Randy's Genealogy Pot-Pourri - Week Ending 25 January 2026

Here are the highlights of my family history and genealogy related activities over the past week (ending Sunday, 25 January 2026).  Just like that, 2026 is 5% over.

1)  Hosted and moderated the Chula Vista Genealogical Society Family History Roundtable meeting on Wednesday on Zoom. Reported on and discussed how to create a family history book (free or paid) and showed my current effort on MyStories, how to find historical events and social history material for your stories, and speech to text transcription.  The homework was to tell a story about your favorite ancestor.  I discussed Isaac Buck and showed my narrated slide show biography.  Gail and Jeff described their favorite ancestors in slide shows.

2)  Attended Mondays With Myrt as a panelist on Monday, and we discussed Vivid-Pix Memory Station, Liv's funeral photograph, RootsTech, and reliability of Ancestry and FamilySearch record transcriptions.

3)  Took my first look at the RootsTech 2026 classes and selected about 30 to view online when the time comes.

4)  Curated genealogy-related articles to keep myself and my readers updated on the genealogy world in:

• Genealogy News Bytes - Week of 14 to 20 January 2026
• Genealogy Education Bytes - Week of 15 to 21 January 2026
• Best of the Genea-Blogs - Week of 18 to 24 January 2026

5)  Transcribed a mortgage deed for Amanuensis Monday in Amanuensis Monday -- 1772 Mortgage Deed of George Wakeman buying land from Dirck Lefferts For 1,006 acres in Balsston, Albany County, New York.

6)  Researched and wrote Genealogical Sketch of John Nicholas Brocke (1855-1938) and Anna Grieser (1859-1936) Family.

7)  Wrote  two ABC Biographies, and posted them on Genea-Musings and Substack, in:

• ABC Biography of United Empire Loyalist John Kemp (1723-1795) and His Wife Anna (Van Vorst) Kemp (1732-1789) of New York and Upper Canada
  
  
  
• ABC Biography of John Nicholas Brocke (1855-1938) and Anna Grieser (1859-1936) Family of Idaho

8)  Requested free AI tools to tell me about these genealogy and family history subjects, and posted them on Genea-Musings and Substack: 

• Ask AI: Describe Lyle Carringer's Life At Age 23 in San Diego, California in 1915
• Ask AI: "Please Summarize John Kemp's Revolutionary War Military Service"
• Ask AI: "Review My Blog for 2025 and Create a Genealogy Research Plan for 2026"

0)  Wrote an AI-assisted short story about my parents romance on Genea-Musings and Substack:

• Betty and Fred's Story: "The Honeymoon"

10)  Wrote an AI-assisted family story from the Watchful House on Genea-Musings and   Substack: The Watchful House on 30th Street Remembers: "The Rock and Roll Years."

11)  Added a number of the recent Google NotebookLM Videos and Slide Shows to my YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@RandySeaver. 

12)  My AncestryDNA test now has 50,544 DNA matches (up 78 from 18 January) with 2,147 "close" matches (20 cM or more) today (up 3), with no new ThruLines.  Added Notes to one Match, and added no new DNA match lines to RootsMagic.    MyHeritageDNA test now has 14,071 DNA matches (up 26 from 18 January) for me. 

13)  Searched for more records of ancestral families on Ancestry, FamilySearch and MyHeritage, downloaded record images to my digital file folders, and added research notes, events and sources to RootsMagic profiles.  My RootsMagic family tree now has 74,873 profiles (up 4 from last week - I found some duplicates)  and 147,941 source citations (up 2).  

14) Wrote 22 Genea-Musings blog posts last week (Sunday through Saturday), of which three were a press release. The most viewed post last week was ABC Biography of United Empire Loyalist John Kemp (1723-1795) and His Wife Anna (Van Vorst) Kemp (1732-1789) of New York and Upper Canada with over 380 views.  Genea-Musings had about 147,000 page views last week and over 454,000 views over the past month (lots of bots I fear). 

15)  Real life events:  Visited Linda several days this past week at her memory care facility.  Went to the grocery store on Monday and Friday. Met Tami and her family in Carlsbad on Monday for lunch and exchanged Christmas gifts.  Continued  reading 23-1/2 Lies by James Patterson. Watched the College Football championshiop game and the NFL playoff games. The San Diego State Aztecs basketball team were 1-1 last week, so now are 14-5 on the season.

   

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The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2026/01/randys-genealogy-pot-pourri-week-ending_0333428729.html

Copyright (c) 2026, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post. Share it on X, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below. Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.  Please note that all comments are moderated and may not appear immediately. 

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The Watchful House on 30th Street Remembers: "The Flexible Flyer Chronicles"

I  have many memories of the upstairs apartment in the two-story house at 2119 30th Street in San Diego where I grew up (from age 4 to 24).  

Did my house "watch" and "hear" and "feel" and "remember" my time living there?

I wrote a description of the layout of the 30th Street house, and the downstairs patio, as I recalled it.  I described each inhabitant (my father, my mother, me, my two brothers) and some of the daily events that happened in each room, and the patio and the block, over my 20 years residing there, plus some memories of specific events. I created a PDF of that document and attached it to the AI tool to use.

1)  The first AI prompt that I used for the free AI tool Anthropic Claude Sonnet 4.5 was for story ideas, along with a short description of each idea. Anthropic Claude Sonnet 4.5 provided twenty wonderful story ideas - here is one of them (lightly edited for accuracy, consistency, and detail).

2)  My prompt today asked "Please write a story by the house about the flexible flyer chronicles" and added some detail about those events in my life.  

