Drummer Boys

My nephews Zach and Gavin, playing the drums in the barn.

Antiques

The Brownie Reflex Synchro Model (1941-52)
I went antiquing again today with my sister and her friend Shari in Maine. We actually brought along one of the kids (the 8 year old) with us, and he behaved well and enjoyed himself (for the most part). He made some funny comments such as: "28 bucks for that?"

Despite rain, wind, puddles, and mud, three different antique shops were scoured from top to bottom. We were 3 women on a mission, not to be thwarted. Shari bought a spinning wheel for 35 dollars, (apparently quite a buy) and Jan got a desk and some candle holders. Since she lives in a farm house built in 1860 or so, antiques look fantastic in her kitchen and den (the oldest part of the house). I got a view-master (bake-lite), a brownie camera, and binoculars. These items look good on my numerous bookshelves.
Complete with box

Sawyer's Black Bake-lite View-Master, late 40's, with box & Manual. Reels include Acadia National Park, Maine Seacoast, Franconia Notch, & Old Covered Bridges of New England.
Vintage Binoculars, unknown make. I found another similar style binoculars made in the 1940's.

More on the Neandertals

Here's a short video recreation of what the first interaction of modern humans and Neandertals may have been like. We know eventually the interaction was fatal for the Neandertals, but they did co-exist in Europe with modern humans for 14,000 years. There had to have been extensive interaction, including mating, trading, sharing goods, or fighting. Scientists have shown that the Neandertals' DNA was significantly varied genetically from Cro-Magons. Perhaps they were a sub-species, and therefore offspring weren't likely viable. Even if offspring did survive, they would have been few, and their DNA would eventually be barely detectable, due to modern humans' more viable and populous genes.

Did Man Kill the Neanderthals?

Sister, You Ain't No Hillary

Got together with some friends for brunch today.... We talked politics. I had to look this up after a friend mentioned it. Very funny.

A Few Good Women Part 1

After reading most of Lillian Faderman's "To Believe in Women:What Lesbians Have Done For America-A History," I'd like to highlight a few women that I believe are unsung, outstanding pioneers in American History.

1.Jane Adams (1860-1935).

This remarkable woman was a social reformer and philanthropist extraordinaire. She is most known for founding the Hull House in Chicago, in 1889, a community 'settlement' house. Hull House was innovative for the times, and Adams' services were a front-runner for later community opportunities, such as adult education evening classes and daycare. During the FDR administration, many of Adams' ideas contributed to New Deal policies. Hull House provided classes, a soup kitchen, a gym, library, childcare, a swimming pool, and art gallery to the poorer communities in Chicago. It is still in existence today. Upper middle class, educated women would stay at Hull House, volunteering their money and time. This opened up 'career' opportunities for women in the 1880's, that later became the field of social work.

Jane Adams was also an avid social activist, fighting for the rights of many. She was intricately involved in child labor laws, women's suffrage, immigrant rights, and was a member of NAACP. Adams was also a peace activist during W.W.I. She chaired and founded many organizations, such as "The Women's International League of Peace and Freedom." Needless to say, Jane Adams was vehemently attacked and accused of Communism, Socialism, etc. Her intimate relationships with other women and her 'spinsterhood' also left her open to ugly criticisms. Still, her lifelong dedication to a better society was rewarded and recognized in her later years. In 1931, she was the first American woman to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Hail to this great American heroine!

Hiatus

Wow! It's been awhile since I wrote here on the Quibley Corner. My computer was down & infected with a virus. The virus posed itself as anti-virus ware, then preceded to take over my computer! It was a frustrating march through mini-hell, not having internet access. Anyway, I'm back. This photo, taken by the great artist JD, expresses my angst well.

The Pied Piper of Southern Maine

My sister, leading a horde of children with a pinata, at the annual Barn Bash recently held at their house in Maine.

Zach Attack! Oh, Senior Pinata, you're not long for this world....

Dude, is that a blade or a flake?

