Hi again family, Christmas... it's less than 60 days away now. And, if you're new to the family since December, 2000 then you especially, will want to read the following... We ARE family, you know, and families do 'family' things together, right? Well, Christmas is coming and that IS a family holiday. Many of us have begun making Christmas lists; this time you can make one with a twist... We're going to spend Christmas together ... as a family ... all of us ... in cyberspace, in the parlor at the Homestead. This is something we have done since we all came together in 1998. Picture this ... A family Christmas tree with family around ... Christmas music ... gifts ... Santa Claus ... We're going to have a Christmas tree. I'll set it up as a page off the parlor, hopefully, just after Thanksgiving. Gifts will be new material that we all have stored in our home files or found recently after forays into libraries or archives. If each of you will send me one new list/record to be placed "under" the tree, then the family's Christmas will be a resounding success! We'll all benefit from this, have fun doing it, AND add some of the magic back into our own Christmas holidays. Even more, we'll do it as a family. Gifts can be: * a list of names on (for example) a year's tax records * a biography * 3-4 generations of a family * a couple wills * photographs * a few deeds * a county's/country's obituaries for a given period * immigration/emigration records * copies of certificates (deceased only - no living) * etc. ~~ whatever else you'd like to give the family for Christmas provided there is no data on living persons included The list does NOT have to be limited to what I've given above; those were just ideas/ suggestions. The point of this is to give a gift to the family and have fun doing it. ***IMPORTANT*** ~ PLEASE BE SURE TO READ ALL THREE *** *** Your gifts will need to be set up as close to online-ready as you're able to do; if you don't know how, don't worry ~ your gifts are still welcomed. Text files are fine, and so are RDF files. Label your message as CHRISTMAS GIFT so I won't miss it in the middle of all the roll calls and I'll know you have that particular message designated as a gift. *** Questions? Just send an email to me <ladyaudris@earthlink.net>. Make your subject line as RE: CHRISTMAS PRESENTS. *** Your gifts should be submitted DIRECTLY TO ME at <ladyaudris@earthlink.net> ~ NOT ON THE LIST. (We need to be good "secret-keepers," don't you know! :) ) Deadline for submissions is December 8th as I'll need time to "wrap" everything. So, cousins... what dusty, musty records do you have hidden away that you'd like to "wrap up" and put under our first family tree to be opened on Christmas day? What BOWER[S]/BAU[E]R/BOWRA, or other variant spelling gift would you like to give to the family for Christmas? I'm totally excited about our first family holidays together! Are you? I sit here and imagine the surprise on your faces as you read about this, then the smiles, then the flicker of interest and excitement -- the spirit of Christmas coming alive. . .yes, this will be a magical time once again for all of us. I hope each of you will find at least one special gift to give at this, our first Christmas together. It can be an exciting and magical season for all of us ... looking once again at the holidays through child-like eyes. WELL... whada'ya think??? Are you all ready to feel like little kids again? :-D Colleen