2020 - Gratitude Day #17 - Travel

 Gratitude Day #17

Today I am grateful for all of the places I have been able to travel.

Kerry and I both came from traveling families. I don't really call it wanderlust; it's just more of an appreciation for the beauty and the people that are part of this wonderful earth.

I recall my mom telling me how important it was to have a good and sturdy mule while growing up in Kentucky. She said they were more sure-footed than horses. It was part of their lives to hook up a mule to the wagon and go into town or go visiting.

And, I need to recall which one of my Facebook friends I was talking to when we learned that both of our fathers had received the same advice from their own father - that when you began to court, get on a mule and go over two mountains to look for a girl so you don't end up with someone you're related to.

Who was that? Please let me know who I was talking with!

Today, I'm grateful that if I want to ride a mule, I can. But, I don't have to in order to get somewhere. I have the luxury of getting into a nice heated or air-conditioned car with soft seats, windshield wipers, and good tires.

Kerry and I have had the privilege of visiting all of our fifty beautiful states, and traveling to areas such as Canada (love it!), Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and Belize (loved it!), and Russia (sort of loved it!)

We have the opportunity to get into a plane a travel across the country to be with family in a matter of hours.

I am grateful that instead of incessant tossing back and forth on a tiny ship in the ocean, I can cruise with people waiting to help me at my beck and call, or flying over that same ocean from one continent to another.

I am grateful to hear of Kerry's travels with his family as they toured Scandinavia and Russia, and of his parents' travels throughout the world.

But, most of all, I love coming down our road and seeing our home. Our beautiful home.

I am grateful to go. I am grateful to return.

2019 - Gratitude Month #21 - Travel

Gratitude day #21

Today I am grateful for the opportunities I have had to travel.

Yesterday I posted about transportation. But today, it's about the places I have had to travel to different places in the world, seeing some of the most beautiful sites on earth, and meeting the best of the best who walk this earth.

Kerry and I have had the privilege of traveling to all of our magnificent fifty states. They each have their own beauty, their favorite things they call their own, and beautiful souls who live within their borders.

The mountains that have shown off their grandeur, the oceans with the big swells which many fishes and mammals call their home, the hills and hollers with the twang of the Scots-Irish in their blood and their music, the vast prairies that extend thousands of miles boasting of corn and wheat and soybeans, the states that hang on to their history and honor the arrivals and trails of a new people, the Mayan pyramids and jungles throughout Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and Belize, and the vastness of Russia filled with people who never meet your gaze.

As I write this, I am in the shadows of Mount Hood and Mount Saint Helens, the mountains that we can see for miles before we ever reach them, the waterfalls that abound, and the majesty of a state filled with beauty.

But, it's the people. The people who I have had the privilege of meeting are good, proud, hardworking people. They have much to say, and often when the opportunity presents itself, I will look at them and say, "Tell me your story."

And, they talk.

And, I listen.

And, we connect, knowing we will likely never meet again on this earth.

The time will come where traveling as much as we have will be a bit harder than it has been for us. But, what a lifetime of beautiful memories I have to draw upon.

Gratitude Day #9 - 2018 - Modern Transportation

Gratitude Day #9

Today I am grateful for modern transportation.

This morning, I woke up to snow. Kerry and I hopped into our Jeep, which was sitting in a garage, all clean and warm and ready to go.

We didn't have to hook up mules or horses, heat bricks to keep our feet warm, or any of the things my own parents would have had to do.

And, just a few hours later, I was looking out my window at four beautiful swimming pools at the Rosen Shingle Creek property in Orlando, Florida. https://www.rosenshinglecreek.com/

I am living in these wonderful modern times where convenience is the rule. We have criss-crossed the country -- as many others did behind oxen and wagons, we have flown to foreign countries, Kerry and I have both driven tractors, and have taken trains into mountains and forests.

I grew up watching "Little House on the Prairie" and "The Waltons". I remember telling my mom how cool that would have been to have lived back then, for it seemed so cozy and romanticized.

