Dear Santa

Dear Santa,

You are undoubtedly surprised to be hearing from me so late this year but frankly I know I must be on your "naughty" list and so I almost didn't write at all!

But I did want to thank-you for your gifts last year. I was quite pleased to find the mp3 player under the tree. It certainly isn't your fault that I can figure how how to use it for podcasts! I haven't used it much but promise to either figure it out or swallow my pride and ask the grandkids to show me.

Last year I also asked for a little hint about the parents of William Wisner. You certainly took me literally as it was a little hint but still, I am grateful. I'm not certain I would have caught the discrepancy otherwise and while it didn't give me an answer it did give me more leads to track down.

I know I haven't been good this year. I let myself wallow in self pity for much of the year. I know, not like me at all, but there it is. I didn't keep up with correspondence as I should have,  I stopped transcribing letters and my index project is at a standstill. I even stopped following my friends, leaving comments and writing my weekly rewind posts. I feel very bad about that! I did have a few redeeming moments; I contributed to the Ontario GenWeb site and worked at adding pictures and photos to Find A Grave. Yes, I know, that little bit hardly offsets the rest.

I promise to get back on track! I have already started transcribing more letters. I have also been reading through many of the letters that were written about Christmas' past and they have made me very ashamed. They had so little and were often separated from family and yet they were happy with whatever little extras they could scrounge up and the little remembrances they made for each other. While times have been tough the last several years I truly feel wealthy compared to my ancestors.

While I am not asking for anything for myself, all of my friends have been very good girls and boys!

It has been an unbelievable year for too many of my friends medically and they all handled their trials with much more grace than I. Would you please, please, scatter some healing dust when you visit those that have struggled so much this year? And perhaps you have some magic that will protect them from injury and illness in the coming year!

Almost all of my friends complain that they simply do not have enough time and for them I would like you leave a Time Turner under the tree!

Many of my favorite authors have either stopped writing all together or changed their focus away from the wonderful family stories that they used to share. For them I ask that they find a Muse next to the tree to inspire them. (OK, this is also a gift for me but please do not punish them on my account!)

A few of my friends have been fortunate enough to travel. For them I ask for all the mechanical parts they need to keep going and unlimited internet access so they can stay in touch.

I know that there are many that would love to find something a bit more practical under the tree. I hope your sleigh is filled with scanners, hard drives, smart phones and such!

And lastly, I ask for sledgehammers for everyone!

I'm not certain where you'll be taking your vacation after your long night but if you find yourself in Florida after January, know that you and Mrs. Clause will be more than welcome!

Love,
Apple

Dear Santa

Dear Santa,

I write to you with a heavy heart this year. The other kids are saying that you are not real and that it is really John that gets my gifts each year. Say it isn't so! I do have to wonder though as the most important things that I have asked you for the last three years did not appear under the tree.

I don't know, maybe the things I've asked for are simply impossible to obtain but I really thought, well you know, you being magical and all, that you could get me anything my little heart desires.

For three years straight I've asked you for the parents of William Wisner. I do know more about where the records are not. I guess it would be more fun to make the discovery of who his parents were for myself but Santa I am surely frustrated!!! At this point I'd settle for a hint of where to look. Maybe you could just draw me a little map.

Last year I also asked you for the Kelly family Bible. I know it may have been destroyed or belong to a cousin I'm not in touch with. Could you at least leave a note as to whether or not it exists?

Captain Daniel Carlisle's diary is more important than ever now Santa! I would like to join the DAR and they won't let me in based on his service. Can you imagine, a Patriot like that, they don't want? Oh I know he made a mistake, so it was a very big mistake, but still, he did battle for his country and I think his diary will show just what a Patriot he was and how unjust his ouster was!

All three things I've mentioned are very important to me and I really, really want them. But if you can get me a quilt made by Sarah Ann or even Anna or Rose I'd be happy to forget the rest and I'd be able to assure the other kids that you do exist!

Of course if I don't find any of the above items in my stocking but I do find a new MP3 player (with a 2.8" touch screen, 4gb or better and a camera would be nice) then I'll have to assume that the other kids are right and your real name is John.

Hoping for some Christmas Magic!

Love,
Apple



This was written for part 2 of the 86th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy: Letters to GeneaSanta, to be hosted by Jasia at Creative Gene.

Thanks for the poster fM!

Dear Santa

Dear Santa,

I saw you in the parade today and you looked great! Was that a new suit you were wearing? Seeing you reminded me that I needed to get my annual letter written.

