I originally wrote this post for World Back Up Day (Don’t be an April Fool – Take the Pledge!)
But…really, shouldn’t every day be Back Up Day?
(Click to view video: “What Would You Do if You Lost Everything?“)
I’ve never attended the Iowa State Fair. I gain weight just reading the 2019 Food On A Stick menu! But I did visit the fairgrounds a number of years ago on a genealogy research trip with my dad. Why? Because the land formerly belonged to my 2nd great-grandfather, Calvin Thornton. Prior to that, it belonged to his pioneer father-in-law, John Harris, who left it to his daughter, Araminta. (So, it was really hers…and, well, who knows who it “belonged” to before they came to settle in the area, right? But I digress…)
Which path will you take?
What are you worried about?
I think we all worry sometimes, don’t you? We worry about our health, and the health of our loved ones. About our appearance, and how we measure up to others. About money, and how our businesses are doing. About whether or not we’re being good parents. We worry about (fill in the blank).
And what does worrying do to us? It causes stress, sleepless nights, stomach aches, arguments, etc., and sometimes it causes us to not enjoy life’s pleasures…..yes?
So, who am I to tell you to stop worrying?
Don’t be afraid to ask for help!
Illness is stressful. The less you have to worry about, the more you can focus your energy on getting well. And getting organized will help you worry less.
This concept applies to any prolonged medical condition that results in decreased energy and mobility.
Here are some examples:
- recovery from a planned surgery
- an unplanned medical or health event
- a major illness
- a chronic condition
- depression
If you are not expecting to fully recover, getting organized will help you to enjoy your “new normal” to its fullest.
AHA! I was RIGHT!
Right about what, you ask?
Right about where my Grandma Hankins was born (Villa Mae Lawrence Hankins 1904-1986).
If I’m in a storage unit, it’s usually to help a client move out of it. Sometimes they don’t even remember what’s in there, and they’re horrified to realize how much money they’ve paid all these months and years to store things they don’t even want anymore!
There are a few situations, though, where a storage unit is the perfect solution. This time I not only recommended it, but I helped my client rent the unit and move into it!
Can’t find your ancestor? Getting frustrated?
We all hit a brick wall in our genealogy research now and then.
Or, as we call them here in New Mexico, adobe walls, lol!
2019 (left) Archie Raymond Thornton Jr. and (right) Michael Ray Thornton
I once wrote an article for APPO (Association of Professional Photo Organizers) called Who Do You Think You Look Like? The Mystery of Family Resemblances. It featured a small selection of photos from both sides of my family.
This time, in honor of Father’s Day, I’ve gathered photos from six consecutive generations of Thornton fathers and sons. I only recently found the oldest two photos — Calvin and Nathan — in the course of my never-ending genealogy research. Once again, I find the similarities between all of these men striking, don’t you?
Janine Adams and Shannon Wilkinson don’t know it yet, but I’ve become obsessed with their podcast, Getting to Good Enough, which recently aired its 52nd episode! That’s a whole year of 30-minute weekly episodes of “a podcast to help you let go of perfectionism so you can do more of what you love”.
The “farmhouse” after being painted white, pillars added, and lower windows remodeled into new front doors.
READERS: This is the sort of story I intend to write more of over the next few years to share with my family. It’s also the sort of story I encourage you to write about your own family! It doesn’t have to be fancy, with links to articles and such. Just capture the memories for future generations.
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