A little later on July 4......

5 pm and here's a picture I took from my window here in this computer room.

I decided I was letting too many days slip by as I sat at the kitchen table absorbed in my genealogy studies. That's one of the problems with this hobby. It can take over and get you addicted.  I was spending way too much time trying to find a brother of my great grandfather.  I've been obsessed with Charlie, a brother of my grandpa but was getting no where so I decided to move on to another relative that I had  little info on.

Just puzzles me how you cannot find a single thing on certain people, no matter how deep you hunt. The census records have always been full of errors and that's part of the trouble.  Wrong information was given a lot of the time. Either because the person reporting just plain didn't know or the census taker wrote down things wrong.  Who would have ever known these records would be looked at so closely by so many people in generations to come.

The James Blankenship I was hunting for today was born in 1845 and I was able to locate him in the 1850, 60, 70, and 1880 census.  I also believe he died in 1923 in Ramsey, Ill, the same town he was born in.  But I'll be darned if I can find him anywhere after the 1880 census.  The 1890 census isn't available (the one I'd really like to see the most) because the entire thing was lost in a huge fire but you'd think I could find some trace of him in the 1900, 1910, and 1920 census.  Drives me absolutely crazy! I wish I had a contact in Ramsey who could help me find the little odds and ends I want to know. A whole lot of my family lived there.  James was listed as a "retail merchant" in the 1870 census and was living with his mom and a nephew, age 11 named Charles.  Not "my Charles" I don't think, however. He was listed as nephew.  In the 1880 census, James's mom had passed on and he was living with a brother named Bolin.  From then on, he's disappeared. At least I can't find him!

I moved the laptop back here into the office as it was just too easy to sit down and lose hours while it was set up on the kitchen table.  I need to learn self control and give myself a time limit each day on how long I'm going to research before I get up and do something else.  Today's the day I start.

I drove over to Jenni's and her and Wayne were sitting in the backyard taking in the sun.  I was so happy to see she was feeling better. Asked me if I'd make her an eye patch as the one she has is too large so I'm going to head in there in just a little bit and play around at the sewing machine. I'm way overdue for sewing projects anyhow.

I asked Jen where the twins were and she said they out until midnight with their friends. Fireworks aren't allowed in the city limits (thank you Jesus!) but Hunter has friends in the country and they're all gungho to set off their fireworks.  Maddie is off with her friends at another location, I think.

My cousins in Gig Harbor are going to hit quilt shops in their area of Tacoma and Puyallup and Gig Harbor to get me free quilt patterns for this online project I want to take a stab at.  I've been picking up little odds and ends of material for weeks and I'm anxious to get going on whatever strikes my fancy.

I never did make it downtown to the parade. I think I knew it probably wasn't going to happen.  Got a little bronchial crap clogging up the lungs right now. Jenni says to buy Bronkaid (behind the counter) so I'm going to pick up some tomorrow.  Feeling tight chested and it's hard to take a deep breath. Probably what's been wearing me down all week.  Allergy related I suppose.