Tree Connect Part 1

 Google Image

Tree Connect is yet another feature that makes your Family History work more accurate and more streamlined.  In the beginning we had been manually creating a source for Family Tree in The Source Box when adding any document.  Then we were able to automate this process internally in Family Search with the Record Search feature that was added for sourcing records from the FS Record Collections on the Family Tree's Person Details screen.  The Tree Seek site created Tree Connect for sources outside of the Family Search Record Collections.   That was back in September 2013 when this 2 part blog posting originally published.

Tree Connect connects documents that are from other sites like ancestry.com orfindagrave.com for example.  These third party sites were a lot more work to source as you had to copy the url and create a source for them in your source box on FamilySearch.  (Your source box is found on home page on Family Search, in the drop down menu, under your username at familysearch.org) You can still do this by the way.  It is just more labor intensive.  The nice things about Tree Connect is it creates the perfect source for you and takes the guess work out of it.

Tree Connect allows you to bypass that process now and have a standardized, perfect source and citation created for you!  The best part is it connects it right to your person in Family Tree.  This tool is easy to use and wonderful.  A suggestion for ease in connecting to your person, jot down the PID # before you start the attachment.

If you do not have the Chrome Browser on your computer you should install it there and on all your devices for optimum use with Tree Connect.  If you just want to use it in the library, it has been installed already on most computers for your convenience.  If you want it on your home computer you need to do a one time simple installation of the bookmarklet onto your toolbar.

More simply stated by this Google image!

How to install  Tree Connect:  Click on this link: http://recordseek.com/#primaryContent  Click on the 'Need Help?' at the bottom right of the screen and it shows you how to just drag it to your Bookmark Toolbar.  2 seconds and you will be connected to a site that will save you tons of time.

Multiple Browsers can be equipped with the Tree Connect button on the Bookmark Toolbar. 

Here is how it looks on my Mac.  You windows subscribers will have to check out how it looks for you.

You can install it on any of the main browsers, Firefox, IE, Chrome, Safari.  But we have tried it on several and it works the fastest and best on Chrome. 

I was working with a friend and we had trouble getting that Bookmark Toolbar on Chrome, which has to be visible before you can drag something on to it, right?   So when it was time for me to add the bookmarklet to the Chrome browser on my own computer I Googled: chrome~tree connect bookmarktlet~install.  I found this handy little help there!

 These instructions made perfect sense and I got the Tree Connect bookmarklet right on, no problem.

In the process we learned a lot about how the various browsers work with Tree Connect.

 Why Chrome is the Best!

 The Chrome browser seems to be the most stable giving consistent results with Tree Connect.

One of the things that makes the Google Chrome browser unique is that you can sign in when you use it.

Signing in is the key to its mobility!  It now functions in The Cloud.   You can now access your Chrome Bookmark toolbar from any devise after installing the mobile app for the Chrome Browser for that device if you don't already have it.  It also enables you to use it on any computer anywhere that has the Chrome Browser as an option.  

This makes it perfect for any family history library that is running Chrome as one of the browser choices.  The OFSL does have chrome as an option.  Once you select it and sign in, your entire Chrome Bookmark Toolbar with your Tree Connect button is mobile.  This is particularity useful for people on the go.  Tree Connect has a very short learning curve and once you have used it a few times it will be automatic, quick and easy. Important Reminder:  If you are in a public place like the library and you sign into your Chrome Browser to avail yourself of all your personal tabs, just remember to Log Out before you leave the Library.
Personally I don't sign into my personal Chrome Account,  but some people do.  I find I don't need my other tabs for Tree Connect.

Coming up next...How to use Tree Connect.

Tree Connect Part 2

With the Tree Connect bookmarklet for your Chrome Bookmark Toolbar installed you can start using it and reaping the benefits of this great tool to help you with your family history.  Tree Connect is the bridge between a site other than Family Search and your Family Tree found on familysearch.org.

How to Use Tree Connect 
To Add Documents to Your 
Family Search Family Tree

1.    Before you begin using Tree Connect make sure you are using the Chrome browser which works the best or the browser where you have installed the bookmarklet for Tree Connect.  This was the advice given in 2013.  Perhaps all have improved by now.

2.    Go to familysearch.org.  Click on Family Tree.  Look at the pedigree view of your family.  Look for the ID # of the person for whom you would like to add a sourced record that you did not find in the Family Search record collection. Write the number down.  Now close family search.

