Cemeteries and Tombstones are spooky to some...to a Family Historian they often are a place of peace...With hidden treasure to be found..

As a family historian I spend hours everyday looking for my ancestors...The greatest finds are photo's people share. It is always wonderful when you can put a face to the names and dates you have collected in your family tree.

Finding photo's of people are few and far between...But one thing I've begun to collect is photo's of my Ancestors tombstones.

Tombstones come in all sizes and shapes...Some are simple like the one above...And some are elaborate...I even have a few ancestors who only had a pipe marking where they were buried...The above tombstone is that of Samuel Kimball, The picture at the top is of him.  To have the photo and tombstone what great luck for me.

Some Tombstones are slowly falling apart and others seem to last the test of time well....Many times the only information found on an ancestor comes from what is left of their tombstone...It is like being on a treasure hunt for a family historian when they walk into a cemetery... Finding that lost Ancestor and their vital information...When we lived on the east coast my husband and I spent many Sundays visiting cemeteries and photographing our ancestors tombstones.  It was hard with young children and if I could get back now I would be off on my own collecting information...

If I didn't have to worry about food and housing and caring for a family my dream job would be to travel the world photographing my ancestors or for that matter any one's ancestors tombstones....I would so enjoy going to Scotland and England and New England and walking through old Castles and finding hidden cemeteries out in the woods.  Then taking my photo's and information and putting together a giant family tree..( I hope when my children are finally out on their own to start to work towards this dream...To try to find a job with a Family History company....)

I'd like to find out their stories....I would like to see what traits I may have that they passed down to me..Did they have happy lives?  Were their dreams fulfilled?

I don't know why I feel compelled to find tombstones and the names of my ancestors...But it is a big part of who I am...I love to find any information and never feel that I have found everyone...Or that the work is done...Today as soon as I woke up I felt compelled to write this little blog...And spent my day doing other things and then a blogger I follow wrote a blog post about cemeteries and connecting with our Beloved Dead...Somehow even though I don't know this person we are on the same wave length today... I have thought a lot about Halloween this year and have spent more time thinking of the spirits of my Ancestors and how important they are to me than about goblins and creepy things...I think from what I have read this is what Halloween was really about...Remembering your Beloved dead.

I think if I met this ancestor of mine I might be a little scared though...  She looks pretty stern...
Have a Wonderful Halloween and take time to remember those who came before you.
G.G.

Books I read this summer part 2....

Here is a photo of the next bunch of books I read this summer or tried to read....

The book "Coastliners"  Is sitting on the back seat of my car waiting to be finished....I bought this book on my vacation in New Jersey from our old library....I am trying to collect books that have an ocean theme... I just can't get into this book....Maybe I'll finish it someday...at least it will look good with all my other books that have an ocean theme in my upstairs living room.

I really loved this book... "The Walk" is about a man who has everything and loses it and what he does after losing everything....If you are going through a tough time in life this is a book for you to read...It has some really great ideas on moving forward after a great loss...

I'm not sure why but this was the summer to read books about people dealing with a life crisis...."A Year by the Sea"  is a book I picked up on vacation in New Jersey...Another ocean themed book...This one is about a woman who leaves her husband for a year to live alone in a cabin by the ocean....She is trying to find herself and what is right for her life...I liked the book and can understand the desire to spend a year by the ocean....
What books have you read lately?
G.G.

5 Generations of Young Bowlby Men....Senior Photo's through the years.....

Being a Family Historian I'm always looking at photo's of family...Taking Photo's and collecting photo's...Here is my Son's school senior photo....He wants to be an animator...So he is showing some of his art...It's nice that in our times we can get a feel for the person in their senior photo.

Here he is in the standard photo pose...The school colors are purple and white...Which I think is cool because that was my high school colors too....and we are thousands of miles away from my home town...

The black and white version...Because all the rest of the photo's will be black and white...

