So Much to Be Thankful For

I have so much to be thankful for, and as I have often said, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.  This week has given me several opportunities to remember how fortunate I am:

• Oregon Society of Mayflower Descendants (OSMD) held a holiday feast on Saturday, November 19. The event was originally scheduled for 2020, the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower's arrival in Plymouth.  Members and their families were so excited to be able to meet in person that we had a over 80 people attending.  The meal was cooked by various members (I cooked ALL of the cornbread!), and the event was a huge success.
  
• My walking buddy, Jana, and I walked the annual 5k at 8:30 in the morning.  The temperature was 36 degrees at the start - very cold!  We had a good time, and coming home to a warm drink was the best!
  
• Two friends came for Thanksgiving dinner.  We enjoyed turkey and all the trimmings, but MOSTLY we enjoyed the company of wonderful friends!
• The Oregon Ducks played Oregon State Beavers in the annual football game (formerly known as the Civil War, but no longer as some folks are offended by that term).  OSU won, which was a disappointment for us. We watched the game with our good friends Rick and Cynthia, which was much fun!

Along with being thankful, I'm focusing on some areas of family history where I want to improve:

• Organize and better care for family photos, including labeling photos, making notes, transcribing memoirs, reviewing charts and similar "housekeeping" tasks
  
• Become a good ancestor by making notes on events and stories of things happening in my family, at the time it is happening or shortly after

Doing some of these things will really help my descendants and are especially important since I don't know WHO will want to take over "the family box" when I'm not able to care for it any longer.

Best wishes for continued joy in this holiday season, dear readers!

Fall in Oregon!

 Fall has arrived and it is beautiful here in Western Oregon!  After a very dry summer, we've had quite a bit of rain, which is refreshing.  I have not written for quite awhile, and I have many updates to share.

My sweet husband and I have done some travelling this year, with our first trip to NYC in June and our second trip to Italy in late September (last there in 2015).  Both were wonderful trips, educational and well-organized by two different travel groups (Road Scholar and Smartours).  We also visited family in Nebraska, Washington, and Indiana.  

On the NYC trip we celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary with a concert of the New York Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall - an excellent concert!  

On our first afternoon in NYC, we took a walk along a pedestrian and cycling trail on the Hudson River.  Our walk was not far from where Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger managed to safely land a plane with more than 150 passengers on the water in January 2009, known as “miracle on the Hudson.”  At Pier 76 we noticed a very large ship's propellor and discovered, after reading the plaque, that it was the ship my mom and I took to Germany in 1954.  The SS United States.  Mom was 18 and I was 6-weeks old, and we were on our way to join my father who was in the USAF stationed at Hahn AFB. After doing some research on the history of the ship, I wrote an article for the Oregon Genealogical Society's Fall Journal.  It's a great story!

My research work this year has included several projects I will be documenting in stories over the winter, including these two:

• Three people who are connected by DNA, each not knowing their father.  Two live in the Pacific Northwest, while one lives on the East Coast.
• A massacre in September 1812 in Ohio - two of the four people killed are my 6th great-grandparents.

I am also working on a book about a young woman in Montana who was forced to give up her babies during the years when being an unwed mother was unacceptable.  (I am fascinated by this topic and the problems it created for both the young women AND their children.)

Lastly, as the "pedaling genealogist" I have managed to get some bike riding done this year!  The numbers so far are 1104 miles during 2022, and 5169 miles since the pandemic lockdown in March of 2020.   

Enjoy the upcoming holiday season, dear readers!

Off to a Fabulous Start in 2022!

It has been quite some time since I've written for this blog, and high time I get back to reporting on both my cycling and genealogy activities!  Much has changed in my life since my last article written in April 2021.  At that time I reported on our move from Eugene to Vancouver, WA, in November 2020.  

While the rationale was good (be closer to family), it didn't work out for me as we had hoped.  I missed my friends and activities in Eugene incredibly, to the point that we were driving down every month for concerts, bike rides, and dinners.

After long conversations late last summer, we agreed that Vancouver didn't work and we should return to Eugene.  And numerous times I have overheard MSH (my sweet husband) say to friends "it was clear Debbie was never going to be happy in Vancouver, so we moved back"... Yes, we're back in Eugene and I am so happy!  

The housing market being what it is right now, our Vancouver home sold in less than one day.  We purchased a condo in a beautiful new building in downtown Eugene, which we had watched being built.  We know the developer and others involved, and we get to live upstairs above the Eugene Ballet, Eugene Concert Choir, and other arts organizations.  Since we're big supporters of the arts community, this is particularly nice.  And seeing all the little ballet students coming and going from their classes is particularly sweet!

