Spencers and Gostwicks... expanding the family tree

I recently posted a fan image of my family tree extended out 4 generations. I said in that post that one of our lines is Spencer, but that it was a different English line than Princess Diana. I thought I might post a bit more about this line today.

(photo courtesy of my family)

Virginia Spencer was my great-great-great-great grandmother. The Spencer's, and marriages within that line, are some of my favorite parts of our family tree. There is so much history tied up with them :-)


For instance, Moses Spencer, who was Virginia's great grandfather, was a soldier in the Virginia Continental Line during the Revolutionary War. He received 100 acres for his service to his country.


Farther into the line we find Col. Nicholas Spencer, who was married to Frances Mottram. Nicholas served as President of the Council of the Virginia Colony. His cousin was Thomas Colepeper/Culpeper. Nicholas played a major role in securing the land grant for what would become Mount Vernon. I have an opportunity next Saturday morning to perhaps see Mount Vernon and I am very excited about that!


Nicholas' mother was Mary Gostwick (my 12th great-grandmother). Mary's father was Sir Edward Gostwick/Gostwicke. He was the 2nd Baronet Gostwick of Willington. He was also the Sheriff of Bedfordshire! I have always found Edward very interesting and is probably the tomb I'd like to see the most of all my ancestors (how morbid is that?!). I have read in several places that his body is laid in a glass or marble tomb in a church in England. I don't know how true that is but it would be interesting to find out for sure!!

the crest of Gostwick of Willington

(image courtesy of http://www.british-history.ac.uk)

I will post other family lines in the future but I thought this one was a good place to start :-D

-- A Victorian Cowgirl

Music to my ears...

For my mothers thirtieth birthday gift to herself, she gave piano lessons to the two of us. She had always wanted to learn and wanted her children to have the gift of music in our lives also. I had been singing solos and in children's choirs at church for as long as I could remember and I was thrilled to be able to learn an instrument finally!!

We lived in Okinawa at the time and our piano teacher was Denise Stone, a Marine wife (her husband was in the Marine Corps band), and a music teacher in the DOD school system who also happened to be our church pianist. Miss Denise was a strong teacher and refused to let me slide on anything! What I didn't appreciate as tough love very much back then, I truly appreciate now. Maybe that is because all of my other teachers have told me what a great beginning they can tell I had!

We didn't have a piano or keyboard when we first started the lessons so I could only practice on a real instrument by going to church early and getting a few minutes of practice time. I was taught that I didn't need a piano necessarily to learn the finger movements and so I spent a lot of time at home just reading the music and practicing moving my fingers. We did eventually buy an electric keyboard to practice with at home. Miss Denise also wanted to make sure I trained my eyes and hands properly and it was always a concentrated point to "sit up straight, and look ahead at the music...not at your fingers!!" She would even cover my hands with a long piece of black felt so that I couldn't see the keys :-) My first, and only so far, piano recital was at our church in Okinawa. I even played a duet with my mom. I wish I could remember what it was but I haven't got a clue. I do remember we both wore navy blue dresses (and were given beautiful Opal rings as a gift from both momma and dad..) and that I realized I was actually more afraid of singing in front of people than I was in playing the piano. Maybe it is because you are actually looking at the audience when you are singing and with piano you can solely focus on the instrument in front of you.

After we left Okinawa and moved to Arizona, we were able to purchase an old piano. I love our old Bailey! It was built in 1902 and is a pretty good instrument, though currently in need of a good tuning. We recently moved it to a different room in the house and it sounds better already. It could be the acoustics of the room, or it could be the location in general. Either way, I'm happy with the improvement!

Now that we live in North Carolina I have considered starting lessons back up again on a more permanent basis. The problem with different teachers (besides their own style, of course) is that each teacher likes different publishers. In Okinawa I used Bastien. In Arizona it was Faber. Now our music director at church prefers Alfred. I have went ahead and purchased all the Alfred books needed and took a few lessons but I am now in debate mode over whether or not to continue taking the classes on a regular basis. I have taught myself so much over the years and in between teachers (due to moving) that I wonder if I'm able to concentrate on starting over with a new teacher and learning their style. I get easily frustrated and lack patience. I think its a matter of choosing which battle is worth the fight and right now I'm not sure learning a new teachers style is a patience battle worth fighting. Does that make sense?

