working on the same lines.  I had 15 obits of family members and I finally stopped scanning after 26 photos.  Thankfully, I can still access my tree when I decide to cancel my subscription.

One thing I've learned is to study the pictures closely that I've only glanced at before.  Clues are to be found.  Like this one...

 

My notes (which I don't know who they came from) identified some of the people as:

Bertha Fotland Holt, 2nd from left, Arlie Holt (I assume the next guy over) and the two on the right are my grandparents, Viola Mae Holt and Lew Gene Blankenship.  I assume that's correct because it looks just like my grandpa and the Viola Mae picture looks a lot like my Aunt Velna. Since Viola and Lew married in 1903, I assume this picture is the early 1900's. Probably in the Oak Harbor area.

 

Eventually, I'll get on over to my grandmother's side of the family and research them.  I've already got a lot of notes to start with. I know, for example, that Bertha was born the same year as my grandpa but she was born in a sod shanty in Minnesota.  Can't wait to get into that research.

 



Well, not much else going on around here. Gotta go see the doctor in a couple hours and pick Maddie up at basketball practice at 5.  Here's a couple more tips.....

 

I was googling various places I'd come across on my searches and found this short video on the Smeede Hotel in Eugene which my great uncle Jake Stark operated in 1910.

 

And I guess I can mark another one up for my dumbness.  I suspected I shouldn't have put my popcorn topper top on the bottom shelf of the dishwasher.  It's still usable (I think) but I'm very annoyed at myself for the crack I managed to put it in.  I don't know why I can't listen to my common sense side at least once in a while.

My AARP Magazine arrived yesterday and for some reason, I found it very boring.  Perhaps I've reached that stage of life where I pretty much know it all.    Yeah, that's probably it.

I got me a new toy

I went on YouTube to watch (again) how to do floor exercises for the periformis muscle in the upper thigh.  I was pretty sure I remembered but I wanted to look at other peoples' videos, as well. I came across a series on foam rollers and thought..."hmmmmm...I think that's just what I need for the problems I've been having lately." 

I called around and finally found a physical therapist office that sold them.  The first place suggested I go to this local pharmacy but every time I've tried to get something there, I've always felt it was overpriced.  As it turned out the drug store wanted five dollars more for the exact same thing.

It doesn't look like much but there are several videos on YouTube demonstrating what you can do and what it will help. Course just getting on the floor is my first obstacle.  Still...I've got to try whatever I can.  That foot episode at the library yesterday was unnerving.  I ended up going to bed at 8:45 last night because I was exhausted.  Stress I think.  I woke up at 3 a.m. with a splitting headache but I knew it would go away if I slept more upright so it was off to the living room recliner for the rest of the night.

I've put a cane in the back of my car....just in case I ever get caught like that again.  Sadly, I also often set out this contraption to help me in my hour of need.

 

I spent most of my day on ancestry.com again.  Still working on locating the children of my great aunt Georgie Stark. I found the guy that Ailene married and it looks like they took off to live in Council Bluff, Iowa. I found them in several city directories where his job title changed over the years from clerk to asst to traffice manager to chief rate clerk, to manager traffic dept. All this for the UPRR (Omaha) which I'm thinking is the railroad. Gonna do more research on that just because I'm curious. 

 

When they first got married in Eugene, Oregon in 1918, his job was listed as mech Painless Parker, dentist.  I'm not sure what that means.  I've still got a lot of work to do on this particular couple. Like find out if they had kids, when he died, and why she ended up dying in California in 1951.

 

I got hungry in mid afternoon so I pulled out my popcorn popper and made a snack.

I finally threw the last of it outside in the yard 'cause I couldn't stop eating it.  (story of my life)

 

I've got some stuffed cabbage rolls cooking in the oven now.  I used the leftover meat and rice mixture from the stuffed green peppers a few days ago.  Just kind of made it up as I went along.

I forgot to add my "tips" yesterday so here's two today....

