Well, I'm still reading a Comedy of Heirs and I'm really enjoying it. Torie O'Shea is a genealogist and in this book she discovers a family secret while holding a family reunion. I was amused that her cousin makes dollhouse miniatures for a living. That's another of my favourite obsessions.
This series is light and fun and I'm glad I discovered it.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Great Day in Windsor
Helen and I had a wonderful day in Windsor, NS yesterday. We arrived in Windsor just as the West Hants Historical Society opened for the day and dug right into our research. Helen focused on the obituary files and I looked through the family files for the surnames Cox, Sherman, Carmichael and Leighton. Last week, I had copied some information from a book I found at WHHS and forgot to record the source information, so I was able to get that.
We went out for lunch and then got sidetracked for about an hour with the Windsor parade. It lasted about an hour and we took lots of pictures for facebook. Then we got back to our research. WHHS closes at 5:00, so we had a full day. I'll add my research to the pile to "process" this winter. WHHS is only open on Wednesdays from mid September to June so I may not get there again until next year.
When we left the genealogy room, we drove to Chestnut Street on Ferry Hill to have a look at a B & B there. I spent a lot of time in that house when I was a teenager and I wanted to take a picture and get the name of the B & B so I could look it up. It's called Phoenix Hollow. The owner, Kelly, was sitting on the front verandah and gave Helen and I the grand tour. They have done a wonderful job of renovating and decorating this house. I am so pleased that they had the dining room hand painted original ceiling restored. The rooms are gorgeous and seem to have everything a person would need from an overnight accommodation. We plan on staying there sometime in the near future. Oh, and Kelly told us that Debbie Travis recently stayed there so it can't be too shabby!
We then drove around Falmouth a bit on roads where I've never been. It's pretty countryside but I'll have to look at a map before I explore a little more. We then took the Bog Road and drove through Hantsport to Hants Border and R and G's Family Restaurant. My mother (and others) had told me that they have really good "fish bits" and I was looking forward to having some. However, they only serve them on Wednesdays :( But, we did have a good bowl of chowder and caesar salad. The service was great. We had a view of the water from our table and could see a house close to the shore that we thought would have a wonderful view. So, when we left the restaurant, we drove down towards the water and to Avon Street. Well, let me tell you, that little shack by the water was to die for :) We drove slowly along Avon Street gawking at the lovely old homes with wonderful landscaping. I was green with envy :)
We ended up at a small park that is on land donated by Fundy Gypsum. There was a set of steep stairs leading to the beach that afforded a really nice view of Blomidon. Helen and I went down the stairs to the beach and took tons of pictures of the gypsum sitting there. It has really interesting texture and the pictures look great. Helen mentioned that she would use some of her pics for a screensaver and a scrapbook page for her ancestors that worked in the gypsum industry. That reminded me that I have several collateral ancestors that worked at the quarry on Wentworth Road, Hants County and I can do a similar scrapbook page. We plan on getting together during the winter months to work on these.
This was our last stop for the day and we headed home with lots of info to add to our family histories.
We went out for lunch and then got sidetracked for about an hour with the Windsor parade. It lasted about an hour and we took lots of pictures for facebook. Then we got back to our research. WHHS closes at 5:00, so we had a full day. I'll add my research to the pile to "process" this winter. WHHS is only open on Wednesdays from mid September to June so I may not get there again until next year.
When we left the genealogy room, we drove to Chestnut Street on Ferry Hill to have a look at a B & B there. I spent a lot of time in that house when I was a teenager and I wanted to take a picture and get the name of the B & B so I could look it up. It's called Phoenix Hollow. The owner, Kelly, was sitting on the front verandah and gave Helen and I the grand tour. They have done a wonderful job of renovating and decorating this house. I am so pleased that they had the dining room hand painted original ceiling restored. The rooms are gorgeous and seem to have everything a person would need from an overnight accommodation. We plan on staying there sometime in the near future. Oh, and Kelly told us that Debbie Travis recently stayed there so it can't be too shabby!
