“A Tasty Literary Dish"

Opening one of several copies of our Cannon history book this morning, I made two discoveries: (by pure luck of the draw?) it happens to be my personal copy given to me by my Cannon grandparents, with a full-page note written by them to me in 1968; and inside the cover was the pre-publication advertising flyer with Mother’s editing marks penciled on it (always trying to improve, even after publication).  The Cannon Family Historical Treasury, copyright 1967 by George Cannon Family Association, was a work of love by a number of dedicated writers and editors, including my mother.  It is truly a treasure, worth far more than the deluxe hardcover pre-edition cost of $3.75 per copy; (the price soared to $4.95 after publication.)

The folded, legal-size flyer has the usual section with comments by prominent people (“What they’re saying about the book”), including this one by Winnifred Cannon Jardine, Deseret News Food Editor (need I say why it caught my eye?):

“This 400-page, beautifully-illustrated book has all the ingredients for a tasty literary dish – romance, intrigue, conflict, and humor, plus high inspiration.  It should be a bestseller.”

It was!

My Innumerable Cousins

What’s up: Family history research (generally known as genealogy)

New program I started last Friday: AllMyCousins.com

Their slogan: “Making Genealogy Easy” (if you have a lot of patience)

Secret to subscribing, as revealed by Bob, the expert at ORFHC in Ogden: Start downloading (importing) relatives, click “More” until it finally pops the subscription offer @$20/year; then  pay with PayPal (if you know what’s “good for you”.)  I paid differently, the hard way, but got it done.

Getting serious about this, I logged in tonight and clicked “More” to go beyond the 852 people I got for free on Friday.  I soon saw the good news and the bad news: “Tree parameters successfully updated. It may take some time to complete.”  (A half hour later:) You’re telling me!  Thanks for the warning!  (It’s still downloading/processing; who would give up now?)  I have a vague memory that my friend Hayle (86) who introduced me to this, his favorite FH program, told me, “it takes a long time, so be prepared.”  Well, I’m prepared alright –with lots of books to read, including To The Rescue by Heidi Swinton, which I borrowed from the county library, and I’m enjoying now as I write and wait.  (After another 20 minutes:) I think I'm due for a nap; (can this thing run all night?)  You gotta love it!

Attention to Detail

As I plucked a tiny piece of paper wrap from melted butter on my leftover peas, I was impressed with the attention to detail and the sign that I’m not going blind in my old age (as much as I thought.)  However, losing sight of big over-arching matters (“… the forest for the trees”) can impede real progress, and result in being out of touch with reality.  There are many pros and cons.

On the bright side, I just noticed a plastic insert protruding from the front edge of my laptop, where I discovered an SD card reader I'd forgotten was there.  It must have popped out when the computer fell on the floor last night when I wasn’t paying attention in the dark; (I won’t go into embarrassing detail about how that happened, or how I've been using my clunky old SD card reader that plugs into USB.)

Is it a pathway to perfection?  Consider the possible pitfalls of being a perfectionist, including OCD and anti-social behavior.  Nevertheless, organization does matter, such as recording contact information in an efficient, easy-lookup way, e.g.  (Mobile handwriting on back of receipts, where contact info goes nowhere, just didn’t work for me, so I changed in 2012.)  Important meetings and tasks can be remembered by meticulously following a TO-DO list.  At the store, I like to double-check Kay’s shopping list before returning home to her loving arms; (she’s delighted when I get it right.)

I have this lingering doubt about Dockers pants instructions to “Wash garment inside out.”  What about drying?  Could “wash” refer to the entire laundry process?  Is drying outside-out (my preference) bad, as good, or better?  Can consumers sit back and simply overlook possible ambiguity or lack of vital information?  It’s a consequential question that designers, editors and manufacturers should take seriously.  (Gulp!  I bit off more than I can chew with that one -- not very fast.  Sorry.)

Finding Peace

On this holiday morning, I sincerely wish a “Happy New Year” to my few followers and everyone who will never see this.

Last month I thought a lot about peace, probably because December was so hectic, and I felt a special yearning.  Was I alone in that, with everyone else accepting the inevitability of holiday stress?

The peace I was seeking brings me happiness.  There are tons of books written about happiness; (demand must be great.)  In her 2009 book, The Happiness Project, author Gretchen Rubin describes her year-long search for it.  Her further-reading suggestions include:

The Conquest of Happiness by Bertrand Russell, 1930.

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by (guess who?), Yale U. Press, 1964.

The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less by Barry Schwartz, 2004.

I have my own list, including some favorites in my blog profile since the beginning.  Yes, I found peace --in hearing Christmas music, studying scriptures, and visiting loved ones.  I’d love to share it in the days to come.