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.

My Family Tree on Disney

I saw a commercial on Disney Channel entitled "My Family Tree." It focused on a young girl and her family who traced their ancestry back to early California. Their journey included a visit to her great grandfather's home (there may have been more than one great) which he built many years ago.

I was excited to see Disney "commercializing" family history and genealogy so I went to the Disney Channel web site for more information and initially found nothing. I did a google search and discovered these two vignettes on www.youtube.com and realized I had seen both air on Disney Channel, too.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXv_dz-yR2I


www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DVR9sM6sI0

I had no luck finding the California search but I did find other blogs such as Thomas MacEntee's Geneabloggers at http://www.geneabloggers.com/disney-genealogy-family-tree-series/ which talk about the forthcoming show...but what happened to the actual show? Most blogs indicate the "show," not a series of commercials, was to debut in November 2010. Maybe it did?

If you have heard more about this show, please share any information you have. I am curious about this one.

Life Goes On...Random Stream of Consciousness for February 5, 2011

Someone mentioned the White Album on facebook, and ever since I have been singing "Oh Bla Di, Oh Bla Da," in my head. I hear you thinking, "Thank you for not singing aloud," and I offer a hearty "You are welcome,' in return. Its the "Lala how the life goes on" phrase which is particularly poignant to me as my mind races with these thoughts.

Stream of consciousness thought number one- I saw Paul McCartney perform that song live for the first time ever in the United States last March at the Glendale Arena in Arizona. Tickets were sold out early and when my sister Joan and I found a couple of good seats for sale, I said, "If you go, I go." We went and never regretted a moment.

Stream of consciousness thought number two- I was brought to tears last night when Vanessa Williams discovered she was not the first trailblazer in her family history. One of her great grandfathers was a Civil War enlistee for the Union side. He risked his life and his freedom in this cause. He also helped to spread the word of freedom to former slaves in the South. Another was a State Representative in Tennessee and a famous educator. Since her father was orphaned at a young age, he missed learning these family stories. Vanessa was able to share the history with her mother and children which touched my heart. It was also the first episode of "Who Do You Think You Are?" that I watched without my mother.

Stream of consciousness thought number three- It's Super Bowl weekend! I always love it and am still trying to decide on what food to serve. However, the best part is my all-time favorite team, the Green Bay Packers, are there! My connection to the Packers goes way back and while I know I am dating myself, one of my favorite memories is Green Bay training camp. My Dad and my sister Joan chased Packer players from the Lambeau field locker room to the practice field across the street. I got autographs from Bart Starr, Paul Hornung, Jim Taylor, Fuzzy Thurston, Jerry Kramer, Don Chandler, Zeke Bratkowski, Max McGee and many others. Joan also got Vince Lombardi's authograph. I saw him but missed the autograph. One of my friends at work gave me a copy of a letter this week from Curly Lambeau dated August 1, 1944. I will be so wound up tomorrow, does it matter what I eat? If you hear screaming from my house, just keep on going or join me if you can stand the noise. This will be the first Super Bowl in many years that I will watch without my mother.

Stream of consciousness thought number four- I am serving as a judge for the Desert Rose Romance Writer 2011 Golden Quill Contest. As such, I have four romance books to read and critique over the next couple of weeks. CONFESSION: Karen Wierach, formerly of my writer's critique group, wrote the last romance book I read. I have read very few Harlequin romances. This could become a secret, guilty indulgence. My mom would be proud.

Stream of consciousness thought number five- I have a new puppy, Harrison...CORRECTION: my daughter Ashley has a new puppy, Harrison. He is a chihuahua shorthair mix we saved from the pound. He is cute and wonderful despite the biting and the house training. His first vet appointment was today and he did quite well, despite the fecal test. He also received his first puppy pedicure! Life around the house will never be the same again.

Stream of consciousness thought number six- February is the month of remembrance. both of my paternal grandparents. Clementine was born on Feb. 2 and Johannes was born Feb. 3. 2011 marks the 117th and 123rd anniversary of their births.

Stream of consciousness thought number seven- This is also the anniversary weekend of my mother's first visit to the hospital in 2010. Of course, I remember every detail. We did get to see the second half of the game at home on the new large screen television which was our Christmas gift from her. And, I know if she were with us today, she would be cheering on Aaron Rodgers and the rest of the Packers with gusto.

So, I have only one question. Do they wear Cheeseheads in heaven?

Life goes on.

Susan Sarandon's search inspires me...

Susan Sarandon's story on "Who Do You Think You Are?" http://www.nbc.com/who-do-you-think-you-are/ inspired me in so many ways. I always admired her honesty and independence, but I have to admit I enjoy seeing the "stars" of this show so natural, without performance makeup, just as themselves. I applaud their efforts to trace their history.

Susan's search struck a chord with me. She hunted details about a grandmother she never knew. Her name was Anita and she left for destinations unknown when Susan's mother was only two. Consider the fact that Anita was only 13 when she married and you can understand what a different time it was in the early 1900s.

Ultimately Susan tracks down the house where her grandmother lived, less than an hour from where Susan grew up. So close, yet Susan was pleased to learn her grandmother enjoyed the later years of her life.

One of the reasons I started my family history journey was to understand why my father grew up without his father. He did ultimately have a wonderful step-father in his life, but my step grandfather passed away years before I was born.

Johannes Dalhaimer was my grandfather's name. He left the family home in the summer of 1925. Some say he was never seen again. Others say he briefly returned the day my father was born.

There are clues but I have not landed a link yet. Could he have gone to Flint, Michigan? Did he return to Fresno, California? Could he have gone back to Mariental? Since my grandparents followed the harvest when they came to the United States from Russia, did he have the energy to go back to it? I have met cousins who now live in Washington and there was a connection, but nothing after 1925.

In the meantime, I will continue to enter the ancestry.com $20,000 giveaway at http://www.ancestry.com/and hope that will be the key to discovering the story of Johannes. But, if you have any ideas and what else I can do, please send me your thoughts and encouragements. I always wanted to uncover this for my Dad, but since he is in heaven, he already knows. Now I want to find out for me.