Regular readers probably noticed that recent postings are few and far between. I took some time off from blogging for both myself and the 2008 Federation of Genealogical Societies’ Philadelphia conference blog. It was a family Christmas. As of today I have been a part of seven family celebrations with one yet to come in Salt Lake City with a very special family of mine. Not every family was at the same place at one time. There are grandchildren who are still firm believers in Santa Claus. My parents are still with us and I know I am quite lucky to be able to say that given my own age.

This Christmas season was so much fun. One evening I had all four of my Minnesota grandchildren staying overnight. Added to that were two others who call me Grandma. 6 kids in one house and assorted adults, too. Pure exhaustion and exhilaration. We played “Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader” several times. Our family did great on the math and literature questions, but not on science. We all laughed so hard. Earlier, I promised to tell you what genealogical gift I gave them for presents. It turned out to be family togetherness, retelling stories, recalling memories, and fun with the younger generation. And a special day with my daughter as we did day-after-Christmas bargain shopping. A long day just to ourselves. We both deserved that.

Merry Christmas to my readers.

The tree is up, most gifts are purchased, and we have snow on the ground. The stockings are hung on the mantles. The ornaments that mean so much are hanging on the tree. I have ornaments that are not antique but that are getting pretty darn old. I remember purchasing them on sale 40 years ago in California. Then there are the special ornaments that were purchased one at a time with that year’s date. Some of my own childhood memories are on the tree as are the kindergarten creations of my children. The inflatable. light-up Christmas penguin is on the front lawn. Christmas penguin? A couple of weeks ago my oldest son came home from a shopping trip and gave me the penquin. Yes, I love penguins.

Christmas is going to be a great time this year. On Christmas Eve I will be with my oldest son and granddaughter, his girfriend and her children. On Christmas Day I will be with my parents at my sister and brother-in-law’s home. Their son will be there with his girlfriend. Their daughter will be there with her 1 & 2 year olds. My other sister, her son, my parents’ caregivers and their daughter, and other “in-law” family members will join us. By dinner time, my daughter, her husband, and three children will arrive from up north. They will stay at my son’s for two days and the kids will have one giant pajama party.

Family. Family changes. New Family Members. “Adopted” family members. All of these will be a part of our Christmas. Along with hugs, kisses, good food, smiles, a few tears, and lots of noise. That makes up the Stuart, Warren, Dougherty, DuBois, & Kerr Christmases. This year we will have the reappearance of the dancing banana. Let’s see, who will be the “victim” this time. . .

I hope you have one like this, too. If you don’t have family around, check to see if a neighbor will include you in their celebrations or take you to church with them. Offer to bring along something for the brunch or dinner. It will be more fun that way. On the other hand, do you have any relatives, friends, or neighbors who will be alone — invite them to join you in celebrating.

Did you notice I said nothing about the gifts being wrapped? That’s because that is next on my list of things to do. Then I have to figure out what genealogically related gift they are all getting. I will tell you about it later — otherwise you might not keep the secret.

I feel like I am in a strange zone. For the past couple of week the Internet access in my home office has been gradually more problematic. Now it is out completely and I am having withdrawal symptoms. The repairman will be here the day after Christmas. In the meantime, thank goodness for Panera Bread in Elk River and its free wireless access.

It is after 10 a.m. here and I have just spent the last three hours online. I know what Fairmont Ave. in Mountain View, California looks like recently. I was able to view other places in that area where I lived in 1968. Next I viewed pictures of my homes in St. Paul. The last house I owned is hidden by a tree! My childhood home and the area around it look much the same as when I last drove by it.

You might be able to find some of your places, too. Only selected cities are included at this point.

First, click on Google Maps and next click on Street Views for a U.S. map that has a camera placed on various city names. Some of these include the Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco areas in California. Some other cities include St. Paul, Minneapolis, Boston, Dallas, Philadelphia, and Phoenix. Individual spots within these cities can be accessed by using your mouse to move the map around or by typing a specific address in the search box. The streets bordered in blue are the ones with photos online.

If you use the Street View for any of these cities you can search for an address, click on the person figure and see a view of the street and the buildings. Once you are on a picture, you can use that mouse and get a panoramic view of the street. Back on just the map, your mouse can also take you around the city.If you are not quite so adventuresome and want some additional help, view Explore Google Maps.

Have fun with these and let me know what you were able to find.