Saint Theresa's Prayer

Good Morning All!

I received an email today from a cousin of mine, Daryl, in the Houston, Texas area.  I was supposed to send it on to at least 10 additional people, but I decided to post it here.  If you want to copy it and send it on to those you want to bless, please feel free to do so.

I'm not Catholic, but you don't have to be to want to bless someone with the sage words of this prayer.

Prayer is one of the best and most powerful free gifts we receive.  Read the prayer below. REMEMBER to make a wish before you read the prayer.  That's all you have to do. There is nothing attached. Just share this and see what happens on the fourth day. 

Saint Theresa's Prayer
May today there be peace within.
May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.
May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you.
May you be confident knowing you are a child of God.
Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love.
It is there for each and every one of us.

Take care and God Bless!

XoXoXo

 

Kim Klassen's Free Photoshop Skinny Mini eCourse

Hey there - Happy Sunday!

I signed up with Kim Klassen for her FREE Photoshop Skinny Mini eCourse which started this past Monday.  I'm playing catch-up this weekend, 'cause we had the grandkids a couple of days this week, and a couple of All-Star ballgames to attend.  Grandson was in both of these!  He made a run and caught the ball that ended the game.  His team WON!  Yay!!! 

Click HERE

 Kim's course is really well done!  Easy to follow, on video, so if you forget something (really?), you can go back over her instructions easily.  I don't have Photoshop, tho'.  My program is Paint Shop Pro X3 (PSP X3).  These programs are pretty much the same, just a few differences.  My photos have the same result, just done a little differently in one or two steps.

Day 1:  A photo of my beautiful calico, Susie, before and after.  We just had to add some text to a photo here.

Before...

& after.

Day 2:  Here are a couple of photos from our garden: a stargazer and a gladiolus.  We had to adjust the contrast and add text.

Before...

& after.

Before...

& after.

I really like the way the stargazer turned out!  Love the glad, just because it's RED! LOL!


I don't think there was anything for Day 3. 

Day 4:  We used one of Kim's images and one of her beautiful textures, then added text.

Before...

& after.

We have one more week of these very informative classes.  You might want to hop over to Kim's to see when the next eCourse is.

Until next time...take care and God Bless!

XoXoXo

{Texture Tuesday} The Pretty in Pink eDition

Time flies when you're having fun, right?  Must have had a blast this last week, sorry I don't remember it! LOL!


This week's Texture Tuesday assignment is "Pink" and to use at least one of Kim Klassen's wonderful textures.  I used two of her textures and one overlay.  Don't have any idea where I got the overlay - sorry to whomever created it.  I must have really liked it, or I wouldn't have kept it, so thank you for your creation!


The before...

and the after.

My "recipe" includes:
                                            My photo with depth of field changed to focus mainly on the flowers
                                            Kim Klassen's Serendipity - Luminancy Legacy @ 60%
                                            Kim Klassen's Subtly Yours - Screen @ 14%
                                            "My favourite colour" overlay, color changed to light pink - Normal @ 36%




Click Here!

 Why don't you visit Kim's Texture Tuesday and see all the beautiful creations submitted!  You'll be amazed at the talent there!

Until next time...

XoXoXo

Tombstone Tuesday - Alice Moore French, American War Mothers Founder

Alice Moore French was my 4th cousin, twice removed through our Forsyth line. 



Located at Greenlawn Cemetery, Franklin, Johnson Co., Indiana
photo by Joy Logan Burkhart


 

Alice Moore French
source: American War Mothers website

Alice Moore French (1863–1934) was born in Johnson County, Indiana, to Joseph J. and Ermina Forsyth Moore.  Joseph Moore first operated a country store and then a department store in Trafalgar, Indiana, and by judicious investment amassed a considerable amount of land there. He and his wife had three other children, only one of whom, Frank, survived infancy. After passing through the local grammar school, Alice attended Franklin College, graduating in 1882, and then the Boston (Massachusetts) School of Art and Design where she developed her skills in woodcarving and painting. In 1887 she married Eli M. French, a railroad man from Frankfort, Indiana, and together they had one son, Donald. When her husband died in 1894, French and her son moved to Woodruff Place in Indianapolis, residing there until her death. She was very active in women's clubs, including Kappa Kappa Gamma from her college days, the Woman's Department Club, and the Monday Club.

She was probably best known, however, for her founding of both the state and the national divisions of the American War Mothers in 1917. In August 1917, Don Herald of the State Food Commission attended a meeting of the Woman's Civic League in Indianapolis in hopes of persuading a woman to push ahead the food conservation program in Indiana. Alice French was chosen and initiated a circulating letter campaign aimed at women with children in the Armed Forces. Her idea of convincing these "War Mothers" to pledge to conserve wheat, meat, fats and sugar was supposedly inspired by her attorney son's enlistment in the army. Indiana Food Commissioner, Dr. Harry C. Barnhard, was so impressed with her letter that he forwarded it to Washington, D.C.; authorities there soon sent back a telegram requesting French to "mobilize" her War Mothers.

