BRRRR! Good morning, cuzzins! As it is throughout the southeast and probably up the eastern seaboard, IT'S COLD in the SC Lowcountry this morning. While we didn't have much snow or ice along tche water here around Charleston, just inland had snowy and icy conditions yesterday, and let me tell you, they are not used to that kind of weather down here! Even though the roads were clear by mid-morning, schools were closed, including the Medical University where I work. I just don't understand them closing the bridges and schools... I have to drive over a long bridge to get to work, and I had no problems at all. These genteel folk down here just don't know how to drive in the winter. I was discussing this yesterday with one of the graduate students, who happens to be from Michigan. He understood my frustration ;-) I heard from Buckette a couple days ago... Looks like Rootsweb is picking on her again rejecting her email address as being a spammer. That's why we haven't heard much from her lately. Lets hope it all gets cleared up soon. I just want to remind everyone of the annual meeting for the National Genealogical Society being held in May in Charleston. I got my registration in earlier this month. It is going to be a great conference with a lot of good information being passed along. Speakers include Helen F. Leary and Elizabeth Shown Mills, just to mention a couple. I'm very excited, and would like to have as many of you as possible come to the meeting or at least travel to Charleston to try to get together and meet each other. I have some room at my house, in case costs are a concern for some of you. And we have a big back yard, suitable for tents if necessary! Go to the NGS website and check out the program: http://www.ngsgenealogy.org I'm also trying to get up the $$$ to take the NGS Home Study course in preparation for an attempt at certification. I'm hoping to eventually get into this obsession as a retirement career. At least my New Year's resolution was to move in that direction. The course is around $500 for the graded option, which gives you feedback from professionals and seasoned researchers. So wish me luck! And with that, I'm off into the land of cell biology. Y'all have a great day! Peace, Part of the Tree, Greg