Spring has sprung!

Wiarton Willie was right. We spotted the first sign of spring at 7:45 this morn.

The robins have returned to Hunt Club....

Dear Ancestry.ca

I just received a survey from your company requesting my opinion on future marketing possibilities.
I answered the multiple choice survey but wanted to expand on my answers and thought this open letter may draw some extra attention as opposed to adding my two cents in the freestyle answer section tagged on the end of your survey.
Ancestry.com and it"s Canadian site at Ancestry.ca provide database access to millions of people who are piecing together their own family history. Subscribers pay an annual or quarterly fee to access and upload family history information to their online family tree. The information can be in the form of a link, a scanned original document or multimedia item. The uploaded information can remain private or be made available to other Ancestry.com subscribers. The information sharing aspect makes the Ancestry.ca formula a success.
Although "Genealogy" is a very popular hobby, I believe the phenomena has slowly trended downward since 2000. Internet firms made it easier than ever to compile history as evident in gen community forums from 1998-2003. However if you study the community forum patterns of major genealogy online firms , there is a noticeable decline in forum participation. It only makes sense for companies like Ancestry.com to reposition and re brand their marketing strategy.
I don't quite fit the average family historian profile as I'm under the age of fifty and internet savvy. Or am I part of a new generation of family researchers who have different interests ?
How can Ancestry.com reach out to Generation X and Millennials ?

Delete or integrate Ancestry.ca social media into Ancestry.com accounts.
The #Ancestry.ca twitter account is dead . If you don't have the resources in your Canadian "suboffice" to manage ancestrydotca or other social media, please delete it or transfer management back to ancestry.com. OR if you have some money in the budget for a Canadian campaign, hire a social media manager to integrate Canadian content into your marketing strategy. I'm for hire !

I was asked, Would you "share" or "promote" Ancestry.ca if offered rewards when my contacts join such as extra access or months added on to my subscription.
Absolutely, but better make sure the software required to manage this process is solid. Build in tools that make it easy to share family genealogy through all social media platforms. Build loyalty through offering a worthwhile reward. My suggestion is 1 month for each new subscription and brand the campaign using some aspect of the tree analogy.

Offer new learning tools for teachers and students.
Generation Z uses the internet and technology to learn new concepts. Build software for educators to integrate into their social studies or history curriculum. Most countries have developed curriculum which include building a family tree. Online resources for educators could include a group rate for teachers who buy a limited license for their class. Each student could "join" the ancestry.com for the classroom through their teacher and build their own tree complete with stories etc. Ancestry.com for classroom curriculum could be offered to educators at three separate levels, primary, junior and high school. I can't think of a better way to integrate genealogy into the next generation.

As an Ancestry.ca subscriber, I'm excited to see the possible outcomes generated by a new and improved Ancestry.ca social media marketing strategy. Our history shapes our future and it's important for society to maintain this knowledge base. Ancestry.com has the infrastructure and financial backing to develop programs to reach a new generation and new subscription base.

There you have it, a subscribers two cents worth. Oh, one last thing Ancestry.ca, expand the subscribers "Profile" to include a personal blog complete with social media integration. I'm interested in completing my family tree but want to share the process and the new "finds" along the way.

Thanks for the opportunity to dialogue, please feel free to comment !

Historical Sleuthing

I have always loved a good mystery.

Add a healthy dose of history and I'm hooked.

Twenty or thirty years ago, amateur genealogists had to scour microfiche at the library, courthouse, or township office. Family history hounds could be found in cemeteries, churches and government offices desperate to confirm hearsay or scrawled stories found in the front of family bibles.

The Internet has drastically changed how we research our family roots.

A myriad of Internet firms exist to assist the local historian connect the branch of their particular family tree with another branch. For a fairly reasonable fee, your family myth can be confirmed or denied through online government sources and other family trees.

