FINDING GLADYS / You're Not O.K. - Inspiring Stories

FINDING GLADYS – Chapter 1

Who Was Gladys? Do you like mysteries and puzzles? I do. As a child, I saved any babysitting money to buy many Nancy Drew books, which I still own. Even now, reading or watching a mystery and guessing “who done it” is one of my favorite past times. But 5 years ago, I encountered a puzzle that I am still trying to piece together. The story has more twists and turns and missing clues aplenty than an Agatha Christie plot. When I reached a few dead ends this week, instead of screaming in frustration, the idea occurred to me that by sharing this tale, perhaps one of you might possess some knowledge or insight to complete the puzzle. Come journey with me. The mystery began with a group wedding picture, sent to me by a newly found Wood cousin while researching my family’s genealogy and history. Immediately, my eyes zeroed in on the toddler sitting in the middle of the front row—my…

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January 13, 2019
Read more about the article American Independence – Truly Honoring Those Who Sacrificed
That's O.K. / WOOD

American Independence – Truly Honoring Those Who Sacrificed

Americans celebrate July 4th with fireworks, parades, barbecues, and gatherings with family and friends.  Let us all take a moment to honor all those men and women who sacrificed their livelihoods and lives to gain independence from England's control and unfair taxation.My Wood family heeded the call to action the day after the British fired on the Concord Massachusetts Militia on April 18, 1775.  Direct descendant Daniel Wood, aged 18, and older brother Ezekiel, aged 21, lived near Springfield, Massachusetts, and joined thousands of other Massachusetts men racing by horse or foot to protect Boston from invasion.  On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress in Philadelphia, comprised of representatives of the 13 American colonies, adopted the Declaration of Independence of Independence.  http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/document     The Declaration summarized the American colonists' motivations for seeking independence and declared themselves an independent nation, thus separating from England's rule.With war against the British a near certainty, Stephen and Daniel Wood previously enlisted March 17, 1775, as  Minuteman in Colonel Tupper's Regiment…

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July 4, 2018
Read more about the article Happy Birthday to Me, with Much Gratitude to Many!
That's O.K.

Happy Birthday to Me, with Much Gratitude to Many!

On June 18, 1949, Mom and Dad became parents of their fifth child--Me!  I always think of my family on this day.  I am most grateful to my parents, Mary Ann and Don Wood, for raising me with love. Even though we were poor farmers, we never lacked much.  Mom and Dad purchased a farm in Pewamo, Michigan in 1941.  The farmhouse below lacked electricity, running water (outhouse in back), and central heating.  Even though telephones became a house stable, we could not afford one until 1953.  Yet, the farm afforded daily adventures and excitement.   Six months later, the polio virus struck, causing paralysis in my right leg.  My siblings—sister Pat, Bill, Fred, Kathy, and later Mike—never let my "challenge" keep me from any of the family activities.  Mom even made me do dishes,, even though I recently had an operation and wore a cast.  Solution:  drag a chair to sink to kneel on it!  These loved ones helped me become who I am—the…

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June 18, 2018
Read more about the article Down Days – Take 1
I'm Not O.K. - My Stories

Down Days – Take 1

  Everyone experiences a down day every now and again!  Persons with a disability, who live with chronic pain, endure more down days than most.   One of my favorite go-to lift-me-up techniques centers around baking and cooking.  So tonight I am dehydrating strawberries for special loved ones.   Then tomorrow freshly made lasagna with homemade noodles will fill the kitchen with delicious smells.  Even more heavenly, I love the mess.   What is your favorite "cheer me up" activity?

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June 6, 2018
Read more about the article Say a Prayer For Jonathan – Finding a Job for a Person with Disability
MISC / You're Not O.K. - Inspiring Stories

Say a Prayer For Jonathan – Finding a Job for a Person with Disability

  Shopping at Meijer tonight while zooming around in the store scooter, I stopped at the meat counter for 3 pounds of ground chuck to make lasagna this week.  The young man began scooping out the meat and placed it on the scale.  I noticed the scale read 2 pounds, so I brought it to his attention.  He quickly apologized, saying he was having a little problem hearing.  Noticing the somewhat loud buzz from the fluorescent lights behind him, I said that was understandable.  But the young man looked tired, and I inquired if he had a busy weekend.  He said he was tired, but not from the weekend.  He recently had surgery to repair a punctured ear he had since birth.  Actually, this was the second surgery since the first did not heal properly. He brought the now packaged meat around the counter and placed it in my scooter basket, then said he hoped the ear healed properly this time so he…

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June 4, 2018
Read more about the article PROVIDENCE ON LONG ISLAND
Family Roots / WOOD

PROVIDENCE ON LONG ISLAND

8 November 2017 Do you believe in providence, fate, destiny, karma?  A serendipitous moment occurred yesterday while researching my Wood ancestors who, with other English colonists, founded Hempstead and Huntington, Long Island in the mid-1640s and early 1650s. My sister and I traveled from Michigan to Long Island to research Edmund Wood and his children—Martha, Jonas 'Oram', Susannah, Jeremiah, and our direct ancestor, Timothy.  We are visiting historical societies, archives, churches, cemeteries, and touring the island. The Wood family immigrated to the New World from Yorkshire, England in 1635.  They were the founders of Springfield, Massachusetts in 1636; Wethersfield, Connecticut in 1635; and then moved across the Long Island Sound in 1644 to settle in Hempstead, Long Island, New York.  On the near western end the island, the Dutch settled, leaving the vast eastern side inhabited by a few Indian families.   Why move to Long Island?  Simply, the economic advantages proved limitless.  The Stamford settlers learned the island had a grassy plain…

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November 8, 2017