<<<Does something like that ever happen to you?>>> You mean there are people that don't have that problem? :-D Kathy

On my recording of "I've Got A Lovely Bunch Of Cocoanuts" one Merv Griffin is listed as the singer. Bert

Dear Folks, When it comes to this time of night my eyes are very tired what with the editing of my stories, my whole body is tired and achy and of course I know darned well it's time to go to bed. However, my mind refuses to shut up. Every night I eventually give into the necessity of going to bed but every night when I finally plunk myself into bed, I still have a problem with my brain. It refuses to shut down for the night. It instantly stirs itself up and starts to compose the next story that I'm supposed to write. What aggravates me the most is that because of the composing of it, my fingers begin to twitch on an imaginary keyboard to make certain I'm recording it all down. Nonetheless, I eventually snuggle into a good night's sleep and manage to ignore the stories my brain wants to tell when I wake up in the middle of the night after having some dumb dream or two. Does something like that ever happen to you? vee

Me too, I would love your book!!! Ruth At 11:28 PM -0500 3/30/05, Vee L. Housman wrote: >Lorraine said, > >> spring is here. Such a glorious feeling! >> >> Absolutely, Vee! It's just reinvigorating, isn't it? >> >> BTW, I just realized while going through older e-mails that I never >> responded >> to your call for requests for your book. Please add me to the list! > >Dear Lorraine, > >Consider your name on the list on this glorious spring day. >vee -- Ruth Barton mrgjb@sover.net Dummerston, VT

Dear Folks, I'm still working the stories for my book and one of my Navy ones reminded me of a delicate situation. I worked up in the all-male Link Shack and there was only one head (bathroom) up there. Although it posed a delicate situation what with me working with the men, we eventually managed to set up some rules and all went well considering. One weekend a year we had Admiral's Inspection and the entire base had to be spit-shined. Of course that included the heads. Because of this one particular inspection, I insisted on cleaning the urinals. Why? Because after inspection the WAVE officer in charge of all of the Reserve WAVES wanted to have a meeting with the few WAVES we had aboard the base and it was decided that the Link Shack would give us a bit of privacy. Figuring that the high-ranking woman officer might want to go to the head, I was concerned with the ugly sight of the urinals in the bathroom. Now I have to admit that I really didn't do this but this is what I wanted to do. Put pots of pretty red geraniums in them. Sure enough, she wanted to use the head after our meeting. I apologized about the urinals but explained that I had considered decorating them with pots of geraniums. She had a good laugh over it! Martha Stewart would have been proud of me! Hey, when it comes to Admiral's Inspection, we'd do anything to disguise any of the ugly stuff. BTW, that reminds me of another inspection where I was responsible for getting our small WAVES barracks ready for inspection. I outdone myself when it came to polishing the deck (floor). Not only did I wax and buff it, I added a beautiful gleaming coat of oil furniture polish. It looked gorgeous but it backfired on me. Have story, will post. vee

Hi Evelyn, Here's a link for "Red, Red Robin" http://www.newmango.com/mangos/lyrics/lyrics_red_robin.html and another one here at: http://www.geocities.com/merrystar3/allysongs/WhenTheRedRedRobin.htm For "I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts" --- http://www.angelfire.com/film/dannykaye/Coconuts.htm or http://www.lyricsvault.net/songs/19723.html If you go here: http://www.lyricsvault.net/ or http://www.lyricsvault.info both lead to the same site) --- you'll find your dreams can come true! LOL They've got lyrics from 1930 through 2004 - and even a "timeline" history of pop music. Hope that helps! :) Deb

Thanks Deb. This time I'm keeping these web sites. Evelyn ----- Original Message ----- From: <DebCA@comcast.net> To: <NYNIAGAR-FOLKS-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, March 31, 2005 2:46 PM Subject: Re: [FOLKS] Web site for old song lyrics? > Hi Evelyn, > Here's a link for "Red, Red Robin" > http://www.newmango.com/mangos/lyrics/lyrics_red_robin.html > and another one here at: > http://www.geocities.com/merrystar3/allysongs/WhenTheRedRedRobin.htm > > For "I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts" --- > http://www.angelfire.com/film/dannykaye/Coconuts.htm > or > http://www.lyricsvault.net/songs/19723.html > > If you go here: http://www.lyricsvault.net/ or http://www.lyricsvault.info both lead to the same site) --- you'll find your dreams can come true! LOL They've got lyrics from 1930 through 2004 - and even a "timeline" history of pop music. > > Hope that helps! :) > Deb >

