Black Friday

This is what I will be doing.

Perusing.

Doesn't it look like fun?

Now really, 

why would you want to be shopping in all of those crowds?

Peace to you.

Is It Time Yet?

Well, is it?

Thanksgiving yet?

Yes, I know we should be thankful.......

and YES, 

I am, 

for so many things,

but my favorite part of Thanksgiving is,

I'm almost embarrassed to say it, 

FOUR DAYS OFF!

Yes, I'm thankful for my job,

I LIKE my job

but it isn't something I'm passionate about.

 So when it comes to this time of year,

I relish in the thought of 4 days off.

Watching movies late into the night.

Getting some loose ends completed.

Making Christmas lists.

Sending out Christmas cards

And this favorite corner of mine,

will soon reflect....Advent,

and the sounds and smells 

of Christmas.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm going to weigh in 

over at

A Stroll Through Life for

 91st Table Top Tuesday.

Find a Grave and Geneaology

Ok, I have found a new hobby.

Well, I thought I found a new hobby.

I stumbled upon this website by accident......http://www.findagrave.com

Somehow when I was playing on the internet, a picture of my brother's gravesite popped up. 

He has been gone almost two years and I had never even seen the stone they picked out.  

I freaked.

Doing further clicking (always dangerous), it linked me to my parents gravesite, then my grandparents....well you get the idea.  

Luckily I was having dinner with my brother and sister-in-law that night and she calmed me down when I said how much information was on this site.

She confirmed that many people use this to help in their ancestry search.

Much relieved.

So, for kicks, I signed up to be a volunteer grave photographer in my area.

I thought that I needed practice with my big girls camera so I thought, why not?

How hard can it be?

OMG, biG MISTAKE!

I guess I thought the requests would be in my little town where the cemeteries are large, but there are offices at each to help you locate the person.

Nooooooo.

My first request was from a lady in Houston, the cemetery was out in the country in Ogle County, two counties over, gravel road and behind someone's house where I felt I was invading their privacy to get back there.  Yikes.

The rules are, when you have a grave request, you check out the cemetery listing to see if there are any other photo requests in that same cemetery.

There was.   

Photo Requests for Cemetery: Pine Creek Brethren Cemetery

Catherine Newcomer

  b. 1789, d. 1856

   

John Faulkender 

  d. 1881

  

The dates indicate they are old.  That should have been my first clue.

Well, this morning I decided to venture out.  My husband, not sure what this new hobby was going to entail, thought he should accompany me.  (Oh brother-I didn't know what I was getting into.)

I put on my Land's End parka..........really, it was cold and windy outside, and if I was going to walk the rows, I did not want to get cold.  

My husband was the first to stumble upon a row of Newcomer's.

Yup, this is them.


Now, can we find a Catherine in all this?

Could this be it?  Clear as mud, right?

Look at those old markers propped up against the others.  (See husband walking the rows.  He didn't wear his parka.)

Check out the one in the tree.

And it wasn't until I got home when I uploaded the pictures that I saw another one at the base of this tree.


So sad how our cemeteries are getting in such a state of disrepair.


As far as the other name is concerned, Faulkender, I did not find one gravestone with that name on it.


Today was a bust.


I guess my next step is to contact someone on this sign and see if they have records.

Just a word of caution.  I signed up for this on 11/15.  By this morning I had 10 requests in 9 different cemeteries.   


I will keep you posted how it goes.

Heaven is for Real and MOM

Just got done reading "Heaven is for Real" last night.

Fast read

Pretty powerful

Really makes you think

Confirms my belief

Have you read it?

I would be interested to hear what say you?

I was feeling pretty blue on Friday, Veterans Day.


Still not sure why mom, not a veteran,


would pass away on, what she always called "Armistice Day".


(I don't think she got the memo from the President,
I think in 1954(?), changing the name.)

Mom at Great America

after the water ride

Can you tell?

