Let me share with you my week Labor Day to today:
A terrible wind storm (similar to the one that hit Iowa, Kansas. and Nebraska) came down the mountains from the East. And did a number on Utah. Some places are still without power from the 98 to 110 mile-an-hour winds. I live on 1/2 acre of land surrounded by very large elm and ash trees. Some of the oldest trees in this part of Utah. The trees survived–the dead branches scattered through the foliage did not. They were shed like frosting across the whole 1/2 acre. So I have gathered and raked these branches into 6 very large piles. [I have a person, from my neighborhood, who watches out for me. And I have a cement slab on the north end of my yard. I pile the debris on that slab and it is taken away by my guardian.] Still have 5 large piles to be carried to the slab.
My grandson, Aaron has been in Utah convalescing from surgery. He offered to help me bind books for my Library Center and to get my office there organized so I can meet clients in an orderly room. So we spent several afternoons and evenings organizing. And the weather became clear and cold as a fast-moving arctic clipper descended from Canada to shoot the temperature from 95 at 6 pm to 37 at 6 am.
I have an index to the Kentucky Census, all years in one alphabet. The index was compiled in South Dakota on data cards? Remember them: 7 1/2 x 3 3/4 inches? So I needed a special size cabinet to house the cards to search them. By a miracle, I acquired the perfect size file cabinet to accommodate the whole index. Filing the cards I discovered that letters R, most of S, U,V,W,X,Y,and Z are missing! I need the W portion for the surname of Wiatt/Wyatt. Since the cards have been in my possession for several years and they came by way of another genealogist who donated them to the Library Center, I may not find the missing cards. Ugh!
My cell phone rang on Thursday. Now my cell phone is reserved exclusively for calls from clients. It is not listed anywhere. When I answered, a man’s voice said it was Andy from PCH. Or, Publisher’s Clearing House. I had been selected randomly by the computer to be second in line to win $10,000.00 a week for life! Wasn’t I excited? I inquired what I had to do to qualify? He told me to get a paper so he could dictate a procedure for me to follow and then asked me to repeat exactly what he said. This would be his way to know I was the right recipient. I was to go to the Walmart in Richfield, Utah and register for the prize–by paying for gift cards in the amount of $1,250.00 made out to James Barker, Richfield Walmart. What? Richfield is 300 miles one way from me. So he told me to go to my nearest Walmart to buy the cards. I had 5 days to do it. Then Steve Harvey and a host of other famous people would arrive at my house with a big check and a bouquet of flowers. And a small check I could take to my bank. But first, I had to qualify by paying the registration fee. Not me, I am not paying to win a prize. He did not ask for personal information or identification of any kind. He did not even ask my name! He did ask me how I would spend the money!
Publishers Clearing House has television ads ( and radio ones too), featuring Marie Osmond and others–the amount per week of the prize is $1,000.00. The amount varies per promotion as does the celebrity excitedly telling what the prizes are.
These scammers are very smart–they know that to file a law suit against Walmart, or Publishers Clearing House, or Steve Harvey, or anyone else would cost much more than the $!,250.00 that would be lost.
At least none of the week was a repeat of 9/11/2001! Your favorite genealogist, Arlene
Eakle http://arleneeakle.com
PS One place where there is always genealogy–my Genealogy Library Center, Tremonton, Utah.