Tid-bits, thanks Jim L. Could this be hepful for anyone??? http://www.sos.state.ga.us/archives/rs/sarl.htm State Archives Referral List has a list of all 50 states. Here is the one which they list for Iowa. Iowa State Historical Society 600 East Locust Des Moines, IA 50319-0290 Tel: 515-281-5111 http://www.culturalaffairs.org _________________________________________________________________

Subject: "The Green Worm and Other Oddities of Speech" Afternoon All, "Ok, so the green worm got me," I have often said in a somewhat sheepish tone with eyes lowered. And my father, when he was living, would roar with laughter. Of course a person in our family would smile knowingly...but a stranger might have a bit of a problem knowing exactly what was going on with this strange "green worm" business. They would also have a bit of a problem understanding what was meant when a person announced he was "going to the Capitol" (outhouse), taking a trip to "China Knob" (going downhome...and no, this was not the name of the community at all and China Knob can be found on no map of the area), the definition of a "breezy owl" (chamber pot), or acting like "Mammy Lewis" when they made a land purchase. (Mammy Lewis was some vague person who lived so long ago, no one in the family can quite remember who she was...but they do remember quite clearly that she was fond of announcing she "didn't want any more land, she just wanted what 'jined' her"). A hearty meal was preceded by a simple prayer, "Thank the Lord for supper!" which might seem less than dignified, but for the family that understood its origins, it was truly a deeply felt prayer. And in later years, once a hearty meal was complete and dishes sitting on the table needing some attention, it was widely accepted that we would "just let Rosie do it." (Hint: Rosie is most definitely not human). In short, a stranger listening in on our family's conversations might feel a bit like he had stepped into another world for which no translation dictionary had the answers. And we are no different from most. That is part of what makes us family, and part of what makes other families unique too. A good deal of shared history and shared events have somehow translated themselves into our speech, and even our names for one another. "Booshie" bears absolutely no resemblance to Virginia Ruth's name. But a little girl over seventy years ago could not pronounce her sister's name, and so it is that folks may look askance when we refer to "Booshie" and not quite get the connection that only the family understands. The little figures of speech entered the family over the years, with first one event and then another, sometimes genuine mistakes that simply became accepted to say, and sometimes sly humor being appreciated to the point of general acceptance as a legitimate family "saying" to be continued. Some of the terminology was born in my own lifetime and I well remember the event that brought it about. Some was born in the lifetimes of my elders and they have explained to me the stories behind the strange little figures of speech. And some....well no one quite remembers where they sprang from...only that this is something the family always "said"...and I expect that as surely as the color of my hair or the shape of my eyes, this or that little saying is a legacy from an ancestor...and a remnant of a long ago event that happened in a family. And so, as surely as if a family were a unique "elite club" with secret signs and passwords, those little bits and pieces of words, short little sayings identify them one to another, and give them a bit of something no one else quite shares unless one chooses to "let them in on it". As surely as memories, as surely as physical features, as surely as the sharing of names and ancestors, those little nuances of speech are part of the "glue" that says a group of people belong together and can be called "family". I expect it is so in all families...and I expect also that for the most part we take those quirks of speech "for granted." We document our names/dates/facts...we document events in memories and events written of on paper...but we forget that we have a language legacy as well...and so unless I tell my children how "the green worm" came to be ...the saying may well continue...but the story behind it lost in the blurred past of a family's history. Not that it is any earthshaking story, not that it is anything more than a family's good laugh one day...but kind of nice to know how a "green worm" managed to wind up in a family's vocabulary for generations to come perhaps. Now lest you think this bit of musing is less than scholarly keep in mind that I truly do not have one of those "piled high and deeper's". And therein lies another story. just a thought, jan Copyright (c)2000JanPhilpot ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ (Note: Afternoon Rocking messages are meant to be passed on, meant to be shared...simply share as written without alterations...and in entirety. Thanks, jan) Sunday Afternoon Rocking columns are distributed weekly on the list Sunday Rocking. This is not a "reply to" list, and normally only one message per week will come across it, that being the column. To subscribe send email to Sundayrocking-subscribe@topica.com Comments about the content of these messages can be sent to unicorn@sun-spot.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ --- Sponsor's Message -------------------------------------- Stay Up on Entertainment News! Get a roundup of the latest dirt from around the web! http://click.topica.com/aaaa4zb1dissb2hQMpc/hollywood ------------------------------------------------------------ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ (Note: Afternoon Rocking messages are meant to be passed on, meant to be shared...simply share as written without alterations...and in entirety. Thanks, jan) Sunday Afternoon Rocking columns are distributed weekly on the list Sunday Rocking. This is not a "reply to" list, and normally only one message per week will come across it, that being the column. To subscribe send email to Sundayrocking-subscribe@topica.com Comments about the content of these messages can be sent to unicorn@sun-spot.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ _________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ T O P I C A -- Learn More. Surf Less. Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Topics You Choose. http://www.topica.com/partner/tag01

