family matters

Online Article – GENEALOGY: THE TIME TO START IS NOW!

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Genealogy: the time to start is NOW! July 2013 Written for personal blog Copyright ARLADEAN ARNSON

You want to let your children know where they come from, and, hey, so do you! But where do you start? You know there are online websites and books and things, but you just don’t have any time for those. You have CHILDREN and a family!

The easiest way to start is probably on your social calendar already. The picnics and family reunions that are popping up this time of year, especially around The Fourth, are the BEST time to start on your new hobby: genealogy.

Before going to the gathering do some preliminary note taking. Write down what you do know about your or your significant other’s (SO) family. You probably know your/SO’s mother and father’s name and where/when they were born; write down all siblings and their partner’s names, birthdates and wedding anniversaries, and children’s names, birthdates. You are off to a great start!

Now, try and remember the next generation BACK:  your/SO’s grandfathers and grandmothers names. Names are a great start. Hopefully, you may remember their birthdays, anniversaries, death dates, etc. Even bits and pieces can help put the puzzle together.

If you cannot remember this information, you will now know where to start!

Be sure to gather a couple of extra items to bring with you with that favorite bean dip: A couple of pens, a notepad, a digital recorder or camera. These are all great tools to help you catch all of the information. Recordings are great because you can just sit back and listen to the stories and go back later to write it all down!

“What was Great Aunt Rose’s full name? Did she ever get married? What about Chester? Was he a brother to Great Aunt Rose? Where did he move? What was that story about Papa and the anteater?”

Enjoy the process! Sure, you may want to visit with your closest family but chatting to that distant cousin might bring up some forgotten family history that you will want to record in your notes. Just think of the possibilities!

After you assemble what you can from the members in your family that are living, it is time to then hit the internet! There are several places to start your search from Ancestry.com to the online vital records of the towns, cities, or states where those family members from past generations lived.

Start with what you know. The clues will send you on your journey! Bon Voyage!

 

Online Article – “All the Single Ladies”…HAPPY FATHER’s DAY!

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“All the Single Ladies”…HAPPY FATHER’s DAY! June 2013 Written for the TriangleMommies Blog Copyright ARLADEAN ARNSON

Normally, we would all just burst into song, until you read the last few words of that title.

I am calling out to a segment of Motherhood that usually only gets bad press: single mothers. Single mothers are so much more than what those sad accounts tell us.

There are mothers who choose to be single and there are mothers who are divorced; there are mothers who have lost their partners in numerous different ways like accidents, disease, and even war. Some are dumbfounded on how they even became single mothers!

Single mothers are more than a statistic on your economic chart; they are more than blights on the welfare system. Single mothers are hard working women. Most have full time jobs and come home to their other full time job. Most juggle schedules that would drive the White House secretaries into tears.

Many single mothers still have the father in the child’s life to help with the schedules, the decisions, and the childcare. Just like other women, single mothers can have great family or social support systems and of course, some do not. These ladies can seek out great groups like Triangle Mommies to fill that void.

Oh, and those single mothers are NOT trying to “steal” your husband, partner, or significant other. It seems like a funny statement at this moment. However, society norms make us leery of those single moms all the same. Basically, they don’t have time to “steal” anyone. Think about it.

The next time you meet a single mother, don’t pity her. Think of how strong she is! Think about the time, effort, and finesse it takes to raise a child (or children) on her own.

So, for those single mothers who fill both roles of mother and father, HAPPY FATHER’S DAY! You are all doing a GREAT JOB!

 

CHILDREN’S ACTIVITY ARTICLE – Name that ‘shroom

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Children’s Activities: NAME THAT ‘SHROOM! July 2013 Written for Triangle Mommies Blog Copyright ARLADEAN ARNSON

With all the crazy wet weather we are having here in North Carolina, it has been a boon year for mushrooms. You can see them in the forests, in the country and even in many urban/suburban neighborhoods!

I have found at least three different types along my walk in the mornings!

So, I have invented a new activity for the kiddies: NAME THAT ‘SHROOM! This activity includes a hunt-and-find outdoor game and a make-it-yourself field guide.

First the HUNT! While traipsing through the woods or sticking to the sidewalks, be on the lookout for interesting shapes and colors and textures among the landscape. Mushrooms come in many different colors and textures.

**PLEASE BE AWARE, especially with children, do not touch the mushrooms you find until you know for sure that they are safe. You don’t want the kid to accidentally ingest the sample.

It is best to take a digital picture of the mushroom from all angles. Try and get the tops, the surrounding area, underneath the dome and the stems too.

Now off to the library, or the internet, to see what great treasure you have found!  See the guide below for some titles and websites.

Things to figure out: What is its name? Where does it normally grow? What are its tell-tale features? Is it safe to touch or to pick? Is it edible?

Once you find out some of these basics, you and your little one can create a great little field guide of your own back yard. Include pictures, drawings, facts, and even spore prints in a little self-made or store-bought sketch book. See website #1 for how to make a spore print.

Then the next time we get weather like this again, your little field guide will help you identify what pops up in your yard!

BOOKS:

 

1. National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mushrooms (National Audubon Society Field Guides)by NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY

2.    The Mushroom Book For Beginners: 2nd Edition Revised : A Mycology Starter or How To Be A Backyard Mushroom Farmer… by Frank Randall

3.   The Complete Mushroom Hunter: An Illustrated Guide to Finding, Harvesting, and Enjoying Wild Mushrooms by Gary Lincoff

4.    A Field Guide to Mushrooms: North America (Peterson Field Guides) by Kent H. McKnight, Vera B. McKnight and Roger Tory Peterson

WEBSITES:

  1. Urban Mushrooms: http://urbanmushrooms.com/index.php?id=69
  2. American Mushrooms: http://americanmushrooms.com/lawnandgarden.htm
  3. Mushroom Expert: http://www.mushroomexpert.com/index.html
  4. The Mushroom Patch: http://www.mushroomexpert.com/index.html

 

THEATER REVIEW-“Lose yourself in ‘Escape from Happiness’”

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Theater Review

Tuesday Magazine, The Signal (Georgia State University’s on-campus newspaper)

“Lose yourself in ‘Escape from Happiness’”

Copyright 1995 ARLADEAN ARNSON/THE SIGNAL

 

“Escape from Happiness”

Horizon Theater, Atlanta, GA 1995

“Escape from Happiness,” Canadian playwright George F. Walker’s outrageous story of a typical late 20th century family that is pre-occupied with reasoning why bad things happen to them, offers a hilarious satirical look at family matters in the ‘90’s.

Set in the cheery yellow kitchen of a typical family, the story centers around the recent beating of Junior, one of the main characters of “Escape form Happiness.”  The mystery of who did this terrible thing and why sets the stage for Walker’s “manic and eloquent” satire.  As the play progresses, the action becomes more outrageous as the characters become more introspective.

The ever-ending need for family members to search for clarification on different levels along with Walker’s ironic mishaps lighten the tone of the mystery without giving way into farce.

Shelby Hofer and Jill Jane Clements both give outstanding performances as Gail, the family’s stubborn youngest daughter, and Nora the bickering yet heroic Mother.

Although the ending is a little surprising and abrupt (more because of delivery than dialogue), this contemporary satire offers a hilarious look at modern urban family life.

“Escape from Happiness” runs through February 26 (1995) at Horizon Theater.  For information about showtimes and ticket prices call 584-7450.