If I have seemed quite for a while, you are right - I have just been busy busy busy!!!! Right now I have 2 discount offers for our Cowan Surname Project. The company that is the father of the project is offering discounts of $30 off their normal test prices for the 25 and 37 marker tests and has given two of these $30 discounts that can be deducted from the already discounted surname project prices. The kits have to be ordered and paid for by Dec 31, 2005. 25 marker test - normal price $229, surname group price $169, price for this special $139 37 marker test - normal price $289, surname group price $219, price for this special $219 There is also one $15 discount for that I can tell you about - just not on this list. The project is having some interesting results and we need more lines to take part in the study. The more data, the more information gained. The verification of the results is important and different branches is important especially if they are different sons of the oldest ancestor. The 2nd Conference for the project administrators was not as wonderful as the 1st but it was in Washington, DC where I fell in love thanks to Cousin Margie Cowan with the research libraries of the area surrounding the National Geographic Headquarters. I am ready to go back especially now that I have a new laptop and I need to repeat the visit so that I can remember better. (That sounds like a plan of re-enforcement learning to me!!!) I will not bore you or make you green with envy, but thanks to Margie, I visited every top library in the DC area. All I can say is that it was worth doing the 1st time and I hope to do it again when her leave gets built back up. It was 2 days of conference and 9 of research. I worked on several of my surnames, but worked on Cowan in all stops!!! Now many of you probably don't know that I look at all Cowan lines not just mine. I do this for several reasons and one is so that I can identify the different lines or have something to offer other researchers. I found several old out of print books that I had been hunting to see what was in them as well as lots of interesting things that I copied to as my husband would say - put in one of the many piles in my office. As time goes on, I will share some of this information with the group. I have seen Tinkling Springs, VA and I have been to the Augusta County Courthouse - and will say that I need to go back. I felt that the information on the Cowan family was some where else - I didn't find enough of what I was looking for, but we did get a good start. That is what I must say about my time in DC - if was a good start, when can I go back and finish up. IT is well worth the money to go to the top libraries for genealogy. Problem is that it would take years to do all you need to do on just one surname and I haven't even see the best parts of the Library of Congress and the National Archives. The DAR Library is beautiful as well as wonderful. So more to follow as I have time to share!!!! Please let me know if any of you are interested in the above offer it is limited and I will explain how to take advantage of this offer. Laura Cowan Cooper Kodak, Tennessee dacooper@usit.net Laura Cowan Cooper of Kodak, TN lauracowancooper@comcast.net