"...to seek and to find the past, a lineage, a history, a family built on a flesh and bone foundation."

Friday, December 31, 2010

Did you ever just wake up and realize that you're happy?

Did you ever just wake up and realize that you're happy, really truly happy?

Sometimes, in our house, it seems as though each morning the whole year through involves waking up to the alarm, jumping out of bed, rushing to get everyone ready for the day, thinking about what has to get done, where you have to go, appointments you have to keep. At times it's exhausting just thinking about it.

HOWEVER...

Perhaps it is that this holiday time of year gets one thinking fully in the gratitude mode, but a couple of days ago I awoke very early in the morning, and just laid in bed for a few minutes listening to the sounds of my husband and our dogs purring softly in their sleep, listening to the sounds outside, the morning wind whistling through the trees. I laid there and realized just how happy I feel, and how grateful I am for that happiness. This is it. This is happiness, just being here in this life with the beings who are my family, both human and canine. Happiness underlies all; no matter what challenges we may face, challenges which at times may seem daunting, happiness is still there.

As the new year begins tomorrow, I wish for all of you this same feeling, Happiness for 2011.

Cheers and love to all!
Happy New Year!

Jennifer

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Tombstone Tuesday: Sir Richard Griffith, Geologist, 1784-1878

If you have ever used Griffith's Valuation to aid you in your genealogical searches in Ireland, you will want to thank one of the men entombed in this family grave, Sir Richard Griffith.

In 1827 Richard John Griffith was appointed Chief Commissioner for valuation of lands in Ireland. He published a geological map of Ireland in 1839 and, following his 1850 appointment as chairman of the Board of Works, in 1854 he conducted a valuation of Irish property in every townland and parish. This work is widely known as Griffith's Valuation. A wealth of information gleaned from this valuation was used for the purposes of taxation, determination of election franchise, and regulation of spirit licences. In 1858 in recognition of the completion of this vast and complex project, Richard Griffith was knighted. Today, the information in this survey still proves to be a valuable tool for genealogists.


*Click on photographs to view larger version.
All materials ©Copyright J.Geraghty-Gorman 2010.
Reference: http://www.mountjerome.ie

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Friday, November 12, 2010

The coolest thing happened to me this morning

This morning I was working on a Tuesday's Tip post about researching Irish records from this side of the pond, both online and off. I decided to do a random search on one of the sites I am going to include in the post, so that I could talk about the process. I took an educated guess (based on birth dates of the intendeds and their children) at the date for a marriage document for one of my many men named Thomas, and his wife Mary. Although I have birth records for their children, and know all the details of Thomas's side of the equation, I have never been able to decipher Mary's last name on the birth records of her children.

Anyway...long story short, I found their marriage record.

Mary's full name is Maria Teresa Hynes. HYNES, finally! Previously when I have looked at her children's records I thought her surname might be Lynns, or Lynes, or Bynes, or Bryan, or a lot of other surnames. Now when I look at the birth records of their children I can clearly see the name HYNES. It's funny how the brain works.

Happy Hunting Everyone!
Cheers! Jennifer

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Remembrance Day: 11 November: 'Lest We Forget'

In Canada every year on the 11th day of November we commemorate the sacrifices of members of the armed forces and of civilians in times of war. We call this day 'Remembrance Day'. On this day there are ceremonies held at the Cenotaphs in most Canadian cities and towns with the laying of wreaths to honour the war dead. Remembrance Day is observed on 11 November to recall the end of World War I on this date in 1918. Major hostilities of World War I were formally ended "at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month" of 1918 with the German signing of the Armistice.

In the days leading up to 'Remembrance Day' you often see Canadians, particularly those of the older generations, wearing red poppies in their lapels. Over the years this day has been both widely celebrated and ignored. The notion of remembering dead soldiers has become politicized by some who choose to recognize it as a sign of support for war, particularly in light of the current participation of Canada in Afghanistan.


The red poppy is in fact a symbol of peace, or perhaps the desire for peace is a better way in which to frame it. The wearing of the poppy, together with an understanding of the phrase 'Lest We Forget", is meant to invoke a willingness to work together in order to create a peaceful world. Lest we forget the terrible price of war, we wear the poppy as a reminder of that cost. Perhaps it is an irrational notion to hope that human beings can actually learn from history, and stop trying to annihilate one another; the poppy stands as a marker of that hope. In my own life I have worked as a peace activist and wear the poppy as a symbol of my desire for peace.

