Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Blog Caroling 2011

Yeah! I'm ready to go blog caroling with you fm!  Got my slipper socks, sweats and coffee. I'm out of eggnog.

I've never sang this song while caroling, but when ever I hear it on the radio it makes me feel giddy and I can't help but sing along.... I only like hippopotamusses!

So I challenge you to release your inner child and sing along!






I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
Only a hippopotamus will do
Don't want a doll, no dinky Tinker Toy
I want a hippopotamus to play with and enjoy

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
I don't think Santa Claus will mind, do you?
He won't have to use our dirty chimney flue
Just bring him through the front door, that's the easy thing to do

I can see me now on Christmas morning, creeping down the stairs
Oh what joy and what surprise when I open up my eyes
To see a hippo hero standing there

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
Only a hippopotamus will do
No crocodiles, no rhinoceroses
I only like hippopotamuses
And hippopotamuses like me too

Mom says the hippo would eat me up, but then
Teacher says a hippo is a vegeterian

There's lots of room for him in our two-car garage
I'd feed him there and wash him there and give him his massage
I can see me now on Christmas morning, creeping down the stairs
Oh what joy and what surprise when I open up my eyes
To see a hippo hero standing there

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
Only a hippopotamus will do
No crocodiles or rhinoceroseses
I only like hippopotamuseses
And hippopotamuses like me too!




Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Scrappin' Family Calendars

Every year I make a family calendar for Christmas. It's something my family looks forward to.  For the last couple of years, that's all they get for Christmas from me cause I is po!

For the calendar days I use Hallmark Card Studio. Unfortunately I am still using the 2007 version, but it's still the best calendar making software I have found.  One of these days I will update it.

For the photo pages I have been using an old photo editing software.  I'm talkin' old, like 1999! One of these days I will update that too.

This is the first year I am using brand new software, and scrapbook software at that! And it's all thanks to Caroline at Family Stories! The My Memories Suite scrapbook software is awesome!

I try to sneak a little family history in with the calendars.  This is what I did this year using, of course, Mymemories:




So thank you C for making my calendar making easier and funner! And, thanks for getting me hooked on scrapping ;-)




Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Not So Wordless Wednesday

This little cutie is my grandfather.

I so love it when distant cousins contact me after finding my blog!  The precious photo above is my grandfather, Calvin Buck Smedley.  I estimate it was taken around 1888/1889.

I thought I would never see this photo again! I remember seeing this photo in my grandma's photo album and for some reason I thought I had a copy, but I did not. I am so thankful to my new found BUCK cousin for sending me this photo.

If any other BUCK researchers are out there, please contact me.  We are looking for some BUCK family history.




Tuesday, November 15, 2011

My Trip To Idaho

Took this picture of a plane identical to the one I was
sitting on that took me to Pocatello.
Last September hubby gave me a plane ticket for my birthday to go visit my family in Idaho. I left Nov 5, and came back last Saturday.

Like most trips it wasn't long enough (I could have handled 2 more days away from hubby; maybe). And like some trips there were bad moments as well as good.

My last day there I woke up with some cursed bug that kept me in the bathroom most of the day!  My sister drives up from Las Vegas to see me and all I can do is be a miserable good for nothing!  So I didn't make it to the cemetery like I wanted to.

Two days after I got home I received a text from sister...and I quote...."You suck!! Now I'm sick w/stomach flu!"  Found out that I got it from my daughter.  So we shared laughter, hugs, memories, and yuckiness.

Got to see all the grandkids but one.  Is there a group for grandparents who are kept out of their grandchildren's lives?  I need to find one.

While I was there I went through boxes of photos, newspaper clippings and other ephemera. I also scavenged around in mom's cedar chest as well as mine (I sure wish I could get that down here).  I even found a box of letters that dad wrote to mom while he was in college.  Who knew that he was once one of those smart ass alec partying college kids?

Of course I had my magic wand with me.  I scanned over 100 images so I should have some good posting material.  I talked ma into letting me bring the photos home though so I could scan directly to the computer. I promised I would send them back.  I also ran around the house taking photos of all the family treasures.  Unfortunately the only scenery picture I got was the snow in ma's backyard.

And....it looks like I missed my 2nd blogoversary. Oh well.

