Do you have a genealogy hero?

Earlier this week my good friend Jennifer Alford published a post that really spoke to me.   She said it better than I ever could so make sure you go over and read it.  In a nut shell though she talked about how it takes many hands to make this community go and in our community ther are many, many unsung heroes who may get overlooked by the genealogy masses.

I am taking up the torch to name the people who pop into my head when I think to myself “jeesh, xyz would not be here without that person!”  To keep it fresh, I will not rename the ones Jen did (and she stole some of mine!) but I will name 5 people who I admire within our community and, well, have taught me a thing or two.

So, in no particular order, a few of my heroes whom I am lucky enough to also consider friends and at times mentors.

·Midge Frazel

When I was the Family tree First Blogger Midge was the instructor of the cemetery class I took through Family Tree University.  I LOVED it!!  Really, I am a bit of a teacher’s pet but the course was amazing.  We started to talk more and more through email.  I followed her blogs.  We became Facebook friends.  While we still have never met in person, yet, she was one of the first people to help guide me through those first timid steps into the genealogy deep end.  She is quick witted and full of so much great information.  While she is retired now I enjoy reading up on what she is doing with her family tree and the new projects that she is taking on.  Her blogs and other writing on everything to do with cemeteries and technology is extensive and an amazing asset to this community.

·James Beidler

Jim scared me.  He seemed so intimidating and serious.  For those of you who know him, stop laughing.  When you are new to something and then suddenly all the people you read about, listen to, and idolize are all in one room together and acting like, well, normal people it is a bit overwhelming.  If you are like me the shiny wears off in about 5 minutes as you say something extremely off the wall and realize that everyone in the room puts their pants on the same way as they laugh at with you.  I have confusing German roots so I read and admired Jim’s work.  Then I got to know him through a couple different encounters.  His “Roots and Branches” column is amazing work (and celebrating its 900^th story!) as well as all he does with the German community.  A real asset to the field.

·Gena Philabert Ortega

Gena and I have worked together now for 2 years (wow, it has been that long!) on the blog for the National Institute for Genealogical Studies.  I am their American Certificate student blogger and you should totally check it out if you have not already.  Poor Gena gets to deal with me on Skype complaining asking for clarification about things in each course.  What many of may not know is how much she does.  Not only is there an amazing amount of work for The Institute but also with her own endeavors.  She writes several blogs, is a published author, did a YouTube series, and will literally give you the shirt off of her back to help you.  Recently she merged the fields of genealogy and geology into an amazing lecture (you should ask her about it).

·Lisa Alzo

This will sound odd, but I can’t remember exactly how I first met Lisa.  She has just always, well, been there.  I did take 2 courses from her while I was the Family Tree Firsts blogger.  Amazing courses on researching overseas.  We talked over social media and finally met in person at NGS in Richmond.  A talented writer and lecturer with spunk and a beautiful personality.  Her work on Eastern European research makes her one of the go-to people in the field.  She will also take the time to really talk to you and answer questions.  There has been more than one time I turned to her for advice or mentoring, and I have never been let down by her guidance. 

·Kerry Scott

Next to my children, she is the reason I am here today.  Not only is her Clue Wagon blog hysterical but she is always on point and never afraid to say what a majority of us are thinking.  She just typically says it first and in her charming snarky way that leaves me with tears rolling down my face.  Kerry was an editor at Family Tree when I began my genealogy journey.  She put up with a lot of bad writing those first few months.  Trust me, it took me a while to get comfortable with my voice (the grammar I am still working on) but she was passionate and encouraging to this fledgling genealogist.  Her encouragement, that awesome passion, and ability to cut through the BS shines through still in all she does.  I am so grateful to her for that.

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!

Thinking about a PLCGS? Then read this blog!

A year ago I began the 3 year process of obtaining my Professional Learning Certificate in Genealogical Studies, or PLCGS, from The National Institute for Genealogical Studies.  40 courses seems huge, but a year in I am on my way and learning a lot!  

In case you didn’t already know I am writing about my experience as a student on The Institute’s blog (which you should check out here).  The blog is a great way for you to get the inside scoop on what each course entails.  Plus the blog has a lot of other information about The Institute including announcements, other student posts and general information a prospective (or current) student would be interested in.

Currently I am working on a certificate in American Records.  Which makes sense because I, well, live in the US.  The Institute offers certificates in 9 other areas though: Australian Records, Canadian Records, English records, German Records, Irish Records, Librarianship, Methodology, Professional Development, and Scottish Records.  I understand that there are more programs being considered too, but you have to admit that is a pretty good selection right now.

It is not necessary to work on a full certificate, you can take classes al ’a carte if you choose.  There are several hundred classes offered from methodology to history all of which aide the student in developing their genealogical knowledge base.  You can see a complete listing of courses offered on The Institute’s website.