As for cycling, I have taken my Bike Friday "Emerald" out a number of times, but no long rides yet.  It's a bit too cold and wet for that, but hopefully I'll be able to get out for 20+ miles soon. 

In my quest to be a good genealogist, I have been working on numerous projects.  My main goal currently is to get my paternal family information up to date in my Ancestry tree.  My mom and both of my brothers were very kind and agreed to "spit" for me so that I could add their DNA to our Williams-Walton Family Tree in Ancestry.  I'll also be using the Y-DNA records for my brothers to do work on the Williams family male line. 

In addition to my own family projects, I'm involved with several DNA projects for friends who were adopted as infants..  All of this is super interesting to me.

That's enough for now, dear readers.  Take care, and enjoy February!

Moved to Vancouver WA!

 

Since moving from Eugene OR to Vancouver WA in November 2020, most of our bike rides have been on the bicycle trainers in our living room [and I might add, watching TV].  However, since the first of April we have had some pretty nice weather and have moved outside for cycling. 

On Sunday, April 18, we joined a small group of cyclists from the Vancouver Bike Club for what they call the "Two Bridges Ride"... Bridge #1 is the I-205 bridge over the Columbia River, which has a path for cyclists between the northbound and southbound lanes of travel.  I'm not sure just how wide the Columbia River is at that point, probably about three miles.  We were well separated from the vehicles and I felt safe.  Winds were calm at the time, which helped.

Once we reached the Oregon side of the river, we pedaled west on Marine Drive, which runs north of the Portland airport.  We reached the I-5 bridge (Bridge #2) and crossed northbound back into downtown Vancouver.  We then cycled east thru Fort Vancouver along Officer's Row, arriving back at the coffee shop where we started - less than two hours of cycling - and a PERFECT day for a ride.  

In the picture below, Washington is on the north side of the river.

Sad Times in the United States

I LOVE history... it's my favorite topic to read and study, and we all live in the midst of history every day, even when we don't realize it.  That became very clear on January 6, 2021.  The day brought trauma to our Capitol in Washington DC, as the Senate met to confirm the election of Joe Biden as our new President.  A group of thugs stormed the building, threatening to kill members of Congress, as well as to hang Mike Pence, our former Vice President.  

It was a terrible sight to see, and it brought to me thoughts of my ancestor patriots who fought in the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and other skirmishes America has experienced.  I am pretty certain they would have been totally appalled by the sight of these thugs carrying our precious flag around and using the flag pole to beat people.  A police officer was killed, several other people died and others were injured, and much damage was done to OUR Capitol building and the contents therein.  

How are you recording this information in your genealogical research?  Are you making notes about the effects of Covid-19 on your own family?  I would encourage you to write up the stories associated with these two MAJOR events in the history of our nation and world.  Your descendants will really appreciate knowing your feelings and thoughts from this interesting time period.

Meanwhile, keep walking, cycling, hiking, and washing your hands!

Picture from our cycling adventure in Austria in 2018.

December 2020 Update

The pandemic has brought about changes to all of our lives, including homeschooling for our young folks, Zoom meetings and classes for adults, working from home for many people, and job loss or change for many.  For those of us who are retired, it might seem that NOTHING has changed except that we are (or should be) staying home most of the time.

However, Team Sorensen (that would be Dunny and me) has made a MAJOR change.  After 45 years of living in Eugene, we moved to Vancouver, WA, the first week of November.  We moved from Spokane to Eugene in 1975 so that Dunny could attend graduate school at the University of Oregon.  We assumed we would move once he completed the program, but we LOVED Eugene and stayed for quite a long time.  We assumed we would stay forever, but during the pandemic we began revisiting the option of moving so that we could be closer to family. 

We are now living just a few miles north of the 'Mighty Columbia River' and we're convenient to our kids and grands in Portland, Tacoma, Nebraska (via PDX), and also my Mom in Walla Walla.  Mom will have her 85th birthday at Christmas this year, and I hope to visit her regularly once the powers-that-be give us permission to travel... and we've had a vaccine.  

Meanwhile, we are settling in and had a very quiet Thanksgiving.  We're zooming often with friends and family, and we are both attending meetings and classes on zoom.  I am also teaching computer classes on  zoom for the UO and other Eugene area public agencies.  After teaching in computer classrooms for almost 40 years, I am finding teaching on-line to be a new and refreshing opportunity!

Best wishes for wonderful 2020 holidays and a MUCH IMPROVED 2021 !!

