I am guilty of being a packrat.  I know it's true, how many of you have your teething ring for goodness sakes?  I do.  Mine was pink and my cousin, who was born a couple weeks after me, had a blue one.  I doubt he still has his.  I have the quilt that my great-grandma Birdie made when I was born, my cousin had one too.  My children and grandchildren have used it.

My dining room table was my Nano's (grandmother).  My grandchildren were here this past week, they just returned from 3 years in Japan.  The youngest I had never seen until he came here.  I was thinking about the table, how that at least 5 generations have now sat down and ate at it.  And probably 6 generations because I know that Grandma Birdie probably ate at it when she visited Nano, her daughter.

Out of 5 grandkids, I have one granddaughter.  I have carried a little vanity around that was mine when I was about her age.  It's at least 45 years old.  I also have a little chalkboard/pegboard desk that was mine, also about 45 years old.  I have a plastic bouncy horse that my oldest son got for his first Christmas, he's 31 years old. 

I also have my stepdad's wooden rocking horse.  It was his when he was little.  I have pictures of my cousin on it, I was too big for it but I used to tie my jump rope to the handles and line up the dining room chairs and drive a stage coach with my foot rocking Tony as we rode.

It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside to see my grandchildren playing with these treasured toys from the past.

My Grandmother has Alzheimer's.  She has been bedridden for several years now and doesn't know anyone.  She is at home and my aunt has been "taking care of her."   Mostly, my aunt has been going thru Grandma's money.  Anyway, about 20 years ago, my Grandma asked me what I wanted out of the house when she was gone.  She has 3 old photos of my 2 great-grandmother's and one of my great-great grandmother.  These are large photos in the curved glass oval frames.  My aunt didn't want her to let me have them, actually told her that I didn't want the pictures, I just wanted the frames because they were antique.   My dad just went to visit Grandma and my cousin's name (aunt's daughter) was written on a paper with those pictures!   I don't understand how when Grandma was in her right mind and said I could have them that my aunt who has power of attorney can give them away when Grandma can't make a decision.  I won't fight over them but I am very disappointed.  I'm the only one in the family who is into the genealogy and has done the research, which I send to everyone when I make a break through.  My aunt is such a witch.

I gave my stepdad a DNA test kit.  We swabbed him yesterday and he should be mailing it in today.  We are excited waiting for the results!

I just recently learned about a television show called "Ancestor in the Attic" which deals with searching your family tree.  I think it sounds like something I'd like to watch but it airs in Canada on their History Channel.  Maybe someday they'll air it here or someone else will make something similar in the US.

I need some advice on where to start.  My recently found 1/2 uncle told me that there is a 1/2 sister out there.  His father had an affair when my 1/2 uncle was in high school.  All he remembers is that the woman was a Native American and the child was a girl.  He had hoped that when he went through his parents things after they passed he'd find something referring to this birth. There wasn't anything. There were several things about my dad, who was from the bio father's first marriage.  The brothers have gotten together and are happy to have finally met after 68 years.

The girl would have been born in Contra Costa County, California somewhere between 1957-1959.  That, and that her mother was Native American, is all I know.  And they want me to find her! 

I've started searching the Contra Costa County birth indexes on Ancestry, but without a name.... let's just say that I'm on page 105 and haven't reached the "C"'s yet.  I am looking for girls whose birth mother's maiden name is the same as the child.  There are quite a few.  Did she put "Hughes" down as the father's last name? Did she marry before the child was born so a different father's name is on the birth certificate?  Did the child get put up for adoption?  So many things to look for.  It's worse than the needle in the haystack. 

I would appreciate any advice you could give on how to procede with this task.