Current projects for blog posts

Me on a visit to Richmond, VA-Mar 2017

Lots of cool posts coming soon. I have several blog posts composed in my mind. I have stacks of interviews and stories to type up and share. I've been discovering lots of new resources, that I want to tell people about. It's very easy to get impatient with myself, because things now take much longer than I want them to. I've been trying to learn personal things for my health things as fast as I possible, so I can get back to more of what I love. Family history and genealogy feel like they are a part of me and my soul.

I have an electrolyte disorder that affects my muscles, including my vision and speech. I permanently went into a wheelchair last March. (2016) My hands are not strong enough for hand controls, to allow for driving. So, I also stopped driving then. I had so many places I wanted to see for my research! I live in between Washington DC and Richmond, Virginia. Both of which have libraries and museums I love. Public transportation doesn't come as far as my house, I'm still in a rural area. But there is a train station about a 10-minute drive from here. My doctor helped me with handicap paperwork to get disability transportation passes. I got train passes this month, so I can try to get out and about again a little easier.  I've gotten much better at balancing my electrolytes so I don't feel sick as much, and I feel safer to go out. I can also finally type on the computer longer periods of time again.  My wheelchair has made life much better and easier for me. These things have been a huge boost to my confidence and feeling more independence.

My Gray line from Mecklenburg, Virginia was from County Armagh, Ireland. (Immigrated 1838) After getting my DNA done on Ancestry.com, I discovered I'm more Irish than I thought and have found more Irish ancestors. Last week, my husband took me to Library of Virginia (state archives), and I got to see a presentation from the Ulster Historical Society, on St Patrick's Day. They sent us home with several folders worth of resources.  I also copied two very large chancery cases that day.  This month, I've learned a lot from Dear Myrtle's Irish Gen study group, on Google +. I've been rather immersed in Irish research this month and loving it! I also have some things I'm working on with Polish ancestors, so I'm planning a visit to Washington DC.

I made a list of dozens of webinars I want to watch. I've been shown dozens of new websites and resources just this month.  I plan to type up things I've been learning for my blogs. This past year, I got all my old archived emails into Evernote to tag and organize. I've also moved notes from personal messaging systems like FamilySearch, Ancestry and Face Book, into Evernote. The more I tag and put my notes into notebooks, the more I see more blog post ideas; As well as questions that I want to go back and ask people, now that I've learned more things the last few years.  Of course, as with life in general, these things are always a work in progress. I'm going through my notes and getting things into my computer a little at a time so it's easier to share. I'm thankful that I am still moving, not feeling stuck,...even though it's a slower pace than I prefer. Much more coming soon, ...a little at a time.

(This post was created for all 3 blogs: My Virginia blog, Polish blog, and simplifying-health blog)

Good Neighbors in Gary Indiana

This story was posted as a comment in August 2016. Today feels so busy and faced paced, I don't see so much community as older people describe to me during interviews. Valerie is not related, but I think her story gives a great feel for the time, and place. I loved this story, so I wanted to put it in as a post, which is more visible than comments:
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Hello. My name is Valerie. I am an African -American woman born in the late 60's. I had the most wonderful experience growing up in Gary Indiana. My Dad bought a house on Taft Street when he and my mother got married in 1966.He was a Mill worker and my mom was a school teacher. I came along in 1968. In those days the neighborhood we moved to was strictly white ,professional families, i.e. doctors, lawyers,nurses, educational professionals...The area was located by the local hospital ( about 4 blocks away) and several schools.Hence, considered the professional district. My family was the first black family on the block. My next door neighbors were Polish. Mr. and Mrs. Frank Roman. He was an English teacher at the Horace Mann high school 3 blocks away. I remember he walked everyday. They never had a car,and his wife was a housewife. She was wonderful to me and my sister. My earliest memories go back as young as two or three years old. She had beautiful flowers in her yard and she treated us like we were her own children. She spent many days socializing with my mom and they would even share recipes with each other. She baked the most incredible cookies in the world! and she gave us treats everyday. During this time in our history it was an unheard of concept. Because our other neighbors were very adamant about socializing with families of other races. They even had maids that weren't allowed to have passing conversations with those living around them. But my Polish neighbors were the exact opposite. Even though Mr. Roman worked, he still took the time to talk with us and teach us different things. Including their prayers. They had a beautiful statue of the Virgin Mary in their front yard. Their names are carved in the concrete on the sidewalk in front of the house. Mrs. Roman taught my mom how to make those great cookies and my mama taught her how to make chitterlings......LOL! I still smile when I think of the songs she use to sing to us. As the years passed, Mr.Roman passed away and I believe Mrs. Roman, who had a son from a previous relationship, (this information my mother gave me) that came and took Mrs. Roman to live with him in her old age. My mom and sister took care of her for a while before her son came to get her. I had been long gone and living in another state so I never got the chance to see them again. In 2007, I purchased my childhood home from my mother. My Dad had passed away years before and my mom re-married and moved a few blocks away. So because my sister lived in another state and my baby brother was married with a home of his own, I also being the only one with children, I bought the home I grew up in. The memories are still there...next door.......48 years later.
Different people have lived there through the years...but "The Romans" is still carved in the side walk...the Virgin Mary is still in the front yard.....and The Roman's are still in my memory....and my heart.