She looked at me like I just landed from another planet. She told me not to ever wish to go back to those time, for she had lived them. She had raised a family during them. She was born in the day of mules and buckboards, but lived long enough to see men walk on the moon.

So, today I am grateful for these modern conveniences that include springs, shocks, rubber tires, windshield wipers, AC/heat, and other things that we take for granted every day.

Gratitude Day #8 - 2018 - Travel

Gratitude Day #8

Today I am grateful for the opportunities I have had to travel.

Both Kerry and I came from families who loved to travel. And, it would only be natural that we would love, too.

We began to travel when we were still dating, right on up until our marriage. It began with just day trips to Gettysburg, the Eastern Shore, Assateague Island, downtown Washington, DC. The trips became longer after we married, even traveling with a van full of babies.

We have been most fortunate. And, it may be because we travel so inexpensively. It is not beneath us at all to only eat one meal out per day, with the rest coming from whatever we have brought with us.

We have been to all fifty states, have gone on cruises, climbed mountains and pyramids, seen monuments and buildings I never dreamed of, eaten the most wonderful lake bass from Atitlan in Guatemala, talked with locals, and followed old trails made famous.

And, since we are also religious, we try to attend any ward or branch of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that we can find. It's easier on our apps, for it can pinpoint the chapel, as well as the meeting times. But, if for some reason we aren't able to attend, we still take time on the Sabbath to have a small devotional, perhaps in a rest area or a mountain top.

We have also visited areas important in our family's history, where we walked where they walked, stood where they stood, and mourned where they mourned.

And, though we have been in other parts of the world, there's nothing like driving down our road with my face smashed up against the windshield, waiting for a glimpse of our home.

St. Basil's, Moscow, Russia

Mendenhall Glacier, Alaska

Communtcating Without Talking

I have no outlandish stories to tell about my flight from Seattle to Nashville. 

But, I did have a first.

Because of the tenderness that is still present with my shoulder, I am allowed to pre-board. My doctor wants me to wear the sling as needed, but particularly when I fly. It gives a visual signal, especially if I need help.

As I am sitting up against the window with a stuffed cow under my arm for support, a kind looking tiny Asian lady asked by motioning to me that she would like to sit by me.

Of course.!

Now, I am not profiling...I am just giving the scenario.

We both took lots of photos out my window. I showed her when Mt. Ranier came up, and then soon we had the three mountains perfectly framed in the window.

We saw lakes, and rivers, and more mountains. Cloud formations were spectacular as well approached Nashville. The city lights there put off the most beautiful glow from the air.

Now, why am I telling you this?

Because she couldn't speak a word of English. And, I didn't know a single word of her native language.

But, we spent 3 1/2 hours in the air communicating with each other as we gazed upon the beauties of the earth.

Perhaps there was a lesson there for those of us who do speak the same language.

Gratitude Day #17 - Travel - 17 Nov 2017

Today I am grateful for all of the opportunities I have had to travel.

Kerry and I both come from traveling families.

My parents and I were always on the go! Often it would be to Kentucky. But, when Dad was bishop of our local congregation, we made trips to Utah twice a year for General Conference. We always took different routes on the way to and from so we could see more. I rode in the back seat with a stack of books and a road map. Dad was always so proud of me for being able to read a map, for he said none of his sisters could.

Kerry's family was always on the go, too! When Kerry's older brother finished his mission in Finland, his parents took the oldest five children on a trip to Europe to pick up the brother and tour for a month. Kerry was able to see his ancestral homeland of Denmark, went through Scandinavia and ventured into Russia to see the Russian Ballet.

Both of our backgrounds meant our children were born into a family that was always on the go, too!

Kerry and I took them to much of the United States, while he and I have visited all fifty of them. And, landing in an airport doesn't count. We have to see some of the state.

