Doctor Grandma

We recently moved to inner city Columbia. We are happy here. If you go downtown and turn left on Main, everyone you see has darker skin tone than me. There are certain areas and streets we avoid, and wouldn’t walk down at night, but it’s okay. We hear ambulance sirens and trains, a hospital is a few blocks away, as well as a number of colleges, including two historical black ones and a women’s college. It is South Carolina after all, and still very segregated. Though many would like to take it down, the Confederate flag still flies directly in front of the Statehouse. Our Governor declines free Federal money to help build our schools into more than they are now, it doesn’t hurt her children or other upper class families because their kids attend private schools, and life goes on, segregated by choice for those who can afford it.

Just shopped around for car insurance.

Until you have been through a situation where you have faced an absolute injustice, it is difficult to understand that the world is not built upon fairness. We are so nieve. We think ourselves so powerful. We need to become more wise. The world is not set up upon the principle of fairness in practice. Otherwise, people wouldn’t be able to stick their foot in their mouth; decide between right and wrong; feel jealousy. The world is set up so that people can hurt and harm one another. This does not mean they are not responsible for the wrongs that they commit. It just means that they have a choice. If they make a bad decision and treat another with injustice, they will someday know this, and feel shame. It doesn’t matter if it is in this world or the next. They will know all that they have done. And by that time, it is too late to make amends.

If you are the one wronged, you have the choice to live with anger, or live with acceptance of the Will of God working in the world. If you are able to release the anger, then a greater good comes from it. You understand walking through the pain; you feel closer to God; and you accept, that no matter how people treat you, whether it is fairly or unjustly, what matters is living with integrity. And that is something that no one anywhere has the power to take from you. That is between yourself – and God. There is only One who I am in this world to please. That is all I am responsible for, that is all I have the power to control, and that is all that matters.

“Bring thyself to account each day, ere thou art summoned to a reckoning. For death, unheralded, shall come upon you, and you shall be called to account for thy days.” — Baha’u’llah.

The story of James Agnew (1808-1880) and Mary Freeman Agnew (1828-1883)

        James was born in 1808; in every census account, he says he is from PA. In 1850, he is living in the Cincinnati area. There is a William Agnew, born in 1806, also in Hamilton County, Ohio, who could be his brother.

         James marries Mary Ann Freeman on Jan.2, 1848. They have a baby boy, Alfred, in Sept. 1848. By August 1850, James is living in Fulton Township, Hamilton County, Ohio. He is a ship carpenter. Other locomotive engineers and house carpenters are listed living nearby. His wife Mary, born in Pennsylvania, and little Alfred live there with him. There is a Samuel Agnew, age 72, from Pennsylvania, with him at that time as well. The census record has an asterisk * by Samuel’s name which leads to the bottom of the page and James Agnew age 8. The census says this James Jr. was born in Ohio. Mary is only 22 and was not married to James Sr. at the time of his birth. I do not think Mary is James Jr’s mother. Why is James Jr. listed at the bottom of the census page? What does this mean? Samuel is the last one listed in the Agnew household. The asterisk by Samuel’s name then links to James age 8, at the bottom of the page. Their last name is incorrectly transcribed as Agnewe on ancestry.com.

         James and Mary have more children. Mary E. is born in 1851; Lizzie in 1854; Herman in 1855; Sarah B. “Sallie” in 1859; and Hellen is born in 1872 and adopted by the 1880 census.

In 1860, James Jr. is living with William Agnew in the same Hamilton County area. (This is my best guess, as the James here is now 18 years old.) James Sr. and Mary Ann seem to drop off the census map in 1860. In 1870, James, age 61 is a farmer, Mary Ann, age 42,“keeps house” & they are living in Sycamore Township, Hamilton County, P.O. Montgomery. Alfred is 21 and “at home” – was he sickly? Mary E., 19, is a school teacher; Elizabeth, 16; Herman 15; and Sarah B. or D. age 10; all attend school. Mary Ann confirms she was born in PA. & the rest of the family in Ohio.

