) ( ) 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 cousins 2. GEDCOM updates (PLEASE READ) 3. A warning (PLEASE READ THIS ONE TOO) 4. Spotlights If you've been with the family for at least three weeks, you'll probably want to skip the following paragraphÂ… 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>. GEDCOM UPDATES It's time to submit your GEDCOMs for the Cottage's October update. If you've sent one in already and would like to use the same one again, please let me know. If you're new to the family, you should know there are two requirements: 1. Your GEDCOM can be as long or short as you wish, but it must be primarily about Bower[s], Bau[e]r, Bro[u]wer, or any of our researched variant spellings. (Spouse's lines - include only them and their parents). 2. Absolutely NO living people. The next scheduled update won't be until February, 2001. A WARNING Earlier this week I received a message notifying me about a site, <www.familydiscovery.com> you may want to avoid like the plague. The webmaster there offers you all kinds of records that look great when you first see them. There are two series problem with this site: 1. He is using frames secretly and linking to US GenWeb county sites so that it looks like he is the one who did all the work, when in actuality, the work was done by GenWeb volunteers and others who donated to their sites. His frames are also next to impossible to break out of. 2. You are charged a "special rate" and "one-time access fee" of $49.95 - saving you "$30.00 over the regular $79.99 recurring 3-month rate" for information THAT IS ALREADY FREE!!! He has already hit many, many US GenWeb projects and steps are being taken to shut him down. I was hoping to have more information for you at this writing, but you now know all that I do. SPOTLIGHTS Are you aware that we have two areas at the Homestead used specifically for spotlighting individual ancestral families? The parlor is used to introduce pre-1790 ancestors and their descendants, while the dining room is for those after-1790. Would you like to formally introduce your ancestor and his/her descendants to the family and the world? You can submit as much [or as little] as you wish, photos are okay, the narrative format is up to you. All I'll do is format your piece for Web display and edit any typos [if necessary]; the rest is up to you. If you're not sure what I mean just visit the current rooms at the Homestead and see what's already there. In these spotlights you'll find full blown pedigrees and/or bios sometimes accompanied with pictures. All ancestors leave the parlor or dining room [when someone else has an ancestor to spotlight] to move to the kitchen [probably looking for muchies!]. :) Contact me at <[email protected]> if you're interested. Family ... it's what we're all about. I really enjoyed this time with you. I hope your upcoming week is filled with health, productivity, fun, and above all, filled with love. ) ( ) _.-~~-. (@\'--'/. Colleen ('``.__.'`) `..____.'