We have gone foreign. We have climbed pyramids in Mexico, visited ruins in Guatemala, and stood at St. Basil's in Moscow within the shadow of Red Square.

What have I personally loved the most? The people. They're proud of their towns and their countryside. They brag on their favorite foodstuffs. They swell with pride talking about their kinfolks who settled the area.

And, while we love every place we've ever had the opportunity to visit, nothing beats the site of seeing our own home pop up in the windshield, where my face is usually plastered when driving down my road.

Red Square, Moscow

St. Basil's, Moscow

At a convent in Guatemala

It Takes Some Planning

It was just announced this week that RootsTech 2018 registration has opened.

And, I can't wait!

I have attended every RootsTech Conference except for the very first one.  Even though it was only a few short years ago that the first one was held, I thought it was only for those who are technically savvy.

And, I didn't think I was anywhere near good enough in my technical skills to attend a conference.

I was wrong.

I convinced myself to go after winning a registration for the entire conference, so off I went.  I was nervous, for I felt there would be no one as out of place as I felt.

I was wrong.

I took full advantage of the technical classes and labs, as well as the traditional classes.  I talked with other professionals that admittedly had felt the same as I had.  I made the most of every moment I had there.

And, I came away recharged, and ready to be a better genealogist.

Early-bird registration begins today, 20 Sep 2018, and runs through 13 Oct 2018.  You will save a big chunk of money by registering early.

You may register here:  https://www.rootstech.org/why-attend?et_cid=52928805&et_rid=762452783&linkid=RootsTech&cid=em-rt-8002 

As in previous years, I will be both a Speaker and an Ambassador for RootsTech 2018.  If they have enough confidence in me to invite me to be either one, then I feel I have a responsibility to promote the conference.

I began to squirrel away money for my trip awhile back.  It's expensive to stay in hotels that are close to the venue.  And, I want to be close to the venue.  It's where the action is.  

There are other hotels that are in walking distance that are quite a bit cheaper than the ones directly across from the Salt Palace.  But, I don't want to walk far.  The Salt Lake City streets are wider than most American city streets.  Brigham Young supposed made the following statement:

"The story goes that Brigham Young, who led Mormon settlers to the West in 1847, directed that the streets of Salt Lake City be made sufficiently wide so that a wagon team could turn around without “resorting to profanity” (Deseret News, July 13, 2009)."
http://widestreetsofsaltlake.blogspot.com/

For this 62 year-old grandmother, I come close to resorting to profanity when attempting to walk very far in Salt Lake City.  

Mr. Kerry, who often travels with me, is coming with me this year.  He hasn't been able to attend for a couple of years, and is excited to be returning.

As a speaker, I will have things up and ready to go well before I arrive.

As an Ambassador, my job has now begun to promote and report on this great conference.  One thing I will focus on will be reports from actual classes that I take.

There are bound to be wonderful keynote speakers, celebrities, and singing groups galore.  I will attend all of those, as will thousands of others.

But, I want to focus more on the actual meat that people can use as a takeaway from the classes.  People often ask me what I do when I'm not actually speaking.

I'm attending classes!  My learning is far from over.  

So, Mr. Kerry and I...and, perhaps you, will be preparing for our trip to Salt Lake City at the end of February.  I want to be ready for all that will happen, and to spend plenty of time in the Vendor Hall.

Lessons from my six month sabbatical

It was over a year ago that I realized I was tired.

November 2015 found me looking back over the year and counting up the presentations and webinars I had done.  It amounted to 62 total speaking opportunities, and I was tired.  

I talked it over with Mr. Kerry, and told him I felt I should fulfill all of the commitments I had made through June 2016, but wouldn't accept any more throughout the rest of the year.

It was a wise decision.

I finished out at close to 30 by the end of June, and had a couple of more presentations in August and September, but I was officially done for the year.  I took the last half of the year off.

I needed some research time of my own.  

I needed some learning time of my own.

I needed to not wake up in a hotel wondering what city I was in.