         By June 1^st, 1880, the family is in Sycamore Twp., Hamilton County. Daughters Mary age 29, Lizzie age 26, Sallie age 20, and adopted daughter Hellen age 8, all live at home. James lists both his mother and father as being born in PA but himself in Ohio. Mary Ann lists herself and both her parents as born in PA. Hellen’s father was born in Ohio but her mother in Indiana. She was born in Indiana as well.

         Signs linking them to being Shakers are that all the daughters live at home and are not married? In 1880, to be 29, 26, 20 and not married would not be the norm. The fact that all of them are seems unusual? However, assuming they are not ALL adopted, then James & Mary Ann had a lot of kids. This is another mystery.

         Sallie dies 29 days after the census taker came to their door in 1880. She is buried in IOOF Laurel cemetery, Montgomery, Hamilton County, Ohio, near Cincinnati. Six months later, James Sr. dies here as well, on Dec. 28, 1880 and is buried in though we have not yet confirmed the stone. Mary Ann lives 3 more years and dies Feb.11, 1883. They are all said to be buried together in this cemetery. Their son Alfred lives to age 87, had 2 wives and at least 3 children in his lifetime, and is buried in Ontario, California. His middle initial F. (for his mother’s maiden name of Freeman) is on the gravestone.

         This story now seems to lead back to Pennsylvania. The next generation back, for both James Agnew Sr. and Mary Ann Freeman, begins in Pennsylvania where all their parents were said to be born. Perhaps one is Samuel Agnew, b. 1778, who was visiting them in 1850. There may possibly be an older sibling to James named William, born in 1806, and they both end up in Ohio, Hamilton County. Another important question is, who is James Jr’s mother and what happened to her? Was she Indian? Was she James Sr’s first wife and from PA as well?

My husband and I love NCIS. It is one of our activities we do together. Ever since the cliff hanger, I’ve been waiting to see if my least favorite character actually dies off the show. Please God, let Ducky be off the darn show, it would SO improve it…… but that was not to be. He lives through his heart attack and even becomes a freaking hero on the hospital bed, “As soon as they get the stint in, I’ll be free to travel. Get me there even if you have to drive me, THEY NEED ME!” Oh, break my heart.

Unfortunately, the entire episode was melodramatic and a big let down. However, that is not why I am devoting a blog entry to this episode. It was also rather disturbing. 

I think it is disturbing when a Federal law enforcement team, even if it is “for the Navy,” no longer acts like a law enforcement team, and it becomes a personal vendetta, especially by the leader of the “team” to go get this guy. And not only go get him, but murder him unnecessarily. After this psycho-maniac bombs the whole team’s work headquarters and tries to kill them, the President of the United States makes a phone call to the FBI, telling them to proceed “with full prejudice”. We learn that this means the team goes on the offensive. The entire show had many flaws. One, they have an FBI agent undercover convince the psycho to come home with her. There she lies across the bed, the psycho goes into the bathroom, then a swat team comes charging in and blasts the bathroom door with gun shots. But psycho gets away. Really?? Why didn’t they just shoot him when she lures him into a car. Why not as he enters the hotel room?? Why not arrest him as he stands at the store window where she walks up to him & starts a conversation? They certainly wouldn’t WAIT TILL HE GOES INTO THE BATHROOM behind a closed door. 

At the end, Gibbs declares it’s “personal” because “he went after my family”, meaning his team. Okay Gibbs, we know you have no life at all, but really, there’s a whole world out there you are defending every show. Your team is always threatened, always in danger. This guy is no different. Your JOB is to stop him and bring him in. But that is not what happens. Since “full prejudice” has been declared, Gibbs goes off to find him and kill him. He convinces his supervisor to send him ALONE (as if that would really happen ever). Then he finds psycho at the house he said he’d be at. No one else goes along. Gibbs has a brief conversation with Mr. Psycho, refuses to have a drink with him, then watches as Psycho-bomber stands at a window where there is a gun lying on the window sill. Obviously it is there for him to either kill Gibbs, himself, or both. I keep waiting for the house to blow up because he is an expert explosives guy. But no, he grabs for the GUN, which frees Gibbs to block it and knock it out of his hand, and in the same INSTANT, STABS this guy to death. The guy falls down & that’s it. Break to Gibbs at a cemetary while we hear Mr. Psycho’s son’s voice talking to his dad about loving America & that’s why he wants to be part of the Navy. His son had been killed, which is what set Mr. Psycho off to kill people in the Navy for revenge.

