Softball ~ Joining the Team

Recently we traveled across Canada to visit our adult kids. 

We had the best time. 

They cleared their schedules to spend time with us. 

My husband and I take this as a parenting win. 

Our 2 sons and their girls enjoy spending time with us. 

What an amazing gift that is.

When our oldest invited us to join their softball game we were unsure. 

I was never very good at softball, and my husband hasn't played for almost 40 years. 

Our oldest said it didn't matter. 

He explained their team is inclusive of all abilities. 

Dad decided to join the team for the night. 

Mom decided to be the official photographer. 

We were told the walk was pretty short which turned out to be true for regular city walkers, but for the old folks it wasn't actually true. 

There was some whining of 'are we there yet' - I didn't even apologize. 

It was payback for those childhood road trips!

On the way we collected teammates. 

One explained that when our son first invited her to join the team she replied they didn't want her because she was always picked last in school. She said he replied that they wanted her for sure. She said that in all the time they have played she always gets her turn in all the positions & everyone cheers her on. She said she love getting out and playing softball even though she still not very good. She LOVES that she is a part of the team. 

This mama bear was so proud listening to how our child is making a difference in the world one ball team at a time. 

Being inducted to the team

Learning the rules & what it means to be on 'dick deck'

Our son - the pitcher

Look at that reach

Our daughter-in-law 

Third Baseman - Chris, Short Stop - our oldest

Is it beer time yet?

Evidence that you can still play after a 40 year absence

The feeling you get when you spend time with your kids, and you know they honestly want to hang out with you is amazing - knowing it's not out of obligation! 

We had such a GREAT time with our kids & wished they didn't live so far away!!!

This is why I search - 

Cause ... 

You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family you know!

***Any errors are my own. Please send me any updates or corrections via the comments at the bottom of this blog post***

Links:

Amy Johnson Crow, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge
https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/52-ancestors-in-52-weeks/

If you reference or use my blog posts in any way please

include a link to the specific blog and

credit http://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/

My blogs are ©Deborah Buchner, 2014 forward.

All rights reserved.

Please & Thank you!

______________________________________________________________

Fun Fact ~ Dr. Seuss Is In Our Bramble Bush

I work in library. 

There is no funner fact than discovering my relationship to Dr. Seuss 

I was super excited to see the connection when it was the featured connection on WikiTree a few months back. 

Granted ... it's a stretch. 

He's not a super close relative, but Dr. Seuss is in this Bramble Bush!

Theodor Seuss (Ted) Geisel is my husband's - 

****husband of 3rd great-grandniece of husband of
grandaunt of husband of 1st cousin 5x removed***

The actual connection is via his first wife:

Helen Marion Palmer
BIRTH 16 SEP 1898 • Brooklyn, Kings County (Brooklyn), New York, USA
DEATH 23 OCT 1967 • La Jolla, San Diego, San Diego, California, USA

This is the path between my husband and Helen:

George Howard Palmer 1862-1910
Father of Helen Marion Palmer

 Adoniram Judson (Judson) Palmer 1833-1911
Father of George Howard Palmer 

Benjamin Palmer 1793-1857
Father of Adoniram Judson (Judson) Palmer 

Jonathan Palmer 1746-1808
Father of Benjamin Palmer 

Elizabeth Seaman
Mother of Jonathan Palmer

 Jonathan Seaman 1683-1755
Father of Elizabeth Seaman 

Jecaniah Seaman 1720-1752
Son of Jonathan Seaman 

Rachel Secord , (twin of Peter) 1726-1759
Wife of Jecaniah Seaman

 Daniel Secord Jr. 1698-1765
Father of Rachel Secord , (twin of Peter) 

Marie (Mary) Secord 1736-1816
Daughter of Daniel Secord Jr. 

