Nice Matters ... A Lot

Last week, Miriam nominated me for a "Nice Matters" award. That was so sweet. Of course, she wouldn't think I was so nice if she was with me while grocery shopping today. Can someone PLEASE tell me WHY grocery stores put those big cases of bottled water in the middle of the store? Don't they realize that by the time customers get to them the bottom of their carts are full and they have to re-arrange everything to fit the thing in?????

Anyway, it was really nice to be nominated. The idea now is to nominate another blogger, who is then supposed to keep it going by nominating other bloggers. I'm going to nominate Donna, a friend of mine who is trying very hard to be patient while waiting for her daughter, Lauren, to be ready for adoption in China. She's going to be a great mother, and I can't think of a nicer person to get the award.

I do have a lot of other non-blogging nice people to nominate though. All of my friends, of course and family would qualify. But keeping with my genealogy theme, I would have to nominate all the cousins who have found me via this blog or email lists. They have truly made my search far more than I hoped for: I'd hoped for information, but I got family connections. I always wonder what our ancestors are thinking, seeing their descendants find each other from across the country!

So I'd like to nominate Pat Dunn, my 3rd cousin once removed on my maternal O'ROURKE/KEARNS line who found me because of another cousin from that line, Jack who I also nominate. Then there's Pat and Joyce, second cousins of mine from one of my maternal TIGHE lines. Joyce's son Marty deserves credit too, as I know he's done a lot of research too. Then there's Mike, my 2nd cousin once removed on my maternal DOYLE line. Then there's Tom, my first cousin once removed on my paternal HODICK line. And John/Jackie and/or Jerry, who made copies of a 1918 portrait of the HODICK line that I treasure. And my newest cousin, Jim -- a 2nd cousin from the formerly elusive McHUGH line (the paternal branch). He recently emailed me just after I'd found a few pictures of the McHUGH clan amidst a bunch of HODICK pictures. What timing.

I feel like I've just won an academy award, naming all the cousins for whom I'm grateful for their assistance, but more importantly, for their reaching out to connect with a cousin they previously didn't likely know existed. I hope I didn't forget anyone, and if I did, it's only because so many of you have contacted me and my recordkeeping probably isn't the best!

Now, I can't leave without posting a picture. So I will post one of my new-found pictures that I think is an awesome picture (and well-preserved, too, as it would have been taken sometime between 1900 and 1920) ! It is of my great grandfather Edward HODICK, taken outside a watering hole in Kansas, probably near Pittsburg. Yes, that's Pittsburgh, KS :). Edward is the third from the left as you look at the picture.

If anyone happens to know of the one-time establishment, I'd love to hear from you for some historical background!