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Ancestry, Family Trees, and the Road to Self-Discovery
Narration provided by Wondervox.
I finally took the plunge with Ancestry.com. Now that I’m doing workshops on autobiographical and legacy writing, I decided to explore my family tree. I was confused about this for a long time because I’m adopted, but I realized I want to know about the family I grew up with, the people I remember and who shaped me. Seeing my parents and grandparents on this is kind of emotional.
My ‘origin story’ is complicated, with a birth family I’m in contact with and have some relationships with, and my adoptive family. The people I have always referred to as Mom and Dad are the couple who raised me. I was not told about my adoption until I was 17, which erased any memories I may have had from the first two years of my life. All these decades later, as people got into charting their family trees and their ancestry, I felt ambivalent to say the least: which family is my family? I finally decided, for the purpose of a family tree, that it is the family I grew up with, the parents whose lives I shared until their deaths, the grandmothers I remember from childhood. They are my heart, spirit and blood.
So … here we go. This is going to be interesting.
About Family Trees
Uncovering Your Roots: The Joy of Researching Family Trees
Researching family trees can be an exciting and enriching journey that connects us to our past, provides insight into our heritage, and fosters a deeper understanding of who we are. Whether you’re a seasoned genealogist or just starting out, the process of tracing your lineage can bring unexpected discoveries and lasting connections. For someone like me who is adopted and not able to really consider my birth family as my family tree, other then my parents and siblings, it took a long time to reconcile my feelings about this and realize that my interest in ancestry is not about blood. I am a McNease, the son of Margaret Witmer and Emmett McNease. That is my starting place. All of these suggestions are optional. I’m not a “family stories” kind of person, and there will be a lot of popular things I choose not to do.
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The Weekly Readlines November 24
A note from the newsroom: I’ve been asked to facilitate a journaling group for LGBTQ participants, mostly older, who live in and around New Hope, PA (I already run an adult writers’ group at the library there). The reason given to me was that many of us are worried and maybe even frightened by the incoming administration and its plans for us. I said yes, of course. I’m not personally scared, but I am determined to be supportive and to not “get along” with people who would be delighted to see us silent or dead … and really, is there a difference?
A lot of us don’t have the luxury of not being political. I don’t live a life free from concern for others who aren’t like me. I lost dozens of friends and loved ones to AIDS. I was shaped by some amazing transgender people. I maintain a website for older LGBTQ readers. My life is political and always has been. – Mark
– Mark
THE WEEK IN HEADLINES
LGBTQ
Singer Khalid Comes Out As Gay After Being Outed: ‘I Am Not Ashamed’ – Pinknews
Trump Nominates AIDS Denier Kennedy for HHS Secretary – BBC
City That Placed $10,000 Bounty On Trans People Who Use Public Restrooms Makes Law Even Worse
LBTQ+ Afghans ‘Suffer Sexual And Physical Abuse’ In Detention Under The Taliban – PinkNews
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Fatal Mistake: A Harry Hell Novella (Audio Edition)
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
THERE WILL BE ONE CHAPTER ADDED EACH WEEK! FIND THEM ALL AT THE HARRY HELL PAGE.
Narration provided by Wondervox.
I am so excited to bring one of my favorite stories to life for your listening pleasure… a novella, actually, that had an incredibly long gestation in the recesses of my imagination. I’d put it off as an audio option because the voice technology I use wasn’t quite good enough. Now I think it sounds terrific. Yes, it’s AI/synthetic voice. I would never pretend otherwise. So fasten your headphones, and let’s get this dark, dark party started.
About Fatal Mistake: A Harry Hell Novella
Buy the eBook Direct and Save!The year is closer than you think. The world has collapsed under the weight of its own insatiable needs, leaving shattered cities where those who still have anything fight to keep it that way, and those who don’t are a constant threat. It’s a danger that must be contained through a tightly controlled society where everyone is observed and everything is kept in its place. Harry Hellerman and his twin brother, Elliot, enter this world three minutes apart. By the time they’re teenagers, they’ve been surrendered to Control to be molded into the perfect assassins. A boy named Harry Hellerman enters, and a man named Harry Hell emerges: a killing machine of the highest order.
