) ( ) Good Morning Family! .-.,--^--. ( Come on in. . . \\|`----'| - The coffee pot's on. . . \| |// ...and we even have decaf, | |/ tea, and hot chocolate! \ / ------ Today's topics include: 1. Welcome to new Bower/Bauer/Baur, etc. cousins 2. Second annual family reunion 3. Can you guess? 4. Did you notice? 5. Kuzin's Korner If you've been with the family for at least three weeks, you'll probably want to skip the following paragraph… TO OUR NEWEST COUSINS ~~ On behalf of the entire family, I'd like to extend a most hearty welcome to those cousins who came into the family fold this past week. We are very glad to have you with us and hope you'll stay and remain a part of our online family. As soon as you're comfortable with us and the list, please send in your Bower[s]/Bauer/Baur/Bro[u]wer lines so we can all see how we're related to you. We do not have a fancy format for sending in records or queries to the list. Post as many as you wish! If the data has anything to do with Bower[s]/Bau[e]r/Bro[u]wer lines or any of the 81+ variant spellings that might help someone, please feel free to post it. Every scrap of information is appreciated. If you haven't visited the homesite of this list yet, you are encouraged to do so. The Bower Family Homestead [a.k.a., the Homestead] is our homesite and the gathering place for much of our information. It waits to join us all in welcoming you into the family at <http://www.crosswinds.net/~bowerhomestead>, or you can use our shortcut URL of <http://embark.to/Homestead>." We also have a newly opened sister site, the Bower Cottage, that we've begun to fill. There are currently only a few names there, but give us time... :) The Cottage is at <http://www.crosswinds.net/~bowercottage>, or you can use the shortcut URL of <http://embark.to/bowercottage>. SECOND ANNUAL FAMILY REUNION If you joined us since last night, you won't have received my message and this part is just for you.... :) August 5th, 1998 was the official date we began coming together, so we celebrate it by holding a family reunion. You'll find this year's reunion at Bower Cottage (URL in the above paragraph>. You can click on the "hit the beach" sign on the front page just below the cottage, or you can go inside the cottage and after scrolling down a little past halway, click on the 'beach' link. Either way will take you to the reunion. CAN YOU GUESS?... I had quite a few of you trying to guess the top ten most common names in the U.S. Except for two, everyone guessed Smith to be the #1 name - and you were all correct. Here's the list: 1. Smith - more common than 100% of U.S. surnames. 2. Johnson - more common than 99% of U.S. surnames. 3. Williams - more common than 98% of U.S. surnames. 4. Jones - more common than 98% of U.S. surnames. 5. Brown - more common than 97% of U.S. surnames. 6. Davis - more common than 96% of U.S. surnames. 7. Miller - more common than 95% of U.S. surnames. 8. Wilson - more common than 95% of U.S. surnames. 9. Moore - more common than 95% of U.S. surnames. 10. Taylor - more common than 94% of U.S. surnames. If you'd like to check out some of your other surnames, I went to <http://www.rootsofamerica.com>. DID YOU NOTICE? Have you been to the Cottage or the reunion yet? Did you happen to read the writing on either page? If so, you'll know what I'm talking about right away. If not, well.... :) For the past oh... five months or so, I've been trying to coming up with a name that will unite all our research teams together under one umbrella name. We're one family in individual groups - like paretns whose children are married. What name could we use that would "bring" us together under a single name yet still keep us as individual teams? I MAY have come up with it..... The "B" Consortium. Do you like it? Do you like the concept? If not, let me know privately at <ladyaudris@earthlink.net> what you think about all this. You DO have a voice and I WILL listen! We'll go with the majority of cousins' opinions and I'll let you know next Sunday what that voice is. If you like the concept but not the "umbrella" name, yes... I'd like to know that, too. It's part of my Plans and Proposals that I sent out at the beginning of this year. It's also part of the plan that I'm holding back on.... heh heh heh.... :) If you're new and wondering why I want your opinions.... okay, let's get down from the clouds of the family right to the technicalities -- as listowner I "have the right" to call the shots on how each list operates. HOWEVER, _I_ don't see it that way. _I_ wouldn't have a "list" if it weren't for you being here, remaining with us and participating. The way I see it then, you have as much voice here as I do; I just have more work! <g> Any of the cousins who have been with me since we began will tell you that's this is really how I feel about things here and how I operate. Now, back to the family... each member of a family has the right to voice his/her opinion; it's no different here. So, even if you're new to us, please don't be afraid to express your opinion[s] to me. I won't feel hurt, attack or dump on you, ... or whatever. WE work the family together or we're just a bunch of strangers sitting on six lists and personally, I find that rather boring. So cousins, write and let me know how you feel about this, okay? KUZIN'S KORNER Did you know we have one of our own at the Sydney Olympics even as I write? YES! She is Jacquie "Jak" Daniels from England. Part of the BOWER-L, can you guess what sport she's participating in? I gave you a clue with her family name ... BOW-er ... yep!, she's an archer. I received an e-mail from her last week. Jak has an occasional touch of homesickness, but is training hard (exercising and practicing by shooting up to 500 arrows a day) and having fun. The team's coaches asked each member to come up with a song that would mentally inspire him/her. True to Jak's personality, she chose the theme song from the cartoon, "The Flintstones"! The coaches weren't quite amenable to that so she chose "If They Could See Me Now." Jak knows the family is rooting for her and has said that she'd enjoy hearing from all of you - that she would try to reply to as many as she could. Her address is "Jak Daniels" <Jak@daniels.flexnet.co.uk>. If I'm correct, the Sydney Olympics starts on September 6th. I'm sure we'll all be watching for you, Jak! :) To those of you with August birthdays, the family and I all wish you very happy and special day. You are loved!! The family... caring for and sharing with one another. It's what we're all about. I really enjoyed this time with you. It was so nice. I hope you all have a fantastic upcoming week. I wish you all a week filled with health, fun, productivity, and above all, filled with love. ) ( ) _.-~~-. (@\'--'/. Colleen ('``.__.'`)