Saturday, March 5, 2016

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun -- A "Bucket List" Meme

Hey genea-folks, 
it's Saturday Night again, 

 time for more Genealogy Fun!

 


Your mission this week, should you decide to accept it (cue the Mission Impossible music!), is to:


1)   A "Bucket List" meme went around Facebook several weeks ago where you put an "X" in the box if you have done it!  

2)  Copy and paste it into your own blog post, in a comment to this post, or on Facebook or Google+ and fill it out (erase my entries and insert your own).

3)  Put a comment on this blog post to tell me where I can read all about you!

Here's the list and my responses:

(X) Shot a gun
( ) Gone on a blind date
( ) Skipped school
( ) Watched someone die
(X ) Visited Canada
(X ) Visited Hawaii
( ) Visited Cuba
(X ) Visited Europe
(X ) Visited Las Vegas
(X ) Visited Central America

( ) Visited Asia
( ) Visited Africa
(X) Visited Florida
(X ) Visited Mexico
(X ) Seen the Grand Canyon in person
(X ) Flown in a helicopter
(X ) Served on a jury
(X ) Been lost
(X ) Traveled to the opposite side of the country
(X ) Visited Washington, DC

(X ) Swam in the Ocean 
( ) Cried yourself to sleep
(X ) Played cops and robbers
(X ) Played cowboys and Indians
( ) Recently colored with crayons
( ) Sang karaoke
( ) Sang a solo or duet in church
( ) Paid for a meal with coins only
(X ) Made prank phone calls
( ) Laughed until some beverage came out of your nose

(X ) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
(X ) Had children
(X ) Had a pet
( ) Been skinny-dipping
(X) Been fishing
(X ) Been boating
( ) Been downhill skiing
( ) Been water skiing
(X ) Been camping in a trailer/RV
(X ) Been camping in a tent

( ) Driven a motorcycle
( ) Been bungee-jumping (ripcord jumping)
(X ) Gone to a drive-in movie
(X ) Done something that could have killed you…
(X ) Done something that you will regret for the rest of your life
( ) Rode an elephant
( ) Rode a camel
(X ) Eaten just cookies or cake or ice cream for dinner
( ) Been on TV  
( ) Stolen any traffic signs

(X ) Been in a car accident
( ) Been in the Hospital in past 24 months
(X ) Donated blood 
( ) Gotten a (speeding) or any other type of ticket in the past 12 months
( ) Gotten a piercing
( ) Gotten a Tattoo 
( ) Driven a manual transmission vehicle
( ) Ever owned your dream car
(X ) Been Married
( ) Been divorced

( X) Fell in love
( ) Fell out of love
( ) Paid for a strangers meal
( ) Driven over 100 mph
( ) Been scuba diving
( ) Written a published book/story/poetry
( ) Eaten snails

I think I've lived a pretty sheltered life!


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Copyright (c) 2016, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.


Surname Saturday -- SILSBEE (England to colonial Massachusetts)

It's Surname Saturday, and I'm "counting down" my Ancestral Name List each week.  


I am in the 8th great-grandmothers and I'm up to Ancestor #1259, who is Sarah  SILSBEE (1646-1682) 
[Note: the earlier great-grandmothers and 8th great-grandfathers have been covered in earlier posts].

My ancestral line back through two generations of this SILSBEE family line is:


1. Randall J. Seaver

2. Frederick Walton Seaver (1911-1983)
3. Betty Virginia Carringer (1919-2002)

4. Frederick Walton Seaver (1876-1942)
5. Alma Bessie Richmond (1882-1962)

8. Frank Walton Seaver (1852-1922)
9. Hattie Louise Hildreth (1857-1920)


18.  Edward Hildreth (1831-1899)
19.  Sophia Newton (1834-1923)

38.  Thomas J. Newton (1800-????)
39.  Sophia Buck (1797-1882)

78.  Isaac Buck (1757-1846)
79.  Martha Phillips (1757-1820)

156.  Isaac Buck (1732-????)
157.  Mary Richards (1733-????)

314.  Joseph Richards (1703-1748)
315.  Mary Bowden (1705-1755)

628.  Crispus Richards (1683-1763)
629.  Sarah Collins (1678-1757)

1258.  Joseph Collins, born about 1643 in Lynn, Essex, Massachusetts, United States; died before 02 November 1724 in Lynn, Essex, Massachusetts, United States.  He was the son of 2516. Henry Collins and 2517. Ann.  He married in Lynn, Essex, Massachusetts, United States.
1259.  Sarah Silsbee, born about 1646 in Lynn, Essex, Massachusetts, United States; died 25 February 1682 in Lynn, Essex, Massachusetts, United States.  

Children of Joseph Collins and Sarah Silsbee are:
*  Sara Collins (1669-1669).
*  Joseph Collins (1671-1695)
*  Henry Collins (1673-1721).
*  Ann Collins (1675-1754), married 1691 Nathaniel Ingalls (1660-1737).
*  Dorothy Collins (1676-1730), married 1700 Robert Gray (1672-1731).
*  Sarah Collins (1678-1757), married 1702 Crispus Richards (1683-1763)
*  Ester Collins (1680-????).

2518.  Henry Silsbee, born before 1618 in England; died before 16 December 1700 in Lynn, Essex, Massachusetts, United States.  He married about 1644 in Essex, Massachusetts, United States.
2519.  Dorothy, born about 1620 in England; died 27 September 1676 in Lynn, Essex, Massachusetts, United States.

Children of Henry Silsbee and Dorothy are:
*  Mary Silsbee (1645-1695), married 1664 Zachariah Marsh (1637-1693).
*  Sarah Silsbee (1646-1682), married Joseph Collins (1643-1724).
*  John Silsbee (1646-1676), married 1673 Bethea Pitman.
*  Henry Silsbee (1649-????).
*  Jonathan Silsbee (1650-1714), married 1673 Bethea Marsh (1650-????)
*  Nathaniel Silsbee (1651-1717), married (1) 1671 Deborah Tompkins; (2) 1697 Elizabeth Pickering (1651-????).
*  Hannah Silsbee (1654-1682), married 1680 Thomas Laughton (1645-????).
*  Samuel Silsbee (1657-1687), married 1676 Mary Biscoe (1654-????).
*  Ephraim Silsbee (1660-1729), married 1696 Rachel Bassett (1666-????).

Information about this family was obtained from:

*  Edward J. Paul, The Ancestry of Katherine Choate Paul (Milwaukee WI : Burdick and Allen, 1911). 

*  James A Emmerton, MD, Genealogical Account of Henry Silsbee and Some of His Descendants (Salem, MA. : Essex Institute, 1880).

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Copyright (c) 2016, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.


Friday, March 4, 2016

Finding MyHeritage Record Collection Lists

Several society colleagues and blog readers recently asked me just what record collections are available on MyHeritage.  I've wondered that too, so I went searching their website for lists of record collections.

1)  When you click the "Research" tab on the MyHeritage home page, you see a search form and a list of record categories on the right-hand side of the screen:


Note that under the "Welcome to SuperSearch" is the note:

"6,475,937,467 historical records."

A user could click on the different categories or sub-categories on the list on the right side of the screen.

2)  Further down the "Research" screen is a map of the world, and if you run your mouse over a region, it is highlighted.


I clicked on the "USA" link and saw a list of U.S. states.


I could click on a state and see a list of collections for specific states.

3)  At the bottom left of the list of states above, I could click on the "All USA" link, which took me to the USA page:


In the right-hand column is the list of USA collections, listed by number of records.  There were 99 collections in that list, with the 99th one being "Russians Immigrating to the United States" with 527,394 records.

4)  However, when I clicked on a category or clicked on a state, I saw hundreds of USA collections listed with less than 527,394 records.  For example, the 1790 U.S. Census is not on the list of 99, but is listed in the "U.S. Census" category.  In addition, the NewspaperARCHIVE collection and the Published Books were not included in the USA collections list.