Harry’s life takes a drastic turn when he finds himself teamed with a man named Raul, who becomes his partner in every way. Enter the lethal, dreaded Nectar, queen of the Ruins and slayer of hopes and dreams. Even Harry had them once, but no more. His life soon revolves around one mission only: to take his revenge against Nectar, and die someday with Raul’s name still on his lips. It was all he had left to live for.
Enter Eastward, and the Ruins, and the Slopes beyond them. Make your way to the river’s edge, misted in darkness, where many have tried to escape but none have ever returned. ‘Fatal Mistake’ begins the journey of a man whose heart had not always been stone. Will it beat again, or will he use it to sink his enemy down, down, down, straight to hell?
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Dave Hughes at Retire Fabulously: The Truth About Medicare (Dis)Advantage Plans
Reprinted with permission from RetireFabulously.com
I turned 65 in early 2022, and I’ve been enjoying the benefits of traditional Medicare ever since. It’s one of retirement’s greatest benefits. It has lowered my healthcare costs and made obtaining care easier. It’s the system I wish I had throughout my working career.
In the year preceding my 65th birthday, I received a deluge of advertisements touting the benefits of various Medicare Advantage plans and urging me to sign up.
Prior to that, I had no clue how Medicare Advantage plans worked and no idea what I’d choose. So, I did a lot of research. A lot. After all, those Medicare Advantage plans seemed to be offering more coverage (including prescription drugs, dental, vision, and hearing) – all for little or no premium! Why wouldn’t I choose that? It seemed too good to be true!
Of course, like all things that seem too good to be true, it is. I’ll show you why in this article.
It also occurred to me that if Medicare Advantage is such a superior product, why are these companies marketing it to me so aggressively? If it’s that great, I shouldn’t need to be convinced.
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All Workshops Now Available Through My Payhip Storefront
Starting today, all workshops will be registered for through my Payhip storefront. This eliminates the need for a paid third-party events application. Just click on any “REGISTER” link to view and sign up for the workshop. I’ll receive confirmation and add you to the schedule. Workshops are not public and can only be seen from the register link.
All workshops are refundable until 2 days before the workshop. Rescheduling is also available.
Mark McNease / YourWritePath AT Outlook.
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The Weekly Readlines November 17
A note from the newsroom: I got a private message from a friend I met many years ago in California. She told me that she’d come from a very religious background and that meeting me (in my 20s then) opened her heart and mind to a wider, more loving world. One chance encounter, a friendship, and she and her now-adult children are the sort of people who make me feel safe. We CAN make a difference when we are ourselves, when we live truthfully, and when we live as examples. Hate may have no home here, as the yard signs in my beloved Lambertville say, but it has mansions all around us.
– Mark
QUOTE FOR THE WEEK
“If you come for my people, you come through me.”
– Illinois Governor JB Pritzer
THE WEEK’S TOP STORIES
LGBTQ
Discovery of New Oscar Wilde Books Resolves a Serious Loss in LGBT Literary History.
LGBTQ+ Community Urged to Take Legal Precautions Amid Potential Risks in a Second Trump Term
U.S. POLITICS
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Reveals Plans To Fire 600 Federal Health Workers – LGBTQ Nation
One Election Victory Does Not Make A New Era In American Politics
Trump Expected to Appoint Anti-LGBTQ+ White Nationalist Stephen Miller
HEALTH AND AGING
Nearly Three-Fourths Of Veterans Are Age 50 Or Older; Here Are Simple Ways To Help Them
Ultra-Processed Foods May Accelerate Biological Aging – Medicalnewstoday
Beyond the Binary: Shaping the Future of LGBTQ+ Health Data – QNews
LGBTQ+ Adults May Have Greater Risk of Poor Brain Health – OutSmart
SCIENCE
Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity Faces Challenge
Sunita Williams Addresses Health Concerns From Aboard The Space Station
TRAVEL
The Best Safety Devices for Travel
ENTERTAINMENT
Freevee Sent To Amazon Graveyard – Ars Technica
All the Girls and Gays Defied Gravity at the ‘Wicked’ Premiere – Autostraddle
Ella Jenkins, The First Lady Of Children’s Music, Has Died At 100
Shaboozey’s ‘A Bar Song (Tipsy)’ Hits Another Pop Chart Milestone
ISN’T THAT SOMETHING?
