Here is something new I am trying here at ThinkGenealogy.  It’s called Childhood Memory Monday.  This is where I share something memorable from my childhood.  Sometimes I will present lessons learned or ponder why a certain memory is still “living” when so many have been forgotten.

Now, lets get rolling.

Back in the time when Big Wheels ruled the street (Did you own a Big Wheel?), a new challenger appeared…

It was called The Green Machine and was released in 1975:

Have you ever ridden a Green Machine? 

I still remember its awesomeness.  There is a need that little boys have above traveling from point A to B.  It involves speed, control, adrenaline, and spinning out!  I can still remember pedaling at top speed down the street and then thrusting one hand forward and the other back to start the spinning motion.

If you have never experienced this, maybe you can get an idea of what you missed from this video of the re-released Green Machine:

The Green Machine was such a coveted ride, that owning one could be dangerous. 

My mother ran a Day Care out of our house and one of the children didn’t like how I was not sharing my Green Machine.  In an effort to get me to share, the kid picked up a rock the size of a lunchbox with both hands and popped me over the head with it.  I started to bleed and was rushed to the bathroom sink to wash the wound. 

As I recall, I didn’t require stitches.

Lessons learned:

• Thou shalt not covet thy care provider’s son’s Green Machine.
• Sharing with others is not just nice, it can save your life.

Anyone have a similar experience with their Green Machine?  As a child, did you ever covet something to the point that it led to violence?  Why do you suppose I remember this so well?  What other lessons can be learned?  What would be a humorous title for this experience?

P.S. I wrote this article earlier in the week and shared it with my family.  Yesterday my oldest son and I were in the car driving through a neighborhood and guess what we saw?  A new-style green machine.  My son was the first to see it & proceeded to mock me.  I was excited enough at seeing one, that I rolled down the window and shouted: “Hey kid, nice green machine.”  I wonder if he will ever feel the same way about his first bicycle that I do about my green machine.

A great way to share the past with the next generation of family historians is to create picture puzzles of ancestor photos.  One tool that can do this is a web site called PuzzleTouch.

After going to http://puzzletouch.com/ click the Create Puzzle button in the section on the right:

The next screen asks you to upload a photo.  This is a picture of my grandmother when she was a little girl in Largo, New Mexico.  The family lovingly refers to her as the “Largo Kid”.

The next screen asks you how many pieces you want in the puzzle.  You can choose 4, 6, 12, 24, 48, or 60.  So that it would be easier for younger children, I chose 12.  In less than a minute, the puzzle is created and uploaded to the Puzzle Touch server.  A unique web address is created for your puzzle that you can send to others in an e-mail or post to Facebook, a blog, or family website.

When you click the link, you see the puzzle picture in the top left side. 

You can view the puzzle full screen, zoom the work area in our out, auto solve the puzzle, see a picture hint, or save the game for later.  As soon as you see the puzzle pieces, a timer starts.  You can click, rotate, and drag each piece to put it in place.

Go ahead and give it a try.  Puzzle your own past!

For this cartoon, I decided to do it all myself without the middle step of the Cartoon Me website.

Here are both the original photo and the cartoon version:

What do you think?

• My Fred is dead. Is yours?
• My Cherokee princess ancestor is more documented than your Cherokee princess ancestor.
• Researching your ancestors is a grave pastime.
• Genealogy is so much fun people are dying to help you out.
• Slow down; you could be my 3rd cousin twice removed.
• Genealogists are strong; they break through brick walls.
• Genealogy is all around. Just look at the evidence.
• I’m tops on my ahnentafel!
• No kidding! You are also President Obama’s fourth cousin once removed?
• Mission Genealogical: microfilm is not just for spies.
• Citing sources is so exciting.

As a genealogist or family historian, what would you want on a bumper sticker?

BONUS:

You know when you are driving behind a genealogist when …

… the SUV in front of you has the entire back window covered with white stick-people stickers to form a 4-generation pedigree chart.

NOTE: I created this post a few days ago while I was still on a roll with the license plates.  My plan was to post it on Tuesday after the holiday weekend.  Then along comes Randy Seaver with his Saturday Night Genealogy Fun — Create a Bumper Sticker challenge so I’ve decided to post this now.  Technically it is now early Sunday morning (its just after midnight) but I have been working all night on an article for Digital Genealogist and just saw Randy’s post.  No time now to Photoshop bumper stickers, maybe another day.  Hopefully I can make up for it with quantity.