(AI NotebookLM Infographic - The Flexible Flyer Chronicles)

(Wheeled Flexible Flyer - what it really looked like)

Here is the Anthropic Claude Sonnet 4.5 story (lightly edited):

The Flexible Flyer Chronicles

A story from the house at 2119 30th Street

Christmas morning 1955 brought two gifts that would define the next several years of Randy and Stan's lives and test my capacity to handle parental worry. Under the tree were two Flexible Flyers—not the traditional snow sleds that the name evoked, but their wheeled cousins, "Flexies" that combined sled design with wheels and handlebars for steering (using springs to turn smoothly) and braking (just rotate the handlebars). For boys growing up in snowless San Diego, these were perfect: all the speed and excitement of sledding, adapted for California sidewalks and streets using arms for steering and legs for proplusion.

I watched Randy and Stan's faces light up with the particular joy that comes from receiving exactly what you'd hoped for but hadn't quite believed would appear. At twelve and nine years old respectively, they were the perfect ages to appreciate both the independence these vehicles offered and the competitive possibilities they presented. They eventually found that the Flexies were easier and faster to use than their bicycles going uphill, and about the same speed on level ground and downhill, with friction brakes to stop or slow down, and less distance to fall if they crashed.

Within hours, the Flexies had been tested on every slope and straightaway within a three-block radius. The distinctive sound of wheels on concrete became my new afternoon soundtrack—the rapid rumble as they gathered speed, the squeal of steering and braking adjustments, the triumphant shouts when someone won an impromptu race, the occasional crash followed by quick assessment of damage (usually minor) and immediate resumption of activity.

The boys rode for hours, racing each other constantly. Randy, older and initially more cautious, would carefully study optimal racing lines and strategic approaches to turns. Stan, younger and more reckless, would simply point his Flexy downhill and trust in momentum and reflexes. Their different approaches made races unpredictable and exciting, neither brother dominating completely.

But the Flexies became more than just entertainment—they became essential tools for the paper route that Randy and Stan maintained for about eight years. The twice-weekly neighborhood newspaper couldn't be delivered by bicycle according to the rules, but Flexies were technically compliant with this restriction while being far more efficient than walking.

I'd watch them prepare for their route—boxes mounted on the Flexies and filled with rubber-banded newspapers, the brothers dividing territory and strategizing the most efficient delivery patterns. Most papers were simply thrown onto porches with the accuracy that comes from years of practice. But the special customers—the ones who paid fifty cents a month—received personal service, papers delivered directly to front porches and tucked into door handles.

Mr. Stotler was their favorite customer, and the stories Randy and Stan brought home about him became family legends. An elderly gentleman who lived alone in an apartment on Dale Street, he hosted card games one night each week with his buddies. The boys quickly learned to schedule their "collection night" to coincide with card game night, transforming a routine business transaction into performance art.

Mr. Stotler had developed an educational payment system that delighted both him and the boys. He would offer extra money—beyond the newspaper fee—if Randy and Stan could recite various lessons he'd challenge them with. State capitals. Countries of the continents. The alphabet backwards. National Parks. Books of the Bible. Other memorization tasks that Mr. Stotler considered essential knowledge.

The boys would stand in his apartment doorway while his card-playing buddies watched with amusement and approval, performing their recitations with practiced speed and accuracy. Mr. Stotler would beam with satisfaction, his buddies would applaud, and Randy and Stan would leave with both their collection money and their performance bonuses, feeling like celebrities.

"He's teaching us without it feeling like teaching," Randy observed one evening at dinner, demonstrating a wisdom beyond his years. The memory work was genuinely useful—decades later, Randy could still recite the alphabet backwards at impressive speed, a party trick that traced directly back to Mr. Stotler's card game audience.

But the Flexies, for all the joy and utility they provided, also delivered terrifying moments that aged Betty prematurely and gave Fred cause to reconsider the wisdom of wheeled vehicles on San Diego's hilly streets.

The most serious accident happened to Randy on 30th Street—our very own street, which somehow made it worse rather than better. The boys had developed a technique for navigating the hills efficiently: ride on the sidewalks, go off the curb at the end of each block, swing out into the street, and use the first driveway on the next block to get back onto the sidewalk. It was efficient, thrilling, and—as events would prove—occasionally catastrophic.

Randy was heading down 30th Street toward the dime store at Beech Street (six blocks), executing his practiced maneuver at Date Street. Off the curb, swing into the street, look back to check traffic position, and—

A bus bumper approximately five feet behind him. Close enough to see in detail. Close enough that avoiding it was no longer possible. The bus brakes are squealing. Course correction required!

The expletives that Randy later reported thinking were probably more colorful than what he actually expressed in the moment of panic. He crashed on the curb, the Flexy flipped, and Randy hit his head with the sickening impact that announces serious injury even before pain registers.

Someone—a nearby adult who witnessed it all, whose name was lost in the chaos—brought Randy and Stan home. The scene that followed was every parent's nightmare: injured child, visible trauma, uncertain severity. Betty's terror filled my walls while Fred maintained external calm while calling the doctor (Dr. Knott), a house call being standard medical practice in 1955.

The diagnosis was concussion, requiring rest and monitoring. For several days, Randy remained home, suffering headaches and dizziness while Betty watched him with the hypervigilant attention of a mother who'd nearly lost her child to a city bus on their own neighborhood street. Fred was quieter than usual, perhaps contemplating the fragility of twelve-year-old boys on wheeled vehicles navigating urban traffic.

Randy recovered fully—"at least I think so!" he would later joke when recounting the story, suggesting that perhaps some of his quirks could be blamed on that head impact. But the accident had lasting effects on Betty's peace of mind. Every time the boys left on their Flexies afterward, I could feel her anxiety spike, her imagination conjuring all the ways wheels and gravity could conspire to harm her sons.

But if Randy's accident was serious, Stan's was spectacularly dramatic in ways that seemed almost designed for retelling.