Once again our Neanderthal cousins-- my favorite underdogs of human evolution-- rise to the occasion. As a recent article --"Tools Test Debunks Dumb Neanderthals' Theory,"--on HealthDay reports, Neanderthals weren't the dumb 'cavemen' we've always made them out to be. For decades, theories have suggested that Cro-Magnons' tool making ability and intelligence were superior to the Neanderthals', and contributed to their demise. However, more recent experimentation has suggested that Homo sapiens did not necessarily have a distinct advantage over Neanderthals intelligence wise. Technically, experiments show the Neanderthals' 'flake' tools were just as efficient as the Cro-Magnons' blade tools. Click here to see full article.

Blade tools................................................................Flake tool

Then why did the Neanderthals die out? As has always been postulated, probably for several interrelated reasons. First, lack of reproductive success on the part of Neanderthals (infancy survival was low due to their robust size) was a major factor. Reproductive success may also have been affected by diet/environmental change, lack of resources, or interaction between the two species. Second, Neanderthals were evolutionary equipped for extreme cold, and the waning of the Ice Age changed their environment/diet, fairly quickly. Thirdly, along came the Cro- Magnon people from Africa, likely with diseases the Neanderthals were never exposed to. Competition between the species (Neanderthals and Homo sapiens co-existed in Europe for abt. 10,000 years) for food and resources may have further decimated the Neanderthal population.

Diesel Film-Racing Contest

I participated in the Boston Diesel Film Race competition last month, as a lighting technician and costume/prop queen. We had 24 hours to make a film. The theme was "dating," and the surprise action was "fluffing a pillow." My friend Molly made the film "Trust the Process," starring several of my good friends. Unfortunately our film was not in the front runners for prizes, but we had great fun anyway. We also got to see our film screened at the Brattle Theater! It's a great experience to make a film. Hopefully I'll get a copy of our film soon.

These are my favorites of the contenders. To see others, go to: Diesel Film Racing
"A Moment" by The Faucet Drinkers

"Car Lover" by 13th Hour

"Third Date" by Red Light District Attorneys

Rachel Charlotte, aka "Lottie"

My grandmother, Rachel C. Andrews, (sitting with sun hat next to my grandfather) was born in Winterton, Newfoundland, Canada. Here she is in a photo from the 1960's. She was a descendant of a long line of hardy Newfies. Below is a genealogy of her father's side, starting with the oldest known ancestor, Charles Andrews. Originally, Charles came from England. .



My Andrews Ancestry
Generation No. 1
1. CHARLES ANDREWS was born 1762. He married HESTER. She was born 1752.
Children of CHARLES ANDREWS and HESTER are:
2. i. JAMES ANDREWS, b. 1802, Heart's Delight, Newfoundland.
ii. HANNAH ANDREWS, b. 1783.
iii. HESTER ANDREWS, b. 1788.
iv. AARON ANDREWS, b. 1794.
v. CHARLOTTE ANDREWS, b. 1805.
vi. JOHN ANDREWS, b. 1807.
Generation No. 2
2. JAMES ANDREWS (CHARLES1) was born 1802 in Heart's Delight, Newfoundland. He married ELIZABETH BRYANT October 18, 1831 in Heart's Delight. She was born 1800.
Children of JAMES ANDREWS and ELIZABETH BRYANT are:
i. AARON ANDREWS, b. 1833.
ii. GEORGE ANDREWS, b. 1840.
iii. CHARLOTTE ANDREWS, b. 1847.
iv. EDMUND ANDREWS, b. 1855.
3. v. JACOB ANDREWS, b. 1857, Scilly Cove, Newfoundland; d. 1896.
Generation No. 3
3. JACOB ANDREWS (JAMES2, CHARLES1) was born 1857 in Scilly Cove, Newfoundland, and died 1896. He married SARAH ADEY May 19, 1877. She was born 1860 in Hant's Harbour, Newfoundland, and died 1934.
Children of JACOB ANDREWS and SARAH ADEY are:
i. ALEXANDER ANDREWS, b. 1884; d. 1905, St. John's Fever Hospital.
ii. WILSON ANDREWS.
iii. THOMAS ANDREWS, b. 1877; d. 1970.
4. iv. SAMUEL ANDREWS, b. 1879, Scilly Cove, Newfoundland; d. 1963.
v. EDMUND ANDREWS, b. 1881; d. 1892.
vi. EBENEZER ANDREWS, b. 1885; d. 1931.
vii. ESAU ANDREWS, b. 1889; d. 1972, Portugual Cove, Newfoundland.
viii. JACOB ANDREWS, b. 1893; d. 1983, Milford, MI USa; m. ELLIE MAY GREEN; b. 1903; d. 1988.
Generation No. 4
4. SAMUEL ANDREWS (JACOB3, JAMES2, CHARLES1) was born 1879 in Scilly Cove, Newfoundland, and died 1963. He married JEDIHAH PINHORN July 07, 1903. She was born 1882 in Scilly Cove, Newfoundland, and died 1945.
Children of SAMUEL ANDREWS and JEDIHAH PINHORN are:
i. RACHEL CHARLOTTE ANDREWS, b. September 1903; d. November 1997; (My Paternal Grandmother)
ii. WILSON ANDREWS, b. 1905.
iii. SARAH ELIZABETH ANDREWS, b. 1908.
iv. NEHEMIAH ANDREWS, b. 1911.

