Monday 30 September 2013

A Hidden Cemetery.

Wiseman's Ferry Cemetery, NSW. 

A lone grave at the end of a pathway.
















Wiseman’s Ferry Cemetery, NSW, Australia.
30 June 2013.

It was a forest, quite literally, but it was such fun to explore and it's so beautiful. Half of the cemetery really is hidden. It’s full of history and is where I saw my first convict grave. I had to climb up a very steep bushy hill to reach the grave in the photo below, however, the angle I took the photo at makes the ground look flat. It wasn't.

I was bursting with so much excitement that day. Is that weird? I just love cemeteries okay. And a hidden cemetery?! Now that's even better.

I spotted a grave up this steep hill.
Dad said 'Go on, you know you want to.'
Translation: Start moving!

Friday 27 September 2013

The Book of Me, Written by You: Week 4

This is my response to Week 4’s prompt ‘Favorite Season’. More details about the prompt & the 15 month challenge can be found from the creator Julie here.

For a long time my favorite season was Spring. This was due to the fact that my birthday is in Spring. Yep, I’m a Spring baby. Oh, and just so you know, my birthday is less than 2 months away. If anyone’s a bit confused reading this, Australia’s seasons are opposite to the USA & England. It’s Autumn there right now, Spring here.

I hate hot weather, and recently, Spring has become quite hot. The past few days in Brisbane have been very hot. Yesterday (Thursday) was 33 degrees Celsius (91.4 F)!! Hotter than usual for September I think. Do you know how annoying it is when it’s already 26 degrees & you need to have a coffee & you’re already sweating like hell from walking to the bus stop and it’s not even 9am yet? And don’t even get me started on straightening my hair in hot weather. Well, this is turning into all the reasons I don’t like hot weather. Oops.

Winter has been my favorite season for a couple of years now. Give me cold weather, a hot chocolate, hoodie, jeans and a scarf any day. I love cold weather. I feel happier in winter too. One thing I don’t like about winter in Brisbane though is that it does not snow. I have seen snow twice in my life – when I was a baby in Virginia, which I have no memory of, and Christmas 2010 in Texas. That’s my happy memory which I associate with winter. Christmas 2010 was the first time I really saw snow. I was at my cousin’s house. She was in her early 30’s and I was 20. I was so excited. She was excited for me. I was asking her silly questions like ‘what is sleet?’ I made my first snow angel with her. I made my first snow man with her. Oh gosh, it was amazing. Here’s a photo of us below.

Caitie & her cousin Kristie in the snow, January 2011, Texas.
My snow angel.

Snow angel!

Playing in the park with my brother & cousins.
Snow at the park.


There’s another reason I love winter. Scarves. I am obsessed with them. I’m always buying them, even in summer! I hate not being able to wear scarves in summer. I mean, I totally would if it didn’t get so hot! You’re probably wondering how many scarves I own (if you weren’t, you are now!). I counted 24. And I want more.






Scarf collection, September 2013.

Thursday 19 September 2013

The Book of Me, Written by You: Week 3

This is my response to Week 3’s prompt ‘Describe Your Physical Self’. More details about the prompt & the 15 month challenge can be found from the creator Julie here.

“Describe your physical self.” Well, where do I start?

According to my Drivers License, I’m 164cm tall. That’s about 5’5”. I’m taller than my Mum, but shorter than my Dad & younger brother. My weight has been a bit of an issue for me. I’m not at all skinny. I was skinny when I was a kid, and I had dance classes every week. Since I finished high school & stopped dancing, I’ve put a bit of weight on. I wouldn’t mind losing a few kilos, but I’m happy with my weight & body.

My natural hair colour is a blondish brown. Sometimes it gets long enough that it reaches my bra strap. Right now it’s halfway between my neck & bra strap. Currently my hair colour is light brown with blonde highlights. It’s been blonde & dark brown in the past. My eyes are brown too. I often get compliments on my eyes, which makes me quite happy. What else do I see when I look in the mirror? No make up. I rarely wear make up. I had to wear it for dance concerts & special occasions, but otherwise, I don’t wear it. I’ve never really liked it I guess. Only recently have I started using blush & mascara voluntarily.