Aden I (Aden) Beebe , SGT 1761-1843
Son of Marie (Mary) Secord 

Amasa Beebe 1791-1850
Son of Aden I (Aden) Beebe , SGT 

Rachel Smith 1792-1862
Wife of Amasa Beebe 

Esther Smith 1756-1828
Mother of Rachel Smith 

John Smith 1715-1785
Father of Esther Smith 

John (Little John) Smith Judge 1747-1846
Son of John Smith 

Isaac Smith 1788-1869
Son of John (Little John) Smith Judge 

Francis Allen (Frank) Smith 1836-1921
Son of Isaac Smith 

Martha J Isabel (Mattie) Smith , twin to Ida 1873-1902
Daughter of Francis Allen (Frank) Smith 

Clifton Alexander (C.A.) (C. A.) (Cliff) Lee 1902-1979
Son of Martha J Isabel (Mattie) Smith , twin to Ida 

Mary Alice Lee 1951-2019
Daughter of Clifton Alexander (C.A.) (C. A.) (Cliff) Lee
& my mother-in-law

When I started researching Dr. Seuss & his wife Helen I was saddened to find the tragedy of their marriage. Dr. Seuss was unfaithful. Helen suffered medical issues. She committed suicide. She left behind a letter that suggested she knew about his affair. A tragic legacy. 

BUT Helen is not strictly defined by her relationship & death. 

She was an Oxford scholar, and a children's author herself. 

"She graduated from Wellesley College with honors in 1920 and thrived in an environment where the curriculum was focused on languages, literature, and even economics. After graduation, she enrolled in Oxford University, an institution that awarded women degrees for the first time only four years prior to her arrival. Unbeknownst to either of them, Ted Geisel was to also attend Oxford after he graduated from Dartmouth." 1

It was at Oxford that Ted & Helen met.

Helen was instrumental in convincing Ted to become a children's author & illustrator instead of a teacher after she saw his doodling while taking notes in class. 

Ted was on a path to be an English Professor.

Without Helen Dr. Seuss & the books he became famous for may never have existed. 

I was 10 when my younger brother was born. Our family belonged to the book-of-the-month club. All the books were Seuss books. I loved reading them over and over again to my brother. One time when he was about 3 he ordered GREEN EGGS & HAM at a restaurant. The amazing staff at the restaurant didn't blink an eye at the order. The scrambled eggs arrived with green food colouring & the ham was tinted green too. More than 40 years later I can still picture the delight on my little brother's face!

Years later we had 2 boys of our own, and we read Suess books over and over again to them. We had stacks of them from our weekly library visits in addition to our home library collection built up by our own membership in the book-of-the-month club. My husband and I could recite the books without actually looking at the pages because we read them so often. Our boys knew them by heart as well, but still asked us to read them. There are several that we can still recite without even seeing the book. 

Both our boys grew up to be readers. 
They love books. 
Dr. Seuss had a roll in that. 

Every Halloween I dress up as the CAT IN THE HAT for my day at work!

I work in library --- how fun is it that Dr. Seuss is in our Bramble Bush!!!

Looking past the not so great details about the folks in your tree to find the legacies!!!

This is why I search - 

Cause ... 

You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family you know!

***Any errors are my own. Please send me any updates or corrections via the comments at the bottom of this blog post***

Footnotes:

1 Meisenhold, Jana. The Complicated And Painful Legacy Of Dr. Seuss. The Establishment, Orginally published March 19th 2019. Retrieved July 19th 2022 from 
https://medium.com/the-establishment/the-complicated-and-painful-legacy-of-dr-seuss-f1609121f000

Sources:

Cahn, Robert. The Wonderful World of Dr. Seuss. Originally published July 6th 1957. Republished February 28th 2016. Retrieved July 20th 2022 from https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2016/02/wonderful-world-dr-seuss/

Dr. Seuss. Wikipedia. Retrieved July 19th 2022 from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Seuss

Helen Palmer. Wikipedia. Retrieved July 19th 2022 from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_Palmer_(writer