I WISH I could play by ear but I'm not talented in that department. My younger brother, Jesse, has actually shown a great deal of talent in that area. He has always had a love of all things instrumental. We have pictures of him before he was even two years old sitting in my dads lap strumming on a guitar. He has most recently been interested in the drums but is starting to really play around on the keyboard and piano as well. It amazes me that he can sit at the piano and just run his fingers over the keys at random and make something sound pretty. That is a gift from God, I think :-)

The two most important things I think I have gained from piano lessons in general is the ability to read music, and the ability to understand fingering movement. Even though I can't play by ear like my brother, or my dad or some of my friends, I know in theory how to "make" music. I can sit down and practice something I might create, even if I can't quickly pick up something someone else has created. That always is fun to do!!

One of the best ways I have kept up my fingering practice over the years is through using Preparatory Exercises For the Piano. You first begin with individual hand playing and then you add both of them together. It has been GREAT practice and I love it! I also have a book of short songs for the pianoforte copyrighted 1916. This book has been invaluable to me in learning timing. I would probably be wise to purchase a metronome to help with that as well, but do you know how expensive a really good one is?!

I play daily. Sometimes several times daily. I wonder though sometimes if that is enough. The question always lingers there in my mind I guess if I should take lessons regularly once again. Mom didn't continue lessons after the first year or two because one of my brothers started taking lessons as well. Finances weren't enough for all of us to take lessons back then but I can pay for my own lessons now if I want. The main thing really holding me back I guess is that it would mean spending approximatley 30% of my income on lessons every month. I'm not sure I can justify that :-(

I guess I'll think about it for a little while longer...

--A Victorian Cowgirl

Rachmaninoff - Vocalise For Violin

I posted this on my facebook page but wanted to post it here as well.

Rachmaninoff is a favorite. You will soon learn I have lots of favorites :-)

-- A Victorian Cowgirl

Scrum-didlly-umptuous Dinner :-P

Tonight (this was in my draft box for the past 2
days because I forgot about it... OOPS) we had our dinner courtesy of The Pioneer Woman. I am telling you... Mrs. Ree knows her stuff!! Our "menu" for dinner was her recipe (from: The Pioneer Woman Cooks ~ recipes from an accidental country girl ) for Chicken Fried Steak. Can you say "YUM!!" !?!?

I cooked our cubed steak according to her recipe variation for a quick, simple dish. I tossed in a dash .. or two.. (okay, so I am not great in the "exact measurements" department... LOL) of our selection of Emeril Essence spices.

I then sandwiched (ha, ha, ha..) the steak in between 2 slices of whole wheat bread, with mayo, and mild cheddar cheese. Serve with salad (I had a strawberry Yoplait yogurt cup for dessert..) and Voila!!

God Bless,

A Victorian Cowgirl ♥

"Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them."

-- William Shakespeare

More Pics from Tryon Palace with L.L.P.E.

OK, So.. I said I would have to split it up and put it into two different posts.... VOILA!! Here it is :-)

I thought this was a cool pic. He snapped this one of the candleabra and ended up getting me in the background... the reciprocal of this (the one of him I snapped at the same time) is in the original post...

Someones first Pepsi... LOL

Pepsi-Cola Birthplace

More Pepsi-Cola

...Mr. New Bern Bear...

The Iron work on the 2nd Entrance Gate was beautiful... Just had to get a pic.

Pretty flowers at a Lilac house in the Historic District/Downtown New Bern

...Another pic of the flowers...

The wedding I was speaking of in the original post

....RUN....
LOL

Me, at the Guards Watch Station at Tryons entrance

Justin, at the Guards Watch Station...

A bench and the cool tile/brick walkways inside the Carriage House

Above the entrance hall outside of Tryon Palace

The brick work on the walkway, near the Guards Watch Stations...

--A Victorian Cowgirl

Tryon Palace With Life, Liberty, & the Pursuit of Elegance

I recently (... ok, so I was supposed to get all this up like 3 weeks ago right after it happened, but I was being lazy...) went to Tryon Palace with Justin. So, here is me putting up all of the pics ... FINALLY!!

