I found a marriage record for Hiram Roberts and Sarah Tackett in Rowan county (22 May 1884) witnessed by his father (Hiram) and her father (Abner). This was my original source for Sarah Tackett. I also found Hiram and Sarah buried next to each other in Caudill cemetery in Rowan county. This is the same cemetery where Anna and her husband (my great-grandfather Joseph Walter Bays) are buried. So that leads me to believe that Anna’s mother was Sarah Tackett, who died in 1888 (one year after Anna’s birth). However, Hiram died in 1905, so he doesn’t show up in the 1910 census. There is a Rose B. Roberts in that census, who is a widow. Her father is living with her, and his name is listed as William “Eaegan.” She also lives fairly close to my great-grandparents.

So were there two Hirams? One in Morgan county and one in Rowan county, both born about the same time. Or was there one, who was married to both Rosa and Sarah at the same time? I haven’t been to Morgan county yet, so I can’t verify that 1880 date for Rosa’s marriage to Hiram. I don’t know yet, but here’s what I suspect happened.

Hiram married Sarah in 1884. They had at least one child, Anna, born in 1887. Sarah died in 1888. In 1890 (not 1880), Hiram remarried, to Rosa (Williams or “Eaegan,” I’m not sure which). This explains the widow Rose in the 1910 census (who had no children living at home). It also explains why Anna and Joseph are buried in a Caudill cemetery, since the Caudill’s would be Anna’s relatives, and Joseph’s by marriage. There’s still a couple of questions, though, and I think I’m going to have to make a trip to Rowan county (and probably Morgan county) to try and clear them up.

So, what is the census, and why is it important?

The census is a count of the population of the United States conducted every ten years. It’s specifically mentioned in the Constitution (Article 1, Section 2) for the purpose of apportioning members of the House of Representatives and direct taxes. The 14th amendment changed the method of counting people (“other Persons” than free now counted as whole people, rather than three-fifths), while the 16th amendment changed the way taxes are apportioned. While the Constitution doesn’t explicitly allow the use of census data for any other purposes, neither does it prohibit such use.

The main purpose of the census is still the apportionment of House members. That’s why Indiana is now down to 9 Representatives, instead of the 11 it had when I was born. That reason alone makes it very important to complete and return your Census form. You do want Indiana to have all the Representatives it’s entitled to, don’t you?  Currently, another big use of census data is in the allocation of Federal spending. The funding of hospitals, job training centers, schools, senior centers, emergency services, and public works (bridges, highways, etc.) are all affected by the census. With the state of Indiana’s budget, it’s important that we count everyone. Finally, it gives people like me a huge amount of information to mine for little nuggets of fascinating information. If you’re concerned about privacy, don’t worry. It’s against the law for anyone, especially Census employees,  to reveal specific data (names, addresses, Social Security numbers or telephone numbers). The Census Bureau treats this very seriously.

Historically, minority groups such as African-Americans, Hispanics, and the homeless have had low participation rates. I hope this will change this time, and I encourage everyone in minority groups to participate. If you’re in a same-sex relationship, please see this information from the Williams Institute on filling out your Census form correctly.

Need another reason to return your Census form? It’s required by Federal law. There’s a $100 fine for not answering the Census (although I don’t know personally anyone who’s ever been fined). In addition, there’s a $500 fine for providing false information in the Census form.

One thing I’ve remembered: It was the late 60′s or early 70′s. We were burning trash in an open fire in the back yard (yes, it was still legal, even then). My brother (although he’s not stupid – anything but!) heard a ticking sound, and went to see what it was. Turned out it was an aerosol can someone had pitched in the trash. Well, needless to say, the can exploded just about the time he got there. He had the extremely good sense to drop and roll, which is more than I would have done.

So, did anyone learn anything from this experience? Well, my parents learned not to put aerosol cans in trash you’re going to burn. I think my brother learned not to get too close to an open trash fire, because you never know what’s going to happen. Me? I learned that you don’t wear shirts made of synthetic fabric.

Like Bryson’s stories, this one ended well, with no lasting harm to anyone involved. If you haven’t read his book, you really should. And if you can come to our book discussion, we’ll be very glad to have you.

It did bring back memories of when I was living in Florida. Alcohol was never a part of my family life, but when I went to Florida, I also started drinking a little. Later, I started going out after work every night with my boss. He was going through a really bad time with his wife, and we’d get totally messed up. For some reason, the bars we went to were never like Dickens/Publicans. Maybe a regional difference? After a while, I decided that wasn’t something I wanted to do, so I just stopped. Since then, I hardly ever drink alcohol.

Sometimes I miss those days.

Vegetarian Stir Fry

Stir Fry

Ingredients: soba noodles, fresh vegetables (your choice), sesame oil, tofu, cooking spray, plum sauce

Cook the soba noodles according to the package directions. If you package doesn’t have directions, just boil them 4-5 minutes in water, drain them, and then rinse them twice with cold water. I cooked one bundle, but that was more than I needed, so I put half in the refrigerator for next time. After draining and rinsing, I added a drizzle of sesame oil for flavor and to keep them from sticking.

I sprayed my wok with a little cooking oil, put it over a medium high heat and let it get hot. I had a couple of cups of cut up vegetables (today was broccoli, snow peas and carrots), put them in and let them stir fry for a few minutes. Meanwhile, I cubed my tofu (Melissa’s Hawaiian-style Tofu cutlets, two per package, I put one in the refrigerator for later). When my vegetables were about half done, I added the tofu and let it stir fry for a few minutes. Last, I added a couple of tablespoons of plum sauce and let it cook just a bit longer.

This gave me about a cup of noodles and about four cups of vegetables and tofu, which should be just about right for dinner tonight. Quick, easy, and can be varied according to season and your preferences. Just the kind of recipe I look for. Next time I’ll probably use brown rice and a spicier sauce on the vegetables.

I’ll add a picture later tonight. Let me know what you think.

I’ve always had an affinity for things Japanese and for Japanese culture. Whether it’s my interest in Buddhism (the philosophy which most closely resembles my own) or my fascination with the Hello Kitty cultus, the Japanese influence on my life is clear. American haiku is a natural outgrowth of that interest.

It also ties in very closely with my other hobby, photography. In both cases, I’m creating an image, only with different media. Curiously enough, the small, intimate imagery of haiku fits very will with the kind of photography I enjoy. I like details: a single body part rather than a whole portrait; one branch instead of a full landscape. I’ve discovered that in writing as well as photography, a focused image is more powerful than an overview. People will come up with the most interesting inferences from a small image, too. That fascinates me.

That’s why I write what I write.