Vote for me!

I've written about this awesome website ---- Verbotomy--- before. Each weekday there's a cartoon, accompanied by a definition. Your challenge is to make up a word for the definition, and put it in a sentence. I noticed today's was especially funny, so I made up a word---heirhare. Check it out & vote for me by clicking here. You can also go to the sidebar; there's a link for Verbotomy. The cartoons and the website are created by James Gang.

Underwater--- glub, glub, glub......

Swimming, swimming

in the swimming pool
When days are hot
When days are cold
in the swimming pool
breaststroke, sidestroke, fancy diving too!
Don't you wish that you could have
Nothing else to do!

photos by j.t. (underwater antics superbly demonstrated by g.t.l. and z.t.l.)

Led Zeppelin

I heard a young guy listening to Led Zeppelin's "Over the Hills & Far Away" in his car today. He was grooving to the tune. I found myself grateful that some members of the younger, younger generation are well-rounded enough to seek out the great Led Zeppelin...... I guess that's what they call "timeless." Enjoy!

	Led Zeppelin - Over The Hills And Far Away
	Found at bee mp3 search engine

Little Renegades

Here are two photos of my sister Janet and me (ages 4 & 6) in my grandmother's kitchen in June 1970, just a few days before our sister Jen was born. Love those hippy, Beatles-like pants my sister is wearing, & my pants are on backwards. In photo 2, it looks like I have chocolate draining out of the side of my mouth. We really do look like little rugrats. It's pretty uncanny how much my nephew Gavin looks like Janet.

This picture was taken by my Uncle John, always a joker & a kid at heart. He allowed us to goof off for pictures, & even encouraged it. For a while, he was using his new gadget, a Polaroid Instamatic, everyday. Hence, there are numerous photos of us from 1969 to 1971, much like this one. I know in one picture (age 7) I'm hanging upside down in a tree. We were good subjects.

24 Grandparents

Below are the ancestors of one of my grandparents, in Norway. There should be 31 individuals but one great-great grandmother's parents have eluded me. All of the individuals came from a province of Norway called Hordaland, outside of Bergen.

Grandparent

1. Hjalmar Nilson Grimstad, b. 1905 in Grimstad, Lindaas d.1986

Great grandparents

2. Nils Gullakssen, b. 1865 in Grimstad , Lindaas; d. 1938
3. Hennrika Mary Hansdatter, b. 1872 in Knarvik, Lindaas; d. 1956.

2^nd Generation Great Grandparents

4. Gullak Haldorsen, b. 1832 in Seim Hosanger; d. 1922

5. Kristi Eiriksdatter, b. 1831 in Spurkeland Hosanger; d. 1928.

6. Hans Trulssen Knarvik, b. 1836 in Knarvik, Lindaas; d. 1918.

7.Kari Hansdatter, b. 1840 in Ravnberg. D. ?