Thanks alot Charles. Sounds like you got it. Why I wanted the words is because our pool exercise group sings such fun songs. Evelyn ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dragon Farm" <matheson@texas.net> To: "evelyn" <ebcooper@copper.net>; <NYNIAGAR-FOLKS-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, March 31, 2005 12:37 PM Subject: Re: [FOLKS] Web site for old song lyrics? > I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts, there they are all standing in a row. > A big one, a small one, some the size of your head. Give um a twist a flick > of the wrist, that's what the showman said. > > O'h I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts, there they are all standing in a > row and there stands me wife, the idol of me life singing, roll or bowl a > ball a penny a pitch. Singing roll or bowl a ball a penny a pitch. > > I know much of the words for Red Red Robin but have to refresh my memory by > singing it first. > > Charles > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "evelyn" <ebcooper@copper.net> > To: <NYNIAGAR-FOLKS-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Thursday, March 31, 2005 7:32 AM > Subject: [FOLKS] Web site for old song lyrics? > > > > Hello all, > > > > I remember someone posted the URL for getting old song lyrics, but at that > > time didn't think I'd be using it. Just did a google search and came up > > empty, so if someone knows of a good web site for finding lyrics, would > > they please repost it. > > > > Looking for "Red, Red Robin" [if that's the title] > > and "I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts" > > > > Thanks, Evelyn > > >

I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts, there they are all standing in a row. A big one, a small one, some the size of your head. Give um a twist a flick of the wrist, that's what the showman said. O'h I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts, there they are all standing in a row and there stands me wife, the idol of me life singing, roll or bowl a ball a penny a pitch. Singing roll or bowl a ball a penny a pitch. I know much of the words for Red Red Robin but have to refresh my memory by singing it first. Charles ----- Original Message ----- From: "evelyn" <ebcooper@copper.net> To: <NYNIAGAR-FOLKS-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, March 31, 2005 7:32 AM Subject: [FOLKS] Web site for old song lyrics? > Hello all, > > I remember someone posted the URL for getting old song lyrics, but at that > time didn't think I'd be using it. Just did a google search and came up > empty, so if someone knows of a good web site for finding lyrics, would > they please repost it. > > Looking for "Red, Red Robin" [if that's the title] > and "I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts" > > Thanks, Evelyn >

Hello all, I remember someone posted the URL for getting old song lyrics, but at that time didn't think I'd be using it. Just did a google search and came up empty, so if someone knows of a good web site for finding lyrics, would they please repost it. Looking for "Red, Red Robin" [if that's the title] and "I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts" Thanks, Evelyn

Dear Folks, Speaking of mockingbirds, this evening I remembered the first one I ever knew. It was back in the early 50s when I was living with my parents in Memphis. Of course it was hot there and we didn't have air conditioning whatsoever. Therefore at night we all had our bedroom windows wide open. Well, it didn't take me long to realize what a pesky bird a mockingbird could be. I had never met up with one before but it didn't take me long to realize that I would have loved to wring his skinny neck! Why? Because all night long he would be singing LOUDLY outside my bedroom window as if it were in the middle of the day. Now I don't know the difference between the southern mockingbirds and the ones who come up here for the summer, but at least the ones up here have enough sense to keep their beaks shut after midnight! vee

Lorraine said, > spring is here. Such a glorious feeling! > > Absolutely, Vee! It's just reinvigorating, isn't it? > > BTW, I just realized while going through older e-mails that I never > responded > to your call for requests for your book. Please add me to the list! Dear Lorraine, Consider your name on the list on this glorious spring day. vee

