Dear Folks, Sue Kissel forwarded me a message sent to the NYNIAGAR list. It read like this: > It is my understand that the Niagara Falls, NY library is under serious > threat of closing due to city finances. Does anyone on this list know what > the status will be of all of the newspaper microfilm and do these > microfilms exist elsewhere? In other words, if the possible becomes > reality and the library closes I wonder who will safeguard these films and > if the city is organized enough to even do so. Do copies exist elsewhere > through the local newspaper? I am very concerned about the future safety > of these films! > > Susan Sue then asked me if I knew anything about this. The answer is yes and no. Yes I've been reading in the Niagara Gazette for some time now about the concern of the city finances regarding the expense of keeping the main library open. It seems that the city is determined to shut it down and just make it disappear. When I first read of the possibility, I was dumbstruck. Of all of the dumb things the city fathers have done over the past 50 years, this one has got to take the cake. Getting down to the possibility of the library's closing, I've also been concerned what will happen with the archives stored there. Not only the newspaper microfilms but the entire Local History Dept. that serves genealogists very competently. The last time I visited the Youngstown library I asked Jan the librarian what would happen with the History Dept. in the library in Niagara Falls. She doesn't have a clue. I wouldn't want to live to see the day that everything would just be tossed into the dump, microfilms, a gazillion books, CDs, videos, computers, etc. But apparently those in power haven't leaked that sort of information to the media. But on a positive note, I can't see the Niagara County Historian standing by and letting such valuable historical information and artifacts just boxed up and stored in some warehouse into obscurity. I guess it hasn't gotten to that point yet and I'll just keep hoping and praying that it doesn't happen at all. vee

Dear Folks, I've been deep in concentration editing my stories for "publication" and I came across this one. I believe I've posted it to the list before but I thought it was worth posting again. Who Made Up Our Jump Rope Chants? July 15, 1997 (After another lovely picnic with the Girls of the Class of 1949) Recently we've been reminiscing about our game of jump rope but I don't expect any of you to have the answer to a question that's been puzzling me for years. It's obvious most of us recall many of the words and chants that went with jump rope-the game that was so much fun to play. The question is this. Who made up the jump rope game and its rules and the chants? Certainly not our parents or our teachers! And if they weren't made up by the adults in our society, that leaves only the children. All of us know from experience that we learned them from other children. On one curious occasion when I was in my late 40s and on active duty in the Navy I brought up the silly subject of jump rope chants. I was totally amazed how many of the younger generation in their 20s admitted they had jumped to the same chants that I had. To make my point clearer, I was talking with girls from many parts of the country. To make a more startling comment, one of the young shipmates who joined right in the discussion and offered another jump rope chant familiar to all of us was a young black male from Ohio! Oh my goodness, I'd never seen a boy jump rope in my life! Now I'm still struggling to figure out what sort of "communications system" children have that has nothing whatever to do with parents or adults. In addition, how do children sense the precise day in spring when it's time to bring out their marbles or their jump ropes or their roller skates, knowing that all of the other children will be right there along with them, having sensed the same thing? Who can I ask who could answer my question? Certainly not an adult! What do adults know? I don't suppose any of you have figured it out yet, have you? Well, have you?? vee

Ruth, I usually try to let them age a bit before using them, but the last time, I ran out of eggs and had to use the new ones. That was when I found out that using a spoon on the cracked shell works nicely to get the shell off without tearing up the white. Joan

Quite often in a restaurant, I will see women with their hair held back... except it doesn't seem to include the hair in the front anymore. Some of the younger girls have so much hair hanging down in front of their faces, that you can't see what they look like when they look down! I watched one working over the grill at a hot dog stand, and feared for her hair catching on fire. BUT... she did have the back in a band....