Meisenholder, Jana. The Complicated And Painful Legacy Of Dr. Seuss. Originally published March 19th 2019. Retrieved July 20th 2022 from
https://medium.com/the-establishment/the-complicated-and-painful-legacy-of-dr-seuss-f1609121f000

Vasquez, Jared. Helen Palmer. Originally published May 3rd 2020. Retrieved July 20th 2022 from 
https://celebsindepth.com/helen-palmer/

Links:

Amy Johnson Crow, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge
https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/52-ancestors-in-52-weeks/

If you reference or use my blog posts in any way please

include a link to the specific blog and

credit http://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/

My blogs are ©Deborah Buchner, 2014 forward.

All rights reserved.

Please & Thank you!

______________________________________________________________

Cyrillic Ukrainian Alphabet ~ Finding the Meaning

My name, Deb,  in Cyrillic Ukrainian Alphabet it is spelled Деб

The letters look like drawn characters. 

They do not look like an alphabet to me. 

I didn't grow up with the Ukrainian part of my family. 

I didn't even know they existed until I was 29. 

I was 49 before a DNA match confirmed they were mine, and I could claim them. 

The first time I looked at the family name written I could only see the characters of the letters - not recognizing them as a real word.

I found a photo of my X2 great grandmother's grave marker.

I couldn't read it. 

I set out to find the translation for the characters on the marker. 

The family name I should have been given is Pellack, in Ukrainian it is Пеллак according the the translator, but on X2 great grandmother's marker it is Пелех. Only a little different. 

Translated it says: "Here rests  Maria Peleh   Forever remembered". The person who translated for me clarified that "The ‘h’ in Peleh is deep, like the deep h in Chanukah."

The name is spelled a little different on her Find-A-Grave - Pelech

This is where my X2 great grandmother was laid to rest.

When I did the reverse translation using the phrase above the results were: Тут відпочиває Марія Пелех Назавжди запам'яталася
which doesn't look exactly like the original, but close enough given exact translations are rarely correct, and my inexperienced eye. 

When I look at my name in Ukrainian spelling it looks like characters drawn - not recognizable as my name. 

When you loose family heritage often the first thing to go is the language. 

When I first learned of my Ukrainian family history I wanted to learn to speak and read Ukrainian. 

In the years since I have make zero progress towards learning. 

I wonder if learning a new language is easier if presented when you are younger? 

Wishing your ancestors had been there to teach you their language!!!

This is why I search - 

Cause ... 

You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family you know!

***Any errors are my own. Please send me any updates or corrections via the comments at the bottom of this blog post***

Sources:

English to Ukrainian, Ukrainian to English. Translations. Retrieved July 15th 2022 from https://www.translator.eu/english/ukrainian/translation/

МАРІЯ ПЕЛЕХ. Maria Pelech. Find A Grave. Retrieved July 15th 2022 from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/229775237/maria-pelech

Links:

Amy Johnson Crow, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge
https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/52-ancestors-in-52-weeks/

If you reference or use my blog posts in any way please

include a link to the specific blog and

credit http://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/

My blogs are ©Deborah Buchner, 2014 forward.

All rights reserved.

Please & Thank you!

______________________________________________________________

Angus ~ Somehow Related

This week's prompt Extended Family got me to wondering exactly how far away was still family. 

I started thinking about the connections shared with work friends, and how much impact they have on colleagues.

Recently my work bestie suffered a huge loss when they lost their fur baby Angus.

I decided writing about Angus this week was a fitting tribute to an amazing dog I loved & who loved me. When he arrived at my place of work he would immediately beeline to me. The fact that I always had treats for him had nothing to do with it I'm sure. Then again shared food is how we build relationships in the human world too!

About 3 years ago my coworker and partner began fostering for a bully breed rescue agency. They fostered several who were all adorable. When a 10 year old bully mix named Angus arrived all of us at work who met him were smitten. 