Today I will wear it in tribute to the members of my family whose lives were affected by war, whether they were soldiers or citizens.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Friday, October 8, 2010

Fizzy Friday: The Blue Bomber, Part 2: Sometimes Father does know best

On Monday I wrote about my first car, the Blue Bomber, so today I thought I would share my most fond memory of that little blue car.

The best memory (which also always makes me cry) has to do with the first time I waxed the car after washing it. I was very determined to have the car look its absolute best and so had bought the whole Turtle Wax kit. Even though I was "only a girl" (my brother's words), I intended to wax the whole car all by myself.

It was a very hot day for the end of the summer, but I was determined to do it. My dad showed me how to effectively apply the wax and instructed me to apply it in small portions, polishing to remove it as I went; however, once I had the basic technique in hand, I had my own ideas about how to do it. At sixteen I thought I knew it all, (I really should have taken over the world right then), so I asked Dad to leave me alone.

Beginning with the front hood, I proceeded to apply wax to the body of THE ENTIRE CAR. Needless to say, by the time I returned to the area in which I had first applied it, the wax had dried in the hot sun. It took many many weeks of car washes to finally get most, but not all, of that wax off. The car always had a sort of swirly patina look to it. The part of this memory that makes me cry is that even though my dad could have made me eat crow for not listening, he just patted me on the back, smiled and said, "Don't worry Jenn, with the waxy swirls all over it, your car just looks very unique." I'll always be very grateful to my dad for not "rubbing it in".

Thursday, October 7, 2010

In the works: An Irish Government Bill to allow release of the 1926 Irish Census


Hello Everyone,

Those of us interested in Irish Genealogy will be happy to know that a government Bill is in the works with respect to the release of the 1926 Census, the first census of the 'new' Ireland, the Irish Free State.

The Genealogical Society of Ireland has confirmed that the Statistics (Heritage Amendment) Bill, 2010, the Society's Bill to have the 1926 Census of Ireland released, is published and awaiting introduction at Second Stage in Seanad Éireann, the upper house of the Oireachtas (the legislative branch of Irish parliament).

The Bill is sponsored by Senator Labhrás Ó Murchú (Fianna Fáil Party) and has the support of many senators on both sides of the House.

If you would like to view a copy of the Bill visit: http://www.oireachtas.ie/documents/bills28/bills/2010/3610/b3610s.pdf

Keep your fingers, and toes, crossed for passage of this Bill.

Cheers!
Jennifer

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Tombstone Tuesday: Overrun by Mother Nature, St. Colmcille's Churchyard, Swords, Fingal, County Dublin, Ireland

The cemetery is a perfect place for nature to clearly remind us of who is in charge.



The stone reads:
Erected By
Patrick Carey of Baskin hill
in memory of his beloved son
Patrick Carey
who died March 19th 1879 aged 30 years 


Another Kettle ancestor


Nature has wiped away all signs of script on this cross


The stone is at the center of this bushy area with ivy completely covering it.  None of the script remains.

Headstone of the Philips Family, 1862

All Photographs ©Copyright J. Geraghty-Gorman

Monday, October 4, 2010

The Blue Bomber, my first car

Thanks so very much to Texasblu at Sharing a Slice of Life, Hummer at Branching Out Through The Years, and Carol at Reflections From the Fence for the idea of writing about memories associated with our cars.

When I was fifteen I couldn't wait to get my driver's license. I thought that my sixteenth birthday would never arrive. On the day of my sixteenth birthday, along with three friends, I went straight to the DMV to take my learner's permit test. Over the next three weeks I took six driving lessons from an accredited school, so that I could get a break on the cost of insurance, and then took the exam to get my license. I passed with flying colours, and was absolutely thrilled because my first car was already sitting in the driveway just waiting for me. It wasn't a gift from my parents; it was there because I had earned every penny of the $800 it cost to buy it, and I had made my dream come true.

