Dear Folks, Maybe I'm just in a winter slump or my arthritis is getting the better of me or something along those lines, but for whatever reason, I'm in a slump. I feel pretty whiney here at the moment but please bear with me right now. Over the past number of months I've tried my very best to post quality messages to the list. Yes, a few others have responded and posted their own and I've noted them and appreciated them, but on the whole it seems that I'm the one who continues to prop up the list. And frankly I'm beginning to wonder if it's worth it on my part. (See what I mean about whining!) I know that all of you are genealogy based and I also know that there's NYNIAGAR-L to turn to for questions of that nature. Currently we have 101 subscribers to our list. I know that a number of you are lurkers who have enjoyed what has been posted to our list over the past. But right now, I'm wondering if it might just be best if I give up the list. If a number of you give me some pretty good reasons for continuing with the list, I'm all ears. If not (fade). vee

Please continue to write your stories. My husband is the one with the connection to the list. But I read every message you send to the list. Most of them touch my heart. The ones of the trips across the county made me recall how lucky I was to take two trips across the country with my Grandmother. Texas to Colorado when I was 11. And Texas to Michigan when I was 15. My mother kept the letters I wrote from that time and I need to take them out and read them again. I also need to get the black and white photographs out and do a bit of journaling with them. My goodness my Grandmother was a courageous lady to take a child and travel across the county. This was in the 60's and I am sure that most widow ladies would not have done this. To top the story off my parents sold my grandmother's house while she was gone to Colorado and she had to move into a much smaller house in town within two weeks of returning from the trip. Thanks for your stories making my memories vivid. Dorothy

Vee, Please don't stop the list. I'm like the others, I always read this list, no matter what. You write such wonderful stories, and well, you just seem like family. I think a roll call ever so often is a good ideal. Maybe you can try that. Just don't throw in the towel yet!! I enjoy hearing about historical society meetings, about your niece, and just all your stories. I will try to participate more. And how about the yearly reunion you've had for the past 2 yrs.? All this has to mean something to you?? Your friend, Janey Sczepczenski Wolfe ----- Original Message ----- From: "Vee L. Housman" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, February 01, 2004 10:43 PM Subject: [FOLKS] I'm in a slump > Dear Folks, > > Maybe I'm just in a winter slump or my arthritis is getting the better of me or something along those lines, but for whatever reason, I'm in a slump. I feel pretty whiney here at the moment but please bear with me right now. > > Over the past number of months I've tried my very best to post quality messages to the list. Yes, a few others have responded and posted their own and I've noted them and appreciated them, but on the whole it seems that I'm the one who continues to prop up the list. And frankly I'm beginning to wonder if it's worth it on my part. (See what I mean about whining!) > > I know that all of you are genealogy based and I also know that there's NYNIAGAR-L to turn to for questions of that nature. Currently we have 101 subscribers to our list. I know that a number of you are lurkers who have enjoyed what has been posted to our list over the past. But right now, I'm wondering if it might just be best if I give up the list. > > If a number of you give me some pretty good reasons for continuing with the list, I'm all ears. If not (fade). > vee > > >

Dearest Vee, PLEASE, do NOT stop sending your wonderful stories. As you know, I not only read them, I print them out so I can read them again and learn something about your part of this great land and the area where my favorite sister once lived and died. You have taken the place of my sister, Clara or as she like to call herself, Mickey. You are now a part of my family and I would be sad if I could no longer read something about your past and present life, it brings joy to my life. I can not write anything about that area as I was born in Chicago and never had the opportunity to visit New York let alone live there. Maybe you should ask people to write about their birthplace and childhood so we can learn more about each other. There was only two times in my childhood that I traveled from my home. The first time was when my sister Clara moved mother, my twin brother, older brother little sister and all our belongs in the backend of a big truck from Chicago to Miles City, Montana in 1946. I did not get to see the country side and was a little scared when Clara told us we were going up a mile high mountain. We all were hoping the belongings would not fall on us but mother had seen to it that everything was packed so as to prevent such a thing from happening. When we arrived in Miles City, we found a two room house owned by the sheriff to rent. Then I got to see the old time wagon Clara lived in with her first husband. She cooked her meals over an open fire and claimed that when she made a pot of coffee, she tested to see when it was ready by placing a horseshoe in the pot and if it floated, it was ready to drink. Mother worked in the restaurant in town and I know they drank their coffee strong because I saw customers test it by standing a spoon upright before adding sugar or milk. Also, the people there did not trust paper money and used silver dollars to pay for everything. The next trip was about a year later when mother had saved enough money to purchase train tickets for all of us younger children and herself. We only took our clothing with us and moved to Los Angeles, California where we threw away our heavy coats we had to wear in Miles City and it was not long before we wish we still had them. This was in 1947 and Los Angeles received a hard winter storm for the first time in years. Although I was an avid reader even then, it never occurred to me to write anything about either trip and I only have faint memories of the trips.

I have recently joined your list and am enjoying reading all of your posts. I don't have any connection to the area except I stopped at Niagara Falls a couple of times on my way to Michigan. I join lists for various parts of the country just to get an idea of the area and the people who live there. Thanks for being here and please keep posting. Ruth in sunny southern Vermont At 7:39 AM -0600 2/2/04, matheson wrote: >Dearest Vee, > >PLEASE, do NOT stop sending your wonderful stories. As you know, I not only >read them, I print them out so I can read them again and learn something >about your part of this great land and the area where my favorite sister >once lived and died. -- Ruth Barton [email protected] Dummerston, VT