Dead Reckoning, New Web site, and New Blog

 

Great News!  My latest book is now available. 

Dead Reckoning is my attempt to share our heritage with the next generation. It’s about a German Russian descendent who wants to track her family tree when she discovers a co-worker dead and learns of a long-lost relative connected to a haunting murder.

Find your next mystery Dead Reckoning, A Rosalind Schmidt Genealogical Mystery at Dead Reckoning.

 For more info, and a copy of a free E-book and updates, sign up at www.annabartkowski.com. And check out my new blog, too.

#mystery #genealogy #karma #Arizona #Russia #Germanic #familyhistory

Seed and Harvest Gene Update: Let there be seeds

As I mentioned to you in my March and April updates, spring resurrected my "Seed and Harvest" gene. This gene, which so long had lain dormant, was bequeathed to me by my ancestors. While it dominated my springtime, the gene experienced a bit of a drought during the summer in Arizona.

My landscape and garden classes are in hiatus. So, the last few months I considered which outdoor projects I should tackle first. After my classes, I realized I wasn't ready for a full fledged garden. I filled pages of "to do" lists for inside and outside my home. Where should I begin? The choices were vast and beyond my skills.

What I need is a "Master Plan" to follow for the next couple of years to transition my yard into my gardening paradise. A plan which uses my skills and invites the talents of others when I need support. Let me assure you, I am not as organized as a Master Plan would lead you to believe. I know I need a Master Plan, and there are lots of images floating in my head, but nothing has been committed to paper yet.

But, I wasn't going to let lack of a plan stop me.

In May, I bought a few plants. I dedicated my early evenings to check their growth, to water when needed and to make sure Harrison, my eight month old puppy, had not devoured my treasures. I was on "weed patrol" each night and the daily walks through the yard have improved its appearance. However, it has not been all fun and games.

My strawberry plants flowered and then withered in the Arizona sun not a berry to be seen nor eaten. Harrison ate my peppermint plant, its remains strewn across the stones of my backyard. The elephant food is the sole survivor and I have yet to plant my loofah seeds. I am a far cry from my ancestral roots of living off the land.

So, my latest plan is to let monsoon season and triple digit temperatures pass. In autumn, I will test my hand and plant fall and winter vegetables. The elephant food will be transplanted from pot to earth and I envision an ocotillo in the north east corner of my yard. And, yes, that gate I want to build to save the vegetables from Harrison, well, that is further down on the list.

In the meantime, I have discovered how to get that "home grown" harvest satisfaction without the soil and toil. There is an organization called www.bountifulbaskets.org which brings locally produced fresh fruit and vegetables to its participants. The program is run by volunteers who coordinate all of the orders, meet at pre-assigned locations and distribute the food.

I signed up for the co-op and picked up my first basket last Saturday. I was delighted with the kale, tomatoes, broccoli, pears, peaches, grapes, strawberries and watermelon. Yes, watermelon.

When I brought my basket of goods into my kitchen both times, I pretended I picked these items from my own backyard. If my own "Seed and Harvest" gene did not grow these delights, I could enjoy it like it had. I washed and dried the items, saving the watermelon for last. I used my serrated knife and sliced it down the middle.

Inside, there was an oval shaped ring of black seeds. If you read my blog of Sunday, June 12 , you understand how watermelon played a role in my family history and triggers memories of each generation. How odd that I find my bountiful basket watermelon is filled with seeds. Now I only have one more comment.

Yes, Ashley, watermelons have seeds.

Twilight to New Moon…How does your family fit in?

Twilight to New Moon? What does that have to do with family history? Well, take a mini-break from plowing through your family photos. Consider how you can encourage the next generation to understand family history.

First, you need to talk their language. And what better way than to use one of the icons of teen life, that is, the Twilight saga.

Everywhere you look this holiday season, you see the books, the commercials and the movies of the Twilight saga.

Whether you or your teen are Team Jacob or Team Edward, you can bring the Twilight experience closer to your own family without putting any lives at risk. Here’s how.

My favorite part of the saga is when Jacob tells the stories and legends of the Quileute tribe. Storytelling is not unique to Jacob’s family. Oral traditions are the basis of family history from the beginning of time. What is unique about his family’s tale is that it explains how Jacob became Jacob.

We can learn about our own family by using some of these same techniques. And, the holidays create the perfect atmosphere to uncover your own family’s legends. As relatives gather together, you can be the catalyst for igniting the conversation about your family’s history. Sit with some of the oldest family members, perhaps a grandparent or aunt or uncle. Make sure they are at ease and comfortable. Most will be delighted to talk with you and you can guide their stories with your questions. Just ask a few of these thought-starters below and you can learn more about your family than you ever realized.

*What is your very first memory?
*What was Christmas like when you were a child? How did your family celebrate?
*What was the best present you ever received at Christmas? Why?
*Tell me about your grandparents. Where did they live? What were their jobs?
*What was a typical day like for you as a child?
*What was my Mom/Dad like as a child?
*What do you remember about the day I was born?

There are many, many more questions you can use. Be sure to ask good follow-up questions to gain a better understanding. Don’t forget to say “Why?” to flesh out details which may have been forgotten.

Jacob understands the value of his family’s history and he keeps the history alive by sharing it. You can do the same thing. It’s hard to know where you’re going if you don’t know where your family has been. And, most important of all, your family history tells the story of how you became you.

Now get back to plowing through your photos, email the best one to amb0457@cox.net, and you might win two tickets to the Mesa Family History Expo. Perhaps you can take someone from the Twilight generation with you. Or, register now to be sure you attend at http://www.fhexpos.com/events/upcoming.php?event_id=53.

Now that my football season is over....

I am ready get back to researching and documenting my family history. That is, if I can put the Packer loss to the Giants out of my mind. It may take a couple more days... perhaps even the Super Bowl will have to pass. It will be difficult this year since the Super Bowl will be played in my own back yard in Glendale, Arizona. Let the media frenzy begin without me.

OK, not exactly my back yard, but as close as someone in Arizona gets to the Super Bowl. And, I should be happy for the Manning family history. How many Dads have a son on different teams in two consecutive Super Bowls? But, enough about the Mannings. This year, I am nearly as disappointed as the Atlanta Falcons vs. Dallas Cowboys NFC championship game where my cousin Steve, as quarterback, just missed the Super Bowl. At least Brett Favre had two Super Bowl appearances.

Alas, I did certainly have some great memories as I watched yesterday's game. I remembered the picture in Lombardi's Run to Daylight book of my Dad and Uncle Fred freezing in the Lambeau field stands during the 1967 Ice Bowl. Or, how about seeing Bart Starr as the honorary captain yesterday? My Dad took my sister and I to the training camps for the Packers in the 1960s. To this day I remember how patient and kind and good looking Bart Starr was to all of the kids who wanted his autograph. I waited in line twice and am proud of the two signatures. My red autograph book is filled with names like Ray Nitschke, Forrest Gregg, Paul Hornung, Max McGee, Lionel Aldridge, and Jim Taylor. I was always jealous of my sister who managed to get Vince Lombardi's signature. I missed him, probably while I chased Bart Starr.

Ok, I guess with memories like these and of the friends and family with whom I have enjoyed Super Bowl Sunday, I suppose I can watch one more football game this season. I may have more memories tied to sports than any other event. What is your favorite sports memory with your family? Please share with me as we prepare for the Super Bowl and....let the media frenzy begin..