I have long been interested in genealogy, I grew up with grandparents and a couple of great grandparents and loved hearing the stories of when they were little. I loved history (this is my parents fault I think, my dad taught history and political science) and when we traveled we would learn about the places, go to museums and it was so much fun! When I discovered genealogy I was hooked - it combined interesting places, history and then throw in the fact that these are my 'peeps' and this was my destiny! (OK that is just a little dramatic but I really am a little obsessed!)
Now for those of you who have gotten into this sort of thing you know the only thing better than finding new information is being able to share it with people. I have an aunt (my moms sister) who is equally fascinated and into this stuff and she and I can go on and on forever. (while the rest of the family rolls their eyes and sneaks off one at a time thinking we won't notice) She will find things and sends them to me and I do the same - but postal costs are just going up and up and we were talking about finding better ways, in the internet age, to share information. So I decided to try my hand at a web page (free Google sites) for family history, this way she can send me stuff and I will post it and I can post stuff I find and she can download for her records and there can be separate pages for stories and for census reports and all the things that make us genealogy buffs drool (not on our keyboards though we are very careful with records and access equipment!).
So I have been working on my new web page and am going to share the site here, I welcome any hints or helps as I am sort of in the organizing and downloading stages yet. This has been a real kick in the pants for me to get busy and organize all my info as well as the stuff I have inherited and just left in boxes. I have spent the last 2 weeks scanning dusty records and organizing them into files and then deciding how to set up the web page. Hubby probably thinks he is going to starve! However tomorrow is his birthday and I did make his favorite German chocolate cake with extra frosting!
So since I obviously can't keep up with the blog I already have I decided to start up a new blog and keep my political - religious - social rants separate from this blog which I see as frugal living, personal growth, crafts, sustainability, home arts etc. (I do try to remember that not everyone agrees with me, not everyone shares my politics or religion, and at the risk of being a little crude - opinions are like butt-holes - everyone has one and they are better kept covered!) This is not a secret effort on my part to give myself more time to sit on my butt! I really am enjoying the blogging world and the people I have met! When the new blog is ready I will post it and then see how it goes. I will confess that when it is below freezing for weeks at a time (2 so far) it is much more fun to sit here with a warm cup of coffee and read and write!
Walter Quint and Amanda Jane Meals - My 2x great grandparents. I love these kind of photos as well! They make them so much more than just a name and date!
My grandmother is 101 and she remembers having relatives as a child who still remembered the civil war! Is it any wonder I love this stuff?!
Thank you to all of you who stick with me, and are so supportive even when I slack off and/or get distracted!
My mum died a few years ago at 97 and she was really into family history. However, she never used the computer to find info and it would have been such a bonus for her. She did trace a lot of our family history in both Australia and Scotland but when she used to start talking about it our eyes used to glaze over. I now wish I had listened a bit harder. All the best with your new blog, Kathy.
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