Genealogy has been listed for many years as a leading

global hobby ever since Alex Haley's Roots miniseries captured the attention of millions in 1976. It is now easier than ever to confirm and build your families story with the assistance of millions of people who are seeking the very same thing.

It's almost primeval, our belief in the idea, that we are all part of something bigger. Our ancestors life history, not only guides us but also shapes "what we are".

In May of last year, I took the plunge and bought an Ancestry.ca membership with the hope that I could build a family history for my new extended family. Although my family roots are untraceable, I wanted to put my research skills to work and build the family story. It seemed like a good idea at the time.

Almost 4000 individuals later, I am completely obsessed by the rich tapestry of information that has unfurled.

I was able to confirm that my dearest man is 1st cousin 5x removed from wild west legend "Buffalo Bill" , William F Cody. The physical resemblance between William F. and my dearest is startling, they could be twins if only Cody consented to shave the beard and dye his hair .

My guy listened to his Grandfather tell stories about how he sat on Buffalo Bills knee when the frontiersman visited the family in Detroit during one of his wild west show tours in the late 1800's. Although the family is listed in the Cody Family History, they had forgotten how they were connected to Buffalo Bill.

Ancestry.ca confirmed that William F Cody's Aunt Nancy settled in Brantford Ontario and her descendants are now spread throughout the area. The myth was no mere story, it was the truth.

Another one of Cody's sisters , Helen Wetmore claimed the Cody family was " descended from Irish and Spanish royalty, namely through the line of Heremon". Mussolini's propagandist ( he was a cult figure in Italy and married a woman of Italian descent) insisted he was a direct descendant of the Italian condottieri.

Helen's ancestral claims was derived from stories learned at the knee of their Grandmother, Lydia Martin and has been widely derided by twentieth century historians as fanciful fiction woven by a family intent on fame and fortune. Helen Wetmore's ancestral claim was derived from the Cody family crest crest." The lion signifies Spanish origin. It is the same figure that forms a part of the royal coat-of-arms of Spain to this day-Castile and Leon. The arm
and cross denote that the descent is through the line of Heremon, whose posterity were among the first to follow the cross, as a symbol of their adherence to the Christian faith".

The Lives and Legends of Buffalo Bill, by Don Russell, University of Oklahoma
Press, May 1979; ISBN: 080611537.

In the last days of 2011, Ancestry.com partially solved the mystery.

The Philip Cody line contains notable ancestors such as the 3rd Earl of Northumberland, Edward III ( the entire Plantagenet line), the royal Bourbon line, Engelbert of Carinthia, Eleanor of Acquitine, and an entire royal line that dates through to antiquity.

The maternal Cody line can be traced back to Heremon and the paternal line through the Dukes of Carinthia. The other branches (non Cody) include the Knights Templar, Royals, Popes, Mayflower ancestors, Witches (alleged), Pharaohs, Cleopatra, Julius Caesar and Herod are part of this vast family.

Helen's alleged family history was even grander than she thought.

Unbeknownst to them , two hardworking United Empire Loyalist pioneers joined together two significant lineages.

I'm slowly making family connections and tying the branches together in a quest to weave this amazing massive family history together. In addition to Ancestry.ca, I have relied on Burke's Peerage, Wikipedia, The Bible , The Torah and other historical evidence to confirm the myriad web this DNA weaves.

I'm totally immersed in this story and obsessed to finish it. The story is as vivid as Dan Brown's Di Vinci Code and I'm compelled to complete it because it's personal.

Family history is exciting because we know the players, our own quirky tribe with it's own language that travels generations to present day.

It's the story of us ... made possible by technology.

Stay tuned ...

Yes You Can Grow Bamboo in Ontario

Despite BC bamboo " expert" Carolyn Mayo's assertion that bamboo is unlikely to survive in South Western Ontario, my bamboo is thriving. Planted in 2008, my bamboo has thrived in poor sandy soil and under extreme weather conditions. I rarely fertilize and I only mulch in the autumn when I dump my shredded leaf refuse around the base.