Kathy said, > They came back into style a few years ago... I just found a couple in my > daughter's things. (She has boxes in her room, moved out over 10 years > ago. I > told her to take them, or they were going to the Salvation Army - she said > get > rid of it). Anyway, there were two snoods, made of colored net, with a > same > color bow at the top. Kind of pretty. Oh my goodness, how did I miss snoods coming back in fashion? Who knows but it's because I don't read the store ads or watch TV commercials any more. Still thinking of snood however, reminded me of the mandatory hairnets we had to wear when I was a waitress in the early 50s in North Carolina. They were made of almost invisible nylon netting but nonetheless they confined your hair close to your head. At least that's the way it was for me. I had/have very fine hair and even though I'd set my hair at night in tight pin curls and comb it out stylishly in the morning, all it took to flatten it right to my skull was a hair net. It made me look like the character from TV "Laugh In" of the 60s, especially with knot of the hair net showing conspicuously on my forehead. I guess in more modern terms, I looked like a dork and certainly not a glamorous dork at that. Just another memory, although a pathetic one at that! vee

> reminded me of the mandatory hairnets we > had to wear when I was a waitress ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hi Vee, I am sorry that your stylish hairstyles were ruined, but I would have greatly appreciated the fact that you wore a net. While I am sure it is not the most comfortable thing, I think that waitresses and waiters should still be required to wear hairnets. I feel it promotes more cleanliness. I am none too thrilled when I see a food handler 'messing with' his or her hair. I well remember when the nets were required, but I don't know when the law was changed. Nor do I know why. Leslie

Kathy: Wow, I really liked what you said, it makes so much sense! I always have believed that somehow a negative thing that you did in the past, like not making up with somebody or forgiving somebody, it could come back to you. Just like when you wish something bad on someone you don't care for, or, someone who has hurt you,that can come back to you, and bad things could happen to you. This has happened to me, and now I try not to wish anything bad on anyone. I guess because that person has wronged you, you want them doubly to feel how you felt when they wronged you. It's hard to let go of regrets, but if you can let go of one or two regrets, it can be very healing, and you feel a sense of renewal. I was able to forgive my dad for some unspeakable actions by him in the past,and that is one thing I'm so glad I was able to do. I can truely say that that is one regret I don't have to live with the rest of my life. Obviously, some people can and won't ever change. If you did the best you could in trying to forgive them and they could have cared less, you left in their hands because you let go of it. Sorry I got on my band wagon here, but so much of what you said, Kathy, really makes sense and I can truely understand it. Kim

They came back into style a few years ago... I just found a couple in my daughter's things. (She has boxes in her room, moved out over 10 years ago. I told her to take them, or they were going to the Salvation Army - she said get rid of it). Anyway, there were two snoods, made of colored net, with a same color bow at the top. Kind of pretty. Kathy

Dear Folks, Do you remember the snoods of WWII? I believe they were worn in that particular era because women were going to work in defense plants and they needed to have their hair confined so that it wouldn't be caught in the machinery they were working on. Snoods were made of cotton or rayon netting that women put over their hair, tuck all of the hair underneath them and then tie them securely in back. Actually they became quite fashionable during those years and tended to be viewed as rather glamorous. Certainly the movie stars wore them. Just a passing memory. vee

In a message dated 4/7/05 7:42:31 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, lynnf@earthlink.net writes: Things done, things not done, said and not said, time wasted, etc., always tugging at my sleeve. It must be very liberating to be able to let go of regrets. I'll keep trying. While there are things that I always let pop up again in my head, I make myself remember - if you are happy now, and you could actually change something in the past, it might mean that what you have now, disappears. Also, even if you did something different in the past, it might not have done any good. A fight you had with someone, you might have apologized, and they still didn't care. Someone that you didn't clear things with before they died, maybe there was no way to clear things. It takes two to have a problem like this, and just because you think you might have handled it differently, doesn't mean they would have... No time is wasted if it taught you something, which it obviously did. A regret is sometimes a way of reminding you, not to do things the way you did before.. Kathy

Boy, do I ever wish I could do that! I seem to have accummulated a fair share of regrets and haven't quite figured out how to stop beating myself up about them. Things done, things not done, said and not said, time wasted, etc., always tugging at my sleeve. It must be very liberating to be able to let go of regrets. I'll keep trying. Love, Lorraine In a message dated 4/6/2005 10:11:34 PM Pacific Daylight Time, housman@adelphia.net writes: By the time she left we both agreed to get rid of our regrets and try to get over the sadness of the circumstances.

