Sentimental Saturday The Hero Left Memories

The logo the Hero created for Spring Gardens Nursery. They still use.

This month, I have been working at Spring Gardens Nursery in The Woodlands, Texas.  It was the company the Hero worked for over 10 + years.  I didn't think the it would be too hard since they have relocated and it has been over 3 years since the Hero left us.  This was not the case.  The owner asked me to clean and organize the drawers etc in the office.  I only made it through 4 drawers.  While cleaning, I was so surprised to find a note written by the Hero to the bookkeeper about my vacation time in 2004.  There was his old computer bag, file folders he had made, they are still using forms he made.  The owner frequently mentions memories he has about the Hero, and often it is in the form of a lamentation of wishing he had listened to the Hero.

The Hero is there all around me in new settings.  I guess that is pretty much like life and memories.  As I drive down the highway, I will see a restaurant and remember a day we went there.  There are so many memories to still write.  You will be seeing me for sometime.  

Sentimental Sunday The Hero and Taxes

To begin with it is my daughter-in-law's birthday!  Happy Birthday sweetie! (they always drop by)

While visiting with my daughter about the date, and the fact it was normally the deadline date for taxes, she started laughing and pointed out this was usually the date the Hero would go do to the airport to mail the tax reports, because it was the latest pick up in Houston.  That brought back some memories.
The Hero had a terrible experience with the IRS early in his business career.  His trust level of the IRS remained low all his life.  I ended up always doing our personal taxes.  That is a separate story.
Working as a bookkeeper and as a comptroller for several companies, he would wind up with his tax reports on the last day for filing, or decided to file an extension.  He decided they had less chance of being audited if it was filed later in the year.  (That being said, he went through two audits that I know of and his books always passed with high praise from the auditor, and even received an official letter of praise from the State of Texas. )
Back to the trips.  He would work either at work or at home until it was the last minute we could make it to the air port, then we (I would ride with him always...  Is it any wonder my oldest daughter would worry something would happen and she would be left with her siblings to raise?)  would drive 1 hour to the Houston Airport and mail the report or extension at 11:30pm.
It was lonely today after my visit with my daughter, no Hero to talk about the fact they are trying to take away the Homestead Exemption Taxes in Texas.  He would have had at least one opinion if not a heavy long dissertation on why that would be wrong. I have heard them before. I miss those talks.
Well since it is a Sunday, IRS taxes due date has been extended to the 17th.  The Hero would have breathed a sigh of relief.
Hope you relaxed today.  I did. : )

Family History Expo Heads Up to Oklahoma and New Mexico

logo by permission of FHE

Last chance to register for Oklahoma City, OK (April 11); and Albuquerque, NM (April 13-14) at the pre-registration prices.
I went to the Houston Family History Expo last weekend.  The words I would use to describe my experience are informative, expert knowledge, fun, friendly, exciting, and down-home. I met people I know on twitter, and blogs.  It was wonderful.  
If you have not gone to an Expo, you need to.  Notice the word I used was Need to.  If you are a LDS Family History Consultant, it is a wonderful tool to increase your knowledge and skills. 
That being said, click here on Family History Expo  and sign up.  You will be very glad you did.  
While I blog for them, I paid for my own registration.  I really wanted to go and found it very helpful.  
They did give me a thumb drive hub, as a gift.   
Thanks!

Sentimental Sunday The Hero's First Gift To His Son-in-law

WooHoo guest blogger!

I first met the Hero when I had been courting his third daughter for roughly a month, and I was faced with an interesting opportunity. The Hero had traveled to Idaho from Texas for a baby blessing (twins!), and this would likely be my only opportunity to ask his permission to marry his daughter. The issue was that I didn't know yet whether or not I was going to ask her. The Hero took us to dinner at a Mexican restraunt, and we had a pleasant evening, as he tried to ask what my intentions were towards his daughter, and I tried to say I might marry her without saying it in her presence. To set the mood when we arrived, the Hero remarked to Fran (within earshot of the waitress, which I'm sure was intentional) "My mistress is going to leave me if she finds out I'm out with you again." This gave me some understanding of his personality.