3.    Go to ancestry.com or finadagrave.com or anyplace you are looking for a record. Go to a document you want to connect to your person in Family Search/Family Tree. (Note: Arkiv Digital does not work for Swedish Records with Tree Connect.  Wade explains this is because the site is basically an app.  Ancestry does have Swedish records in their international record collection, however, and Tree Connect works beautifully there.)

4.    For this exercise let's use ancestry.com.  Open a record for your person and then Highlight and Copy the digitized record.  Do not paste it anywhere yet. Remember to jot down your person's PID# so you can connect it mor easily ot Family Tree.

5.    Now click on the Tree Connect bookmarklet that you have installed on the Bookmark Toolbar.  This reminds me of lowering the drawbridge between Ancestry and Family Search/Family Tree.

6.    A screen will come up that looks like this:

7.    You should see notes in the notes box #3.  This is what you copied at the beginning of the process: the digitized version of the record.  If it shows here it will also show up in Family Tree after you attached your source to your person in the Tree.  If it is not there you can paste it later in the box provided for notes in Family Tree.  (I like to add my person's name after the Title for easier recognition in your main source box in Family Search) You can also do it later in the process #17 if you forget.

8.    Remember when you are done reviewing the record...Click on Save!

9.    A window will then open that will have you search for your person in Family Search Family Tree.  Rather than use the name search, search by ID number.  Add the ID# your wrote down in the last box on this form.

10.     Leave the rest of the boxes blank.    Click on the Search button.

11.   Next you will see....Is this your person?  If yes, click the person name (Hot Link) to open.

12.   Then click on attach.

13.   Add the reason you are attaching it in the box provided.  Example.  Record establishes birth and death places and dates.  Not because this is my grandmother.

14.    You are now in Family Tree and have left Tree Connect.

15.    Select "view in person (summary) card."

16.    Click on sources.    Open and view the details of your newly added source. 

17.    Click edit in that box under the title of the source.  Add the person's name after the source in the title box if you didn't do it earlier.  Example:  1930 US Census-Josephine Reese.

18.    From the edit link also scroll down and paste in your digitized copy of the record that you copied at the beginning if it is not already there.   You may also enter any other research notes you wish to keep or share.   In the notes box, up to 15,000 words can be added if you have extensive research notes you wish to share for clarification.

19.    When you have completed this go up under the title of the document again. Click on Tag.  A drop down menu will appear.  Click on the information contained in the source in the appropriate boxes.

20.    Save and Close Notes.

21.  Last thing...go up to the left hand corner of the page and click on Previous page.  Check your source and make sure it is the way you want. it.  Done!

Additional information:   If you have a public or private tree on Ancestry with a lot of records attached, you just hit the jackpot.  I'll walk you through that scenario.

Find your person on your Ancestry tree for whom you want to attach a record to Family Search/Family Tree.

Click on your person's profile and then on sources and see a list of all the documents you have attached to that person on your Ancestry family tree.
Note that Ancestry uses Sources but most Documents and photos are found in Media not sources.  Sources in Ancestry that Say Other Family Trees are not valid sources without supporting documentation.

Select and open one.  From here just follow the steps above starting with step #3...highlight and copy the digitized version.  Do each step in the process through #21.

This seems like a long process but once you have done it a few times it is very fast.  It will only take you about two minutes.

The nice thing about Tree Connect is it's the bridge for making the perfect source and citation for the record.  Then you can quickly add it to your person on the Family Tree by following the simple steps above.  Enjoy!  They've bridge the gap between tedious and fun!  This will work between any of the Big Sites, in fact it will work with anything that has a url.  And that makes it more valuable than ever before.

 Some of you that subscribe to my Legacy blog have
asked that I also include a link back to the actual blog
for the sidebar features, questions or comments...

So here it is:

http://alegacythatmatters.blogspot.com

What's New In Family Search/Family Tree~May 2016

Each month, FamilySearch publishes a list of new changes and updates to the FamilySearch.org website. This list includes changes to Family Tree as well as other parts of FamilySearch.org. In some cases, these changes will also be published as individual articles where the need to do so exists.  This month the article is not attributed to an individual and just says" FamilySearch."

 Recently Released

"Family Tree: Possible System Outages

We only have a few new features this month because we’re working on significant improvements to FamilySearch. While the improvements are being tested, there may be a few times when the system will not be available. We have scheduled times when few users access the system. We hope you will be as excited about the improvements as we are. You’ll hear more in future editions of What’s New.