Sure, and there's another one called "Ancient Faces," (although they also sell jewelry and collectibles, but the photo service is neat). Good luck! http://www.deadfred.com/newsletter.php http://www.ancientfaces.com/ Hmmm... "Lost Leaves" seems to have gotten lost! Their site may be under construction at the moment. But here's one to keep you busy! Just found it: http://www3.sympatico.ca/bkinnon/foundphoto.htm Best, Lorraine In a message dated 4/7/2005 4:16:45 AM Pacific Daylight Time, Aug67@cox.net writes: > "Dead Fred's Relatively Speaking," and "Lost Leaves," ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Lorraine, will you please post the URLs for these sites? TIA, Leslie Kohler

Hi, Just try playing scrabble every week and making a mistake by playing a word that gets challenged off the board or opening or closing the board so your opponent gets a bingo (that's all 7 letters with a 50 point bonus), to find out just how much regret you have created for yourself. Not to mention mistakes made at tournaments that cause you to lose rating points. You live with CONSTANT regret and second thoughts. If I had a nickel for every mistake I've made at scrabble, I'd be a VERY rich player!!!!!!!!!! At least you have the solace that most of your mistakes happened a long time ago and are not likely to be repeated. Whereas, I find, I seem never to learn some of the scrabble lessons. I would imagine that goes for those of you who play bridge too. Beth Fleischer Hacienda Heights, California -----Original Message----- From: LorraineLatta@aol.com Sent: Apr 7, 2005 4:21 PM To: NYNIAGAR-FOLKS-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [FOLKS] Getting rid of regrets Boy, do I ever wish I could do that! I seem to have accummulated a fair share of regrets and haven't quite figured out how to stop beating myself up about them. Things done, things not done, said and not said, time wasted, etc., always tugging at my sleeve. It must be very liberating to be able to let go of regrets. I'll keep trying. Love, Lorraine In a message dated 4/6/2005 10:11:34 PM Pacific Daylight Time, housman@adelphia.net writes: By the time she left we both agreed to get rid of our regrets and try to get over the sadness of the circumstances.

> Golden rod eggs on toast is another favorite. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Bert, having never heard of this, I would greatly appreciate a description and/or recipe. TIA, Leslie

> "Dead Fred's Relatively Speaking," and "Lost Leaves," ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Lorraine, will you please post the URLs for these sites? TIA, Leslie Kohler

Dear Folks, This evening my dear neighbor Dawn came over to take my trash out to the curb for pickup tomorrow and as usual she stayed for the longest time to tell me the latest news about her soap opera family. . . the problems about her childhood, her parents, her children, her husband and her life in general. As usual I found her life difficult for me to comprehend but at the same time I've shared a lot of my own personal life experiences with her. Note: she's 42 years old, I'm 73. This evening we touched on the subject of what the two of us have regretted about the tough decisions we've had to make in our lives. Years ago when I touched on that subject with myself, I came to the conclusion that even though I felt regret about some of my decisions, I knew darned well that given the same set of circumstances today, I'd still stand by them. I don't regret the decisions, I just feel sad that the circumstances happened. By the time she left we both agreed to get rid of our regrets and try to get over the sadness of the circumstances. When she left we shared a great big hug. vee

Dear Folks, For those of you who've filled out your tax returns and have put that all behind you, you're permitted to sit back and gloat. With me, however, I realized that I've procrastinated almost to the deadline to send my returns in. Frankly, I wasn't all that worried about filling in my returns. After all I had all of the figures at hand. Today I really pleased myself that I had gathered the forms and figures and started off the way I always have over the years and filled in the blanks. After all, all that I have to declare as wages is my meager W-2 form in my capacity of Town of Porter Historian, then list the interest from my bank and credit union and the dividends I've been receiving. I then add the amount of my Navy pension (taxable) and enter my Social Security income (non-taxable). But that's where I got bogged down. As usual, you have to add lines up and subtract line 43 from 42 (or some such) and insert the number of excemptions (over 65 years old), subtract the deduction from another line, figure out the tax on whatever figure you come up with, enter the withholding tax you've already paid, subtract that from the above figure and you eventually come up with a figure that you'll either have to write out a check for or request a refund. By the time I felt I'd done my best, my brain was fried. It took me an entire hour to go through the agony but at least I know that tomorrow it'll be a pretty easy job to fill out my NY State tax. There's no doubt but what it'll be a lead-pipe cinch. I swear that if it weren't for procrastination, I'd never send in an income tax return! vee