Monday, October 24, 2011

Amanuensis Monday - 1908 Postcard



This postcard comes from grandma Hazel's box of goodies and was written to my great-great grandma & grandpa Piggott from their daughter Alice.  She was my great-grandaunt.

Unfortunately I can't read the postal stamp, but the card must have been written and sent some time around Nov 1908, since their 39th anniversary was Dec 1, 1908.

It's addressed to Mr. and Mrs. W H Piggott, Bloomington, Idaho.

Dear Father & Mother,
Hearty congratulations
on the anaversary of
your 39th wedding
day. May you both
see many more &
happy ones. Hope you
are both feeling better.
Love to all Lovingly Alice

There is a little something more written up above over the green postcard print. This is my attempt to decipher it:

20 below
zero this
a.m.
now the
___ is
frozen? 
Let me know if you can make it out.







Amanuensis Monday is an ongoing series created by John Newmark at Transylvanian Dutch

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Sunday's Obituary - Augusta Piggott

The New York Times, Aug 8, 1864, page 5

PIGGOTT-- On Saturday evening, Aug 6, AUGUSTA PIGGOTT.
The relatives and friends of the family are respectfully invited to attend her funeral, from the Meeting-House, Milton, Ulster County, N. Y., on Tuesday, Aug. 9, at 10 o'clock A. M.
 Augusta Piggott was my 3rd great-grandaunt. She never married.




Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Reminiscing - Before Twitter

Before there was ICQ, AIM, chatrooms, Facebook and even Twitter, there was the cb radio.

Do you ever reminisce about your childhood when you're just sitting there with your cup of coffee? Or maybe a song on the radio reminds you of something from your past.  Then there are those pleasant aromas that take you back somewhere else. Or maybe you're just feeling gushy and delve into your memories.  That's all me. You're probably wondering what all this has to do with cb radios. Well, I'll tell you.

I've decided to start a series called Reminiscing. Sort of installments of my personal history or my memoirs for the descendants. So when ever I am in a reminiscing mood, you will hear about it.  Guess what I was reminiscing about?

I found this blog post "Does Twitter Remind You of Anything" that compares Twitter to the cb.  You should check it out.

My handle was Street Singer. I met my first serious boyfriend on the cb in 1978. His handle was Caveman.  "Breaker,breaker. Caveman, are you by (the radio)?" He drove a mustang.  It was sweet!

Me and my best friend Jeep Freak used to spend hours in our parents vehicles talking on the cb when they would let us. And then I was caught talking on Rob & Karen's cb when I was babysitting for them.  They were out with my mom and dad. Let's just say that didn't go to well.

So I have this list of all the people I used to talk with on the cb. I knew most of their real names. There were nine that I didn't know. And yes they were all boys. Except for the first 3. Those were girlfriends.

Jeep Freak
Little Shake
Barracuda
Dream Weaver
Hot Wheeler
Sky One
Destroyer
Gypsy Blue
Eagle Freedom
Egg Head
Big Biker
Beretta
Cat Fish
Doobie Brother
Critter
Gambler
Alley Oop
Tyhee Fats
Chatter Bug
Ram Rod
Quiz Master
Boy Wonder
Paper Boy
Pole Bender
Cave Man
Mercedes

What was your cb handle?

This is Street Singer KNZ22, singing off. We gone.








Thursday, October 13, 2011

52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History - Teachers

I had a few favorite teachers from my school days. Not because they inspired me or anything. I hated school!  They were my favorite because they were cool, fun, or didn't put me to sleep. My favorite subject was choir and lunch time.  I loved school lunches especially on Friday. Pizza and peanut butter squares - yum!


My first grade teacher in 1968 was Mrs. Sakalaris at Jefferson elementary. She wore one of those Beehive hairdos. At the end of each school day she would sit at the piano and play, what I call "The Goodbye Song".  The whole class would sing along.... "Goodbye school, goodbye teacher, goodbye desk, (etc..), it's time to say goodbye!" It was fun. We loved it.


My second grade teacher was Mrs. Jones.  I remember a day in her class around Thanksgiving time.  She wrote the first sentence of a Thanksgiving story on the board and we were to  write the rest of the story in our notebooks.  I got an outstanding grade on mine.  I will never forget when I showed it to dad. He never believed that I wrote it! I was proud of that story and daddy never believed that I wrote it on my own.  Broke my heart.


