I got an early Christmas Present!
It’s amazing who you might meet online. The other day I accepted a follow request on Google+ from someone in France. This person works for the archives.
I found a link on his profile and clicked on it. Where it lead was a big surprise–a very good surprise!
Archives en Lignes has digitized civil records from various regions of France. These included indexes as well as real records. By clicking on an area of the map on the main screen, you can find records for a wide range of cities and towns.
I clicked on number 64, Pyrenees Atlantiques. This is the region that my Lassalle, Segalas, Breilh, and Mazeres ancestors were from.
I immediately realized that my genealogy dreams had come true. I can now search through records for Ogeu les bains, Castet, and Izeste! You don’t know how much this means to me. Since arthritis took over my body, I had to give up on site research. While I got to do extensive research on my Portuguese lines before I developed arthritis, I never made it to the French records. Now the records are coming to me!
I have a lot of genealogy research ahead of me…and I’m going to enjoy every minute of it!
Advent Calendar: Songs of the Season
(This article was originally posted for the Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories 2010)
I have to admit it, I love Christmas music. I love Winter Music. I love the Holiday songs. I always have.
I was in choir in elementary school. It was one of my favorite times of year. I can still remember learning “Jingle, Jingle, Jingle, You will hear my sleigh bells ring. I am old Kris Kringle. I’m the King of Jingling!’ That was 5th grade. In 6th Grade we learned “A Caroling, a caroling, a caroling we go…”. Those were jolly times.
The only caroling I ever did was in school. Our 5th grade teacher arranged for us to go caroling at the local rest home. We made little gifts and learned songs. Right before winter break, we trudged up the hill a couple of blocks to the rest home. We sang for the Seniors and spread our cheer. It was fun!
I have only had carolers at my door once in all my life. I guess it’s not that big of thing in the San Francisco Bay Area–at least in the part that I live in.
I have so many favorite Christmas and Holiday songs. Frosty the Snowman, Silent Night, Jingle Bell Rock, Christmas Day, Winter Wonderland, Silver Bells, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Some Day at Christmas, Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree, Holly Jolly Christmas, and so many more. I really love the Eurythmics version of Winter Wonderland. And Band Aids “Do They Know It’s Christmas Time” is still something I enjoy to listen to…it certainly puts things into perspective.
We had a couple of albums of Christmas music when I was growing up. I remember one that had a green album cover, with little angel candles in the middle. The Album title was “Deck the Halls”. We played that album endlessly for weeks much to my parent’s chagrin.
Now I search the internet for free downloadable songs so I can fill my MP3 player. I’m always looking for different songs that I haven’t heard before to mix it up.
From now until Christmas the neighbors will hear a joyous sound, or may not so joyous, coming from my shower 
I’ve got Christmas music on the brain and I’m not afraid to share it!
Advent Calendar: My Aunt’s Spirit Lived On
(This story was published for the 2010 Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories Day 22: Christmas and Deceased Relatives…)
My family did not have any traditions or rituals pertaining to our dead relatives. We did not visit cemeteries or do anything special to remember them.
Instead, I will tell you about the little card that seemed to have a spirit of it’s one. My Aunt Julie died in November 1989 right after Thanksgiving. She and I were close and she will always have a special place in my heart.
About a week later, I received a Christmas card from my Japanese pen pals. It was when the musical cards had just come out. This card was red with a green tree on the front. When you opened it it play Jingle Bells and a couple of other short songs.
I noticed that the card played when no one was around. It seemed to have a life of it’s own. You’d be having breakfast when all of sudden the card would start playing. I started to think of it as Aunt Julie’s card. Whenever it played, I’d think “Oh, there’s Aunt Julie’s spirit coming to mess with us again”. I am sure something like the sunlight or wind was triggering the low tech battery mechanism. Still, it made me smile to think that Aunt Julie was teasing us from the beyond.
I put the card away with the other Christmas stuff. Each year I brought it and each year it reminded me of my Aunt whenever it mysteriously started playing.
It lasted for about 7 or 8 years. Finally, I had to retire it. Aunt Julie’s game must have finally worn out the battery. I think that card served it’s perhaps because it brought back fond memories whenever it began to play.