And now, I am back!  I am refreshed and raring to go.  I am busy through mid-September, and have even booked presentations into 2018.

Let me tell you what I learned during these past six months:

1.  I learned that I miss gathering with my genealogy colleagues, whether they be attendees or other speakers.

2.  I learned that it is imperative that I continue to do my own research.  This usually involves a southern trip with my sisters, which includes a lot of laughing!

Sisters Betty, Fern, and me!

3.  I learned that it is extremely important that I continue to connect with the living.  I was born into an old family, so there aren't many of the older generation left.  I have moved into that position.  I recently sat and listened to my aunt teaching her great-granddaughter the old mountain gospel songs.  I could have listened to this torch being passed all day long.

Aunt Betty teaching gospel songs to great-granddaughter Skylan

4.  Though I was not actively teaching any classes, it remained important that I stay connected with the genealogy community -- mostly through Facebook and other social media.

5.  Continuing my own education was vital, and I'm an active learner.  Every opportunity I have to listen in on a class or webinar is another opportunity for growth.

6.  Though I have 35 presentations that are ready to go on a moment's notice (I have filled in for people that couldn't present at the last moment, so I'm glad I have them.), plus about 8 more that are in process.  I spent these past six months updating and tweaking these presentations and the accompanying syllabi.

7.  I began to review some of my older presentations that have been video or audio taped, so that I could critique what I sound and look like.  For those of you who know me well, this is a really big deal, for I can't stand to watch or hear myself.  But, I felt I must do it so that people who are paying to hear me will not feel their money has been wasted.

8.  I found some much-needed spare time that I didn't do a darn thing.  This is when I replenished myself.  I read, I studied.  I did some self-reflecting.  I attended two funerals, which I would not have been able to do if I had accepted two speaking invitations.

9.  I worked on my much-neglected personal history.

10.  I began to prepare for 2017..

These are a few of the things I have not been able to while always being on-the-go.  And, it's not that I dislike what I do.  I love what I do!  But, I had reached a point where I needed to scale back.

So, in a few short weeks, I will be headed to Salt Lake City for RootsTech 2017, followed by a quick trip to Orlando, followed by another trip to...

I have taken care of me.

And, sometimes life pulls us up short.  I was mowing this past August when I had a tractor accident.  I got stuck on a root. Actually, it was a root and a rock.  I shut everything down and managed to unloose the tractor, only to have it begin to roll and take me with it.  Part of my leg was bruised pretty badly, my arm was torn up, and I fell really hard -- straight down.

Things began to heal, but one area was becoming increasingly worse.  It resulted in having surgery, followed by some pretty limited recuperation.

It was a relief to not have to worry about rearranging a myriad of engagements while taking care of my own self.

So, lessons learned...

*Sometimes, you might feel prompted to do some scaling back.  Listen to that prompting.

*Continue to read and educate yourself.

*Never stop learning.

The Kentucky Research Adventures Never End

15 Sep 2016

MissPeggy and her sisters are at it again. This time,we are in eastern Kentucky, where I am speaking at a conference tomorrow.

Conversation in library:
First man: Well, if it's your baby you need to make things right.
Second man: Well, it just might be.
First man: What are you going to do to make it right?
Second man: Well, I can give her a goat right now, maybe another one later.
First man: That's a good start. It will let her know you're not going to leave her without something to get along with.
Second man: I don't want her to think I'm a knucklehead.

(I know. I shouldn't be eavesdropping. My sisters and I are trying to hold our faces together.)

And, our memories when we passed a familiar town...
Betty: Oh, this is where we followed a man on a horse!
Me: That's right. I turned around in a gas station and got behind a man on a horse. We followed him all the way into town.
Fern: It seems like something else happened here.
Me: Yes, we ended up in the middle of a parade.
Betty: I remember that! It seems like it was a noisy one.
Me: Betty, you had the trombone section beside your window.

We all nod our heads in fond and solemn memory.

