"Christmas (or any special occasion) Wish List..."

Dear Family, Friends and Anyone who might just have my name on their Christmas List (or any special occasion),

I have thought really hard about it and have decided there are a few things I would really like to have this Christmas (or any special occasion) and since you are finding me hard to shop for, I thought I would give you a little help.

First of all, I just wanted to tell you that you don't need to wrap these gifts or put them in fancy boxes. Their original packaging is just fine. No need to stand in line at the post office either. No stamps or coins please.

1. Prayers - I can never seem to get enough of these. Especially the ones that are said with my family’s and friend’s names in them and I have, well, just come to know that when prayers go up that blessings come down. Which brings me to the next request.

2. Blessings - You know, when I receive e-mails and snail mail with news from those I know and love it just really brightens my day. I like it especially when they are filled with wonderful news and I just love the pictures that are sometimes attached of family or friend that lives so far away.

3. People Pictures - You know, not a picture of that mountain you saw on your vacation last summer, unless it has you and your family standing right in front of it and large enough so I can see your smiling faces. Act silly too. That is so cool!

4. Current Family Information - Since I have been dubbed the "Family Genealogist" I really would like current family pictures of you and your family and who has married whom, given birth to whom or passed through the veil. Oh yeah, and pictures of them too; both living here and There.

5. Refrigerator Art - My refrigerator doors and sides have taken on a life of there own and I am hoping it doesn't have any computer stuff inside because it's loaded down with every kind of imaginable magnet from Papa Murphy's Pizza to a beautiful red Iowa cardinal one. Only thing is, the artwork I have received over time was getting kind of faded, so I had to store it away in scrap books. Well, at least plan to anyway. Right now it’s in boxes here and there and on my kitchen table.

6. Copies – Now, I know this sounds kind of weird, but I would like to have copies. Copies I can add to my genealogy research files. “Back up documentation” or “Proof” we call it. Copies of birth certificates, death certificates, old divorce degrees of uncle John where it states he was known to keep company with a well known lady of the evening and therefore was not very nice to his wife and children. (We have one of those, but his name’s not John.) Cemetery records of a family cemetery on some farmer’s land in Missouri. (Have one of them too. It’s in sad shape. )

7. Cemetery Restoration Project – Speaking of family cemeteries, that reminds me, we have a family cemetery out in north central Lancaster, Schuyler County, Missouri. It is called the Whitacre Family Cemetery. You can read about it here: http://www.interment.net/data/us/mo/schuyler/whitacre/whitacre.htm

It is in a sad state of disrepair and that’s putting it mildly. The stones are all knocked over and cows have walked and grazed there for years. I have met with the owner and he has given me permission to go in and clean it up and put up a fence to separate and protect it from the animals. Now, I myself don’t have the energy or money to do it alone, but I thought if maybe we met there some long holiday weekend next spring before he puts crops in again. (You have to drive over a real hill and dale to get to it) And, if we took our rakes and our weed eaters and gloves and some strong backs and purchased some farm fencing (only need three sides) we could go in and clean it up and give these family members of ours the best gift we could give them. And, maybe we could get some local relatives to help or if they’re elderly they could sit on a lawn chair and supervise and we could have a family reunion/hot dog roast or something to get to know the relatives that have dwindled over time. And, we could take pictures and collect family information and WOW! The possibilities are endless! This project has been on my mind and heart for so long. I have pictures, but they’re somewhere, in the piles I need to sort through as energy allows me. As a parent and grandparent, I could never envision my children or grandchildren being put to rest in a place that looks like this. Think about it and let’s find a mutual holiday weekend that we could do it when it’s nice, like Memorial Day weekend. What a perfect time to restore a memory! Let’s see now, that’s May 29-31. (marks calendar)

FYI: Isaac Newton and Louisa Jane (Norman) Whitacre are our great-great grandparents. Through Grandma Minnie (Whitacre) Tomey we link into the (Dwight) Eisenhower and (Daniel )Boone lines. http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=PED&db=patomey&id=I233

So, there it is family. My Christmas (or any special occasion) Wish List. And, you can add to that good health, world peace and a family united and my list would be complete.

So, clean off those sleigh runners, cause Santa Claus is coming to town! (throws holiday confetti and streamers and starts singing, "You better watch out...")

Happy holidays with love to you all!

Paula

P.S. Now, if you REALLY wanted to get me something that I would really love (a little bit commercial) I have wanted the video “The Mission” with Robert De Niro with the matching sound track CD ever since I saw it when it came out in 1986. Hey! I could use my Amazon.com gift certificate that I got from Annette and John’s family for my birthday! Cool! (claps and giggles… types in to browser www.amazon.com …)