iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

JennyIL (Gail & Lennie’s human) @jennyil.bsky.social · 11h

I need my Milwaukee Journal Sentinel book about the WE Energies Christmas Cookies and I have no idea where it is. My Great Aunts experimented with recipes from the early recipe handouts and developed a Kosher for Passover recipe for chocolate chip cookies.

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JennyIL (Gail & Lennie’s human) @jennyil.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

I grew up outside of Phoenix. Everyone I knew who worked in retail, restaurants, or for a charity knew how to recognize people with family money no matter how casual their clothes. I am amazed at how many people in Midwestern urban areas lack that skill.

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JennyIL (Gail & Lennie’s human) @jennyil.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

This week we are prepared for tongue out Tuesday.

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JennyIL (Gail & Lennie’s human) @jennyil.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Somewhere in my house there is a card of sparkly needlepoint thread. Gail and Lennie are sure they had nothing to do with its disappearance - I am sure it will show up when I buy another card.

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JennyIL (Gail & Lennie’s human) @jennyil.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

One of the local McDonald’s has decorated for Halloween already.

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JennyIL (Gail & Lennie’s human) @jennyil.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Gail believes Sundays are for becoming one with the sunny spots on the couch.

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JennyIL (Gail & Lennie’s human) @jennyil.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

2 bad non-profit stories. Story 1: Due to some poorly coordinated schedule changes, we have a hybrid meeting this morning with no program instead of a virtual meeting before a virtual workshop. One of the people most excited about getting together in person is sick and won’t be there.

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JennyIL (Gail & Lennie’s human) @jennyil.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Went to see my father with my son. Told my son he needed to take the two Rolex watches and the 1840s baby cup. He was doubtful, but brought back his Grandfather’s and Great-grandfather’s watches and the cup his German mining engineer 4th great grandfather had made for his sone in Chile.

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JennyIL (Gail & Lennie’s human) @jennyil.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

I believe the oddest thing I found in my father’s house this visit is a 48 star printed silk American flag in a wooden presentation box with 1933 stamped on the top and a letter enclosed that says it was a gift from a Japanese Envoy in 1935 to a US Mlitary Officer in Washington DC. That Officer sent

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JennyIL (Gail & Lennie’s human) @jennyil.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

My strategy of leaving my son alone with my father and having my son treat him like a client while I went through random things in the house seems to have worked.

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JennyIL (Gail & Lennie’s human) @jennyil.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Wordle 1,922 2/6 ⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

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JennyIL (Gail & Lennie’s human) @jennyil.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

If you are involved in a political campaign - check on the local requirements for sign placement before you put yours out. Saw a whole bunch of signs today for a local candidate all illegally placed in the public right of way. Had to be done by the same person.

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JennyIL (Gail & Lennie’s human) @jennyil.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

@muppybean.bsky.social I had dumplings with dipping sauce for dinner tonight and got out a pair of chopsticks - Gail thought it was Sushi/sashimi Friday and came over for her cut. I guess I am no longer allowed to use chopsticks unless I have raw fish and share.

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JennyIL (Gail & Lennie’s human) @jennyil.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

In a small nonprofit group - I asked for information for the newsletter to be provided before Memorial Day. Finally got some of it at the end of June. Put together the Newsletter. Didn’t get pictures so I gave up on the website and forgot about it. Guess what I did today?

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JennyIL (Gail & Lennie’s human) @jennyil.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Today’s genealogy story - I started testing something my father once said which is that everyone named “Goldfish” or some variation of it, has to be related to his mother and so me. This might be the only thing either of my parents ever said about family history that is true. So I am tracing cousins

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JennyIL (Gail & Lennie’s human) @jennyil.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Odd information that I have found doing genealogical research - a newspaper article from the 1881 about a traveling salesman from Wisconsin who was run over and killed on a Minnesota road (no indication of what ran over him) that attributes fault to the man who was killed. My relative was an infant

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JennyIL (Gail & Lennie’s human) @jennyil.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Gail would like everyone to know that she does not spend all her time following sunny spots across the back of the couch.

