But first, some new news! The Rootsweb server for the mail lists is NEW & IMPROVED! Brian Leverich worked through the weekend to rebuild the server and reinstall the operating system. He decided to use the "down time" to good advantage by replacing the old machine, a Pentium Pro 200 with slow 60-nanosecond EDO memory, with a Pentium II 400 with fast 6-nanosecond SDRAM memory, estimated to improve performance by a factor of 2-6. The result is a RootsWeb that's faster, more efficient and better equipped to serve the needs of Internet genealogists. And if that's not enough: Yesterday, I posted that the Rootsweb server would be down for several hours today. Well, my mistake, because it happened yesterday! (Sorry about that! I hope I didn't mess anybody up!) The main Web server for IIGS, RootsWeb, USGenWeb, and WorldGenWeb was down for about two hours this Wednesday morning. The reason was that we were physically moving the server from its old home at DataCourse.com (where it was filling two T1s) to Lightspeed.net (where it has access to a T3 (28xT1) connection to the Internet). That gives us plenty of bandwidth and allows us to continue adding new services for genealogists. I hope all of you will visit your favorite Rootsweb website (Eau Claire Co.?) and appreciate all the hard work that was done just for YOU! Now, on to the old news... >From the Eau Claire Daily Telegram, Saturday, 14 March 1942: Wife of Eau Claire Boy Starts Vogue of Earring Photography Ear-ring photographs, something new in costume jewelry for wives whose husbands are in the army, has been introduced in St. Paul by Mrs. Duane K. McPherson, whose husband is an Eau Claire boy, son of W.D. McPherson, 501 S. Barstow St. Mrs. McPherson lives with her parents at 206 W. Stevens St., St. Paul, while she waits the return of her husband from army service. A St. Paul paper describes Mrs. McPherson's new idea: A quick shopping trip netted her a pair of flattop ear-rings. With two identical snapshots of her husband, a tube of airplane glue and a pair of scissors, she soon assembled her new jewelry -- ear-rings on which were displayed the pictures. Mrs. McPherson is proud of her soldier -- frequently wearing a gold locket and locket bracelet (gifts from her hero) which, her friends say, both contain pictures of her husband. Then, too, another picutre is tucked away in her purse. In one of the lockets is a picture taken of the McPhersons on their wedding day last June 23. About a year ago Mrs. McPherson, then Marjorie Thayer, was hurrying along a downtown street when she met an old friend who was accompanied by the uniformed Private McPherson. The friend suggested a party that evening -- and, Mrs. McPherson says, "that's the way our courtship started." Private McPherson who was in St. Paul on furlough had to return to his camp in Louisiana soon. But he obtained another furlough in June to come to St. Paul for his marriage to Miss Thayer. Last Christmas Mrs. McPherson saw her husband again when he returned home, but Jan. 5 he left to go to a new base. Now Mrs. McPherson waits with her pictures and letters from her soldier-husband, hoping for that day to come soon when he can return to the position in Eau Claire when he enlisted. ++++++++++++++++++++++++ It feels so good to be back on track! Have a bright and happy day everyone! -- Nance