Scattered thoughts and daffodils

Some rights reserved by E>mar

I feel rather like one of the daffodils in my yard pushing through the clay soil's surface and this week's snow. I can feel the warmth, know the sun is up there somewhere and am working my way up.

Life briefly interrupted my research and blogging. A good thing. I'm more than a little fond of the living folks that populate my hearth and heart and am in no rush for them to be promoted to a better world. Fortunately, they feel the same way and whatever powers are operating in the universe concur. Blessings and thanks to them all.

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During my absence, ever so quietly, my blog turned one year old. No candles - not even the belly rubs my dog got on her birthday last week. I am quite pleased by that reserved milestone. My motivation for beginning this blog was to share the information and documents I had gathered from my relatives and some small victories in my research. While I've been gone people searching the web for information on William Pereksta, Edward Turner, Philip Mulkey, the Sinking Creek Baptist Church and slavery in Washington County, TN have landed on my blog. I hope they've found useful information or hints.  I do hope to see a search for one of the women of our families at some point. How 'bout Margaret Meredith?

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I did receive notice that the DNA sample I sent into 23andMe was ready to review. I've been working through the information presented. The medical information is far more interesting than I'd suspected, though there is little new information - with the exception that I am unusually sensitive to a medication that has had great prominence in our household these last few weeks. Explains some of our recent adventures...

I am beginning to contact some of the 985 "cousins" that were identified.  985.  Really.  I hope the 800 plus identified as "distant" aren't waiting up.

One early success connected me to someone with deep Washington County, TN roots and some common surnames. I'm looking forward to seeing if we can make any paper connection for we appear to descend from previously unlinked Duncan and Mulkey families. You know the situation - same name, same place, same time but no evidence connecting the two families. Maybe the minute snip of DNA we share will point us toward a connection.

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I doubt I'll ever catch up on blog reading, and it will take a few days at least to pull out my working piles that were stowed away. I did see Family Tree Magazine's announcement of its 40 Best Genealogy Blogs and raised a cup of coffee in honor of them all. Superb choices and great reading. Congratulations!

Blog reading will be even more fun while I'm searching for some new blogs to read. With over 1700 blogs listed at Geneabloggers I know I've barely scratched the surface. But two of my favorite bloggers (love fest!) Yvonne at The Mashburn Collection and Margel at 2338 Washington Blvd. have awarded me the "One Lovely Blogger" award. I need to pass it on to 15 new to me blogs - and frankly I'm so out of the loop right now I can barely remember my own blog's name. Give me a week or two to get my head above ground and I'll do you both proud. Thank you Yvonne and Margel. The camaraderie and support from other genealogy bloggers has been the single most exciting and unexpected gift of this last year.

Happy Spring!