5)  My conclusion is that I cannot easily come up with a complete list of record collections, or even a number by country or state.  Users will have to drill down in the category lists to determine if MyHeritage has what they need.  I, and I'm sure other users, would appreciate a clear list of available collections and the number of records in each collection.  

6)  Here are the 99 record collections I found on the USA list:

U.S. Public Records Index -- 816,070,225 records
1940 United States Federal Census -- 132,194,272 records
1930 United States Federal Census -- 125,150,767 records
1920 United States Federal Census -- 107,445,111 records
U.S. Social Security Death Index (SSDI) -- 94,404,097 records

1910 United States Federal Census -- 92,639,466 records
1900 United States Federal Census -- 76,460,854 records
1880 United States Federal Census -- 50,473,326 records
1870 United States Federal Census -- 40,383,628 records
California Births, 1905 - 1995 -- 49,185,323 records

1860 United States Federal Census -- 27,120,064 records
Texas Births, 1926 - 1995 -- 21,518,365 records
1850 United States Federal Census -- 20,571,627 records
Texas Marriages and Divorces -- 22,743,905 records
California Deaths, 1940 - 1997 -- 19,371,660 records

Kentucky Births, 1911 - 1999 -- 11,849,522 records
California, County Marriages, 1850-1952 -- 9,089,108 records
North Carolina, Deaths, 1931-1994 -- 8,960,679 records
Massachusetts, Marriages, 1841-1915 -- 8,867,775 records
Tributes.com -- 8,635,095 records

Ohio Births, 1908 - 1964 -- 8,221,258 records
U.S. World War II Army Enlistment -- 7,859,796 records
California, Marriages, 1960 - 1985 -- 7,967,082 records
Indiana, Marriages, 1811-1959 -- 8,084,179 records
Florida, Marriages, 1970 - 1999 -- 7,109,248 records

Nevada, Marriages, 1968 - 1999 -- 6,613,383 records
U.S. Civil War Soldiers, 1861 - 1865 -- 6,271,153 records
Ohio, Marriages, 1970 - 2003 -- 6,190,832 records
Virginia, Marriages, 1785-1940 -- 6,098,483 records
Alabama, Deaths, 1908-1974 -- 5,698,710 records

Passenger and Immigration Lists, 1500 - 1900 -- 5,122,219 records
Iowa, Marriages, 1809-1992 -- 5,022,117 records
U.S. Veterans Burial Sites, 1775 - 2013 -- 4,790,898 records
Florida, Divorces, 1970 - 1999 -- 4,299,519 records
Germans Immigrating to the United States -- 3,458,796 records

U.S. Naturalization Records -- 3,966,994 records
Indiana, Marriages, 1780-1992 -- 3,936,334 records
Ohio Deaths, 1908 - 1966 -- 3,743,934 records
California, Great Registers, 1866-1910 -- 3,310,884 records
1850 United States Federal Census (Slave Schedule) -- 3,178,264 records

Alabama, Marriages, 1816-1957 -- 3,079,385 records
Illinois Deaths, 1916 - 1950 -- 3,062,324 records
Washington, Death Certificates, 1907-1960 -- 2,990,888 records
Kentucky Deaths, 1900 - 1999 -- 2,620,652 records
Illinois Marriages, 1763 - 1900 -- 2,586,457 records

Connecticut Death Index, 1949-2012 -- 2,579,054 records
1840 United States Federal Census -- 2,566,557 records
Florida, State Census, 1945 -- 2,245,771 records
Missouri Death Certificates, 1910 - 1960 -- 2,208,054 records
Colorado, Marriages, 1975 - 2004 -- 2,090,150 records

Minnesota, State Census, 1905 -- 1,973,884 records
Montana, County Marriages, 1865-1950 -- 1,935,206 records
Minnesota, Marriages, 1976 - 2003 -- 1,883,342 records
South Carolina, Deaths, 1915-1943 -- 1,869,910 records
North Carolina, Deaths, 1906-1930 -- 1,864,513 records

