I'm not sure our current activity is an addiction, but it's pretty close. We're addicted to two television shows: The Generations Project hosted by BYUTV and Who Do You Think You Are on NBC. Both shows have, basically, the same theme; they're about roots, genealogy, ancestry. The NBC show features family origins of celebrities; BYU's stars are every day Joes, all of whom are seeking the answers to their own life puzzles through their family history. In both shows, the conclusion most often drawn is that we are each the sum of all of the generations of people who have gone before us! I, like so many inexperienced amateur genealogists, wanted to find a link that would show that we were related to famous people!! No such luck. I've found a moonshiner, a polygamist, a federal prisoner, and a ne'er-do-well Indian scout, but no blue blood! Tom's maternal line is filled to the brim with blue blood, however. I've begun more and more to link personalities, traits, hobbies, etc. of current family members to their ancestors.

Take, for instance, Tom's enjoyment and crafting of the rock wall around our home! It is a dry-stack wall which he's built around our property. Hours spent at the quarry selecting, loading, and hauling were hours of enjoyment for Tom! Of Tom's second great grand uncle, William Hamilton, it is said: "Mr. Hamilton was a lowland Scotsman...His stone residence was an eye-opener to his generation at East Lake [Nova Scotia] whilst his neat, skillful and enduring stone fences are subjects of commendatary remark to this day. His labours at the Lake, even at this distance of time, give evidence of care, skill, taste, neatness and intelligent industry."

Disgruntled with your nose, ears, frizzy hair, etc, etc? Instead of blaming your parents, you might want to look even further back--generations!! After a long search, I came across this fellow. His surname is Whitby; he lived in England, and he is not directly related to anyone in my Whitby line. Notice any resemblance to my dad, whose picture is in my previous post, or my grandson, TJ? The old saw, "He has his grandpa's chin could as well be said, "He has his tenth great-grandpa's this and that."

As well as looks and personality traits, our ancestors were products of their times as well as their environments. Our daughter, Marie, is an avid couponer and food storage buff. In every cabinet, under most beds in her house, everywhere there's any space, Marie has food stored for that inevitable rainy day. My mother was in a nursing home for several years before her death. As we cleared out her dresser, we found it full of empty canning jars. Her caregiver winked and said, "She said that when she got well enough, she needed to get started on her winter canning!"

This blog doesn't do justice to the thoughts I have about this subject. In a few days, I'll turn 60++++, and I'm definitely asking, "What have I done with my life? What must I still do?" I am the product of all generations who've gone before me, and, for good or bad, there will be parts of me in all generations who follow me. Sobering thought on this hot July morning. I yam what I yam, according to the Popeye philosophy, but I want to be the best of what I yam!! Genealogy and family history research is a fun, addictive, and relatively safe hobby that may answer for us that question: Who do You Think You Are?

Love to one and all!! Mom