Recording trauma for posterity

I woke up at 5 am this morning, rolled over grumbling, and then turned on the news. Shock, horror, and disbelief was what I went though for the rest of the morning.  Maybe you have listened to or watched the news on and off during the day listening to the story unfold.  For me, I turned to my black notebook. The one where I store my feelings and thoughts on what could be considered important dates in history for a variety of reasons.

When I was newly married I attended the traditional holiday dinner held at a local restaurant for my mother's family. I had not attended in years.  College was in the way. I had, you know, stuff to do.  This time however I was living in the area again and a new mom who really needed to get out of the house. 

The conversation turned to asking the older members at the table where they were on certain days in history.  Pearl Harbor, JFK's assassination, the moon landing and etc. My great aunts and uncles spoke about the events, and one of them spoke about how important it would be for future generations to document OUR stories on the events we live through for our posterity. How else would our descendants learn about or know us better? These words have stuck with me.

While you may not create a black notebook of doom (as I secretly call it) you may want to think about recording your thoughts and feelings on various events that have occurred during your lifetime. I mean, we are the best people to record our own history right? Even if it is hard, one day it may bring us perspective, or closure, on events.

I have written my views, thoughts, hopes, and prayers today in my journal. In my gut I know I am going to be writing more over the next few weeks.

Family History Month 2017

It is October again which means pumpkin spice flavored everything and family history month! My mission (and I have decided to accept it) is to post each day this month in honor of the month's celebrations.  Even if you do not have a blog, there is no reason why you couldn't celebrate your family this month too!

Here are a 10 activities you can do over the next 31 days to celebrate your family history:

• Take a webinar on a topic you know nothing about
• Call a family member and ask for some stories, preferably ones you have never heard before, and added them to your family tree files
• Visit a site that holds a connection to your family
• Write a bio a day about various people in your family tree
• Gather together family recipies and make a cookbook
• Start (or finish) that digitization project you thought about
• The holidays are right around the corner, create a family heritage gift(s) to give away
• Volunteer at a genealogy center
• Help with an indexing project
• Take a virtual road trip (if you can't get out) using Google Maps and Google Earth to see where your family lived, worked, and traveled

Kicking Off Family History Month

Image from the Library of Congress

Hey look!  It’s a blog, I wonder where you have been hiding.  Oh, I know…under a pile of deadlines.  Yeah, sorry about that everyone.  To say that it was a crazy September would be an understatement.  I am really ready for October to start.  Yay Family History month!!!

That is right everyone.  In case you forgot, October, in the U.S., is National Family History month.  To help celebrate it, and make myself get back on the ole’ blogging horse, I am kicking off the month with this post.  Plus, a whole bunch more.  Oh and a contest!  You will have to wait until next week to hear about that one. Hehehe.

Another way you can celebrate Family History month, besides reading blogs like mine, is through this website by the National Park Service called Celebrate Family History.  It has links to great lesson plans if you are a teacher, places to visit around the country, and activities to do with the whole family.  Really a great resource if you have not seen it before.

I hope you will be taking advantage of all the wonderful things that are usually done this month in the genealogy community.  Keep your eyes open for the announcement.  As I see them I will pass them on here or over at my Twitter account.

My biggest announcement is that I was selected to be a RootsTech Ambassador!  My plane and hotel are booked.  I am registered.  The reserch days at the FHL are being planned.  Really, this is going to be a wonderful time, again, and the best part is I get to bring you all a lot of information to help you prepare.  Remember, while it is awesome to attend in person, you can also do live streaming of videos.  Of course, if you will be there in person you should swing by the IDG booth and visit with me.  Or heck stop me in the hall or classrooms.  I love putting faces with names.

Hope you are ready for some great information and of course lots of fun.  Which, I am going to do my darndest to keep up with.  I really have missed writing to you all!