1830 United States Federal Census -- 1,307,127 records
Connecticut, Marriages, 1966-2002 -- 1,787,300 records
Service Records of Confederate Soldiers -- 1,663,575 records
Florida, State Census, 1935 -- 1,598,033 records
Minnesota, State Census, 1895 -- 1,567,950 records

Kentucky Marriages, 1960 - 1993 -- 1,558,966 records
Iowa, State Census, 1905 -- 1,445,398 records
Historic U.S. Maps -- 1,013,826 records
Colorado, Divorces, 1878 - 2004 -- 1,417,105 records
Maine Marriages, 1892 - 1966 -- 1,714,155 records

Texas, County Tax Rolls, 1846-1910 -- 1,242,633 records
1820 United States Federal Census -- 1,225,505 records
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Passenger List Card Index, 1883-1948 -- 1,153,200 records
Minnesota, State Census, 1885 -- 1,124,812 records
Utah, County Marriages, 1887-1937 -- 1,121,891 records

Ohio Tax Records, 1800-1850 -- 1,096,701 records
Air Force Register Extracts -- 1,065,430 records
Atlantic and Gulf Ports, Passenger List Card Index, 1820-1870 -- 1,023,457 records
Minnesota, Divorces, 1970 - 2003 -- 970,341 records
Boston, Massachusetts, Passenger Lists, 1820-1891 -- 894,949 records

Utah, Marriages, 1887 - 1999 -- 887,961 records
Italians Immigrating to the United States -- 824,373 records
1810 United States Federal Census -- 825,999 records
Arizona Death Certificates, 1870 - 1963 -- 907,995 records
Nevada, Divorces, 1968 - 2000 -- 797,814 records

Baltimore, Maryland, Passenger List Card Index, 1820-1897 -- 779,885 records
Texas, County Marriage Index, 1837-1977 -- 733,433 records
Utah, Marriages, 1887-1966 -- 698,084 records
Tennessee Deaths, 1908 - 1933 -- 697,175 records
Iowa, Deaths and Burials, 1850-1990 -- 693,854 records

New York State Deaths, 1957 - 1964 -- 678,714 records
South Dakota, State Census, 1935 -- 670,614 records
South Dakota, State Census, 1925 -- 664,563 records
Illinois Deaths, before 1916 -- 613,591 records
Minnesota, State Census, 1875 -- 612,847 records

Passengers arriving in New York from Ireland 1846 - 1851 -- 604,596 records
South Dakota, State Census, 1915 -- 576,017 records
Iowa Death Index, 1900-1939 -- 567,006 records
South Dakota, State Census, 1945 -- 565,508 records
District of Columbia Deaths and Burials, 1840-1964 -- 560,883 records

City Directories by DistantCousin Genealogy -- 558,637 records
Illinois, Northern District (Eastern Division), Naturalization Index, 1926-1979 -- 548,735 records
1800 United States Federal Census -- 540,435 records
Russians Immigrating to the United States -- 527,394 records

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Copyright (c) 2016, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.


More Family Tree Maker Information From Software MacKiev

I wrote Family Tree Maker is Updated and Shipping Now on 2 March 2016, including the Frequently Asked Questions on the Software MacKiev website.

Software MacKiev sent out this email this morning to their newsletter email list (you should sign up for the newsletter in order to stay up to date):


=========================================


It’s here! Family Tree Maker is BACK.

All of us here at Software MacKiev are happy to be taking up where Ancestry left off with Family Tree Maker, the most widely used family history software of all time. We have completed a small update to get the product back on the market and are pleased to let you know its available RIGHT NOW.



About our new FTM updates
We have started with Ancestry’s FTM 2014 and FTM Mac 3 and, as a company of engineers, we set our focus on stability and performance improvements. So we swatted down some bugs. And we made the application more responsive – you will find some actions that previously took minutes now take seconds.

