Treasure Chest Thursday - New Arrival

Painting of Jean Mary and Edith Berta Gowans

I wrote previously about the generosity of the English cousin we visited earlier this year.

One of the gifts we received was a painting by one of my husband's distant relations, Edith Berta Angus Gowans (known as Berta), who is his second cousin twice removed. Berta was a spinster who had no direct descendants so she gave many of her treasures to our cousin who happens to be a bachelor with no descendants. Generously he wanted to share some of the treasures with other Gowans family members who would appreciate them. Our  new painting is dated 1926 when Berta was 19 years of age.

Berta was one of three daughters of opthalmic surgeon, Thomas Gowans and Mary Berta Angus. Berta and her sisters, as genteel young ladies, probably would have spent a deal of their leisure time engaging in the ladylike pursuit of painting.

Our newly framed painting by Berta Gowans is ready to hang

Rootstech 2012 Official Blogger Registration Giveaway

The powers that be at Rootstech have given each of the Official Bloggers a free registration to the 2012  Rootstech Conference to give away via their blogs. My fellow Official  Bloggers Amy Coffin, Joan Miller and Lorine McGinnis-Schulze have already announced their competitions and Amy has awarded her prize.

Unless you have been hibernating or sleeping under a rock you will know that the Rootstech Conference is to be held in Salt Lake City from 2-4 February 2012. I hope to see you there.

Somehow I know that my Australian readers won't be entering a competition to win this prize as, to attend the Conference, they would have to find a couple of thousand extra dollars for flights and accommodation to go with the free rego. There may, of course, be an Aussie out there who is planning to attend but who hasn't gotten around to registering yet. Those of you from other lands who actually read my blog, probably stand a good chance of winning the prize.

To enter the competition  please:

1. Browse through the presentations on offer in the Rootstech Schedule and select a presentation that would benefit a foreigner from downunder like me. You can see my interests on this blog, profiles on Twitter and Google+ or my family site.

2. Firstly send a tweet to @geniaus or a short Google+ post to your genealogy circle and +Jill Ball naming the presentation you recommend and stating your reason for this (be sure to check my profile pic to make sure you have the right Jill Ball).

3. Secondly email jillballau@gmail.com.com with your contact details so that I can notify you when you win the prize.

CONDITIONS:

1. The contest will close at Midnight GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) on Wednesday 16th November, 2011.
2. There will be only one winner of a free registration to Rootstech 2012 (value $US129). The prizewinner will be responsible for all other conference expenses incurred including meals, accommodation, travel and incidental expenses.
3. My team will choose the prizewinner from the entries received prior to the closing time.
4. The winner will be notified at the email address supplied as soon as possible after the contest closing time.
5. The winner's name will be published on the Geniaus blog.
6. The judges decision is final. 

Free event at Baulkham Hills Library

I received this comment on my website and am passing on this information for anyone who may be interested. I had previously reported one of Ian's talks at Castle Hill Library.

Comments: Hello,

I work at Baulkham Hills Library and would like to pass on details of a free genealogy event we are having next week. On Wednesday 16 November 2011 family history enthusiast Ian Beckett will be presenting a session from 10.30am to 11.30am on useful websites focusing on Australian family history research. 

If you or anyone you know would like to attend we would be more than happy to see you there. Bookings can be made at http://familyhistorywebsites-eorg.eventbrite.com/ or by phoning Baulkham Hills Library on 029761 5735. The Library address in Railway Street, Baulkham Hills.

Kind regards
Antonella Martin
Customer Service Officer

Antonella Martin
amartin@thehills.nsw.gov.au

A Feisty Three Year Old?

More than half a century ago a little girl celebrated her third birthday.

Her family had not long taken delivery of its first refrigerator, television had not yet arrived in Australia and there was no telephone in the house. That little girl could not have imagined that many years later she would celebrate another third birthday with friends from all around the world being able to join the party via the magic of the internet. This was the stuff of fairy tales and science fiction.

Here I am, an old girl, celebrating being three once more, not gathered round a table with half a dozen little mates but with anyone who cares to join in from anywhere in the world.

Geniaus' (centre front) Third Birthday Party

As the Geniaus blog is three today I turned to a number of parenting sites to see what the future holds for a feisty three year old like Geniaus.

This site tells me a three year old:

• no longer a toddler
• has become more independent
• less selfish than two and exhibits less aggressive behavior
• more aware of and sensitive to the feelings of others
• more responsive to other children and  able to develop friendships
• capable of taking turns and sharing toys
• sense of time has become clearer and he’ll know his daily routine and will try to figure out the routines of others
• will have a capacity to understand his own place spatially amongst the family and is able to view you as a separate person
• wants to please you - - will be less dependent on you because his sense of identity is growing stronger
• will exhibit a feisty attitude on occasion and resist your requests.

So there you have it, for the next twelve months I will be less selfish, more responsive, sensitive, try to please and make more friends but reserve the right to remain independent and feisty.