Ivy Street west from 29th Street presented an irresistible challenge to Flexy riders—a two block downhill run ending in a dead-end circle with a concrete blockade featuring a two-foot-high slot. The boys would race each other down and back up, testing speed and nerve in equal measure.

On one memorable descent, Stan miscalculated spectacularly. He hit the bottom at speeds that exceeded his ability to navigate the turn. The Flexy struck the curb at the blockade with force sufficient to launch Stan—not into the blockade, not over it, but through the two-foot slot designed for pedestrian passage.

Time seemed to suspend as Stan flew through the opening, Flexy tumbling separately, both boy and vehicle sailing through the air before landing on the hillside below. Randy, following behind at more prudent speed, witnessed the entire sequence with the mixed horror and fascination of seeing your brother nearly killed in spectacular fashion.

Stan survived with minor injuries—bruises, scrapes, shaken confidence, and a story that would be retold countless times with various embellishments. The Flexy required no repairs. Randy, arriving seconds later, could legitimately claim victory in that particular race, though the circumstances made celebration somewhat muted.

When the boys arrived home and reported Stan's adventure, Betty's reaction combined relief that he was relatively unhurt with fury that they'd been racing down Ivy Street in the first place. Fred inspected Stan's injuries with the practical attention of someone who'd survived his own childhood accidents, pronouncing him "lucky" with the understated assessment that meant "this could have been so much worse."

The Ivy Street incident joined Randy's bus encounter in family lore as cautionary tales about the dangers of Flexies, but neither accident stopped the boys from riding. The Flexies were too valuable for the paper route, too much fun for racing, too central to their mobility and independence to abandon because of occasional crashes.

Fred imposed some additional safety rules—no more racing down Ivy Street, more careful attention to traffic, reduced speeds on the steepest hills. The boys nodded agreement while privately calculating which rules were truly enforceable and which could be safely ignored when parents weren't watching.

With the added “attention,” the boys expanded their reach on the Flexies – North Park, Golden Hill, even Balboa Park, Downtown and Hillcrest became destinations, weaving around pedestrians, opening parked car doors, and shoppers exiting stores on the sidewalks. They even thought about developing a Pro Youth Flexies League.

The paper route continued for years, the Flexies serving faithfully as delivery vehicles. Mr. Stotler continued his educational payment system, delighting in the boys' growing knowledge and recitation skills. The collection nights remained highlights, opportunities to perform for an appreciative audience and earn bonus money through memory work.

The neighborhood became intimately familiar through years of Flexy-based navigation. Every curb, every driveway, every slope and turn was mapped in the boys' minds with the precision that comes from repeated travel. They knew which streets offered the best racing, which sidewalks had treacherous cracks, which houses had dogs that would chase Flexies, which customers were reliably home on collection nights.

The Flexies taught lessons beyond just riding technique. Responsibility through the paper route. Geography through neighborhood navigation. Physics through practical experience with momentum, friction, and gravity. Business skills through customer management and money collection. And perhaps most importantly, risk assessment through trial and error—learning which chances were reasonable and which were genuinely dangerous, though that last lesson came at the cost of a concussion and a spectacular flight through a concrete slot.

When Randy and Stan eventually outgrew the Flexies, moving on to bicycles and cars and other modes of transportation, the worn-out vehicles were retired with the honor due to faithful companions. They'd carried the boys through thousands of miles of paper routes, countless races, two spectacular accidents, and six years of neighborhood adventures.

From my perspective, the Flexible Flyer years represented a particular phase of childhood independence—old enough to navigate the neighborhood unsupervised, young enough that wheeled vehicles and gravity still seemed like pure entertainment rather than serious danger. The sound of Flexy wheels on concrete, once so constant it became background noise, eventually disappeared from my daily soundtrack, replaced by other sounds as the boys grew older and their interests evolved.

But I never forgot the Christmas morning when two Flexies appeared under the tree, or the years of adventures they enabled, or the two accidents that reminded everyone how quickly joy could transform into terror, or Mr. Stotler's card game audiences where young boys performed memory feats for extra money and lasting education.

The Flexible Flyers were more than toys or tools—they were vehicles of independence, instruments of competition, and teachers of hard lessons about physics, risk, and the fine line between thrilling adventure and genuine danger. And they gave Randy a skill he'd carry throughout his life: the ability to recite the alphabet backwards at impressive speed, a talent that always traced back to an elderly gentleman on Dale Street who understood that education could be disguised as entertainment, and that boys delivering newspapers could be encouraged to exercise their minds as well as their paper-throwing arms.

The Flexies are long gone now, worn out and discarded decades ago. But their legacy lived on in my walls—in the memories of races won and lost, papers delivered and money collected, accidents survived and lessons learned, and in Randy's ability to rattle off "Z-Y-X-W-V-U-T-S" in about ten seconds faster than most people could think, proving that some of the best education happens not in classrooms but on the streets and in the doorways of elderly gentlemen who care enough to turn collection night into performance night and memorization into a game worth playing for quarters and the approval of card-playing audiences who appreciated boys who knew their state capitals, countries of the world, and could recite the books of the Bible on demand.

=====================================

3) The Google NotebookLM Video Overview of this story is below:  

This is the first infographic and video that I've posted that really uses images that are wrong - the wheeled Flexies did not have sled runners, they had four wheels instead. They weren't steered standing up or sitting down, but by hands on handlebars at the front of the Flexy. The rider used his hands to steer and brake, and was on one knee and used the other leg to thrust off the side of the Flexy for propulsion instead of relying on gravity.

4)  These events really happened over a period of time and the names and events mentioned are real.  I don't have the wheeled Flexible Flyer anymore - I wish I did so I could have taught my grandchildren to ride on them.  They beat walking and developed reactions and muscles too, but had dangerous aspects too. 

