Mistakes Were Made

Sharon DuBose gave a fun class on grammar to us old timers. The presentation reminded us of being back in school and identified some of the little things we see in today's marketing that just drive us crazy.

You can see Sharon's presentation by clicking here.

Valuable Treasures in the Attic

We all have various papers in our homes that have sentimental or even monetary value. Jonathan Topper shared with us how to identify any valuable documents we may have and how we go about getting them appraised and sold, if desired.

You can see Jonathan's presentation by clicking here.

Austin's First Colony: The Old 300

We learned more Texas history from Monte Parks, from Jesse H. Jones Park. He told the story of Moses and Stephen F. Austin as they made deals with the Spanish and Mexican governments so that they could bring colonists to the place known today as Texas. There were many trials and tribulations as the settlers tried to carve out their place in history; now known as the Old 300.

To see Monte's presentation, click here.
To see information on the Old 300, click here.

Baked Coconut Shrimp

Lou Master gave another cooking class for us. He prepared Baked Coconut Shrimp served with Orange Marmalade making a delicious combination. Sue Master, his wife, provided a dessert sample to accompany the shrimp. It was a delicious "Sock it to Me" cake. ALL members Donna Smith and Sue Pitre helped prepare the shrimp.

To get a copy of the Baked Coconut Shrimp, click here.
For a copy of the Sock it to Me cake, click here.

Genealogy Workshop - March 11

Michelle Christie was with us again giving us tips on how to search genealogical records for land deeds and warrants. You need to look for the grantor, grantee, amount paid and legal description. Be sure to really read in detail whatever you find....there may be hidden clues in the text. An example was when she showed us a deed that listed the husband, wife, and two daughters by name. However, another sentence said that the wife was with child and that gives you a clue to look in later records for a third child. A great site to look for land records is The Bureau of Land Management at https://www.glorecords.blm.gov/default.aspx

We have a two week  break - the next class will be April 1st and the final class will be April 11th.
Michelle's PowerPoint Presentation - click here
To order The Great Courses program on Discovering Your Roots, go to www.thegreatcourses.com. Look at the top of the page and make sure that the Priority Code listed is 118942 and the Course No. is 9394.....this will bring up the discounted prices we talked about in class. You must enter the Priority Code of 118942 in order to get the discount. You can order either hard discs or download to your computer as shown in the pricing chart. If you want the hard discs mailed to you, also enter Coupon Code MKEB for free shipping. These discounts are good only through March 31, 2016.

Go Green! Homemade Cleaning Products

Linda Matos, ALL member, gave a great presentation on how to save money and save the planet by using homemade cleaning products. Store-bought products contain toxic ingredients in addition to being expensive. She showed us how to make effective cleaners from ingredients we already have in our home.

To see Linda's presentation, click here.
To see her handouts, click here.

Volcanoes, Romans, Rivers and Wine: A Trip through Western Germany

Nathalie Brandes, our favorite professor of Geosciences, led us on a trip along the Rhine River in western Germany. We learned about the area's geology (of course, there are volcanoes), its history, waterways and wines. Great way to learn about interesting sites not mentioned in the typical travelogue.

Her presentation can be viewed by clicking here.

Genealogy Workshop - March 4

We were happy to have Michelle Christie back with us today after her recent genealogy research trip. She was very excited to share that she found a family link that she had eluded her for over ten years. To find this link she had to go out of state and visit a major library in a state where much of her heritage originated. An important point that she stressed in class - you can't find everything by searching the web. Sometimes you have to travel and visit old courthouses, libraries, churches, etc.  America is doing a great job of organizing family history, but it is still a work in progress and not all records have been digitized.  To view Michelle's PowerPoint Presentation from today's class, click here.