My "let it be" attitude has paid off. My bamboo is now over 5 1/2 ft tall and healthy.

If I can grow a hedge of bamboo in London, Ontario, surely other species should thrive in the balmy banana belt of Norfolk County.

Norfolk County was a proverbial dirt bowl, reminiscent of Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath in the 1930's. When I was a child, my father relayed stories about sand storms and farmers struggling to make a living before the advent of tobacco as a game changer crop.

Since the 1980's, Norfolk County farmers have survived due to their open attitude towards farming new to Canada crop species. Norfolk farmers have switched from tobacco to ginseng, peanuts and most recently created a new wine industry.

Norfolk County farmers are hardy and flexible entrepreneurs.

The area survives and flourishes because of their take no prisoners attitude.

A couple of so called "experts" from a nursery in British Columbia should not halt a research study into the viability of growing bamboo in Norfolk County.

Senator Doug Finley touted the merits of growing bamboo in a 2010 Sun media article, " Finley touted the plant as a possible alternative crop for the area, noting research has found an extract from bamboo has industrial use.He called bamboo the new "Microsoft" of the business world and said it could give the county the "value-added" agricultural product it needs, spawning research and development as well as manufacturing jobs in the county."We know from research we can grow this in Norfolk County,".

A couple of naysayers aside, it at least warrants a research viability study.

The appeal of bamboo is an extract from the plant called nano-chrystalline cellulose, an extract from the substance inside the plant. Using nano-technology, it can be added to materials, such as plastic, to make them thousands of times stronger.It has obvious potential for widespread industrial use in the auto and aerospace industries.

It's a game changer crop that could possibly boost the local economy and well worth government and/or private research dollars.

How about it ?

Photo Friday - Part 4

Photo Friday - Storm Part 3

Photo Friday Storm Part 2

Photo Friday - The Storm

Keeping up with The Kardashians... Reno House Style!

We haven't watched reality tv since I pulled the plug on cable almost four years ago.

Since the switch to digital tv brouhaha in late August , we only receive ONE analog channel.

Yes we have a digital tuner in our top of the line Toshiba television and we even went out and purchased a digital antenna from Future Shop. The top of the line digital antenna was a bust but it was no surprise to me and the dude.

The only radio stations that we can receive are CBC 1, Bob FM and EZ Rock. All other signals come in very faint with CBC 1 streaming over the intended signal. It's a strange anomaly that we have learned to cope with. Thank G*d for Internet radio.

Since moving into Reno House in 2008, we have made the search for seamless low cost wireless home entertainment a priority.

Our pipe dream of yesterday is now reality in 2011.

We just purchased Apple TV with a Netflix Subscription to fill the void with movies, TV and personalized entertainment. For $7.99 a month Netflix truly proves why Netflix killed the video store. With the option of controlling bandwidth, Netflix provides a wide arrange of entertainment for the entire family with parental control.

Apple TV seamlessly provides access to all of your media, from your ipad, media server, computer to your designated entertainment centre. Reno House will have three entertainment centres including the home theatre, master bedroom and kitchen.

Back to the Kardashians ...

From no cable to watching not one but all three Kardashian shows for the first time this morning I could see how tempting it is to fall into watching reality tv. I'm still experiencing culture shock!

EOnline is a modern day Sodom and Gonorrhea. I'm suffering like Lots wife ... I can't turn away.

Perhaps the spiracy theorists have it right .... but it's not in the digital signal, it's the programming itself. If television has such a hold on intelligent adults what chance do our children have ?

When we bought this house it was our intention to renovate an original Sifton family home into a home for the 21st century. It's a house that has been re engineered for the ultimate family experience. A separate pantry, main floor laundry, led lighting, a six foot fountain in the dining room for ambient noise enjoyment /natural humidifier. We designed the house for smart storage, no useless shelving and a natural design that forces the home owner to reduce clutter.