I think Mrs. Wise was my most favorite teacher of all.  She was my 3rd grade teacher.  One day for show and tell I took my glass collection.  Little pieces of glass. Brown ones, blue ones, green ones and any other color I could find. I used to wash them in the sink.  For some reason mom and dad didn't like the idea of me playing with glass (really?) so they made me get rid of it.  I was mad.  The very next day I went to school Mrs. Wise gave me some sandpaper for my collection so I could smooth them out. I thought that was the coolest thing! Then I felt really sad cause she had gone to that trouble for me and mom and dad made me throw them all away!


Mrs. Stephenson was my 4th grade teacher.  She reminded me of my grandma.  I loved story time when she  read Charlotte's Webb to us.


Once I got into junior high and high school I didn't have favorite teachers.  But, there were teachers that I didn't like. I take that back.  I did have one favorite teacher in high school.  Mr. Denkers was my choir teacher. He was just a fun guy.


Well, then there was Mr. Bucholtz.  He was my government teacher when I was a senior.  Unfortunately I wasn't lucky enough to get him the first semester.  I had to settle for the girl's basketball coach.  I kid you  not, I fell asleep in his class every day. He was a jock.  Need I say more?











Thanks to Amy Coffin at We Tree for coming up with this series.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Wedding Wednesday - Smedley Marriage Certificate


Grace Ellen Poulsen & Calvin Buck Smedley
This is a copy of the marriage certificate for my paternal grandparents. Grandma sent it to me years ago when I was still a teenager (wouldn't want to do that again).  She was always good at sending me stuff like this and I didn't even have to ask.
She even made sure that all three of us kids had a Book of Remembrance and it was full of Smedley and Poulsen related pedigree sheets and family histories.



This photo was taken at their 50th wedding anniversary in 1970.  I will let you guess which one is me.

Friday is 91st anniversary of their wedding.




This newspaper article about their 60th wedding anniversary has been sitting in my Book of Remembrance for years.  Unfortunately I don't remember how I came to have it. Did I cut it out? Did grandma send it to me, or did mom cut it out?  Did it come from the Idaho State Journal? Or maybe the Paris Post?

If I have learned nothing else since my beginning years of genealogy and family history research, I have learned to NOTE WHERE THE THING CAME FROM!






Below is the napkin that I brought home from the 60th anniversary party.



Forty-five years to go for me and hubby!



Monday, October 3, 2011

Amanuensis Monday - Will of Thomas Teddeman


Yea! I was able to find a brother for 8 great-grandpa Tiddeman! It was by sheer luck.  I searched the National Archives UK for Tiddeman, Teddeman, etc., and found a will for Thomas Teddeman, Mariner of Dover, Kent dated 1675.  I felt pretty sure he would be related somehow, but I had no idea that this Thomas was my 8th great-granduncle!

What's really sweet is that he named grandpa Edmond as his Executor.  He must have died young with no issue because he mentioned no children or wife, and left everything to his nieces and nephews.


I Thomas Teddeman of Dover in the county of Kent, Mariner being sicke and weake of Body but of sound and perfect memory (Praised be God therefore I Do make and ordaine this my last will and testament in manner and forme following (that is to say) First I doe will and bequeath unto my sister Katherine and her heires forever my messuage with the Garden and appurtennts there unto belonging scituate and being in the parish of St. James the Appostle in Dover afore said And the summe of ffifty pounds of lawfull money of England to be paid by my Executor Alsoe I doe will and give to John Taylor my said sisters sonne the summe of ffifty pounds of lawfull money of England to be paid att his age of Twenty one yeares and proffitt thereof to be paid in the meanetime to his mother Towards his maintenance and Education Alsoe I doe will and give to Mary my said sisters daughter the summe of Tenn pounds of like English money to be paid att her age of Twenty one yeares and I doe appoint my Executor to put out the same And the use and proffitt thereof to be paid in the meane time to her mother towards her maintenance and Education And if either of my said sisters children shall dye before the age of Twenty one yeares the survivor of them to have the portion afore men-tioned of him or her soe dying Item I doe will and bequeath unto Mary Katherine and Alice Teddeman daughters of my loving Brother Edmond Teddeman the sume of Sixtie pounds a peice of lawfull money of England To be paid by my Executor Alsoe I doe will and give unto my said Brother Edmond Teddeman and his heirs forever All my Lands and Tenements att ffolkestone and Whitfeild in the said County And allthe Rest and residue of my personall Estate he paying my debts legacies and ffunerall Expences And of this my last will and Testament I doe hereby make and ordaine my said brother Edmond Teddeman my Full and sole Executor Revoaking every former will by me in my life made In witnes whereof I have hereunto sett my hand and seale this Thirtieth day of August Anno Dom' 1675. The mark of Tho Teddeman /Signed sealed and Published in the presence of Alyce Stratfold Willi Stratfold /
Source: Records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Prerogative Court of Canterbury and related Probate Jurisdictions: Will Registers: The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, England. Catalogue reference PROB 11/348.