It wasn't very long after his arrival Malone & Matt realized he was the dog of their hearts, and they joined the ranks of 'foster failure'. The adoption was finalized not too long after. 

Angus' life before becoming the center of Malone & Matt's universe was not pretty. His journey to the life of pampering was long and hard, but when you met Angus it was hard to guess that was true. He was the gentlest, sweetest, happiest, dog you could ever meet. He presented an aura of being wise, but in a goofy sort of way. He always had a smile, and brought a smile to those he connected with. 

He was finally living his best life.

Angus will be remembered & missed by absolutely everyone who ever met him - even those who only knew him virtually. 

When Angus arrived to his new family he had a large following on Instagram which needed to be maintained as a stipulation of his adoption. His original Instagram was AdoptAngus that was changed to AdoptedAngus before it was changed to hugabullangus. He was also known as AngusBeefcake.

Like any good Celebration of Life eulogies help those grieving.

These & others can be found on social media 
(links for these in sources below).

Justice for Bullies had this to say on their Facebook Page: 

"This week we said good-bye to an amazing ambassador and BSL Avenger: Angus.

He has been a fixture at events, in his community, and on social media for the last four years – and he looked darn handsome in Justice for Bullies gear. 

Our Director April was lucky enough to be his foster mom, and she shares his story a lot, especially when people drop the “it’s all how they’re raised” bomb. If that were true, we would expect Angus to be a nervous, defensive dog who didn’t trust people.

You see, the first part of Angus’ life wasn’t good. We won’t go into detail because it’s not the part of his life we want to remember. But Angus himself? He was very very good. He inspired a large team of people to work together to rescue him, and although his adoption journey was a long and winding road, it was only because a “unicorn” dog needed a “unicorn” home that was worthy of him. Happy ending alert: he found it! It’s hard to imagine him having a more cherished, fulfilled life in his final three years. 

Angus had a gift for making friends. His melty eyes, his big smile, and his happy walk down the street with his ears a-flopping...he was hard not to love at first sight. And if you gave him the signal, he would beeline over to you for a cuddle. Always gentle - never pushy or obnoxious or jumpy - a lot of people said he would make a perfect therapy dog. 

He and his mom Malone achieved their St. John's Ambulance Therapy Dog certification in 2020. He was absolutely in his happy place doing this work he was born to do, whether hanging out at the local library, visiting prisons, or comforting kids during a Covid vaccination clinic. 

Angus was part of the Justice for Bullies family, and he was the ultimate ambassador: for rescue dogs, for blocky-headed dogs, and for responsible ownership. We honour him today, as well as everyone who saw his potential and worked to give him the beautiful life he deserved, even if that life was shorter than he deserved.  

Angus recently achieved his senior level of therapy dog certification allowing him to work with children. In his name we have received a sponsorship to print 200 colouring books. 100 will be distributed at Petapalooza, the biggest pet event in Alberta, and the other 100 will be distributed within his home province of BC.

Rest easy, Angus. We exist because of dogs like you." 

This from:

This from

April Fahr shared this:
"Angus left us yesterday. 