If you are interested in my progress then go on out there are read about it! You can read the whole blog or you can select a posted course from the “themed blogs” listed on the right hand menu.  For each course I do an introduction post, 2-3 posts on the modules and then a conclusion post.  After all of the posts are up Gena Philibert-Ortega and I host a chat where anyone (students or not) can ask me questions about the course and my opinions. Even better, if you attend the chat you can get a discount on that course when you register! Live chats are announced on The Institutes blog and twitter accounts as well as via student emails.

As of today these are the courses I have completed and each one is labeled if the posts are up or coming:

Lecturing Skills Including Preparation (posted)

Methodology Parts 1 and 2 (posted)

Electronic Resources: Using the Internet (coming soon)

Demystifying Culture and Folklore (posted)

Skills: Transcribing, Abstracting, and Extracting (posted)

US: Census Records (posted)

English: Occupations – Professions and Trades (posted)

US: Vital Records (posted)

Writing for Genealogy: Articles, Blogs, Research Reports and so much more (posted)

Google for the Wise Genealogist (coming soon) *this is one of the free courses you can register for*

US: Religious Records Part 1 (coming soon)

11 down, taking 2 and 27 left.  I can do this and so can you!

Disclaimer: As a student blogger for The Institute I am taking courses gratis in return for writing about each one.  I personally don’t feel this influences my opinions on the courses as  I am very honest and up front with my thoughts on each which I hope you will see on the blog.

One Lovely Blog Award

On September 22nd Carolina Girl Genealogy nominated this blog for the "One Lovely Blog Award."  I was surprised by the shout out and humbled too.  Thanks Cheri! It means a lot that a fellow blogger and reader not only appreciates but likes what I do.  

Of course, an award like this, which is meant to be passed on, comes with some rules.  

1.      Thank the person who nominated you and link to that blog

2.      Share Seven things about yourself

3.      Nominate 15 bloggers you admire (or as many as you can think of!)

Since I already thanked Cheri, here it goes with 7 things about me.  Hope you learn something new, and if not, at least you get a giggle with my honesty!

1. I am actually very shy and struggle on a daily basis to put myself out there.  Many people find this hard to believe since I tend to be bubbly, loud, funny, engaging...gosh what other words have been used to describe me.  Well, that all takes work, and I have to be in the mood.  I am not completely an extrovert but I am not an introvert either, some people call that an ambivert.  The jury is still out on what that means.
2.  I love cats, but my nose doesn't!  Yep, I'm allergic.  The way I found out?  When my last cat died and the house was cat free for the first time in years I realized that I could breathe.  I mean really breathe!  My eyes didn't water and itch all the time and I had clear sinuses!  Now I get very controlled kitty fixes from my friend’s cats and I wash my hands very promptly and don't let them in my face.
3. I am a sci-fi addict.  My dad hooked me in 9th grade with Anne McCaffery's The Dragonriders of Pern series.  Until then I mostly read historical fiction (a type of fantasy I guess) or books similar to the Judy Bloom genre.  It was the first book recommendation I took up from my parents.  Usually I rolled my eyes and ignored them, so I am not sure what made me take it.  It could have been the big white dragon on the front.
4. My favorite color is blue.  I would dress head to toe in it every day if that were possible!  Not that it isn’t possible, but I don’t want to be known as the blue lady.
5. I have a bucket list of places I want to see before I die.  Besides ancestral villages and most of the typical European places I have a slew of sites I want to see in Asia.  Oh, plus Australia and New Zealand.  Hubby and I would really like to go there one day.
6. My absolute favorite flower is Lilly of the Valley.  I, however, cannot get them to grow and have to live by looking at other people’s gardens and pictures.  The house we rented in college had a row of these flowers planted against the side yard fence.  I loved watching them pop up, grow, and then produces those delicate little white fragrant bells. 
7. While I may be a perfectionist and tend to the OCD side with my work, my house is a wreck.  I never really learned to clean.  Well, beyond the pile and stack method.  Woe to those who mess with my piles!  Cleaning is one of those things I have to be in the mood to do.  That mood is usually anger or frustration and when it hits I am like the Tasmanian Devil around the house cleaning in a big whirlwind of activity!

Now it is my turn to share with you those I think have an amazing blog.  Some of these blogs I am sure you will recognize. If you don't know these talented bloggers though, I hope you take the time to get to know them!

Adventures is Genealogy Education

Anglers Rest

The Chromosome Chronicles

Clue Wagon

 The Educated Genealogist

Elyse’s Genealogy Blog

Granite in My Blood

Homestead Genealogical Research

Kinexxions

The Legal Genealogist

 Marian’s Roots and Rambles / Fieldstone Common

Midwestern Microhistory: A Genealogy Blog

Moultrie Creek

Nutfield Genealogy

Your Genetic Genealogist

The Writing Life Blog Hop, Week of June 23rd

Earlier this month a good friend of mine, and fellow author, Jennifer Holik asked if I would participate in a Blog Hop for authors and writers.  Well, I couldn't just past that up!  I mean really, a chance to talk about what I am writing, what it’s like, and get to tell you about some of my other writer friends?  That just sounds like a win-win situation to me.  Plus, it’s going to be fun!