Saddam Hussein was sitting in his office wondering who to invade next when his telephone rang. "Hallo! Mr. Hussein," a heavily accented voice said. "This is Paddy down in County Cavan, Ireland. I am ringing to inform you that we are officially declaring war on you!" "Well, Paddy," Saddam replied, "This is indeed important news! Tell me, how big is your army?" "At this moment in time," said Paddy after a moment's calculation, "there is myself, my cousin Sean, my next door neighbor Gerry, and the entire dominoes team from the pub-that makes 8!" Saddam sighed. "I must tell you Paddy that I have 1 million men in my army waiting to move on my command." "Begorra!", said Paddy, "I'll have to ring you back!" Sure enough, the next day Paddy rang back. "Right Mr. Hussein, the war is still on! We have managed to acquire some equipment!" "And what equipment would that be, Paddy?" Saddam asked. "Well, we have 2 combine harvesters, a bulldozer and Murphy's tractor from the farm." Once more Saddam sighed. "I must tell you, Paddy, that I have 16 thousand tanks, 14 thousand armored personnel carriers, and my army has increased to 1 and a half million since we last spoke." "Really?!" said Paddy "I'll have to ring you back!" Sure enough, Paddy rang again the next day. "Right Mr. Hussein, the war is still on! We have managed to get ourselves airborne! We've modified Ted's ultra-light with a couple of rifles in the cockpit and the bridge team has joined us as well!" Saddam was silent for a minute, then sighed. "I must tell you Paddy that I have 10 thousand bombers, 20 thousand MiG 19 attack planes, my military complex is surrounded by laser-guided surface-to-air missile sites, and since we last spoke, my army has increased to 2 million." "Faith and begorra!", said Paddy, "I'll have to ring you back. "Sure enough, Paddy called again the next day. "Right Mr. Hussein, I am sorry to tell you that we have had to call off the war." "I'm sorry to hear that" said Saddam. "Why the sudden change of heart?" "Well," said Paddy "We've all had a chat, and there's no way we can feed 2 million prisoners." _________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.