Watch Tip Videos in Full Screen

Several pages in Family Tree have Tips panels. To see the panel, at the bottom of the screen, click the Tips icon.
The panel slides out from the right side and gives you access to instructions and videos for a few tasks you can do on that page. For example, here is the Tips panel for the Memories Gallery:
When you click an item in the Table of Contents, you see brief instructions and a video demonstrating the task.
You can now watch the videos in full screen. Just click the button on the right in the video controls. When you’re done, press Esc. We’re currently upgrading all the videos so that they are clear at full screen resolution.

Memories: Improved Tagging Tool for Photos and Documents

We’ve received feedback that patrons are having trouble seeing the white tagging tool handles and lines when the photos or documents have a light background. The improved tagging tool combines black and white lines for easy viewing on light or dark backgrounds.

Memories: Gallery Will Take You Back to the Memory You Started From

If you have submitted a lot of items to Memories, you’ll probably appreciate this new feature. If you haven’t submitted a lot yet, you may not notice a difference.
All the items you submit appear in your Gallery. When you click an item, the system displays the screen where you add or modify tags and titles. When you are done and click your browser’s back button, the system used to take you back to the beginning of your Gallery. So to return to the item, you had to scroll. And if you had submitted 300 items, that could be a lot of scrolling.
Now on the page where you add tags, when you click your browser’s back button or the Go to: Gallery link, the system returns you to the item you started from."

Managing The Task of Doing Our Genealogy

Pinterest

Lots of times Jim and I talk about how we can improve the way people learn and do their family history.  It is something we have done since we first started working in the library.  We've had a lot of ideas.  Some have been great...others fizzled.

This last go around I think we have a really good idea.  So many obstacles beset us as we try to proceed in doing our family history.  One of them is the major commitment time it requires.  Another is the old standby...my work is all done.  Those two things really slow the work.

We thought about how effective the call for 4-generations to be sent to Salt City Genealogy Library was back in the 80s. Why did that that work so well?  Those submissions were the basis of the Ancestral File we use today.  There was a deadline date set about 18 month prior and people wanted in on it...and it was a target that was easily visualized and seemed doable. 

Of course things are very different now.  Yet people still feel overwhelmed with the immensity of the project and often are convinced they have nothing left to be done.  Aunt Millie has done all their family history work.

So we plan to challenge some people to start sourcing their first their four generations. Inviting them to systematically go through their tree starting at the beginning should be very good because there are so many record hints now.  Once they start seeing the importance of those sources we think they will be more motivated. The more sources they attach the less likely people will be to challenge and/or change their entries.   

Having a specific project to work on is also important and prevents the skipping all over the place when you have a plan to work on your Family History.  It is something that we as staff members can assist them in doing should they be patrons here.  It is also a good practice for us to do on our own family.

Happy Sourcing!


The goal has to be fairly simple and with benchmarks along the way.  There should also be a time period involved.  Open ended goals are rarely realized.  Just something as simple as saying, "This week I'll add sources for my aunts and uncles on my mom's side of the family!"  This give you a reasonable goal that can be attained.

Relative Finder Video Training

Pinterest

This morning I watch a brand new video on the BYU Library channel on Youtube.  This is a great video for learning some of the details about how to use Relative Finder.  It is fun to make your own special groups, etc.  Also the video tells you about some of the other apps that BYU students are developing.  There is one patterned after the TV show jeopardy.  It's called Geneapardy.  I like how they are incorporating so many fun and entertaining things into family history which will attract more users hopefully.  This video ahs not been up for 24 hours yet.  Check it out.

https://youtu.be/kmd9T4TyPXc

All The Stories FS App

Pinterest

I am really happy that Carol is back and doing her Weekly Newsletters.  I found several very interesting things in there this time.  Not only did I learn about a new App Partner for FS but I also got some very specific information about helping a patron with her Mexican genealogy.  In addition to both of those things I found a concise copy of temple submission rules and regulations that I want to add to my source box because I want it readily available when those issues come up.  So thank you to Carol Holladay for anticipating our needs and making life in the library better!

Today in this post I am sharing my experience with the new App in FS called All My Stories.  Frist of all how do you find it?  On the familysearch.org go to the bottom of the page and click on tiny link called App Gallery.  Once there go to the search box and add the name  All the Stories.  This goes directly to the App.

