Are You Related to Any One Famous?

Have you been told that you had a famous relative?  Who was the relative?  What did they do to be famous?  How close was your relationship?  Did you personally meet the famous relative?  Have you read any stories about your relative?  

I grew up thinking I wasn't related to anyone famous.  My parents told me that I had a great grandparent who was a leader in our church.  That was as close as I came to feeling related to somebody famous.  I just found out that at www.familysearch.org you can find out if you are related to famous people.  I counted that I am related to 30 of the United States Presidents.  I'm also related to Marie Antionette, Winston Churchill, Queen Victoria, and Princess Diana.  I am related to Sir Isaac Newton, Samuel Morse, and the Wright Brothers.  I am related to William Shakespeare, Mark Twain, Emily Dickinson, John Wayne, Jane Austen, Shirley Temple, Bing Crosby, and Charles Dickens.  I am related to 32 passengers from the Mayflower.  I will have to take the

time to find out how I am related.  How far back do I need to go to find a common ancestor?  What were their lives like?  There is much to learn from this information.

If you have an account at familysearch.org, go check out your famous ancestors.  If you don't have an account, create one.  There is no cost in creating an account.  Just think of all the things you might learn about your ancestors. 

My paternal grandmother's great grandparents and their children have been written about in a series of books.  The information in the books was based on facts taken from diaries and journals and on accounts written about the places they lived and the things that happened when they lived there.  Some things were added to make the story interesting, but the facts were kept and only things that were logical to assume happened were added.  I am so grateful to my cousins who choose to write these books.  It truly made these ancestors feel more real to me.  They are not just names in a family tree, but they were real people who had joyful times and sad times in their lives.  What they learned was passed down to me and has affected my life.

Include any stories you know about your famous ancestors in your life story.  What our ancestors experienced in their lives has probably been passed down to us and has affected our lives.  Learning more about your ancestors broadens your view of the world.  Share what you learn with your family. 

Four Generation Family Tree Gold Border Faux Canvas Print
by storykeeper

What kind of heat did you have in your home?

Heat is an essential part of our lives when we live where we have cold winters.  There are different ways of heating our homes.  Record what kind of heat you had in your home and compare it to the heat you have now.  Have you had any times when you didn't have heat?  What did you do during those times?

When I was growing up we had a coal-burning furnace.  It had a hopper that had to be filled with small lumps of coal.  Depending on how cold the weather was, it might have to be refilled twice a day.  That was one of the chores I remember doing.  If we forgot to fill the hopper and it ran out of coal, the furnace would start to smoke.  Instead of nice warm heat throughout the house, there would be smoke.  We would have to evacuate the house, open all the windows and doors, and wait for the smoke to clear out.  I did like the warmth of the coal fire.  The heat vent was right beside my bed.  I liked to stick my feet out of the covers and over the heat vent when the blower turned on.  It was so nice to have warm feet.  

My grandmother had a coal-burning stove in her house to provide heat. When we would visit with her, it was nice to sit close to her stove and get warm.  One winter when I was attending college in the city where she lived, I would go to her house on my lunch break and bring in coal for her stove.  My aunt checked on her in the morning and at night.  That was a wonderful time that I got to spend with my grandmother.

When I first got married, we moved into an older house that had two natural gas floor heaters.  They provided pretty good heat, but with a baby, learning to crawl, it was scary that she might get burned.  We soon replaced the floor heaters with a central furnace that provided heat to each room.  We also installed a wood-burning stove for backup heat.  I was grateful for that stove one October when a heavy early snowstorm took down tree branches all across the city.  One of the trees in my yard took down the power line to my house.  So many power lines were down across the city that it took three days before the power company could get to my house to repair my line.  So I built a fire in the stove, and we were able to stay in our house despite the freezing temperatures outside.

Now I live in a house with radiant electric heaters in the ceilings.  It is easy to just turn on the heat when the temperatures get cold.  I do have a fireplace so I could use it as backup heat if needed.  But sometimes I do miss that warm coal heat we had when I was growing up.

 

 

Fireplace Cat Poster
by AquaBubbleCreations

Record your stories about heat as part of your life story.

Surviving Disasters

Have you been in a disaster? What was it like? How did you cope with it? 

 In my lifetime I have heard and read about disasters. I have seen pictures and videos. I have felt sorrow for those who suffered so much loss. It may have been a tornado that destroyed houses and cars and businesses. It may have been a wildfire that destroyed homes and even cities. It may have been a hurricane that caused floods as well as wind damage. It may have been an earthquake that caused buildings and overpasses to collapse. It may have been a war where many lives were lost as well as communities destroyed. It is one of the things we have to deal with living in this world. 

