New Web site sets up health family trees

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20090113/LIFE07/901130369/1079/rss04

WASHINGTON - It happens all the time: Filling out that clipboard at the doctor's office, you can't remember what cancer killed Aunt Sally or when Dad had his heart attack.


A good family health history is far more important than a gene test in predicting your future medical needs, but it's underused. On Tuesday, the government begins offering a free new service to try to change that - helping people compile one at home, e-mail it to relatives who can fill in the gaps, and even pop it straight into their doctors' computers.
(see link above for full article)

Set up yours at: https://familyhistory.hhs.gov/fhh-web/home.action

Happy Belated Birthday Pippi!

I grew up with Pippi and I just loved her. What a spirit and imagination!

Often referred to as Sweden's best-known author, Astrid Lindgren gained international fame for her children's books, particularly those about Pippi Longstocking. Astrid Lindgren was born on November 14, 1907. When she died in 2002, Lindgren's burial ceremony was televised in Sweden, and her death was headline news internationally. Lindgren's first book was published in 1944, but it was her second book, Pippi Longstocking, that brought her international acclaim.

http://childrensbooks.about.com/b/2008/11/14/its-the-100th-anniversary-of-the-birth-of-astrid-lindgren.htm