Surprise ~ 30 Years Passed in a Flash

 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2023: Week 39 (SURPRISE)

Surprise - I went away on vacation & missed 2 weeks of the challenge.

At first I was stressing
'BUT Deb, you made a commitment to yourself that you would write weekly'.

Then I realized that I made the rules so I can change them.
New rule - when we go away on vacation I will skip those weeks.

This is my 5th year of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge. In past years those types of prompts really got my creative wheels turning. This year I'm just not feeling it when I try to focus on the hardships. Successes I definitely feel, but focusing on the negative has been hard for me lately.

I can't believe it's already been 5 years since I first began writing weekly about this Bramble Bush. 

In a heartbeat years go by.

If you aren't paying attention you can miss it. 

We vacationed in Northern Idaho with a quick trip to Montana to visit Kootenai Falls.

We had an amazing trip, and I was planning to write about it.

Life is what is happening while you're busy planning. 

Something big happened this week.

Chris received a 30 year long service award. 

WAIT - how did that happen?

30 years ago Chris fulfilled his dream of becoming a Paramedic in the province of British Columbia.In the 30 years spanning his career he had no idea what this career had in store for him. 

He began in the small town of Nelson. 

He then moved on to the smaller town of Grand Forks. 

His next stop - the downtown Eastside of Vancouver. 

Then to the Whalley district of Surrey. 

He finally moved to the community of Chilliwack (where we reside). 

He then got the Princess Shift (days - no nights) in the tiny town of Agassiz. 

With retirement in his sights Chris was promoted to Manager. 

On the day in 1993 when he was issued his uniform he could never have imagined the amazing career he would have. 

Surprise - he had hair!

This week he received his 30 year long service award.

As a paramedic he does not see the impact he has on the lives of those he cares for.

In his own words 
                                            We're kind of  like a secret service.

We swoop in.

We deal with it.

We swoop out.

We drop them off at the hospital.

They spend the least amount of time in our world.

Sometime they get the most life saving technique in those few moments.

Over the years the workload has increased. Partly due to no longer being in small towns, and partly because the world has gotten busier.

Not always is the job of a paramedic high stress!

We have been together for almost 32 years.

I have watched his achievements in awe.

Today we celebrate this amazing human being who has impacted the lives of too many to count!!! 

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:

Bucky: A Paramedic's Story. Smitty Speaks. YouTube. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAyNLs6P6zs&t=688s

Photos:

Personal

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!

______________________________________________________________

Heading Home ~ With a Twisp

 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2023: Week 38 (ADVERSITY)

This week we were still on vacay in Idaho so I shall share about the last part of this amazing tip instead of the prompt ADVERSITY.

We started this week with a 1 hour trip to Coeur d'Alene for the sunset dinner cruise.  

We decided to go in earlier in the day to explore. 

It wasn't until we got home that we learned the Human Rights Education Institute was very much needed given their history & realized the prompt ADVERSITY actually fit. 

The waterfront boardwalk was a very nice stroll before dinner.

The sunset dinner cruise was beautiful & the food was very good. The tables were set up as shared & we connected nicely with the folks at our shared table. 

Our day in Coeur d'Alene was one of the highlights of our trip.

One of the people we met on the Sunset Dinner Cruise worked at Sedlmayers in Spirit Lake. We decided to go on an evening they had musicians playing. It was one of our best dinners on this trip. 

It was a bit chilly that evening. They brought us a heater to the table that made the evening temperatures perfect. 

Chris and I love hearing about the history of places, and Sedlmayer's didn't disappoint. 

The story of Bing Crosby having visited & then later mentioning them in lyrics wasn't exactly correct. 

The song Moonlight Bay does not include the resort's name BUT it does appear in this performance of the song with Bing & Gary Crosby. 

No trip is complete until I have visited the local library.

Our last evening in Idaho - picture perfect.

The next morning we headed to Grand Coulee Washington for one last night on the road before heading home.

We watched the video of Grand Coulee's history in the interpretive center before watching the Laser Light Show after dark. 

We were surprised at how many were there to watch it given the chilly evening in mid September.

We enjoyed the animated lightshow, but there were parts of the messaging that left us troubled when reflecting on Truth & Reconciliation. 

This town deer stopped by to say goodbye as we readied to head home

When we were checking out the advertised coffee & muffins were not available. 

We headed out of town planning to stop at the first restaurant we saw for breakfast.

After a couple of hours I announced that if we didn't find food soon Cranky Deb would be making an appearance (honestly she had already arrived). 

Moments later a sign with FOOD written on it appeared on the side of the road.

We immediately left the highway and traveled into the small town of Twisp. 

The roads were barricaded off. 

We had stumbled into a street festival of sorts.

After having spent more than a week in very conservative communities with little diversity it was refreshing to find a community and event that felt like my hometown of Nelson. 

When you feel like you have arrived 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***

Sources:

Bing & Gary Crosby-Moonlight Bay - mentions Sedlmayer's Milk Bar in the performance while singing the song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebuS01qjOas&t=44s

Grand Coulee Light Show 2023
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QI1aajWA4g

Photos:

Personal

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!

______________________________________________________________

Vacay ~ Idaho & Montana

 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2023: Week 37 (PROSPERITY)

This week's prompt PROSPERITY seems appropriate since we went away on vacation to Idaho.

Why Idaho you ask?

We had to use our credits for the canceled September 2020 New York trip, and chose a place close enough to drive to. 