Image from the Library of Congress

This particular blog hop started in April of this year by Ellen Barone on her blog The Internal Traveler.  Let’s just say that it’s been going gang busters ever since.  This blog hop has covered a variety of writers from a number of different niches, so if you follow links backwards you will see a wide variety of areas represented.  If you Google “Blog Hop Ellen Barone” you can see a sampling of what I am talking about.  Also, you can read Jennifer’s post about being a writer on her blog and the other writers she featured there too!

On that note, let’s get started!  Let me tell you about writing from my perspective and hopefully you won’t get bored.

What am I writing or working on?  Currently I am working on a handful of projects that range from writing to lecturing.  This fall I have several larger speaking engagements that are taking quite a bit of my time.  I like to compare one of these lectures to a book since I am telling the story of a man as seen through his Civil War pension file.  The audience will get to hear the story instead of reading about it.

In addition to that I am finishing my second genealogist’s guidebook (this time on the Washington, D.C. area) and a book on how to apply to lineage societies.  If everything works out the guidebook will be out in July 2014 and the lineage society book will be out before the holidays later this year.

Currently I am in the outline stages for a third publication on genetic genealogy.  As a researcher with a passion for genetics I see a need for a simple pamphlet explaining the basics of genetic genealogy to the everyday family historian. The idea was suggested to me by several people who have attended my lectures on genetics in my local area.  It seems the training to be a biology teacher may show through from time to time.

How does my work differ from others of its genre?  I am just now branching out into my genealogy business but I can see a difference in what I do and what others in this field do.  Last year I fell into writing about lineage societies for the In-Depth Genealogist.  These types of societies have always fascinated me and as I learned more and more about them the curiosity continued to grow.  Few people speak about what types of societies are out there, let alone giving tips and advice on how to get your paperwork together. 

To be honest, I think that my work will continue to evolve and grow the more I do.  Ask me this question in 5 years and see how it changes.

Why do I write what I do?  Plain and simple, I write what I like and what is interesting to me.  That is what this blog is about and always has been.  For me to be successful at a writing project I have to be enthralled, intrigued, and even pulled to do it. Without that drive I just sit there and stare at the screen.

Also, I like to think that if it interests me there has to be someone else out there that would find it interesting too.  Right now I am writing about my family, DNA, lineage societies, gadgets and gizmos, plus anything else that gets thrown my way.  I’d like to think that it will evolve and be refined the more I write.

How does my writing process work? 

I am a big believer in mind maps, drafts, and doodling.  Everything I write starts out as a sketch or an outline.  From there I flesh it out with key points and items that I want to touch on.  Next I start adding the flowery bits and words. 

If you came to my house you would see lots of colored pencils and markers.  I create in full color.  Each topic is a color, lines are a different one, connections a third, and so forth.  It helps me visualize where I am going and what I am doing.

Also, I keep a small notebook with me for when inspiration strikes.  Sometimes I can be standing in line and a sentence, thought, or idea will pop into my head.  If I don’t stop what I am doing right then and there to take the time to write it all down I will lose it.  That is part of my flighty creative side I am sure of it. 

To keep the blog hop going I have invited the following writers to participate.  Their posts will be out next week and I hope you will “hop” on by to see them!

Cheri Hudson Passey has been researching her family and helping others get started with their own research since the early 1980’s. Born in Camden, SC, the majority of her lines come from many counties in SC, including, Aiken, Berkeley, Clarendon, Darlington, Edgefield, Florence, Georgetown, Kershaw, Lee, Richland, Sumter, and Williamsburg. A line also comes from Iredell County, NC. Truly a “Carolina Girl” for many generations!  

A love of History and Genealogy has grown into collecting not only names, dates, and places, but family pictures, stories, and ephemera as well. Her mother calls her “The Keeper of All Things”.  Cheri is a member of the National Genealogical Society, Association of Professional Genealogists, The NextGen Genealogy Network, South Carolina Historical Society, South Carolina Genealogical Society, several SC County Genealogy Societies as well as her local Grand Strand Genealogy Club. 

She is also active in the Genealogy Community via several social media platforms including Facebook, Google +, Genealogists in Second Life, and Twitter. Her Blog “Carolina Girl Genealogy” has been instrumental in connecting with and sharing information about her family and the research process.  

Julie Goucher has been researching her genealogy and family history since the late 1980s. Her ancestry is predominately within the United Kingdom, although Julie is half Italian and has genealogical links to Italy, Canada, Australia, India just to name a few. A founder member & former vice chair of the Anglo Italian FHS and a member of the Guild of One Name Studies (for the surnames of Orlando & Worship). More recently Julie has been involved as a founder member with the Society for One-Place Studies, and is currently

Secretary.

Following a career in pharmacy management & training, Julie is the writer and developer of The Book of Me, Written by You, which is currently run both as a series of workshops and via online methods. A book to accompany the program is due to be released during 2014. Julie is also working on a further book project which is due to be published in Feb 2015 by Pen and Sword Books and writes a regular column, Across the Pond for The In-Depth Genealogist.