Depending on when you live and where you live, you will probably experience disasters, Write about what happened in your life. Did it affect other people or was it just a disaster for you? Was it a short-term disaster that you recovered from quickly or did change the rest of your life? What caused the disaster? Was it a natural occurrence or was it because of what someone did? What emotions did you feel? Fear, sadness, and anger are all common emotions during disasters. How did other people react to it? Did someone have compassion for you and help you through the difficulty? Unfortunately, sometimes people take advantage of the situation and try to help themselves by hurting you. I was told by our local Sheriff's office that it was quite common after someone dies for theft to occur in a family and fighting over who gets what often occurs. Death is a time when compassion is needed but may be lacking. Did you feel cared about or taken advantage of?

 I have experienced some personal disasters that affected my life and my family's life, but I have not been a part of a widespread disaster until now. The Covid-19 Virus Pandemic has affected me even though I live in a small town and there are no known cases of the virus here. Economically it has affected me as some of my efforts to earn money have not been fruitful with the closure of non-essential businesses in our state. All of my daughters have lost their jobs because of the closure. There is a fear of encountering the virus. Since it is invisible, you just don't know if you may have already encountered it or if you may encounter it anytime you are around other people. For most people who encounter the virus, it could be a minor illness that may not even slow them down; but for some people it is life-threatening. Since Covid-19 is a new virus people do not have an immunity to it. It is spreading fast. So here I am trying to not feel afraid, but it is a scary time.

Red Sun and Trees Photo 2020 Folded Greeting Card
by storykeeper

 Have you had a time in your life when you said, "This can't be happening?" It would be nice if we could just stop things from happening that we don't want to happen. Sometimes talking about what is happening can help. But sometimes you can't talk about what is happening when it is happening. Writing about it can be another way to help deal with what is happening. Finding things to be grateful for even in the midst of adversity is good. Even if no one else reads what you have written it can be helpful for you to have written it. The adversity you have gone through may uplift someone else as they see how you dealt with it and came out of it.

 I have been reading a family history book. It is difficult reading because it is about a time of persecution and war. I do feel so sad for those ancestors with what they had to deal with. The future was full of fear and uncertainty. I know they went through some difficult things, but they did have some very good things happen in their lives afterward. Reading family history can help as you see the tragedies your family went through and you also see the blessings they received too.

 When I was twelve years old, our family experienced a fire. We had thousands of chickens that provided our family's livelihood, and we had a fire in the main coop. It was a very sad time. We couldn't get the chickens out of the coop so we lost the majority of the chickens. My parents, though, focused on how the fire didn't spread to the smaller coop or to the corrals and especially how it didn't spread to our home. They were grateful for the firemen who responded and made sure the fire was all the way out. They set an example of focusing on the positives even when the negative was overwhelming. I am grateful for the people who had bought eggs from us, who came back as customers when the coop was rebuilt and more chickens were acquired.

The most devastating incident in my adult life was a car crash. It resulted in the death of three family members. It meant hospitalization for one of my daughters and for myself. I spent four months in the hospital before I was allowed to go home. My life totally changed after that. Some physical effects have continued throughout my life. Economically it was really hard. Emotionally it was hard.

We do learn and grow from experiences even when they are hard. Make sure to include the difficult things that have happened in your life along with the good things. Record your feelings and how you dealt with things. Some day someone may benefit from reading about your experience.

Camping and Nature

I just read an article about how good being in nature is for us. It improves our creativity. It improves our nature so we are kinder and more gentle. Since it is so good for us, what memories do you have of being in nature?

Did your family take vacations to national parks or other outdoor areas?  Did you go camping and spend a lot of time outdoors?  Did you spend a lot of time playing outdoors?  Did you help plant and care for a garden?  Did you spend time walking barefoot outside?  Did you like to lie on the grass?  What was or is your favorite thing to do outside?

I grew up on a farm.  Being outside was a part of my life all the way through my growing up years.  I helped plant a garden, pull weeds and harvest the produce.  We had a small orchard of fruit trees.  I remember helping to pick the fruit.  I helped to feed the chickens.  Sometimes I had to walk to find where the cows were and to bring them back to the corral at the end of the day.  My brother liked being outside more than I did.  He liked to capture what we thought were pollywogs from a little pond on our farm.  As an adult, he found out they weren't pollywogs but were a type of prehistoric fish.  My brother liked to walk barefoot outside, which can be good for you except when you find a nail in a board like he did.  We had a horse up until I was twelve years old.  I was trying to get up the courage to ride the horse on my own when my parents had to sell the horse. 

Our parents encouraged us to go camping with the youth groups from our church and with the 4-H clubs.  We didn't go camping as a family all together, but my parents wanted us to have those kinds of experiences.  We did get quite a bit of time outside.  We didn't travel much or take family vacations, so we didn't go to the national parks or other outdoor attractions much. One place we did go was the San Rafael Swell.  I remember Buckhorn Wash.  I remember walking between two rock walls.  We only did day trips.  We went to Buckhorn Wash to get gravel for pouring cement.  I remember seeing petroglyphs.  We could see Cedar Mountain from our farm.  I am amazed by watching videos of the area now and how beautiful it is.  If you are interested, here are a couple of videos of the area.

My Dad at the San Rafael Swell

Share your memories of being nature to add to your life story.