The Census Taker's Home! (from the Sunday Afternoon Rocking series) Well, I'm surely glad to be home, that I am. I tell you another day like this one and I am good mind just to fill them papers out on memory and be done with it. Here, put these socks over there next to the fire to dry out, will you? Got down yonder this mornin and everyone in Household 451 through 486 was gone. Some big shindig going on down there. Good thing the folks in 441 could tell me who they all was. Here, reckon you could go over some of the writin on this here page? Got smeared a bit in the rain. I think you can cipher most of it out. Then them folks down in the holler got suspicious over a census. Said, and derned if they had a point, what difference did it make who they was? Was them guvment folks up in Warshington going to come down here to say howdy do? So they finally let me write down they last name and first initial, but I think they wuz havin a bit of fun with me when they listed who lived in the house. Saw some winkin goin on and I believe I got the same house a youngins in two or three places. It been a day, woman. Honey, git that paper out of Johnny's mouth,will ya? I worked all day on that thing, and no call to let him go chewin it up. Went up the river a piece and tried to get that done fore it come a downpour, but run into trouble there too. Ole Man Jenkins curr dog run me off and I tell you, ain't no call to get eat up over such a thing as this. They ort to be a limit what a man does for his country. Was lucky man down the road mostly knew Jenkins was nigh on sixty years old and was living there with his woman and five youngins from his first marriage plus a passel from the second. We give em good Christian names. Best be doin something bout this pen. It give out on me halfway through. See you havin trouble too. Johnny! Hand that here, boy! And I tell you I would ruther fight grandpap's British than mess with that feller out on the ridge. He got out his shotgun soon as he seen me comin and I went t'other direction. Had Jones tell me about him instead, and he didn't rightly know the feller's first name, said they called him "Squirrel", and it was ok just to put that cause wasn't nobody around here claimin him no how, and they for sure didn't want the guvment knowin there was any relationship. That coffee done? Then got over to Smiths, and ole Hoss was in a nervous fit so wasn't no getting information there. His woman havin another youngin and he looked like he could run right through me when I went to askin how many youngins he had now. Hightailed it out of there, and Miz Hart helped me straighten that household out. Think we got most of the names straight, and as he has had a youngin a year for the last ten, ages purty close too. Now look what Johnny went and done! I tell you, next time this come around I ain't gonna be no where in sight. Farmin a heap easier, and I figger there folks round here what can read and write and cipher and ain't no good fer nothing else we can spare for this foolishness. Pass me another tater, will you?

This is only a test... PLEASE do NOT respond. Thanks, Jeannie <><

I thought these two items might express some of your hopes and frustrations. Have a happy brick-wall-breaking New Year! The following is to be sung to the tune of "The Twelve Days of Christmas". On the twelfth day of Christmas My true love gave to me, Twelve census searches, Eleven printer ribbons, Ten e-mail contacts, Nine headstone rubbings, Eight birth and death dates, Seven town clerks sighing, Six second cousins, Five coats of arms, Four GEDCOM files, Three old wills, Two CD-ROMS And a branch in my family tree. Tracing My Family Tree I started out calmly tracing my tree To find, if I could, the makings of me. And all that I had was great grandfather's name Not knowing his wife or from which way he came. I chased him across a long line of states And came up with pages and pages of dates. When all put together it made me forlorn I'd proven poor great grandpa had never been born!! One day I was sure the truth I had found Determined to turn this whole thing upside down I looked up the records of one Uncle John But found the old man to be younger than son! Then when my hopes were fast growing dim I came across records that must have been him. The facts I collected then made me quite sad Dear old great Grandfather was never a Dad! I think maybe someone is pulling my leg. I'm not at all sure I wasn't hatched from an egg. After hundreds of dollars I've spent on my tree I can't help but wonder if I'm really me!! Mrs. Charles Dean ==== EGGLESTON Mailing List ==== ==============================

Silent Night http://www.daily-blessings.com/ch21.htm What Shall I give him? http://www.daily-blessings.com/ch62.htm

A kindly 90-year-old grandmother found buying presents for family and friends a bit much one Christmas, so she wrote out checks for all of them to put in her Christmas cards. She wrote "Buy your own present" after her name on them then sent them off. After the Christmas festivities were over, she found the checks in her desk!