I know I posted this pic the other night, but I just love it!!

I was playing around and being silly with the camera, and so was suprised when it turned out like this. I just wish his shadow wasn't in the flower bed... LOL

The "Butterfly" Garden

The carriage house. We realized that they designed a way to keep the entire mansion very semetrical by making something as simple as a carriage house, have the same look as the other side where the kitchens/laundry rooms are.

I caught this one by accident,

but I love the way the suns rays came through.

God really does some amazing things!!

"Dutch Angles" are Ahhh-mazing :-)

Didn't this one turn out to be a good one?!?!

This really is one of my favorite pictures!!

Reading about the different gardens at Tryon right

before we entered the "Butterfly" Garden.

...Early Spring flowers...

I really like the iron detailing on the brick water well here.

I wish there were more flowers when we went, because I went back about a few weeks later and it was in full bloom, with tulips and roses everywhere!!

We sat here for a little while, and had a nice chat, while we took a breather from walking...

I think somebody was having fun with the all the photo-taking. :-)

All of the photo's here today actually are from both of our camera's so it was a very good day. Thank you Justin for the pics!!

I love this how this pic turned out... This was the good one. And, I am glad I was able to catch a view of both gardens!! We had a good time in the garden shown in the background through the gate with the statue. Unfortunatley, we were having too much fun (ok, so not so unfortunatley.. LOL) to remember to take any photos.

Statues in the Center Garden...

Beautiful early Spring flowers!!

More flowers...

BTW, all of the candelabra's you see are from a wedding

being held at Tryon that day.

So, I realized this morning that I am going to have to split this up into two seperate posts because of all of the beautiful pictures I want to share!! LOL

-- A Victorian Cowgirl

College... to be or not to be, that is the question!

Like any other "normal" high school graduate I have thought long and hard over whether I should go to college or not. The path of decision has taken me around many curves, and up and down many trails. Honestly I'm not sure what I am supposed to do. I think the decision is even tougher for a girl than a guy. Guys have to provide for their families. Girls, at least ones who think the same way I do, believe in staying home and taking care of their families. The question then is whether it is worth it to go to college and "learn" (which I think you can do outside of a classroom anyway, BTW) and get a degree while also going into debt, or should you forget it and just stay at home learning more about doing the things you will want to do for your own family should God choose to provide you with one. Debt is a HUGE thing for me. My parents have always tried to teach me that debt is NOT a good thing. They have also told me that with four children at home they can't afford to pay for college and that it would be my own responsibility, should I choose to go that direction. My own question has been whether debt for a college degree that I may or may not use be WORTH saddling my future spouse with?

Here is my conundrum, I guess. I don't know if I WANT to go to college! I completed my high school studies early by working hard and combining my junior and senior years of high school. That is easy to do when you home school. However, it meant that I was officially finished with school by the time I was barely 17. I knew (and my parents knew as well) that I was not mature enough to attend college away from home at that point in my life so, with my parents permission, I took a year to work on my sewing and homemaking skills, and to just try and make a final decision on what I wanted to major in IF I decided that college was the right thing for me.

I completed my SAT in November of last year and was only partially happy with my score. I received above average scores on the reading and writing sections but scored right at the below average/average line on math. I don't like math but I love reading and writing (which, BTW, is funny because my English & my grammar is terrible... ) so that really wasn't a shock to me. I now have a choice of retaking the math portion but I don't know if I even want to bother.

As far as college majors go, I had been tossing around an art major for a few years with a focus on either Interior Design, Fashion Design, or Art History (because I love museums) but I still wasn't sure which route to take. I also knew I wanted to minor in something but was torn between French (a language that I had three years experience in already "trying" to learn and that I knew would definitely be needed if I was going into Fashion Design), Business (because if I ran my own business then I would need to know what I was doing), or Education (because I might want to use my creative talents in the future to teach my own children, or maybe in a home school co-op).

