How Did I Get Here? My Amazing Genealogy Journey

If you are not familiar with this wonderful project that was created by Julie Goucher of the Angler's Rest blog, please refer to this link: http://www.anglers-rest.net/book-of-me-written-by-you.html . This week's prompt is - Addresses and Locations Are there addresses and locations from your childhood you can recall? Can you remember your next door neighbors? Their name What they looked like What car they drove (if any) Addresses of family and friends Describe the houses Shops Clubs Do you have any pictures - houses, street signs etc Are there addresses and locations from your childhood you can recall? The first address that I can recall is so hard-wired into my memory that it's absolutely ridiculous. When I was in kindergarten, I had to memorize the address that we lived at and our telephone number. Had to know it, no ifs ands or buts. Mrs. Carroll, my teacher, was a smart lady and wanted us know to know basic information in the event that we ever becam...

If you are not familiar with this wonderful project that was created by Julie Goucher of the Angler's Rest blog, please refer to this link: http://www.anglers-rest.net/book-of-me-written-by-you.html . We all have them. Family that are like friends Family that are like acquaintances Friends that are like family Friends that are new, but seem old ones! Family members that are like strangers Emotional links to generations past? Does it matter how we feel about the friends and family we have? Is it a case of when the times comes family comes first? Define good friends How do you distinguish friends - real virtual  colleagues long term friends does it not matter Does it matter how we feel about the friends and family we have? I can only speak for myself. Other folks may feel the same or it may be different for them. I hold my family in my heart. Family when I was a child was a connected group linked by blood and proximity. I was lucky. I was able to see and g...

If you are not familiar with this wonderful project that was created by Julie Goucher of the Angler's Rest blog, please refer to this link: http://www.anglers-rest.net/book-of-me-written-by-you.html This week's prompt is - How do you measure success? Can success be measured? Medals or Trophies Money or reward Status Personal Knowledge Achievements How others view you? I think success can be measured but I think each person measures success differently. My concern in this life is how I define success.  If I set forth goals and am able to achieve them while maintaining my integrity, I consider that a success. Status is directly linked to the ego. I am now much less concerned with things that are considered status symbols. I am more concerned with how something makes me feel nowadays versus how something looks.  Well, that's not entirely true. I do like nice clothes but the reasons are not because how I think others will perceive me but rather how it...

If you are not familiar with this wonderful project that was created by Julie Goucher of the Angler's Rest blog, please refer to this link: http://www.anglers-rest.net/book-of-me-written-by-you.html This week's prompt is - Family Traits Do you exhibit any family traits? Do you even recognize them or simply accept them as face value? Do traits exist or are they simply a coincidence? The Bryant Siblings From left to right:  Rosa Bryant Sanders, Ray Bryant, Loris Bryant Gwyn Helton, Linwood Bryant, Mary Bryant Harrison Horton, Frank Bryant and Eloise Bryant Grigsby. I think I exhibit a few family traits. My Bryant family line is known for their no holds bar sense of humor. I think I carry a bit of that. Bryants don't mess around when it comes with discipline either. My grandmother's generation were not "time out" people. If you did wrong be prepared to face the wrath.  I think mine is toned down a bit and I do use time outs but my kids know fo...

My mom's awesome! Well she's awesome for so many reasons, one of which is that she has documented the life and times of our family very well with pictures. Back on November 7, 2014, I wrote a post called,  The Book Of Me: Prompt 51 --Your First Home   in which I described the first apartment I had rented all by myself. Well, guess what? Yesterday, while visiting mom I happened to be poking around a couple of old photo albums and I found pictures of that apartment. Seeing them really took me back to another time and place. A time of when I was young and the world was full of possibilities. It's just a couple of pictures but to me it means much more. Thank you Mom for taking these :) Picture of the living room at my apartment at 20 College St. Binghamton. I lived there from August 1996--July of 1997. It's a bit blurry but here's the kitchen. Another view from the living room.

If you are not familiar with this wonderful project that was created by Julie Goucher of the Angler's Rest blog, please refer to this link: http://www.anglers-rest.net/book-of-me-written-by-you.html This week's prompt is - Task Reflections Write a list of each task you undertake for any given day.  Include the fine details of the tasks taking milk out of the fridge to add to a drink - what was the milk in? a jug, quart container? Compare those tasks to an ancestor - someone born in the late 19th Century or early 20th Century and preferably someone that you knew or remember.  Record and discuss the differences What of those discoveries has impacted on you? I am going to compare my mother's list of  daytime "To Dos" to mine. I'll be looking at daybreak through dinnertime.  Once I'm done writing for this prompt, I am going to share this information with my kids. I can't wait to see their reaction to some of these things. Mom (timeframe la...