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/image/0011/earthlights_dmsp_big.jpg you can see the entire earth.....Absolutely beautiful... Jeannie <><

AOL Viewers: http://www.ishaah.com/Xmasweek.htm Other browsers: http://www.ishaah.com/Xmasweek.htm WebTV Viewers: http://www.ishaah.com/Xmasweekwtv.htm **************************************************

Don't forget folks, I am the ONLY one allowed to submit phunnies to the lists... :) Have a great week.. Jeannie <>< List Mom DUMBWAITER: One who asks if the kids would care to order dessert. FAMILY PLANNING: The art of spacing your children the proper distance apart to keep you on the edge of financial disaster. FEEDBACK: The inevitable result when your baby doesn't appreciate the strained carrots. FULL NAME: What you call your child when you're mad at him. GRANDPARENTS: The people who think your children are wonderful even though they're sure you're not raising them right. HEARSAY: What toddlers do when anyone mutters a dirty word. IMPREGNABLE: A woman whose memory of labor is still vivid. INDEPENDENT: How we want our children to be as long as they do everything we say. OW: The first word spoken by children with older siblings. PUDDLE: A small body of water that draws other small bodies wearing dry shoes into it. SHOW OFF: A child who is more talented than yours. STERILIZE: What you do to your first baby's pacifier by boiling it and to your last baby's pacifier by blowing on it. TOP BUNK: Where you should never put a child wearing Superman pajamas. TWO MINUTE WARNING: When the baby's face turns red and she begins to make those familiar grunting noises. VERBAL: Able to whine in words. WHODUNIT: None of the kids that live in your house. WEEKEND: When Dad gets to play golf (etc.) while Mom catches up on the laundry, cleans the house, runs errands, etc..

AOL users http://www.ishaah.com/Xmas00.htm Other browsers & Web TV Viewers: http://www.ishaah.com/Xmas00.htm

>For those of you who have Illinios families. > >Change your links. The State Archives web site has grown and moved to: > >http://www.sos.state.il.us/departments/archives/archives.html > >The genealogy pages are at: > >http://www.sos.state.il.us/departments/archives/services.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >For a Great 1895 Kansas State Census searchable website (you can also >select soundex), go to: http://www.kshs.org/library/cens8ks.htm Below is >a definition of the website: > >The 1895 census lists all members of household by name, including age, >sex, race or color, & state or country of birth. Also listed: where from >to Kansas (state or country) & military record (condition of discharge, >state of enlistment, letter or name of company or command, number of >regiment or other organization to which attached, arm of the service, & >name of military prison if confined in one). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~``` >

For those of you who don't rec. the ads from Ancestry on line this was on this morning... jeannie <>< A new service is testing the feasibility of using the Internet to fill requests at the Library of Congress. With the service, the Library is now filling interlibrary loan requests for small, fragile items by scanning the material and making the images available over the Internet. Under the new service, which is still in its early stages, the requesting library is alerted that although the item is non- circulating, it will be available at a specific time as a digital image. These images can be viewed and copied from the Library's interlibrary loan Web site and from the online cataloging record. The service is intended to explore the practicality of scanning, storing, and delivering materials as digital images within the time requirements of interlibrary loan clients. In its initial stage, the service will scan titles that are: * In the public domain, * Non-circulating because of physical condition or age, * Able to be captured in a relatively small digital file, and that * Have a cataloging record on the Web in which to place a link. The motto of the service is "Copy Once, Access Always." Items scanned so far include eyewitness accounts from the Civil War, a small volume of African American dialect poems and photographs, and a farcical account of a marriage ceremony at a racetrack. These and other examples of items requested by interlibrary loan clients can be seen online. In the past, small items that were too fragile to circulate on interlibrary loan had to be photocopied. If the item was requested again, the same procedure had to be repeated. By scanning this material and linking the images to the cataloging record, the Library responds to the initial interlibrary loan request, helps conserve the original item by eliminating the need for further photocopying, and makes the digital copy widely accessible. In preparation for digital delivery, each item is reviewed and treated by conservation staff as necessary, then scanned and archived as a 300 dpi TIFF image by staff from the Library's Information Technology Services. The archived images are then converted to PDF format and stored as single-item files on a publicly accessible server. PDF was chosen as the format because of its ease of access and the ability to download and print the entire work as one file. A link to the PDF file is also added to the catalog record on the Web, substituting a mouse click for a loan request in the future and increasing the accessibility of the Library's collections to remote users everywhere. The new service began in earnest in mid-October with the delivery of a Revolutionary War broadside, a 19th-century pamphlet on the Hawaiian reciprocity treaty, and an item on freemasonry-all with deadlines. As it matures, the service's administrators will evaluate the acceptability of digital images in lieu of photocopies and explore how to integrate a digital scanning operation into routine document delivery services. Small items in the public domain currently make up less than 1 percent of items requested from the Library of Congress, or approximately 350 items per year at the current level of use. However, the service has already proved popular as an alternative to photocopying for rare material and may actually increase the number of items "circulated" from previously off-limits collections.