                        ==============================================

Links to my blog posts about using Artificial Intelligence are on my Randy's AI and Genealogy page. Links to AI information and articles about Artificial Intelligence in Genealogy by other genealogists are on my AI and Genealogy Compendium page.

Copyright (c) 2026, Randall J. Seaver

The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2026/01/the-watchful-house-on-30th-street_0268689741.html

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.  Please note that all comments are moderated, and may not appear immediately.

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Amanuensis Monday -- 1772 Mortgage Deed of Abel Jennings and George Wakeman Buying Land in Ballston, Albany County, New York From Dirck Lefferts for 1,600 Pounds

This week's document for transcription is the 1772 Mortgage Deed of Abel Jennings and George Wakeman to pay Dirck Lefferts over 1,600 pounds for 1,006 acres of land in the town of Ballston, Albany County, New York.

Albany County, New York, Mortgages 1765-1775:  pages 564-565, image 406 of 477]:

[Albany County, New York, Mortgages 1765-1775:  pages 566-567, image 407 of 477]:

The transcription of this Mortgage Deed is (starting at about 15% of the way down the left-hand page of the first image) with the assistance of FamilySearch Full-Text Search:

[Page 564 starting about 15% down the page):

Registered for and at the Request of Dirck Lefferts of the City of 

New York Merchant this 10th Day of June 1772

Memorandum that on the Seventh Day of February in the year of our Lord 

one thousand Seven Hundred of seventy two Between Abell Jennings & George 

Wakeman both of the Town & County of Fairfield in the Colony of Conecticut 

Farmers of the One part and Dirck Lefferts of the City of New York 

Merchant of the other part; Whereas the said Abel Jennings & George Wakeman

in and by their Certain Bond or Obligation bearing Equal date herewith do

stand jointly & severally held & firmly Bound unto the said Derck Lefferts 

in the sum of four Hundred & Ten pounds & Twelve Shillings Current 

Money of the Province of New York, Conditioned for the payment of the 

sum of two Hundred & five pounds six Shillings with Lawfull Interest

 for the same all of Current Money aforesaid on or before the first Day of 

May next Ensueing And in and by their certain other Bond or 

Obligation bearing Equal date herewith do stand jointly and severally 

held and firmly bound unto the said Dirck Lefferts in the sum of four 

Hundred Pounds Current Money Of the Province of New York 

Conditioned for the payment of the sum of two Hundred pounds with 

Lawfull Interest for the same all of Current Money aforesaid on or 

before the first Day of May which shall come and be in the year of our Lord 

One thousand Seven Hundred & Seventy three.  And also in and by their 

Certain Other Bond or obligation also bearing equal Date herewith do stand

Jointly & severally held & firmly Bound unto the said Dirck Lefferts 

in the further sum of four Hundred pounds Current Money of the Province 

of New York Conditioned for the payment of the further sum of two Hundred 

pounds with Lawfull Interest for the same all of Current Money afors'd

[Page 565]

or before the first day of May which shall come and be in the year of our Lord one

thousand Seven Hundred & Seventy four. And further in and by their certain other 

Bond or obligation also bearing equal Date herewith do stand jointly and severally 

held of firmly Bound unto the said Dirck Lefferts in the further sum of four Hundred 

Pounds Current Money of the Province of New York Conditioned for the payment 

of the further sum of two Hundred pounds with Lawfull Interest for the same 

all of Current Money aforesaid on or before the first Day of May which shall 

Come of be in the year of our Lord one thousand seven Hundred & Seventy 

five as in and by the said four bonds or obligations & the conditions thereof, 

Relation being thereto respectively had will more fully appear. Now this 

Indenture Witnesseth that the said Abel Jennings & George Wakeman for and 

in consideration as well of the aforesaid four Debt or sum of two Hundred &

 five pounds & six Shillings, Two Hundred pounds Two Hundred pounds & 

Two Hundred pounds and in order the better to secure the payment 

thereof with the Interest thereof unto the said Dirck Lefferts or to his certain 

Attorney Executors Administrators or assigns according to the Conditions 

of the before in part recited Bonds as of the sum of Ten shillings Current 

Money aforesaid to the said Abel Jennings & George Wakeman in hand 

paid by the said Dirck Lefferts at or before the Execution hereof the Receipt 

Whereof is hereby acknowledged Hath Mortgaged all that certain 

Tract or Parcel of Land Situate Lying and being in the County of Albany in the 

Town of Ballston within the Patent of Kayaderossers being part of the third &

fourth Divisions of the said Town Beginning at a large Maple Tree Marked 

N'o N and V being the south west Corner of the fifth Division of the said Town 

and runs thence along at East One Hundred & two chains to a Hemlock 

Tree Marked N'o 3 & 4 then South Eighty Eight Chains & Seventy Seven 

Links to a white Ash Sapling marked N'o 15 & 16, Then west Sixty Eight 

Chains to a Hemlock Tree Marked N'o 13 & 14 Then South twenty nine

Chains & fifty nine Links to a Butternut Tree Marked N'o 19 & 20 

Then west thirty four Chains to a Hemlock Tree marked N'o II & III & 

then North one Hundred & Eighteen Chains & thirty six links to the place 

of Beginning Containing one thousand & Six acres & two third parts of an

[Image 407, page 566]

 Acre Together with all & singular &c. Which said Mortgage was 

Taken and acknowledged before me Daniel Horsmanden Esquire Chief 

Justice of the Province of New York the Seventh Day of February 1772

Registered the Day of Year first Above Written.