We then drove around Falmouth a bit on roads where I've never been. It's pretty countryside but I'll have to look at a map before I explore a little more. We then took the Bog Road and drove through Hantsport to Hants Border and R and G's Family Restaurant. My mother (and others) had told me that they have really good "fish bits" and I was looking forward to having some. However, they only serve them on Wednesdays :( But, we did have a good bowl of chowder and caesar salad. The service was great. We had a view of the water from our table and could see a house close to the shore that we thought would have a wonderful view. So, when we left the restaurant, we drove down towards the water and to Avon Street. Well, let me tell you, that little shack by the water was to die for :) We drove slowly along Avon Street gawking at the lovely old homes with wonderful landscaping. I was green with envy :)
We ended up at a small park that is on land donated by Fundy Gypsum. There was a set of steep stairs leading to the beach that afforded a really nice view of Blomidon. Helen and I went down the stairs to the beach and took tons of pictures of the gypsum sitting there. It has really interesting texture and the pictures look great. Helen mentioned that she would use some of her pics for a screensaver and a scrapbook page for her ancestors that worked in the gypsum industry. That reminded me that I have several collateral ancestors that worked at the quarry on Wentworth Road, Hants County and I can do a similar scrapbook page. We plan on getting together during the winter months to work on these.
This was our last stop for the day and we headed home with lots of info to add to our family histories.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Stationery Supplies
I'm sure I have enough stationery supplies to stock a store :) In the past, I've stocked up on dividers, binders, page protectors, file folders, hanging folders and mechanical pencils. I was reminded of that today when I noticed the annual school supply displays in the grocery store.
If you need anything, try to stock up in August and September while the sales are on as these items are double or triple the price for the remainder of the year.
Sometimes I find really good deals at Staples in their clearance section. They used to have 50% off the clearance prices each Saturday, but I'm not sure if they still do as I have enough and have been avoiding that store :)
Now, I just need to start using my stash to get organized!
If you need anything, try to stock up in August and September while the sales are on as these items are double or triple the price for the remainder of the year.
Sometimes I find really good deals at Staples in their clearance section. They used to have 50% off the clearance prices each Saturday, but I'm not sure if they still do as I have enough and have been avoiding that store :)
Now, I just need to start using my stash to get organized!
Road Trip!
Today, I'll be preparing for a trip tomorrow to West Hants Historical Society in Windsor and Kings Courthouse Museum in Kentville with my friend, Helen. I hope to visit some folks that I haven't seen in a while (with some genealogy questions!)and do a little research.
I want to leave my contact information in their family files for the surnames I am researching - Card, Carmichael, Deal, McCann, Sherman, Wile in Windsor and Benjamin, Carmichael, McCann, Sherman in Kings County. I'll work on those today at lunch time.
I want to leave my contact information in their family files for the surnames I am researching - Card, Carmichael, Deal, McCann, Sherman, Wile in Windsor and Benjamin, Carmichael, McCann, Sherman in Kings County. I'll work on those today at lunch time.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Genealogy Novels
Recently, I've been discovering some great reads with a genealogy flavour and I've been borrowing them from the library. We're so fortunate to have a wonderful public library in Halifax.
The other day, I finished reading The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe. I really enjoyed the book and was sorry that it ended :(
I'll be looking for more of Howe's work.
I also discovered a series of genealogy/family history themed novels by Rett MacPherson. You can find a list of her books and reviews here.
I first read A Veiled Antiquity. It was a 200 page, interesting, easy to read mystery that left me anxious to read the 2nd one I had picked up at the library - A Comedy of Heirs. I'm only on page 16, but this one promises to be as good as the first. So much to read, so little time :)
The other day, I finished reading The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe. I really enjoyed the book and was sorry that it ended :(
I'll be looking for more of Howe's work.
I also discovered a series of genealogy/family history themed novels by Rett MacPherson. You can find a list of her books and reviews here.
I first read A Veiled Antiquity. It was a 200 page, interesting, easy to read mystery that left me anxious to read the 2nd one I had picked up at the library - A Comedy of Heirs. I'm only on page 16, but this one promises to be as good as the first. So much to read, so little time :)
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Success is Sweet!
I visited Nova Scotia Archives and Records Management (NSARM) after work today. I am so lucky to have access to this wonderful resource for my genealogy research.
