|
~~~
Grandma
and the Family Tree
~~~~~
There's
been a change in Grandma, we've noticed her of late,
She's
always reading history or jotting down some date.
She's
tracking back the family, we'll all have pedigrees.
Oh,
Grandma's got a hobby, she's climbing Family Trees.
Poor
Grandad does the cooking and now, or so he states,
That
worst of all, he has to wash the cups and dinner plates.
Grandma
can't be bothered, she's busy as a bee
Compiling
genealogy - for the Family Tree.
She
has no time to baby-sit, the curtains are a fright,
No
buttons left on Grandad's shirt, the flower bed's a sight.
She's
given up her club work, the serials on TV,
The
only thing she does nowadays is climb the Family Tree.
She
goes down to the courthouse and studies ancient lore,
We
know more about our forebears than we ever knew before.
The
books are old and dusty, they make poor Grandma sneeze,
A
minor irritation when you're climbing Family Trees.
The
mail is all for Grandma, it comes from near and far,
Last
week she got the proof she needs to join the DAR.
A
worthwile avocation, to that we all agree,
A
monumental project, to climb the Family Tree.
Now
some folks came from Scotland and some from Galway Bay,
Some
were French as pastry, some German, all the way.
Some
went on west to stake their claim, some stayed near by the sea,
Grandma
hopes to find them all as she climbs the Family Tree.
She
wanders through the graveyard in search of date or name,
The
rich, the poor, the in-between, all sleeping there the same.
She
pauses now and then to rest, fanned by a gentle breeze
That
blows above the Fathers of all our Family Trees.
There
were pioneers and patriots mixed in our kith and kin
Who
blazed the paths of wilderness and fought through thick and thin.
But
none more staunch than Grandma, whose eyes light up with glee
Each
time she finds a missing branch for the Family Tree.
Their
skills were wide and varied, from carpenter to cook
And
one (Alas!) the record shows was hopelessly a crook.
Blacksmith,
weaver, farmer, judge, some tutored for a fee,
Long
lost in time, now all recorded on the Family Tree.
To
some it's just a hobby, to Grandma it's much more,
She
knows the joys and heartaches of those who went before.
They
loved, they lost, they laughed, they wept, and now for you and me
They
live again in spirit, around the Family Tree.
At
last she's nearly finished and we are each exposed.
Life
will be the same again, this we all supposed!
Grandma
will cook and sew, serve cookies with our tea.
We'll
all be fat, just as before that wretched Family Tree.
Sad
to relate, the Preacher called and visited for a spell,
We
talked about the Gospel, and other things as well,
The
heathen folk, the poor and then - 'twas fate, it had to be,
Somehow
the conversation turned to Grandma and the Family Tree.
We
tried to change the subject, we talked of everything
But
then in Grandma's voice we heard that old familiar ring.
She
told him all about the past and soon was plain to see
The
preacher, too, was nearly snared by Grandma and the Family Tree.
He
never knew his Grandpa, his mother's name was ... Clark?
He
and Grandma talked and talked, outside it grew quite dark.
We'd
hoped our fears were groundless, but just like some disease,
Grandma's
become an addict - she's hooked on Family Trees!
Our
souls were filled with sorrow, our hearts sank with dismay,
Our
ears could scarce believe the words we heard our Grandma say,
"It
sure is a lucky thing that you have come to me,
I
know exactly how it's done, I'll climb your Family Tree!"
~~~
Genealogy
Pox
~~~~~
WARNING:
Genealogy Pox is VERY CONTAGIOUS
SYMPTOMS:
Continual complaint as to need for names, dates and places. Patient has
a blank expression, sometimes deaf to spouse and children. Has no taste
for work of any kind, except feverishly looking through records at libraries
and courthouses. Has a compulsion to write letters. Swears at mailman when
he doesn't leave mail. Frequents strange places such as cemeteries, ruins,
and remote desolate country areas. Makes secret night calls and hides phone
bills from spouse. Mumbles to self. Has strange, farway look in eyes. NO
KNOWN CURE
TREATMENT:
Medication is usless. This disease is not fatal, but gets progressively
worse. Patient should attend genealogy workshops, subscribe to genealogical
magazines and be given a quiet corner in the house where he or she can
be alone.
REMARKS:
The unusual nature of this disease is that the sicker the patient gets,
the more he or she enjoys it.
|
Midi 
E Mail Queries and Feedback
........................................
Homepage