The 12 Genealogical Days of Christmas - Day 6

Christmas is not a just day.  Instead, it is a 12 day celebration that begins (in some traditions) on December 25th and continues for 12 days (until January 6th).  As a reminder, we have the 12 Days of Christmas carol. 

For each of the 12 days of Christmas, I will be posting one event / person from my genealogical research that relates (sometimes in a rather convoluted way)  to the particular gift of that day in The 12 Days of Christmas.  If you wish to peruse the entire schedule, check previous posts for Days 1-6  and   Days 7 - 12.

Dec. 31 - Six Geese A-Laying  (Day 6)

The 12 Genealogical Days of Christmas - Day 5

Christmas is not a just day.  Instead, it is a 12 day celebration that begins (in some traditions) on December 25th and continues for 12 days (until January 6th).  As a reminder, we have the 12 Days of Christmas carol. 

For each of the 12 days of Christmas, I will be posting one event / person from my genealogical research that relates (sometimes in a rather convoluted way)  to the particular gift of that day in The 12 Days of Christmas.  If you wish to peruse the entire schedule, check previous posts for Days 1-6  and   Days 7 - 12.

 Dec. 30 - Five Golden Rings.  (Day 5)

The 12 Genealogical Days of Christmas - Day 4

Christmas is not a just day.  Instead, it is a 12 day celebration that begins (in some traditions) on December 25th and continues for 12 days (until January 6th).  As a reminder, we have the 12 Days of Christmas carol. 

For each of the 12 days of Christmas, I will be posting one event / person from my genealogical research that relates (sometimes in a rather convoluted way)  to the particular gift of that day in The 12 Days of Christmas.  If you wish to peruse the entire schedule, check previous posts for Days 1-6  and   Days 7 - 12.

Dec. 29 - Four Collie Birds  (Day 4)

The 12 Genealogical Days of Christmas - Day 3

Christmas is not a just day.  Instead, it is a 12 day celebration that begins (in some traditions) on December 25th and continues for 12 days (until January 6th).  As a reminder, we have the 12 Days of Christmas carol. 

For each of the 12 days of Christmas, I will be posting one event / person from my genealogical research that relates (sometimes in a rather convoluted way)  to the particular gift of that day in The 12 Days of Christmas.  If you wish to peruse the entire schedule, check previous posts for Days 1-6  and   Days 7 - 12.

 Dec. 28 - Three French Hens  (Day 3)

The 12 Genealogical Days of Christmas - Day 2

Christmas is not a just day.  Instead, it is a 12 day celebration that begins (in some traditions) on December 25th and continues for 12 days (until January 6th).  As a reminder, we have the 12 Days of Christmas carol. 

For each of the 12 days of Christmas, I will be posting one event / person from my genealogical research that relates (sometimes in a rather convoluted way)  to the particular gift of that day in The 12 Days of Christmas.  If you wish to peruse the entire schedule, check previous posts for Days 1-6  and   Days 7 - 12.

Dec. 27 - Two Turtle Doves (Day 2)

The 12 Genealogical Days of Christmas - Day 1

Christmas is not a just day.  Instead, it is a 12 day celebration that begins (in some traditions) on December 25th and continues for 12 days (until January 6th).  As a reminder, we have the 12 Days of Christmas carol. 

For each of the 12 days of Christmas, I will be posting one event / person from my genealogical research that relates (sometimes in a rather convoluted way)  to the particular gift of that day in The 12 Days of Christmas.  If you wish to peruse the entire schedule, check previous posts for Days 1-6  and   Days 7 - 12.

Dec. 26 - Partridge in a Pear Tree  (Day 1)

The 12 Genealogical Days of Chistmas

Christmas is not a just day.  Instead, it is a 12 day celebration that begins (in some traditions) on December 25th and continues for 12 days (until January 6th).  As a reminder, we have the 12 Days of Christmas carol. 

For each of the 12 days of Christmas, I will be posting one event / person from my genealogical research that relates (sometimes in a rather convoluted way)  to the particular gift of that day in The 12 Days of Christmas.  If you wish to peruse the entire schedule, check previous posts for Days 1-6  and   Days 7 - 12.

Although the 1st day of Christmas is actually Christmas day itself, I will start my posts tomorrow, December 26.  (I plan on being with my 5 and 7 year old grandkids on Christmas day.)  I invite you to join me.

My Rooted Technology

Jill Ball started it and Thomas MacEntee promoted it...  finally I am catching up with it.  What is it?  It is the My Rooted Technology meme.  This is a prelude to RootsTech 2012. My son (the technically savvy and proficient member of the team) and I (the field researcher and data collector) are attending together.   RootsTech will be an opportunity for the two of us to spend a few days together immersed in this venture for which we both have passion -- the intersection of genealogy and technology.  I am also going to spend a few extra days at the Family History Library, so I am setting my goals and organizing my travel "papers."