Koala Found Relaxing In South Australia Couple’s Bedroom – UPI.Com
Just Like Us: Animals Become Less Social as They Age — Here’s Why
Mattel Apologizes For Misprint On ‘Wicked’ Doll Packaging That Links To Porn Website – UPI
Painting by an AI robot sells for more than $1 million
Sunita Williams Witnesses 16 Sunrises, Sunsets Every Day
The Science Behind Your Dog’s Most Annoying Behavior
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Health Beat: Coping With Stress In a Stressful World
By Mark McNease.
Narration by Wondervox.
Another year comes slowly to a close as the holidays kick in and that mixture of pleasure and stress takes over. It’s a reminder that stress is part of living, and how we handle it can make the difference between looking back at another good year, or dreading what the next one will bring. We often anticipate bad things happening, whether they do or not, and it increases this stress exponentially. Even without the added pressure, daily living is often stressful with its demands on our time, activities, and attention. Doctor’s appointment? Stressful. Sink stopped up? Stressful. Cat to the vet? Stressful. Holidays? Prolonged stress, no matter how much we may enjoy them.
Here are some thoughts on stress and how to cope with it in our lives.
Handling Stress: Strategies for a Balanced Life
Stress is a common part of life, affecting nearly everyone at some point, and many of us in a more or less chronic way. Whether it’s due to work pressures, personal relationships, or unforeseen circumstances, managing stress is essential for maintaining mental and physical well-being. But take heart! There are a number of effective strategies for coping with and alleviating stress, allowing us to navigate life’s challenges with greater ease and resilience—and maybe even sleeping all night! (This is a problem for me and millions of others, and it can be exacerbate by the aging process: we tend to sleep less as we get older.)
Understanding the Causes of Stress
Before delving into coping mechanisms, it’s important to understand the sources of stress. Common triggers include high-pressure jobs, family responsibilities, health issues, financial worries, and major life changes. Identifying these stressors is the first step in managing stress effectively. For some people, keeping a stress journal can prove beneficial; by detailing when stressors occur and how they affect you, you can develop a clearer picture of patterns and triggers in your life. I don’t personally keep this kind of record, but I do journal on a regular basis. It’s as much a diary as a journal for me, and it’s augmented by thematic journaling (SEE HERE FOR MORE ON THAT).
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Book Review: Box Office Poison: Hollywood’s Story in a Century of Flops, by Tim Robey
By Terri Sclichenmeyer
The Bookworm Sez“Box Office Poison: Hollywood’s Story in a Century of Flops” by Tim Robey
c.2024, Hanover Square Press #32.99 336 pagesIt was a little hard to swallow.
In fact, the premise of the entire flick stunk up the room and stuck in your craw until you could barely stand watching anymore. Ugh, no matter how much popcorn you stuffed in your mouth, no matter how many refills of soda you drank, as in the new book “Box Office Poison” by Tim Robey, some films just leave a bad taste in your mouth.
You know it when you see it: a movie that you regretted spending money on, and when you learn about the budgets for those stinkeroos, you’re astounded. Obviously, says film critic Robey, money (or lack thereof) indicates nothing. Think Titanic, which was expected “to be a fiasco” despite its budget; or The Blair Witch Project, which was “made for peanuts” and was also a box-office success.
And then there are the films that should just, straight-up “be fed to the wolves headfirst…”
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Mark McNease Mysteries Podcast: Fatal Mistake – A Harry Hell Novella (Chapter One)
Narration provided by Wondervox.I am so excited to bring back the Mark McNease Mysteries Podcast with one of my favorite stories … a novella, actually, that had an incredibly long gestation in the recesses of my imagination. I’d put it off as an audio option because the voice technology I use wasn’t quite good enough. Now I think it sounds terrific. Yes, it’s AI/synthetic voice. I would never pretend otherwise. So fasten your headphones, and let’s get this dark, dark party started.
