Traits

Today I had the wonderful opportunity to teach poetry to 4 classes of sixth graders. It was a delight to pick their brains and help them create their own poems. While talking to them I shared some of my own poetry. One of them was a poem I wrote about a civil war soldier.

Part of the lesson we talked about what inspires a person to write a poem. Some people write poetry, some write stories, other people don't write anything at all. So how is that there are people who even write poetry. As I was sharing with them the back ground of the poem for the Civil War soldier, I mentioned that I had a great grandfather who fought in the that war.

Not only did I write a poem in memory of him, he too had written poetry. This is probably where I get the gift, why I do it, or the penchant to write words in such a way that they rhyme. I had an Aha - light bulb moment! Besides poetry lesson, this is also a genealogy blog idea!

Did you ever wonder where you got some of your talents, or traits? I know this is one thing with which adoptees struggle. So when they find their natural parents it's such a joy to find out where their traits or penchants come from. Why do you throw your head back and let out a big bahaha laugh? Where did your son get that interest in music, or where did you daughter get her red hair?

Maybe no one in your immediate family plays anything except the radio, or mp3 player. Who knows, you might find an article in a newspaper someday where your great grandfather played in a band, at the Grand Opening of some fine establishment. You'll lean back in your chair and say - so that's where my son gets his natural talent for the guitar - my own great grandfather played a guitar.

Or maybe you'll find military papers (one of few places that will tell you color of hair), and you'll realize that this is where your daughter gets her red hair, even if no one else has red hair, ...or so you thought. She got it from your great grandmother.

Digging into genealogy helps you uncover all kinds of treasures. So keep at it. You'll always find something unexpected. (And you thought it was just about dates, names and places!!! Surprise!)

Let me know what YOU find!

Now You Know!!!

Enjoy!

DNA/Surname search

Genealogy tip for the day: DNA/Surname Search

I just discovered something new on my Ancestry.com DNA page. I'm sure it's been there all along. When you learn something new, it takes a while to take it all in. This is probably the case here. I am beginning to see how to navigate around all the results: new, favorites, hints/matches, etc.

Last night I was reviewing my results to see if there was anything new. In the upper right corner I found the option to search matches (by surname)! ! WOO  HOO. Yes! I can pull up only the surname matches I am interested in. So I typed in the name TRASK - the one I am most interested in, probably because that is what got me hooked on genealogy and still is unsolved beyond the 6th generation. Now I had a list of possible matches that included the name Trask. (Depending on the possible match they would include also other common surnames with each possible match.)

Click on the oval box that says 'search matches' and it will take you to a field where you can type in the surname and or location you are interested in. This greatly enhances your search through the potential list of cousins. You can zero in on just one line or surname and not have to wade through all of them. What a great time-saving feature!

If you have had your DNA done by Ancestry and don't know this little trick, look it up the next time you sign in. It saves you having to dig through all the results just to find the ones you are most interested in.

“History is who we are; Genealogy is who I am” sg

Like what you read? Let us know. We won't bother you, we just would like to know you're there. :-)

 

Today’s Recipe

April – Tomato Month

Pasta With No-Cook Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ripe tomatoes, cored, chopped
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 10 ounce short pasta noodles such as cavatelli, penne or rigatoni
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, optional
• Freshly ground black pepper
•  

Preparation

1. In a bowl, toss tomatoes, olive oil, basil, oregano, garlic and salt. Cover and let stand for 30 minutes.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente, about 10 minutes or as package label directs. Drain pasta and place in bowl with tomatoes. Add Parmesan, if desired, and stir to combine. Season with additional salt and pepper. Serve immediately

April – (Florida) Tomato Month – www.health.com

Apr 1^st   Caprese Stacks

Apr 2^nd Spicy Frozen Bloody Marys

Apr 3^rd Peach and Tomato Salsa

Apr 7^th Cherry Tomato-Halloumi Skewers 

Apr 9^th Grilled Chicken and Tomato Salad

Apr 10^th Slow-Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

Apr 11^th Herb-Parmesan Roasted Tomatoes

Apr 14^th Tomato-Phyllo Tart

Apr 16^th Spinach-Tomato Pasta Shells

Apr 17^th Summer-Garden Gazpacho

Apr 18th Semi Homemade Tomato Soup

Apr 22^nd Roasted Tomato and Artichoke Flatbread Pizza

Apr 23^rd Pasta With No-Cook Tomato Sauce

ENJOY!