Although he was never officially mine, I count him as one of the three "heart dogs" I've been lucky to have in my life.
The difference was that Chica and Notch needed us. They were both a little "special" in their own ways, but Angus was a unicorn. He had one of the nicest temperaments I've ever seen and charmed absolutely everyone, even if they only knew him through social media. People at pet events would stop us: "Is that Angus?!? OMG can I say hi??" (Angus: YES PLEASE!!).
His is the story I tell when someone starts with the "it's all how you raise them" narrative. If that was true, Angus would have been a fearful, defensive dog. The first half of his life was not good. He was saved through a humongous group effort involving Spirit's Mission, PG Humane Society and HugABull Advocacy & Rescue Society which could be a whole other post. Everyone involved became smitten with this dog and stepped up without hesitation to help him.
I had the privilege of having him in my home for seven months. He was the happiest, most joyful creature. He loved making new friends, and he had the most incredible knack for it. If anyone avoided eye contact or was uncomfortable he was never pushy. But if you were interested, he would beeline over and curl into you (it was hard to pass a bus stop on walks. 😂). He never jumped or acted obnoxiously, and would sit as long as you wanted just enjoying your touch and your companionship.
I meet a lot of dogs and a lot of friendly dogs, but there was something really special about how he connected with people. Maybe it was because he knew loneliness and neglect, and he didn't want anyone around him to ever feel sad or alone.
He was obsessed with food (probably why he was the rare dog to come from a neglect situation 25 pounds overweight). He loved toys but squeakers freaked him out. 😂He adored Chica and found the cutest ways to semi-consensually snuggle with her.
We considered keeping him for many reasons. He didn't get a lot of adoption interest (a mystery) and no one wanted to see him go to a "just pretty good" home. The bar was high, but when he landed with Malone Smith and Matt, they smashed that bar.
They saw exactly how special he was, and they doted on him. Malone got him certified as a therapy dog, which I truly believe was his calling. He went on adventures and vacations and got to hang out at the local library where she worked. They were an amazing team.
As hard as rescue can be sometimes, this is the kind of outcome that inspires you. Getting updates from Malone brightened many of my days.
We all wanted to see him be 16 and old and grey and spoiled. If anyone deserved it, it was him. But cancer had a different plan.
Angus used to be a "helper" dog at the East Van Training Club (a safe space for reactive dogs). He was so bombproof (and so hypnotized by food), that he would chill while other nervous dogs could do a controlled, polite, rewarded sniff. We will use some of our donation funds to make a donation to St. John Ambulance BC/Yukon Therapy Dog program and Justice for Bullies - because who is a better ambassador for fat-headed dogs and people who fight for them?! "

HugABull Advocacy & Rescue Society shared this:

"Every dog that comes through our program has a special place in our hearts, but every once and a while, a dog comes along that manages to take up a little more space. Maisy and Angus were two of those dogs.

We were heartbroken when just weeks apart from one another, Maisy and Angus crossed the rainbow bridge - hopefully to meet once again on the other side.

When Maisy came to us, she had been found as a stray in horrific condition, no doubt living a life in which she had been suffering for a long time. We spent over a year trying to get her health stable, which often felt like one step forward and two steps back. 

Finally, the loveliest of people came along, Greg and Nicole, and they gave her the most wonderful forever home. At last, she had her own family that would love her for the rest of her life. Maisy settled in with Greg and Nicole as if she had been with them her whole life. She even became friends with their two cats, whom she often shared her bed with. She enjoyed walks with her new family on the beach, cuddling in bed, and of course, being constantly doted on. Many of the issues that constantly plagued her seemed to improve and she looked better than she ever had. We were all hopeful that Maisy would have many years left with Greg and Nicole after enduring such a hard life, but sadly it wasn’t so. On June 9th, Maisy had a stroke in the middle of the night and passed at the vet hospital surrounded by those who loved her. While we are so saddened by her loss, we are so grateful that during her short time with us, she was able to experience so much love, spending her final days with a family of her very own.

In 2018, we welcomed Angus into our rescue program after he was transferred to us from the PG Humane Society. He immediately melted the hearts of everyone he met and at 100lbs, he quickly became known as our special little meatball. Angus was a familiar face at events and was an incredible ambassador for the breed. We knew we needed to find Angus the perfect family and that day came when he met Malone and Matt. We couldn’t have dreamt up a more perfect family for him. Through the dedication of Malone, Angus would become a Certified Therapy Dog with Saint Johns Ambulance where he would continue to give back to the community and help change people’s perception of bully breeds. 