You can keep up to date with Julie via various social media

Twitter -@juliegoucher

Website – www.anglers-rest.net

Blog – www.anglersrest.net

G+ - https://plus.google.com/+JulieGoucher

Michelle Roos Goodrum is a researcher, speaker and writer with a passion for research in land records, organization, photography and genetic genealogy. She writes about various family history topics on her personal blog, The Turning of Generations and pens the column Timeless Territories for the monthly digital magazine, Going In-Depth.  She is a ProGen 14 graduate and administers the Gen Proof Study Groups studying Mastering Genealogical Proof. Michelle became involved in family history in the early 1990s when she realized her ancestors collectively had saved over 130 years worth of the family’s history. She is now the caretaker.

Raymond Johnson is a former criminal investigator and lifetime resident of the Chicago area. His love of Chicago history coupled with his natural curiosity and research skills fuels his many articles on the less well known aspects of Chicago History and two published works.

He conducts historical research for clients through Johnson Research Services and runs various historic tours in the Chicago Area including Elmhurst’s Voices from Beyond Tours and White City Tours through his non-profit “Friends of the White City” and blogs for the Chicago Tribune’s ChicagoNow as “Chicago History Cop”.

He is a past Chicago Area Representative of the Association of Professional Genealogists and has done research work for various television production companies, authors and historical societies. and has been featured on the WGN morning show, WGN news radio, the Chicago Tribune and other media outlets. He is a member of the Hyde Park Historical Society and Jackson Park Advisory Council.

Websites: www.HistoryCop.com & www.HauntDetective.com

Have you seen this genealogy scam?

Anyone who researches their family history knows the thrill and excitement that comes from an email

that may lead to a possible living connection.  We love cousin hunting and get excited like a kid on Christmas morning when a message come in that says “I think we are related.”  On occasion there may be an email from an institution or an attorney’s office about a probate case.  However, genealogy specific phishing scams were a new one for me.

I wanted to let everyone know about a scam that was in my email this morning from the address I use for this blog.  At first I read the subject line and was very interested.  After a cursory glance through the email red flags went up right away.  That was even before breakfast without my glass on too!

When we put our information online we need to expect emails from nefarious sources.  Throughout history there were people who prayed on the naive, gullible, or simply over trusting.  Today is no different.  The email I received however, was a first for me.  It was not from a foreign dignitary, no large sum of money was quoted, nor was there a plea to help them because they were in danger.  Nope, it was a simple query about an intestate will.

Lawyers, fellow genealogists, investigators, and heir hunters reach out to people every day in similar manners.  I know this.  You probably know this.  Well it seems that scammers know this now too.  I have to hand it to the person, it was very unique. 

What gave it away?  Well, the way it was written mainly.  Oh, and most people who find me through this blog know, or can figure out, what my name actually is.  My first name is not Combs in case you were wondering.  That sent up the flag for a robot or automated response.

Here is the email:

Dear  Combs,

Good day to you! It is very important that you get back to me as soon as possible so we can discuss further.

A late client of mine who shares the same family name with you ,died intestate with a huge sum of money left behind with no one to claim. He may be a relative or not but i would appreciate your confidential attention to this matter.

Do kindly get back to me as soon as possible for more details/discussions

Yours truly

I would love to know if anyone else out there has received a phishing email with a genealogy slant.  If not, this must be new and just the first time I was targeted.  Wonder how else these guys will try and trick us?


**Update: Here is a link to a BBC Warning about Heir Hunting scams in the UK

A new adventure begins

This morning on The National Institute For Genealogy's new blog it was announced I am joining them as a student blogger.  I am very honored to be apart of this project and to work with many experienced instructors in the field of genealogy.  Check out my weekly blog posts as I work to earn my PLCGS (Professional Learning Certificate in Genealogical Studies).

I hope you will join me for another adventure, as well as learn more about the Institute if you don't know about it already.  I will be working on my certificate in American Records, but I have picked out a variety of electives which I am sure will interest many people.  Make sure to drop me a line over there too.  I would love to hear from you.

Year in review

Grape-Shot: 1915 English magazine
illustration of a lady riding a champagne cork

Happy 2014!  A New Year and a new beginning in the genealogy world.  What a whirlwind trip 2013 was and I bet 2014 will be just as exciting!  Sitting at my desk a year ago I really could not phantom where I would land 365 days later.  Few of the things I accomplished were actually planned.  Most just ended up in my lap where I swallowed down my fears and went for it, shaking in my boots the whole time.

2013 started off with my new adventure as a contributor at the In-Depth Genealogist.  I had just ended my stint at the Family Tree Firsts Blogger and was looking for a way to continue to grow not only as a genealogist but as a writer.  To be frank I thought they would turn me away since I was an “unknown.”  However, they gave me a chance and I can’t believe the experience I have received in the last year by working with these amazing people. 

