Christmas in the Summertime

Since Mom's birthday is Monday, I was already thinking about making the post about her. However, this is not the post that I was initially considering...

Yesterday, Mom went with Dad to the doctor. Being used to doctors like Dr. Schwartzberg who introduce themselves upon entering the room, Mom was a bit taken aback when Dad's doctor asked, "And who are you?"

Well, first she said that Dad had just picked her up off the side of the road. When she noticed that the doctor did not seem to be grasping the situation, she changed her story. At that point she became "Santa Claus." Now, I am sure that doesn't really surprise any of you who know Mom. I am still unsure if the doctor ever realized who she really is because neither Mom nor Dad enlightened him.

As we were going to the ballpark this morning, Mom mentioned that she had to break in to the conversation several times to add bits about Dad's symptoms. I told her that she must have said, "Ho, Ho, Hold it." :)

In honor of "Santa Claus", I give you an early Christmas present from Nannie's house.

From left (that is your left, Mom): Geen, Nannie, Daddy Jim, Daddy Charles, Mom, and Dad

In actual names from left: Gina O'Brien, Ima Joyner, Jim Joyner, Chas. Joyner, Debbie Foster, and David Foster

Dulce Periculum

This summer I have really been getting back into researching my roots. I have also just finished reading the book Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. I can't wait to read the next book in the series. As I read it, though, I kept getting distracted by all of the Scottish/Gaelic things in the book and had to go to the internet for pronunciations and meanings. Of course, (just like the Mouse wanted a Cookie), when I found those things out, I wanted to have some personal connection to Scotland... Hmmm, I know that Foster is English as is Pratt, Baker, Hardin, and Odle. Joyner is French, and I am still a bit confused about Welch, but it is definitely not Scottish. Then I thought, wait a minute, Bub's maiden name was McAuley.

Sure enough, when I researched McAuley a bit, I found that it could be Scottish. So here is a link to the Clan MacAulay tartan. Without further research, I cannot know if we are part of that clan or not, but I would like to think that we are.

To anyone who is familiar with my close ancestors, the Motto is also strangely apt. Dulce Periculum--Danger is Sweet. Nannie didn't tell many stories about Bub so I am not sure about her, but I do think that Daddy Charles could have had this motto. With all of the stories about Preacher, I just assumed that all of Daddy Charles's "character" would have came from his side of the family. Delving deeper into the history of the McAuleys makes me wonder more about Bub, her personality, and her stories. Even Daddy Charles's middle name "Roderick" makes me wonder. Did she really pick it out of the almanac? Was their someone in the family with that name? It could be Germanic or it could be a Gaelic name. Even though I know Daddy Charles seriously disliked it, I have always liked the name Roderick. I didn't know that in Germanic it means [he who is] rich in glory. Nor did I know that it could mean "Red King" and was the name of the last high king of Ireland, who reigned in the 12th century.

Now that I know that Roderick could mean "Red King" I have another layer yet to add to my made up naming story. I will share that at a different time, but I wanted to remark that now it could be possible to argue that Geen was named after Daddy Charles. Regina, as you may know means Queen, so the leap from Roderick--Red King to Regina--Queen was almost inevitable. Granted, that is not her true naming story, but I always find it entertaining to have some things that are true and some things that are imaginative all running through my head at the same time.

I will try to get some of the stories down. I hope that I will run across more people in my journey, such as Carolyn Smotherman, who will open up a new window onto the past.

Please share any stories that you remember so that they don't become lost from the future generations.

Here is one of the few pictures that I have scanned so far with Preacher and Bub. It is from their 50th wedding anniversary.

George Garvin and Gertrude McAuley Joyner

My Journey Up My Family Tree

Everyone's journey up their family tree must fork into two beginning paths. One for father and one for mother. With this blog, I am going to attempt to take you along on my journey as I travel up my family tree. If only I had started this sooner, there would have been more people to help me along my journey.

However, no one is getting any younger, and our memories are not getting any better so right now is the best time to begin.

On my Dad's branch, my tree begins with the Foster family and the Pratt family.

The influence of my great-grandmother colors the branch on my Mom's side. Her love of family causes my granddad's branch to split immediately into the Joyners and the Odles. The Welch family makes up my grandmother's branch.

My family is full of colorful people, and I will do my best to share as many stories as I can remember as well as any that are relayed to me.