Looking in my Own Backyard: March

I think that we have all been told before that we choose our family. We are brought into this world with the blood of hundreds or thousands or people all through history. However, in this thing that we call life the family we choose goes into a crisis you are there to help them. It's been two week into the month and I have spent a good portion of my time helping out some chosen family. We had a death my chosen family, an we all have been doing so much that we can in order to help them out. Now, I finally have a few moments to myself to play catchup on the other wonderful people to make up me. 

As ever is the tradition.... we will be talking about a movie first. 

 

When you think of a magical land far, far away you think about people fly, casting spells, creatures of all different kinds. However, they wind up all similar to you and me. They have cell phones, and electricity, and normal jobs. They have lost all known knowledge of once being magical. However, two elves have found a little bit of magic just waiting for them. On Ian's 16th birthday his mom gives him and his brother, Barkley, a present from their dad. Their dad has passed away from an illness before Ian was born so he never got to know his father. They father found an ancient spell, relic, and stone to bring him back for one more day so that they can all meet. However, when the spell goes wrong Ian and Barkley have to go on an epic quest in order to find all of the items needed in order to bring their dad back for just one day. 

I fell in love with this movie the first time that I saw it. I have watched a few times before I watched it for this challenge. I was love about this movie is that we learn that the older brother, Barkley, really stepped up after their dad died to be a father figure in his little brother's life. Now, we know that Barkley is not much older than Ian so he was still a kid dealing with the loss of his dad too, however, they have a great relationship growing up. I love that this movie shows that we are stronger than we sometimes think that we are. 

I will say that I don't do the research ever single day on family history. It's really been like a few hours every few weeks and poking around. However, that stuff I have found and how far I can go back is something that is truly amazing! I am finding out some of the coolest stories, and insights into people who I share my existence with. We are actually back on my mom's side of the family. 

This is a quick and amazing story of Annie Donahue.

Annie Donahue was born in about 1816 in Ireland and is my three times great grandmother. Her story amazing story is a little short so I had to do some research about a historical event that she lived through. She was born in Ireland but made her way to New Brunswick, Canada when she was young. In 1825 there was a massive forest fire that was started by a combination of unusually hot weather and some settlers starting a campfire. The fire started on October 7 and in less than three hours is destroyed the city of New Castle. The city had 1000 people and 260 buildings and the fire only left 12 buildings standing and took the lives of 160 people. That was just in New Castle alone. The fires covered almost 6,178 square miles and is one of the biggest fires in North American history. Annie survived the fire by standing in the Miramichi River all night long. She was about 10 years old when all of this took place. I am proud to say that she survived and went on to be a Midwife and was known around the area as a fine person. 

I don't recall ever learning about the 1825 Miramichi Fire when I was in school. That is something that is really awesome about learning about my family is that I got to learn more about history too. How my family has either played a role in it or has survived it. I will say that I never would have thought that an amazing story such as thing would come of it either. How would I have ever thought I would see a picture of people I never knew existed. I would be shocked if in New Brunswick there isn't some sort of marker stating that this event in history happened. I would love to go and see it and step in the river near there. That is also that I something that I love about this too is that these places where my ancestors walked are still around. Maybe not the exact buildings or things like that but the  river is still there and so is the forest. I would love to visit all of these places one day just so I can see what they have become myself.