Found a cousin

I love family history and I love computers. On Saturday I was notified that someone had previously posted a message to a genealogy board on Roots Web (and the message was in reply to someone else's message and not even to one of mine). As soon as I read her post, I knew that we were related, so I immediately replied to the message board and Mary Jo emailed me within hours.

We are 2nd cousins...our mothers were 1st cousins. She knew my grandpa Ted (I barely remember meeting him once).  Mary Jo sent me some pictures last night. Here is her mom Rita on the left and my mom's senior picture on the right:

Kind of fun. Mary Jo has just started looking into her family tree, so I am able to fill up her chart with info I have (can I praise Catholic records too much? don't think so...though I do have difficulty reading the Latin in some of them). She has a lot of photos to share, which is really nice since I only had a few photos of my grandpa and his parents and none of his siblings.

I also asked if she had any recipes. She hasn't had a chance to look yet. I'm thinking she doesn't, but I would love to have recipes that my great grandma and great-great grandma used, for some reason. I guess it would help me to feel connected to them, even though I haven't met them (or don't remember them).

Here is a photo of Grandpa Ted's parents, Fred and Perle Mominee. I hadn't seen this photo before.

Here is Gideon Vincent, Perle's father (known as Pippi...but then again Fred and Perle were known as Mimi and Pippi, too...I'm guessing it's a French Canadian thing and not an Ohio thing). He fought in the Civil War and was at Appomattax when the treaty was signed to end the war.

Here is Grandpa Ted with Uno (what I am assuming is his dog).

And lastly, here is Mary Jo as a baby with her brother and my Grandpa Ted.

Since Mary Jo lives in Maryland, I doubt we'll be meeting up, but it sure is wonderful to have contact with someone who can share photos and memories.

Improv Everywhere/RS Birthday dinner/Biggest Loser update

Glen and Eric were in Reno last night with some of the drama students and a mother of one of the students where they participated in an Improv Everywhere activity. To see what Improv Everywhere is about, click on Improv Everywhere. Have no fear, Glen and his students did not use the "ride public transit pantless" activity idea.

They went to the airport and enthusiastically greeted some passengers arriving in Reno. They said one guy played along and greeted them back like he hadn't seem them in a while. One couple acted how I would have...unsure and probably wishing to get out of there as fast as they could.

They went to a park and had super hero fights...using toy light sabers from Star Wars. As they were leaving someone asked them if there was a Star Wars convention going on.

They also had a birthday party at the food court at the mall. Another thing they did at the mall was the "frozen in Grand Central Station" idea. Glen participated in that one feeling that remaining still was something he could do. Good clean fun.

While they were entertaining themselves in Reno, I was at Church for the annual Relief Society Birthday celebration. It was a 3-ward activity. We had chicken salad in pita pockets for dinner. Yum. Then there was a musical program called "The Ten Virgins." There is a little narration here and there and each woman sings a song and then they all sing together at the end.

On the whole it was very nice and enjoyable...except for the part where I feel jealous? envious? depressed? because I wish I had a voice like theirs. It was beautiful. And totally out of my league. To all those who participated: you did a great job and I applaud your talents and willingness to share them with others.

I sing alto in the ward choir...and that's where I belong. Where other people's better voices can cover mine. As Jennifer pointed out after the program, we all have our talents...and mine isn't singing.

The bright side is I don't like being on stage and if I sang well I'd be asked to participate in such programs. So, by not having a great voice I save myself from the stress of public performances. I can deal with that.

It's been a few weeks since I've done a Glen Biggest Loser update...since I last posted, Glen gained a pound, stayed the same for a few weeks and this past week he had lost .6 pounds. He's trying to get back on the losing streak. As for me, I have been using my treadmill, but my eating is out of whack (but I sure enjoyed eating the $8.88 worth of mini-reese's cups I had bought for Andrew's Easter basket. Don't know if I trust myself to buy any more. Might just have to tell him to buy his own, though I do have a chocolate bunny to send him. He's still around because I don't find him tempting.).

My one good piece of health news is that last summer my cholesterol was up to 244 and I recently had it tested and I am down to 216...that was before all the reese's cups, however.