I don't like classrooms. I really don't like traditional school settings. I don't like debt (I did say that already, right?!). This made the decision for college even harder for me. I prayed about it and asked God for guidance. In the end I chose three schools that might be an option. The first two were Berea College in Kentucky and Warren Wilson College in North Carolina. Both schools are part of the work consortium college network which basically just means that I would be able to receive a scholarship for my tuition at the school and then be able to work at a job on campus to pay for my books and other expenses (room and board and so forth).. pretty debt free set up there :-) The third college was our local community college here in town. I had my SAT scores sent to each school but after even more prayer I felt like my best option would be Berea.

Berea was the school that had absolutely everything I wanted and would work with me on an independent major. I completed my application process, including an interview and tour of the school in January. I received word a few weeks later that my application for the scholarship and admittance were denied. They were very kind in their encouragement about all the extras I had included on my package but were quick to let me know my math score really needed to be better.

I prayed about finishing the application for Warren Wilson but after speaking to several people about it and viewing some videos of the school I just felt it was more of a liberal school than I wanted to go to. They seem very "new-agey" I guess. With some iffy "Womens (aka Feminist) World View" studies that I would have to take at least ONE class course in... I was DEFINITELY NOT interested!!

The community college is still an option I suppose. My father wants me to sign up for classes in the fall but says he is willing to work with me on it. I don't think he expects me to take a full load of classes (I am able to take inidividual studies -- ie. cake decorating, etc. -- separate from a degree studies course...) but I know he doesn't want me to be a "slacker" either. I would much prefer working with a seamstress as an apprentice but it is almost as if every door I try to go through lately gets most definitely closed. It can all be very discouraging!

I did have a good talk with my cousin and it seems she is having some of the same decision making problems as myself. I guess I feel better about that at least! Maybe it is just a girl thing.... or a non-feminist, Christian girl thing at least! Who knows?!

--A Victorian Cowgirl

100 things... give or take a few :-)

My mom and I had a great discussion the other night about personality traits and knowing your own self. I'm finished with "school" but that doesn't mean I'm finished with learning and so every once in a while she will give me an assignment (other than typical homemaking kinds of things). This time she asked me to write 100 things about myself. The list could contain likes or dislikes. Here is my list:

1. I LOVE GOD!


2. I like my legs.


3. I do not like peanut butter (except on toast).


4. I like scrapbooking.


5. I like to sew.


6. I like food, and cooking, and baking.


7. I do not like that I am not very patient :-(


8. I like my strict-ish parents (mostly..lol).


9. I like reading my Bible.


10. I do not like that I don't read it oftener... or more often... whatever :-P


11. I like talking -- wish I did it less.


12. I like listening -- wish I did it more.


13. I like my brothers when they are sweet, and when they are ornery.


14. I like pistachios (my absolute favorite!!).


15. I like cleaning -- some days.


16. I do not like cleaning -- other days.


17. I like my pretty handwriting (which, of course, you can't see here...lol).


18. I like to play piano.


19. I like speaking/learning French, but it's a slow process because I don't practice enough :-(


20. I like being artistic.


21. I like my blog -- good English and creativity practice!


22. I like steak. A lot.


23. I like our dog -- just not always.


24. I do not like the cat so much, not that Ollie isn't ok most days... but maybe I'm just not a cat person?!


25. I like to decorate.


26. I like my hair.


27. I do not like that my hair isn't longer... but I guess that is what happens when you cut it :-P


28. I like designing wardrobes -- the clothing sort...not the wooden cabinet sort...LOL


29. I like making creating menu's and completing the grocery shopping that accompanies the menu's.


30. I do not like laundry, sometimes. Maybe I just do not like dirty laundry ;-)


31. I like being a simple, chic, country girl at heart.


32. I like reading.


33. I like my eyes.


34. I like pizza.


35. I do not like it when onions make me cry -- but sometimes they are a good excuse maker for some situations... as in "No, I'm not crying. I was just chopping an onion!" ROFL


36. I do not like it when I clean and then mud or some other bit of dirt gets tracked in on shoes.


37. I like candy.


38. I like butterflies.


39. I like walking barefoot on the beach.


40. I like getting a pedi/manicure every once in a blue moon.


41. I DO NOT like blue cheese. YUK!!


42. I like going out with my mom.


43. I like working.


44. I like staying home.


45. I like Granny Smith apples.


46. I do not like other kinds of apples (except for the ones we used to eat in Japan that were so huge that one apple would be a snack for four people!!).


