There's One In Every Family - My Na - Amy Estella Irwin

Amy Estella Irwin and sister Minnie, Newdale, Manitoba, Canada. (The other lady may be Mrs. Cook.)

Creative Gene is hosting another Carnival of Genealogy, the 100th! Her theme this time is: There's One in Every Family!

My Na - my maternal grandmother - Amy Estella (Irwin) Scott - was the one family person who 'stood out' for me when I was young. Of course, I didn't know many of our relatives and my parents were usually 'just my parents'. I took them much for granted, I'm sure.

But my grandma Scott didn't seem like other grandmas. Not that she didn't bake cookies. She did! Not that she didn't have a tidy house or wasn't a churchgoing woman. She was all that. But she was also a very active woman all her days, liked word games and (clean) jokes, and happily flirted with the veterans at Shaughnessy Hospital's Red Cross Lodge in Vancouver where she was a volunteer for many years.

And in the years I remember her best she was already in her 70s. Then she was the one who took my brother and I out walking - scrambling down steep paths and climbing right back up them again. She never hesitated to get on a bus and ride off somewhere she'd never been, just to see what was there. So she's always been a role model for me.

Not necessarily for the baking and cleaning, but for her continued enjoyment of life and her interest in things new. Now I know she'd had some bad years, but it doesn't seem that they'd dimmed her interest in people and places around her. I think some of that at least did rub off on me.

Although we didn't always see eye to eye, she loved me, I know, and in later years, she was absolutely crazy about my son. So this Carnival of Genealogy is for her. (And I bet she'd be blogging if she were here today! She'd have loved the memes and carnivals.)

Amy Irwin, sister Minnie, and mother in law, Mary Janet (Wood) Scott in Newdale, Manitoba.

Billie Who? The Annual Swimsuit Edition - Carnival of Genealogy

This edition of Creative Gene's Carnival of Genealogy is: The Annual Swimsuit Edition! Here are three 1910s photographs from my collections.

These two photographs show my mother (in the middle) and an unknown friend at the shore, probably at Clear Lake, Manitoba, Canada. As you can see, as a child my mother had a very bad habit of writing on photographs in crayon. "ME" she says... (I think the "J. ?" is meant to be her initials, JM.)

From the same album, though is this photograph of a young boy in his bathing costume. Likely he too was from Newdale, Manitoba, where my mother lived. "Billie", I think, it says,

but - oh, dear, Mother dear - Billie Who?

How To Budget Your Genealogy $ - Part 2 - Carnival of Genealogy - 93rd Edition

This is Part 2 of How To Budget Your Genealogy Money. Part 1 is here.

With your genealogy research plan(s) in hand, and with the realistic total of your overall genealogy budget in mind, now look to see what other genealogists recommend.

Those already savvy in genealogical 'social networking', on-line or off, will have a definite advantage, I'm sure, so you might want to work on those skills - join your local genealogy group! Or if there isn't a group near enough, look into sites like Facebook and Twitter. (Don't forget to include society memberships and any internet expenses in your budget.)

#3. For the geographical area you're interested in or the record types or services, etc., you believe you need and/or want, what do other genealogists recommend? What do they think is the best value for your money (or, in some cases, your time).

Don't enter that credit card number just yet.

Start by using your favourite search engines to look for 'best genealogy' lists and reviews. You might want to create a Google Alert to keep you posted on new on-line articles or comments on something you're looking for. For example: 'online backup reviews'

Look for fuller reviews – especially on genealogy websites and blogs and in magazines and journals, or, if you are looking for a broader service, for backup, for example, look in ‘techy’ websites and publications.

If you're interested in a British or North American genealogy, look in relevant British or North American magazines, but remember genealogists all over the world can have similar interests. Don't restrict yourself to just one area. Your Family Tree, one of the British magazines I read, just published "Computing For Family Historians", a special packaged with Issue 87 which has reviews and great information. (There used to be another British computing and genealogy magazine I liked, so I hope we see this new one again.)

Always check Dick Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter for technology related to genealogy (the free version is good!) and I recommend subscribing to Tara Calishain's Research Buzz e-mail update too. All free!

When you find a review or on-line information about a product or service – ask yourself some hard questions:

- is it written by someone with an affiliate (paying advertisements) or other relationship with the company? Have they declared an interest in the company? Or does the information seem to be written from a press release? (This happens even on otherwise well regarded websites.) Has the reviewer obviously tried out the product or service? Is the review current or is it very dated?

and
- does the review cover the features that you feel matter most to you at this time?

