Out On A Limb With Jean

                   Valentine’s Day was a few weeks ago, but I thought the month should not go by without mentioning an ancestor named Valentine.                   Valentine VANHOOSER was born January 16, 1726 in Clavernack, Albany County, New York.   The VANHOOSER immigrant was Valentine’s great-grandfather, Jan Franse VAN HUSUM (1608-1667), who was born in Husum, Germany, in the region of Schleswig-Holstein, a region that moved back and forth between Germany and Denmark, and immigrated to “New Netherland,” present-day New York state.   New Netherland was established by the Dutch West India Company in 1624.   (see https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/new-amsterdam-becomes-new-york#:~:text=Following%20its%20capture%2C%20New%20Amsterdam's,Island%2C%20Connecticut%20and%20New%20Jersey .)   Valentine was christened on February 3, ...

                 This time of year, our thoughts turn to love, and one way to express love is through songs.   This may not be what you expect in a blog about love songs, but these are songs my parents loved to sing.   Other than hymns at church, about the only song I remember my dad singing was Mockin’ Bird Hill.     MOCKIN’ BIRD HILL by Vaughn Horton   Chorus Tra-la-la, tweedlee dee dee it gives me a thrill To wake up in the morning to the mockin' bird's trill Tra-la-la, tweedlee dee dee There's peace and goodwill You're welcome as the flowers on Mockin' bird Hill   When the sun in the mornin' peeps over the hill And kisses the roses 'round my windowsill Then my heart fills with gladness when I hear the trill Of those birds in the treetops on Mockin' bird Hill   Chorus   When it's late in the evenin' I climb up the hill And survey all ...