I like History

I have always liked reading and studying

about History.

When we travel or move to a

new place, I like to find out the

History of the area and people.

We traveled to Baltimore for the first

time earlier this month. We visited

the Civil War Museum in the 

Inner Harbor area.

It is housed in a restored Train Depot.

The museum is quite small...just the first

floor of the building...but has some

wonderful displays and information.

Imagine living through a war,

right in the area you live....

Here in Utah, we just celebrated

Pioneer Day...July 24...the day

the first Pioneers came into the

Salt Lake Valley.

The pioneers started in the Eastern part

of the USA, some coming from 

Europe, and crossed the country,

pushing hand carts or traveling

by wagons.

Both my parents had ancestors who

crossed the plains, settling in

Utah and Idaho

(and eventually California)

We are lucky to have a journal

from a Great Great Grandfather

describing his travels from England.

I also like to research Family

History or Genealogy.

I am an adopted person and

have meet some of my biological

people over the last 20 years.

They have shared the names

and vital info about their

ancestors and some of their

history with me.

This is Esther,

my paternal Grandmother.

She raised a family of 5 children

on a small plot of land in

Western New York state.

This is my daughter.

She is raising her family on

a small plot of land in Utah.

I love seeing the physical

features they share, passed

down through Time.

I like History!

For more "I like" posts, go over to

Not Afraid of Color

Three generation of creating

I am a member of hand quilters

on Facebook. Each week, the

administrator lists a theme 

for our post. This week is 

the Dresden Plate pattern.

Here is my Dresden Plate.

 This wall hanging was begun by

my Grandmother in the 1950's.

She passed on the partial sewn blocks

to my Mom in the 1980's. My Mom

was a fabulous seamstress, but did not

enjoy quilting, so I inherited the

blocks in the 1990's.

I finished sewing the blocks, then 

hand quilted the hanging. It was

gifted to my Mom for her 

70th birthday. 

I inherited it when my Mom

passed on. It hangs in my

Family room.

Blast from the past 1964

I love family history in it's many forms....records and stories and especially, photos. I have a brother M who is the center of our family when it comes to keeping our history alive. He sent me this 1964 photo of me (age 2) with my Siamese kitty named Wendy. I don't remember ever seeing this photo, so it is especially nice to have a copy of it. It was taken at our house in Rossmoor, California-near to Disneyland.

Photos can bring back so many nice memories for me!

I grew up with cats in the house all my life, and they have usually

been Siamese cats too, like Wendy.

As an adult, I have a Siamese cat named Minou,

whose name inspired this blog title.

I look at this photo and see the fence and yard my parents put in that house.

I've carried on their love of gardening from a childhood of yardwork.

I always felt safe and wanted in that house!

Thank you, sweet brother!

Davis County Fair

Hubby and I went to the Davis County Fair, where I had entered two quilts. I won first place for my "Devils Gate, Wyoming" journal quilt (pictured below) I got a second place for my "Tree of Paradise" wallhanging (I can't find a photo of it....maybe I don't have one). The quilter who won first place in the wallhanging group did an amazing landscape quilt. I was definitely a distant 2nd place. I had one beef teriyaki kabob and skipped all the other fair food. I really wanted a funnel cake, but forced myself to be a good girl, and that doesn't happen too often, folks! We also saw the lumberjack show. It was okay, but not spectacular. Too many corny jokes and not enough action for me. We had baby Tayge with us. If we ever go to something like that with a baby/small child again, we'll have ear/hearing protection for the baby. My daughter E came by and said the photographer had sent her the photos from their Temple sealing. This photographer was fantastic, and not really costly. When E had her wedding photos done 3 years ago, the photos were okay and very expensive. Even better, this photographer gave her the CD and all copyrights to the photo. If you get a chance, her photo blog is

www.anniemationsphotography.blogspot.com/

Check it out...E, her hubby and baby Tayge are the current post. I love the black n' white of Tayge (I think it's the 2nd photo) Once E gets thru the photos, I am going to post some here too

In Closing: Weird question this time...if you had to run out of the house, and never return, beside your family members, what 3 things would you grab......me, (1)my memory stick bag with the 3 memory sticks containing 15 years of Family History on them, (2)my photo CD box with all our photos on them and (3)my sewing machine, so I could sew new clothes and quilts for us. How about you?