Read recent blog posts or e-mail lists written by people researching your areas. If it's software or a service you're interested in, is there a users' group or specifications or manuals on-line? Check to see if you can participate or read these before purchase.

**Remember to browse or search the Archives of e-mail lists and forums first. Your question may not be as new or as unusual as you think.

Then ask specific questions if you don’t see information. Twitter and Facebook are good for this on-line. Offline, ask in the genealogy and family history groups you meet with. You may find there's an expert in the group, or your questions may spark an invigorating session on 'the best of...' websites or publications. Ask if an expert in your group would hold a session on how to use a website they recommend too. Our BC Genealogical Society just had a well illustrated talk on using the New England Historic Genealogical Society's on-line databases which our Library subscribes to, for instance.

On-line, here are some sites to start out your 'genealogical consumer research' with:

Family Tree Magazine, 101 Best Web Sites 2009: www.familytreemagazine.com/article/101best2009

50 Most Popular Genealogy Websites for 2009. Kory L. Meyerink, MLS, AG, FUGA, ProGenealogists: www.progenealogists.com/top50genealogy2009.htm

40 Best Genealogy Blogs, Family Tree Magazine: www.familytreemagazine.com/article/Fab-Forty

25 Most Popular Genealogy Blogs. Heather Henderson, ProGenealogists: www.progenealogists.com/top25blogs2009.htm

Family History, The 50 best websites The Guardian, 2007: www.guardian.co.uk/news/2007/apr/14/guardianspecial4.guardianspecial226

Digital Librarian: www.digital-librarian.com/genealogy.html

Don't forget Cyndi's List: www.cyndislist.com

Sources of news, reviews –

Geneabloggers.com (not only for bloggers): http://geneabloggers.com

Geneablogger's List of genealogy blogs – with a technology theme:
www.geneabloggers.com/genealogy-blogs-type/technology-blogs

One of my most reads - Modern Software Experience, Tamura Jones, GeneAwards 2009 – Best, worst, dishonourable, not-so-special: http://tamurajones.net

GeneaMusings, Randy Seaver – for hands-on genealogy website reviews: www.geneamusings.com

Top Ten Reviews, Genealogy Software: http://genealogy-software-review.toptenreviews.com

Digital Inspiration (personal technology): www.labnol.org

And these sites with information on evaluating websites, etc. on the ‘Net –

Criteria for Evaluating Internet Resources by Aleteia Greenwood and Professor Douw Steyn, UBC Library, University of British Columbia: www.library.ubc.ca/home/evaluating

Evaluating Web Pages: Techniques to Apply & Questions to Ask, UC Berkeley Library, University of California: www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Evaluate.html

And for good measure:

Dick Eastman's posts on various scams related to genealogy: http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/scams

Kimberly Powell, About.com, How to Identify & Avoid Genealogy Scams: http://genealogy.about.com/od/basics/tp/scams.htm

Domain Tools, domain lookups: http://whois.domaintools.com/

Better Business Bureau of Mainland BC (look for tips, alerts, BBBOnLine): http://mbc.bbb.org/consumers (Look for your own local BBB.)

Guide to Online Security, Consumer Reports: www.consumerreports.org/cro/electronics-computers/resource-center/cyber-insecurity/cyber-insecurity-hub.htm

This is Part 2 of 3. Part 3 - 'before you pay' - is coming very soon. I'll be very interested in your comments and ideas about genealogy budgeting.

This post was written for the 93rd Carnival of Genealogy! Hosted by Jasia at Creative Gene.

How To Budget Your Genealogy $ - Part 1 - Carnival of Genealogy - 93rd Edition

Some of the more frequently asked questions in genealogy sessions I teach are variants of:

How come every index search I try for genealogy on the Internet leads to a page asking for my credit card information? Shouldn't information be free?

and then,

How can I decide what I should pay for? I don't want to pay for something that's free elsewhere or that I won't really use.

So I sometimes include a session focused on these questions.

Lately I've noticed several magazine articles on 'free genealogy' and some forum discussions too, so this seems a timely topic.

I do feel that much of the very best information for genealogy and family history on the Internet has always been free and I am happy to recommend these sources - RootsWeb.com for example, and FamilySearch.org. Then there are the specialized reference websites, like the Canadian Genealogy Centre for Canadian genealogy and family history and Genuki.org.uk for British. Even the standard version of my favourite genealogy software is free to download - Legacy at Legacyfamilytree.com.