First I want to thank you for bringing me The Master Genealogist last year even though I can't seem to master it. And thank you also for filling the toe of my stocking with coins for the parking meters downtown. I still have them! I didn't get to the Onondaga County Library even a single time this year. Instead I spent my time at the Library of Mom and she doesn't charge for parking.

The scanner and digital camera that you brought me years ago both were so out-dated that I had to replace them earlier this year. I seem to go through laptops and I have a new one of those too.

Last year I saved my most important request for last and I'm afraid that you must have missed it as it wasn't under the tree. I can't tell you how disappointed I was! Now I've taken care of most of the big ticket items so I really don't think that it's all that much to ask for. Just a single piece of paper that tells me who the parents of William Wisner were. If you really feel that that is too much to ask for maybe you could just leave me a little hint; something that will point me in the right direction. You brought me Wisner's in America a couple of years ago but I swear to you he's not in there! Yes, the book is full of William's but not my William.

Becky and Thomas both seem to think that I need an external hard drive. I've been looking at them online and I really can't decide which one would be best for me so I'll leave the choice up to you and the elves.

Every year I've asked you for CD's so that I can back up everything. I know I haven't been as good about backing things up as I should have been but I really don't think that I've been so bad as to make the naughty list. Instead of a big heavy stack of CD's this year maybe you could toss a couple of flash drives in my stocking. (Yes, I know I already asked for an external hard drive for backups but I need to be able to have duplicate copies to store someplace else in case John can't keep up with the raking and the house collapses!)

On second thought, I guess I'm going to need some more CD's after all. I really want to put some family history and pictures together to send to family members and CD's are probably the easiest way to do that.

Another thing that I would really like is a picture of Grandpa Kelly. He wasn't a real popular guy around these parts and nobody saved one for me. I haven't been able to find one for sale so I guess I'll have to count on you and some Christmas magic to find one. He was James Kelly of Ottawa, Ontario. And if you find any other tidbits about him while you're tracking down the picture, I'd sure appreciate that too.

I don't want to seem greedy so the only other thing that I'll ask for is a few books. I could really use some books about the Revolutionary war as I think I'm close to getting the facts straight about Capt. Daniel Carlisle. And because I don't spend all of my time thinking about genealogy you could bring me an advance copy of Plum Lucky by Janet Evanovich. It's official release date isn't until January 8, 2008 - what's up with that! But I Believe and I'm certain that you'll know how to get it for me.

I'll be sure to leave out a plate of Noel Wreath Cookies for you because I know how much you like them. There will be lots of carrots for Rudolph and the rest of the reindeer.

Love,
Apple

Dear Santa

In the past you've brought me lots of really wonderful presents. Thank-you, Thank-you!

The lap top computer was the best gift ever! I take it everywhere. The library, the clerks office, meetings with other researchers. I use to to organize the mountain of information I've found and to record everything I find. Heck I even use it for things that have nothing to do with genealogy!

The updated version of Family Tree Maker last year doesn't crash nearly as often as the old one and I'm happy about that, but it still can't seem to handle a file as large as mine. The Master Genealogist sounds really cool and I've been very good.

I love all of the books on CD that you've given me over the years. The Massachusetts VR set still comes in handy. The Wheeler and Glover genealogies are still favorite bedtime reading for me. There are 100's of others that I'd like, so go ahead and fill my stocking right up.

Since I can't always use my computer when I travel (because even the second battery that you brought me a couple of years ago isn't enough) I would really like some books. How about something written by Cousin Thomas? I enjoyed The Courage Place so I would really love to read A Time to Heal. Or another history written by Cousin Roscoe? I've already got the 1912 ed. of American History but any others would be great!

The scanner and digital camera you brought me have gotten lots of use. I've scanned old documents and pictures. I taken tons of headstone pictures and lots of pictures of the grandkids to pass down to their grandkids. Do you think you could bring me some writable CD's? I go through them at a phenomenal rate; you know how important backing everything up is!

The library in Syracuse is great and I'd really like to be able to spend some more time there but the parking is so expensive! I think the toe of my stocking is just the right size for a couple of rolls of quarters. Maybe you could also squeeze in a roll of dimes for copies!

I know that seems like an awful lot to ask for and you've already been so generous in the past. I saved the most important request for last. Even if you can't bring me anything else on my list could you please, please, please bring me a document showing who the parents of my 3rd great-grandfather William Wisner (1783-1877) were? Just a little scrap of paper. Please Santa, I've been looking for this for so long and it would mean sooooo much to me.