Evelyn wrote: > > "Dear Baden-Wuerttemberg List Friends, > > I'd like to offer the following to possibly help answer the common > genealogy > research question, "How/Why Would My Ancestor's Surname Be Changed?" (or > its > variant, "DID My Ancestor's Surname Get Changed?") > Dear Evelyn, On the whole I agreed with everything was pointed out. Especially since it was posted to the Baden-Wuerttenberg list. That's the area of Germany my Housman family came from. In researching our Housman family, my sister and I quickly became accustomed to accepting that our name had originally been spelled Haussmann, pronounced the same. Our great-grandfather Carl Christian Haussmann immigrated to this country in 1866 and we have a copy of the ship's passenger list with his name on it as just spelled. However, by the 1870 census he was listed in Pennsylvania as Charles C. Housman. The way I figured it, he had changed his name to be more acceptable in America. I had the feeling that once he reached our shores he felt that he was an American not a German. That did pose a problem however, when Norma and I searched the LDS microfiche to find a Charles Haussmann in the area of Stuttgart where one of our uncles said he came from. We were totally amazed that we didn't find a single Charles Haussmann. When we told another researcher our problem, she quickly came up with the answer. She said that the name Charles was a French name and that if we were looking for our Charles in Germany we should be searching on the name of Carl or Karl. And by George, she was right. We FOUND him! Yes, immigration officers and census takers had to rely on what was they heard said to them. And yes, in many cases the individuals had trouble with the English language. Not only that but a number of them couldn't even write their names. Thus many documents were signed by just an "X." I could go on and on regarding the subject but I'll stop here with one additional comment. When you're researching records, have an open mind as to what different spellings your ancestors may have been recorded as. If you're researching older records, let me just add this. One of our ancestors' surname was Essick. However, we never considered paying attention to anyone by the name of "Effick." That is until we realized that in old handwriting a double "S" was spelled as a double "F." Don't overlook anything that isn't obvious. vee

In a message dated 3/30/2005 5:53:06 PM Pacific Standard Time, housman@adelphia.net writes: spring is here. Such a glorious feeling! Absolutely, Vee! It's just reinvigorating, isn't it? BTW, I just realized while going through older e-mails that I never responded to your call for requests for your book. Please add me to the list! Best, Lorraine

I thought I'd forwarded this to you all but I think I sent it to the "other" Niagara list. Enjoy ~~~~~~~~ Forwarding from the NJ Hunterdon list. I found a beautiful fraktur from one of my Hooglandt/Hoagland ancestors within minutes! Good luck! Lorraine Here's a wonderful site where you just might find an ancestor's Fraktur. Print out the following directions FIRST, so you have them at hand. Then proceed according to items 1 through 7. Note that Items 3, 4 and 5 are all entered on the initial basic search screen, one after the other. Ignore the "Old Military and Civil Records" link until later. Case Files of Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Applications Based on Revolutionary War Service, ca. 1800 - ca. 1900 114 documents have been digitized from this series. These items include frakturs submitted with Revolutionary War Pension applications. Frakturs are highly colorful personal records that are intrinsically valuable examples of folk art and documentation in the early national period of the Pennsylvania German culture. The fraktur usually are equivalent to modern concepts of birth, marriage, and death certificates. These materials are held by the Old Military and Civil Records (Washington, DC). Search Hint: To retrieve the 114 digitized documents: 1.. Go to http://www.archives.gov/research_room/arc/. 2.. Press the Yellow search button to go to the Basic search screen. 3.. Enter Revolutionary War and (fraktur or draft) in the Keywords box. 4.. Select the limit results radio button for 1000. 5.. Select the box marked Descriptions of Archival Materials linked to digital copies. 6.. Press the Go button. 7.. When hits are returned for your search, view the full result of your hit by selecting the Title link. Good luck!...... Rita in Hunterdon Co. ==== NJHUNTER Mailing List ====

Dear Folks, It's officially spring around here because I heard the sounds loud and clear. This afternoon when I went outside the first thing I heard were the spring peepers, the little frogs who loudly sing their heads off when it gets warmer and the ice has melted. Since the temperature reached 60 degrees today, who could blame them. This early evening around 7:00 when there was still a bit of light out, I went outside again to pick up something from my car. The peepers' voices were even louder and clearer but along with their chorus was the song of my hooty bird. My hooty bird stops off briefly around here early spring after spring and even with my binoculars and my illustrated bird book, I've never been able to identify him. He flies rapidly in a wide circle just far enough overhead to where I can't get a good look at him. I call him a hooty bird because that's what he sounds like. He calls out "hoot, hoot, hoot, hoot, hoot" in rapid succession. The only description of him that I can give you is that he seems to be a dull brown or gray medium sized bird and has pointy "elbows" similar to a seagull. So even though I still don't know what sort of bird he is, his beautiful hoots are a definite declaration of spring around these parts. Of course the peepers' chorus adds that much more joy to the early season. We may have more snow before winter finally gives up, but for the moment we're all content that no matter what, spring is here. Such a glorious feeling! vee