Here is his fathers senior photo...I actually have it in color but it has faded and yellowed a little...What do you think do they look alike to you?  I'd like to have another photo of my son done where he is looking in the same direction as his dads photo....

His Grandfather Richard Bowlby....

His Great Grandfather John Bowlby.....

His Great Great Grandfather Lewis Bowlby....This one is probably a wedding photo and not a school photo but he still looks pretty young.... It is cool to see the generations of young Bowlby men...
G.G.

Books I've read this summer....Part one....

I'm happy to say I got to read a lot of books this summer....This is just the beginning of the books that I read...Some of them were a random grab it from the library shelf and some were lets check out what the kids are reading...And some were my favorite authors newest books....I love reading but I have to admit that I am beginning to forget what I have and haven't read...So one reason for this part of my blogging is so I can go back and see what I've read because I hate to start to read a book and realize that I've already read it..The other reason is that maybe someday my children might look at this blog and decide to read a book...Or think... Oh that's where Mom came up with that...Or perhaps a friend or two out there in the strange world of the Internet will decide they need to check a book out too....

First up is "Dandelion Wine" By Ray Bradbury...This is a book on my son's AP Honors English reading list.  I loved it...My daughter read it and loved it...Now to convince my son to read it. I loved so many parts of this book that at some point I'll have to read it again...This book is like a story with lots of little stories in it...
A young boy on Summer Vacation realizing he is alive and witnessing life in all its many forms...One part I liked is the stories about making the Dandelion Wine and why they make it...How each bottle becomes a symbol of summer...It made me think of my garden and why I go out and take lots of flower photo's...Each photo captures a part of summer and in the winter when it is cold out I can go and look at the flowers and remember summer...Just like they drink some Dandelion wine and remember summer...I also like the Grandfather refusing to use new grass seed that kills all the Dandelions....I love his story in the book...If you haven't read this book check it out ...

This book "The Madwoman in the Volvo"  Was a grab something from the self selection... I think the cover was what caught my attention....Or perhaps that it has a woman driving a Volvo....We have a Volvo and ever since dating this guy way back in time who had a Volvo I've always liked Volvo's....The other thing that made me choose the book is because I thought I'd gain some insight on what happens to women in their 40's and 50's....If you are looking for that this is probably not the right book...Well unless you want to believe it is all about self destruction...I have to say it takes a brave woman to write about how her life unraveled and how she is sure it is her hormones that caused it all....Somewhere we need to be able to master ourselves....But it was at some points funny...and at other points a little sad...And I have to wonder if she exaggerated a bit...It was interesting enough that I did finish it...But I have to admit it wasn't one of those books that I couldn't put down...Any book that I have to renew more than once is not a great book in my opinion...Most of the time I finish a book in a week...This one kept getting put to the side....So read some reviews about it and definitely take it from the library if you decided to try it out.

The next book up is the one I've been writing about on Facebook...."The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success"  By Deepak Chopra..This is another I just grabbed something off the shelf at the library and it probably was close to the cook books as I always go there first...I'm always interested in others views of how the world works...and how to better connect myself to God...The Universe....I really liked how this book teaches you to move with the world around you as if in a river instead of constantly trying to go against the flow....To learn how to accept what is happening to you and move with it instead of fighting it....It's a small book but packed with information...I had to buy a copy so I can read it and highlight and return often...I have to say that I'm on this spiritual adventure in my life...Looking for a deeper connection with God...This book helped me...I believe things come into your life for a reason be it books or people....I was glad to have this book come into my life...
Well that's it for today.
Share some of your favorite books with me as I'm always looking for something new to read.
G.G.

They Think I might be a Terrorist....My interesting experience with the TSA....Things I won't do before a flight.....

After getting lost and car sick we are finally at the airport...Hey look there is a huge moose here...I have a headache and can't wait to find a place to sit and eat something....