16 Sep 2016

I'm fixin' on crying.

There is a young man in the library with us. He is trying to reconstruct his life.

First, his house was flooded and filled with mud. They tried to save what they could

When he finally got it all dried out, it caught fire and he lost everything.

Now, he is here with us trying to copy photos out of school yearbooks so he can have some sort of memory of his life. This is one of many things he's using, besides just trying to find any relative that may have a photo of him.

I'm telling you, I'm fixin' on crying.

AND

This is a library like no other I have ever been to.

They have fed us since we walked in the door. We have had grapes, cheddar cheese, bottled water, granola bars, plus pork chops. Yes, pork chops. Someone brought in extras they had fixed for lunch and asked if we all would like somethin' to eat.

Of course!

Then, she opened up this big tray and there were pork chops an inch thick, with mashed potatoes, green beans with bacon, and biscuits.

Now, she walks in with a box of donuts.

We don't ever, ever want to leave. Please let us roll out and spend the night, for we want to know what's for breakfast!

Oh, and we have found lots of genealogy, too!

17 Sep 2016

We enjoyed a wonderful dinner at the Ramada Inn in Paintsville, Kentucky. We enjoyed something we hadn't had since our grandmother was alive -- potato salad made with mashed potatoes.

I know it may sound a bit odd, but one bite into it brought back every memory we had of visiting her during the summers. The restaurant here had the absolute perfect blend of the pickles, two kinds of onions, etc. Oh, it was good!

Opening festivities tonight included a "Meet and Greet", again with all sorts of foods. I can't remember a time when I have grazed every moment since I pulled out of my driveway. (My mom used to get so mad at my dad when we traveled. She would pack it all up, and he would have it gone before we got out of town.)

There was a wonderful man and woman who spent an hour playing Civil War songs. Both of their voices were good and quite clear.

Another conversation I was part of today:

Man (from a county I'm researching in): Ma'am, what are the names of the people you're looking for?
Me: (I rattled off about a dozen from that county)
Man: I know ever (yes, ever) one of them.
Me: How do you know them?
Man: I drive past their graveyard.
Me: I know right where it's at!
Man: I drive a school bus there ever day.
Me: Are you serious? I've been on that road! Your front end meets your hind end comin' around those hairpin turns.
Man: I know, ma'am. I have to get out and pull my mirrors in.
Me: On your bus?
Man: On my bus. I have to squeeze between two trees. If they get much bigger I'm going to have to figure out how I'm going to do it, for I'm tired of getting out and bending those mirrors in.
Me: Which county do you drive for?
Man: Depends on which curve I'm on.

Good grief.

Later on...

Me (talking to an older woman): I think my tooth is flaring up on me.
Woman: Do you have any sheep dung?
Me: Sheep dung?!?! (trying to recall my mom talking about it)
Woman: I can bring you some tomorrow if it's still a-painin' you.
Me: Uh, no. I do believe I brought something with me to help it some.
Woman: Well, you just let me know.
Me: Oh, I will...

Now, I'm not telling you these things to make fun of the conversations I've had. Not at all. This is Appalachia, and sometimes things run at a different speed here.

These are fine, fine people with deep German and Scots/Irish roots. And, if I ever had to live off the land during famine or a depression, this is where I would want to be.

God bless them all.

AND...

Speaker at conference giving directions to his bookstore...
Man: It's just around the corner from...
Audience: ?
Man: It's two blocks from ...
Audience: ?
Man: It's just down the road from ___ Gun's Supply.
Audience - all in one voice: Oh! We all know where that is! We'll find your shop!!!

18 Sep 2016

Miss Peggy is reflecting after a whirlwind three days with her sisters.

After my sisters fell asleep Friday evening, I thought I heard someone singing. I went to the door, and went out to the hall (like an indoor courtyard) and followed the singing down to where I looked over an atrium. There was a bunch of people attending a Baptist convention, and they couldn't sleep. So, they got up, went downstairs, and started up singing. I stayed upon the balcony and sang right along with them.

