Dear, dear Folks, Responding to the many warm messages I received today, maybe I can take them one at a time. Yes, Nancy the sun did come out this morning and you won't believe it when I tell you that the talk of the town this afternoon was the fact that the temperature was ACTUALLY above freezing! We all agreed that it was the first time that's happened in the year 2004! To Dorothy Matheson, oh if you would only transcribe the letters you wrote that your mother saved regarding your own cross country trips, add to them the descriptions of the black and white photographs that went along with them and put them together, I'm certain that your and Charles' children and grandchildren would be wide-eyed over the story. Not only that but if you would then post bits and pieces of them to the list, we would enjoy them as well. And Charles Matheson, just what you posted to the list about your family's trip from Chicago to Miles City, Montana, in 1946 was really mind boggling ! Try to remember more details about the trip and write them down. We'd love to hear more. Kathy said to me, "I have my mother's diary. According to it, she went to church, went to school, and wished she was back in North Tonawanda. She obviously didn't care for Buffalo. Once again, not much story there either..." Kathy, don't be too sure that there's not much story there either. Read it over her diary again, pay attention to the time frame and even though you don't find much of a story in t, if you transcribe it, it will be part of your family history. Mary Ellen Newsom, thanks. I hear ya! :-) To Ruth in Sunny Southern Vermont, and for all of you who have any connection with Michigan whether you ever passed through Niagara Falls or not, you're still one of us. Just ask any of our listmembers living in Michigan whose ancestors migrated there from Niagara County. Mickey, thanks for letting me know that you enjoy lurking on our list and enjoy sitting around our virtual kitchen table with a cup of coffee at hand. And that's pretty much the gist of the list. For the most part we're very centered on our genealogy research but even more than that, we're interested in history, we're interested in reading stories about adventures others have had in the past and frankly we're interested in reading good stories about each other's past and even everyday events in our present lives. We feel like a virtual family so pull up a cup of coffee and join in. For starters, I'll tell you what happened to me this evening. It was time to take my 6:00 medications. I knew what pills I had to take and I also knew that my new dailly dose out of the bottle of medication should be taken at the same time. My mind was totally elsewhere but I was dilligent taking my pills. However, when I picked up the new bottle of medication and tried to shake out the required amount of pills into my hand I suddenly realized that I was pouring more than just a single dose of LIQUID prescription into the palm of my hand, and it was seeping through my fingers and on to the kitchen counter top. Oh SHEEZ Vee, pay attention and quit day dreaming!! So there you have it, Folks. Pull a chair up to our kitchen table and tell us what's going on in your lives. Who knows but just the fact that you're writing them down means that you're recording your own family history of the present. However, we'll have no nasty conversations about religion, politics or sex. Other than those restrictions, just let us talk together. And as far as you lurkers are concerned, we know you're out there and that's really OK. Enjoy. luvya, vee