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Someday someone will be able to use one of these, and then I’ll have to stop posting them.
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That’s not something you hear every day.
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Great. Yet another global climate change catastrophe. Screw with this planet at your peril people….
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I’m sorry, but this is not news. Or new for that matter.
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I’d say everyone has to have a hobby, but WTH?
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Have you heard about the woman they call the Photo Angel? She haunts antique stores and flea markets looking for old photographs and through exhaustive genealogical research, reunites them with their families. I think she’s fabulous!
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If you’ve never climbed your family tree? I highly recommend it. Genealogy is a completely fascinating, sometimes frustrating, but totally addicting hobby. They say you can’t know who you are, until you know those who came before … and a more delightfully quirky way to waste time you’re not apt to find.
Along with some sons of the revolution and a disturbing number of pious reverends ( how did that happen!) I discovered a few characters as well.
The Honorable Jabez Bunting Snowball.
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Yes, I’m related to a Snowball, which somehow seems fitting. He was the husband of my great grand aunt and The 11th Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick, Canada from 1902-1907. “Snowball and his wife (called “Lady Snowball” by the locals) maintained a splendid residence in Chatham called “Wellington Villa” at the town’s most important intersection, and lived in great style, often entertaining with many servants and fine furniture.”
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He died a wealthy man but his good for nothing children squandered the fortune in one generation. Shame, that. I wouldn’t have minded a servant or two.
Next up is my 8th great grandfather, Sir Adrian Scrope.
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Yo, Adrian! My great, great, great, etc grampa’s claim to fame was this –
“Historically speaking, Sir Adrian Scrope (1601-1660), was one of the 59 signatories who signed King Charles I’s death warrant in 1649. Charles I was accused of being tyrannical and too Catholic by England’s Parliament, and he was ultimately executed for high treason. The monarchy was abolished with Charles I’s death; however, the monarchy was reinstated after the Restoration of 1660, and Sir Adrian Scrope was found guilty of regicide and was hanged, drawn, and quartered.”
Not the most peaceful way to go I’m sure. But he does have a nice memorial tomb to show for it….
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Grandpa Adrian had a nice house as well.
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Wormsley Estate. Can’t say I like the name, but the garden is sweet.
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And I dare say I could fit my books in his library.
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2,700 rolling acres in Chiltern Hills, Buckinghamshire… it’s currently owned by Mark Getty. Yes, that Getty. If I ever visit England, maybe I’ll drop by.
It’s through this line that I can trace my family back to the year 1134. I can’t take the credit, when you have someone famous (or infamous as the case may be) most of the work has been done for you.
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No picture of dear old grandpappy Le Scrope I’m afraid. Back then an Apple was just an apple… no camera included.
Of course when you’re shaking a family tree, sometimes rotten fruit falls out. Like Franz… father in law of my first cousin twice removed.
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When your mother’s parents were born in Austria, this isn’t out of the realm of possibility… but still disturbing to find.
I’d like to say he was the only one. I really would.
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I went out to lunch in South Portland a month or so ago and drove by this:
Yes.
You read that correctly.
There’s a place where you can be socially active by throwing an axe.
Though I’m guessing not at each other…. because that would dramatically cut down on the social part.
Think I’m kidding?
There’s even a league.
Which leads me to wonder if there’s another league for suburban axe throwing.
If so, I know a few soccer moms who would excel.
Also unbeknownst to me, there are a slew of videos that can teach you the finer points of the sport.
So if you’re looking for a new hobby?
Remember…. you saw it here first.
If I’m self isolating?
And the husband is teleworking so I have to tiptoe quietly around the house….
I read.
And when the husband is not working…… but watching old westerns with John Wayne or non stop Corona Virus news coverage that makes me want to scream?
I read.
Problem is I read too much and too quickly.
12 books in 2 weeks makes me wish we were eligible for that stimulus package check.
Because if this keeps up much longer… and Goodwill and the libraries stay closed?
I’m going to need it for my Amazon bill.
Because not only had I never heard of this woman and her bizarre career choice….
But I was totally unaware there was an audience for it as well.
I have an iPhone.
Which means I have Apple News.
So last week I was scrolling through the stories of the day and stumbled across this:
I shouldn’t have watched.
I know that…. believe me. But I thought it was a joke. I figured I would laugh and blog about the ridiculousness of it.
It wasn’t a joke.
And apparently this is a thing.
There’s an entire YouTube channel devoted to watching Dr. Sandra Lee pop people’s pimples.
She has 5,643,803 subscribers FFS!
I fear for the future of the human race when over half a billion people have nothing better to do than watch this:
We’re doomed I tell you.
Doomed.
River's world..... 