As I got back to the room, I tiptoed back to the side of the bed by the wall and window, and got stuck. Something was sticking down my back in my nightgown holding me hostage. I called for Betty, and she jumped up asking what in the world had happened.

That stupid rod that you pull the curtains back and forth with somehow got wedged down my back, and was holding me like a puppet, not able to move.

She got me out of my fix, only to have the same thing happen about ten minutes later.

Fool.

The next morning, a couple were standing behind us at breakfast when the woman said, "You look so familiar. Were you the one on the balcony singing with us?"

Me: (Sheepishly) Well, yes it was. I apologize for being in my nightgown.
Woman: Well, honey...you looked a heck of a lot better than the folks at Walmart!

I have stepped up.

Breakfast was to die for this morning. It was all of the stuff I grew up on - bacon and eggs, sausage, biscuits and gravy, fried apples, waffles, etc.

After being interviewed by the local television station, I began my series of talks, beginning with "Following the Money Using Tax Records". I had these people hollerin' and slappin' the legs - over tax records! Probably because so many of mine were listed as "Distillers" on the actual records.

In between classes, a woman came up to me and asked me if I knew much about "those Mormons". I responded that I did, for I am one. She then proceeded to tell me all about "those Mormons" digging up their dead folks. I assured her that WE didn't, emphasizing that she was indeed talking to one. She said a friend of a friend of hers told her they did, so it must be true.

Honey, just go sit back down.

Soon it was time to leave. After eating and talking and laughing and eating some more and laughing some more, we drove with the beautiful moon shining on us through the hills.

We reminisced about an earlier time...

A turkey buzzard swooped down across the windshield, lodging in the front left fender.
Me: (driving Fern's Toyota van) Good grief!
Betty: What in the world was that thing?
Me: I think it was a teradactyl.
Fern: Is the van okay?
Me: I'm going to pull over and check.

Me...pulling feathers and body parts out of the grill. My sisters are freaking out.

I then noticed that the fender was dislodged from the main body. I cleaned out more feathers, snapped everything back together like Legos, got in the car and drove on.

Fern: Are you sure it's okay?
Me: Are we driving?
Fern: Yes
Me: Do you hear anything flopping?
Fern: No
Me: We're fine. Let's keep going and find us a cemetery.

I will miss my sisters when they're gone. Of course, I'm assuming they will go before me, which may not be the case. But, I can tell things are a bit harder for them than they used to be.

Perhaps, just perhaps, that is why I was born so many years after them.

My Takeaway on Day #1 - Kentucky Trip with Sisters

(Reprint from Facebook Post)

My takeaway from day #1 - Kentucky trip with two of my sisters.

We all know it's important to glean what information we can from the older generation. In my case, my sisters are the older generation. They were 16, 19, and 21 when I was born, so each of them could have been my mother. But, they weren't.

I have listened to stories from their childhood all the way down Route 23 to Kentucky. Remember, their childhood memories are not going to be the same as mine. They were well acquainted with my parents' grandparents, many of whom were born in the mid-1800's.

This evening, I was howling while I was driving. Betty told me of Ambrose Clemens, my father's grandfather who was known as a truly mean man. They went to visit him when he was living with his daughter as a 90-year old man.

He slept on a little cot in the kitchen.

Betty, being ten years old, didn't want to just sit and talk with him, so she went outside. A goat proceeded to eat her dress right off of her, leaving her with just a little slip to wear for the remainder of the visit, and the return trip to West Virginia. She had no other dress.

Fern and Betty both laughed about sister Jean Roth, who took one of her biscuits out to the pond that was covered in algae. She thought it looked good, and proceeded to smear that algae all over her biscuit and ate it.

Sister Fern, who has never done much wrong, sneaked out with a friend behind a barn and smoked cigarette butts, and both of them got sick and turned green.

