Thursday, January 27, 2011

William Warrington marries Frances Cunningham


In conducting the ever evolving history of my family, I stumbled across this document. It is the record of my great great great grandparent's marriage in 1871. From what I can decipher of this rector's handwriting it says:
"On this thirty-first day of August
in the year one thousand eight hundred and thirty one
were married by Banns.
William Warrington, bachelor, farmer
& Frances Young, widow,
both of the ? of Cape Magdalen."

So I went in search of the Cape of Magdalen and came to the Magdalen Islands in Canada. They are actually a province of Quebec, a tiny group of islands in the Gulf of St Lawrence.

The reference citation for this marriage record mentions that the protestant church is in a town named Trois-Rivieres. So off I went in search of that town. The map shows a neighboring town of Cap-de-la-Madeleine.
(Cap-de-la-Madeleine is located on the north shore of the St Lawrence River at its confluence with the St-Maurice River.) Since this is so much closer to Trois-Rivieres, where they were married, I suspect that Cap-de-la-Madeleine is correct.

Of course, further research may show which is the actual residence of my ggg-grandparents at the time of their marriage.







Saturday, January 1, 2011

Green changes made in 2010?

I would have no idea where to begin my list! I have made many changes in my lifestyle in recent years, what a lot of people call "going green". These were lifestyle changes made for specific reasons: personal health, economics, and environmental to name a few.

1. I stopped using conditioner on my hair, liquid shower gels, liquid laundry detergent and laundry fabric softener. I wanted to reduce my plastic consumption, as well as the chemicals I was exposed to and that I was exposing the environment to. Plus, it saves me money to buy less!

2. I stopped taking plastic grocery sacks to the store. I collected and made my own reusable totes that I now keep in my vehicle. I worked for months to remember to use them and have achieved success! It probably took me 6 months to get in the habit. The occasional plastic grocery sack that ends up in my home gets reused over and over again until it falls apart and then gets recycled.

3. I use a different version of Luna Pads (that Cat talked about) from Many Moons Alternatives. I even managed to make my own so that I have plenty in supply for those light days!

4. I use a homemade deodorant powder or a mineral stone instead of commercial deodorant. Not every day, because summertime in Tennessee while I am in class is painfully hot! So, right now, it is a weekend, vacation and winter weather option for me.

5. I wear mostly cotton clothing. As items needed to be replaced, I purchased cotton. I gifted away a lot of my non-cotton fibers.

6. I compost. Anything that can be composted, is. I save scraps in a bucket in the freezer until I carry it to the compost heap as it saves on smells and potential bugs!

7. I stopped using paper towels and paper napkins and paper tissues. I have fabric for that!

8. I switched to a 100% recycled toilet paper that is wrapped in paper (no plastic there!)

9. I replaced my incandescent light bulbs with fluorescent ones. It was a challenge to find the globe style bulbs I wanted for my bathroom fixtures, but I did!

10. I stopped using Brita Filters for my water. I found that the water quality here was fine and that it tasted fine as well. I use aluminum or steel bottles to carry my water.

11. I am more diligent about requesting paper packaging on any item that I have shipped to my home. Companies are wonderfully agreeable in most instances!

12. I canceled all magazines, eliminated junk mail and catalogs that are sent to me.

What have you done?