My only immediate family, one brother a state north,
one brother a state south, is all I have left.

(L) brother from Missouri

(R) brother from Wisconsin

(M) me still in Illinois

I think I was okay until I jumped on Facebook over my lunch hour.


The first post I saw was from Edna, giving a wonderful tribute to a very special lady, who passed away 2 years ago.  Hard to believe.  I miss you a lot, is what she wrote. 


There was my mom's name in print.


Edna took care of my mom, especially the last few weeks of her life, rearranging her schedule so she could spend as much time with her as possible.  She sat up with us all night, and she was with us when Jesus came to take her home.   


Of course........I lost it.  Yikes, and I was at work.  Had to shut the door to my office in a hurry.   


Regrouped.


4:00 in the afternoon and I got a call.


My sister-in-law from the south asked if we were up for dinner tonight.


WHAT?


You in town?  


"Yup!"  Meet you in Byron at 7:00.


I was so glad to see my brother.  I hugged him, then I hugged my sister-in-law, then I hugged my nephew, and then I hugged my two great nephews.  


I was so glad to see him.


Do I seem needy?


Well, Friday I guess I was.

Chicago Bear game late 80's.

My husband is always there for me, but sometimes, you need that link to the past to get over the hump.  


I think God knew I needed a brother that day.


We miss her very much but know she is in the light.


Heaven is for Real.

The Song Remembers When

Did anyone else watch the CMA awards Wednesday night?

Hosted by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood.

I absolutely LOVE music

Do you hear me?  

LOVE MUSIC!

AND

country music has always been a part of my life.

They had a very nice tribute to Glen Campbell,

although never a big fan of Glen's, 

I have to admit, I can sing along to all of his songs.

I was sitting all alone in the family room, 

minding my own business, 

listening to the TV,

and tears start streaming down my face as I listened to the familiar tunes

Galveston, By the Time I Get to Phoenix, Wichita Lineman

Back to a time when everyone in my family 

were alive and well.

Isn't that funny how a song brings you back

You may not be thinking about anything in particular

but then that song comes on

and takes you back.

The memories

I can't hear a Tammy Wynette or Waylon Jennings song 

without thinking of my dad.

My brother taking me to my first live concert in Chicago to see

 Our family gathered in the living room to listen to

hilarious!!!!

Weekly we would watch the Sonny & Cher show

(My dad loved the banter between the two)

I still have all of my albums ~ I don't own an iPod.

Does that date me?

Here's one I had to buy on eBay 

~ my brother had the original and wouldn't let me have it

This is another one of my brother's that I purchased,

both vinyl and CD.

A great entertainer ~ and one I saw at several county fairs.

Won't ever forget this 1977 album

and my trips to U of I, sitting between Greg & Lee 

and watching them play football the next four years.

Another great from that era  

Kim got me hooked on this group.

Sheila and I would sing these songs from this album at work.

GET UP ~ GET BACK ON YOUR FEET!

Dating Kevin ~ I think I should have married him.

ROMANCE!

Crush on Brian ~ and wishing Maple Park wasn't so far away.

Loved this album

but it was the beginning of a dark time in my life

DANCE music 

    and Rockford Lightning games

If you want to learn the Declaration of Independence

to song, this one is for you.

We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal.....

(Can you hear me singing?)

That is probably a good thing.

I'm a horrible singer.

Days of Dan ~ probably a good thing I didn't marry him.

 Just in case you didn't get a good glimpse.

I would be remiss if I didn't include our hometown boys

It was nothing to see Rick on the bike path, or Carlos at the Rockford Lightning games or Robin at the Hallmark store picking out a card.  

Notice I spared you all of my disco collection.

You are welcome


Does music trigger a memory for you?


Even if you don't remember,
The Song Remembers When
(Trisha Yearwood sings this
but it is not available on free playlist)

Nite y'all. 


The Band Perry is in my CD player ready for my morning shower.