Oh, this trip is already good. All of us can lose something we had in our hand a minute ago, but can remember things from 70+ years ago.

Well, 70+ years for them. I'm not quite there yet.

My Takeaway on Day #2 - Kentucky Trip With Sisters

(Reprint from Facebook Post)

My takeaway on day #2 - Kentucky trip with sisters.

Oh, you all would just love traveling with us!

We slept in this morning, because we are old. Well, older. After breakfast, we piled into the car to head to my aunt's when sister Betty noticed the engine light was on.

Think about this. We are driving a Cadillac SUV in Ford/Chevy country. Last time we had a Toyota. Try getting THAT fixed. I quickly pulled out my smartphone and located a dealership not far away. I drove right to it, they took it in, and in a couple of hours we were set to go.

Before we arrived, I made a phone call to make sure they would be able to take us.
Betty: Can you tell me if I have the right address?
Them: Yes, ma'am. It's close to donal.
Betty: Close to what?
Them: Donal, ma'am.
Betty: Donal?
Then: Yes ma'am. If you've gone past donal, you've gone too far.
Betty: How will I know what a donal is?
Them: Ma'am, it's donal. There are several buildings with his name on it.
Betty: (thinking the twang...donal...donal...donal...)
Betty: Is that one or two words.
Them: Ma'am, it's two words. Donal.
Me: (driving through town, I see Don Hall)
Betty: Is it Don Hall?
Them: That's what I said, Ma'am. Donal.

Sigh...

It doesn't end there. Walking into the waiting room.
Man: (looking at Fern) I know you.
Fern: I don't think you do.
Man: I know I do.
Fern: I know you don't.
Man: Don't you live in Greenup?
Fern: No, I've never lived in Greenup.
Man: Then you must have a twin.
Fern: I guess I must.
Man: I guess since we're not related, then I could marry you.
Me: Fern, get over here now!

Sigh...

Another man: I'll never see you all again.
Betty: You got that right.

A shuttle took us to the mall while we waited, and soon we were on the way to our aunt's house...giggling like teenagers.

Something to do while waiting on the car - shopping at Belks!

It was SO good to see her! She has aged considerably since my uncle died last August. Granddaughter Erika lives directly behind her and takes excellent care of her, in addition to her own family. Her young life has not been an easy one, but she has stepped up to the plate and is doing such a fine job. How I love her and her young children.

Betty Stevens teaching granddaughter Skylan some of the old gospel songs.

Erika Stevens, Skylan, and Xavier

We stopped at more cemeteries, both on the way there and back. Sister Betty and I recalled when both of us almost got in trouble.

Me: (while waiting for the cemetery caretaker to look through the index cards) We appreciate you doing this for us.
Him: It's no trouble 'tall, Ma'am.
Me: We have fun lookin' up our kinfolk.
Him: I've always heard that was a good thing to do.
Me: (still waiting) Now, are you a sexton?
Him: No ma'am...I'm a Miller.
Me: What?
Him: I'm a Miller.
Me: No, no...I mean are you a sexton at this cemetery?
Him: No ma'am. I'm Mr. Miller at this cemetery.

Sigh...

We have now rolled back into our hotel room, where I called Kerry to bring some normalcy back into my life. He laughed, and recalled similar times with me.

It's all good.

My takeaway on day #3 - Kentucky trip with sisters

(This is a reprint from Facebook posts)

It just doesn't end!

Fern and Betty and I slept in again, having stayed at our favorite hotel in Ashland. We are not usually messy, but this time it looked like a college dorm room. And, we didn't care!

We settled our bill, corrected some errors on it, and headed into town. I had recently found where one set of my grandparents had actually been buried in Ashland, the same town we had been staying in for years. I was determined to find them.

After breakfast, we were chatting with some of the locals. A nice gentleman joined us, and we were asking where a certain location was.