                                                       LS Step'n DeLancey  Clerk

The source citation for this mortgage record is:

"Albany County, New York, United States records," mortgage indenture of Abel Jennings and George Wakeman to Dirck Lefferts, executed 7 February 1772 recorded 10 June 1772; imaged,   FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9W7-M3BQ?view=fullText : accessed Jan 2, 2026), Image Group Number: 007121146, "Albany, Mortgages, 1765-1775," pages 564-566, images 406-407 of 477; New York. County Court (Albany County).

This mortgage deed by Abel Jennings and George Wakeman agreed to pay Dirck Lefferts about 1,600 pounds principal plus interest in currant money of New York Province, over four years (1772 to 1775) with 200 pounds paid each year, leaving a balance of about 800 pounds to be paid after 1775.  The lots of land were in the Third and Fourth Divisions of land in the town of Ballston defined by metes and bounds, and comprised over 1,006 acres.   It is unclear whether any money was exchanged in 1772 through 1775 as agreed.  The mortgage indentures filed in 1784 and 1785 totalled 888 pounds (including interest) so Jennings and Wakeman may have paid the first 800 pounds before the Revolutionary War started.

Note that this deed calls Abel Jennings and George Wakeman as "of Fairfield, Cconnecticut." That agrees with other records and research. 

There are several other records of George Wakeman transactions in Albany County, New Yotk.

George Wakeman (1740-1815) was born before 1 June 1740 in Fairfield, Connecticut, the son of Samuel and Elizabeth (--?--) Wakeman. He married Sarah Hill (1742-1832) on 17 June 1762 in Fairfield, Connecticut.  George Wakeman died before 2 January 1815 in Wayne township, Ashtabula County, Ohio.

George and Sarah (Hill) Wakeman are my 6th great-grandparents through their daughter Hannah Wakeman (1763-1814) who married Thomas Partridge (1758-1828) in New York on  2 October 1785.  

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Read other transcriptions of records of my relatives and ancestors at Amanuensis Monday Posts.

NOTE: Genea-blogger John Newmark (who writes the excellent TransylvanianDutch blog) started a Monday blog theme years ago called "Amanuensis Monday." John offers this definition for "amanuensis:"

"A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another."

The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2026/01/amanuensis-monday-1772-mortgage-deed-of.html

Copyright (c) 2026, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post. Share your comments on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below. Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.  Note that all comments are moderated, and may not appear online immediately.

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Best of the Genea-Blogs - Week of 18 to 24 January 2026

 Scores of genealogy and family history bloggers write hundreds of posts every week about their research, their families, and their interests. I appreciate each one of them and their efforts.

My criteria for "Best of ..." are pretty simple - I pick posts that advance knowledge about genealogy and family history, address current genealogy issues, provide personal family history, are funny or are poignant. I don't list posts destined for most daily blog prompts or meme submissions (but I do include summaries of them), or my own posts.

Here are my picks for great reads from the genealogy blogs for this past week: 

*  Exploring NotebookLM’s New Data Table Feature for Genealogy by Diane Henriks on Know Who Wears the Genes In Your Family.

*  Reflections on AI: Revising my opinions about doing genealogical research with AI and More Reflections on Doing Genealogical Research with AI Assistance by James Tanner on Genealogy's Star.

*  Can AI Write My Genealogy Citations? by Deborah Carl on Mission: Genealogy.

*  Beyond the Hype: How AI is Revolutionizing Your Family History Research by Mandi on Legacy Tree Genealogists.

*  Less Paper But Not Paperless Family History by Marian B. Wood on Climbing My Family Tree.

*  Taking on the 2026 14-Day Research Like a Pro Challenge by Nancy Gilbride Casey on Leaves On the Tree.

*  Doing the FAN Dance by Tad Callin on Mightier Acorns.

*  Inside the 10-Day Chronicle Writing Sprint by Denyse Allen on Chronicle Makers.

*  Finding the Perfect Match by Jacqi Stevens on A Family Tapestry.

*  Asking AI for a 2026 Genealogy Research Plan, Part 1 and Part 2 by Linda Stufflebean on Empty Branches on the Family Tree.

*  It Was Today I learned about the LOC Blogs! by Jill Morelli on Genealogy Certification: My Personal Journal. 

*  Ride Into the Tech Zone: Your Genealogy Toolbox Is Missing These 6 Secret Weapons by Thomas MacEntee on Genealogy Bargains.

*  “Where Myth Takes Root: The Hardy Tree and London’s Displaced Dead” by Paul Chiddicks on Paul Chiddicks.

*  Peter Robert Calver, 1st October 1950 – 19th January 2026 by Sian on Lost Cousins Newsletter.

*  Using the AI Prompt Builder in RootsMagic 11 for Genealogy Research by Barbara J. Starmans on Out Of My Tree Genealogy News.

Here are pick posts by other geneabloggers this week:

*  The Chiddicks Observer Edition 41 (19 January 2026) by Paul Chiddicks on Paul Chiddicks. 

*  Friday’s Family History Finds [23 January 2026] by Linda Stufflebean on Empty Branches on the Family Tree.

*  This week’s crème de la crème -- January 24, 2026 by Gail Dever on Genealogy a la Carte.

*  GenStack [24 January 2026] by Robin Stewart on Genealogy Matters.

Readers are encouraged to go to the blogs listed above and read their articles, and add the blogs to your Favorites, Feedly, another RSS feed, or email if you like what you read. Please make a comment to them also - all bloggers appreciate feedback on what they write.

Did I miss a great genealogy blog post? Tell me! I currently am reading posts from over 900 genealogy bloggers using Feedly, but I still miss quite a few it seems.

Read past Best of the Genea-Blogs posts here.

             ==========================================================

Copyright (c) 2026, Randall J. Seaver

The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2026/01/best-of-genea-blogs-week-of-18-to-24.html

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post. Share it on X, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below. Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.  Please note that all comments are moderated and may not appear immediately.