My husband is checking in some of our luggage as we seem to have accumulated more items on this trip than what we packed....As we stand in line for security I'm jealous of our children who got the "Get out of TSA Screening"  Pass....We are told that they are doing a new screening today....We are scanning your hands....Hmmmm...They wave the magic wand over my hands....Beep.....Beep...."Oh....You didn't pass this test..."  What??  My husband is no help..."Honey...What have you been doing...What have you been touching..."  I'm thinking please...Please shut your mouth....  All these people start coming over trying to explain that I now must go through some other test....One thing I'll never do when traveling on a plane is wear my fit bit....I wear the one you clip to your pants....I forget it is there....Beep...Beep..." Oh...You didn't pass this test either....Well we will need to take you over to this room....We will need to search through all your belongings...We'll have your husband watch us do that...."What could be on my hands??"  well sometimes it's soap or hand sanitiser....So I shouldn't wash my hands before flying???  Off to the little room...With these women...I get the whole body pat down...I'm just thankful I'm keeping my clothes on to tell the truth...Now my husband who was making jokes is getting nervous...No I don't want him in the little room with me....He can stay out there and be nervous...My kids are nervous... Phone calls are being made...People are staring at me and I'm wondering..."What did I touch??"  No one says what my hands have trace elements of...I feel a bit annoyed and yet I have just read this book on going with life and not worrying. so I just let life happen..The women and I decide this will be a good story to tell... I wish I had my camera...but maybe they wouldn't think it appropriate to take photos..me in the little room...The TSA lady with the purple gloves....They have not decided yet if I'm free to go or if they need to investigate more of my life.We have never had someone fail two test before.......It's a big thing for them...They have my drivers license...my address...my phone number...I'm sure I'm on some list now...The she may be a terrorist list.....

Here I am sitting...Waiting...There are so many people in TSA suits staring at me that I think I might be a terrorist....I think I am on some list for life....I'm sure I have something on my hands that must be toxic and I'm trying to figure out what in the world I touched...I want to get to the bathroom and scrub my hands....  Don't I look like your typical terrorist....my children are smart....Mom anyone can be a terrorist...That's the problem with life these days...A woman with her husband and children could be a terrorist....That is our sad reality.... In the end though we are finally sitting and eating lunch...my headache is going away and we can laugh about it....I'm glad the full body pat down doesn't include taking clothing off...I'm glad our airport security takes things seriously because I don't want to be on a plane and have it crash or blow up because they thought someone didn't look like a terrorist and let them go through when their machines said check them out....My husband keeps joking that perhaps I'll be on the evening news...I still want to slap him....Anytime I wear this shirt I think....This is my "Terrorist shirt"....Don't mess with me today... And I have fun telling my story.....

We are now on the first plane...Totoro was not considered suspicious...he didn't have to have a pat down...We get the window seat....

The rain and clouds match my mood...Vacation is over.....The flights out for vacation seemed to go so fast...The flights home dragged on and my whole body started to ache...

We are waiting for our peanuts and soda...I'm surprised that with so many people with allergies that they still give out peanuts....I just want to sleep...But sleep is impossible on a plane...

Well at least my daughter is smiling...She is glad her mom is not a terrorist...has not been taken off to prison...she is glad to be going home....Our cat is waiting for us....She (the cat) slept on top of me the whole night....I missed you she tells me...

Flight two....We are almost home....it is nice to look out the window and see the world from up above...
When we get off the plane we won't be breathing in the air and exclaiming how wonderful it is...We will be ready to just have a quick drive home and fall into our beds...

There is a full moon....The view I saw was better than what the camera took...Funny how that happens...We had a grand adventure and I have to say the whole TSA thing made it that much more of a tale to tell....But when I fly again...I'll be sure not to touch anything...and to not wear my fit bit....And to pray for the "GET OUT OF TSA SCANNING" Pass...Though I'm quite sure I'm on some list now and I fear I may get the full body pat down anytime I fly....Which makes me not want to fly ever again.... Hope you enjoyed reading my vacation blogs.... I have to dream up a new vacation to go on...I'm hoping that I get to go to Scotland someday....
G.G.

