Tragedy Takes No Prisoners

 I like to watch Dr. Henry Louis Gates' tv program "Finding Your Roots." I find it fascinating how surprised celebrities will get on discovering they have ancestral roots. Dr. Gates helped me to pursue my ancestry. I found out that genetically, I am Irish, Norwegian, and Scottish with some mutt tossed in the mix for sport. Genetics really does not paint the story necessary to provide answers to questions like "who am I and where do I come from?" So I turned to the Mormon Church. The Mormons have THE most complete ancestry records of any people on Planet Earth. I have roots that go back to Charlemagne the Conqueror but, going back that far we all are more than likely related to Charlemagne or William that guy what smooshed England or some Danish prince name of Hamlet. The really cool part was finding out I'm related to Ben Franklin. Yup, the Benjamin Franklin. Cousin Ben helped put the United States of America together in the first place. Pretty dang cool no doubt. No surprise that I have Mormon roots. My family roots are Mormon on both my old man's side AND my mom's side. Polygamy is right there for all to see buried in the city cemetery of Provo, Utah. My great-great-great grandfather had five wives and I've got cousins that I'd never heard of. My great-great-great grandfather helped found Utah County, the City of Provo, the City of Heber, and the town of Wallsburg, Utah. Well ... lah ... dee ...dah. So Dr. Gates is doing his program and one of his celebrities is Alanis Morissette. Singer of some notability. Anyway, Dr. Gates informs Ms. Morissette that she is Jewish and Ms. Morissette evidently did not know that. Surprise! Anyway, family history can be a real shocker. I found out that one of my paternal ancestors changed his surname and that turns out to be one profound surprise. I keep wondering IF my life would have been any different with another surname ... I'll more than likely never know. Now for Thursday machine art. 

skin deep -

contempt -

tears -

balloon -

titanic -

raise -

mustangs -

my wife it turns out, is related to Mary Magdalene. you know that lady from the New Testament that hung around with Jesus? yup, that Mary Magdalene. go figure ... 😐