Most of you have already read this, but it is good a second time around. Jeannie <>< List Mom Christmas Carol History What in the world do leaping lords, French hens, swimming swans, and especially that partridge who won't come out of the pear tree have to do with Christmas? >From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not allowed to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning; the surface meaning, plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality, which the children could remember. 1.. The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ. 2.. Two turtledoves were the Old and New Testaments. 3.. Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love. 4.. The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. 5.. The Five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament. 6.. The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation. 7.. Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit: Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy. 8.. The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes. 9.. Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruit of the Holy Spirit: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-control. 10..The ten lords a-leaping were the Ten Commandments. 11..Eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples. 12..Twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed. So there is your history lesson for today and now you know how that strange song became a Christmas Carol!

Boy, will I hear about this one :) jd. <>< WE Should Have Known! According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, both male and female reindeer grow antlers in the summer each year-the only members of the deer family, Cervidae, to have females do so. Male reindeer drop their antlers at the beginning of winter, usually late November to mid December. Female reindeer retain their antlers till after they give birth in the spring. Therefore, according to every historical rendition depicting Santa's reindeer, every single one of them, from Rudolph to Blitzen.......had to be a girl! We should've known that since they were always able to find their way!

Boy did I ever goof up... I cut and pasted something to the e-mail instead of sending a URL to the list... as there are some on the list with the webtv and they can't open some of the URL's.. In doing so the back ground had a color to it and that created the NL that is strewed thru out the e-mail.. I am sorry.. jeannie <><

Gifts You Can Give Year Round[NL][NL][NL]The Gift of Praise[NL]Appropriate mention, right in front of the other fellow,[NL]of superior qualities or of a job or deeds well done.[NL][NL]The Gift of Consideration[NL]Putting yourself in the other's shoes and thus [NL]providing your genuine understanding of his side of the case.[NL][NL]The Gift of Concession[NL]Humbly saying at just the right point, [NL]"I am sorry, you are right and I am wrong."[NL][NL]The Gift of Gratitude[NL]Never forgetting to say "Thank You" and never failing to mean it.[NL][NL]The Gift of Attention[NL]When the other fellow speaks, listen attentively.[NL]If his words are directed to you personally, meet his eye squarely.[NL][NL]The Gift of Inspiration[NL]Plant seeds of courage and action in the other person's heart.[NL][NL]The Gift of Personal Presence[NL]In sickness, in trouble, or in great joy,[NL]there is nothing quite equal to your personal expression of[NL]sympathy or congratulations. Resolve to give these gifts each day.[NL]You will be pleasantly surprised at what you will receive in return.[NL] vv

The First Sergeant noticed a new private one day and barked at him to come into his office. "What is your name?" was the first thing the First Sergeant asked the new guy. "John," the new guy replied. The First Sergeant scowled, "Look, I don't know what kind of bleeding-heart, liberal pansy stuff they're teaching troops in Basic today, but I don't call anyone by their first name. It breeds familiarity and that leads to a breakdown in authority. I refer to my privates by their last name only - Smith, Jones, Baker - that's all. I am to be referred to only as 'First Sergeant.' Do I make myself clear?" "Yes, First Sergeant!" "Good! Now that we got that straight, what is your last name?" The new guy sighed and said, "Darling. My name is John Darling, First Sergeant!" "Okay, John, the next thing I want to tell you is..."

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