47. I like poetry.


48. I like music. All sorts. But mostly country and classical.


49. I like the beach.


50. I like watching the news.


51. I like to dance.


52. I like yoga (but NOT as a religion...just for exercise).


53. I like swimming (like a mermaid...hmm, that doesn't sound right. Like a mermaid that is dressed...LOL).


54. I like seas shells.


55. I like remembering things.


56. I like sea glass.


57. I like when dad reads bedtime stories (so what if I am 18?!).


58. I love skype :-D


59. I like Opera.


60. I like photography.


61. I like embroidery.


62. I like my birthstone.


63. I like being eclectic.


64. I like watching movies.


65. I like it when daddy plays his guitar.


66. I like looking at French Country and Romantic Homes magazines.


67. I like birds singing in Spring.


68. I like crytal lamps and chandeliers.


69. I do not like thunderstorms.


70. I like my diamond earrings.


71. I like to wear scarves (but they can sometimes be annoying!!).


72. I like Okinawa, Japan.


73. I like my kokeshi dolls and Lladro's.


74. Hmmm.. I will keep this one to myself...


75. Hmmm.. this one, too :-)


76. I like to dance. Oh wait, did I say that already?! It's worth a repeat :-)


77. I like to dance AND listen to music while I clean -- it makes it go so much faster!


78. I like the song...oh, wait, never mind.. another secret keeper!


79. I like Rain Drops on Roses from The Sound of Music.


80. I like being happy -- a lot of that lately :-D


81. I like my nose. Mostly. But not always.


82. I like my LONG fingers.


83. I do not like PMS because I get sick and have lots of headaches.


84. BUT, I like that I can have kids of my own one day (Lord willing) and so PMS is a good reminder of that.


85. I like my iPod -- it enables me to do things like #77 :-)


86. Hmmm.. yet another one I shouldn't list...


87. I do not like heights (at least not the coming down part... YIPES!)


88. I like to have fun.


89. I like football.


90. I like jewelry making.


91. I like flowers. All over. I mean like EVERYWHERE!


92. I like being 18 :-)


93. I like my high cheekbones.


94. I like my genetically crinkled ear.


95. I like my high metabolism.


96. I like going for walks.


97. I like spending time with friends.


98. I like taking time to smell the roses... and tulips... and daisies... and dandelions... and magnolias...


99. I do not like cole slaw or potato salad.


100. I like being me. :-) Because I am who God made me and I wouldn't change being His creation for anything in the world, or for any price! "For what shall it profit a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose his soul?" Mark 8:36

Maybe some bits of my list seem cheesy, or unimportant. It wasn't as if I was trying to write a document that would save children in Africa from hunger or give us a strategy for universal peace. It's just a bit of me. So that I don't forget who I am.

--A Victorian Cowgirl ♥

Friendship...

"A friend may well be reckoned the masterpiece of nature."

-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Family

My mom is a HUGE family tree person. Her mom took her to a dusty old library basement to look up family records when she was a little girl and she has been hooked ever since. This is only a portion of our tree but I thought it would be fun to share (and give me something to post...LOL). Other names in our tree are Spencer (a different English line than Princess Di's), Rutherford (which can be traced back to about the 1200's), Hatfield, McCoy (yep, both of them!!), Laird, Johnstone (my small bit of Scottish pedigree), Basham, Wyatt, Lamson, and SO MANY MORE!!! :-D

My mother was actually adopted by her step dad (granny and papaw got married when she was less than two years old) but she has completed some research on her biological fathers tree as well. Her grandmother is from the Kentucky Back family, who are descended from a German line of Bach. There are quite a few JS Bach's in that tree so I'm definitely interested in learning more of that blood line!

Feel free to click on the family tree fan to enlarge it and have a closer look :-)

Let me know if you see any names you recognize. Mom has a box of copies of records out in the garage so I might be able to help out if you are facing a brick wall in your own tree.

-- A Victorian Cowgirl