Who Am I?
My name is Cindy, and I am married, a mother and grandmother, healthy, and seventy years old. Life is good, and every day is an adventure. I am a caretaker, author, writer, tree farmer, retired lobbyist, and royal slam turkey hunter. I love to travel, garden, do genealogy, love the outdoors, and adore spending time with my family. Though I am retired, my writing and trees require my attention.
My husband and I have an empty nest, but our three children refill it periodically with their spouses and our seven grandchildren. Our cup runneth over! Our son and his partner run the family business, and our daughters work with them, too.
I Blog About Old Things!
I blog mostly to share my thoughts and ideas with a wider audience. Much of my blogging pertains to those of us who have been around the block a time or two. I blog to share or pass along what I know or have learned about growing older (and hopefully wiser).
“Old Age is Not for Sissies” was what my grandmother would say when the going got rough. Around my mid-50s, I understood what she meant, and boy, is it getting clearer now as the rest of me is losing it? Losing what? I don’t know. I can’t remember. But I’m not worried, because “old age” I’m told by others is always about ten years older than your current age.
This brings me to the other old things that I blog about—my family’s dead relatives, but more specifically, Mary Adeline Walker and her husband William Henry Andrews, the main characters of the award-winning book series “Palmetto Pioneers.”
I live in North Florida, where I am the eighth generation of these families to have lived here. In fact, I grew up in the county they helped settle. And seeking a simpler life, my husband and I moved back to the homeplace after they diagnosed him with dementia.
Mary and William are my third great-grandparents. Mary came to Florida in 1829 with her parents and grandparents when she was seven. Below are four of their many children—Henry, Val, James, and Laura. Laura is my second great-grandmother.
In this area of Florida, many families trace their lineage as far back as mine. I grew up with a lot of my kin. Subsequently, I almost entitled the book something my husband once said to me, “Cindy, your tree has no branches”. My husband, the comedian!
Old Age is Not for Sissies includes photos, documents, and stories about these two families. You will learn about the frontier life of Territorial Florida and the challenges its first settlers encountered.
There are also posts about the craft of genealogical writing, researching, and family history writing. I love sharing the tips I find.
So join me for a walk into the past. And please do post your comments. I love to learn from others and to share.