This will sync with your family tree and  tell you what stories have been added by you and others in the Gallery for the Memories Section of FamilySearch.  I immediately noticed two things.

The first thing was how fast it finds the stories and how few there are on my lines.  That tells me I need to get more stories in.  It also tells me that there were stories in there I hadn't seen before even though most of them were my contributions, some were not.

One of the ones that was not my contribution was about a great uncle of my father's.  In it I learned new things about him including his wife's name and their two children's information whom I had no knowledge of in the past.  When I went to his details page in the tree in notices two record hints.  One had not been attached.  I attached it and discovered some discrepancies in the siblings of Horace Godfrey.  I made myself a note to go back there sometime today and figure out the way it should be reading in the tree. Rather than add this story that may produce duplicates in the gallery, I copied the link and set up a new file in my source box called Stories & Memories and attached that to my person's source box.

This is a valuable Partner App.  I hope you find some treasures there too.  And that you also add some for others to find.

Land Records and British History

Google Images

Have you ever wondered about The Royalty of England and what the Lords and Dukes and Knights and Earls actually are? Or what Feudalism is or the definition of a Serf.  I think I learned about that in some dull and dreary history class before I was an adult.  But that has been more than a few decades ago now.  As James Tanner suggests you may not have given it much thought until you got hooked on Downton Abbey.  

On his recently released YouTube video on Land Records James suggests that if you don't understand English Law about the land ownership and the ancient language used in that law you will have a difficult time understanding United States Land Records.

I listening to this webinar presentation this morning and it was really fascinating.  If you have English ancestry and if even if you don't,  you may want to investigate the land laws of England because our land laws are the same.  Just add the US Government in place of the King.

Anyway check it out.  It is very informative.  See it here:

https://youtu.be/afk2oCQNztw

The Family History Guide Webinars

I was excited this week to find a notice that The Family History Guide is now on YouTube with a wonderful webinar by the creator Bob Taylor. We just never know when we will get some church members that are intent on learning FS and doing their family history.  Of course the FHGuide is for everyone, not just for members, but it is particularity helpful for members because of the partner site availability to the members and other church related topics regarding Family History like ordinances.

If you are using the FHG then you are ahead of the game.  If you have meant to check it out but didn't just want to read about the sight, then this tutorial is for you.  This one only covers part of the program and the next Webinar is being recorded on June 8, 2016 at the BYU Family History Library in Provo, Utah.  I'll be sure to give you the link once it is on YouTube.

https://youtu.be/oehBzaa3hd8

The FHG is being used at the Flagship Family History Library near Temple Square in Salt lake City and in the BYU Family History Library and several other big Libraries and meeting with wonderful success.  Family Search is fully on board as well.  We might all want to give this a second look it could be very helpful to our patrons.

How To Organize Your Boxes Of Photos

Day Trip to SF This Past Week

Land's End

How many of us have boxes and boxes of photos that we plan to organize "someday"?  This morning I ran across an article on the FS blog  that has some great ideas.  It was written by a Guest Blogger.  Here is a small section of the article in the link below.

"Photo organizers use a simple acronym called the “ABCS” to help clients sort their printed photos. Use this acronym for yourself (see step four), and you will make quick progress! Here are the ABCS:

• “A” photos are the most important photos and should be digitized and placed in an album.
• 
  
• “B” photos are the photos that support family stories but don’t necessarily belong in the “A” pile. These are photos you can’t bring yourself to toss out, and they stay in the box.
• 
  
• “C” stands for “Yes, you CAN throw out your photos.” Toss out the doubles, blurry photos, and excessive landscape photos. How many sunset photos do you really need? Make sure you have large garbage bags for all the “C” photos you are discarding.
• 
  
• Last, but most important of all, is “S.” Does the photo tell a story? Sometimes a poorly composed photo of your grandmother with a silly smile is an “A” photo because you know it represents her unique personality."
• 
  

http://tinyurl.com/h9b2s4s

I found "C" very liberating.  It's like when I was studying design and came across articles on decorating bookcases and we were encouraged to discard the dust jackets of all of our books.  You only need a dust jacket if you want to sell a collector's version of a book to the highest bidder.  I went home and removed every dust jacket from all of our entire library.  It looked so much nicer and felt so much better.  I envision the same experience ridding our collection of photos of the unessential pictures.

Just think how much easier it will be to scan once you have done this organizing process.  Let's face it, the generations below us will never deal with a boatload of snapshots in boxes.  Which bring up a topic for another time.  How do we organize our electronic photos?