New features
We managed to sneak in just a few surprises, like 100 beautiful new backgrounds you can use to make professional looking charts and reports. And we’ve integrated a service for printing high resolution genealogy charts through the good folks at Family ChartMasters. It’s a modest start, but we hope you will be happy with our new updates.

Compatibility
We made sure that our new updates are completely compatible with the latest operating systems (Windows 10 and El Capitan). We’ve also made sure that your old trees will open seamlessly. That there is nothing to move. That your Ancestry account if you have one will continue to work with the new versions. And that TreeSync and all the other things you have come to like about FTM are still there for you.

Where to Buy... and more
See below how to get the updated editions, and some other information you may find useful.
Thanks to all of you who have welcomed us so warmly. It means a lot to us. A new chapter in Family Tree Maker’s long and proud history begins today!

JACK
Jack Minsky
President
Software MacKiev
***

FAMILY TREE MAKER
New FTM 2014.1 and Mac 3.1

How to get the updated editions
What you will get and when depends on what FTM version you currently have:

1. Users of FTM 2014 and Mac 3: Hang in there! FREE updates are coming. They will be available in about a week or so through the built-in update feature. We will send you an email to let you know as soon as they are available.

2. Users of older FTM editions: No matter how old your copy of FTM is, or whether its running on Windows or Mac, you can download an upgrade for $29.95 (vs. $69.95 regular price). Click here to take advantage of this limited-time upgrade offer today.

3. New users: If you have never owned a copy of Family Tree Maker before, for a limited time, you can download a full edition from our online store for $49.95 by clicking here (vs. $69.95 regular price).

 Additional Offers:
  • Family Tree Maker users who do not currently have an Ancestry.comsubscription, will be offered a 14-day free trial.
  • If you would like a backup disc, you can purchase a CD in a jewel case for an extra $10 including shipping and handling.
***
Family Tree Maker®
HELPFUL LINKS

1. FTM Home Page
Most everything you will need to know can be found on our Family Tree Maker home page:
There you can:
  • Read our FAQ
  • Provide Feedback
  • Report a Bug
  • Suggest a Feature
  • Sign up to be a Beta Tester
  • Learn about FTM
  • Check the System Requirements
2. Technical Support
To get technical support for any version of FTM, please start here:
We are sharing responsibility for the rest of this year with Ancestry.com but the Software MacKiev support site is the best place to start. We’ll direct you from there to the right place to get the help you need.

3. Any Questions?
If you have questions for us, please first read our FAQ as we’ve tried to answer the most common ones there. If you don’t find the answer you are looking for in the FAQ, please send your question through our Feedback Form which you’ll find on our FTM Home Page (see #1 above). Thanks!


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The bottom line here is:  You can buy the updated version if you want NOW, or upgrade your old pre-2014 versions NOW, but you will have to wait about a week for the FREE Upgrade to existing FTM Mac 3.1 and FTM 2014 versions.  


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Copyright (c) 2016, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.


52 Ancestors - Week 114: #137 Patience (Hamant) Smith (1735-1780)

Amy Johnson Crow suggested a weekly blog theme of "52 Ancestors" in her blog post Challenge:  52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks on the No Story Too Small blog.  I am extending this theme in 2016 to 156 Ancestors in 156 Weeks. Here is my ancestor biography for week #114:

Patience (Hamant) Smith (1735-1780) is #137 on my Ahnentafel list, my 5th great-grandmoher who married #136 Moses Smith (1732-1806) in 1762.


I am descended through:

*  their son, #68 Aaron Smith (1765-1841), wh
o married #69 Mercy Plimpton (1772-1850), in 1795. 
*  their son, #34 Alpheus B. Smith (1802-1840) 
who married #35 Elizabeth Horton Dill (1791-1869) in 1826.
*  their daughter, #17 Lucretia Townsend smith (1828-1884), who married #16 Isaac Seaver (1823-1901) in 1852.
*  their son, #8 Frank Walton Seaver (1852-1922), who married #9 Hattie Louise Hildreth (1847-1920) in 1874. 
*  their son, #4 Frederick Walton Seaver (1876-1942), who married Alma Bessie Richmond (1882-1962) in 1900.
* their son, #2 Frederick Walton Seaver (1911-1983), who married #3 Betty Virginia Carringer (1919-2002) in 1942.
*  their son, #1 Randall J. Seaver (1943-....)