If you want to join in the fun and show off your own tech cred, here are the rules for the My Rooted Technology meme:

• Technology you already use: bold face type
• Technology you would like to use or learn more about: italicize (color optional)
• Technology you don’t use, have no interest in using or no longer use: plain type
• Explain or give opinions in brackets [ ] at the end of each bullet point
  

Happy Holidays

May Christmas help you see the Godliness that is all around you...    May Hannukkah attune you to the miraculous Light that radiates from within each person...    May Kwanza embrace your life as you embrace those around you.    May the spirit of this holiday season fill you and yours!

The 12 genealogy Days of Christmas - Part 2

For each of the 12 days of Christmas, I will be posting one event / person from genealogical research that relates (sometimes in a rather convoluted way)  to the particular gift of that day in The 12 Days of Christmas. Although the 1st day of Christmas is actually Christmas day itself, I will start my posts on December 26. (I plan on being with my 5 & 7 year old grandkids on Christmas day.)  I invite you to join me. Here is my outline of the last 6 Genealogy Days of Christmas.

The 12 Genealogy Days of Christmas - Part 1

Christmas is not a just day.  Instead, it is a 12 day celebration that begins (in some traditions) on December 25th and continues for 12 days (until January 6th).  As a reminder, we have the 12 Days of Christmas carol. 

Many have suggested that this carol is, in reality, a catechism -- that is, a learning device in which each of the gifts represents a gift from God:  a partridge in a pear tree = Jesus; two turtle doves = the Old and New Testaments; an so forth.  Such an interpretation, as intriguing and useful as that may be in some settings, has little relationship to the song in its original setting.  Sometimes "three French hens" are just chickens.

For each of the 12 days of Christmas, I will be posting one event / person from genealogical research that relates (sometimes in a rather convoluted way)  to the particular gift of that day in The 12 Days of Christmas. Although the 1st day of Christmas is actually Christmas day itself, I will start my posts on December 26. (I plan on being with my 5 & 7 year old grandkids on Christmas day.)  I invite you to join me. Here is my outline of the 12 Genealogy Days of Christmas.

Sometimes Less is More!

Well, I've done it!  It may be a big mistake...   or, it may be the start of something much better.  I have begun the process of pruning my RootsMagic database.  And a drastic pruning it is.  Here are the before and after stats:

 That's right, I pruned 4448 people out of my primary RootsMagic 5 database.  A database of 575 people is about right for sampling desktop and online software programs.  It hardly seems like a fair assessment of what 30+ years of genealogical 'lurking' and collecting, plus 4 years of serious work, would amount to.  Was my research so bad (or so lacking) that not much was worth preserving?  Or did I do the genealogical equivalent of drinking the Jim Jones Kool-Aid?

The Cat Pulled Over the Christmas Tree

Actually, we no longer have a cat around the house.  But I do remember the time when Midnight, as a kitten, pulled over our Christmas tree.  I felt that way as I was previewing a new blog post.  After finding what I thought was a spectacular Christmas theme for this blog, all of a sudden the blog design was compromised.  I don't know what happened and I am only marginally conversant with HTML markup language, so I decided on a quick change of template and theme for the Holiday season.  I am only marginally pleased with the look now, but it will suffice until after the first of the year, when I return to my original design.

A New Christmas Blogging Tradition - Blog Caroling!

My blog is all decorated for the holidays.  It's time to add a new (for me) tradition - Blog Caroling! as presented by  footnoteMaven.  She writes "Blog Caroling is posting the lyrics, youtube video, etc. of your favorite Christmas carol on your blog."  Since this is a new tradition for me, I decided to over-do it this year.  Here are the background, the words, and two YouTube videos (one vocal, one instrumental) for my favorite carol:

"I Wonder As I Wander' grew out of three lines of music sung for me by a girl who called herself Annie Morgan.

Location! Location! Location! -- A Question Answered

The mantra of real estate agents is "Location! Location! Location!" I am beginning to think that this may also be the mantra of genealogists.

I have the distinct pleasure of participating in an online study group -- twelve of us exporling American Records using Greenwood's "The Researcher's Guide to American Records" and "The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy" by Eicholz, et al.

I am beginning to find an answer to a question I raised when dealing with an assignment on "organizing our data." At the time, I mused: "I am curious about why Greenwood considers locality such a primary factor in a research organizer. Can anyone explain that to me?"

New Features in RootsMagic 5

Two days ago, I reviewed one of the new features in RootsMagic 5.  Today, in response to one of the members of the online study group I am a part of, I did a synopsis of many of the new / changed features in RM5. Perhaps you are interested in what's new in RM5.  I did a blog earlier in the week on the Resource Manager.  This post will simply give a brief synopsis of some of the other new or revised features.  For a fuller treatment, I'd recommend a) watch Bruce Busby's webinar "What's New in RootsMagic 5?" or c) check out Randy Seaver's exceptionally thorough reviews of RootsMagic 5.