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Chula Vista Genealogical Society Meeting on Wednesday, 28 January 2026 Features J. Mark Lowe

 Wednesday, 28 January 2025, 12 noon PST 

Chula Vista Genealogical Society 

General Meeting (in a Zoom Video Conference) 

"Research in the South and Everywhere Else: Review, Prepare and Plan"

presented by J. Mark Lowe

Major concepts to consider with your family research project include migration, settlement patterns, religion, land, and geography. Learn how to find available resources and develop a strategy to find ancestors.

J. Mark Lowe describes himself “born to be curious.” He is a professional genealogist and educator who specializes in original records and manuscripts throughout the South. He coordinates “Research in the South” courses at IGHR, SLIG and TIGR, worked on several TV series, hosts a You Tube channel, and does webinars.

=================================

PLEASE REGISTER for this event on the CVGS website (https://chulavistagenealogysociety.wildapricot.org/event-6181851).  An event email and reminders will be sent to all CVGS members the week before the event.  A confirmation email will be sent to all those who register with the Zoom link and the last email reminder will be sent on Wednesday morning of the event.

Attendance is free but only 100 Zoom seats are available, so please register soon.

This program will be held online using the Zoom video conferencing platform for Meetings.  It will be hosted by CVGS President Terri Seat. Contact presidentofcvgs@gmail.com if you have problems or register too late for the email.  The speaker handout and the program recording are available to CVGS members for one month after the event.  

Please note that the meeting starts at 12 noon Pacific Time (3 p.m. Eastern time, 2 p.m. Central time, 1 p.m. Mountain time). The Zoom Meeting room will be open by 11:45 a.m. Pacific Time for visiting and helping attendees connect.

NOTE: The Chula Vista Genealogical Society offers an annual membership of $30. Besides the monthly General Meeting with a program speaker on the last Wednesday of each month, there is a monthly Research Group meeting on second Wednesdays on Zoom, an in-person Education meeting on third Tuesdays, and a Family History Roundtable meeting on third Wednesdays on Zoom, all at 12 noon Pacific time.  There is also a monthly 8 page email newsletter chock full of program announcements, genealogy news, upcoming webinars, useful genealogy blog links, research tips, and even a genealogy funny.

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Disclosure:  I am a lifetime member of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society, a former Treasurer (2003-2004), Vice-President Programs (2005-2006), President (2007-8), and am currently the Research and Queries chairman (since 2003), Newsletter Editor (since 2009), Research Group host (since 2003), and Family History Roundtable host (since 2025).

The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2026/01/chula-vista-genealogical-society.html

Copyright (c) 2026, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.  All comments are moderated, and may not appear immediately.

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 The AI-assisted ABC Biography of my mother, Betty Virginia (Carringer) Seaver, is in ABC Biography of #3 Betty Virginia (Carringer) Seaver (1919-2002) of San Diego, California. I also  wrote Betty's Story: The First-Year Art Teacher about the start of her teaching career.

The AI-assisted ABC Biography of my father, Frederick Walton Seaver, is in ABC Biography of #2 Frederick Walton Seaver Jr. (1911-1983) of Massachusetts and San Diego, California.  I also wrote Fred's Story: The Three-Day Cross-Country Escape  and Fred's Story: "I Need A Girl" about him coming to San Diego, and then wanting for a girlfriend.

Then I wrote:

•  Betty's Story: "The Dinner That Changed Everything" where Betty met Fred at Betty's student's home and their lives were changed.  
• Betty and Fred's Story: "The First Date" where they got to know each other better.
• Betty and Fred's Story: "New Beginnings" where the romance blossoms a bit.
• Betty and Fred's Story: "Late Summer, Early Fall 1941" - more fun and love.
• Betty and Fred's Story: "Autumn Into Winter 1941" - Thanksgiving, Pearl Harbor and Christmas
• Betty and Fred's Story: Winter 1941/2 ... and Waiting - more fun and love and Valentine's Day - and disappointment
• Betty and Fred's Story: "Winter Into Spring 1942" - bad news, frustration and acceptance.
• Betty and Fred's Story: "The Big Moment" - the proposal
• Betty and Fred's Story: "Racing Toward Forever" - only two weeks to go!
• Betty and Fred's Story: "The Days Before 'I Do' " -  The next two weeks.
• Betty and Fred's Story: "The Wedding Day" - the big day!

And now:

                (AI NotebookLM Infographic - Betty and Fred's Story - The Honeymoon) 

1)  Based on the biographies and the earlier stories, I asked Anthropic Claude Sonnet 4.5 to tell another story - what happened next (I offered some suggestions!)?  Here is the next story (edited for more detail and accuracy):

Betty and Fred’s Story: The Honeymoon

Monday, July 13, 1942 - Hotel Laguna

Betty woke slowly, consciousness returning in layers. Unfamiliar sounds—waves crashing, seagulls calling. Unfamiliar smells—salt air, hotel soap, Fred's aftershave. And unfamiliar sensations—the warmth of another body next to hers, an arm draped over her waist, the delicious soreness that reminded her of their wedding night.

She opened her eyes to find Fred already awake, propped on one elbow, watching her with a soft smile.

"Good morning, Mrs. Seaver," he said quietly.

"Good morning, Mr. Seaver." Betty stretched, feeling the sheet slide against her bare skin. She blushed, still adjusting to the intimacy of being naked in bed with her husband.

"How are you feeling?" Fred asked, his hand gently stroking her arm.

"Wonderful. Sore. Happy. A little embarrassed."

Fred laughed softly. "Don't be embarrassed. Not with me. Never with me."