In 2020, Maisy and Angus crossed paths when Maisy joined the Guenther family as a foster. Angus and Maisy developed a slow friendship, sharing a passion for food and couch space until Maisy was ready to move on to the next leg of her journey. This past summer, Matt and Malone cautiously agreed to open their home once more to a dog in need. Puppy Waylon joined their family but with one condition - Angus would be the deciding factor about whether or not Waylon would stay permanently. With time, Angus and Waylon became the best of friends and would soon spend their days wrestling and eventually sleeping cuddled up on the couch. Much like Maisy, we expected many more years with Angus, and were crushed when he was diagnosed with lung cancer. From that day forward, Malone and Matt made sure that every day was Angus’ best day and he enjoyed many of the foods his previous diet hadn’t permitted.

On June 24th, Angus made it known that he was ready to say his final goodbye and even though we knew it was coming, it wasn’t any less painful. We are so thankful to the Guenther family for helping Angus live up to his full potential and for giving him the dream home he always deserved. 

When dogs like Maisy and Angus cross the rainbow bridge, they take a little bit of us with them - but in the end, we are so glad that we were able to be part of their lives. Thank you to those individuals who have made a generous donation to HugABull in memory of these two special dogs. If Angus and Maisy made a lasting impression in your life and you would like to make a donation in their memory, you can do so here ❤️  https://www.hugabull.com/donate.

Rest in Peace Angus and Maisy, you will never be forgotten 🌈🌈"

Angus had an aura about him that was soothing. He & Malone passed the training program for the St. John Therapy Dog Program. He visited the local prisons, library, & vaccine clinics. He was an ambassador for several animal non-profits attending many community events. He loved his work.

Angus changed the opinion of many who were afraid of Pit Bulls. 

He really was an ambassador for his breed.

Angus was a super hero!

Angus was very photogenic & a ham for the camera. These are only a few of the photos that can be found on social media. 

It's in the kitchen where Angus' presence is so obviously missing. No longer tripping over him or feeling his attempt to will food to the floor.

Who would have guessed having no more slobber to clean up would be so sad. 

Left to mourn are:
his parents Matt & Malone

and his brother Waylon

A small girl announced at an event that Angus was her best friend.

She was not alone. 

Angus' circle of friends was wide. 

He will be missed. 

Finding your FUREVER home!!!

This is why I search - 

Cause ... 

You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family you know!

***Any errors are my own. Please send me any updates or corrections via the comments at the bottom of this blog post***

Photos & Video:

Facebook, Instagram, personal & family provided July 2022

Sources:

Angus...aka Angus Beefcake...aka Meatball – is ADOPTED. HugABull Advocacy & Rescue Society.  Retrieved July 5th 2022 from
https://www.facebook.com/Hugabull/photos/a.160504277304635/2699822083372829/

Angus Instagram Page. hugabullangus. Instagram. Retrieved July 6th 2022 from https://www.instagram.com/hugabullangus/

Memorials:

April Fahr Facebook Page. Angus Memorial. Retrieved July 5th 2022 from
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10166808987340497&set=a.157611775496

HugABull Advocacy & Rescue Society Facebook Page. Angus & Maisy Memorial. Retrieved July 7th 2022 from 
https://www.facebook.com/Hugabull

Justice for Bullies Facebook Page. Angus Memorial. Retrieved July 5th 2022 from 
https://www.facebook.com/Justiceforbullies/posts/pfbid0BaqxkiW1xRo1qTnohWP9htt1chu5HCZXeRihcGmVGGFwWAq83sifJVJ64Z7h93AYl

PG Humane Society Facebook Page. Angus Memorial. Retrieved July 7th 2022 from https://www.facebook.com/pghumanesociety

Spirit's Mission Facebook Page. Angus Memorial. Retrieved July 5th 2022 from https://www.facebook.com/spiritsmission/

Links:

Amy Johnson Crow, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge
https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/52-ancestors-in-52-weeks/

If you reference or use my blog posts in any way please

include a link to the specific blog and

credit http://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/

My blogs are ©Deborah Buchner, 2014 forward.

All rights reserved.

Please & Thank you!

______________________________________________________________