3^rd Generation Great Grandparents

8. Haldor Johannesson, born 1794 in Vikne Haus; d. 1841

9. Marta Ivarsdatter b. 1792 in Ikeland, Hosanger; d. 1877.

10. Eirik Ivarsson, b. 1800 in Gausereid, Lindaas; d.1876

11. Martha Nilsdatter, b. 1806 in Synnevaag, Nese; d. 1883.

12. Truls Hansson, b. 1803. d. ?

13. Anna Birgithe Jacobsdatter, b. 1811 in Grimstad , Lindaas; d.?

14. Unknown

15. Unknown

4^th Generation Great Grandparents

16. Johannes Haldorsen b. 1760 in Dalseid, d. 1828 marrried 1787

17. Marta Olsdatter b. 1763 Furnes, Bruvik d. 1841

18. Ivar Gudmundson b. 1752 in Vallestrand, d. 1838 married 1782

19. Marta Andersdatter b. 1757 in Reystad d. 1843

20. Iver Erichsen b. 1762 Gauseried, Lindaas d. 1828 married 1790

21. Agothe Andersdatter b. 1763 in Sjauset d. 1842 (2^nd wife)

22. Nils Olson b. 1774 in Nese

23. Kristi Villunsdatter d. 1773 in Sletten, Lindaas d. 1818

24. Hans Trulsen b. 1767 d. ? married in 1801

25. Martha Hansdatter b. 1783 in Fielddanger, Lindaas

26. Jacob Olsen b. 1765 d. ? married 1796

27. Anna Larsdatter b. 1771

28-31 UNknown.

When researching Norwegian ancestry, it is especially important to know farm names. Very often, the places, "Seim, Gausereid, Dalseid, Vallestrand," are names of farm cooperatives. One family may have owned the farm, but several families would have lived/ worked on the farm, very similar to sharecropping.

The families living on these farms were not necessarily related by blood, though in modern times (post 19th century) they may have shared a common last name. Hence, if you were born on "Seim" farm and immigrated to America, your last name may be "Seim," not Johansson or Johansdatter (son/daughter of Johan).

The cooperative farm was a way of life in rural Norway for centuries. Bygdeboks, or farm histories, were written in the 19th & 20th centuries to chronicle farm histories and genealogies. Needless to say, it is very valuable for a family historian to find the Bygdebok for the region he/she is researching.

The Digital Archives of Norway is an excellent source for research.

My great-grandfather, Nils Gullakson

Happy Birthday Zach!

Today is Z's birthday. Happy Birthday!!!! Here he is acting goofy on a subway train.

That's It: I'm buying a Hummer 2

I saw an article about the Hummer 2. Incredulous as it seems, GM is still making the model, and, even more incredulous, some people are still buying this car. Despite the obvious drawback of getting 12 mpg, (and costing 69,000) the Hummer has other unfortunate, and even downright dangerous, features. Apparently, poor rear visibility makes backing up the Hummer difficult. Because the Hummer is so high off the ground, you can't really see much more than the roof of most cars behind you. Also, because of the size and braking system, the article opines it's wise not to follow other cars too closely.

Nevertheless, GM hopes, these are small points, because the Hummer 2 has heated, cushioned seats, a seven slot grill, plenty of leg room, and nifty cup holders! And it's off road capability is great, and the Hummer 2 can tow up to 8,000 pounds! Not to mention, a rocket launcher could fire at you and you'd probably live to tell the tale. (Studies say this happens frequently in places like rural Wyoming)

For the typical gal or gent, these features should offset high cost and gas prices. I know that when I drive around Boston, there are hardly ever any other drivers (or animals, pedestrians, parked cars, bikers, etc..) around me. In fact, the road is usually completely open for miles in front of me. Bostonians never tailgate so I shouldn't have to worry about plowing over cars in front of me. As for parking, poor visibility while backing up a 6,000 pound vehicle shouldn't be a problem. Rarely do I have to park my car anywhere but in my own spacious driveway.

Frequently, though, even in Boston I find myself having to clunk over gigantic boulders, cross raging rivers, plow up mountains, and tow 8,000 pounds of gear. And I'm always driving around with at least an entire soccer team in my back seat. And groceries are so heavy, my stinking Toyota Echo practically drags along carrying such stuff. Finally, you never know when someone might try to machine gun or bomb my car as I drive through the burbs.

Whew! Thank Goddess for the Hummer 2!!!