Now You Know!

DNA Companies

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Due to inclement weather, the Rogers Public Library has not been open for the last couple of days.  Today we’ll get back on schedule. We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your patience.

Summer Reading Program will be starting soon. Watch for announcements on that and registration information. This is for ages Adults through young children! Come Join Us and explore new worlds.

You can find our website at rogerspubliclibrary.org 

Genealogy tip for the day: DNA companies

Today we have listed companies that do DNA testing. Not all are genealogy bent, but they will still give you background information on your DNA results. The ones with red seem to be the most popular ones for genealogists. Their prices are about the same. There are others that do offer genealogy results. The ones with red information seem to be the most popular with genealogists.

DNA testing companies

• 23andMe (adoption, deep ancestry, ethnicity, genealogy, health)
• African Ancestry (deep ancestry)
• AfricanDNA (FTDNA affiliate) (deep ancestry, ethnicity, genealogy)
• AncestrybyDNA (deep ancestry, ethnicity)
• AncestryDNA, a subsidiary of Ancestry.com (adoption, ethnicity, genealogy)
• BritainsDNA (formerly Ethnoancestry) (deep ancestry, ethnicity)
• DNA Ancestry and Family Origin (FTDNA affiliate in the Middle East) (adoption, deep ancestry, full mtDNA sequencing, genealogy)
• DNA Consultants (deep ancestry, ethnicity)
• DNAme (deep ancestry, ethnicity)
• DNA DTC (research, health, whole genome sequencing)
• DNA Spectrum (ethnicity)
• DNA Tribes (ethnicity)
• DNA Worldwide (FTDNA affiliate) (deep ancestry, ethnicity, genealogy, paternity, relationship)
• Ethnoancestry - see BritainsDNA
• Family Tree DNA (adoption, deep ancestry, full mtDNA sequencing, genealogy, identity, relationship)
• Full Genomes Corporation (full Y-chromosome sequencing)
• Gene by Gene - the parent company of Family Tree DNA, DNATraits, DNADTC and DNAFindings
• Genebase (deep ancestry, genealogy)
• Genographic Project (deep ancestry, ethnicity)
• iGENEA (FTDNA affiliate) (deep ancestry, genealogy)
• IrelandsDNA - See BritainsDNA (formerly Ethnoancestry)
• Oxford Ancestors (deep ancestry, genealogy)
• Roots for Real (deep ancestry, ethnicity, genealogy)
• ScotlandsDNA - (formerly Ethnoancestry) (deep ancestry, ethnicity)
• Sorenson Genomics (laboratory services)
• YorkshiresDNA - See BritainsDNA (formerly Ethnoancestry)
• YSEQ (custom Y-SNPs)

Paternity/relationship testing companies

There are a number of testing companies who specialize in paternity, relationship, identity, forensic and immigration testing. Some of these companies also offer deep ancestry and ethnicity testing as a secondary product:

• Determigene (deep ancestry, paternity, immigration, infidelity, relationship)
• DNA Reference Laboratory (deep ancestry, forensic, immigration, paternity, relationship)
• DNA Diagnostics Center (US) and DNA Diagnostics Centre (UK) (deep ancestry, forensic, identity, immigration, paternity, prenatal paternity, relationship) - the parent company of AncestrybyDNA and the laboratory used by DNA Tribes
• DNAFindings (immigration, paternity, relationship)
• DNA Solutions (deep ancestry, paternity, relationship)
• easy-DNA.com (US); easydna.co.uk (UK); easydna.com.au (Australia) (deep ancestry, ethnicity, paternity, prenatal paternity, siblingship)
• Genetic Testing Laboratories
• Indian Biosciences (ethnicity, health, immigration, paternity, relationship)
• International Biosciences (deep ancestry, paternity, relationship)
• Nimble Diagnostics (deep ancestry, ethnicity, paternity, relationship)

Not all DNA testing is for genealogy.

“History is who we are; Genealogy is who I am” sg

If any of these posts are helpful drop us a line in the comments section below. We just want to know if the information we provide to you is beneficial in anyway.