Our move to cancel cable was wise. Children's grades went up, improved communication from all family members and it freed up our expendable income. The house could be rewired for cable or satellite but why ? The freedom to choose entertainment at a price point which is acceptable to us is part of our dream.

If we want to watch a reality TV show, it's always available to download from Apple. Creating the choice to buy/ download versus the unconscious couch surfing move is a smart family decision and one that thousands of Canadians across the country are making.

If I want to keep up with the Kardashians, that's my choice !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDCeZXwntbE&feature=related

He googles, she googles, we all google!

After a verrry long silence, I strapped on the thinking cap and decided I needed to either can the blog or reinvent it.
As discussed in a previous post, I'm trying on new looks to see which "virtual skin" fits the best and accessorizing with slight modifications here and there. I decided not to get too introspective and go all corporate with a mission statement but in the end believe it's best to go back to my original intention. Write and write often.
I scaled back the gadgets as my blog was starting to look like a Myspace page with every gidget going. The blog went girly pink, a new look that needs to be modified a fair bit. I want a chic boho fem branding not Stepford Coral... obviously a work in progress.
The upside has been a slightly more upscale advertiser is now gracing my page. Time will tell if boho pink equals more $.
As part of my research, I googled Unconventional Mummy to find I have an alter ego who resides in the UK. She has quite the flare for prose... erotica to be precise :). I also see she has a forum, not sure how if she uses the blog as a business tool but you have to hand it to Unconventional Mum ... she has it going on. Go ahead and take the jump http://www.unconventionalmum.co.uk .

Fast Food Invasion

Fast food giant A&W, opened a franchise last week at the corner of Hyde Park and Oxford Street. Oakridge now hosts three banks,grocery store, specialty food store,Starbucks, Shoppers Drug Mart, Rexall, two gas stations, health food store, Gordons Gold Jewellers, two hair salons, one nail joint and a sushi restaurant.Let's not forget a medical and walk in clinic, not to mention various small businesses across the road at the Oakridge Business Centre.
Since moving to the LOC, I have become enamoured with Oakridge. It's the ultimate community, a perfect blend of nature and planned growth...
My friday night date consisted of a quick bite at A&W with the intention of heading down to the Wortley Roadhouse to listen to some live music. Alas, it was not meant to be ... after a very busy week, we decided to go home and crash. Middle age sucks!
The root beer however was delish.

Shopping for a template

I'm currently trying on new templates for my extremely nekkid blog.
Please be patient and send me your advice and comments as I twirl around in front of the internet dressing room mirror for you...

Under Construction

I'm not the kind of woman whose idea of foreplay consists of ordering her guy to rearrange the living room furniture.
I rather dread the process of changing anything which is rather ironic as I have been living out of a box for the last almost three years. See my previous posts on the unending reno.
The last time I changed my blogs design, I mistakenly screwed up the Google analytics code. I learned a valuable lesson, a little knowledge is extremely dangerous.
In the last six months, I learned how to create a website in Joomla, Wordpress and Weebly. I integrated social media, flash, gifs and much much more. The websites looked professional, unlike this blog. I like Blogger, Blogger's been good to me.
It's stable, free and I'm sure if I actually put some time into the design and content, the results will be fabulous.
So stay tuned.... and feel free to offer any suggestions on design or templates.
I promise it won't take three years!

Yum Brittannia ! Prince William's Grooms Cake

As many of my faithful readers know, my beloved is deathly allergic to eggs. For many years it has been a quest to find THE CAKE that won't kill him. It's one thing to enjoy death by chocolate, quite another to die by chocolate ... cake.

A few days ago I found the elusive prize. This is it.
Earlier in the year, Clarence House revealed that not one but two cakes would be featured at the reception.
Prince William's cake is a chocolate biscuit cake, a long time childhood favourite dessert. It was frequently requested and made for the Princes William and Harry during their nursery days by the royal chef

William's cake was being made by British biscuit maker McVitie's and will be served at the royal reception alongside a traditional fruit cake.

