>The following was sent to the Canada Census mail list - a couple of days >ago. I know that I can relate . Happy New Year 2006, Stella > > NEWS FLASH. -- 1852 NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS > > TO SOLVE GENEALOGICAL MYSTERIES. > > It is New Year's Eve 1852 and Henry HYDENWELL sits at his desk by > candlelight. He dips his quill pen in ink and begins to writes his New > Year's resolutions. > > 1. No man is truly well-educated unless he learns to spell his name at > least three different ways within the same document. I resolve to give > the appearance of being extremely well-educated in the coming year. > > 2. I resolve to see to it that all of my children will have the same > names that my ancestors have used for six generations in a row. > > 3. My age is no one's business but my own. I hereby resolve to never > list the same age or birth year twice on any document. > > 4. I resolve to have each of my children baptized in a different > church -- either in a different faith or in a different parish. Every > third child will not be baptized at all or will be baptized by an > itinerant minister who keeps no records. > > 5. I resolve to move to a new town, new county, or new state at least > once every 10 years -- just before those pesky enumerators come around > asking silly questions. > > 6. I will make every attempt to reside in counties and towns where no > vital records are maintained or where the courthouse burns down every > few years. > > 7. I resolve to join an obscure religious cult that does not believe in > record keeping or in participating in military service. > > 8. When the tax collector comes to my door, I'll loan him my pen, which > has been dipped in rapidly fading blue ink. > > 9. I resolve that if my beloved wife Mary should die, I will marry > another Mary. > > 10. I resolve not to make a will. Who needs to spend money on a lawyer > >