I Am Back - part 2

During my procrastination time when I should/could be working on the BAO book I research my family's history, so many records are coming online the research is really starting to come together...it is quite addictive, just a big jigsaw puzzle that you never quite finish. Recently after many stumbling blocks I have finally made connections with Irish cousins in County Cork Ireland they are from my gg grandmother Abigail Conners and gg grandfathers James Shea's line. I have spoken via skype to a cousin on the O'Conners side now living in the US...Patrick has been extremely helpful putting me in contact with cousins still residing in the villages my gg grandparents lived.  I had a great chat to two very lovely quintessential Irish gentleman cousins Jim and Patrick via skype which was a delight, although I did have trouble understanding the lilting irish brogue and they possibly had trouble with my Australian strine.  The upshot of this is that we are organising a family reunion in October 2014 and hopefully a few rellies in Australia will be able to make the trip to county Cork Ireland for the clan gathering.

Also genealogy and BAO did a bit of crossover.  One of the BAO artists Robyn, posted images of some old photos on her blog that were left in a house in Queensland.

Elsie May Baills

I decided armed with just the name of the young girl, Elsie May Baills and her date of death in Queensland to do a bit of research and find out more about this little girl and her family. Whether my research had anything to do with Robyn making contact with a descendant of little Elsie May's brother I am not sure, but it was lovely to hear that the photos had been reunited with a descendant who was very elated to receive them.  It is amazing the information that is out there in the virtual world, so if by some chance you do come across old photos please don't turf them out...it is very possible these days with the internet to return them to a grateful descendant who is interested in family research.

For 3 weeks in August my daughter who had been on an internship in LA, visited here before her return to Australia via LA, UK and Greece, a very well travelled young lady, half my age and been to way more places/countries than I have.  It was really lovely to catch up with her and hear about all her LA experiences.  The internet is fabulous thing and I would be bereft without it but you really are on call 24/7, especially in an industry like the film business.  So although Eva was here for 3 weeks much time was taken up with various projects and skype meetings.  However it was still lovely to have her around.

In between her work she did hang with Henry,

we went for walks, 

took a drive to Siglufjorður 

and had a lovely swim at Hófsos.

I did mean to post this a week or so ago but have ended up quite busy...more on that next time.

At the moment I am sitting in a London Gatwick hotel waiting for my flight to Australia, where over a two week period I will be able to catch up with all my children in Melbourne. However this means I am procrastinating my BAO book a little more.

Another beautiful day!

It snowed lightly overnight and the street looks like it has had a light dusting with icing sugar. The weather has been fabulous, a few days ago it was once again 9 degrees and there has been very little wind and rain, it is pretty much perfect.

I have been here now for 6 weeks and that equates to approximately 42 evening meals. Sigga has cooked for us nearly every night and I have rarely eaten the same thing twice.  She loves cooking, experimenting and sharing her food with company, besides feeding myself, Kristin (her mum) Olga and Ross, Sigga always invites one or two friends each night. Plus if relatives are visiting from the south as happened this weekend putting on a meal for 12 is an opportunity not to be missed.  The preparation always is relaxed and laid back but results are superb. However on the down side of this, even though I have walked everyday since being here I have not lost any weight.

For those of you interested in ancestory research, in Iceland it is not really necessary, as the government have a geneaology website which has records dating back to the ninth century, every Icelandic person is listed and you can trace how you are related to everyone else in this country.  If you are marrying you can check to see how many generations you are separated by as everyone is related somehow.

Also if you become an Icelandic Citizen you are required to take on an Icelandic version of your name the same applies to the naming of children.  Names must be approved by the Naming Committee  and can be rejected if they are not bendable to the Icelandic language. There are no real surnames here and you are known by your first name plus the first name of your father and sometimes mother, which is son of or daughter of, there is a good explanation here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icelandic_name 

On my walk today with Freyja along the top of a hill I could see school children swimming in the town's outdoor heated pool, (today it is around -3) they also saw us and started yelling out and waving. 

I am not sure if I have posted a picture of Freyja before as she is my constant companion at the moment, this girl is not quite sure if she is dog or human, however I think the confusion comes from Sigga and Kristin who treat her as human.

 

Once Olga and Ross returned to London and there was a spare chair, Frejya reclaimed her rightful place at the table. 

 The houses here fascinate me and are very cute and colourful.

 

  

  

  

Sigga's little cutie 

Some are very tiny, most older homes have attics and basements.

 

  

  

  

  

  

The majority of houses are labeled with the original owners name and date built.

 

I am still convinced that this is the place I am meant to be.  Each time I walk outside I am touched to the core of my being by the landscape.

 

Hopefully your not sick of yet another photo of these glorious hills that surround the town 

Things are being set in motion and hopefully I will be able to return.  I think I have found the property and will probably place an offer this week...if it is meant to be it will all work out. You will just have to wait a little longer before I tell you more.