And here's an interesting email I got from Pete & Carolyn Schweitzer down in Vancouver....

This man owned & drove the same car for 82 YEARS.

Mr. Allen Swift (Springfield, MA) received this 1928

Rolls-Royce Piccadilly-P1 Roadster from his father, brand

 new - as a graduation gift in 1928.

He drove it up until his death last year ... at the age of 102!!!

He was the oldest living owner of a car that was purchased new.

It was donated to a Springfield museum after his death.

It has 1,070,000 miles on it, still runs like a Swiss watch, dead silent

at any speed and is in perfect cosmetic condition. (82 years).

 



Gotta go set my VCR now. Lots of good stuff on tv tonight...Mr. D, The Middle, Modern Family, 20/20, Law & Order, and The Americans.

4 errands

I didn't leave the house yesterday but I needed to run a few errands this morning so I forced myself out.  Had a gift card for Joanne's Fabrics so decided to browse through on my way to the Dollar Store. Found a $30 bundle of quilt batting (king size) on sale for $14.97 so I scooped that up so I'll have it on hand when I get back into sewing again.

Also bought a packet of "fat squares" that the clerk gave me a coupon for when I was checking out so I got it for half off. Love it when that happens.  I needed a few birthday cards and was pleasantly surprised when I checked out at the Dollar Store that they were on sale for 50 cents each.  I picked up some postage stamps and made a quick stop at the library to request some books.

Unfortunately, I got halfway to the library door and experienced a little "foot problem."  This particular problem has occurred off and on for years but it disappears quickly and I continue on my way. I was always nervous that it would happen while I was out in public and today was the day.  I stopped and stood still for a bit because I literally couldn't stand on the foot.  I finally hobbled over to a chair and sat there for five minutes IN A VERY BAD MOOD!  I sure am glad I've got a doctor appt in a couple of days for a referral to a foot doctor.  I'm way overdue at getting to the bottom of this nonsense!

I moved my laptop over to the recliner as I wanted to study videos and read searching tips on ancestry.  Amazing how much I learned in that short period of time. Intend to study again tomorrow.  For the last couple days, I've heard this "cheep" noise and I've walked around the room trying to establish where it was coming from.  I was just about ready to think it was a battery going bad on a smoke detector but then I opened up the sliding glass door and jumped as a bird "cheeped" real loud.

I went out in the back yard to fill half a dozen bird feeders and took a few pictures before coming back in.

 I took another look at those little "thingies" growing in the moss. Still not sure what they are but they're staying little.

 Here's a fairy ring of mushrooms or toadstools or whatever you call them.

 My plum tree is getting buds on it so I think spring is getting closer.

 Saw this little purple flower growing near the bird feeders but don't remember planting there. Looks like it might be a crocus.

Both tulip beds have flowers coming up so it won't be long now and I'll have some color out there.

My sister's ex-husband, Clarence Lammers, had told her a couple days ago that Emily Graves had passed away.  The rumor mill got going but when she tried to find out about services, no one seemed to know a thing about her dying.  She finally figured out that Clarence (who is having some memory issues) just assumed she was dead because he saw her husband out without her.

Tomorrow, she's taking him to Kai Tai Nursing Home after they have lunch. She's told him there's a guy down there that Clarence knows and who said he'd like for him to stop by and visit.  She can hardly wait to see Clarence's face when she leads him into Emily's room. (she hasn't told him yet that he was mistaken)  hee hee

Want to do me a favor?  Jenni mentioned a close friend of hers whose daughter is going to be in a Seattle hospital for months. Anne is 8 years old and has non Hodgkins lymphoma. She's also excited about collecting boxtops for a school project so if you could drop her a get well card (and if you have any) insert a boxtop or two, she'd be thrilled.
Address to:
Anne Edwards c/o Kristine Zimmerman, 820 Dayton St, Edmonds, WA 98020

Thanks!

So you know....

