Ramblings-n-Writings

Archive for June, 2008

Aren’t they the cutest? This is their 5 week photo with mom watching in the background.

See the little orange guy trying to start trouble by batting his sister’s paw? That guy is Buster. He was originally Mouthy because he meowed a lot and quite loudly for such a little thing. But then his name changed for good reason:

Once the kittens started getting active, I had to barricade sections of the house to keep them contained. Yeah right. Buster busted out of every area we made for them. (See where the name Buster comes from?)

It’s kind of comical too because Buster was the last kitten born, but he’s the first to do everything – usually days in advance of his siblings. He’s been eating regular food for well over a week already. The others are just starting to show interest in food. He was the first to climb out of the original kitten box (the sides were at least 12 inches high). He was also the first to successfully navigate the barricades (flattened cardboard box propped against wooden box and large pack of paper towels – about 2 feet high). I seriously pity the person who adopts him since he’ll be hanging from the curtains in no time at all! =)

Have you started a family tree? The genealogy bug bit me the other day and I’ve been taking advantage of a “free” trial for ancestry.com.

It all started last weekend when my high school age niece asked if I knew more information about someone in our family tree. I really didn’t know anything more than what she knew which is about all anyone in the family knows. (I have a basic family tree that goes back 5 generations for both my mother and my father’s side, but there’s always room for more information.)

We tried doing some general research online, but we quickly figured out that we wouldn’t learn a whole lot that way. So, I opted for a trial at ancestry.com – what a great resource for information!

I found old census reports that lists family members and draft registration cards for male relatives. However, the most exciting find was the passenger list for the ship my maternal grandfather came to America on.

We knew the basic story behind his coming to America – he came by boat to live with an aunt and uncle when he was about 18. Now we know the details! He came on a French ship named the S.S. Paris (we have a photo of the ship now), applied for his visa permit in Prague, was 5 ft 9 in, weighed 170 lbs, was 19 yrs old, and more.

It’s a lot of fun trying to reconstruct our family tree and add information to it. I’ve even found some situations that sparked story ideas in my mind.

Back in 1685, something mysterious happened to a husband and wife – they died on the same day. Was it an accident, illness, or something more criminal? Curiosity really makes me want to know but I know I never will. Later on in the years, a father has two young children when the mother dies – possibly in childbirth. The father remarries within a year – what did the children think, what did the new wife feel, how did the father cope especially when the new wife was ready to give birth a year later? Do you see the stories?

So if you’re looking for something to do or maybe a plot twist, try researching your family tree. You never know what you might find! =)