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JennyIL (Gail & Lennie’s human) @jennyil.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

If you are a local business using AI to advertise your business - make sure that your social media ads include your business name, address and location as well as a way to contact you. AI images turn people off - but no one is going to buy anything if they don’t know where you are.

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JennyIL (Gail & Lennie’s human) @jennyil.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Tonight’s genealogy story is a tale of contrasts. Larry Fink of Blackrock is a cousin - the mid-20th century women in his family were professors at well known California Universities, award winning authors, or otherwise accomplished, The Indiana cousins include a woman who ran her husband’s real

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JennyIL (Gail & Lennie’s human) @jennyil.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Bad non-profit story 2 - I have chaired a municipal committee and put together an increasingly popular event - attitude has been volunteer run not staff. Fine. They want to combine two committees. Fine. Want members of mine to reapply. Still want to put on the event. Most of the info is mine.

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JennyIL (Gail & Lennie’s human) @jennyil.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

I am moving my bad non-profit stories to this platform - I am part of a needlework group that is hosting a 2 day virtual workshop. We also have a meeting on the first day. I have asked 3 times for the workshop details so I can schedule the meeting which will also be virtual - no answer. Asked about

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JennyIL (Gail & Lennie’s human) @jennyil.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

I have lived in the Chicago area for 30 years now, am interested in geography and weather and used to regularly drive down to the Peru/LaSalle area - but wth is the “panhandle” of La Salle County?

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JennyIL (Gail & Lennie’s human) @jennyil.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Found a group of Jewish siblings in FL. One girl, 3 brothers. Brothers marry, divorce, some have kids. She marries, gets divorced and then remarried - 1st husband is a good Jew, 2nd husband is originally from Maine and Christian. One brother emigrates to New Zealand and becomes a citizen.

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JennyIL (Gail & Lennie’s human) @jennyil.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Back to the first family of the mother of the two criminals - one of the oldest son’s grandsons marries a woman who was born in Georgia in the 1950s - mother apparently ran off and father sued for divorce and sole custody of their daughter. Appears to have been successful. Later lost his university

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JennyIL (Gail & Lennie’s human) @jennyil.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Tonight’s genealogy story - my great grandfather died leaving a fairly young widow with 4 children. She remarried, moved to Indiana and had a bunch more kids. Two of the boys moved to California and became criminals. One was involved in illegal gambling. The other one was a thief. He robbed houses

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JennyIL (Gail & Lennie’s human) @jennyil.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

LMV has scheduled a debate between the two State Senate candidates running in my District. Might go to see who can provide the stupidest answer on housing policy.

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JennyIL (Gail & Lennie’s human) @jennyil.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

One last genealogy story for tonight. I am now looking at a family where a man married a slightly younger woman. They had 4 kids, he died. They have an unusual and very Jewish name. She remarries to a man with a moderately Polish sounding name. They have a bunch of kids. He adopts the 4 step kids.

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JennyIL (Gail & Lennie’s human) @jennyil.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Interesting stories I came across in my genealogical research today - a number of the men in my father’s family were widowed, they remarried and had second families. That can mean that there is a set of children who were born in Europe and immigrated with their parents along with another set that

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JennyIL (Gail & Lennie’s human) @jennyil.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Today’s genealogy story - first a caution about using other people’s information to populate your family tree - I have a cousin who has a very large set of family trees. Every time she finds a new date of birth or a new variation on a name in a census, she adds a new person. I have seen trees

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JennyIL (Gail & Lennie’s human) @jennyil.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Turns out my 2nd Great Grandfather was married twice - both in Russia. He was apparently widowed and then remarried in 1870. My Great Grandfather had to be a child of the first wife, not the second. He is part of several family trees but none of the people who keep them are completely reliable.

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JennyIL (Gail & Lennie’s human) @jennyil.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Spent about an hour hour tonight trying to obituaries, marriage certificates of information about births for my Dad’s mother’s youngest sister and her children. Finally dawned on me that I could just send a message to my 2nd cousin who is a DNA match and ask.