• 1COUSIN

• 2NDSITE

• ANCSTRY

• BCG

• BRKWALL

• CEMETRY

• CENSUS

• CENXPRT

• CG CGL

• CGO

• CITESRC

• DAR

• DEADFAM

• DECEASD

• DNA

• DOB

• ELLIS

• EOGN

• EXTRACT

• FAMHIST

• FAMSRCH

• FHC

• FHEXPO

• FHL

• FMLYTRE

• FS INDX

• FTM2009

• FTNOTE

• GEDCOM

• GEN GEM

• GENBLOG

• GENEA

• GENGUYS

• GENI

• GENLOGY

• GENMUSE

• GENSEEK

• GRAVES

• ICAPGEN

• ISFHWE

• KITHKIN

• LEGACY

• LINEAGE

• MTDNA

• MY PAST

• NARA

• NEHGS

• NGS APG

• PEDCHRT

• PROGEN

• RELATED

• REMEMBR

• RM4

• ROOTS

• ROOTS L

• ROOTSMG

• ROOTSTV

• RSRCHR

• SAR

• SURNAME

• TAG

• TEENGEN

• TMG

• VITAL

• WVR

• YDNA

You know you are driving behind a genealogist or family historian when you see one of these license plates:

1. GENCRZY

2. GR8 KIN

3. BK2ADAM

4. LUV ESM

5. 2XREMOV

6. DEAD 4U

7. GGG GMA

8. RIN 1

9. 16 GENS

10. LUVEOGN

11. 2B DEAD

12. B M D

Post your answer in the comments.

Its time for more rebus puzzle fun.

HINT: Passed from mother to children.

I don’t think that everyone who solves the puzzle is adding their names to the comments. Go ahead and do that even if you find this post months later. 

Thanks,

Mark

Congratulations Bruce & team!

• Sheri Fenley at The Educated Genealogist
• Donna Moughty on Donna’s Genealogy Blog
• Pat Richley on DearMYRTLE’s Genealogy Blog  

***10 Years Ago I……..

1. Was the father of a toddler with another child on the way
2. Wrote articles for Visual Basic Programmer’s Journal
3. Was a fairly new resident of Arizona
4. Drove a Ford Escort
5. Had never been to the Grand Canyon

***5 Things on Today’s To-Do List……

1. Work on presentation for Mesa Family History Expo
2. Write a blog post
3. Recommend colleague on LinkedIn
4. Finish ProGen Study Group reading & work on assignment
5. Get to bed earlier

***5 Snacks I Enjoy……..

1. M&Ms – Peanut & Peanut Butter
2. Pecan Sandies
3. Oreo Blizzard – Dairy Queen
4. Thin Mints – Girl Scouts
5. Nachos

***5 Places I Have Lived……

1. Phoenix, Arizona
2. Naperville, Illinois
3. Provo, Utah
4. Kaysville, Utah
5. Sao Paulo, Brazil

***5 Jobs I Have Had…..

1. Application Developer/Software Architect
2. BYU Bookstore – Data Processing Clerk
3. BYU – Teaching Assistant
4. Godfather’s Pizza – Cook and driver
5. Amusement Park – Game Operator

***5 Blogs I tag to play…..

1. Paul Allen
2. Dan Lawyer
3. Beau Sharbrough
4. David Lifferth
5. David Lambert

1. Start Family Tree Maker 2008 RC1.

2. Click on the Help > About Family Tree Maker… menu.

3. Click on the Acknowledgements tab.

4.  Move the mouse cursor to the upper-left above and over from the “G” in GenBridge until it turns into a pointing finger.

5.  Double-click with the left mouse button and a new FTM Core Team tab will appear.

6.  Clicking on the area where the names appear will change the animation pattern of the names.

 Congratulations to Geoff, Kendall, Steven, Wade, Leeman, Michael, Shauri, Veha, Mark, David, Jerry, John, Kevin, Duff and all those who worked on the project!

Let me know if you find any other easter eggs.  Have fun!