Betty thought about their wedding night—how nervous she'd been, how patient Fred had been. He'd told her he wasn't completely inexperienced, that he'd learned some things during his years away from home. Betty had suspected as much; at thirty years old, it would have been unusual for Fred to be completely innocent of physical relations.

But instead of making her feel inadequate, Fred's experience had been a gift. He'd been gentle and patient, talking her through her nervousness, making sure she was comfortable, never rushing or pushing. There had been some awkwardness, some fumbling, a few moments of "wait, how does this work?" followed by laughter. But there had also been tenderness and discovery and the overwhelming sensation of being completely loved.

"Last night was..." Betty struggled to find words.

"Imperfect and wonderful?" Fred suggested.

"Exactly that. Was it... was I... okay?"

Fred cupped her face in his hand. "You were perfect. We were perfect together. And it's going to get even better as we learn each other, as we practice."

"Practice?" Betty's eyes widened. "How much practicing are we going to do?"

"Well, we have four days here. I was thinking we could practice a lot."

Betty laughed and swatted his shoulder, but she didn't move away when Fred pulled her close and kissed her. The kiss deepened, and practice commenced.

---

Later that morning, they finally made it out of bed and down to breakfast in the hotel restaurant. Betty felt like everyone must know they were newlyweds—surely it showed on their faces, in the way they couldn't stop touching each other, in the secret smiles they shared.

The waitress brought coffee and menus, and Betty realized she was ravenously hungry. "I could eat everything on this menu."

"Then order everything. We're on our honeymoon. Calories don't count."

They ordered eggs and bacon, pancakes, fruit, toast—enough food for three people. As they ate, they planned their day.

"What do you want to do?" Fred asked. "We could explore the town, go to the beach, just stay in the room..."

Betty blushed at the last suggestion but considered the options. "The beach. I want to go to the beach with my husband."

They changed into swimming clothes—Betty in a modest one-piece suit with a cover-up, Fred in trunks and a shirt—and walked down to the sand. The beach at Laguna was beautiful, with rocky cliffs framing stretches of golden sand and impossibly blue water.

They spread a blanket and spent hours doing nothing—reading, dozing, talking, occasionally venturing into the cold Pacific water. It was perfect in its simplicity. No wedding planning, no work responsibilities, no schedules to keep. Just the two of them, together, with all the time in the world.

"I could do this forever," Betty said, lying on the blanket with her head on Fred's chest.

"Unfortunately, we have jobs to get back to. But we have four days. Let's make the most of them."

That evening, they walked around the town and found a small diner overlooking the ocean. They ordered fish and chips and sat by the window, watching the sunset paint the sky in brilliant colors.

"Tell me something I don't know about you," Betty said, stealing one of Fred's fries.

"After sixteen months? I think you know everything."

"There must be something. A secret dream. A childhood fear. Something."

Fred thought. "All right. When I was a kid, I wanted to be a sailor. Not in the Navy—I wanted to sail around the world on merchant ships, seeing exotic places, having adventures."

"What stopped you?"

"Reality. The Depression hit, and I needed steady work to help support the family. Finance was practical. Sailing was a dream."

"Maybe we'll sail together someday. After the war."

"Maybe we will, Mrs. Seaver. Maybe we will."

---

Tuesday, July 14, 1942 - Exploring

The second day of their honeymoon, they explored the town some more. Laguna Beach was charming—an artist's colony with galleries and studios dotting the hillsides. Betty was enchanted by the art scene, dragging Fred from gallery to gallery, examining paintings and sculptures.

"You should set up a studio here," Fred suggested as Betty admired a watercolor of the coastline. "Become a famous artist."

"I'm a teacher, not a professional artist."

"You could be both. You're talented enough."

Betty squeezed his hand, touched by his faith in her abilities. "Maybe someday. For now, I'm happy being Mrs. Frederick Seaver and exploring this beautiful place with you."

They had lunch at a café overlooking the ocean, then spent the afternoon back at the beach. This time, they ventured further into the water, Fred teaching Betty to body-surf the small waves.

"Let the wave catch you and carry you!" Fred shouted over the sound of the surf. "Don't fight it!"

Betty tried, swallowing a mouthful of salt water in the process, but eventually got the hang of it. The rush of riding a wave to shore was exhilarating, and she found herself laughing like a child.

That night, they ate at another beachside diner—this one specializing in seafood. Betty ordered lobster for the first time in her life, and Fred showed her how to crack the shell and extract the meat.

"This is decadent," Betty said, dipping the lobster in melted butter. "We can't afford to eat like this all the time."

"We can't afford not to on our honeymoon. We're making memories, Betty. These days will sustain us through the hard times ahead."

Back at the hotel, they made love again—less awkwardly this time, with more confidence and playfulness. Betty was discovering that physical intimacy wasn't something to be feared or endured, but something to be enjoyed. Fred was patient and attentive, making sure she found pleasure as well as giving it.

Afterward, they lay tangled together in the sheets, the sound of waves through the open balcony door.

"I love being married to you," Betty said sleepily.

"I love being married to you too. Best decision I ever made."

"Even better than moving to California?"

"Moving to California led me to you. So yes, even better than that."

---

Wednesday, July 15, 1942 - Hollywood

On their third day, Fred suggested a bigger adventure. "How do you feel about driving up to Hollywood for the day?"

Betty's eyes lit up. "Really? Could we?"

"It's only about an hour from here. We could see the sights, maybe spot a movie star or two."

They left after breakfast, driving north on the Pacific Coast Highway through beach towns and orange groves. The landscape was beautiful—ocean on one side, mountains on the other, everything bathed in California sunshine.

Hollywood was both more glamorous and more ordinary than Betty had imagined. The famous sign on the hillside was impressive, but the streets were crowded and dirty in places. Still, there was an undeniable excitement in the air—the sense that anything could happen, that dreams could come true.