The Indiana Chapter was organized first and incorporated on 18 May 1918. Interest spread to other states, and a National Organization was incorporated in August 1918 with French as its first president. After the war, the group continued its efforts to aid soldiers; one of the most notable was the establishment in 1926 of the American War Mothers National Memorial Home to provide food and shelter for families visiting Fitzsimmons Veteran Hospital near Denver, Colorado. The group also had a postage stamp devoted to it in 1934. French was very enthusiastic about forming an International War Mothers modeled after the League of Nations and traveled extensively throughout the United States and Europe to encourage methods of addressing differences other than bloodshed. Although the organization was originally open only to mothers of World War I soldiers, its membership now includes mothers of soldiers who served in World War II, the Korean War, and the War in South Vietnam.  Biography source

American War Mothers' flags were placed in windows or in living rooms for all to see.  If you had more than one child in the Armed Forces, you had that many stars on your flag.  If you were unfortunate to have a child killed in action, the blue star was replaced by a gold one.

Blue Star denotes a son or daughter in the military



Gold Star denotes a son or daughter in the military, killed in action.

 XoXoXo

{TEXTURE TUESDAY} #3 eDition

Texture Tuesday is here again!  This week's assignment was to use at least one of Kim's textures and anything pertaining to the #3 (number 3).

Click here.

I have two different results this week.  My first photo was of our beautiful tulips - three of them!

Before...

and after.



Kim's cloudyday texture
changed depth of field

In December 2006, we went to Daytona Beach, Florida to see my Uncle Eddie and Aunt Connie.  On the way back we stopped at the Daytona International Speedway.  There was a statue of Dale Earnhart, Sr, a tribute to his life and racing career, which we photographed.  To those of you who aren't familiar with Nascar, Dale's car number was #3.

Here's the original photo and my second entry:

Before...



and after.

Kim's canvasback texture normal 50%
Sepia effect 10%
changed depth of field



Looks kinda ghostly, doesn't it? 

See ya next week!

XoXoXo 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA ! ! !

Thank you to every veteran and currently serving American service person for allowing us to be FREE still after 235 years!  Your service to your country is so very much appreciated!

LAND OF THE FREE BECAUSE OF THE BRAVE ! ! !

XoXoXo

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!! My Patriot Ancestor, Richardson Hensley

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY ! ! ! 

Growing up, my Dad had always talked about his ancestor being in the Revolutionary War.  This was my Great-great-great-great grandfather Richardson Hensley of Spotsylvania County, Virginia.  He was born there in 1746 to George Hensley and Sarah Richardson, both also born in Virginia.

Richardson was the first of many to carry that name.  One of his six sons was also named Richardson, as was his son, and his son, too.  I am descended from all.  The last Richardson (also known as Richard) died of typhoid fever in 1859, 5 months before his daughter, Naomi - my great-grandmother, was born.

The original Richardson and his wife, Winnifred Berryman were pioneers.  They set out for the West after the Revolution.  Richardson had a land grant in Kentucky for his brother William's service in the war and moved his family there.  



 After a while, his feet began to itch and the Hensley family pulled up stakes, moving deeper into Kentucky to Shelby County.  Winnifred died 22 Mar 1796, but Richardson pushed onward to Washington County, Indiana.  Richardson died here in 1823 and is buried in the Sharon Baptist Church Cemetery, near Salem, Washington Co., Indiana. 

source: findagrave.com

I began my search for my Patriot's roots in the late 1980s.  I made application to the Daughters of the American Revolution and was accepted 12 June 1991.  This was during the Centennial Year Anniversary of the DAR.  My National No. is 737950.

Through my Hensley roots, I am related to several well-known people: 

Paul V. McNutt, 33rd Governor of Indiana (3rd cousin, once removed)

Virginia Patterson Hensley Cline Dick, better known as Patsy Cline (8th cousin, once removed)

Cindy Lou Hensley McCain, wife of Senator John S. McCain (R-AZ) (8th cousin)

Ashley Tyler Judd Franchetti (6th cousin, twice removed)

Richardson Hensley was not my only Patriot ancestor.  Francis Kittridge, born 1728, of Massachusetts was a doctor in the Revolution; Thomas Sturgeon, born 1731, of Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania also served his country; and James Cully, born 1740-1760, of Virginia was an officer in the Revolutionary War.  I'm sure there are others, I just can't remember at this point.  These were all on my Dad's side of the family. 

My Mom's side were mostly Quakers (Society of Friends) and Brethern.  According to Wikipedia, "The Religious Society of Friends has been categorized as one of the peace churches, alongside the Church of the Brethren, Mennonites and Amish, because of all of these churches' emphasis on Christian pacifism."

My cousin Stanley Aultz' research into our Aultz roots found two Aultz brothers came to Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania in the early 1700s from Drusweiler, Palatinate, Bavaria.  They were both fined at least once for not attending muster at the beginning of the Revolution.  They must have figured this was a war between English speaking folk, having nothing to do with themselves.

All in all, I am very proud of my heritage!  There were those that fought for our freedoms, including our freedom of religion.  Please read that again: freedom OF religion, NOT freedom FROM religion. 

Our country had better wake up soon and stop giving in to a few malcontents who are ruling what is done and said regarding religion.  Whatever happened to majority rule!?!  If they don't like it, they can always go back to the country they came from, where I'm sure they would have it so much worse!  

Our ancestors came to America to escape being like Europe, etc.!  If you like Europe, Africa, Pakistan, Afghanistan, etc. so much, stop trying to change America and go there!  I'm sure those countries will appreciate you.

If this attitude offends you, I'm really not sorry, because that's how I feel.  I'm a patriot and will defend my country to the end!

Happy 4th of July!!!

XoXoXo