Have you been with me as I research? LOL You hit the nail on the head with this one. Thanks for making me laugh at my angst! I needed that today. And I'm sure we can all relate to at least one of the items on the list at one time or another. I'm going to keep a copy of this in my "brick wall" folder as a nice reminder to laugh when I'm totally frustrated during the treasure hunt! Thanks so much for posting it. Linda -----Original Message----- From: nyerie-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:nyerie-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of nora Sent: Saturday, January 16, 2010 2:43 PM To: nyerie@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [NYERIE] our ancestors Thought I'd share this as I am sure so many of us can appreciate it!!! /1852 NEW YEAR RESOLUTION -- SOLVE GENEALOGICAL MYSTERIES/ It is New Year's Eve 1852 and Henry HYDENWELL sits at his desk by candlelight. He dips his quill pen in ink and begins to writes his New Year's resolutions. 1. No man is truly well-educated unless he learns to spell his name at least three different ways within the same document. I resolve to give the appearance of being extremely well-educated in the coming year. 2. I resolve to see to it that all of my children will have the same names that my ancestors have used for six generations in a row. 3. My age is no one's business but my own. I hereby resolve to never list the same age or birth year twice on any document. 4. I resolve to have each of my children baptized in a different church -- either in a different faith or in a different parish. Every third child will not be baptized at all or will be baptized by an itinerant minister who keeps no records. 5. I resolve to move to a new town, new county, or new state at least once every 10 years -- just before those pesky enumerators come around asking silly questions. 6. I will make every attempt to reside in counties and towns where no vital records are maintained or where the courthouse burns down every few years. 7. I resolve to join an obscure religious cult that does not believe in record keeping or in participating in military service. 8. When the tax collector comes to my door, I'll loan him my pen, which has been dipped in rapidly fading blue ink. 9. I resolve that if my beloved wife Mary should die, I will marry another Mary. 10. I resolve not to make a will. Who needs to spend money on a lawyer? ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to NYERIE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 9.0.725 / Virus Database: 270.14.144/2625 - Release Date: 01/15/10 14:35:00 No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 9.0.725 / Virus Database: 270.14.144/2625 - Release Date: 01/16/10 14:35:00