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1)  PERSON (with source citations as indicated in brackets):


*  Name:                         Patience Hamant[1]
*  Alternate Name:         Patience Hamment Smith[2]
*  Alternate Name:         Patience Hamment[3]    
*  Alternate Name:         Patience Hammant[4]    
  
*  Sex:                            Female   

*  Father:                       Timothy Hamant (1699-1774)   
*  Mother:                     Hepzibah Clark (1699-1791)   
  
2)  INDIVIDUAL EVENTS (with source citations as indicated in brackets):
  
*  Birth:                        6 April 1735, Medfield, Norfolk, Massachusetts, United States[1]   
*  Death:                      30 December 1780 (age 45), Walpole, Norfolk, Massachusetts, United States[2]   
*  Burial:                     after 30 December 1780 (after age 45), Plains Cemetery, Walpole, Norfolk, Massachusetts, United States[2]    
  
3)  SHARED EVENTS (with source citations as indicated in brackets):
  
*  Spouse 1:                Moses Smith (1732-1806)   
*  Marriage Intentions:  17 July 1762 (age 27), Walpole, Norfolk, Massachusetts, United States[3]   
*  Marriage:               23 September 1762 (age 27), Medfield, Norfolk, Massachusetts, United States[4]   

*  Child 1:                  Aaron Smith (1765-1841)   
*  Child 2:                  Luther Smith (1766-    )   
*  Child 3:                  Calvin Smith (1768-    )   
*  Child 4:                  Timothy Smith (1773-    )   
  
4)  NOTES (with source citations as indicated in brackets):   

Patience Hamant was born 2 April 1735 in Medfield, Massachusetts, to Timothy and Hepsibah (Clark) Hamant.  She was the fifth of nine children.  The Medfield vital records book says[1]:

"[HAMANT] Patience, d. Timothy and Mehipsabath, Apr. 6, 1735."

The intentions of marriage of Moses Smith and Patience Hamant were listed in the Walpole vital records book[3]:

"SMITH, Moses and Patience Hamment, int., July 17, 1762.

The marriage record of Moses Smith and Patience Hammant were found in the Medfield, Massachusetts vital record book[4]:

"SMITH, Moses of Walpole, and Patiance Hammant, Sept. 23, 1762.*"

Patience Hamant was Moses Smith's second wife; his first wife died in 1761.  Moses and Patience (Hamant) Smith had four children born in Walpole between 1765 and 1773.

She likely died in Walpole where the Moses Smith family resided.  There is no death record for Patience (Hamant) Smith in the Walpole or Medfield vital record books.  The gravestone inscription says she died 30 December 1780.

The Find A Grave memorial for Patience Hamment Smith provides this inscription on her gravestone: in Plains Cemetery in Walpole, Massachusetts[2]:


In Memory of
Patience, wife of
Moses Smith Who di
ed Dec'r 30, 1780 In ye
46th(?) year of her age

5)  SOURCES
 
1. Vital Records of Medfield, Massachusetts to the Year 1850 (Boston, Mass. :  New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1903), Births, page 56, Patience Hamant entry.

2. Jim Tipton, indexed database, Find A Grave (http://www.findagrave.com), Plains Cemetery (Walpole, Mass.), entry for Patience Hamment Smith (????-1780).

3. Vital Records of Walpole, Massachusetts to the Year 1850 (Boston, Mass. :New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1902), Marriages, page 174, Moses Smith and Patience Hamment intentions entry.


4. Vital Records of Medfield, Massachusetts to the Year 1850, Marriages, page 173, Moses Smith and Patiance Hammant entry.


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Copyright (c) 2016, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.