The Genealogy Do-Over Goes On and On and On . . .

The lack of posts on this blog would indicate that nothing is being accomplished here, but that is not so. I admit that it is going so slowly that it sometimes seems I am completely still. I do have many days that I am not feeling well due to the cGVHD, but I am getting things done. Just slowly. Very slowly.

My decision to do the Genealogy DoOver that Thomas MacEntee started was a good thing. I started my research in the mid part of 1970s. Need I say more? It really was in a mess. My research techniques and citation abilities improved over the years but I never really went back to fix the old problems. So, my work has just begun.

The Genealogy Do-Over Workbook
by Thomas MacEntee

I had not been able to bring myself to add my fathers data to the file after he died in 2006. So that was completed in the Do Over. I also did not realize how many living I had to add to the file. So many, I felt like I would never get to the ancestors. I will try to keep up now. As a matter of fact, I have added 2 new grand-nieces to the file since I began my DoOver. My eldest granddaughter graduated high school and that needed to be added. The family had grown since the 70s. I was always looking back instead of looking around me.

This is how far I have gone in just over a year.

I've been scanning and organizing and printing (yes, I am old-school and keep paper files) as I'm able. It's a relaxed schedule that is bringing back the joy of the research. I was afraid I had lost the passion after the BMT. So happy that it has returned.

New Books

I have 2 books to add to my genealogical library.  Genealogical Proof Standard by Christine Rose and The Craft of Research by Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Coomb and Joseph M. Williams.

I love new books.  I love old books.  Actually I love any book.  So I'm happy.

A Productive Week

The first week of the Do-Over has been productive.  I've decided the basics for the new file.  File naming, forms, storage and anything to do with basic research. Everything is neat and waiting for data.  I have started renaming documents and photos already.  I'm not really in a hurry as I can rename them as I work on the new file.  My folder naming will remain the same system, as it has worked well for me in the past.  I have used Folder Marker for a long time and colored my folders the same as I use in my RootsMagic to mark families.  My files, documents and photos, are getting a new system.  I didn't come up with it.  Diane Ritchie showed her naming system in the Facebook group Genealogy Do-Over and I adopted it with minor changes.  I'm happy with it.

I also watched Dear Myrtle's Beginning Genealogy Study Group.(YouTube link)  I really enjoyed it.  I will try to get to all of them.  I had enjoyed Mondays With Myrt as well this week.  You can see Mondays with Myrt on YouTube as well, or check the DearMyrtles's Genealogy Community on Google+.  I don't really know how to link to that one.

I am feeling better but the Do-Over has me excited again about my research. I have needed that in a big way.  I feel it has been a good start on week number one!

Genealogy Do-Over 2015!

 Finally it's a new year.  I can say with absolute certainty that I am not sorry to see the old year gone.  The past 2 years have been awful.  Today, I welcome this new year with the hope that it will be a better year.  I intend that it will be a more productive year.    For the first time I have set my intentions in writing.  Not resolutions.  Intentions.  I do not need to "resolve a problem".  My "intent" is to have a better year.  So I step into 2015 with purpose to have a great, productive year.  My hope is for better health and strength. 

I will start my year off in the morning with the Genealogy Do-Over.  I'll be following along with Thomas, putting the right research habits in place as I go.  I hope to learn a lot of new techniques.  I've been at this for so long, over 30 years, but I didn't start online until 1999.   I have a lot to work on in the citation area.  I am unable to travel so I will be learning good ways to obtain records by mail, I hope. 

I have been sitting and watching everyone rush around over this thing.  I can not move so quickly so I have waited.  I will be going at a slow pace.  I want to do it right this time.  I don't want to pile it on so big I run out of steam.  I really have a final goal to reach.   When you are told you are dying, a lot of stuff goes through your head.  One of my thoughts was my work.  Why had I worked so hard for so long on my family history?  What was I to do with it?  Well, I have figured that out.  My goal is to have a clean and well documented file to leave online and to create books to leave a hard copy for those who come in the future.  Tada!  I have a plan and I get to live too.  Good stuff there! 

I have closed my big file (a little over 7000 individuals) for the last time.  I will have a nice clean, empty file to start work on come morning.  When I open my shiny new  RootsMagic7 in the morning it will be the beginning of a new adventure.  By the way, congrats to Bruce for the "Best Genealogy Product of 2014" (for RootsMagic7) by Tamura Jones.   I will not argue about it as I am in total agreement!

Good Hunting Everyone!

Back to Work?

As you know I have been very slow to get back to work.  I thought perhaps I needed a little push, so of course I went shopping.  Believe me, it was a much needed boost to my 'get to work' button.

Hmmm. . . . Do you think it will work?

Coming Back Slowly - Post 1

I've been off for a long while. The passion I'd worked under no longer drove me. I have had a great deal of trouble finding it again after the bone marrow transplant. But, it is slowly returning. I'm certainly not working as I once did, but that's ok. I will get there.

One thing I have had is lots of time to think as I try to recover and worry over what I thought was a lost passion. I realized I had been needing to define what that passion was. Often, in the community, the argument is made about who is or is not a genealogist. I find the argument time wasting, divisive and quite frankly, a little elitist. One thing was clear to me, though. I wanted to find and record my family history. That was my goal in the very beginning so many years ago. 

That is finally settled, at least in my heart. I am a family historian.  Now, I may under the title of “family historian” refer to myself as a genealogist. Merriam-Webster Online states that a genealogist is “a person who traces or studies the descent of persons or families”. On the other hand, I may refer to myself as the family historian. Again, Merriam-Webster Online states that a historian is “1. a student or writer of history; especially : one who produces a scholarly synthesis”; 2. “a writer or compiler of a chronicle”. Family is pretty self-explanatory, so I will let you define that one as you see it. I'll just say I'm a genealogist when I am looking for documents, dates, places and names, and call myself a family historian when I am fleshing out the people and the era . I feel the love and passion coming back.

I feel so much better now that has been solved. Now, on to the next problem. I hope it works out this well.

Merriam-Webster Online

Definition of:  genealogist, historian

http://www.merriam-webster.com/

  

A Little Work

I updated my RootsMagic from version 4 to 6.  I haven't really had a chance, really haven't felt up to going over it all at once to see the differences.  I have been putting my 4 files together into one big one.  I had gotten 3 of them imported using RM4.  As I imported each one I would do the merging so that it would be a smaller job than if I left them to do when all the files were together.  I got RM6 right before doing the last file so I worked in it.  I tried to get it to do a duplicate search merge, and a pop-up briefly says I have 120 possible duplicates and then an empty Merge Duplicate Records box comes up.  I'm sure I've done something wrong.  I saw somewhere that there are learning videos online, so I will have to find them.  I did try the Search FamilySearch.  Works even for dummies!  Awesome feature!

I work on WikiTree as much as I can, though lately that is not much.  I try to get a dozen or so individuals on and then go back and add sources, photos and notes to them.  In the process I find mistakes and can make notes for each person of additional sources I need to find.  It's really a great way of going over old material and correcting mistakes.