Family History BlitzPosted by Administrator on November 20th, 2009

 As I mentioned in my last post, our family just came into a huge list of names and dates. And it seems like the subject of compiling everything in one place has been in the air every time my cousins and I get together. People have records here and records there, stuff shoved into shoe boxes or old photo albums. Because we can’t shake the nagging feeling that we need to make an inventory of all the records we have, we are getting together this Saturday for a family history blitz.

This means we’re going to go online and see what we have already. Then we’re going to take all the loose bits of paper and notes on the backs of photos and make sure everything is accounted for. At the end, we’ll know where we’re missing information, where our efforts should placed. 

Has anyone out there ever done this? Did it work? Let me know.



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Family history treasure trove out of the bluePosted by Administrator on November 17th, 2009

From out of the blue, I have happened upon a treasure trove of family information from my father’s side. Last night, I just happened to be talking to my little brother about learning more about our genealogy. We know our father’s family comes from England, Scotland, and Prussia. We know some of them immigrated to America aboard the Mayflower. But as far as names and dates, we were clueless. There was a Cherokee princess in there somewhere, but that was about it.

As result of our conversation, my little brother happened to bring it up when he was talking to our father this weekend. That’s when my father, who has done a substantial amount of family history, passed him a file of hundreds of names and dates. In one fell swoop, we were able to get better acquainted with several generations, where they were born, where they were married, and where they died. There are uncles and aunts in there, too. 

Sometimes, to get started, I guess all you need to do is talk about it. Parents and grandparents can be an invaluable resource in getting started. Sometimes your questions can spur something they had forgotten. Something is bound to come up. Pretty cool, huh?



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3 Things Families Should Be Thankful ForPosted by Administrator on November 13th, 2009

Okay. Just to set the record straight, before November contained a holiday dedicated to turkeys, the New York City Rockettes, and football, there was this thing called Thanksgiving. The point of this holiday- no kidding- was to give thanks for all of the blessings we have. 

 
Now, maybe giving thanks is outdated. Maybe it’s just not sexy enough for the advertisers. I mean, after all, if you are thankful for what you have, how can they make you lust after all their new products? Maybe. But I’m one person who still believes in giving thanks for what I have. And family is one place where I think we should all be especially grateful.
 
To get you in the mood for Thanksgiving (not Turkey Day), here are 3 things families should be thankful for:
 
1. Time together – You’ve probably noticed that things are getting busier. With unemployment still growing and the cost of living still rising, parents are finding it harder to find time to spend together. Be grateful for the time you do have together and make the most of it. It doesn’t last forever.
 
2. Love and support – True friendship and unconditional love are hard to come by. If your family members, even with all their flaws, have been there for you during hard times or good times, be grateful for them.
 
3. Shared heritage – There’s something special about knowing there is a group of people out there who have the same genetic information as you, the same parents, grandparents, the same features, the same weaknesses, the same strengths. You can’t find that kind of relationship anywhere else.
 
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I hope this post helps you reflect more on things you’ve been blessed with and less on, say, football or cranberry sauce.

 



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