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.

Emmitt Smith is next on "Who Do You Think You are?":

and I anxiously await tomorrow night. Can they keep the momentum of genealogy going? I think Lisa Kudrow is off to a fantastic start with this series. She has the right celebrities in place to make this seven part series an on-going event.

Be sure to watch it Friday night.