The remarkable thing that will always stick with me was his reaction to my question about possibly marrying his daughter. I was expecting something like "How will you support my daughter?" or something similar. He never asked about that. I was surprised to be asked about my testimony and faith in Jesus Christ. That's what was important to him, and really all that matters. That's just who he was.

Houston Family History Expo

Today was a great day at the Expo.  I had the privilege of attending classes of Lisa Louise Cooke of GenealogyGems.com .  I have wanted to meet her face to face for years now, and I can finally say, I met Lisa face to face and visited with her.  She is a lovely lady and so kind to all those at the Expo.  I am also the proud owner of her book, "How to Find Your Family History in Newspapers".  It has great pointers. I had used the Chronicling of America site before, but she took it to a new dimension for me.
I met so many I have only seen on FB or their blogs.  Michelle Goodrum who was a Blogger of Honor and Lisa Alzo taught a class on using diseases, and disaster's to find information on your ancestor.
I am at my daughters to lessen my drive.  The result is I am using her air card.  Thus have to shorten my blogging.
The long and short of it, is I love how Family History Expo has set up the meetings, and the exhibits.
I found out the my wonderful FamilySearch is a great sponsor.  Wonderful representatives of FamilySearch are here sharing and teaching.
Susan Kaufman of Houston's Clayton Library and the president of Texas State Genealogy Society (oh wait 'til you hear what their Annual Conference is going to be...I digress)  was there.  She is a great lady.
Holly of Family History Expos is just as nice in person as she sounds over the phone. The Expos are of great value and I urge my family in Oklahoma to go to the one that will be in Oklahoma City next week.
There is so much more to write about, but I need to get some sleep before tomorrow.
Keep up the good work indexing the 1940 Census and helping others!.
The Hummer. : )

Still Time To Register For The Houston Family History Expo

Holly of Family History Expos just called and said "My Heritage.com was the first website to publish the entire collection of the 1940 U.S. Census images." She went on to say that My Heritage will be at the Expo!. They will be teaching a class on the 1940 Census and doing some demos. Family History Expos is running a special. If you sign up for their free email updates, you can get 50% off subscription to World Wide Records. It excites me just writing about it.

FamilySearch is going to be at the Expo also.  They will be recruiting new idexers to help with the 1940 Census Indexing.

If you haven't signed up to go the Houston Family History Expos, you need too. These are awesome offers and the classes are going to be wonderful.  

Getting excited for the great explosion of knowledge at the Expo!

Come on and join us!  Yes, I am going to be there.                                                                                                            

Sentimental Sunday The Hero Knew How to Underline a Statement

When we first moved to the country, our family had to really down size, from a 5 bedroom home to a 2 bedroom trailer.  We were stuffed into a very small WWII trailer.  The Hero did not like messy areas, and I was always so busy with everything other than the house, beginning a farm, helping my dad... Okay it is an excuse as well he knew too.
One Saturday, I had run in to town for something and when I got back he was fuming.  The house was a wreck, the children were wild, and he was tired from working two jobs.  I came in and he began to read me the riot act that I needed to pay more attention to our home and not run around.  At the end of his tirade, he slammed his hand on the table. The trailer floor was not solid so the table bounced up and down when he hit it.  I apologized for having been neglectful and said I would be more attentive to the house.  It wasnt mentioned again.
Years later, my oldest daughter was reminiscing with me and said her dad was forceful and browbeating!.  What?  I don't think so.  It came out she remembered the table bouncing when he hit it with his hand and he was yelling (actually talking very loudly).  It never dawned on either of us that the act of slamming his hand down would give her such an impression.  To us, we realized it was because of the spongy flooring, to her it was a measure of forcefulness to make a table bounce off the floor.
We all need to think of how an action would affect someone else.  This all came out after the Hero died.  I had to clear his good name.