Who Else Wants Chivalry Back?

I remember back when I was growing up there were certain codes of conduct that were accepted as norms when dealing with the fairer sex, the elderly, and the infirmed.

It was accepted practice that doors were opened to let ladies enter buildings and automobiles first, gentlemen always removed their hats/caps when entering buildings, and never, never left them on when sitting for meals in restaurants. At national anthem playing everyone stood rigid, with hats removed and sang the anthem. Gentlemen always walked next to their lady friend on the street side. On public transport, when seats were fully occupied, younger persons graciously gave up their seats for women, the elderly and the infirmed.

It's a sad testament to today's generation that these gentlemen graces seem to have disappeared.

Perhaps I'm being overly critical . . . what do you think?

Gary

If you Golf, You Should Read This.

I was sitting at the clubhouse bar minding my own business, casually drinking my draft after having golfed eighteen satisfying holes, when I overheard a couple of men, who were speaking rather loudly and with a wee bit of a slur, discussing one of my favourite pastimes - golf.

They appeared to be men of intellect and each was making his case, rather eloquently, (even though somewhat imbibed), as to whether or not golf was a sport or a hobby. Both had compelling arguments. I resisted the strong urge to put my two cents worth into the debate, which, I must admit, challenged my willpower.

Later, after arriving home, and still burning with a desire to prove that golf was a sport, I decided to consult an old stalwart friend, my Oxford dictionary. I felt certain that I could clear up the controversy, for once and for all. The definitions are as follows:

Sport: "That which amuses in general; diversion; pastime."

Hobby: "A subject or pursuit of absorbing interest, undertaken primarily for
pleasure during one's leisure time."

Now I'm a bit confused. What do you think: By definition, is golf a hobby or a sport?

Who Else Wants a Goose for Christmas?

With Christmas around the corner, my wife and I enter into our annual debate about which fowl better represents the season, and more importantly, which of the two we'll serve to the family this year.

I favour goose, maybe because deep within me, there is this longing for the Dickens' Cratchet Christmas. My wife says I'm too much of a romantic and I'm not being very practical. All she can see is the dark meat, the extra grease, and the spindly legs. I see Tiny Tim sitting on Bob Cratchet's shoulder, the sweet aroma of the roasting waterfowl.

She is a white meat lover, a fan of bulbous drumsticks, and she can make a good case for the traditionalism of the gobbler here in North America. But, I still haven't given in.

What do you think?

Gary

Who Wants to Know How to Find Biographical Data on Their Ancestors?

After some very tedious searching in Ship's Records, I hit the jackpot! I found my great-great-grandfather's name on the passenger list for a merchant ship named "The Liverpool." She had sailed from Londonderry, Ireland, in 1831, and had landed in Pictou, Nova Scotia, several weeks later. Both of my great-great-grandparents were on the list, along with three children - all of which were listed as having been born in Ireland.

Their ages were given, which gave me a wealth of knowledge concerning birth dates of these ancestors, and where they had originated from.

I next began searching Land Grant records for the 1831 to 1845 period. In 1833 I struck gold. My great-great-grandfather filed for a piece of land in the county where the old graveyard was centrally located. A description of the land accompanied the petition, but the real piece of luck was a handwritten description of my great-great-grandfather, his situation, occupation, along with the family members. It was almost like a mini-background check on him. For me, it was one of the most valuable items found during all of my genealogy searches and gave me a thumbnail picture of him during those times.

Now that I've walked through the steps that took me to the patriarch and matriarch of my family, and will similarly do the same for you, I'm going to finish on genealogy. There is much more to do and it's exciting and filled with fun, but, if you can get this far, you'll have significant information to reach out to professional sites that can take you much farther.

I strongly recommend using the genealogy site created and maintained by the Mormon Church in Utah, USA. It is one of the best and most detailed ones existing in North America.

Good luck and persevere, even when you feel frustrated.

Each of us has a much better view of where we are and where we're going when we know from whence we came . . .

Gary