Sabbatical

I'm back in school!  I'm getting a certificate in Library Science and Technical Services and after that I'll feel ready to apply to graduate school to get a Master's in Library Science.  So, I'm going to focus on this semester right now and will start blogging again when I have more time.  Stay tuned!

FREE Friday: Edelweiss sheet music

So, speaking of Edelweiss, here is a link to download a free PDF version of sheet music for the flute for Edelweiss.

http://iowacreativemusic.com/preview.php?item=227

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Edelweiss Flowers

I happen to really enjoy flowers.  They're gorgeous and each so unique.  It's easy to love them.  So, I wanted to learn about the unofficial national flower of Switzerland-Edelweiss.

First of all, you've probably heard the song "Edelweiss" from The Sound of Music.  My family loves this song and my grandpa, whose family came from Switzerland, could whistle this and play it on the harmonica beautifully.  I sure loved hearing it and thankfully, he recorded himself playing it before he died, so all of his children and grandchildren can still hear him play it.  (Great family history project, by the way).  So, I think of my grandpa when I think about Edelweiss.

Anyway, Edel means Noble and weiss means White.  The flower is white with fuzzy petals and a yellow center.  It belongs to the sunflower family.  Here is a picture of what it looks like.

Edelweiss grows high up in the mountains and if you read about it in encyclopedias, you'll learn that it grows best in limestone at an altitude of 2000-2900 m.  While doing some research about this flower, I learned that because it grows at such a height, men would climb mountains to pick this flower for the woman they loved.  It was a dangerous feat and showed how much they loved the woman. *sigh*  I can't help being a hopeless romantic sometimes.  :)  On a side note, don't pick this flower if you're over in Europe-it is a protected flower and it's illegal to pick.  Good thing I learned that during the first few days of my internship trip in Switzerland because before going over there I thought it would be awesome to pick some to bring home.  That could have been awkward.  

Read more about edelweiss here and here.  

I'm also wondering if I might be able to plant these?  Hmmm....I think I may have to try that out and post about my experience, but if you're interested now, I found a pretty good link about growing Edelweiss right here.

Now what are the flora and fauna that grew in your ancestors' home towns?

FREE Friday: Free Books!

I am a reader!  I always have been.  I love getting sucked into a good book.  Now that I have three kids, let me tell you, the days of being in a book trance all day are gone and I mourn those days.  But then I remember that I get to enjoy reading great books to my sweet children.  And perhaps I'll pass along my love of reading.  I think I already have to my oldest daughter.  Here she is!

Believe it or not, this is not a staged photo and she's about one year old in this picture.  At least once every day I'll be doing my daily chores and cleaning of the house only to realize..."It's awfully quiet.  Where did my Sweetie Pie go?"  Many times I find a mess, but many other times I also find her by the bookshelf immersed in a good book.  It makes my heart sing!

So this is my connection to genealogy.  We share traits of our ancestors and it's fun to know with whom we share those traits.  My mother loves to read, my dad's father loved to read, and I need to ask my parents and my last living grandmother if they know of any of our ancestors who also loved to read.  It helps build a connection to those names in our family trees when we know a little bit about them and even more when we can find something we share with them.  And I love sharing a good book-even more when it's free.  And here are some ways to get some free books.

1.  Banes and Noble's Summer Reading Program.  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/summerreading/  When your school-age children (grades 1-6) read a book, record it in the downloadable passport.  When they've read 8 books, take the filled-out passport to a Barnes and Noble bookstore and choose a free book!

2. Check your local library for summer reading programs.  Most have them and most give away a book when you complete the program.

3. Enter On the Lap's blog giveaway for 4 books here.  

I challenge you to find a trait you share with your children and enjoy those traits together!

The Versatile Blogger Award

Wow!  My very first blogging award!  The Versatile Blogger Award!  I am so excited.  Thank you Santa's Gift Shoppe and Ideas for honoring me with this award.  I'm excited to pass this on to other blogs who inspire me.  There are some rules for this award and here they are.


1) Thank the person who gave you the award
2) Tell 7 things about yourself (in your blog)
3) Pass the award along to 10 other blogs who
you have recently discovered & you think are
fantastic.
4) Contact the bloggers you've picked & let
them know about the award.


So here are 7 things about myself.

• I love mountains.  They are inspiring and yes, majestic.  I feel such strength inside myself when I look at them and breathe the mountain air very deeply.  Try it sometime-it's awesome!
• My favorite flowers are lilacs.  I love every thing about them.  The soft lavender color, the lush clumps of tiny blossoms, and the intoxicating smell.  Beautiful!
• I am a mother to three children.  My heart feels like bursting when I think of those sweet children counting on me.  The responsibility is terrifying and the joy is unmeasurable.
• One goal of mine is to get a Master's degree in Library Science.  I'm a nerd-I really, really like school!  :)
• I resist the era of the cell phone.  I have one for emergencies, but I refuse to let myself be available at any second.  
• I don't mind deep cleaning my house.  Honestly, I don't!  In fact, I almost like it.  However, I dread deep cleaning it when I know my little three year old tornado will have something else for me to clean up once I get something finished and in order.  It's never-ending.  
• I come from a large family and we are all close and we love each other.  It seems like that is something rare in this day and age.  I am so thankful to have had such a wonderful family and great parents.

Okay, now it's time to pass along this award.  And it goes to 

1. Good, Clean Food - http://goodcleanfood.wordpress.com/
2. Sugar Bee Craft Edition - http://www.craftedition.blogspot.com/
3. Anne Strawberry - http://annestrawberry.blogspot.com/
4. Penny Pinchin' Mom - http://pennypinchinmom.com/
5. Take a Mom's Word for It - http://takeamomswordforit.blogspot.com/
6. Genealogy Gems News - http://www.genealogygemspodcast.blogspot.com/
7. Make It and Love It - http://www.makeit-loveit.com/
8. Genealogy Geek - http://genealogygeek.net/
9. Dainty Couture - http://thedaintycoutureco.blogspot.com/
10. On the Lap - http://onthelap.blogspot.com/

Congratulations!

Twee Poppets Review and Giveaway Blog

I'm sharing my blog with others and today is Twee Poppets Review and Giveaway Blog.  Check them out!  And have fun seeing all the other blogs on their Tuesday Tag-Along posts!

FREE Friday: Free online lessons to get you started

I have so many people say to me, "I just don't know where to start."  And they are frustrated and rightfully so.  There are just so many things you can do with genealogy, so many records to decide to search in, so many websites to look at...it can be very overwhelming.  So, if you're feeling like that, I hope to alleviate some of your stress.

Brigham Young University is the only school to offer a bachelor's degree in genealogy and as such, it has quite a large inventory of classes.  If you are near BYU and want to get your degree in Family History, I highly suggest you do!  :)  But wait a minute, college is expensive, so how does this work out as a FREE Friday post?  Well, the very fist Family History class, Introduction to Family History, has a set of six online lessons you can access absolutely free!  Just go to http://261.byu.edu and you you have instant learning!  They're designed to help you logically and step-by-step, with specific assignments to help reinforce what you have learned.  They're also designed to be done in about an hour.  Nice, huh?