SOME THINGS ARE STILL FREE!

     Economic times are tight right now, but maybe you still receive letters in the mail asking you to donate to good causes.  This being a Presidential election year, you are probably getting letters from your favorite political party asking for substantial donations.  Perhaps you are fortunate enough to be in a position to make those sizable donations--after all, they're tax-deductible.  But if you are on a fixed income, and do not feel that you can make such a donation at this time, please don't forget the bottom line.  There is still something you can do that is absolutely FREE.  Come November, you can VOTE.  Don't think that your one vote doesn't matter.  If enough people took that position, their candidate might not be elected.  Regardless of your economic status--get out and VOTE!  It's FREE, FREE, FREE!  And too few things are.

WHO'S READING THIS BLOG????

     Granted, I'm no computer genius.  Perhaps that's the reason that I can't understand the "stats" section of my blog.  The stats are supposed to tell me how many people have viewed the blog, where those viewers live, etc.  While most of the readers are located in the United States, I notice that there have also been people in Russia, Latvia, Brazil and the United Kingdom who have read it.  While I know a few people in the United Kingdom, I know absolutely nobody in Russia, Latvia or Brazil!  So, how did they find my blog?  Go figure!

MY BEAUTIFUL GRANDSON, ALEXANDER!

     Here he is, folks, in all his splendor.  This is the "fabled" Alexander whom I have told you of before on this blog.  Thought it might be more interesting for you to see him, rather than just to read about him.  This is one of his most recent pictures, taken this month.  He is approximately two-and-a-half months old here.

I FORGOT TO APOLOGIZE

     When I wrote the post that appears just before this one, I should have begun it with the following apology:
     Thank you to all who read my blog.  I have been unfair to you.  I have not written any new posts from December 24th until today--more than two months!  Shame on me.  I will try hard to be more diligent in the future, since I feel very fortunate for the opportunity to communicate in this manner, and very thankful to The Morning Journal (and its fine Editor) for giving me the opportunity to do so.

"THE YELLOW ROSE OF TEXAS" AND SEVERAL OTHER COUSINS!

     For those of you who have been following my blog, it will not come as news to you that I have had a long-standing interest in genealogy.  I know that there are some people who share this interest; some who have no interest at all in their ancestors; and everything in-between.  I have a feeling that many people don't see the present-day value of tracing one's roots.  In addition to providing one with an understanding of their own personal family history, genealogy can provide us with some unexpected present-day surprises.  Let me tell you what I mean by this.
     I have been tracing my roots since the 1970's.  Before I began, I didn't know the names of any ancestors beyond my grandparents and--given that I was a "change of life baby" born to an older couple--I never personally met any of my own grandparents.  Through years of genealogical research, I have managed to go back a couple more generations on some of my family lines, and even more than that on others.  But I have found a real sense of accomplishment in finding long-lost cousins that I never knew existed.
     One of the first "unknown" cousins that I was fortunate enough to find was my cousin Rose, who lives in Texas.  She was--and is--one of the most delightful "finds" that the hobby of genealogy has ever given me.  One interesting thing about finding Cousin Rose is that, due to one silly family feud or another that dating back years to a time before either she or I were born, Rose was left with basically no knowledge whatsoever about her roots.  By the time I found her post on a genealogical message board, I had been tracing my roots long enough to know exactly who she was.  In fact, at that point, I knew more about her history than she knew herself!  That was a situation that I just couldn't allow to stand.  So, I immediately contacted her, telling her how I was related, and that I lived in Ohio.  Rose was amazed.  She told me that she had come to believe that she had no remaining relatives in Ohio.  Rose was born and raised in Texas, and knew nothing about the Ohio generations of her family.  This meeting with my "new" cousin turned into something really wonderful.  Rose came up to Cleveland to visit, and to learn about the lives of her ancestors, and to see the places where they lives, and where they were buried.  My late husband and I also went to Texas to spent some very pleasurable time with her.  We jokingly began calling her the "Yellow Rose of Texas."
     I have found other cousins as well, and have spent quality time with several of them.  Such names as Dan, Don, Beverly, Mike and Dina, Alex and Sara,  Natalie, and several more have added to my knowledge of my ancestry, but have also enriched my life with their wonderful and unique personalities.
     This, readers, has been one of the most exciting parts of genealogy for me personally.  Think about it--you might find that such experiences would be exciting for you, too.  And even those people that I never met--such as my grandparents--have become real people to me, in a way that they never would have without the "joy of genealogy."  Consider it.  Who knows?  It may become as much of a delight for you as it continues to be for me.

MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY CHANUKAH, JOYOUS KWANZAA--OR WHATEVER HOLIDAY YOU CELEBRATE AT THIS TIME OF YEAR. BUT I GOT THE BEST HOLIDAY PRESENT TWO DAYS AGO!

     Here we are at what many believe is the most wonderful time of the year.  I, for one, find it especially exciting and wonderful this year.  Two days ago, I became a grandma!  It's a boy!  His name is Alexander, and he is absolutely beautiful.  If I were a little more computer-literate, I'd be able to provide all of you with a photo.  Unfortunately, whenever a photo has appeared on this blog, I've needed the assistance of a friend to post that photo.  Have a great holiday, each and every person who is reading this, and may your New Year be better in every way--more prosperous--but may it especially be happy and healthy.  Thanks for following this blog.  I'm really thrilled that you're out there.

DO YOU HAVE ANY LORAIN COUNTY HOLIDAY MEMORIES?

     I am always looking for new topics to post on this blog--and am always interested in ideas from readers.  However, my friend Mike, who grew up in Lorain County just gave me a great suggestion!  He and I have both seen the "Cleveland Memories" programs on PBS television.  They usually concern old department stores, old restaurants, old amusement parks, famous personalities, etc.  They ask people to send in memories of what it was like in Cleveland years ago.  They also do the same for Akron.  My friend Mike suggested that, since I live in Lorain County now, it might be interesting to ask Lorain County residents to relate some of their own memories of Lorain, Elyria, Amherst, Oberlin, or any town in this county.  So I am asking any of you who have memories of the "good ol' days" in Lorain County to send them to me, either as a comment on this blog, or as an e-mail at magstat@aol.com.  I will be happy to publish your memories on this blog, to be shared by others in this county who can remember what it was like here way back when!  Although it is not necessary that your memories concern the Holiday Season, it would seem that, since that season is now upon us, Holiday memories might be very appropriate at this time of year.