Stamp Act protest

Today in History

March 4

1152		Frederick Barbarossa is chosen as emperor and unites the two factions, which emerged in Germany after the death of Henry V.
1461		Henry VI is deposed and the Duke of York is proclaimed King Edward IV.
1634		Samuel Cole opens the first tavern in Boston, Massachusetts.
1766		The British Parliament repeals the Stamp Act, the cause of bitter and violent opposition in the colonies
1789		The first Congress of the United States meets in New York and declares that the Constitution is in effect.
1791		Vermont is admitted as the 14th state. It is the first addition to the original 13 colonies.
1793		George Washington is inaugurated as President for the second time.
1797		Vice-President John Adams, elected President on December 7, to replace George Washington, is sworn in.
1801		Thomas Jefferson becomes the first President to be inaugurated in Washington, D.C.
1813		The Russians fighting against Napoleon reach Berlin. The French garrison evacuates the city without a fight.
1861		The Confederate States of America adopt the "Stars and Bars" flag.
1877		The Russian Imperial Ballet stages the first performance of "Swan Lake" in Moscow.
1901		William McKinley is inaugurated president for the second time. Theodore Roosevelt is inaugurated as vice president.
1904		Russian troops begin to retreat toward the Manchurian border as 100,000 Japanese advance in Korea.
1908		The New York board of education bans the act of whipping students in school.
1912		The French council of war unanimously votes a mandatory three-year military service.
1914		Doctor Fillatre of Paris, France successfully separates Siamese twins.
1921		Warren G. Harding is sworn in as America's 29th President.
1933		Franklin D. Roosevelt is inaugurated to his first term as president in Washington, D.C.
1944		Berlin is bombed by the American forces for the first time.
1952		North Korea accuses the United nations of using germ warfare.
1963		Six people get the death sentence in Paris plotting to kill President Charles de Gaulle.
1970		Fifty-seven people are killed as the French submarine Eurydice sinks in the Mediterranean Sea.
1975		Queen Elizabeth knights Charlie Chaplin.
1987		President Reagan takes full responsibility for the Iran-Contra affair in a national address.
Born on March 4
1394		Prince Henry the Navigator, sponsor of Portuguese voyages of discovery
1678		Antonio Vivaldi, Italian composer and violinist.
1747		Casimir Pulaski, American Revolutionary War general.
1852		Lady (Isabella Augusta) Gregory, Irish playwright, helped found the Abbey Theatre.
1888		Knute Rockne, football player and coach for Notre Dame.
1901		Charles Goren, world expert on the game of bridge.
1904		Ding Ling, Chinese writer and women's rights activist.
1928		Alan Sillitoe, novelist (Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner).
1932		Miriam Makeba, South African singer.
1934		Jane Goodall, British anthropologist, known for her work with African chimpanzees.

Knute Rockne

Word for the Day

If verbs ever needed a spokesperson, they'd find the perfect candidate in the naturalist and author Terry Tempest Williams, who once said:

This is my living faith, an active faith, a faith of verbs: to question, explore, experiment, experience, walk, run, dance, play, eat, love, learn, dare, taste, touch, smell, listen, argue, speak, write, read, draw, provoke, emote, scream, sin, repent, cry, kneel, pray, bow, rise, stand, look, laugh, cajole, create, confront, confound, walk back, walk forward, circle, hide, and seek. To seek: to embrace the questions, be wary of answers.

Williams said it well. Verbs make sentences come alive. Verbs are the words, literally, from Latin verbum (word). This week we'll look at five specimens from this tribe of words.

vituperate

PRONUNCIATION:

(vy-TOO-puh-rayt, -TYOO-, vi-)

MEANING:

verb tr., intr.: To use harsh or abusive language.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Latin vituperare (to blame), from vitium (fault) + parare (to make or prepare). Earliest documented use: 1542.

USAGE:

"In debate, Thaddeus Stevens vituperates with relish -- You fatuous nincompoop, you unnatural noise! -- at foes of the 13th amendment."
Roy Blount; Mr. Lincoln Goes to Hollywood; Smithsonian (Washington, DC); Nov 2012.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest. -Elie Wiesel, writer, Nobel laureate (b. 1928)

Today’s Recipe

March - Breakfast Foods

Corned Beef Hash

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

8 ounces cooked corned beef, diced

1 white onion, finely chopped

1 bell pepper, finely chopped

2 medium baking potatoes, peeled and shredded (about 2 cups)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 large eggs

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

4 slices cheddar cheese (about 2 ounces)

Directions

Heat the oil in a medium skillet over high heat. Add the corned beef and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until it releases some fat and browns slightly, about 3 minutes. Stir in the onion, bell pepper and potatoes and cook, undisturbed, until brown and crisp on the bottom, about 6 minutes. Continue cooking, turning the hash as it browns evenly, about 15 more minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the eggs sunny-side up or over easy; season with salt and pepper.
Place the cheese slices on top of the hash, reduce the heat and let sit until the cheese melts, about 1 minute. To serve, top each portion of hash with a fried egg.