My birthday falls at the end of the summer, and all that summer before the big day I had worked really hard in order to earn enough money to augment my savings and buy the Blue Bomber. At the age of thirteen I had already been dreaming about the day I would have my own car, and so I applied for and was hired to work as a 'page' at the Public Library. The accepted age for teen employment at the time was sixteen, so I had to get a letter of permission from my parents indicating that they were okay with my working after school and on weekends. Over the next three years I saved every penny I could. I kept telling my dad I was going to buy my own first car. I don't know if he understood how determined I was, because whenever I would talk about it a skeptical little smile would come across his lips.

During the summer before my sixteenth birthday I took on a second job working at a pizza parlor. One night when I was on my way home I spotted the Blue Bomber in a used car lot. On its front windshield '$800' was painted in big bold numbers. I knew I would have enough money to buy it, and so over the next couple of weeks I harassed my dad into going with me to look at it. Eventually he agreed. He 'borrowed' the car from the lot to have a thorough safety inspection done. When he was satisfied I wouldn't kill myself in it, he capitulated and signed off on the documents; however, he did insist that before I bought it the dealer would have to "put new rubber all the way around" (translation: 4 new tires). The dealer agreed. I didn't have a chequing account, so he went with me to the bank to get a certified money order on my account for exactly $800.00.

The only existing photo of the Blue Bomber (unfortunately poor quality)
This photo from stevesnovasite.com shows a beautifully restored version of a 67 blue Chevy Nova

I Loved that car! It was a 67 Chevy Nova, an old clunker in the eyes of many of my friends, but a dream car to me. I have so many happy memories of road trips in that car. Of course, my dad said that once I had a car I would never have any money for anything else, and he was right. Between insurance, gas, and service sometimes it seemed like a money pit, but I didn't care because for me it meant freedom.

Coming up on Fizzy Friday: The Blue Bomber, Part 2: a.k.a Sometimes Fathers do know best.

All Photographs ©Copyright J. Geraghty-Gorman 2010

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Tombstone Tuesday: In a churchyard in Swords Village...

In St. Colmcille's Churchyard, Swords Village, Fingal, just north of Dublin City, lie many graves of those connected to the matrilineal side of my family tree. In the post entitled "The magic of research after midnight..."(*click to view the post), I shared my excitement over having documented these graves, and in particular this grave which lies at the back corner of the church in the oldest part of the cemetery. Within it are entombed the mortal remains of my maternal great-great-great grandparents, Thomas Kettle and Alice O'Kavanaugh Kettle, and their daughter, my maternal great-great grandmother, Mary Kettle Fitzpatrick.


Sacred
To the memory of
THOMAS KETTLE
of Drynam,
who died 22nd September 1871
 aged 72 years
And his beloved wife ALICE who died
24 September 1855 aged 55 years
  Also their beloved daughter
Mrs. MARY FITZPATRICK
who died 23rd April 1871 aged 39 years.
R.I.P.

To view the grave of Mary Fitzpatrick's very famous brother Andrew J. Kettle visit 'Over thy dead body'

*Click on the photographs to view a larger version.
All materials ©Copyright J. Geraghty-Gorman 2010

Friday, September 24, 2010

Fizzy Friday: A sunny day off in Dublin wandering around St. Stephen's Green

No doubt you've heard the saying "all work, and no play, makes Jack a dull boy"; well, I changed it a bit while I was in Dublin to "all work, and no play, makes Jenn a dull girl". I took the liberty of enjoying a Friday with no work, just strolling around, taking photos, and soaking up the sun in St. Stephen's Green.

Established in 1664 and redesigned in 1880, "the Green" offers a glorious respite in the center of Dublin at the foot of Grafton Street. At only 22 acres it is considerably smaller than its 1,750 acre sister, Phoenix Park, but if you need a break from the noise and bustle of the city center, it is the perfect spot. Here are a few shots to give you a sense of the place; I hope you enjoy them. As usual, click on the photos to view a larger version. Cheers! Jennifer

Street sign on the north side of the green
Approaching the west end of the lake
View from the Summer House
A park map (in the shade)
Fountain in the Victorian Floral Gardens
Victorian Floral Gardens
The stone bridge
A view from the stone bridge
On the north side of the green a spot to water your horse...
...or yourself
A horse and carriage, in case you need a lift
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...