Well worth the £3.50!






Amanuensis Monday is an ongoing series created by John Newmark at Transylvanian Dutch.

Friday, September 30, 2011

Funeral Card Friday - Calvin Buck Smedley


After grandpa's funeral, grandma sent me this card.

Dear Leslie and Glen
Want to thank you for comeing down the beautiful flowers and all. Most of all for your love and being here.
I miss Grandpa terrible, but know he is at peace and rest now and I am so thankful I had him home and took care of him the past year & half. Also I never had to put him in the rest home.
Hope all is well with you and you will get down again,
Let me know
All my love to you all     Grandma





Friday, September 23, 2011

Tackling the Tiddemans

While I am waiting for the documents I ordered from the UK I have become fixated on eight great-grandpa Captain Edmond Tiddeman. I eat, drink, and sleep Tiddeman. Literally. The other night I was dreaming about all the different ways I have seen this name spelled: 

Tideman, Tiddeman, Tiddiman, Tidyman, Tidman, Titman, Tediman, 
Teddiman, Teddeman, Tyddiman, Tyddeyman, Tyddeman, Tidyman .  

I'm sure I forgot a few.  All these different spellings flashed around in my dream and I was awakened by hubby asking, "Did you take care of all those ghosts?"  So apparantly while I was seeing Tiddeman I was talking about ghosts!  I think grandpa Tiddeman is haunting me!

Edmond Tiddeman was a mariner and a Quaker. He is listed as a sufferer in "A Collection of Sufferings of the People Called Quakers", by Joseph Besse.  It took a lot of googling, but I finally found this book online and if you have Quakers, it is well worth a look.  The following excerpt comes from page 462 of Vol I:

On the 4th of the Month called March 1683, at Horslydown, the Friends, being kept out of their Meeting-house, were assembled after their usual Manner in the Street, when the Constables came and took away William Shewin, Anthony Tomkins, Joseph Wase, Edmund Tiddeman, Richard Post, Thomas Lurting, Joseph Rawbone, John Bridges, John Holliday, George Bradford, Edmund Curle, and Percival Parsons, whom they carried before William Spiers, a Justice at the Bridge-house, who committed them all to the Counter in Tooly-street as Rioters.

I believe the Counter he was held it was Borough Compter. I don't know how long he was held there, but he was released before April 3rd of 1683 because that's when he is found in the New Jersey Colonial Documents:

1683 April 4. Do. William WELCH of London, merchant, to Edmond TIDEMAN of Redrith, Co. of Surrey, mariner, for 1-12 of a share of the Province, to contain at least 1,600 acres.*
Thomas Teddeman by Peter Lely, 1666,
part of the 
Flagmen of Lowestoft series

Edmond is said to be from a distinguished Navy family and ship owners from Dover which makes me almost certain that he is related to Rear Admiral Thomas Teddeman.  I just need to figure out how.

Thomas knew William Penn before he turned Quaker and Edmond traveled with him in 1672 on a religious visit through Kent.

I was able to get Captain Edmond's will, but it still leaves me with questions.

Google led me to this family tree on Rootsweb that says Edmond's parents are Thomas Tiddeman and Katherine Woodgreene, but she has no sources.  I sent her an email and am awaiting a reply.

Luckily I was able to find and purchase the will for Edmund Woodgreene, a possible grandfather for the Captain, from National Archives UK (I should take stock in their company), but I would still like to find some baptism records or something.

Now it's the weekend so I am taking a Tiddeman break!


* NEW JERSEY COLONIAL RECORDS, West Jersey Records: Part 4 - Volume 21 Calendar of Records 1664-1703





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