I don’t have any scars…that I know of. Haha. I do have a birth mark though. It’s right on the edge of my belly button, and about one centimetre long. In regards to piercings and tattoos, I only have my ears pierced. I got my ears pierced quite late in life compared to most – I was 18. I don’t have any tattoos, although I would like one.

I’m always wearing jewellery. I have a watch on my right wrist as I’m left handed. I wear a ring on each of my middle fingers. They’re usually ones that my boyfriend has given me. I do change it up a bit every now and then though.

Wanna know something else about my hands? I’m double jointed and damn proud of it! It’s not something I can stop. It’s just the way I am, & I love it.

Here’s a picture of my left hand as normal & with my double jointed-ness.

'Normal'
Double jointed!

It either freaks people out or they find it wickedly cool. Another thing that goes with my double jointed-ness, is that I can bend by knees backwards weirdly. Kind of like a reflex angle, but that’s another picture for another day. So for now, I will end this with my fingerprints, which I did using light purple stamp ink.

Fingerprints

Saturday 14 September 2013

Launa & Cleo.

Did you see that photo I posted of my Great Great Aunt Launa Renfrow, with her niece Cleo in 1913?

Well, this is a photo of Launa (left), her husband Ben Thompkins & Cleo. Photo taken in May 1978, Grand Saline, Texas, USA.

I believe that due to their small age difference, Launa & Cleo were more like cousins, rather than aunt & niece.

Photo from my personal collection


Reader Geneameme

I love books & reading, so I decided to do the Reader Geneameme. Check it out & go hit that thumbs up button pretty please! :)




(Image Source: Fanpop)

Thursday 12 September 2013

Wordless Wednesday: Launa Pearl & Dolly Cleo.

Launa Pearl Renfrow (1902, Texas - 1999, Texas) with her niece Dolly Cleo Renfrow (1910, Texas - 1988, Texas). This photo was taken in approximately 1913 in Texas. Launa was my Great Great Aunt, and Cleo my first cousin twice removed. I think this is such a beautiful photo of the girls.


Monday 9 September 2013

The Book of Me, Written by You: Week 2


It’s a tad bit late, but here’s Week 2 of The Book of Me, Written by You.
This weeks prompt was ‘Your Birth.’ You can find more details about this weeks prompt & the 15 month challenge from the creator Julie here.

I am my parents’ first child. I was the first grandchild for my paternal grandparents, but the fourth for my maternal grandparents. My due date was sometime in early December, however, my mum was having issues with high blood pressure. So, in November, the doctor decided it was time for me make an entrance. My entrance into the world occurred in Brisbane, Queensland. I was born 2 weeks early via a caesarean on Friday, the 23rd of November, 1990, around 3pm. I was a tiny baby, weighing only 5 pounds & 1 or 2 ounces. When I went home, I was just under 4 pounds. A week later, I was 6 pounds. My Dad fondly & often remembers that I fit nicely on his forearm. I had a little hair when I was born, but I’m actually not sure what my eye colour was. My eyes are brown, so I’ve always assumed they were brown when I was born.

I have plenty of photos of me as a baby! I think my parents went a bit crazy with the camera, but hey, I was their first child. Sorry bro! Haha.

This is one of my favourite photos of me as a baby.

Watching State of Origin with Dad, 1991, Brisbane.
I’m watching my first State of Origin game with my Dad in 1991. For those of you that don’t know what State of Origin is, it’s an epic three Rugby League games between Queensland & New South Wales. Whoever wins at least 2 out of 3 wins State of Origin for the year. Currently, Queensland has won 8 years in a row. My Dad is from Sydney so he barracks for New South Wales, and that’s what he’s taught my brother & I to do. New South Wales are known as the Blues, hence the blue suit I’m wearing.


