Sunday, May 31, 2009

Dad's Calling - The Good Earth


I could start out on this topic going a back a century or more and talking about ancestors that came to this country and farmed. I have a family history of farmers on both sides. But, I don't have to talk about family stories or ancestors I never met. I'll start with a very contemporary memory.

My Dad, Rufus Brock, died in June of 2006. So I will dedicate this post to him.

He was born in Alabama, but moved to Indiana with his family when he was a teen. His father didn't care for the family business, farming. He worked in a factory that was building a plant in Indiana. He agreed to go north. Dad lied about his age and went to work in the new Indiana plant. There he worked until he took early retirement when the plant was being closed in the 70's. He was a line foreman and die setter at Arvin Industries when he retired.

He then embarked upon his second career. He became a general contractor. He enjoyed building things. I have many pieces of furniture he built for me and often pass houses he built around town. He was good at it. But there was only one thing he did all his life. One thing he loved the most. He always had a garden. It was in his blood.


So he retired late from contracting, and began his final career and journey. Dad loved to learn and try new things.


He began his gardening in earnest. He took his vegetables to the farmers markets in the tri-county area. He was always growing unusual vegetables and the flower salads he made were quite popular! He offered fresh cut flowers when he had them.

Somehow he made the newspaper almost every year. He had become a well-known and well-liked regular at the local farmer's market. He went home with an empty truck most of the time. I think he enjoyed meeting the people at the markets most.

He spent his last morning in his beloved garden. That is how he would have wanted it to be.

Written for Carnival of Genealogy: The Good Earth
Due: June 1, 2009

Friday, May 15, 2009

One Lovely Blog Award


Diana R. over at Random Relatives gave me an award! She said, "The instructions are quite simple - just to nominate 7 other blogs." Thank you so much, Diana, for the recognition of TwigTalk. I appreciate it.








Finding Grandpa

A Couple of Bubbles off Center

Gena's Genealogy

Tangled Trees

Two Sides of The Ocean

Kinfold News

Searching For Family Branches

Busy and More Busy!

Seems like I never have time to post anymore. Right now so many things are calling out for my attention. I'm still working with RM4. I like it very much. I can cut down on the mess on WorldConnect, thanks to Mr. RM [Bruce B.], but not make it all look nice. Some still present different and not very neatly. But that is WC's fault. It needs to be upgraded I think. I like RM and will stay with it.
I have gotten 2 cemeteries [photos; one complete and one partial] onto the county site and I'm working on the third. Then I have 4th and 5th. . . . and a huge folder full of snippets, an entire family, and a lot of little things, photos both person and place type yet to go online. I have enough to keep me busy until next year. I will be going to cemeteries again myself to photograph stones. Nice to have a lot to do. For a long time the site was so quiet, no subs coming in at all. Nice pick up!
I've been looking at the FamilySearch Wiki. I wonder if anyone knows about uploading your file onto the new FamilySearch. I had read some time ago that it would be different. That you would be able to work on your tree online at the new FamilySearch and you could fix mistakes as well. I have been waiting for that and have heard nothing. I have been interested in putting mine online there when that is available. Right now I am just trying to find my way around and see everything. Though I did try working with the Wiki. I was putting one of my courthouse photos onto the Jackson County, Indiana page in the United States Wiki. I failed. I uploaded the photo and got a confirmation that it had gotten there but when I tried to put it in the Courthouse part of the page it kept saying there was no such image. I will try again later.
In the middle of all that I just need to make time for blogging! I'll make it somehow. I got an award and have only just remembered. I will get it up later as well....

RootsTech!

 Today is the day!!!!