The underlying theme is that sometimes you have to take the law into your own hands. You have to go “get the bad guy” and the rules about preservation of life no longer apply to you. You just kill the guy. Even though you could have arrested & brought him in, you take the law into your own hands and take his life. But only because, this time, he “went after Gibbs’ family.” The lesson here is that when you have to protect your family, it’s okay to commit violence yourself. Go after the bad guy alone. And take him out. Well it doesn’t work that way in real life. Lots of times people don’t quite have their story straight, or they are drunk, & they go after someone who is not really guilty. And they commit murder and go to prison. Not a good thing usually for any citizen to go after someone and take revenge into their own hands. But this was Gibbs.

As much as we want to be able to do this, it is not right. If we believe it is, then society has lost its heart. Society has lost its civility, and the system of justice doesn’t work. I disagree. It is not okay to go after someone, even if he has hurt you, taking his life or taking him “out” all alone, with no repercussions. Gibbs stabbed someone to death and is perfectly fine afterwards. Happy. Satisfied. Not a good message. Hopefully he would at the very least be torn up inside for doing it. He’d be at least a little torn as to whether he should have done it that quickly, and that easily. They didn’t have a scuffle and the gun go off. Gibbs knocked the gun out of the guy’s hand and then stabbed him to death. It was planned, deliberate. Necessary.

I think this is a disturbing message of murder and violence with no repercussions. Next week, Miss Happy Face Gabby is dealing with serious psychological problems due to the bombing. We can be sure that it won’t be Gibbs going to talk to the psychologist. I hope the whole new season is not as superficial and disappointing as this.

I’ve had an inner ear infection for 2 1/2 weeks. Waited through the 1st week because I already had a post-op appt. w/ my gynecologist. I asked if she could look at my EAR while there & she said yes. Okay by me, one less co-pay. She took one look & said, “OH. Inner ear infection & it’s pretty bad.” Prescribed amoxycillin. Took it for a week w/ no result. Ear still plugged. She then prescribed ear drops so expensive I thought they forgot to use the insurance card! $35. my cost. Took those for a week. The last 2 days it started to feel not so bad. The liquid rolling around inside was gone. But it still throbs and tickles sometimes, so I went ahead and went in to the specialist appt. they had made for me as well. 

The specialist acted rather huffy about my being somewhere else before him when it was an ear infection. Liquid all gone, basically said “you’re cured, drops did what they were supposed to do, quit taking them”. but take ibuprofen for pain. Does that make sense to you? Doesn’t really make much sense to me. Evidently it can take extra weeks for everything to feel 100%. He felt my jaw & said he thought the infection had gotten into my jaw & it’s still sore. I said, “Well it was a bad inner ear infection.” His response, “Well I never saw that so I don’t know.” 

Dear Specialist, people cannot come to you right away because for 1) Our insurance only allows us to be REFERRED to you AFTER we have seen our primary doctor. So get over it. And 2) When we DO call, or actually the primary doctor’s office help calls because we’re not allowed to call you ourselves, it takes ANOTHER WEEK to get into you! So please do not be offended I wasn’t here 2 weeks ago. You still got your extra $35.00 co-pay for you to tell me I’m cured, and I’m sure the insurance company has to pay you 5X more than that. 

Quick post to record going to Methodist records at DePauw.

For the church where James Agnew was a janitor for 16 yrs., found that two of his sons got married in the same church, which lends credence to their attachment and membership in this Methodist church in New Albany. 

The reccords at DePauw were disappointing. I expected membership records going years back. All it was, was random pamphlets and records of centennial celebrations or whatever else some secretary threw in a folder. Non-Methodist church records are not there. Picked up some info. on Methodist church beginnings in New Albany. Need to visit Floyd County public library for detail on the Baptist church that was a stop on the underground RR at the time James was married to his 1st wife there & she was a member. 

Need to see if there are any other records from his Methodist church.