A week at Stoneridge Resort in Blanchard, Idaho was where we chose to use our travel credits for half of our canceled New York trip (the other half was a week in Dominican last March).

The resort was very nice. 

The restaurant at the golf course next door:  the service was fantastic, and the food hit & miss, BUT the convenience & prices made it perfect. The first night we were serenaded by coyotes while enjoying our meal on the patio.

We enjoyed the resort offerings, and my activity tracker offered much congratulations on the amount of walking and active time we engaged in. 

We had a friendly mini golf wager - the loser was the DD for the next night's dinner out at the Mexican restaurant in nearby Spirit Lake. Luckily Chris was the winner since he likes Margaritas! 

Mi Pueblo had the best Chicken Chimichanga I have ever eaten (AND I have eaten a lot of them). Chris had hesitations about ordering the Margarita because this restaurant had a wine & beer license only so the margarita didn't have tequila in it. He's not sure how they made it, but he was not able to tell that it was made with wine. 

The resort provided an activity sheet that included this community event. 

This was a super fun event, and the rib dinner was very good. We met some friendly locals who told us about Kootenai Falls in Montana that was a little over 2 hours away.

We couldn't miss the opportunity to add another state to our visited list

Kootenai Falls

The walking trail between the falls and the suspension bridge 

I'm not sure when I outgrew my fear of heights - we loved the suspension bridge.

Sadly we didn't see Beth or Rip or anyone from the Dutton Ranch during our visit to Montana. 

This Canadian was shocked to see a handgun on our walk to the falls.

We had an amazing time exploring a new place & spending time together!!!

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:

Personal

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!

______________________________________________________________

Artisan Tradesman - Shoemaker ~ X4 Great Grandfather George Baker

 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2023: Week 36 (TRADESMAN)

"Shoemakers, also known as cobblers, are artisan tradespeople who design, create and repair customised footwear. It is a highly skilled profession, calling for precision craftsmanship and detailed work to create unique shoes, boots and other forms of footwear. They use high quality materials such as leather to hand-make custom orders made to fit specific customers. They can be self-employed or work in shops that appeal to customers seeking artisanal goods." 1

A Jolly Cobbler - not a relative

My 4th great grandfather was an Artisan Tradesman.

A Shoemaker or a Bootmaker depending on which census record.

George Baker

BIRTH 14 AUG 1820 • Heston, Middlesex, England

DEATH JUL 1896 • Ealing, Middlesex, England
married to 

Emma

BIRTH 1817 • England

DEATH AUG 1904 • England

On all the census records between 1851 & 1891 George was listed as a Shoemaker or Bootmaker. He is also listed as a shoemaker in the birth & marriage records of all his children. 

1881 Census tells us that at least one of his children followed in his footsteps (pun intended) - son Augustus is a shoemaker in that census (By 1891 Augustus is a Photographic Printer).

Emma's maiden name may have been Rouse, but I'm not convince the trees on Ancestry are correct. The only documentation for this is an 1849 marriage registration. George & Emma's first child arrive in 1841. I feel confident this is not their marriage registration so Emma's maiden name is still unknown. 

My 3rd great grandfather Alfred A Baker had a twin named Augustus Baker (the shoemaker/photographer mentioned above). Alfred married Jemima Jane North (my 3rd great grandmother). They named their son Alfred Augustus Baker presumably after his father and uncle. My X2 great grandmother was Alfred & Jemima's daughter, Amy Louisa Baker. 

George & Emma had 10 children 
8th & 9th were my grandfather Alfred & his twin Augustus).

Their 10 children were:

George Baker

BIRTH 16 JUN 1841

DEATH 1 NOV 1841

Lucy Baker

BIRTH 1842 • Ealing, Middlesex, England

DEATH Unknown

Charles Baker

BIRTH 23 DEC 1843 • Heston, Middlesex, England

DEATH 19 JUL 1917 • Brentford, Middlesex, England

Joseph Baker

BIRTH 1846 • Heston, Middlesex, England

DEATH 2 SEP 1921 • 14 St Johns Rd, Ealing, Middlesex, England

Walter Baker

BIRTH 21 FEB 1848 • Heston, Middlesex, England

DEATH 23 NOV 1928 • Newton Abbot, Devon, England

Arthur Baker

BIRTH 9 AUG 1850 • Heston, Middlesex, England

DEATH Unknown

Emma Baker

BIRTH 19 DEC 1852 • Ealing Dean, Middlesex, England

DEATH Unknown

Augustus Baker (Twin of Alfred)

BIRTH 22 APR 1855 • Ealing, Middlesex, England

DEATH Unknown

Alfred A Baker (Twin of Augustus)

BIRTH 22 APR 1855 • Ealing, Middlesex, England

DEATH Unknown

George Baker

BIRTH 2 SEP 1861 • Ealing, Middlesex, England

DEATH Unknown

My 4th great grandfather, George Baker, was a shoemaker. 

I love shoes. 

These are my newest acquisition

A shared love of shoes - Coincidence I think NOT!!!

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  Job Description Shoemaker. Become Shoemaker.  Jobillico Career Guide. Retrieved September 5th 2023 from
https://www.jobillico.com/career-guide/shoemaker

Photos:

A Jolly Cobbler - Photograph shows a cobbler hammering a nail into a shoe.Copyright 1908 by Edgar B. Brown, Waltham, Mass. Source: Library of Congress http://www.loc.gov/  Retrieved September 5th 2023 from
https://picryl.com/media/a-jolly-cobbler

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!

______________________________________________________________