Sentimental Sunday The Hero Communicated

Now that the Hero has left this life, I find myself struggling to keep in touch with friends and family as he would have wanted me to.  I don't know how he did it.  I look at the list of friends, he would call and think there are not enough hours in the day. He would always know about their challenges, families, and would be offering to help.  He would check on his family (I was an only child or he would have been busy in my family too).  His mother and I were talking about how he would strive to call her several times a week if not daily. Our children have mentioned that they miss him greatly because he would call and check on them. That they missed running challenges and happiness by him.

I miss his calls to check on me during the day.  We were always in communication once cell phones came out, before that it was long distance to his work in Houston.
He kept in touch up until the last 2 days of his life with family and friends checking on them.   This was a blessing because he had been able to talk with our Idaho family and give them love. Because of snow storms, they arrived a day late to see him.  I am glad he liked to communicate.

The Hero used phones to communicate.

Sentimental Sunday; The Hero Respected Mothers

Our first daughter was born just after Mother's Day.  Did that stop the Hero?  No, not at all. He wrote a poem for me and bought me roses.  He was so excited about the birth of our first child.
As you know his birthday was on May 1, on his birthday he would always call his mother and thank her for being born.  We always went down to her house on Mother's Day with the family and to wish her a Happy Mother's Day.
He loved the stories of Mary in the scriptures, and thought of motherhood as a sacred duty.  I can not tell you how many times he would come to the aid of a some lady who had a challenge.  He still believed in Chivalry.
One of tenderest stories is when we had gone to visit my mom just after she had started living in the Assisted Living Home.  She had anxiety that was almost unbearable to be around, as well as depression.  I was terrible and had told her to sit down and be still so we could talk. She had been getting up and down. He looked at me and shook he head 'no', I quieted down.  He then looked at her and said 'Mary, would you like to be held?'  She nodded yes. He opened his arms and she sat down in his lap and he held her like a baby. She quieted down and relaxed so she could talk. When he died, she cried like a baby.  She knew that we had suffered a great loss.

He passed the teachings of treating a woman like a lady and a queen down to his sons, but that is for another story.
I remember his strong arms around me when I was sad or hurting.  His loving words when I needed to be uplifted.  He was everything I hoped for as a husband and father.  He was a white knight in shining armor.

FamilySearch Indexing, Official vs Unofficial

Last Wednesday, I was privileged to be included in a panel discussion on DearMyrtle's Webnair . I was there to represent the Unofficial Share Batch For FamilySearch Indexing on Facebook. April Robertson the founder of the group had a prior commitment and volunteered me.  I understand the webnair will be archived.  It was a wonderful presentation. I had microphone problems and had to stay on mute most of the time, but the exercise gave me a chance to reflect on parts of the process of indexing, especially the 1940 Census Index, because of how fast it was made available for indexing.
My thoughts went to Official information vs Unofficial information... Is there a big difference?
What would be official?  To name a few, Support at FamilySearch is available through the Help area of the indexing page.  The FamilySearch Wiki  is all encompassing. It has an Overview, Project instructions, Project updates, Frequently Asked Questions, and Additional Helps.  I have given the link for the 1940 census but you can search for any project you may be working on.  Don't forget to read the Basic Indexing guidelines and the Field Helps, we tend to overlook the obvious many times.
These help sources are created by Support members who work tirelessly day and night in the background finding answers, creating help documents, and wiki entries.  Theirs is a labor of Love, as it is with the support members who answer phones and chats to answer challenges, or pass on information so challenges can be overcome.  I feel honored to be among their midst.

The Unofficial FamilySearch help groups include Facebook groups.. These could be a Facebook group started by a  Stake Indexing Director, a member of a specific area, or like The Unofficial Share Batch for FamilySearch Indexing  , one that includes people from all over the world.  If you don't like Facebook, they have Skype groups for getting other opinions and sharing batches.  There is also email.  I have a Ward Indexing Director, that emails me almost daily.  The people I see in these groups are the Magic in Indexing. They take of their personal time to give opportunities for others to research their families online at no expense.  What wonderful people, and they take it Very seriously.  They don't want to be wrong.  They ask for another set of eyes to look (Share batches) to make sure they are seeing correctly if the handwriting is difficult to read. They ask for clarification of rules, or if they see a problem not mentioned, they send feedback to FamilySearch Indexing support for them to address.  I am a member of the Unofficial Share Batch group and I have high praise for the positive manner they work together and strive to keep it that way.

It is a wonderful thing to see those that are developing, overseeing, and indexing all work together.  Sometimes the harmony gets off, but they are quick to fix and most of the time it is a beautiful piece of art.

Sentimental Sunday Celebrating the Hero's Birthday!

Last week was the Hero's birthday. He would have been 66 years of age.  It is hard to believe how time keeps moving.

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It was always our joke that he married a child... I was only 16, that is said with a wink.  He inherited a gene that made his hair begin to silver when he was 25.  By the time he was 30 he had heavy silver hair.  When we had our last son in our 40's, people would ask about his grandson.  It was a bane to him.  He was not ready for the early silvering.  I told him I hoped my hair would be as beautiful a silver as his when I began to grey... He would smile at me because he knew what I was trying to do.
Well, I will say it publicly today, Happy Birthday Hero, I know you are smiling and busy where you are now.  Miss you.
To all, hug your sweetie and tell them you love them.
Night.

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!