Technical Difficulties

Well, my email is having some problems and the username was never sent out to anyone. So don't worry if you didn't get it. Since there's nothing really there right now anyway I'll post the username here. If someone could try it out and let me know if it works that would be great. Once my email is back up I'll send out a new username.

The username is LucyAlice.

Thanks!

Also- I found a way to blog on the new site so as soon as the new site is fully functional this one will be taken down completley but I'll let everyone know before that happens.

New Home for Lucy's Blog

Well, it's official- we've moved. Our new address is www.lucyaliceneves.wordpress.com. It is a private blog- you'll need a username to access it. I have sent the username to everyone who was on my list. If you haven't recieved a username or haven't yet requested to be added please email me at dahnbingham@earthlink.net.

Word press will only allow the blog to private to 35 users- so if by some chance our little blog population grows- we'll move again.

I'm still learning how to use wordpress so there are some features that aren't turned on and you may wonder why something looks strange or a link doesn't work. Hopefully I'll be able to get all this worked out.

The main focus is still the book so updates will be slow to the blog. If you're wondering what's going on with that publication- so am I! Actually, we were able to get a copy made for Grandma. There's still lots of errors and things that need to be moved, added, removed, etc. but she was very excited to get it.

Sitting with Grandma and flipping through the pictures of her childhood was amazing. She remembers the dress she wore in one picture and recognized her mother, father and brothers and sisters. It was interesting to go through her life with her, decade by decade. It seems that her memory loss starts about the time she got married. She didn't remember Reed and thought Burl must be the guy Burlington was named after. It's always depressing to visit Grandma and to think she doesn't know me or my kids or anyone! I can't imagine the torment that must be everyday to be thinking as clearly as she does and to live among strangers. I hope the book brings Grandma some peace and some comfort. I hope she can look at the pictures of her younger years and remember more and more and find comfort through the memories she recorded for us.

I found this tape Grandma recorded soem poetry and stories on for her Grandkids. I think it's mostly to Richard and Ted's kids. My kids sat here for an hour and listened to Grandma's voice and asked to hear the stories one more time. I was able to get them onto my computer and I'm making a CD to put with the book. I wish I could figure out how to get them on the blog. I wish you could all listen to the tape this Sunday afternoon!

Anyway, please let me know if you have trouble accessing the new blog. There isn't much there and may not be for a while. I might keep posting random thoughts to this blog but the new one will be more organized and mostly free of my ramblings. Please check out the "How You Can Help" page if you are interested. We need all the help we can get to finish everything up in the next five months- the family reunion is our new goal. IT WILL BE DONE BY THEN! It will be done or I will :). I've loved doing this but it's taking over my house and my kids think I've abandoned them. Actually, I kind of have. So, I need to move on to other things, but need to finish this up first.

See, I'm rambling on. So if you'd like to get to the family history and by pass my comments check out the new site! www.lucyaliceneves.wordpress.com

Happy Birthday Grandma

I'm a day late but that's usual for me. I wanted though to wish Grandma a very happy 100th birthday! We all wish we could have been there with you to celebrate this happy day.

It's been an honor to be a part of Grandma's life. As I have read through her journals, stories and life experiences I'm overwhelmed at the life she has lead. Grandma has lived during horse and buggy times, The Great Depression, World War I, II, Vietnam, the Korean War, the Civil Rights Movement, the first man on the moon, the Computer Age, September 11th, and now the first African American President. But none of these events can compare to the moving story of Lucy's life.

Grandma was born in Burlington, Wyoming, the third child and first daughter, on 7 February 1909. Lucy has lived through much loss in her life: two little twin brothers lived to be just nine months old, her sister Elnora died of influenza when she was nine years old, Lucy's father was murdered which was closely followed by the death of her dear Aunt Lucy Robison. Then Lucy began her own family and spent 24 years with her beloved husband Reed. They together, lost their baby girl Carol. Five years later Lucy's mother passed on. Reed passed away in 1951 and just weeks later, their baby boy Reed Willis was born prematurely and died the same day. The year ended with the death of Della, her second child. In 2000 Lucy lost her husband of 47 years, Burl Cox.

Loss, sacrifice and grief were a part of Lucy's life. But so were family, the blessing of the temple and a lot of joy. Grandma found joy in her family, her teaching and her adventure through life.
She knew, personally, her pioneer grandparents and Aunts and Uncles who had seen much of the beginnings of the church, the settlement of areas all around Utah and the Big Horns.

Grandma received her first training as a teacher through Normal School. She later graduated from the University of Wyoming. She wasn't scared to explore the world on her own. Lucy has traveled by bus toNauvoo not knowing where she would stay, how she would get around, eat or even leave! She attended summer schools in Illinois and Ohio. In Ohio Lucy gained her first real exposure to the world outside of Lovell. She met new people from cultures she had only read about. Lucy even flew an airplane.

As Lucy traveled she was always looking for missionary opportunities and shared the gospel with many. Her firm testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ would be the inheritance she would wish to pass to each of us. Lucy and Burl served two temple missions and Lucy's joy at the Billings Temple dedication was overwhelming.

I was blessed to attend the temple with her once when she was in her early nineties. It was extremely difficult for her but she fully participated and was an example to me of endurance and dedication.

Grandma is a living treasure and I am so honored that she has loved me and given a part of herself to me. I will always be the better for her influence in my life.

Happy Birthday Grandma!

It's Not to Late- for Some of Us!

So when I wrote that my mom and I were going to be putting the book together "over the weekend" I was, well so totally off the mark it's not funny.
If you have stories or memories of Grandma that you would like to share we would still love to recieve them!
I've spent the past four weeks of my life organizing and formatting this book. I've just about lost my mind. I knew it would be a lot of work but this is insane.
Though I am crazy, I'm not as crazy as Tom Lloyd. Tom Lloyd was an author that Grandma wrote to once. Her class was learning some of his poetry and singing a few of his songs in a school program.
Tom decided to pay Grandma a visit and showed up at school. After he left he wrote Grandma this totally amazing letter. I love it. It's probably not appropriate for the book, but it has to be published somewhere.

If you can't read it hold down the control key while pressing the + key. It will zoom in for you.

Although I may be fit for an institution I'm not smart enough for one!

My goal is to turn this into the publisher by Tuesday. So entries are now due by Monday night. Final notice- I promise!

We're Moving!

The original intent for this blog was to publish it as Grandma's book. We've decided not to go that route and so this blog isn't really necessary anymore. However, I still feel it's important to have a place to share all of the information Grandma has collected through the years.

I want to continue blogging- I think it's a great way to make it all available- but I'm searching for something outside of blogspot. It just doesn't offer the editing and publishing options that we need.

If anyone has any suggestions I'm totally open. I'm looking at wordpress. The problem is that I am not very talented with all this internet stuff so I need something easy to use!

So my genealogy goals for the months of January and February are to help my mom (who is doing all the work, honestly) finish the book and get this little blog a new home. As soon as I find a permanent place to settle down I'll let you all know.

Thank you for your interest and support. It's been fun reading the letters and sharing in the memories. Please feel free to continue to comment and email me. I'll be checking in here constantly as I get things moved around.

Of course, there is no need now to make this blog private, so no need to worry that you are missing out on any family history!