Me: Is it far from here?
Man: No, ma'am. Just get up there on the superslab.
Me: The what???!!!
Man: The superslab. It'll go from a four-lane down to a two-lane when y'all get to the red light.
Me: What if the light isn't red?
Man: Wait till it turns red. Then you'll be at the red light.
Me: Which way do we go after that?
Man: Turn left, Ma'am. If you head straight on, you'll run into a cow.

Fern and Betty are trying to hold their faces together while I'm talking to the man. I was about ready to beat them.

Another man: Now, y'all be careful not to get too close to Shucky Bean Holler.
Me: Is it dangerous?
Man: Not unless y'all are lookin' for some 'shine (moonshine).

We got on out of there, and head toward Ashland. Sure enough, the GPS took me straight to the cemetery where these grandparents were supposed to be located. 

It was in the middle of town!

The cemetery was not overgrown, but it was not cared for very well. I got into the back to get my snake stick, and my sisters - the big babies - stayed in the car and hollered at me, telling me to be careful. Really.

I went all over that cemetery, nearly giving up as I saw weathered and toppled stones. I decided to try one more place in the nearly 100 degree heat. There, under a small grove of trees, where snakes would love to be stretched out cooling, I found the tombstone with both of their names on it!!!

I hooped and hollered, scaring Fern and Betty into thinking I had wrapped my feet around a nest of snakes. I told them I was fine, and to stop hollering.

This was on a side street that we have driven past hundreds of times. Right there in plain site!

Benjamin and Matilda Rice
Pollard Cemetery, Ashland, Boyd, Kentucky

Betty, Fern, and Peggy
Ashland, Boyd, KY Public Library

We went on to the Boyd Co., KY Library -- one of our favorites. It did not disappoint us at all. We made several worthy finds.

My sisters think I'm so smart. Gone are the days when we are standing and making copies. Between my Flip-pal and my cell phone, our research time was quality.

We had one more place to stop, and nearly didn't do it. We enjoy the Greenup Co., KY Library, too. But, we thought we might be running short on time. But, something told me to go on into the small town.

We were driving down the main street, and I couldn't seem to find it. It had been a former funeral home, so you wouldn't think it would be that difficult to spot.

We just kept on driving, and nearly drove off the road. There was a brand new library!!!! It was built in 2013, and we were tearing at each other to get out of the car and up the ramp. My gosh, it was beautiful!

Betty, Fern, and Peggy
Greeenup Co., KY Public Library

We made great finds in there. Miss Vicki Evans, the genealogist, was as helpful as anyone could ever ask for. She made copies for me of an excellent template that they use for Family Group Records. She even emailed it to me so it can be filled out on my computer. 

We had our greatest success there. If you recall an earlier post, Ambrose Clemens stayed with daughter Etta B. and slept on a cot. A goat ate Betty's dress.

His death certificate states he was buried in Mt. Ebo Cemetery. I've never been able to find it, nor any listing for him on FindAGrave. 

In their cemetery book, they showed before/after photos of the cleanup of this cemetery. In one of them, I remarked to Betty that it looked like a convict was working in there.

Betty: I don't think it's a convict. Look at what they're wearing. Fern has a skirt just like that.
Me: Betty, no one cleans a cemetery in a skirt.
Betty: I'm telling you, Fern has a skirt like that, and I love it.

Later, Miss Vicki told us how a team of convicts was used to clean up the cemetery.

Ha!!!

Mt. Ebo Cemetery Convict Cleanup

I copied the page that shows him buried there. Not all stones are legible, but his and his family's were legible. I felt like I hit the jackpot!

Ambrose Clemens, Arthur, Etta B., and Daisy Fitzpatrick

Burial list at Mt. Ebo Cemetery, Greenup Co., KY

There were many more finds. These are certainly our highlights.

Our extremely successful trip is over. We are all back home now, and are planning our next trip.

I smiled as I listened to Fern and Betty reminisce about how they tried to bury a cat three times. Betty gave it a holy-roller funeral, but the cat kept crawling out.

I wonder what else can happen...