Okay, I am going to try and give this "new blogger" format another try, as I understand we will have to all migrate to it soon anyway.  I did send them some comments after my last attempt, so let's see if they have listened and improved anything.  First of all, I am going to try to post some pictures, because if you have known me for long, you know that is what I love to do.

You may have already seen this picture of my mother on my Facebook page this week.  My cousin found it in some family photos and sent it to me. I had never seen this picture before, and I just love it.

Here's my mother, driving the tractor on our farm in PA., way back in the early 1950's I assume, because we left the farm to move to Florida in 1956.  My mother really did not want to leave the farm. I heard her say many times, "I always wanted to marry a farmer, and I did. And then he decided to give up farming and move to Florida".  She never really totally forgave my dad for that, although they lived happily ever after for about 64 years.

My Mother Driving the Tractor

This next picture is of my paternal grandparents, when they were still living in PA., before they also retired and moved to Florida to live about 10 miles from us.  Here again, my cousin sent me this picture and it was totally new to me.  I love how they look so happy and even kind of playful in this picture. I had never seen my grandparents like this before.  They always seemed so sedate and proper when we kids were around.  This gives me a whole new insight into their loving relationship. (Even though they are dressed up in the "Sunday Best" for this picture).

My grandmother has been on my mind a lot lately, even though she's been gone to heaven since 1984. 

If you recall reading the following story on this link:   https://pamelasopenwindow.blogspot.com/2010/06/speaking-for-silent-ones.html , then you will know the history of my grandmother's life. Briefly, she was adopted as a six month old infant, and all we knew about her background was her birth name, and the city where she was adopted.  Well, I've been working on a special project here lately.  Several years ago someone gave me a DNA test kit for Ancestry.com as a birthday gift. I held off sending it in because I just wasn't sure if that was something that I really wanted to do.  But with this forced period of isolation I got restless, and decided to go ahead and send it in and renew my membership with Ancestry to see where the DNA test would lead me.  Years ago, my son (who is also now in heaven) had started working on our family genealogy, and I had collaborated on it with him.  Then when he passed away, I never got around to working on it anymore.  Thankfully, Ancestry does keep all of your information intact even if you don't continue your membership.  So when I decided to renew my membership and do the test kit, I was able to pick up where we left off without having to totally start over.  

So, a couple of weeks ago the results of my DNA test came in, and I have been amazed to discover just how many cousins I have all over the country (and some around the world!). Of course, they are distant relations that I will most likely never really communicate with, but it is fun to see how far and wide a little thing like spitting into a small plastic tube can take you!

Anyway, one of the most exciting parts of this event is that I believe I may have found my grandmother's birth parents!  Of course, they are long gone to heaven too...but my DNA has matched people from that same community and with the same last name as my grandmother's birth name, (which was actually her mother's maiden name), and also has made a very good case for who the father is as well.  I am reaching out to the descendants who are close matches to my DNA to see if anyone could possibly have any information that would be able to verify my speculations.  It's a long shot, but it is exciting and very amazing to think that I could be on the verge of solving a mystery that is 125 years old!! Of course, it could also open up a can of worms too, but after 125 years I don't think anyone will be too shocked to find out that there was a great Aunt or cousin or half sister that they could have been blessed to have known. 

My Grandma

So that is my exciting news and what I've been doing in my "spare time" here lately.  I know some of you have done genealogy before and maybe you have some good tips that will help me in this pursuit.  I feel like my Grandma is smiling down and cheering me on. Of course, by now I am sure she has actually met her birth parents in heaven and maybe they are all cheering me on!  (Don't try to get too theological on me here and tell me that doesn't happen. Just let me have my fun and let my imagination play a little bit).  

I hope you are all having a blessed and wonderful week so far. I'll have more pond and bird pictures on another day.   God bless you all and take care of yourselves.  Most of all, be happy!