sandraleecleary

Here it is the middle of June and it’s already hot! I don’t mean the thermometer is slowing creeping up and up, but it’s already in the 90’s. I’m too old for this heat. Okay I’ll quit griping and look at the bright side. I am healthy, have a beautiful home to stay cool in, and really have all the comforts at my disposal.

I can look out my back door and see the beautiful flowers and trees along with the trimmed grass. What more can I ask for.

I should be working on the book but alas, I received a match on 23andMe.com for a second cousin so I, again, have been chasing rabbits looking through Ancestry.com to see how we are related. So glad she had two names that made it easy for me. We share the same grandparents and great grandparents. But, I was able to fill in some more of the gaps. I do love genealogy. Ancestry has added a lot more information to their site so it’s worth looking into if you’re working on your family’s heritage.

I have one ancestor that I’ve hit a brick wall on and that’s the last name of Kidd. It’s been said my grandmother used to kid everyone that we were related to Capt. Kidd, the pirate. I will work on this and get to the bottom of it. My one brother doesn’t call me “the blood hound” for nothing!

So, my mission has been established, work on the book and look for Capt. Kidd.

Until then my friends………………………..

My hubby thinks I’ve gone overboard with my lattes. I like lattes. If I could get away with it I’d have at least three to four a day. Now up here in the Northwest there are little drive through coffee shops or huts, whatever you would like to call them. Now this one sits not too far down the road from an air field in Airway Heights. How do you like that striking hot pink color. Each little coffee hut has their own personality.

There are quite a few I didn’t get a picture of but I’m sure on my next trip I will have my camera ready before I ask hubby to pull over so I can take a picture. I am so blessed to have a husband that is willing to oblige me when I ask him to do something for me.

My brother even took us out for DQ then drove around so I could spot the coffee huts I wanted to take a picture of. This one is not too far from his house and the one I frequented on several occasions. Yes, my friend, their lattes were GREAT!

When I first took a picture of this one I didn’t realize there was an old boot scootin’ joint behind it. It was called the Slab Inn and one of the places the young GI’s loved to go to.

So this is just a couple of the places I got pictures of but you can believe me when I say I will have more to come.

So until then……………………………………

Hubby and I took a trip to the Pacific Northwest and could not get over all the different shapes of the drive through coffee huts. I wanted the hubs to stop at every one so I could get a picture of it. Yeah, that didn’t happen, but it has become my quest from here on out.

I love lattes and it is so easy to pull up to the little hut, roll down the window and order.  So keep watching as I really am going to make that a priority.

Ah, the weather is outstanding. Cool. Cool enough that I really need my sweater. Mountains so tall there is still snow on the higher peaks. Beautiful. Does that just make you want to jump in the car and head out?

Okay I tried to add a picture and it is not working very well. Will keep trying.

Until then…….

Saturday, May 27th is fast approaching and the big book signing for first time authors. Barnes and Nobel has one day a year where they invite first time authors come, talk and sell their books. I’m working on my second book about how I found my biological father through DNA. Even though it’s a true story there is a lot that goes into writing about your self.

Not that there isn’t a lot of hard work that also goes into writing fiction, historical fiction, fantasy, romance, or futuristic novels. Writers want to make sure their facts are true, so consequently there’s hours of research that goes into their story. A lot of computer and library time.

The name of my first novel is White Moccasins, the Story of Katie.

So, those of you living in and around San Antonio, please check out the Barnes and Nobel on Isom, from two to four in the afternoon and meet a few new authors. Listen to their stories, and take a look at their book. Maybe even buy one. One for you, or one for a friend.

Until then………………….

Another busy week and I’m a day late on my blog. What to talk about today. Well, here it is, Ancestry. It’s always at the top of the list, in the back of my mind, the front, I live and breathe Ancestry and DNA. I guess I will be doing that till the very end. I’m still trying to figure out all the markers, dots, and numbers. I’ve bought books on DNA, pamphlets, and gone to classes. And I’m still learning. But, I’ve come a long way.

On Family Tree DNA they’ve redone or rather refined their assessment of my ethnicity and I am no longer Ashkenazi Jewish. Nada, nothing. But on 23andMe I am still Ashkenazi Jewish and on Ancestry I am European Jewish. What happened?? At least I still have Native American DNA!

This week I decided to work on my grandmother’s father’s side of the family, Lyle. I was blessed to find so much information on Ancestry, all the way back to the 1600’s. And most of it was information written in genealogy books. You can bet I have a stack of original forms, wills, and histories. What surprised me was they came from Scotland and went to Ireland before venturing to America in the 1700’s.  Now I am trying to enter everything in the computer so I can put it all together in a book. So much work to be done, but recording your ancestry is a never ending process.

Now I really must get with it and work on the book. I’ve changed the title of it again and now I’m stumped because a friend suggested another name for. I’ve made a list of names and going over ever one. If you think of a name throw it my way, who knows. It’s a true story of how I found my father through DNA. Remember I had no name to begin with.

Untill then…………………………………….

Well a lot has happened since last week. I did my first reading of White Moccasins at the Schertz Senior Center on Tuesday. Next Tuesday I’m looking forward to continue reading more chapters again. Then in June a couple of days until the book is read.

I haven’t worked on genealogy since finding my biological father so two days ago I decided to see what I could find on my grandmother’s side of the family. I’m so glad Ancestry has added so many more records to their site. I was able to trace the Lyle side back to Scotland in 1680, before they headed west to Ireland. I found official records of wills, town histories where they lived, and marriages. Now to get everything put into book form for my family. All of it will give them several hours of intense reading.

Tomorrow is work on the second book time. I’m pretty close to being finished. I just need to go back over everything and polish it up. I’m getting excited. Then it will be on to a sequel to White Moccasins. Oh my goodness, I feel so full of stories I will never have time to write everything that’s swimming around in my head!