Stern Grove~SF

Last Friday

Obituaries on Family Search

Did you know that you can find some obituaries on Family Search that can be very helpful to your researching.  John Jex shared  this today and I wanted to give you the links so you can check it out.

familysearch.org/campaign/myancestorsobituaries

 familysearch.org/joseph-smith-papers#1 

I had a few minutes to search these and found this one.  Then I used the irfanview to copy it and save it on the desktop.  Went to the relative's details page and clicked on Memories.  Then just drag it into the green box and it will download.

 

 

Wiki Face Lift

James Tanner Blog

Did you know the Wiki has a new face lift?  It is still the same great place to research information about localities and genealogical 
83,000 such helpful tools in the FamilySearch Wiki. 

James Tanner says it is the best genealogical research tool on the Internet.  He should know as he is one of the volunteers  on the Wiki Research Team and serves as a moderator for it for Utah, New Mexico and Arizona. The moderators check the articles submitted for authenticity and accuracy.  Thus assuring that the content is of value to the rest of us.  As Kim Miller said in our Boot Camp Training, "When you don't know what to do, Think Wiki!" YOu'll also be happy to know that the "Big Blue Button"  that says Records Online Kim taught us about is still there!

I am glad they have improve the design and usability of the Wiki but it is still always a little period of adjustment that is needed when you have to relearn things.  That is just part of this game.  Changes...constantly.  We can handle that...it's what we do. 

 I maintain that it is easier to learn a new aspect of something you are already familiar with than to think you should just wait until the changes are complete and then learn it.  The secret within that statement is that they will never be done.

James has done 4 blog posts on The Wiki's new look.  You should definitely read them.  Did you know you can "Watch" the articles you are interested in for updates and changes?  Did you know they have a Talk section for each article so you can pose questions or converse with others?  You can even write articles on your area of expertise but you need to review the policies and rules for that first. You can find links to all of these things in the four articles James has done.

One of the things I like so much about James Tanner is that he is clear in his thinking and instruction.  The link below is the fourth installment of his series on the Wiki and at the bottom it contains the other three links for the full series.  It is OK to read #4 first as it has a great overview.

One of the things I really like is that from the start page of the Wiki you can look for links and find the contents by categories. Just like the Home Page of FamilySearch there is a lot of help on how find what you need if it is there.  It is the portal to the entire Wiki. According to James Tanner you can get everywhere from the start page to progress in your own research (or to help a patron).  So Wiki Wiki (Quick Quick) check it out to find the help you need. Learn more about the Wiki by going to the Search tab on the tool bar at FamilySearch.org and clicking on the dropdown menu! It is the last link on the menu.  Dive in!

http://rejoiceandbeexceedingglad.blogspot.com/2016/05/exploring-new-look-of-familysearch.htm

Stories, Capturing And Sharing Them In The Cloud! Family Search

A few Sundays ago I saw this beautiful sight in our church parking lot.  I thought about capturing it to share sometime about The Cloud. When we talk about saving something to the cloud we are essentially saying that we are going to keep something off site. In other words some place in addition to our own hard drive on our home computer.

Some examples of "the cloud" are things like your email account, your Evernote account, your family tree on Ancestry, your orders from Amazon Prime Account, etc.  

Of course FamilySearch is also a cloud based program.  It stores our information for us. When it come to family history this is a wonderful thing for many reasons.  I am not saying that this is the only place you should store things but is one of the many places you can and should do it.

There are many advantages to writing and preserving your family stories on Family Search in the Memories section of the Family Tree.

You may spend a lot of time writing memories in a small journal by your bedside but how much good will that do you if you are the only one who ever sees it?  When you die will someone find it and see its value and preserve it?   Many things like this get hastily tossed in the trash by well-meaning people that don't even know the person whose memory you have preserved in your book.

Stories can be written easily and quickly in Family Tree.  These are not editable by anyone else.  They don't have to be masterpieces. They are jewels to others seeking to know your common ancestors and relatives.  Your stories are your own and protected in FS from anyone changing your story unlike the Life Sketch section of the Family Tree.  Remember this as a very safe place.

To honor your mother this week please write a little tribute to her on FS/FT.  If you need some ideas check out this blog I have on little stories on various people in our family.

http://onceuponanothertime.blogspot.com 

Check out this post on Meridian Magazine by Joy Lundberg: A Letter To My Mother http://ldsmag.com/overdue-praise-for-my-mother-and-maybe-yours/

Remember to include pictures!  