March 4^th - Corned Beef Hash

ENJOY!

Now You Know!

DNA and Ancestry – Addendum

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Do you want to know what activities there are at the library? You can go to our website and see a listing of "Today's Events". Also our calendar is listed on our website with activities for the month.

Got questions about your e-reader? Computer Classes every Sat. mornings 10-12. "Open House" Whatever you need. Drop in anytime during those two hours. We’ll help you with everything from how to turn it off and on, to downloading ebooks or navigating your device.

Summer Reading Program will be starting soon. Watch for announcements on that and registration information. This is for ages Adults through young children! Come Join Us and explore new worlds.

Have you read “everything” we have? Come check out our new book display, now in the Main Hallway for easy access.

Check out our new blog on movies and music by Robert Finch at: RPL's Movies and Music

You can find our website at rogerspubliclibrary.org 

  

Genealogy tip for the day: DNA and Ancestry – Addendum

Well, what do I know?  In all actuality, not much! Yesterday we summarized the DNA results that Ancestry gives you and how to navigate.  One thing that surprised me as I was going back and forth between writing the post and checking their webpage (gotta get it right), I discovered the ‘green leaf’ was gone and in its place was an asterisk! Okay, so maybe they changed or made an update.

When I got home and went on line (different computer), the green leaf was back! So folks – just FYI – either way, the leaf or the asterisk is what is most important in finding connections. I have no idea what was going on, if it was computers, or lack of downloading the icon, or who knows what. So, either way, whichever you find – this one is where you’ll find the gold. I love it. Just last night I connected with two more cousins.

Next week we’ll start a whole new topic. Come see what I can dig up this time. If you have something you would like to read about, leave us a comment below.

“History is who we are; Genealogy is who I am” sg

If any of these posts are helpful drop us a line in the comments section below. We just want to know if the information we provide to you is beneficial in anyway.

Today in History

February 28

1066		Westminster Abbey, the most famous church in England, opens its doors.
1574		On the orders of the Holy Office of the Inquisition, two Englishmen and an Irishman are burnt for heresy.
1610		Thomas West is appointed governor of Virginia.
1704		Indians attack Deerfield, Mass. killing 40 and kidnapping 100.
1847		Colonel Alexander Doniphan and his ragtag Missouri Mounted Volunteers ride to victory at the Battle of Sacramento, during the Mexican War.
1861		The territory of Colorado is established.
1900		After a 119-day siege by the Boers, the surrounded British troops in Ladysmith, South Africa, are relieved.
1863		Four Union gunboats destroy the CSS Nashville near Fort McAllister, Georgia.
1916		Haiti becomes the first U.S. protectorate.
1924		U.S. troops are sent to Honduras to protect American interests during an election conflict.
1936		The Japanese Army restores order in Tokyo and arrests officers involved in a coup.
1945		U.S. tanks break the natural defense line west of the Rhine and cross the Erft River.
1946		The U.S. Army declares that it will use V-2 rocket to test radar as an atomic rocket defense system.
1953		Greece, Turkey and Yugoslavia sign a 5-year defense pact in Ankara.
1967		In Mississippi, 19 are indicted in the slayings of three civil rights workers.
1969		A Los Angeles court refuses Robert Kennedy assassin Sirhan Sirhan's request to be executed.
1971		The male electorate in Lichtenstein refuses to give voting rights to women.
1994		U.S. warplanes shoot down four Serb aircraft over Bosnia in the first NATO use of force in the troubled area.
Born on February 28
1533		Michel de Montaigne, French moralist who created the personal essay.
1820		John Tenniel, illustrator of various books (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland).
1824		Charles Blondin, tightrope walker.
1894		Ben Hecht, writer.
1901		Linus Pauling, Nobel Prize-winning American chemist.
1909		Stephen Spender, English poet, critic.
1911		Denis Burkitt, British medical researcher.
1926		Svetlana Stalin, daughter of Josef Stalin.

