I come from the genealogical lines of some really incredible people. One of the most notable gifts they have given me is a record of my genealogy. This incredible gift is a result of personal sacrifice in time and money. Many of these records have now been digitized and are available on the internet. That means I can look at them anytime I want!
That is what I did a few years ago... scrolled backwards through many of my lines. After 18+ hours looking at names and places that dated back more than a millennium, I noticed that some of the names were repeating. I started making a list of those names that had historical meaning to me or pricked my interest. In the end, I had a list of more than 55 names! I have decided to share short blurbs about some of these individuals. History is a lot more interesting when you know you have a connection to it!
Sunday, March 1, 2015
Sunday, February 15, 2015
Thursday, January 1, 2015
Joan Alexandra "Lexie" is now a Morgan!
Through the years, there have been lots of mix ups with my youngest child's name. When she was born, Todd and I made a deal. We would call her by her middle name if he promised to never spank her in punishment. So, we started calling her Alex. There was a problem with Alex. It did not fit! I think it was Todd's mother, Helen, that suggested Lexie. I had known a Lexie when I grew up. I liked her...I thought she was a great person. Hence, the name Lexie was selected.
Many years later when we were moving between continents, Lexie decided to use her first name, Joan. It took me a full 6 months to get use to it! Then, we moved continents again. I and others had difficulty switching back! Also, we liked the new name. It fit well now that she was older. All of that switching lead to the Joan Alexandra...full name on all the wedding invitations. We had to make sure everyone could recognize her name!!!Now that she is married, I am suggesting we try the whole experiment again. Yes, she should now call herself JP. That is J for Joan and P for Pickett. She would be known as J.P. Morgan! It is not out of admiration for the man. Rather, the name has an entertaining ring about it. In fact, we could say that her husband Shae has been on the JP Morgan Chase for the last few months!!!

In all seriousness, Joan has married a fine man and we welcome Shae into our family. I have included an incredible video done by my nephew as a means to introduce them as a couple to you my friends!
Thursday, December 11, 2014
Inspiration, Memories, and Good Eats!
I pulled out two old recipes from my childhood and I made
them: Dutch Butter and Janet’s Valentine
Cookies. All kinds of memories came
back. The smell of the butter cookies
baking is as phenomenal
now as it was 40 years ago when my mother baked them to
send to my father in Thailand. As for
Janet, I am unaware of who she was or is.
That is just the name of the delicious cookie!
Many years have passed since then which have left me with
more memories and only two people in the household…to eat the cookies. Here are a few tips I would
recommend. First, never make a full
batch. It will only make you fatter
faster. I made only on half to a quarter
of a batch. That was enough weight gain
for one week.
Second, do not roll out
cookies unless you really really need a shape.
It is messy and time consuming. Instead,
I like using the cookie dough scoop I got from my sister-in-law many years
ago. It gives me a very nice even
shape. I then smash the round ball of
dough flat with the bottom of a measuring cup that has been coated in
sugar. It works great.
To show you how old these recipes are, I have included the recipe
card for both. Janet’s, I made as a
teenager. The butter cookie card was
written by my sister for me. In case you have difficulty reading the recipes in the
pictures, I have included them below.
Enjoy!
Dutch Butter Cookies
1 pound
butter
1 ½ cups
sugar
5 cups flour
Mix. Bake at 3500 oven until just
before the cookies starts to yellow, about 15 minutes.
Janet’s Valentine Cookies
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons
vanilla
2
tablespoons milk
5 cups flour
3 teaspoons
baking powder
1 teaspoon
salt
Cream butter
and sugar. Add eggs, vanilla and
milk. Mix in dry ingredients. Chill dough ½ hour to 45 minutes. Roll to ¼ inch
thick. Cut into shakes. Bake at 3750 for about 10 minutes.
Sunday, September 7, 2014
Returning to Chicago!
This is the stunning sunrise that greeted me on Thursday morning as I drove through Iowa on my way to Chicago. What a beautiful world I live in!
Thursday, August 28, 2014
Some Time with Family
While in Utah, I had the opportunity to go with my son's family to the Ogden Temple open house. It was a great opportunity to share time with them and be awed by what God does for mankind.
Monday, July 28, 2014
The Three Bs in Boston!
And also beaches....
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