This was posted on another Rootsweb List and I thought some of us folks would find it of interest. Evelyn "Dear Baden-Wuerttemberg List Friends, I'd like to offer the following to possibly help answer the common genealogy research question, "How/Why Would My Ancestor's Surname Be Changed?" (or its variant, "DID My Ancestor's Surname Get Changed?") Whenever you research ANY resource for ancestral information, remember that the name versions or name spellings under which your ancestors appear in a given resource may *or may not* be those you are *expecting* to find. Some reasons: 1. Realize that even in *original European* records, the spelling or other features of a particular surname can vary considerably---it's actually rather rare to find a single, 'standardized' spelling of a surname, used consistently, in most records. Spelling and transcription, in particular, literally depend upon the language, literacy level, handwriting skill and good ear of the scribe (the person writing a record). Post-immigration, furthermore, the more *complex* the syllables in a NON-English name, the greater the chance of someone mangling it in English-speaking countries. :-) 2. Many family researchers don't realize that official documents or other records were NOT often personally written (or forms filled out) by their ancestors (especially once the ancestor had emigrated to a new country.) More often, a clerk or public official completed most paperwork, obtaining the information verbally from the person to whom the document pertained, or his interpreter (if any). (On many official records, the only portion actually *written* by the ancestor is the signature, and THAT only if the person was literate---remember that NOT *everyone* was!) For any particular name, you want to avoid assuming, "This is the way Grandpa spelled it on his naturalization [or whatever] form, so it must be the right way." Officials could have easily mangled the name by scribbling or mistyping it in haste, carelessness, or linguistic ignorance---and your ancestor *may or may not have* recognized/called attention to errors or variances. Some simply tolerated the misspelled or mis-rendered name form thereafter, or may have gone so far as to adopt it, out of convenience. 3. Contrary to popular belief, MANY immigrants to the United States who had name changes *DID NOT* HAVE THEM LEGALLY/OFFICIALLY CHANGED by a court. Since, in earlier eras, it was entirely possible simply to *use* a name one chose to establish an identity with that name, relatively few immigrants went to the expense and trouble of "legally" changing their names. (My maternal ancestors in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania changed their thoroughly Polish surname of BARANOWSKI to BROWN one day, in the course of a 1925 family wedding---my great-grandfather BARANOWSKI merely started *calling himself* and his sons BROWN, and his male descendants retain the name BROWN to this day. (You might never know from looking at the name BROWN that the bearers could have native-Polish origins.) *grin* 4. Many of what appear to be 'mistakes' in a name are actually NOT the result of an error. As has been mentioned, a significant number of immigrants modified their *own* names, or the spelling/pronunciation of those names, after settling in a new country. Contrary to the popular myth of foreign names being arbitrarily altered upon arrival "at Ellis Island," these changes were more often brought about by the *immigrant's* own needs, or preferences, over time. For example, some non-English names were simply too difficult to pronounce for English-speakers, and were quickly simplified. Others were altered by American employers who found it bothersome to address workers by unfamiliar, tongue-twisting European names. Many other immigrants sincerely wished to quickly "fit in" to the culture and social customs of their new land, and Anglicized or "Americanized" their names to facilitate the process. Some went so far as to transform their existing name forms into another language, evolving from "Karl RITTER" to "Charles KNIGHT" (the same names in German and English) or similar changes. * * * While *NOT EVERY* immigrant or family changed names (or had them altered by others), family researchers should prepare for the *possibility* that the names they have grown used to may bear little resemblance to the immigrant's 'original' name. You may want to sit down with pencil and paper, and try to imagine a few possible variations in the spelling or form of your surname of interest---e.g., SCHMIDT, SCHMITT, SCHMID, SCHMIED, (and their English counterparts SMITH, SMYTH and SMYTHE) can all be variants of the *same* name. Remember, even if (to your knowledge) your family has "always used" the same form of a name in the country in which they settled, that doesn't *guarantee* that the name was spelled or pronounced that way, or even *used,* at other times. Literally and figuratively, surnames are written in neither blood nor stone. Hope this helps! Wishing you success in your family research, Carla HELLER, Los Angeles, California USA mscarlah@earthlink.net List Co-Administrator, ROOTSWEB'S Baden-Wuerttemberg Mailing List

Lorraine said, > I had a nice gift this afternoon too... my neighbor in the front house (I > rent a guest house) knocked on my door and offered me an absolutely > beautiful > bouquet of flowers that she had just received. She explained that she's > allergic > to them but didn't want them to not be enjoyed by someone, so she gave > them > to me! There are roses and lilies and well, I'm not sure what all they > are, > but they are soooo lovely and smell soooo good! :) Dear Lorraine, Oh I absolutely envy you! I swear that there's nothing as delightful as to receive a bouquet of flowers. The beauty of them and the sweet smell of them surely makes my day(s). Enjoy the beauty of the Easter offering. vee