So guess I should get with it and start working. Until then my friend……….

Here it is another month, May. May flowers are blooming.

The air is cool and crisp. Well…it’s supposed to be anyway. This past week we’ve been having very muggy days, hot days in fact. Air so think it’s sometimes hard to breathe. Summer is coming way too fast.

So, okay, enough of the weather. And, I’ve been under the weather, so to speak this past week. Bronchitis. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.

Still Sometimes I feel like I’m sitting on my swing on the back porch jawing about the weather. Did I mention I like my swing? So peaceful. Just like grandma’s swing on her front porch. Anyway, weather, yes, the weather. I’m ready for rain again. Not like the rain Missouri is having this last week. Oh my goodness, floods and more floods. Praying for each and everyone living along the rivers and streams.

Enough of the weather…I was looking at Facebook this last week and saw pictures of my nieces’ children and noticed how much they look like my children. It hit me. I belong to relatives that look like me and my children. I grew up with five brothers and sisters but never really realized I didn’t really look like any of them. Now, when I look at pictures of them I see a family resemblance to their father’s sisters and brothers. Yes, three of the girls, me included, look a lot like our mother, but I don’t feel like I look them. We have the same color of eyes and hair. But, my nose is shaped differently.

Am I being silly here? I don’t think so. I was the odd man out. It never bothered me as I knew I was loved and I belonged. It’s hard to express the feeling though, knowing I favor my brothers and sisters.  That is, my biological father’s side of the family.

Oh my, I’ve rambled on again. Time to work on hubby’s side of the tree. Get my nose out of my side for awhile. Yes, and work on finishing the DNA book.

So until then…………………………..

My feet are getting itchy. It’s going on the fifth month of the year, May, and I haven’t ventured out anywhere except around my neighborhood. Really, and my bucket list is growing.

The mountains are calling my name. “Sandie, come to me. Feel the breeze blowing through your hair.”

Okay, so my hair is short and would take a pretty good breeze to blow it. But, I love hearing the wind blow through the trees. To watch the soft gentle sway of the towering tree tops. Just to sit on the porch and watch leaves drop, a squirrel dart from tree to tree, or maybe even a rabbit scamper across the ground.

My bucket list reminds me I need to take a trek through the bad lands of North and South Dakota. My great, great, grandparents lived in Stanley County, South Dakota. My grandfather was the postmaster there for many years. My grandmother is buried on their farm, but alas the farm belongs to another now. If I could just see the land where they lived first in a sod house then in their small one room farm house, maybe walk where they walked. I never knew them as they passed away long before I was born. And to see Mount Rushmore, I can’t forget that. And, if I’m that close to Minnesota, I must go back to my birthplace, dig up more information, then on to Iowa to see relatives.

I have great grandbabies I need to go visit. Two born these last two years. Only they live so far from each other. See this is another one to be checked off on my bucket list.

So many places to go, so little time to do it all. Did I mention finishing the DNA book too? Yes, I do need to get that to the publisher as soon as I can. That means get to writing.

Until then my friends……….

What a beautiful day today is, unlike the way yesterday started. I awoke yesterday and padded out to the kitchen to feed my fur babies. Before I opened the pantry to fill their dishes I flipped on the television to see what late breaking news I just had to know about. It wasn’t Good Morning America but the local meteorologist was warning everyone about a tornado situation. It was quite dark outside. This warning was supposed to last till eleven a.m.

I continued to watch as the dogs scarfed up their food. The darker the sky became. This might not be a go to church kind of day for me. I didn’t want to get caught in a nasty downpour or even the tornado they were talking about. So I decided I’d stay home, and since I stayed home I picked up the book I started a couple of nights ago. Oh my goodness I couldn’t put it down once I opened it. It’s been awhile since I got so involved in a story I couldn’t let go.It took me all day but I finished it. Each chapter left me wanting more, and more. The story was a delight, suspenseful, rooting for Ella, booing the bad guy, and above all it’s a love story. A beautiful love story. Linda Brooks Davis I can see why you won the Jerry B. Jenkins award. Good job.

By the way I did go to church, on my iPad. First Baptist Church of Universal City has our pastor, David Lindow, Jr. live streaming and this was the first time I tried it. If needed I will do it again.

Now to get working on the conclusion of my book…Chasing Rabbits. Watch for it. Hopefully it will help someone else who is looking for their biological parents.

Until then…….

Today proves you are never too old to learn something new. Yep, I finally figured out how to download my photos from my phone to my computer! I wanted it on my laptop but couldn’t get it to work so I tried downloading to the PC. I hit every icon there was, twice, thinking I was missing something. Then wa-la. Don’t ask me to try to explain how I did I because I have no idea but I downloaded over one thousand seven hundred pictures. No wonder my phone kept telling me I had no more room for pictures!!

Really how many pictures do you need? As I was going through each one to delete on my phone, which by the way, I still have many more to go. Anyway, I took, or maybe my phone decided to multiply each picture, who knows, but I had more than one of the same picture. Sometimes there was four of each!

And another thing, how many times do you need to take pictures of the food you eat? I wonder if I sent the picture to someone, probably did. Actually this plate of wonderful eggs, bacon, and French toast was devoured my non other than me at Mimi’s in Fairfield, California. Yummm.

It was nice to look at the pictures of children and grandchildren and see how they’ve matured. You noticed I said matured. If I said how they’ve grown a few of the children would be offended. You know how that goes. Plus welcoming the wonderful pictures of great grandchildren. What a blessing. I have been blessed.

So I’m off to delete more pictures so I can start fresh. Yeah, more pictures. More food.

Until then…………….