GOOD MORNING!

Good Morning.  I have been sticking to my ONWARD! goal.  The area in front of my deck is at least half finished.  It is looking so much better.  I am hoping to finish it this coming week.  After that I need to buy a lot of “rocks” since most of the original ones have disappeared.  I also need to clean out the area around the birdbath.  If this heat would just go away and cool down so it is comfortable to go outside and work.

I bought new curtains for my bedroom.  I only have one window and since I bought my new bedspread the curtains I had do not go well at all.  I hung the new ones this week and I really like the way they look.

I cleaned out a shelf and a half of the bookcase in my dining/craft/computer room.  I guess I should call it my multi-purpose room.  Anyway, I have a stack of papers to go through on the bottom shelf and that will be finished. 

One of the things I got most excited about this week was the fact that I heard from a relative I didn’t know I had.  I had my DNA tested through Ancestry.com and when they send the results they also send a list of trees that have matching names.  One of the names on the list showed that their tree listed the same great grandparents that I have.  Of course, the name is their screen name so I didn’t know exactly who it was.  However, I sent an email through ancestry and she answered me.  We are going to stay in touch, compare information, and plan to get together at some point when I am in Cincinnati.  I called Jana and we are both so excited to find family on the Althoefer side. 

During my research I have also found distant relatives that lived in Columbus, GA.  In fact, they are buried in a cemetery here.  I told Jana we are going to have to visit a cemetery when she comes to visit over the holidays.  I also found distant relatives that lived in Alabama.  I need to do a lot more research to see if there is anyone still around.  These relatives are on my mother’s side of the family.

I have been finding a lot of relatives on Jim’s Aker side of his family.  However, as for the Hennessy side I have hit more than a brick wall.  I can’t even make a crack in it.

I have now gotten my sewing machine out of “storage.”  I have several projects to complete and start.  I also have quite a few ornaments left from last year to complete, some plastic canvas projects and some crocheting projects. 

It’s a good thing I started my ONWARD! goal, or I would never get anything accomplished.

Mom had embroidered several pieces at some point before she died.  One was a small tablecloth that would probably work for a card table.  The other piece was a runner for either a small table or dresser.  She did beautiful embroidery.  I have been planning to hem both pieces, and finally got around to it today.  At least, I hemmed the tablecloth.  After a short break I hemmed the runner.  Not sure what my next project will be.

Probably won’t do much this evening.  I plan to watch the NASCAR race.