June 6, 1997
9:42 AM EST

I was just looking at the photo of my parents that sits on my desk, and trying to figure out what traits of theirs I inherited.

Right now I look more like my father, when I put on weight I look more like him, my face gets rounder and puffier. When I lose weight I look more like my mother, my bone structure seems to be closer to hers while my features are more like dad's or rather, like his mother's. My paternal grandmother was a fairly stocky woman in later life, and I seem to have, unfortunately, inherited that trait as well.

My brothers on the other hand, seem to have picked up the tall genes from my mother's Germanic heritage. Both are over 6 feet tall, and Teddy, my once little, cuddly brother now resembles a tree at 6 foot 3 inches and growing. He is also as thin as a rail, but if he ever fills out he's going to be a very big guy. Tom is more barrel-chested, like dad and has dad's jaw-line, as I do.

I was watching TV last night and came across a man who did a biography of his father, an independent film project. He was asking all sorts of interesting questions about his family. One was about the importance of family, including extended family. The film-maker said that we get half of our genes from our parents, 1/4 from each of our grandparents and 1/8 from each of our great-grandparents.

This is making me think more closely about my genealogical projects, and what direction I want to take them in. Do I want to concentrate more on aspects that are more linked to me by blood? Or do I want to concentrate on areas where there are interesting stories to tell? Or should I just content myself with expanding on those things that I can find information on easily? I'll just have to think about this a bunch.

Actually, the father in the film, reminded me a lot of my grandfather as I knew him. Somewhat taciturn from loneliness, crotchety and very inflexible: he knew his mind and had no room for issues that did not interest him. Does this happen to us all as we age? Especially if we are alone?

1:03PM

I've spent the morning getting frustrated at one of my co-workers.

I called my mother yesterday, I was all set to have a nice chat with her, when I realized that I'd forgotten everything that I wanted to say. This happens to me a lot when I call my mom, mostly because it's usually been at least a week since we've last spoken so I have a lot to catch her up on and my brain freezes at the sheer amount of information .... it took me 20 mins of talking about nothing to finally remember all the things I meant to say. However I did get good news from home, which makes me happy. My father's new job is going well, so both of my parents will be much less stressed. Tom found a landscaping job for the summer, and Ted still has his year-job, but will be going to a journalism conference-type thing in July which he'll probably enjoy ... he has a lot going for him, a kid with a bright future, I'm amazed at how with-it he's gotten. When he was very young he was very sick, and Tom and I kind of over-shadowed him in some ways. I'm so glad that I have a nice family (past issues not-withstanding) and that we're close and supportive ...