Bark, Bark, Bark ....... Bark!!!

So I guess you know Cooper got his voice back.  I love him to death, but around the house, he barks a LOT!!  It's either someone driving by, or the kids playing next door .... the roosters .... another barking dog or the imaginary cat that haunts the back yard.  On one hand that's a good thing since I doubt anyone could break in without him giving me warning.  On the other, it can be annoying .... VERY annoying ... at least until I've had my coffee!!

I forgot to mention the pork shoulder I cooked for Easter.  It came out of the smoker looking yummy before I wrapped it up and placed it in a cooler to rest for the next two hours.  Too bad it didn't turn out as good as it looked.

Yeah, my first smoker mistake.  I only cooked it for 12 hours ... it needed at least 15, even though the thermometer read 185.  Half of it was done to perfection, easily pulling apart from the bone.  The other half was done, but did not allow pulling.  A disappoint to be sure, but not enough to require a burial.  Instead, I sliced it up very thin for sandwiches, donating all of that and half the good part to my friends in Atwater for helping me move the china cabinet in my sewing room.

Here and there I've been working on two different quilts.  Not the best thing to do because it's very easy to make a mistake in the cutting dimensions.  I know this from experience!  I had to buy two more fat quarters!!

Once I have all the blocks sewn for both quilts, I'll stop and reorganize the mess that is the sewing room.  With no place to put everything that came OUT of the cabinet, it all went on the floor.  Unfortunately, that put it into the realm of Cooperdom.  He sticks the ball on top of the pile, then drags material over the top, with the resulting cascade of material hiding it for him.  Then he roots around until he finds it and goes at it again.  The good thing is he keeps himself busy so I don't have to throw the ball.  The resulting mess of course is up to me to fix!!  Just like a three year old!!

Yesterday, I spent some time on Ancestry.com.  Lucky for me, my friend Nick Russell renowned author (yes you are Nick ... you KNOW you are!) and Editor of the Gypsy Journal, did a little search and sent the results to me.  It was enough to get me hooked.  True, not all the information is correct.  Some had half correct information, some had misspelled names, but the majority of names are familiar.  For example, I didn't know my Grandmother had three brothers and one sister, but the names were familiar ones I had heard her talk about.

I now have names and birthdates ... Great Grandmother Nina (or Nora) Allen married G. A. Perkins from Tennessee and they had five children ...  and here's a scandal ... my Grandmother married at the age of 16!!!  I remember her saying that, but I really didn't believe it!!

So today I will sign up for Ancestry.com, even if only for the two week trial, to see what other scandals I can find.  Fascinating stuff ..... maybe I'm related to the Jesse James!!