Fresh eggs don't peel well when hard boiled because they don't have a very large air sac at the big end. Eggs are NOT impervious, as time goes on more air migrates into the egg, important if there's a growing chick inside that will need the air before he pecks his way out. When an egg is boiled a bit of this air migrates around the whole egg to make it easier to peel. That's my theory anyway, but I do know that older eggs are much easier to peel. I buy eggs from our neighbor but if I am boiling them I go to the store unless I know far enough ahead to buy them and let them age a bit. Ruth At 8:29 PM -0400 4/5/05, GenJoSue@aol.com wrote: >I always seem to have trouble peeling those "store-fresh" eggs. They always >want to tear. > >I found out, by accident, how to have them peel nicely. > > I now roll them, like always, and then if they don't want to cooperate, I >then slip the end of a small spoon under the shell and proceed to peel them >without any problem. > >Joan -- Ruth Barton mrgjb@sover.net Dummerston, VT

Dear Folks, Yesterday when Sandy and I were talking each other's ears off about genealogy, the subject of the 1800-1840 census came up. It was so great to talk about such things with Sandy because she's been researching her family for over 20 years and I didn't need to teach her the basics. Especially the value of the 1800-1840 census. A number of years ago when my sister Norma and I were checking out every resouce we could find about our ancestors we dilligently copied down the details of those census years but since they named only the head of the household but not the names of those in the household, they didn't tell us much. But the more that I studied the census, the more I came up with the brilliant idea of figuring out the years of birth of the members of the household. For exemple, with the 1800 census if a male was listed under the age of 10 years old that meant he was born between 1791 to 1800. If age 10-16, he was born 1785-1790, etc. Note, those are my estimates. That's when the value of those census became one of our very important sources. For about 30 years since then I've sucessfully placed ancestors in a family by following that family through those census and then Bingo!, there he was by name on the 1850 census. Yes, there's a lot of GOOD information in the 1800-1840 census! vee

Dear Folks, My day started out like any other day. I went through my usual routine and finally settled down at my computer to continue to edit my stories. At 4:00 the phone rang and I didn't have a clue who would be calling me at that time. I answered it and it was Barbara from the village clerk's office. We've known each other for some time. She told me there was a woman there who wanted to speak to me and she handed the phone over to her. The woman introduced herself as Sandy and she explained that she was Gail's sister who used to work in the Base Exchange at the Niagara Falls Air Force Base and that their mother had been nicknamed Vee. Oh how I remember Gail! Every time I went to the BX Gail and I would kid around about the name Vee. But backing up a bit into last week, Sandy had contacted me by email, explained her relationship to Gail at the BX and then told me that she had found my address on the Niagara County GenWeb list as a possible genealogy source in this area. She gave me a brief rundown on her one family line from the Town of Hartland in Niagara County and I replied to her and gave her advice as where she should go to research records regarding wills and land records. Note: she lives in Bethlehem, PA. And today there she was, showing up on my doorstep shortly after we had hung up. We immediately sat down to my kitchen table and started talking genealogy. Oh what fun that was, talking to someone who's been researching her family for the past 20 years! We talked about researching the census of 1810 to 1840 and trying to fit pieces of the family into those records. When I mentioned my researching of German church records and the marvelous family information I had dug up, she was all ears. One branch of her family was from near Stuttgart, the same as mine is. She took many mental notes. But interspersed with genealogy, we talked about the "old" days of Niagara Falls. I believe she graduated from Niagara Falls High School in 1956 whereas I graduated in 1949. We talked about the teachers we had had when we were going through school and some of the ones that I remembered and had, were the same ones she had several years later. We talked about our personal lives and I could go on and on about the different subjects we were both excited about but I'll just leave it at this. She arrived at my house shortly after 4:00, we both knew that we'd be happy to continue the conversation until the wee hours in the morning but by 6:45 I had to "kick her out!" It was waayyy after my dinner hour and her brother in Rochester was waiting for her to show up for dinner. I guess you could call it as another interesting day! vee