On the home research front there were quite a few successes.  Several walls came crumbling down, particularly for a number of my female lines. Nearly a dozen new cousin contacts were made not only through this blog but from DNA results on FTDNA.  I am not the best pen-pal, but I hope these contacts continue to grow through the years and we can share some amazing breakthroughs together in the future.  My family just keeps growing!

My biggest challenge was the Boston University course this past fall.  You remember that don’t you?  The reason I was nearly non-existent on this blog for over 15 weeks.  I have not received my official final grade in the course but looking at my five module grades (B+/A/A-/A/A) I am pretty sure that I will receive my certificate and be a graduating member of the 13^th online session (OL13).  Waiting for the official word is a bit nerve wracking but I should really just relax.  I wanted to go to Boston for the certificate ceremony, but I don’t think I can swing a trip up there in February.  The stars are just not aligning for that to happen.

Last August I went to Indiana for a family visit and attended FGS in Ft. Wayne.  As I am sure you remember it was my first national level conference for genealogy and you can read all of the posts about FGS here.  I learned so much, met some really awesome people, plus I was able to spend time with my family researching our genealogy together.  It was a mind blowing experience overall and quite a few doors for me to avenues I never dreamed possible opened up for me.

Of course how could I forget my first year giving lectures on genealogy topics?  While it was scary at first I quickly realized that I loved teaching about my passions.  There was a reason I wanted to be a science teacher since it seems I have a knack for it. I have several lectures coming up in the next few months already, and hope to do many more.  If you come to a lecture make sure to say hi! 

Then there was my adventure into social media.  I did something that I never thought I would ever do...created a Twitter account.  From there it spiraled to Pintrest, Facebook Page, and Google+.  Do I have time to keep them all up to date?  No, but I am going to do my best this year to post more (and different things) to each feed.  Wish me luck!

Looking back over the most popular posts on the blog this year I was surprised by which ones made the list.  Hope they made your list of favorites. So, with our further delay, here are the top ten for 2013:

1. Reading and Digesting Complex Terms: Making a Flow Chart For MGP
2. Heraldic Primer Part 6: Inanimate Objects
3. Free Genealogy Lecture Series
4. Observations From The Edge: Multi-Generational Needs in Genealogy
5. Creating Fun Word Cloud Graphics 
6. Taking on The Next Generation
7. WDYTYA, #genchat, and an aftershow.  What a great way to spend an evening!
8. Road Trip : Packing for FGS 2013
9. IDG Re-post: Handwriting Tools For Your iPad 
10. Are you still there?

Now it is time to get moving on 2014.  My kids are back to school so it is high time to brush off the holiday fog and buckle down again.  I have big plans and they won’t be accomplished if I sit here staring out the window.  Join me in making 2014 a great genealogy year and let me know about your goals too!  We can cheer each other on.

Whew, I'm done and a sneak peek at what is to come

Engraving. Print made by James Collins.
1685-1688 via the British Museum

Well, I submitted my last paper for the BU course.  Waiting on my final paper grade. Two weeks after that I will know my final grade. Six weeks after that I should receive my certificate from Boston University showing that I completed the 13th session of the Genealogical Certificate Program. Whew!

This means that I can now catch up on the other things that I have neglected that last 15 weeks.  You know, like this blog!

There will be a more complete discussion of my personal experiences with the program in the New Year. Right now I am just enjoying a day or two without looming school deadlines, a pile of reading, or a paper due.  Not that I don't currently have looming deadlines for other stuff, but you know what I mean.

Thanks for those faithful few who have kept reading while I was partially here.  You all are awesome and your encouragement (both publicly and privately) was amazing.  It was hard not writing here about my family, research, cool tid-bits, and etc. but it will soon be back to normal around here.  Promise!

On that note, here is a sneak peek at some the posts I am working on.  These will be coming out over the next few months so keep your eyes open for them.

• Continuation (Catch-up) on "Book of Me" posts
• Jahnke / Heinritz family solved
• Drake family discord: VA Chancery records dispute
• NARA files on family War Crimes Tribunal testimony
• The Central Rappahanock Heritage Center: a must see repository
• The Historic Fredericksburg Foundation: Ledgers to the past

plus anything else that I can think of...

Are you still there??

I am here, I am alive, and I am still chugging along.  Just wanted to stop by and say “Don’t leave me, I will be back!”

 

In my queue of blog posts that are in progress, and some that just need editing, are quite the variety of posts.  There will be more “Book of Me” posts, thoughts on school, tombstone goodies, family trips, and things like that.  I just have to get through the weekend, and then I promise to schedule a ton of goodies for you all to read.

The Boston University program, and preparing 3 lectures for the month of October, has stolen my free time away.  One of those lectures is for Family Tree on Virginia Records.  I would love to know if you will be attending my first webinar with them.  Friendly faces in the “crowd” would be a welcome thought.  You can check out more on the presentation at their website.