In late 1991/early 1992 we moved to Virginia, USA for about a year. I had always thought that I learned to walk in Brisbane or Sydney. Wrong. I learned to walk in Virginia! I’m half American, so part of me feels quite proud that I took my first steps on US ground. Well, it was probably carpet. This carpet below in fact. Here I am playing with my Mum’s makeup.

Virginia, USA 1991/1992
I’m not a twin, but sometimes I wished I had a twin when I was little. I do have a younger brother though. He was born 3 years & 6 weeks later in January 1994. When he was born, I had recently turned 3. My Dad took me to the hospital to see Mum & my new baby brother. After a few hours, it was time for Dad & I to go home. Mum and bro had to stay in hospital for a couple more days. I was NOT happy about this! I threw quite a tantrum, stating that “I want to take my baby brudder home!” (My th’s were d’s then). I cried & cried all while Dad carried me through the hospital, to the car, and all the way home.

Well, I wasn’t expecting this to be so long, and it’s not entirely all about my birth. Ah well :)

Acrobatics with my brother.


Saturday 7 September 2013

Video: Ancestors' Geneameme

NEW VIDEO: THE ANCESTORS’ GENEAMEME!


This was super fun to do! Let me know if you’d like me to do any other challenges such as naming as many ancestors as I can in a minute or 5 minutes etc. :-D

Donald Walter Croal: An Independent.

It’s a Federal Election here in Australia today. I haven’t been able to discover much about my ancestors’ political views, nor do I know of any who were in political parties, except one guy, my Great Grandmother’s cousin Donald Walter Croal. He was born in 1886, Sydney, New South Wales, to parents Alexander Croal & Margaret Munro.

Donald Walter Croal
From my personal collection

In 1919, he ran as an Independent Candidate in the by-election for the New South Wales state seat of Petersham. He did not win, as you can see below. He received only 2.91% of votes.

[Source: New South Wales Parliament]








In 1925, he decided to try his luck at the Federal level. Things did not really go to plan. His nomination for the Federal seat of Parkes was rejected by the Commonwealth House of Representatives. Why? Because he refused to pay the fee required when he submitted his nomination papers.

Below is a letter Donald wrote to the House of Representatives regarding this matter.

Letter from Donald W. Croal to Commonwealth House of Representatives
And this is the response he received -


The last paragraph: “The Chief Electoral Officer reports that although you tendered a nomination you declined to comply with the requirements of the Electoral Act by furnishing the required deposit. In the circumstances there was no alternative to rejecting your nomination.”

Here’s some more information below which includes the relevant piece of legislation mentioned above.


So, he refused to pay the nomination fee! With that, Donald returned to try things at the State level again. In 1927 he ran for the New South Wales seat of Dulwich Hill as an Independent. He did not win this one also, as shown below, with 0.88% of votes.

[Source: New South Wales Parliament]




He doesn’t make an appearance in the world of politics after that.

Donald never married, and died in Sydney in 1967.

Sunday 1 September 2013

The Book of Me, Written By You: Week 1


I have decided to participate in the new blogging prompt ‘The Book of Me, Written by You’ which was created by Julie Goucher from Anglers Rest. Over the next 15 months weekly prompts will also be delivered by Thomas MacEntee at Geneabloggers. If I feel it is to private, I won’t post it here, but we’ll see :)

Prompt 1: Who are you?

Ask yourself 20 times “Who are you?” Each time you should give yourself a different answer. – Geneabloggers.

1. Daughter

2. Sister

Caitie & her baby brother, 1994/1995.


















3. Girlfriend

4. Best friend

5. Niece

6. Granddaughter

Caitie & her Nanna, 1994.


















7. Australian

8. Criminology Student


















9. A God Mother

Caitie & her God Daughter Amelia, 2013

10. A young Genealogist

11. A math tutor

12. An introvert

13. An avid book reader

14. Half Texan

Flying over Mexico en route to Texas, 2012
15. Road trip & plane travelling lover.

16. White chocolate girl.

17. Coffee addict

18. Music fan

19. Soccer fan.

20. A dreamer.

21. Happy.