Hello all - I have messages to share with you from two of our terrific, hard-working friends in genealogy. ~==~==~==~==~==~==~==~==~==~ Genealogist's Christmas Contest from Marthe Arends, author of the new "Genealogy Software Guide" http://www.eskimo.com/~mnarends/gsg.html and webmaster/publisher of "Online Pioneers" http://www.eskimo.com/~mnarends/ and fellow Washington state resident. Here is Marthe's note: "With the spirit of the season upon me, I have picked out a few items and pestered a couple of software companies for goodies to delight genealogists. If you would like to be entered in a free (no strings!) drawing to win one of many genealogy items, please visit http://www.eskimo.com/~mnarends/xmas.html for information and an entry form. Due to the cost of shipping outside of the country, the contest is limited to U.S. residents only (a big apology to all of my overseas and Canadian buddies). Marthe" ~==~==~==~==~==~==~==~==~==~ I recently wrote to Desmond Walls Allen and told her how much we have all been thinking about her over the last several months. I asked her if she would give us a brief, but official "press release" of sorts and let us know how she is doing. She was kind enough to take a few minutes to write the following: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Hi! Thanks for your long and thoughtful message. I appreciate your good thoughts and those of the rest of the world of genealogists. And I would really appreciate your passing along a "press release." Thanks to the positive thoughts of the genealogical community and the efforts of some great doctors, I'm headed toward recovery from the leukemia (AML) I was diagnosed with in late February. I nearly died a few times, wanted to die a few times, and know more than anyone wants to know about hospitals, chemotherapy, bone marrow biopsys, surgery (who needs a gallbladder anyhow?), medicine, and nurses' pedigrees. I have a haircut that would make me fit right in at a gay bar. I lost a third of myself (never wish to lose weight via an "easy" way). I have only enough energy for a few hours' work a day, but thanks to my sister and George, my romanic-interest of the last 28 years, my book business is fine. Unfortunately, my immediate future doesn't include any trips to conferences or speaking engagements. I did finish First Steps in Genealogy for F&W Publications thanks to help from Leslie Smith Collier in Dallas. I'm getting better every day and know those elusive ancestors are still out there, so I'll be back on the chase soon. I appreciate every tacky greeting card, off-color joke, postcard, and ancestor story that everyone sent. They all helped. See you soon. Hugs, Desmond" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ For those of you who aren't familiar with Desmond and her works, be sure to visit her web site: Arkansas Research http://biz.ipa.net/arkresearch/ There is a great picture and personal information about Desmond and her works at: http://biz.ipa.net/arkresearch/desabout.html Desmond is the author of several wonderful books for genealogy, she is a nationally acclaimed speaker and a professional researcher and she appeared on the Ancestors television program which aired on PBS last year. We also had the privilege of having Des as our speaker last year at the TPCGS annual fall seminar. Her latest book is a must for those who are new to genealogy: First Steps in Genealogy - A Beginner's guide to Researching Your Family History by Desmond Walls Allen ISBN 1-55870-489-2 http://www.oz.net/~markhow/library.htm#firststeps ~==~==~==~==~==~==~==~==~==~ Good luck to everyone who wins one of Marthe's Christmas prizes. And be sure to send a lot of positive, healing thoughts toward Desmond in Arkansas. We love you Des! Back to the links, Cyndi ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Cyndi Howells Puyallup, Washington PSRoots List Poohbah cyndihow@oz.net PSRoots-L Mailing List http://www.rootsweb.com/~watpcgs/psroots.htm To subscribe or unsubscribe from the list, send a NEW e-mail message to: PSRoots-L-request@rootsweb.com or PSRoots-D-request@rootsweb.com (for digest mode) with only one word in the body: subscribe or: unsubscribe