Hi to all, Changed the subject line a tad to make this reply about writing our own life stories just as we write them for our current family and our ancestors. Have been greatly enjoying all the list messages about different ways to make that happen! :) Vee and Kim - re: using our e:mail messages. Kim - getting "copies" of our genealogy queries AND the responses Vee - your idea to use the "archiver" to go FIND THEM ALL! lol Loved your surprise and delight that you found MORE STORIES yet to add to your pile. :) Now you know why "we" enjoy the list. We listen to your stories! :) Charles - great idea to use a resume Kathy - another great idea to listen to music as a way to "bring our memories" into our mind's eye Lorraine - you copy your SNAIL MAIL letters/cards then add NOTES to them for yourself? Wow - great idea. So many of mine are just "out there" or "gone" over all these years. Well - that's an idea for the "go forward" times, yes? :) Bert - you outdid yourself! :) Community college "write your life" class - interviewing others for memories, then titling them - commercially available "memory books", "junk on your walls" as a jogger to write stories & memories, travel journals, Xmas letters, and just "digging around" your stuff! I especially liked your "Now I'm talking to myself" closing line! I've been doing quite a bit of journaling these past 3 months or so - spurred on by others all doing the same thing - for a "Book of Me" project. But - instead of "talking to myself" - as I write - I literally "pretend" I'm sitting at a kitchen table talking to someone else! I have a "conversation" with imaginary "somebody's"! LOL So - I'm winding up with sort of a "conversational stories" sort of style - as I collect up experiences, memories, etc. There are lots of places now on the web too with "prompt questions" that can get you going. Trivia and timeline sites can help too - if you choose "a decade" for example - then "remember" if that was in "your life" or not. I've been enjoying a lot of "50s and 60s" sites - then going from there. Having others to "bounce things around with" can help too, I think. On one list, we spent a bunch of time just talking about the TELEPHONES we remember! LOL Some folks seem to write based on a chronological TIMELINE - others go by TOPICS. I'm personally using more of a timeline for "the early years" - childhood, grammar school, teenage, etc --- then switch to topics for "adult life". I write about whatever I want - in no particular order. BUT, I file them away into "folders" that ARE by topics. I've got folders for things like "family & relationships" - but also things like "genealogy & heritage" and "collecting"! I had written several pages about memories of Memorial Day - from mid 1950s to mid 1960s - "in a village" setting of my growing up. Now, others have convinced me to "try" doing a scrapbook layout - and I've selected Memorial Day as a good way to get my feet wet. So - imagine a scrapbook - open it up - and you have a "double layout". I'm now doing a "personal page" on the left side - with photos, graphics and even my journal wriitng (folded & stuck into a "mini envelope" on the page. The "story" is personal and specific. On the right side page - I'm going to create my "may we always remember" Memorial Day page - that will be more "historical" in context. I've now collected my "elements" re: how to handle the flag, memorial poppies, taps, etc etc. (I have yet another soapbox re: a monday holiday for a long weekend vs remembering what the day is actually all about!) Anyway - have long been "into" genealogy - journaling - oral history interviews - photos - and now, am just investigating another "form" of heritage project - ie scrapbooking. So, we'll see. For this discussion - guess the important thing is that we can't CREATE SOMETHING to pass on - if we don't have the research - the photos - the written words - that all become the ELEMENTS of the SOMETHING we create to pass on! :) As Bert so rightly said? "just get busy & do it"! Hard to pull off in this busy world - but - talking with others of like mind "helps" with motivation - and deciding to "make an appointment with yourself" to work on it helps too. Better than a dental appointment too! LOL Deb

Wow, what wonderful neighbors you have, Vee! It sounds like you had a lovely Easter. I had a nice gift this afternoon too... my neighbor in the front house (I rent a guest house) knocked on my door and offered me an absolutely beautiful bouquet of flowers that she had just received. She explained that she's allergic to them but didn't want them to not be enjoyed by someone, so she gave them to me! There are roses and lilies and well, I'm not sure what all they are, but they are soooo lovely and smell soooo good! :) Hope everyone had a lovely holiday weekend! Best, Lorraine In a message dated 03/27/2005 7:12:03 PM Pacific Standard Time, housman@adelphia.net writes: Now is that to die for or what?? :-) So there I've told you about my neighborly Easter Meals on Wheels. I'm still chomping on the bit to have seconds or thirds.