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JennyIL (Gail & Lennie’s human) @jennyil.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

My son reported that his Aunt the veterinarian thought my dogs were in very good shape and very cute. She also saw pictures of them as Thing 1 and Thing 2.

Two brindle dogs standing together on the grass with pink leashes and collars.

Two brindle dogs in costumes - one has a crown and a red feather boa, the other has a fur trim cape and a crown.

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JennyIL (Gail & Lennie’s human) @jennyil.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

My father seems to be adjusting to the fact that his grandchildren are adult, city dwelling, professionals and they don’t want most of his stuff. (They are in their early to mid 30s).

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JennyIL (Gail & Lennie’s human) @jennyil.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

This is how Lennie is spending his Labor Day.

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JennyIL (Gail & Lennie’s human) @jennyil.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

My Congressmen met with Labor leaders in his District the other day and said positive things about federal employees - must have finally realized how many live and work in his District.

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JennyIL (Gail & Lennie’s human) @jennyil.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Finished my needlepoint giraffe today. (Design by Toni Gerdes)

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JennyIL (Gail & Lennie’s human) @jennyil.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Someone on twitter just posted about how well it worked to put drop biscuit dough in a pie pan and bake it as one large piece of bread. Basically making scones and cutting them apart when they come out of the oven instead of before they go in.

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JennyIL (Gail & Lennie’s human) @jennyil.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

Gail’s plan for the day is to follow the sunny spots across the back of the couch.

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JennyIL (Gail & Lennie’s human) @jennyil.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

I haven’t done much genealogist research in a few days but today I added ancestors to my tree to complete the links for my earliest VA ancestors. I is made easier because someone wrote a book about the origins of the family in the UK and there are several researchers in the US.

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JennyIL (Gail & Lennie’s human) @jennyil.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

My Amazon Alexa issues have been elevated to someone who actually reads through the conversation and device history, can competently summarize what is wrong, and is promising to fix it. I must have stumbled on a big issue.

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JennyIL (Gail & Lennie’s human) @jennyil.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

I found a programming flaw in Alexa. Spent months arguing with people at Amazon, finally convinced them it was an actual flaw. They published a fix - it made it worse. How much did Amazon spend on AI to destroy their product?

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JennyIL (Gail & Lennie’s human) @jennyil.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

I love that my local library is trying to include current customers in their library card month promotion but a raffle promotion only works if you actually give out tickets - the young woman working at the check out desk tonight did not.

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JennyIL (Gail & Lennie’s human) @jennyil.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Tonight’s Genealogy story - I mentioned last night that I am working on late 18th and 19th century information for families that used the same and similar first names over and over again. The same first and last name combinations show up in KS and TN - pretty sure it is 2 families.

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JennyIL (Gail & Lennie’s human) @jennyil.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

No interesting genealogy stories today - I am now going through large families who named at least one child James and one John and named successive daughters Eliza and Elizabeth - then called Eliza “Betty”.

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JennyIL (Gail & Lennie’s human) @jennyil.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Peach cake, carmelized onion and Gouda quiche and pickled beets today.

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JennyIL (Gail & Lennie’s human) @jennyil.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Gail is feeling very pampered this morning - all the fluffy blankets have been returned to the couch, she got to lick a quiche filling bowl and the plate that my peach and burrata salad was on.

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JennyIL (Gail & Lennie’s human) @jennyil.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Another series of genealogy tales. Found another murder trial - my Grandfather and several cousins were called to testify about the mental capacity of the murderer. All of them needed up living with the same Uncle and so had first hand experience with the man who appears to have been a neighbor.

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JennyIL (Gail & Lennie’s human) @jennyil.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Got my self added as a signatory to a small non-profit’s bank account today. That was a major accomplishment. Also collected and dropped off Lennie’s urine sample within the Vet’s 3 hour window, got my nails done and picked up the last prescription.

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JennyIL (Gail & Lennie’s human) @jennyil.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

Amazon added a new Alexa feature - it has alarms start softly and then escalate in tone. The problem is that the sound doesn’t escalate fast enough to use them with a weather report - the alarm doesn’t get loud enough to hear before the weather report starts. There is no way to toggle this off.

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