Well, I found an obit that I had unsuccessfully searched for previously! John Thomas Sherman, son of George William and Lucy Ann (Rafuse) Sherman, died in 1936 after falling off a round-roof barn that he was shingling. I had recorded his death date as July 22, 1936 but no source, so I have no idea where I got that date. Naturally, I didn't find his obit when I looked through newspapers around that date.
On my last trip to the Old Kings Courthouse Museum, I found a reference to two newspaper obits for John. But, the newspaper dates were August 13 and August 20, 1936. At first, I didn't find the obit in the August 13 issue, so I went on to August 20 and there it was! It gave his death date as August 11, 1936. No wonder I couldn't find it before. I went back to the August 13 issue thinking that it might have a "news report" of the accident. However, what I found was another obit and it was very different from the one that I had already found. What I find absolutely amazing about John is that he was born in 1867 and he has living children in 2010. Can you believe that?
I also found a short obit for my grandmother, Ada May Smith (whose picture you see to the left), who died the same day as her uncle John. How sad for Mary, Ada's mother and my great-grandmother, to have lost her brother and her daughter on the same day.
I am anxious to get back to the Kings County Archives to look for other obits in their extensive collection.
And, I spent a little over an hour working on the GANS Vital Stats from Newspapers project...it was a successful evening.
Well, I found an obit that I had unsuccessfully searched for previously! John Thomas Sherman, son of George William and Lucy Ann (Rafuse) Sherman, died in 1936 after falling off a round-roof barn that he was shingling. I had recorded his death date as July 22, 1936 but no source, so I have no idea where I got that date. Naturally, I didn't find his obit when I looked through newspapers around that date.
On my last trip to the Old Kings Courthouse Museum, I found a reference to two newspaper obits for John. But, the newspaper dates were August 13 and August 20, 1936. At first, I didn't find the obit in the August 13 issue, so I went on to August 20 and there it was! It gave his death date as August 11, 1936. No wonder I couldn't find it before. I went back to the August 13 issue thinking that it might have a "news report" of the accident. However, what I found was another obit and it was very different from the one that I had already found. What I find absolutely amazing about John is that he was born in 1867 and he has living children in 2010. Can you believe that?
I also found a short obit for my grandmother, Ada May Smith (whose picture you see to the left), who died the same day as her uncle John. How sad for Mary, Ada's mother and my great-grandmother, to have lost her brother and her daughter on the same day.
I am anxious to get back to the Kings County Archives to look for other obits in their extensive collection.
And, I spent a little over an hour working on the GANS Vital Stats from Newspapers project...it was a successful evening.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Best Laid Plans...
Well, you can see that my plans of August 2008 didn't pan out the way I thought they would! I have continued my research but the organization is in the same state as it was two years ago.
Sigh!
Lots has happened since my first (and last) post. I have moved (and packed a lot of genealogy paper), another grandchild was born and I now have a vehicle (the better to travel to Genealogy Societies in Nova Scotia).
And still I think about organizing. So, today I bought a clear, plastic container with a lid to hold the obits that I've gathered from the paper and copied at West Hants Historical Society, the Kings County Courthouse Museum, the public library, Nova Scotia Archives and Records Management (NSARM) etc. I've been using one that was meant to hold cds/dvds but it's too narrow and some can't lie flat. This container is 15"LX11.5"WX6"D. Should do the trick.
Tomorrow, I'll visit NSARM after work. I have an obit to look up and then I'll continue working on a proofreading/transcribing project for the Genealogical Association of Nova Scotia
Sigh!
Lots has happened since my first (and last) post. I have moved (and packed a lot of genealogy paper), another grandchild was born and I now have a vehicle (the better to travel to Genealogy Societies in Nova Scotia).
And still I think about organizing. So, today I bought a clear, plastic container with a lid to hold the obits that I've gathered from the paper and copied at West Hants Historical Society, the Kings County Courthouse Museum, the public library, Nova Scotia Archives and Records Management (NSARM) etc. I've been using one that was meant to hold cds/dvds but it's too narrow and some can't lie flat. This container is 15"LX11.5"WX6"D. Should do the trick.
Tomorrow, I'll visit NSARM after work. I have an obit to look up and then I'll continue working on a proofreading/transcribing project for the Genealogical Association of Nova Scotia
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