Apparently Emily Hicks Graves is alive and recuperating at Kai Tai Nursing Home.  My source (who is dealing with dementia)kind of got things screwed up.  Now I'll have to give her a call and tell her I announced her death.  Sigh.....

President's Day

Neighbor girls stopped in and wanted to do a cheer for me.  I told them my video yesterday was kind of dark so I needed more practice using my camera.  I shot two minutes and they continued on their way to do cheers elsewhere.


I posted a couple pictures on Facebook that I was "practice scanning".
Here's my dad and uncle about age 14 or 15 hiking in the mountains. I don't know the guy with them.The sign nearby read:  Rainbow Camp, City Camp, Tunnel Creek Trail, Big Quilcene Trail, Bark Shanty, Shelter Rock.

This photo is an official marine picture titled "1st Defense Battalion." My dad is down front. I think he said they were on an island in the south Pacific.  I forget. Story of my life these days.

Hard to believe this was 70 years ago!

Got a call from my cousin, Diane Westergaard, last night telling me she'd been in contact with a cousin doing genealogy research on the Blanchard side of the family. She gave me his email and I'm hoping to get a picture of my mother's mother, Lillian Nisbet. I've got two now but always wished I had more.  He lives down in Ridgefield, I think.  Ironically, the research I did on my mother's biological family showed her dad and family living in Ridgefield.

Was nice to see Downton Abbey running for 90 minutes last night but I was sad to hear that's it for the season.  Now we have to wait for more episodes months down the line.  I hate the system they have these days for showing television shows. Especially those you get hooked on.

Saw a notice in the PA paper that a former neighbor of mine in Sequim is having a graveside service this Saturday in Port Angeles.  I  intend to go.  My sister called me this morning and told me of another friend passing on -- Emily Hicks Graves.  Sad.  My friends keep disappearing.

Have edited and deleted and changed this post today. I read it back and it made me gag!  ha ha
Here's an interesting tip:

 

And more British ads:

COWS, CALVES:  NEVER BRED.  Also 1 gay bull for sale.

JOINING NUDIST COLONY!

Must sell washer and dryer$100.

 

WEDDING DRESS FOR SALE.

Worn once by mistake.

FOR SALE BY OWNER.  Complete set of Encyclopedia Britannica, 45 volumes.

Excellent condition, $200 or best offer.

No longer needed, got married, wife knows everything.



Three Girls at my Door

My doorbell rang this afternoon and three little girls offered to sing for me. Nobody's ever sung at my door before so I ran to get my camera so I could video. Now if I just understood how to adjust my camera settings so the picture wasn't so dark.  Hate it when that happens. I'm going to have to practice tomorrow.

Here's Eve, Saylah, and Kira.  Remember when all our friends had names like Linda, Sharon, Susie, and Carol?  ha ha

For Bonnie...

sitting in front on ground: Lindsay & Craig Walker, adults on right: Jimmy Blankenship, Claude Walker
boy on chair in front Jessie Blankenship, son of Jimmy
lst row of chairs: Janie Lammers holding granddaughter, Emily Forcier, Edwina Forcier, Elva Arey, Lorraine Blankenship, Lillian Blankenship, Sue Baldridge holding Catie Baldridge, Joyce Blankenship

lst row standing: Holly Blankenship (married to Jimmy), Amanda Blankenship (daughter of Bill Blankenship), Jim Blankenship, John Blankenship, George Blankenship, David Blankenship (son of Bill & Kathleen Blankenship),Katy Mason, Greg Mason, Ann Evans, Bill Evans,

2nd row: hidden in purple Caroline Blankenship, Kathleen Blankenship (in green), Eddie Forcier, hidden blond girl unknown (friend of Joe's)

back row: Marcella Blankenship (w/white hair), Joe Baldridge (pink shirt), Lorraine Walker, tall guy in blue shirt is Garth Harper, Elaine Arey hidden in red coat, Lee Arey,Jennifer Blankenship, partially hidden, Bill Blankenship

top photo shows Bill Arey in back behind George and shows Elaine better.