well that explains it

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just as thehobbit's medieval studies class comes to an end, i discover my own bit of medievalness (real word) -    i managed to trace one line of my mother's family back to some muckity-mucks the middle ages! yes, about six months ago, i joined the ranks of amateur genealogists, & began researching my family. in fact, that research is one of the things that has kept me from blogging on a regular basis. that, & a certain pesky toddler.

so! the short of what is a very long story: tinker (who has been addicted to genealogy vastly longer than i) thinks she may have found one of my ancestors on the bayeux tapestry. let me interrupt myself here to say that the more i learn about my the places & players in my family history, the more i am convinced that we are drawn to what is in our blood. if that makes no sense, i apologize. i'll explain what i mean more fully another day. back to the topic at hand - this morning i showed the bayeux tapestry to thehobbit, which led us to some fun. enjoy!

firstly, for those who may not have heard of the bayeux tapestry read this. 

some activities at britain's bayeux tapestry. our favorite is the interactive create your own tapestry link. (note :: this is not the original tapestry, but a victorian reproduction, that is housed in england.)

& now watch this wonderful animation, created by students at goldsmiths college.

~peace.

a tree of a different sort

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please know that i have not abandoned you. not entirely, at least. the other week i found myself pottering about a genealogy site, & next thing you know i was spending every waking hour either working on my family tree, or thinking about it. i don't know if it is possible to sprain ones eyeballs, but i just may have.

it doesn't help that a certain tinker  has been feeding the fire with her own genealogy obsession. i like to think that she's being helpful, when she sends me documents she has found for me, but truly? most likely she doesn't want to sit alone in the crazy-barrel.

one of the unexpected bonuses to this newest of adventures - i stumbled upon two cousins! on the same day, even. both are from my daddy-o's branch of the tree: one paternal, the other maternal. &, &, &?! they are of my generation. how fabulously cool is that?

what? wait! what am i doing here, chattering with you? there are manifests to be examined, fancy &/or messy handwriting to be puzzled over, & wow! is this another person's mistake, or did he have two families?

~peace.