               Team Sorensen

Zooming with My Mom!

 With the help of my eldest niece, Heidi , I have now visited with my Mother on a Zoom call!  

Heidi invited Mom (aka, "Granny") to dinner, then used her computer to connect to a Zoom link I sent earlier in the day.  My daughter, Emily, and granddaughter, Scarlett, joined in.  

The results?? Four generations of women zooming! 😊

During this pandemic, while we are all being careful about getting out and about, Zoom is a great software tool we can use to stay in touch with family and friends.  

Genealogy Tip:  Use Zoom to interview a family elder you haven't had time to visit in person.  Ask questions about their youth, schooling, family gatherings, activities as a child, what they remember about their parents and grandparents, etc. 

Cycling and the Pandemic...

 It's August 15 already!  The pandemic has not gone away, and in fact it is only getting worse in our country.  So many people are ill and the number of deaths is horrible.  To maintain sanity, I have been focused on several things:

1. Cycling - as of today, I have pedaled over 2,000 miles since the lock down started in March.  Yipee!  Pretty good for a grandmother!
   
   
2. Genealogy - I have spent time researching several trees, and I have also been in contact with a number of DNA matches from both my tree and MSH's birth family tree.  (MSH = my sweet husband)  I am working on a long article about the birth family research, to be published soon.  I have also been in touch with several women who are genetically part of my paternal family, but there was an adoption or other "parental event" and they did not grow up in the Williams extended family.
   
   
3. Books - I have read 31 books since mid-March, and the "still to be read" list grows longer every day.  You know the old saying, "so many books, so little time." 
   
   
4. Masks - We are going to be wearing them for awhile, so I have accumulated a collection, thanks to a friend who is on a mask-making mission!  I asked for a University of Oregon mask, which was quickly provided to me - Go Ducks!

Maintaining Social Distance... on my Bike...

We are having wonderful weather, for the most part, in the Willamette Valley.  This makes it easy to justify taking a bike ride several times a week.  So far in April, I'm at closing in on 200 miles!  Today was a wonderful 38 mile loop we call the McKenzie View/Sunderman Road ride.  I went with my friend, Jana, and we did a great job of maintaining social distance... mainly because I can't keep up with her!

This picture is Jana, me, and Dunny - taken in 2016. 

During the Covid-19 period, I've been riding with Jana OR with Dunny, but not both.  That way someone is available to pick me up if there's a flat tire or some other issue.  (And I AM wearing a mask while on the bike.)

In addition, I am also keeping very busy with genealogy projects.  I'm working on my own family tree, both maternal and paternal sides, as well as researching trees for several other people.  I'm also tutoring a few people on how to use both Ancestry.com and AncestryDNA. 

In addition to these project, I have been in touch with "cousins" as far away as Denmark and Australia, each with a DNA connection to either me OR Dunny. 

I love doing this type of work!

Keeping Busy at Home...

With the Covid-19 virus keeping us all at home these days, I am determined to get caught up on the myriad of things on my to-do list.  The list (or, actually, lists...) always contains more than I can possibly get done.  Is that true for you, too?

Each day, MSH and I go to our favorite coffee shop for an espresso (take-out, of course).  Today we also stopped at a wonderful bakery for a quick pick-up.  I'm making chicken soup for lunch and we needed a muffin or scone to go with, right?  We couldn't resist getting a cookie, too!  WE ARE HELPING OUT our favorite local restaurants by doing pickup/take-out most days of the week.  I hope you are helping YOUR local small businesses as much as you can.

On a more serious note, we are staying home except for those quick trips.  We're taking a walk most afternoons BUT staying away from other people.  Yesterday I actually took a BIKE ride rather than a walk.  It was a great 14-miles, and as soon as we have another dry and sunny day, I plan to head out north of town for my favorite 20-miler.

At my desk, I'm working on several genealogy projects, including writing a couple of articles for upcoming publications and creating PowerPoint slides for two presentations I will be doing once we are past this crisis. 

I am also using this "found time" to work on several family trees:

• My main focus this week is my WILLIAMS line - my paternal grandfather's family.  These ancestors have been in Tennessee for a long time.  My 3rd great-grandmother was born in 1814 in the same place where my father was born, Lawrence County.  Many of my DNA matches are from this part of the United States.

• A tree for my son-in-law's family.  I want my granddaughter and her two cousins to know about their Dickerson and Piet ancestors in that family.

• Several trees for friends who have questions about their ancestors, what they can learn from their DNA tests, etc.  

I hope you will each take care of yourself and your loved ones, keep safe, and don't forget to WASH YOUR HANDS!