 

Petroglyph of The Great Hunt, Nine Mile Canyon, UT Postcard
by HTMimages

Little Grand Canyon Sunset - Wedge Overlook - Utah Postcard
by ultimateplaces

You're an Angel #Lighttheworld

Have you had an angel in your life?  Have you been an angel in someone else's life?

I have had many angels in my life.  A couple of weeks ago I had been off work sick.  The day I went back to work I came home I found my front door had been decorated for Christmas.  Some angel decorated it for me.  I had to smile.  Decorating was not something I had been worried about doing, but it looked so nice and I felt loved. 

A few days ago, I received a card in the mail.  I opened it wondering who had sent it since there was no return address.  Inside was a pretty Christmas card and inside the card was a gift card for the local grocery store.  The card was signed Santa.

Sometimes I know who the angels are that have blessed my life.  Sometimes I don't know for sure, so it could be any one of several people that I know or it really could be an angel.  I have been blessed by many angels.  Whether I know who the angel was or not, it has been a real blessing to me to have these angels in my life.

Record your experiences with angels in your story. Describe your feelings.  Tell what the angels did for you.  Record your feelings if you were ever an angel to someone else. 

What Did You Feel As A New Parent, A New Brother or Sister, A New Wife or Husband, A New Uncle or Aunt or A New Grandparent?

What feelings did you have with new relationships in your life?

Relationships change in our lives.  Growing up we may have experienced brothers or sisters being added to our family.  Do you remember how you felt about a new brother or sister?  If you were old enough when they were born, you may remember feeling excited, nervous, or jealous.  If you were younger, you may only remember certain incidences where your feelings of happiness or jealousy were expressed.  You may remember fighting over toys or over what TV show to watch.  You may remember having a good time playing with your brother or sister.  Recording your feelings will add a lot to your story.

Later in life when you choose someone to marry, how did you feel?  Most people feel very excited about getting married.  Some nervousness is also common.  Did the nervousness go away after being married for a while or did it escalate and get worse possibly even ending in divorce?

When you had children, how did you feel?  Usually, the birth of a child is a very exciting time, but it also can be a time of feeling inadequate and concerned about being up to the task of raising a child.  What were the things you enjoyed most in raising your children?  What were the most difficult things you encountered?

                                                           

If you are a grandparent, how did you feel when you found out you were going to be a grandparent?  How did you feel when you met your grandchild?  What things do you most enjoy doing with your grandchildren?  What things are hard to deal with as a grandparent?

Record your feelings about any other relationships.  You could write about how you feel about being an aunt or uncle or a cousin.  Even recording your feelings about friends will add a lot to your story.  Your feelings will bring life to your story and make it more real than just the facts can do.  Your feelings will make your story uniquely your own.  Take time to record your feelings.

Love Story Photo Frame Poster
by storykeeper

Memories of Grandparents

What kind of things do you remember doing with your grandparents or great-grandparents?

Were you fortunate enough to get to spend time with your grandparents or great-grandparents?  You may not have spent much time with your grandparents because they lived a great distance from you.  You may not have had much time with them because they passed away before you were very old.  Both of my grandfathers died before I was born, so I never even met them.  One of my grandmothers passed away when I was about six years old.  I only have a few memories of her.  My other grandmother lived to be in her nineties.  I have many memories of her.  I never knew my great-grandparents since they all died before I was born.  Three of my children met their great-grandmother, but she was ill and they didn't get to spend much time with her.  People are living longer now, so knowing grandparents and great-grandparents is more common now.

Writing some of your memories of your grandparents and great-grandparents if you knew them will preserve their legacy for your children.  When you went to your grandparents' house did they give you any treats?  My maternal grandmother had plum trees in her yard.  She often made plum-filled cookies as a treat.  One year my grandmother gave us corn that she had dried herself.  It was a surprisingly sweet treat.

How often did you get to visit your grandparents?  We usually saw my grandmother every week.  We raised chickens and sold the eggs to many people in the city she lived in.  We would take a dozen eggs to her each week, and we usually visited for a little while.  One winter when our van we used to deliver the eggs with didn't have a working heater, we would plan to stop in at grandma's and warm up midway through our delivery route.  Her coal-burning stove felt so warm.  I remember warming up too fast and how painful that was.

Did your grandparents have any special talents?  My grandmother sewed clothing, made quilts, and braided rugs.  I remember one Christmas, my grandmother gave me a bib apron she had sewn.  She made me a couple of pincushions which I still have.  My mother started a quilt top before she died.  My dad and stepmother asked my grandmother to finish the quilt top.  Then my stepmother added batting and a backing and quilted the quilt for me.  The quilt is so special to me since it was the work of three important women in my life.

Write down the memories of your grandparents and your great-grandparents if you were fortunate enough to know them.  Take photos of anything they gave to you or that once belonged to them.  Record your feelings about your grandparents.  The members of your family who didn't get to know your grandparents will appreciate what you have recorded.

https://www.zazzle.com/nature_photo_family_photo_tree_calendar-158741909937911606?startdate=1%2F1%2F2025&social=true