Tika & Hair Art

As I was combing a (grumpy) Tika the other day, I mused about something I had just read (refer to below). The lesson-booklet stated that "human hair was not the only kind of hair that was utilized. Hides of domestic and wild animals were saved so that their hair could be used for many different utilitarian purposes." Further down in the article was this:  "The hair of rabbits, dogs, goats and woodchurcks was valued (to use)." ​

The Daughters of the Utah Pioneers (DUP) is an organization for female desdendants of the Utah pioneers, those hardy souls who entered the Salt Lake Valley in 1846 (or something close.... I do not qualify so am a bit fuzzy on the details).  The group publishes a reqular lesson (more like a little booklet) and the Lesson for April 2012 was titled "Hair Art." It was most interesting!

"Pioneer women in the 1800s were quick to adopt and enjoy crafts that would beautify their homes. Hair art, which had been popular in Europe from the 1400s through the 1800s, was one of the ways that the women decorated their walls with pictures made from  the hair of members of their families, friends, famous people and sometimes from members of organizations. Hair was also used in memorial jewelry and for personal adornment." 

"During the Utah pioneer era (and I know that this was done all over Victorian America), a lady seldom cut her hair. However, during the time that hair craft was popular, most ladies collected hair from their brushes and stored it in a "hair receiver," a small container that they kept on their dressing tables. When enough hair was saved, the flowers for the wreaths and other projects could be made by securing the hair with fine wire over a rod and then creating a series of loops and forming the shape that was wanted: Leaves, petals, buds or complete flowers."  

Don't think I would have the patience for such art. And with women's hair much shorter these days, seems to me it would be impossible. And Tika's short red hair/fur would most certainly be impossible!  

"Yep, I agree," mused Tika as she cheered up when I put the comb away.

Tika & DNA (and free book!)

It seems these days that all the buzz in the genealogy world has to do with DNA research..... how to test and how to interpret and use the tests. There are endless articles, webinars, blogs, and books all being made available to help teach us how to use this new tool in our geneaology toolbox.

In the May-June 2015 issue of FamilyTree Magazine, there was an offer that was too good to ignore. On page 3, there was an ad for a "FREE DOWNLOAD" of a booklet of past articles from FT Magazine. Jump Into Genetic Genealogy; Use Genealogical DNA Testing to Solve Family Mysteries is the title of this compilation and it's made available from FamilyTree University.

To download your free copy, your free e-book, copy and paste this impossible link:

ftu.familytreemagazine.com/jump-into-genetic-genealogy-use-genealogical-dna-testing-to-solve-family-mysteries  

I printed out my copy (shame on me, I know) and with my eveing tea will study it thoroughly.

Tika is excited too.  "Aren't there DNA studies for dogs"  I did some online research and of course there are DNA tests for dogs............ this particular one is available from Walmart for $69.00!

Tika is a clear-cut case of she looks like a dachshund, she digs holes like a dachshund and she gives kisses like a miniature dachshund, so I'm going to assume that she is a dachshund.  No DNA test for Tika, sorry.

Have you DNA tested your dog?  Would love to hear about it, if so!

Tika & Foreign Potty Stops

Having been blessed to travel to many parts of the world, I'll have to say that the Chinese and Taiwanese have the most interesting pottys. I was holding Tika on my lap as we looked at this pictures and her only comment was "How about #2 in the squatty??"  I had no answer for her.

Taiwanese according to Google translate?

Using this "squatty potty" is way harder than you might think, especially

for older Caucasian ladies whose knees don't bend that low easily.  

Seat covers, and sometimes TP, you had to fetch before

you entered the stall. 

In the 7-11s, TP was sold (for homes) like this. 

At least in most bigger tourist places, you had a choice!

The hotels had these fancy pottys with warmed seats

and two sprays of cleaning water jets......... to much, eh!

Tika Learns About Differences

A fellow member taught us in a meeting a valuable lesson. No, Tika was not there in the public library, but I told her all about it.

His grandparents had lived in Texline, Dallam County, Texas. So he went searching and found a 19-page pamphlet published in 1906 about this bitty place. Bingo!

The lesson is where he found the booklet. Here's where he looked:

Ancestry.com  --  nope
Amazon.com  --  yes, for sale for $25
AbeBooks.com  --  yes, for sale for $30
Google Books  --  referred him to other book selling websites
FamilySearch.org  --  Bingo!

The lesson that Doug taught us that day is this:  Do not look just in one place to seek out information that you hope or know or even suspect might be out there. Keep looking.... there are a good dozen of places to search.

Tika was on my lap when I was searching out images of Texline.  "Nope. Not for me," she sniffed. "I'm from Idaho where there are TREES!"