About Fatal Mistake: A Harry Hell Novella
Buy Direct and Save!The year is closer than you think. The world has collapsed under the weight of its own insatiable needs, leaving shattered cities where those who still have anything fight to keep it that way, and those who don’t are a constant threat. It’s a danger that must be contained through a tightly controlled society where everyone is observed and everything is kept in its place.
Harry Hellerman and his twin brother, Elliot, enter this world three minutes apart. By the time they’re teenagers, they’ve been surrendered to Control to be molded into the perfect assassins. A boy named Harry Hellerman enters, and a man named Harry Hell emerges: a killing machine of the highest order.Harry’s life takes a drastic turn when he finds himself teamed with a man named Raul, who becomes his partner in every way. Enter the lethal, dreaded Nectar, queen of the Ruins and slayer of hopes and dreams. Even Harry had them once, but no more. His life soon revolves around one mission only: to take his revenge against Nectar, and die someday with Raul’s name still on his lips. It was all he had left to live for.
Enter Eastward, and the Ruins, and the Slopes beyond them. Make your way to the river’s edge, misted in darkness, where many have tried to escape but none have ever returned. ‘Fatal Mistake’ begins the journey of a man whose heart had not always been stone. Will it beat again, or will he use it to sink his enemy down, down, down, straight to hell?
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The Twist Podcast #279: The True Colors Post-Election WTF America Tour
Join co-hosts Mark McNease and Rick Rose for our first post-apocalyptic “Are you serious, America?” show where we shake off the sads, hold our heads high and keep going. To paraphrase Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, “You come for my people, you come through The Twist.”
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Your Write Path Podcast: A Conversation with Lenny Gallo, Author of ‘Unstill: The Ordeal of Anxiety, Pills, and an Undiagnosed Disorder. A Memoir.
I had the pleasure of talking with Lenny Gallo about his life, his experiences, and his new book. This is a powerhouse memoir that grabs you from the first page and never lets go. It’s harrowing, in a very positive way, and I recommend it to anyone interested in surviving medical crises. From his difficult childhood to his horrendous experiences with medication-induced movement disorder, Lenny tells it exactly like it is. I think this will be a must-read resource for people who have had these experiences, and many who struggle with them. It also serves as a call to survival and perseverance in the face of enormous challenges.
About Unstill: The Ordeal of Anxiety, Pills, and an Undiagnosed Disorder. A Memoir
by Lenny Gallo (Author), Sondra Beaulieu (Editor), Don Weise (Editor), Louise D. Stahl (Editor)
Lenny Gallo
Special Color Edtion Paperback
Treatment for anxiety all too often includes medication—but at what cost to the patient? After struggling with a lifetime of clinical anxiety, author and artist Lenny Gallo was confronted with the decision to try medication to help manage his symptoms. The medication did not work as expected and caused a misunderstood and often misdiagnosed movement disorder. This book reflects his journey to find the answers that redirected the course of his life. -
Your Write Path Podcast: A Conversation with Author Bruce W. Bishop
Enjoy a conversation with author Bruce W. Bishop. I’ve long admired his historical fiction, with meticulously research details interwoven with can’t-put-down stories. It’s been an added delight to get to know him as a friend, despite the distance between Halifax and New Jersey! Today we talk about his trilogy, his new book, his writing, and his plans. Fasten your headphones!
I discovered author Bruce W. Bishop’s engrossing historical fiction a few years ago, including Unconventional Daughters, Uncommon Sons, and Undeniable Relations: A Novel, all books in his Families Storytelling series. His research is as impeccable as his writing, and he has the gift of bringing readers into a book’s world so completely you may find yourself startled to be back in your own when you turn the final page. I also had the great pleasure of meeting Bruce when I was on a cruise that stopped in Halifax. He’s as delightful in person as he is talented with a keyboard.
His new book, ‘Grow Up, Rory Rafferty‘ is both a coming-of-age story and a coming out story, told from the perspective of young Rory Rafferty. It takes place in 1979 in Toronto, a city and time the author knows well. It shows in his vivid details and his in-the-moment narrative. As with his other books, I feel as if I’m on those Toronto streets and in those restaurants, eavesdropping on a cast of characters I won’t soon forget – if I ever do. This is a heartwarming and poignant journey to youth on the cusp of adulthood, in what may seem like a simpler time but is as complicated as growing up can be.