Last week I added up the hours I worked on the class during the first month. For the program I am averaging 5 hours a day, 5 days a week, or 25 hours in classwork, homework, and reading a week.  Only 5 days since I need to have a couple days scheduled off for family time and other scheduled activities.  Weekends are last resort work times I decided when I started the program.  Even though it is only three months I cannot cut out my family, moms just aren't really allowed to.  Particularly the ones that work from home.  I am pleased with my overall performance in the class, but I will admit getting back into the swing of things more than a decade after leaving college took a bit.  The perfectionist in me tends to make things a bit more difficult, and on occasion I over think things too leading to interesting commentary.  I am determined to pull an A in the class.

  

Just a few short months and then I will be back to where I should be, and not with my head stuck in a book or staring at a computer screen for hours and hours. No, wait, that’s not right.  I think I was doing that already anyway.  Oh well, so much for change.

Observations from the edge: multi-generational needs in genealogy

Starting with RootsTech a few months back I have seen more and more traffic among genealogy blogs and forums about the need for outreach to younger genealogists.  To me, a border line Gen X / Gen Y (now a Gen C?) person, this is a wonderful and amazing thing.    Just in the last month there has been an upswing in the chatter on this subject culminating in the formation of a new society with its focus on promoting the next generation of genealogists.  

If you have read this blog for any amount of time you already know that I had a late start to the game.  Or at least in my mind.  In fact, I had not even heard of the word genealogy until I started to do research.  Maybe I had, but I was much younger and didn’t understand what exactly it meant.  However, I think if I had known what it was, that you could make a career out of it, or had been encouraged more as a child and young adult it would not have taken me until my mid-30s to come to where I am today.  Lost years, too many lost years, and lost family members along the way.

I obviously didn’t look hard enough for this field, I know, but I was focused on becoming a scientist.  Many of you probably understand. When you are in school trying to survive and get a degree, then get married, start a family, plus everything that comes with being young you sometimes don’t know which way is up.  I had the stories my family told me.  At that time in my life I thought that was enough.  Yes, I had Cousin Charlie who talked to everyone about my mother’s family and my dad’s mom also.  When they died I didn’t even think immediately about what happened to their stuff, and while I missed the updates I didn’t know what to do but go on with my life. 

Granted, I knew what a family tree was.  I had to do the time honored family tree in elementary school.  In college I filled out pedigree charts in biology class. Later I filled out family medical history charts with doctors.  Even then, I didn't stop and think to myself things like "wonder if I could follow a paper trail" or "how did they know what the line back was."  I had this notion in my head that all that was to be found had been and if I wanted to know more I just had to get a book. You know, because stuff back then wasn't kept like it is today.  Well, at least in my family that was the way of the world.

There was a veil in front of my eyes so to speak. A mystery that obviously only a few knew and only those in the know could pull back.  Or, at least that is what it felt like.  There had to be a way to find out more, but I did not have the tools or the education to do it.   Remember… biologist here…I knew all about that type of stuff not much about anything else.

Over the last several years a whole new world has opened up to me.  I have come to realize that it is easier now than it would have been a decade or more ago because of the internet.  Fast and easy accessibility was the key to get me started and hooked.  How else would a stay at home mom with 2 kids be able to carve out time to do research?  It would have been nearly impossible for me to do what I am doing now in the pre-computer/internet age.

It seems that those who get into genealogy as children or young adults had a family member help them at the start.  Those lucky few have more experience under their belt in their 20s than many of us late starters.  They are leading the next wave of genealogists and I don’t want anyone with a passion for family history, no matter how young, to be left out.  Mentoring the younger generations and giving them the opportunity to start on their own journey should be a concern to us all.

How many of you wish you parents/grandparents/siblings/cousins/etc. were still alive so you could ask those nagging questions?

Imagine what would happen if we encourage those already in university studying history, library science, sociology  or other related disciplines to look into genealogy as an aspect to their field.  How could we enrich them with what we know?  Even better, think about the ways they could enrich us with their knowledge of today.  

On the even younger scale, I don’t know how many of you have tweens in your life who watch the Disney Channel.  If you do you may have caught their segments My Family Tree.  These short pieces follow kids (I would guess middle school aged) as they discover aspects of their family history with their parents. They originally aired in 2010-11, but they are still being shown.  If you haven't seen them, some of the segments are on YouTube.  After my kids have watched an episode they always have questions about the show, if we have common themes in our family, and so many more questions.  If a 2 minute program can get kids attention…imagine what could happen to the future of our community if we harnessed this innate curiosity.

Granted, not all people will be interested in genealogy.  Just like I had neighbors at one point who didn’t understand why anyone would ever want to leave the tri-county area and a trip to the “City” 2 hours away was a huge deal.  We all have different interests, we all have different needs, and we all need someone to pick up where we leave off.  Wouldn't it be great if that someone was in the family?

Why should we wait until people are older to join in on the hunt? 

Coming together at the genealogy table will not happen overnight. Walls, age prejudice, thought patterns, and teaching will have to be addressed.  I have high hopes for our future with a multi-generational community that can learn and grow together.