John Tenniel 

 

Word for  the Day

palmer

PRONUNCIATION:

(PAH-muhr)

MEANING:

noun:	1. A pilgrim.
	2. An itinerant monk.
	3. One who conceals a card or another object in a magic trick or in cheating in a game.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Latin palma (palm tree, palm of the hand). The name of the palm tree derives from the resemblance of the shape of its frond to the palm of a hand. In Medieval Europe, a pilgrim brought back a palm branch as a token of his pilgrimage. Earliest documented use: 1300. Also see palmy & palmary.

USAGE:

"For the profane palmer the tour might indeed have been little more than a grand debauch, but for a devoted pilgrim like Jefferson it was something more."
Michael Knox Beran; Jefferson's Demons; Free Press; 2003.

"That was magic -- not the apparent magic of the silk-hatted card-palmer, or the bold, brute trickery of the escape artist, but the genuine magic of art."
Michael Chabon; The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay; Random House; 2000.

Explore "palmer" in the Visual Thesaurus.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

The things we admire in men, kindness and generosity, openness, honesty, understanding and feeling are the concomitants of failure in our system. And those traits we detest, sharpness, greed, acquisitiveness, meanness, egotism and self-interest are the traits of success. And while men admire the quality of the first they love the produce of the second. -John Steinbeck, novelist, Nobel laureate (1902-1968)

Today’s Recipe

February - Chocolate Lover’s Month

Chocolate Mint Meltaways

 

The original recipe from the Culinary Institute of America called for both professional techniques and equipment and it made rather a large amount. So we found an adaptation for a smaller batch at Seriouseats.com where the author also explains the startling transformation that takes place when two different fats are combined, in this case the cocoa butter in the chocolate and the coconut oil. The term for this transformation is eutectics, which basically results in that fantastic melt-in-your-mouth sensation that makes meltaways so yummy. The Culinary Institute of America's online recipe collection, by the way, offers an extensive assortment of recipes suitable for nearly any occasion. The original meltaway recipe is from the CIA's Chocolates & Confections, 2nd Edition by Peter Greweling.

Yield: about 60 pieces

Ingredients

12 oz. good quality dark (65%) chocolate, chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 tsp. mint extract or oil (to taste)
Confectioner's or icing sugar, sifted as needed

Method

Cut a piece of waxed or parchment paper to line the bottom of an 8"x8" baking pan, and set aside.

Melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a pot of simmering water; or in the microwave in 10-second bursts. Add the salt and stir with a flexible rubber spatula for about a minute to incorporate the salt.

Add the coconut oil to the warm chocolate and stir to combine. (If the coconut oil is very cold, warm it briefly in the microwave.)

Add the extract and stir to combine; it will take 2-3 minutes if the extract is alcohol-based, only a few stirs if it's oil-based. Pour into the prepared pan and allow to set until firm, at least 3 hours.

When the mixture is set, dust the top with sifted confectioner's sugar and invert onto a parchment- or waxed paper-lined cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut into 1" x 1/2" pieces. Dredge pieces in confectioner's sugar.

These will keep in an airtight container at cool room temperature or in the fridge for two weeks.

February’s Recipes – here’s the complete list for February.

3^rd Molten Chocolate cake

4^th Chocolate Chip cookies – Alton Brown’s

5^th Chocolate Truffles

6^th Slow Cooker Chocolate Fondue

8^th Chocolate Sheet cake

10^th Brownie Tart

11^th Gooey, Decadent Chocolate cake

12^th Chocolate Covered Strawberries

13^th Chocolate Baklava

18^th Mexican Chocolate Cream Pie

19^th Chocolate Chunk Bread Pudding

20^th Marbled-Chocolate Banana Bread

22^nd Chocolate Hazelnut Mousse

24^th Classic Fudge-Walnut Brownie

25^th Texas Sheet Cake

26^th Chocolate Bark

27^th Fleur de Sel Soft Caramels

28^th Chocolate Mint Meltaways

Here are some more chocolate recipes that I found …

Cookie Dough Truffles

Burnt Caramel Sauce

Chocolate Coconut Bar

Extra-Bitter Chocolate Ice Cream

Strawberry-Rhubarb White Chocolate Truffle

Passion Fruit, Coconut and Cardamom Ganache

Chocolate-Covered Caramel Popcorn
Port Pralines (more advanced skill required)

Homemade Rocky Road

Caramel and Walnut Chocolate Lollipops

ENJOY!

Now You Know!