The little girl with the doll is my mom!

To me this picture is worth a thousand words.

Older Twins-William and Wilma Reese

Younger Twins Joseph and Josephine Reese

About 1923-24.

She lived on the prairie in South Dakota one of 9 children.  Here mother died within a year of the photo being taken at 40 years old. Life was tough and made much worse by losing her mother at 5. No shoes, not a tree in sight or a flower.  It was a brown dusty world for them and frozen solid with white snow in the winter. Those were such different times from today. That doll was probably her only earthly possession at the time, if it was even hers.  I don't know.

The beauty of stories and photos is they capture the person in small memories.  It doesn't have to be a life history to be valuable or to honor a person.  Just a short story.  Have fun memorializing your own sweet mom this week!

About About My Mom

With Mother's Day coming up I have been thinking a lot about my precious Mom.  My Mom was the Queen of Apple Pie baking.  She was well-known for her scrumptious apple pies.  Seriously, nearly famous.  I have never tasted an apple pie that even came close.  I don't know what was so magical about her pies but they just seemed to say "I love you!"  They were simply unforgettable.

She was a beauty inside and out!
Don't you think?

These were her beautician days when

Finger waves were all the rage...

I looked at a lot of images to find a pie that 

looked like Mom's but none were exactly like hers.

Mom and Dad always made the pies together with the help of us kids.  They bought a huge sub-zero freezer for the garage and many years we would get lugs of apples and over the weekend we'd make 52 pies.  One for each week of the year.  There were apple peelings all over the place and everything was sticky as we all peeled and generally made a giant mess in the process. I can still remember the apple juice running down my arms and trying to pare the peeling off in one long strip.  I didn't mind the slicing but I didn't love the coring.  But a good bath at the end of the long hot sticky days and the satisfaction of seeing those pies frozen one layer at a time, and stacked in the freezer was amazing.

Mama would always wear a pretty apron even when she was doing this kind of work, she was lovely and such a classy lady to the end. And the fact that Daddy helped her was a heart print for me and a really cool memory now.  I can still see him in his white grampa t-shirt and his suspenders on those hot days in Sacramento working in the kitchen.  It made me want to marry a man just like him.  And I did.

 Working together as a family was very strengthening to us.  Mom gave away a lot of those pies so there really wasn't one for every week and that was fine.  It was a great learning experience in so many ways.  I am definitely going to try this again and get good at it.  It is about so much more than the pie.

This week I have been scanning old papers, documents, photos and even a few recipes.  I was pretty good at saving things like this when I was a young woman, never fully realizing what they would mean to me now.

Mom's recipe in her own handwriting~
priceless to me now!

I found another card written in my handwriting and
 thought maybe someday our posterity might
 like to see it in my writing.
Mom was not kidding on hers
when she said,
"All generous measurements!"

The Apples are Pippins

Or Gravensteins
Tart crispy green apples are the best for pies.

After assembling all the ingredients...

On top of the bottom crust, add a large, heaping,

 round mound of apples and 
sugar mixture and butter.

Add the top crust and pinch closed around the edges.
Poke the top with a fork for air vents.
Sprinkle a little sugar and cinnamon on the top crust.

Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes and then turn 
down the oven to 350 for 55 minutes.
Cool and enjoy!

Thin slices promote even baking

For the Crust:

Flour, Crisco, Salt and Water

Although some people do,

Mom did not use any butter in her crust~

Just Crisco for a light and flaky texture.

The butter went into the pie filling.

For the Pie Filling:

Here's Everything you need!
Apples, Flour, Sugar, Cinnamon,
Salt, Nutmeg, Butter and of course 
a little Water.

So as you can see there was nothing extraordinary about the ingredients or the way the pies were made.  This is just a little slice of life with my Mom.  I think the magic in the pies was simply my Mom's touch.  Or maybe it was that old beat up 1/4 cup tin measurer that did it.  I have it around here someplace I'll have to dig it up and see it if helps!  But neither my Mom nor I were ever very good at exact measurements.  You can tell that by the slight variation in her measurements between her original recipe and the one she dictated to me as she was making a pie years later.  She varied the recipe until it was pure perfection. She just have a sense for how much to use, I guess.  The most important ingredient is the love. And a lot of it.  That I know for sure.