However, to end on a funny note, add in a cat meme and I think this comic has it.

New blog post at the IDG: learn how to organize your contact card clutter

*My latest blog post at the In-Depth Genealogist is about this amazing organizational tool for business cards and contact information.  This is a snippet from it, originally posted on 8 April 2013.

During my short time in the genealogy world I have collected a few dozen business cards.  They are from every place I have visited, anyone I have talked to on a professional level, or people I have just met at genealogy functions.  Many have given me their card, others I picked up for reference later.  My desk drawer has a stack of them, and now I am not sure who they all are or why I have them, let alone remember who is in the pile.  With the conference season beginning in full force, I searched for a better tech way to help you with the business card clutter you may be coming home with or have already accumulated.  It is called WorldCard Mobile by Penpower Technology, Ltd.

WorldCard Mobile is a multi-platform application that digitizes and stores business cards.  It is a large brand that also boasts organization tools for businesses.  In this post I will be focusing solely on their mobile app, but you may want to check out what else they offer.

To read more of this blog post check it out at the In-Depth Genealogist.

First presentation, a video, and the green screen. Maybe we can call it a success?

Last night I made my first presentation to adults who are interested the field of genealogy. Surprisingly, I wasn't nervous.  That must be because I was speaking on a subject I enjoy, I am passionate about, and had worked very hard on since I was scared to death of making a mistake.  The only thing that went wrong, which was not my fault, was that the projector made everything appear on the screen with a green tint.  That I could work around.

The talk was given to the Fredericksburg Regional Genealogy Society (FRGS) at their monthly meeting held in the Salem Church Library.  A little over 20 people came to hear me discuss the ins and outs of blogging and social media.  I even made three videos to demonstrate how easy it is to make a blog and write your first post.

Making the videos was a last minute addition.  Originally I was going to do each step on a slide and after I started I became very frustrated.  In fact I was unable to continue doing nearly 2 dozen plus slides to show the process, it was becoming too much.  This is when I decided to make a video.  That was Monday.  Yes, Monday.  Thankfully I found free software and figured it out on Monday, made the videos on Tuesday, and had it all put together Wednesday Morning.  Nothing like working up to the last minute.

The software I used was Microsoft Expression Encoder 4.  Like I said I was able to download a free version, and while it didn't have all the bells and whistles that the paid version has, it got the job done.  If you want to see a few videos on how to use the software I would check out YouTube.  There are quite a few videos out there like this one.

Without further ado, because I am in awe of myself, here is the first video I have ever made:

Wasn't that cool!  Okay, it was not an interesting topic, and most of you bloggers out there who use Blogger knew this information, but I am quite proud of myself.  What's even weirder is that once you listen to yourself a few dozen times your voice no longer sounds odd.

The really, really bad part of this...now I want to make more videos.  I have some crazy notions in my head right now so watch out.  There may be some new and interesting things coming your way soon.

Presentation on social media and blogs for genealogy

Posting this week is a bit scattered as my kids are home on spring break.  Yeah, not much going to be accomplished I think.  However, if you are in the Fredericksburg, Virginia area next Wednesday night I hope to see you at my presentation for FRGS.  I will be giving a talk on social media for genealogists after their monthly meeting starting at 7pm at the Salem Church Library.

Now, I realize that if you are reading this blog this is probably not the talk for you, however you might learn something new.  The talk will be designed to address concerns about social media, how blogs and other platforms can help your research, what you can get from a blog, and other such topics.

This is a free event and refreshments are provided by the society for the break between the meeting and the talk.  Hope to see you there!

Blog Book Tour and Giveaway: 13 Ways to Tell Your Ancestor Stories

Today I am happy to participate in a blog book tour for the new book by Dr. Bill (William L.) Smith 13 Ways to Tell Your Ancestor Stories.  Oh, and give away a copy of the book!  Yes, a free copy of his brand new book!  Details on the giveaway are listed at the end of the review.

I am a person who is always looking for new and inventive ways to share what I discover with the rest of my family.  You can only do the same thing so many times, but then again, sometimes the old standbys can be done in new and different ways too.  Currently I share my family stories when I write this blog, send email updates, or post to my twitter and Facebook accounts.  In the past I have created artistic family trees, scrapbooks, and transcribed more items than I care to admit.  But is that it out there? It appears that it isn’t.

Dr. Bill gives his readers more ways to share their stories as well as helping them to understand what that particular type of media means.  13 Ways is truly 13 different types of storytelling that a family historian can do.  From writing about family to talking about family there is an idea for how to share your heritage that everyone can relate to.  That is what I enjoyed most from the book, the feeling that anyone could do this. 

For those who do decide to tell their story using one of his 13 Ways, there are worksheets at the end of each section to help you create your family story.  That was exciting to me because I didn’t feel like I had been given a lot of information and then sent off into the deep end of the pool to try to figure things out my own.  These worksheets walk the reader through the creative process, ask you why you are doing it, how you are going to do it, and what outcome are you looking for. 