Let's not say goodbye....Let's say see you soon and hope soon isn't years from now.....

I'm a Family Historian and one thing I see as I trace the branches of my family tree is families that move great distances...Why did my first ancestors leave Scotland?  Were they Jacobite's?  Why did my ancestors decide to move from Massachusetts and Vermont to places like Nebraska and Iowa?  Was it the promise of more land? Will my great grand children wonder why we moved from New Jersey to Utah?  Sometimes I wonder why it happened.  Back in time there were no phones, computers, e-mail, text messages...When you left you had little contact.  At least now I can be in contact with my family everyday...But it was still hard to leave...No one wants to say goodbye...No one wants to see the others cry...My daughter is curled up in the back seat with the saddest face...This is how all our trips to Vermont would end...Somewhere along the trip home she will perk up but that long drive down the mountain is the saddest drive....So lets not say goodbye...Let's say we will see you soon....How soon...I'm not sure about that...We will see photo's on facebook...We will talk and e-mail....At least we have that....

Even Totoro is a bit blue this morning...The drive to the airport is a long drive and the unfortunate thing is we got lost...I got car sick....And it is just the first bit of travel the day is just starting we have miles more to go..We are sad to leave, but anxious to get home....Our little cat is on our mind...The fact that we will have to go back to work soon, and all the unpacking and sorting through a week and a half of mail is beginning to weigh on me...

Finally at the Airport, leaving the rental car behind...I am not feeling well...And the fact that we now have 7 hours of flying ahead of us is not making me feel too happy...I loved getting the texts from the airline when my Vacation was around the corner....I'm not so happy to be getting the reminders that my vacation is ending...I'm glad we left early and have plenty of time go through security and then have something to eat before flying home...I can say we had a great vacation....I look forward to planning another one...But unfortunately it won't be that soon....
G.G.

On the hottest day of your vacation have a cookout.....

So Vermont never gets as hot as Utah...But we were there for one of their hottest days of the summer....I think it got into the high 90's....Still in the shade it wasn't that bad....My Dad got the out door fire pit going and we had a picnic for lunch.

My son is never far from his sketch pads....

We had a wonderful time roasting hot dogs, chatting and relaxing.....The last photo is of my favorite blanket in the world....it's so soft and cozy....Not something you really wrap up in on a hot summer day.....But the cat sure was cozy...
G.G.

A Morning Walk With My Mother....It's always nice to have time with my Mom to talk about life....

I wanted to get as much walking in on our trip as possible so that when I returned to work my legs would not ache for days...At work I walk about 9 miles a day, it seems whenever I get to one side of the store someone needs me at the other side...So my Mom and I got up early one morning to walk what we call the big loop.  Totoro came with us but everyone else slept in.

We walked up Rogers hill road...Then took Rabbit Track...Here is the bridge or what is left of it with the little brook that we would visit when I was a child.  It's cool and misty out and quiet..Perhaps there are the spirits of our ancestors walking with us...

This is the Old Goshen Church...My husband loves this building...I can only wonder who went to this church way back in the 1830's when it was first built.  They do have meeting in it during the summer my husband got to go to one once.  Perhaps some of my Ancestors went to it....I'll have to check and see...

We walked up the back of Rogers Hill Road to the top of the mountain where you find the Rogers family farm...I wonder if their family was one of the first families to settle up here and how long there has been a farm on the top of the mountain.... When I was young they had lots of cow out in the fields.. Now many of their field have houses in them...

We then walked down Rogers Hill Road, crossing from Newbury into Bradford again...Passed one of my favorite little farm stands and contemplated walking down another road and making the loop even bigger...But time was pressing us as visitors were coming so we choose to walk back to my parents house...

Summer and Fall are wonderful times to visit Vermont there are so many beautiful places to see...If you go in the winter you better like cold and skiing or some other outdoor sport....Otherwise its just too cold....
I so enjoyed my time with my Mom....Not sure when we will get back.
G.G.