Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Z-Clan History

I've been helping some cousins with the Z-Clan family tree. I've been piecing together different peoples to make a big family tree. The goal is to get back to where they came from... Germany. I also have a goal that I always like to do.. try to piece together as many peoples with the last name to the family tree.. I like trying to connect the dots.

Luckily most of the family lived in or around West Virginia for many generations. West Virginia is one of the states that has gone thru all their old documents and scanned them. They are posted up for free. So I can find birth, marriage, and death records (scanned copies of the actual documents) for people who lived in 1800's to the early 1900's.

Right now I'm going thru the Births... so far there are 127 with the one spelling. Though like most long germanic names there are many different ways to spell it. Change out an A here for a E there... it makes for a very long and confuzzling search sometimes. I've found ways to help though.   :)

Once I'm done I'll work on the Deaths as they usually have family listed on them. Lastly I'll connect the dots with the Marriages...

It's been fun looking at the different stuff I've been able to find. It's also kewl to make connections with other people who are distant cousins also researching the family because I can help them.

My latest connection is the sister-in-law of Pappal's Niece. She's helping her SIL research her Z-Clan family. I was able to show her some pictures and a letter her father wrote to the family farm that a cousin scanned and shared with me. They were excited to see the pieces of history that connects to the father.

Sunday, November 3, 2013

Halloweenie Fun!

Pouts... I had to work on Halloween but I still had fun.

I hung out on Tuesday with a bunch of my guy friends... We usually do "Holiday/Birthday" stuff on whichever Tuesday is close to the actual holiday. So I decorated for Halloween at my friends house... Tuesday was our game night.


I had fun with the Rice Krispies I made for us to snack on...  I got to "Kill" the Rice Krispy treats LOL.


I found cute little chocolate knives. I found some glittery gel frosting to use for "Blood". I thought it worked out kewl.

Halloween I dressed up for work.. I finally got my outfit done that I was working on last year. Not really sure how to describe it... It's vampirish colors but kinda looks like a saloon girl but I had a witch hat on.



The boots were a kewl find last year at the Good Will thrift store. They fit and were in good condition for only $4.99. I hate that in the pictures you can't tell the bustle and train are a black leopard material... it's kinda see thru except the spots.. those are velvety.

Sunday, October 27, 2013

Lil Miracles

I sometimes click on places people post on Facebook... I follow them to see where the links lead me... sometimes it leads me to several different stories.. several little miracles...  you can't help but smile!

Tonight I landed on Kaylee Rae's Facebook page. (https://www.facebook.com/KayleeRaesStory) She has many speed bumps in her little life... Obstacles she's slowly learning to overcome or get around. Her main obstacle is from Polymicrogyria  (basically translates to Many small/tiny wrinkles in the brain). It hasn't stopped her from learning to sit up by herself, enter toddler beauty pageants, go swimming with her cousin. She's a happy little girl. I loved looking at her pictures, at all the smiles. I like reading about the stuff she's done or is learning to do.

On her page she had a link to 2 of the cutest little boys... They were born with complications from CMV. They too are knocking their obstacles out of their way. Both boys are learning to sit up by themselves. They too are happy little toddlers. (https://www.facebook.com/CmvFightersLiamAndBrody?ref=profile)

A few weeks ago I read about a boy who had cancer in his eyes when he was a toddler. His mom has a very hard decision to make. In the end, after chemo, she felt he would have a better quality of life without his eyes. He has prosthetic eyes. Though the older he got the more he realized he could see by making clicking sounds. It was kind of like bats and echo location. He could ride a bike, play video games, and roller blade. All of that without having any eyes what so ever. Sadly he died from cancer in his teens. (His You tube Video Story )

I've met many different kids who will astound you with what they are capable of doing. With love, patience and the tools needed anything is possible to overcome or get around obstacles that are thrown in your path. A lesson I've learned from personal experience of my own and my family.

Saturday, October 19, 2013

Styxx!

I'm currently reading "Styxx" by Sherrilyn Kenyon. I love her Dark Hunter series and this is the newest installment of that series. I'm about halfway thru the book. It's a rather thick book too.

The story is engaging and descriptive. It has Greek and fictional Atlantean gods running about terrorizing the lives of the mere mortals who worship them. This story zeros in on Styxx, the son of the King of Didymos. He's also the Twin of Acheron (who has his own story and book).

Through out the story of Acheron I had a roller coaster of emotions floating about in my head. That is the sign of a good story and a good author... She gets you hooked into the story and becoming somewhat emotionally involved. It is the same way with Styxx.

All he wanted was the love of his parents and his sister Rissa. His Twin brother was born with "God eyes" that set him apart from the rest of the family. Acheron was shunned by the King as a freak who should die. Styxx just wanted to spend time with his brother but somehow always got him into trouble. The king was always pulling Styxx away from Acheron. They soon learned that they couldn't "get rid of" Acheron... as his life force was tied to that of Styxx. Whatever happened to Acheron was felt by Styxx though no one understood that connection. Styxx was just thought of as a wimpy brat. His own sister thought he was jealous and vindictive when all he wanted was to be loved and to help his brother. He just didn't know how to. His father was King.. He was threatened by that King who was his father. As both boys grow up the one comes to hate the other while one still craves the love of the other.

Enter Bethany, the Atlantean Goddess of Wrath and Misery. She is sent to the mortal lands as a blind girl to look for the son of the Queen of Atlantis. He was sent to the mortal world to be raised mortal to hide him from his father who wanted to kill him because of a prophecy his half sisters told their father. While in the mortal world she meets "Hector" and falls in love... only to find out later that "Hector" is the Prince Styxx.

That's really paraphrasing the story... I didn't want to go into much detail of what goes on. Right now my emotions are running on Anger at the Gods who think mortals are play toys and frustration that his family abandoned him during his life. His father is a pompous Jerk of great enormity. The sister comes across as a whiney witch towards Styxx. She basically believed he could do no good despite all the good he had done. She never knew or saw that he was trying to protect her from their father.

Still I can't seem to put the book down no matter what emotion is raging at the time. I got the other half of the book to finish... I hope it has a similance of a semi-happy ending for Styxx, Acheron, and Bethany...

Sunday, August 4, 2013

No longer the "Toy Lady"

I use to work in the Toy Dept of the local Wallie World (Walmart). I am no longer the "Toy Lady" though I think I will still always be the Toy Lady. I am now a Cashier. I get to talk to peoples .. alot... while scanning their food. I'm still not use to standing in one place for long periods of time... I'm constantly walking around my cash register area.

Being a cashier is okay... not my favorite job but for now it's a break. It's a bit less stressfull. The stress level had gone up some over the years as I worked in toys. Many of the customers think it's a step up to be a cashier. I'm not so sure.

We are kinda tied to our registers... We aren't supposed to leave them for anything. And sometimes it's hard because I know where something the customer was looking for. I wanna just run and get it for them but I can't. I seem to be one of the few in the store that knows where most of the stuff is. I get people (including other employees) asking where stuff is. Though I'm becoming lost in the store. I don't get to keep up with what is going on or where things are moved as much now. It kinda irks me to say "I dunno" sometimes now.