Nothing is really altogether 'free' though - after all, someone is paying the expenses involved in gathering information, compiling indexes and databases and programming and maintaining computers and websites. It might be with volunteer donations, it might be government, or it could be a commercial company like Ancestry.com (for RootsWeb) or Millennia Corporation (for Legacy) paying. We need to let them know how much we appreciate their efforts. (Thank you to all the above from me! )

I believe it's important to emphasize that putting information and services on the Internet does cost money. Genealogy and family history societies, for instance, need to generate some income from their indexes and publications, so that new ones can be developed or older ones updated. Individual genealogists too may be paying all the cost themselves - doing it 'for love'. Here's an article by Lorelle on WordPress that outlines the costs for a genealogy blog, for instance, The Blog Budget. (Sometimes you do see a 'donate please' button on an individual or group's genealogy site. Please consider 'clicking' if you found the website or service helpful.)

Even with all volunteer labour, there are always bills to pay. Sometimes, in the heat of discussion, this is forgotten. I do love getting information for free, but I hope I won't ever begrudge paying for services, publications, or access to indexes, etc. that are worthwhile to me.

Here are some of the questions I ask, and some things I consider when choosing how I will spend my ‘on-line genealogy’ dollars to purchase genealogy and family history services, subscriptions, etc.

#1. What kinds of research are you doing right now or planning to do very soon? Consider: geography, time periods, the types of records you need.

Write up a new research plan for each on-going or future project. (Here's an article by Kimberly Powell about genealogy research plans with an example: Think Like a Detective - Developing a Genealogy Research Plan.)

Can you ‘save up’ research to make a short term subscription ‘pay’? This is what I often do for my on-line Swedish research - which still necessitates using pay sites. After all, a subscription is much cheaper than a trip to Sweden. And when I do get there, I'll be visiting the 'right' places and ready to do more research - parts that can't be done on the Internet or at home.

What services or tools do you feel would be helpful to you?

Do you have any time restrictions? Are you preparing for a reunion or a genealogy trip, perhaps, and need or want to do all you can from home first?

How important is convenience to you right now; how much time do you have (and when)? How important is ease of use; and accessibility. If you have time during the week to visit a library or Family History Center, for example, you may be able to use commercial databases there, but if your genealogy time is 'middle of the night', personal subscriptions make sense.

What type of computer, browser, firewall, etc. do you use? How comfortable are you with computers and the Internet? Do you have a technology ‘guru’ of your own? (Some sites require you to use specialized software, for example. More on this later.)

#2. What’s your $ genealogy budget? Be realistic here :-)

Be sure to think about both on-line and off-line genealogy. Do you plan to order a number of English marriage certificates, soon, for instance, or is there a genealogy seminar or conference coming up? Would you like to take a special class in the fall? Or are you determined to have an autosomal DNA test done?

Think about adding in at least a small $ cushion for those unexpected opportunities, maybe that hard to find book that pops up in an e-Bay listing.

You'll notice that I put the $ question second. That's because I feel if you don't have a research plan, and haven't thought about your own research preferences and restrictions, then no matter how many dollars you have, you won't get the best results.

This is Part 1 of 3. Part 2 - how to find genealogical recommendations and reviews - is coming very soon. I'll be very interested in your comments and ideas about genealogy budgeting.

This post was written for the 93rd Carnival of Genealogy! Hosted by Jasia at Creative Gene.

Third Annual iGene Awards - Academy of Genealogy and Family History

It's time for the 90th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy:

The Third Annual iGene Awards, The Best of The Best!

It's Academy awards time... time for the Academy of Genealogy and Family History, aka AGFH, to honor their best blog posts of 2009 in the following 5 categories:

Best Picture - Best old family photo that appeared on your blog in 2009. Tell us which you liked best and why.

The best family photograph of 2009 is the IRWIN family reunion group portrait that appeared in the Carnival of Genealogy - IRWIN Family Reunites - Manitoba Canada. Although it is a nice photograph of a handsome family, you will have to see the photograph to see why it deserves special recognition!

Best Screen Play - Which family story that you shared in 2009 would make the best movie? Who would you cast as your family members?

Remembrance Day 2009 - Muriel Scott - George Rogers, Vancouver BC Canada was 'almost' a movie. It's a slide show about my parents and their service in the Canadian Army during World War II. I'd certainly like to do more with the information I have.