A few years ago, The Queen's Chocolate Biscuit Cake recipe was provided to by Michael Dunn a former Chef at Buckingham Palace.
This is the cake that was served to the Princes at "Granny's House", Granny being HM The Queen and the house is known as Buckingham Palace.

And now I present this recipe to you via Canadian Living.

To make a double layer cake quadruple the recipe and use a round cake pan.

READ THE ORIGINAL RECIPE HERE-http://www.canadianliving.com/food/the_queens_chocolate_biscuit_cake.php

WATCH the Royal Wedding tomorrow LIVE -http://www.youtube.com/theroyalchannel


Ingredients
20 arrowroot biscuits , (4 oz/125 g)
8 oz bittersweet chocolate , finely chopped (Belgian if possible)
1 cup whipping cream 1 1cup cup(250 mL) (250 mL) whipping cream
1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/2 1/2cup cup(125 mL) (125 mL) granulated sugar

Preparation:
Line 5-3/4- x3-1/4-inch (625 mL) loaf pan with waxed paper; set aside.

Break biscuits into 1/2-inch (1 cm) pieces; place in large bowl. Place chocolate in heatproof bowl. In saucepan, stir cream with sugar; bring to boil. Pour over chocolate and whisk until smooth. Add 1-1/2 cups (375 mL) of the chocolate mixture to biscuit pieces; stir to coat.

Pour biscuit mixture into prepared pan; smooth top. Cover and refrigerate cake and remaining chocolate mixture separately until cake is firm, about 4 hours. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate for up to 24 hours.)

Remove remaining chocolate mixture from refrigerator; let come to room temperature.

Invert cake onto serving plate; peel off paper. Using small palette knife, spread remaining chocolate mixture over cake. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. (Make-ahead: Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days.) Slice thinly.

Royal Wedding Bets!!!!!

I have a confession.
I'm coming out ... to admit I'm one of those people who have an insatiable appetite for all things royal.
That's my big secret.
I'm a professional, I have a University education, I own property and possess an above average IQ.I'm not one of those "cat women" nor do I have a spoon or tea cup collection.
My " fascination" with all things royal started on March 20, 1974. I was bedridden at home, recovering from an unfortunate accident and the opportunity to watch a Princess get married seemed quite exciting at the time.
After the event, my precocious disposition drove me to want to know everything possible about the Royal Family. My parents fed this obsession by buying books about various members of the royal family for my birthday or Christmas.
Looking back I can see that this highly unusual degree interest for a very young child, probably points to a certain Aspbergers diagnosis.
As I grew older, my "preoccupation" went underground until I connected to the rest of the world through the internet.
These days, I follow everything Royal on http://www.unofficialroyalty.com.
It's a great site... very informative and well worth a look!
The world has now caught up with me and has joined the madness surrounding the Royal Wedding.
There has been much speculation about every miniscule detail and now I'm about to very publically lay my virtual bets.
Please join (and share) the wedding madness and add your own predictions!

Tiara
Spencer Tiara

Wedding Dress Designer
Kate Middleton

Honeymoon Destination
Necker

Baby Due Date
July 2012

I also predict that a "royal" will make a gesture or refer to the t-mobile spoof video.

Stay tuned for the "big" royal scoop ....tomorrow!

Dear Reader

Thanks for posting comments but be forewarned unless it's posted in english it will be rejected. I'm not multilingual... sorry.