As an example, the section on using art and artifacts as a way to tell your family stories struck a particular cord with me.  I have quite a few heirloom objects in my possession, and I know that in the future I will inherit many more.  My husband jokes that we will have to buy a bigger house or at least a storage room at some point to fit all the family possessions I will receive. 

I started down the road of recording these heirloom stories in February for the Family History Writing Challenge.  Recording the stories and taking photographs has been great, but I still felt that there was more that I could be doing. After reading the section on this topic and looking at Dr. Bill’s worksheet I was happy to say I have a larger goal now and I am looking at turning my stories and pictures into a family heirloom book for my descendants and my living family members who are interested.  I just needed that extra guidance to help focus my ultimate goals.

With the guidance and inspiration offered by this book I am sure many of the projects in my head will come to fruition.  I hope you will check it out and see what stories you can tell.  To read the other posts from the blog book tour look at this post on Dr. Bills blog.

For the latest on Dr. Bill, his writings, and stories check out his blog Dr. Bill Tells Ancestor Stories.  He is also a contributing writer at the In-Depth Genealogist with me.  Read his column, The Heritage Tourist, published in the IDG’s digital magazine Going In-Depth.

Giveaway: One copy of Dr. Bill’s 13 Ways to Tell Your Ancestor Stories

Saturday 30 March 2013 – Saturday 6 April 2013

I will be giving away 1 free PDF copy of 13 Ways to Tell Your Ancestor Stories.  For a chance to win a copy all you have to do is the following:

1)      Leave a comment here on my blog with an email address (I suggest you use the format: username at whatever dot whatever)

2)      For an additional entry like the link to this post on my Facebook page TNT Family History

Using Random.org I will pick one winner from the entries.  The winner will be announced here on Monday 8 April 2013 and I will contact you with your prize.  Good luck!!

Description of the Book:

Do you have family history and ancestor stories collected and researched?
Do you want to share them and tell your stories, but don't know how or what venue to use?

This book has your answer.

Preservation and interpretation of your ancestor stories will occur most effectively if you use multiple approaches to telling your ancestor stories to your family and interested others. Showing you how to this is the purpose of this book.

The content of you telling of ancestor stories includes your life as well as the lives of your two parents, four grandparents, eight great-grandparents, sixteen great-great grandparents, etc., and their siblings, aunts, uncles and cousins. Ancestor stories include the social context in which these folks lived, their clothes, their farms or ranches, their religion (or not), their occupations, their loves and antagonisms, their education (or not), their friends and neighbors, and the mundane details of their daily lives.

13 sections suggest a variety of ways to tell your ancestor stories; each section has a Planning Worksheet to assist you in doing it most effectively.

"Telling a story about an ancestor can be a gift to oneself and to one's family. It is powerful to have your stories heard. Judy Shintani"

Creating fun word cloud graphics

Recently several people have asked how I made the graphic word cloud (shown above) over on my Facebook page .  Since there seems to be an interest in creating these, you have to admit they are darn cool, I thought I would share with you my secret.  Wordle.  

Wordle is a website that generates word clouds from text that you provide. It is a free site and you may use your Wordle however you want to.  One thing to keep in mind is that if you save your creation to the public gallery anyone can use it.  I didn't want my graphic, with family surnames and etc. to be used by anyone else.  Instead I used the snip tool on my computer to cut out the graphic and save it to my picture file. You can also take a screen shot of it at the desired size and use that.  Wordle asks that you give credit to them (link backs are always great) but it is not a site requirement.   

You can create a graphic three ways: pasting in text, using a URL, or custom creation. In a nut shell, you provide the text and then the program sizes the words in the graphic based on how many times it is used in the text submission.  Let's use my blog as an example.

I pasted the text from my post "DAR Application Woes: My Hayden line is driving me crazy!" and this was the graphic Wordle created:

The larger the word, the more frequent it is used in the text.  Hint: this is a great way to find out if you are taking advantage of SEOs in your posts!  If you don't like the layout, colors, font, or words this is your chance to play with the design and make it your own.

Next I plugged in the URL for this blog:

In this graphic you get the graphic representation for the word frequency at the URL. Essentially, what I talk about the most on the blog. Once again you can tweak the colors, layout, or fonts for a more customized look.

Lastly, you can get really creative and do a completely customized Wordle.  The last tab on the website is "Advanced."  This tab is where you can let your creative juices flow in all areas.  There are three ways you can use the advanced functions.  

1. Type a series of words with the weight you want it to have.  The higher the number the larger the word in the graphic.
2. Type weighted words with specific hex colors so each word is the exact color you want it to be.
3. If you are a developer you can send text from your website to create Wordles from text you generate there.

For example, I created this graphic using the surnames from the word cloud already found on my blog:

To make the words larger I added a 0 to the end of each number on my word cloud.  You also need to make sure that you follow the example format exactly or the advanced function will not work.  

Hope that all made sense to you out there.  This is a really great graphics tool and can be used in all sorts of ways.  Get creative and let me know how your creations turn out!