Camping, hiking and chocolate

I tried to post some wonderful photo's of Havasupai, but it's just not happening today. Hubby and Daughter V, along with her best friend C, left for the girls graduation trip to Havasupai (Arizona) It's north of the Grand Canyon. Havasupai means "people of the blue-green water". It's down in a canyon area with lots of waterfalls, red rock, hiking and camping...paradise for my family. I bet the three of them are having a blast. They called to say they were having fun and had stopped for the tour at Hoover Dam on the way thru to Havasupai.

So what about me....I stayed home! This is V's trip with her dad and best friend. I took oldest daughter E on her graduation trip...room at the Marriott at a ski resort, shopping for clothes, and dinner at her favorite Mexican restaurant at the resort.

So, what did I do alone, so far. I went to the Family History Center with my friend T yesterday for about 6 hours. She had never been to the Center in Ogden (Utah), where I use to work, so we did a quick tour, lunch, and about 5 hours on the computer. And guess what we found out...we're related! After knowing each other for about 15 years, growing up on opposite US coasts, we found out we are part of the same family tree.
Her KELSEY family and my WILCOXSON/WILCOX family married, back in Vermont, about 400 years ago...we're cousins! Okay, cousins from wwwaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyy back! It was fun to find that out.

In closing:It has been interesting to be all alone here at home. I got to thinking when the last time I was alone. It turned out I was about 18 years old, and my parents had gone away for a few days of alone time as a couple. My entire marriage, I have never been alone. If I went somewhere, hubby or a child cam with me....if they left, I still had a child with me. It's been a different experience to not have to think about or worry or take care of anyone else but me. Of course, I have some major sewing/quilting planned. I stocked up on the videos to watch/listen to as I sew, plus a new Susan Witting Albert book. Suzanne, what do you want for dinner? Chocolate, thank you! Can you let the animals out for a break? Sure! Do you want to go to bed? Nope, gonna stay up and read for a while.

Oh, oh, I'm already talking to myself! Not a good sign....

So what haven't you done for a long time, or ever? What would you like to do away from your usual routine? Please, share with us....

Quiltathon Day

Today and tomorrow are Quiltathon days with Judy at Patchwork Times...thanks for keeping us motivated and organized, Judy. Daughter V & I are going to do some dyeing today. She wants some original shirts to wear on her Grand Canyon trip next week (graduation gift) and I want to try dyeing some muslin. I think I will also try and get a couple of fabric totes made too. I have a super easy McCall's (#8705) pattern for various totes that uses only a couple yards of fabric each. I am trying to use re-usable totes for the store and library so we don't have a bunch of plastic sitting around. I am also gearing up for some major family history work. I've slacked off on the online record translating I was doing for my Church. I am also taking a group from my Church down to the Salt Lake Family History Library (pictured above) on the 21st for a day of research. With the high gas prices ($3.90 a gallon), Hubby and I may just go to the Library for a day of research for our wedding anniversary this month too. My hubby is the greatest guy to do research with....I just give him a county and state I need info from, and he comes back with armloads of books and lists of films that fit my needs. He also doesn't mind doing copies of pages for me.
In closing: Pictured above is the Syracuse (Utah) Cemetery, where my hubby is the caretaker. I have been thinking alot about all that I have. I may not have the newest or biggest or most expensive of alot of things, but I have never "wanted" in my life for much. I have been trying to be more grateful and do for others or give more service. Where does the cemetery come in? I have tried to help my hubby with the cemetery more...clean up the expired flowers, weed, decorate a forgotten grave. Of course, I am going to try and do some kinds of other service, where ever I am needed. I read this week how the pioneers gave every 10th day as a day of service to others...cooking, laundry, building, plowing. etc. I am going to try and set aside the 10th, 20th and 30th of each month (give or take a day) as a service day.

How about you? Where/how/when do you do service?