The view from the third floor was not very impressive this morning.
Month: November 2016
Snow Boots
I found the perfect winter dog walking boots in the kids’ department. And they’re teal, with hot pink zippers.
Boys
They sleep together at night, but other than that, they don’t interact much. I stayed home from work today, though, after hurting my back, and spent the morning on the couch with Thomas, a heating pad, and Doctor Who. I fell asleep and woke up to find that Piglet had joined us.
Beware the Bad Transcript
screen shot from Ancestry
Marriages in Aughagower Parish, County Mayo
“25 [Febry 1827] Patt McDonnel to Bridget Basquil prst. James McGuire & Wilm Basquil”
I am deeply grateful to the folks who transcribe old records for us. They provide an invaluable service, sometimes paid but often not. I don’t want to sound like I’m complaining about the transcription. I’m not. I’m just issuing yet another warning that we need to be careful not to take them at face value.
First, this particular transcript on Ancestry is of an entry in a volume of marriages from multiple parishes in the diocese of Tuam. Each parish is dutifully recorded in the original, but that information seems to have been lost in the transcript, which misidentifies this marriage as happening in the parish Abbeyknockmoy, in County Galway. Not impossible, because there were some Basquills who migrated that way, but this was not one of those cases. The marriage–and another on the same page for an Anna Basquil who, I am sure, will turn out to be Bridget’s sister–occurred in Aughagour [Aughagower] parish in County Mayo.
I mention this mostly because I see people get really precious about transcripts on sites like Ancestry. They copy and paste them into their genealogy program, as if they have intrinsic value. They do not. The transcript is simply a finding aid. By all means, transcribe the original document yourself, but you are opening yourself up to perpetuating someone else’s mistakes if you copy and use the transcribed info from a genealogy website.
Second, the name. If you’re hunting Basquills, you will find that the Q is often mis-transcribed as a G. Judicious use of wildcards can help tease out some of the more common transcription errors, but it pays to be creative and flexible with your search strategies. And never, ever, ever get attached to the idea that there is one true way to spell a name.
Bad Seed
I’ve been trying to keep Thomas from racing around on the carpet, so he doesn’t re-injure his paw pad. So of course he’s being an unholy terror today. He stole a stick of butter off the kitchen counter, and then he stole the spoon out of my bowl, when I turned my back for two seconds.
Neighborhood Watch
“Hackles up and barker engaged, captain!” (Yes, we’ve been watching the Treksgiving marathon on BBC America.)
Woefoot
Thomas injured one of his paw pads. He won’t leave it alone. I’m watching him like a hawk, so he doesn’t chew a giant hole in his foot. I put the cone of shame on him for a while, but it freaks him out so badly I don’t dare leave him like that unattended. He is a giant, hysterical cupcake.
Hopefully it’ll heal quickly!
Seen In the Wild
Die Thru Harmacy
I’ve been driving past this CVS sign for weeks and finally remembered to get in the right lane, so I could stop and get a photo.
Best Boy
I dug through a drawer full of old dog collars and found a plain black leather one that fits Thomas. And then I promptly called him Frances. I knew I had the wrong name, but it was too late. It was a very odd experience.
He looks pretty dapper, I think. This collar is definitely well used, but it’s got a lot of life left in it. He seems happy with it.
It began with words
The Holocaust did not begin with killing; it began with words. The Museum calls on all American citizens, our religious and civic leaders, and the leadership of all branches of the government to confront racist thinking and divisive hateful speech.
Source: Museum Condemns White Nationalist Conference Rhetoric — United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
A few months ago, I shared an article asking the (then just hopefully rhetorical) question, “Would you hide a Jew from the Nazis?” I don’t think it’s rhetorical any longer. We are about to allow actual neo-nazis to take control of our country. They are dangerous, and we have to stand up to them. It’s no longer a question of “Could it happen here?” but a matter of “It is happening here.”
red paper boat 