Shmokey Rob N Sons Southern Eatery

Years ago, I read the ultimate American road trip book for foodies , Eat your way across the USA by noted food guru's Michael and Jane Stern.
Through this book I was introduced to the southern specialty,Barbeque. I spent hours analyzing the techniques to produce the best smoked ribs, how to use a dry rub to marinade and how to make a better coleslaw. Southern BBQ was a specialty food not available in South western Ontario ... and would have to wait until a road trip south.
Flip forward to 2010 and BBQ is now an option in London Ontario.
Shmokey Rob N Sons is located in the London Mall at the corner of Oxford St and Wonderland Rd right across from the old price chopper location.
It's an unassuming place , a small restaurant that has been reincarnated a few times - this times a keeper.
I ordered the beef Brisket with a side of coleslaw, my partner ordered the Philly Cheese with a side of freshly cut fries. If you go , you must try the cassava fries, a healthy alternative to the usual.
It did not disappoint - the result was heaven.
Chef brought out a delectable dessert to share - a deep dark chocolate truffle terrine (tasted like a semi freddo) with vanilla creme and garnished with a drizzled cranberry/blackberry sauce. It was simply to die for.
Down south BBQ can be replicated and enjoyed in London Ontario. It's not pretentious and very affordable, just what roadside BBQ should be.
A perfect alternative to commercial Mcfood- a must visit for everybody.

Summer time

and the living is easy .... I wish.
I caught my managers cold and am quite miserable. How do you chastise your boss over coming into the office when he was ill and should have been home in bed ? I just found out his birthday was yesterday and he has finally reached the age of maturity ...77.
Do I get him a birthday card or a get well soon card or give him shit for giving me this cold ?
We have a new mystery in the hood. Someone on three occasions have left us with a lovely doggy poop bag. Twice at the curb and once beside our back gate. The offensive package was left between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m and I'm assuming it belongs to a pooch in the neighbourhood.
The question is why ?
Many people in the neighbourhood have been quite supportive of our massive effort at transforming this derelict white elephant into something special. Who the f$%k is so passive agressive that they project their disassociative screwed up attitude at us ?
Reno man and I have been profiling the dogwalkers since the first incident and have whittled it down to a couple of people. The cameras are now up and if caught on tape, the fur will start to fly. Not a threat ... just a warning ...
The place is slowly starting to come together, the nasty old pine tree has been lugged away, the pool pump is fixed and the front of the house is being transformed into something special. Reno is installing potlights under the eves and is finishing cedar shaking the exterior. It feels good when life flows the way it should... dog shit aside.

Twitter

Come join the convo @ www.twitter.com/unconvmummy

It's worth the drive to the border ...

When the Canadian dollar was a dismal looney to Uncle Sams strong dollar , it was understandable that goods and services on the Canuck side of the border cost too many peso's. Automobiles, food, clothing, electronics , books and just about everything cost about 30-40 percent more in Canada than south of the border. Mulroney's Conservatives swore that ditching the manufacturers tax in favour of the G.S.T. would reduce the price of goods and give Canadian manufacturers the edge needed to be competitive with the yanks post free trade.
Twenty years later and now at or above par with the Americans, our goods are still more expensive. I'm not going to blame free trade or swallow the line of marlarky that it took more dollars to manufacture the goods when our dollar wasn't as strong.
Our dollar has been creeping up to the greenback for the last year and most of the goods we buy are imported from China or India.
The blame must be pointed inward at the consumer.If we don't protest the high price of consumer goods , business will continue to charge exorbitant prices for goods and services.
After the reccession hit in 2008 , Walmart in anticipation of huge drop in consumer confidence made strategic cuts in retail pricing. I'm sure they found it was a wise move. Canadians want fair prices not more bullshit.
I'm going to venture out on a limb and suggest Retailers take a page out of Walmarts evil bag of tricks and jump into the unknown as a shrewd retailer move.
Cut prices to reflect the value of our dollar. We want American prices on our consumer goods. Canadians are sick and tired of the excuses from retailers.
Think of the marketing angle. It's no longer worth the drive to the border. At par prices for the stuff you need and the items you want in Canada...
The options are endless and the opportunity to claim a greater share of the Canadian retail market is just waiting for a clever company to make the jump.
If you're a retailer reading this , please feel free to use my suggestion to make money and Canadians even happier. As a thank you, send me an i-pad, link to me or follow me on twitter. Dare you.

TWITTER - Unconvmummy