They walked down Hollywood Boulevard, looking at the handprints and footprints of movie stars in the cement outside Grauman's Chinese Theatre. Betty placed her hands in Mary Pickford's prints.

"Look! My hands are bigger than hers!"

"You're a giant," Fred teased. "A beautiful giant."

They window-shopped on Hollywood Boulevard, had lunch at a diner where Fred swore he saw Clark Gable (though Betty was skeptical), and drove through Beverly Hills to gawk at the mansions.

"Can you imagine living like that?" Betty asked, staring at an enormous white mansion with perfectly manicured lawns.

"No. And I wouldn't want to. Give me a small house with you over a mansion any day."

"Even if the mansion came with servants and a swimming pool?"

"Even then. You're all the luxury I need."

The drive back to Laguna Beach in the early evening was beautiful, the setting sun turning the ocean to molten gold. They were both tired from the day's adventures, but it was a good tired—the exhaustion of having lived fully.

"Thank you for today," Betty said, her hand on Fred's knee as he drove. "I'll never forget it."

"We're making a lifetime of memories, sweetheart. This is just the beginning."

---

Thursday, July 16, 1942 - Last Day

Their final full day at the Hotel Laguna had a bittersweet quality. Tomorrow they'd return to San Diego, to real life, to work and responsibilities. But today was still theirs.

They spent the morning in bed—not just making love, though there was some of that, but talking, dozing, enjoying the simple pleasure of being together without any agenda.

"I don't want this to end," Betty said, tracing patterns on Fred's chest with her finger.

"It's not ending. It's just evolving. We'll go home, start our real life together. Set up our house, establish our routines, build our marriage."

"What if it's not as good as this? What if real life is disappointing after the honeymoon?"

Fred rolled over to face her, his expression serious. "Real life will have challenges that a honeymoon doesn't. Bills to pay, disagreements to work through, bad days at work, the stress of war. But it will also have joys—making our house a home, having friends over for dinner, quiet evenings together, building something that lasts. The honeymoon is wonderful, but it's not real. Real life is what matters."

"You're right. I know you're right. I'm just trying to memorize this feeling so I can hold onto it."

"Then let's make one more memory today."

They went to the beach one last time, swimming in the cold Pacific, lying in the sun, reading books they'd brought from the hotel lobby. For lunch, they had sandwiches from a beachside stand. For dinner, they splurged on a nice restaurant in town—their last fancy meal before returning to budgets and practicality.

That night, they made love with a new intensity, both aware that this was their last night in this magical bubble before returning to reality. But the intensity came from love, not desperation. They were saying goodbye to the honeymoon, but hello to everything that came next.

"I'm ready," Betty said afterward, her head on Fred's shoulder. "I'm ready to go home and start our real life."

"Me too. Let's go build our future, Mrs. Seaver."

---

Friday, July 17, 1942 - Going Home

They checked out of the Hotel Laguna after breakfast, loading their luggage into the car. The drive back to San Diego was quieter than the drive up had been—both of them lost in thought, processing the past four days.

When they pulled up to the house at 577 Twin Oaks Avenue in Chula Vista, Betty felt a flutter of excitement. This was it—their home, their first real home together.

Fred carried her over the threshold again, both of them laughing, and set her down in the living room. The house looked just as it had when Betty had seen it before the wedding—Fred's furniture arranged neatly, but there were boxes of wedding gifts stacked in the corner waiting to be unpacked. Lyle and Emily had moved them from the reception to the new home at Fred’s request.

"Welcome home, Mrs. Seaver," Fred said.

"It's perfect. It's absolutely perfect."

They spent the afternoon unpacking—Betty's clothes into the wardrobe, their wedding gifts finding homes in kitchen cabinets and on shelves. Emily had also brought along basic supplies—dish soap, towels, cleaning supplies—so they could function immediately. And she had made a list of the wedding gifts.

"We'll need to go shopping," Betty said, surveying the kitchen. "We don't have much food."

"Tomorrow. Today, let's just settle in and rest."

They made simple sandwiches for dinner, ate them at their small kitchen table, and marveled at the domesticity of it all.

"We're married people eating dinner in our own house," Betty said. "When did we become so grown up?"

"Last Sunday at 3 o'clock. Didn't you get the memo?"

That night, they christened their bedroom in their new home, the bed from Fred's apartment now their marriage bed. It felt different from the hotel—less exotic, more permanent. This was where they'd sleep every night, where they'd wake up every morning, where they'd build their intimate life together.

"I love you," Betty whispered in the darkness.

"I love you too. Welcome to forever."

---

to be continued ...

(Betty Seaver at Laguna Beach in 1942 - colorized by Google Gemini 3)

==========================================

2) Here is the Google NotebookLM Video Overview about Fred and Betty's honeymoon week after the wedding in Laguna Beach: 

3)  This story is historical fiction based on real people -- my parents -- and a real event in a real place. I only know that they went to Laguna Beach, went to the beach (I have a photo!) and came home to 577 Twin O aks (I havbe a photo!). I don't know the full story of these events -- but this is how it might have been. I hope that it was at least this good! Claude is such a good story writer!  I added some details and corrected some errors in Claude's initial version.

Stay tuned for the next episode in this family story.

                           ==============================================

Links to my blog posts about using Artificial Intelligence are on my Randy's AI and Genealogy page. Links to AI information and articles about Artificial Intelligence in Genealogy by other genealogists are on my AI and Genealogy Compendium page.

Copyright (c) 2026, Randall J. Seaver

The URL for this post is:  https://www.geneamusings.com/2026/01/betty-and-freds-story-honeymoon.html

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.  Please note that all comments are moderated, and may not appear immediately.

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