Bumper Crop of Apples

It's autumn here with cool nights and leaves falling from the trees but autumn isn't all about death and dying as some of my friends think. The apple trees are loaded with beautiful red, green and yellow apples, relatively worm free this year despite the fact we don't spray. The biggest, oldest apple tree bears pie apples, those not-too-juicy yellow apples that cook up in a pie without making it watery. Three younger trees bear eating apples, one jonagold, one winesap, and one whose type I can't recall. The seckel pear tree has an ample crop too despite it's age, close to 100 years. A cider press or root cellar would be useful right now but without those options for saving the bounty we'll eat what we can, make a few pies, and feed some to the horses.

Took Down the Genealogy Stuff

After years of having lots and lots of genealogy information about my family on a website, complete with photographs, I've taken most of it down. It's about privacy and safety. We've all heard the stories about identity theft and stalkers, and God only knows what other ways that "bad guys" can use our personal information. With surnames like Smith and Russell I don't concern myself too much with strict privacy but when you have a last name that is unique, shared by only a dozen or fewer people in the world, you (meaning me) should think twice about putting it out there and telling the world all you know about it. Sheesh! Why didn't I think about that years ago? What was it Woody Allen once said, "Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you?"
So, this is now my main blog, my sounding board. Genealogy is just one of my interests and I'm not giving it up, just not being so public about it.

Grandsons With Asthma

I have three grandchildren, two of them boys and both with asthma. I find that strange since no one else in our family has asthma, that I know of. And we have cats, several cats who live in the house. Both grandsons and their dad are allergic to our cats, and therein lies our dilemma. We love our cats and enjoy living with them but don't like the fact that our home is toxic to those we love. So we are looking into air purifiers, taking up the carpet in the only room in the house with carpet, and replacing a couch that has become our cats' favorite roosting place. And I must be more dilligent with my vacuuming and dusting. Housekeeping has never been very important to me and to say I'm a casual house cleaner is putting it nicely but I really must try harder to keep my house as free of dust and cat dander as possible.

Getting Started in 2010

I've decided I need another blog. My genealogy blogs at http://viewoftherockies.blogspot.com/ and http://viewoftherockies2.blogspot.com/ are fine as far as they go but I have other interests than genealogy. There's quilting, for example. I love old quilts, love buying them, sleeping under them, photographing them, and imagining who designed and sewed them. And there's photography - not so much taking photographs but using them after they've been created to make calendars or collages. Mostly I love old family photographs. And there's gardening, grandchildren, reading, and so much more. So, here goes.