Maybe a movie would be good... let's see, I have to be historical, of course, perhaps Norma Shearer could play Mum as the young 'Scottie', and who as Dad? Well, I know who Mum would want playing opposite herself, Ramón Novarro!

Best Documentary - Which was the best informational article you wrote about a place, thing, or event involving your family's history in 2009?

The Vancouver Exhibition, 1927 - Carnival of Genealogy, written for the 80th Carnival of Genealogy, is the winner here. Although I have no specific details about the Rogers family's experience at the 1927 Fair, I researched in historical newspapers and in publications to see what their Fair visits might have been like. Sometimes we need to do this, to flesh out the few details we have left to us.

Best Biography - Which was the best biographical article you wrote in 2009?

The winner in this category is They Worked - Smile For The Camera - Beekeeping in Ontario Canada, a short piece about Samuel Wood of Nottawa. Ontario, Canada.

Best Comedy - Which was the best funny story, poem, joke, photo, or video that you shared on your blog in 2009?

No question - the funniest thing I shared in 2009 was Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Famous (?) Look-alikes. Wow! Me and Burt Reynolds together, well, sort of. (Thank you, Randy Seaver!)

The IGene Award spotlights all Geneabloggers' efforts at recording their genealogy and family history in 2009. For a look at all those recognized by the AGFH for 2009, go to Creative Gene where the winners will be seen very soon.

New Year's Genea-Resolutions - 2010 - Carnival of Genealogy

New Year Arithmetic

It only takes one figure more to change the sum of Time's long score;

To your life's record may it add Good Fortune and subtract the bad:

And as with others you divide may Best of Luck be multiplied!

Post Card, unused. Made in U.S.A. Marked 402 but no publisher or artist's name, except a K circled. Divided back; private collection.

New Year’s Resolutions! is the topic for this Carnival of Genealogy.

Yesterday, Tara Calishain of Research Buzz wrote a post about Wolfram/Alpha that prompted me to calculate the number of days I've already spent on the earth - 22,314 days! Where did they all go? Or better yet, what did I do with them?

No wonder so many of us think about resolutions each year.

(I recommend following ResearchBuzz, by the way, great info about search engines, and about on-line information collections. Yes, it still is Follow Friday.)


As usual, I’ve written out a few resolutions for this brand new year, and from what I hear, a record number of other genea-bloggers have been doing this too. It will be most interesting to see what everyone’s plans are.

I write out objectives for myself for almost every week as we go through the year. These include genealogy, but I try to keep my main goals for each year to a few - all, I hope, manageable ones.

Again, as in 2009, I expect 2010 to be fairly busy – mostly with genealogy, but not necessarily my own. I’m very active in my local genealogical society right now as President and Editor of the British Columbia Genealogical Society and I took on more genealogy teaching last fall at the Burnaby Community Centred College for the Retired. I enjoy these activities and believe I'm making the world a bit better place for genealogy, but I will set aside time too for my personal genealogy research as I did in 2009.

For 2009, my personal genea-resolutions were to:

1. Scan more photos and scrap more photos - about my brother and myself. Attend two scrap nights; schedule some time for fun photos to mix with the older ones.

2. Blog on a more regular schedule; have two posts and two 'Wordless' posts in reserve for each blog by mid-February.

3. Host a Carnival of Genealogy.

4. Have some Newdale pages on-line by 9 February 2009.

5. Produce Islay CDs as family gifts.

6. Follow DearMYRTLE's organization checklists.

7. Save trees and energy by using less paper! Buy two power bars to use in my office area.

Considering my sometimes crowded schedule, I feel I did quite well in 2009, although one goal had to be postponed as I’ll mention below.

For 2010, my goals in brief are

1. To finish scanning my older family photographs (and some documents) and to scrapbook some more.

2. To have research plans for local repositories and libraries on the go each month, and to be ready for research in Toronto, Ontario in May.

3. To continue blogging, and to host at least one Carnival, if possible.

4. To work towards getting my Newdale pages up on-line and to produce some CDs (ones I’m happier with) to give to family, and to put more photographs on-line to share.

5. To continue working on organization and energy-saving too (mine and the world’s).

Here's a bit more about my 2010 goals with a recap of 2009.

1. Scanning and scrapbooking 2010: Last year, I wanted to scan more of my older family photographs and I certainly did that, although due to other commitments I wasn’t able to attend many Scanfests. I realize I’ve gotten a long ways with this project, but I do miss those Scanfest chats. I intend to attend more in 2010 and to finish these scanning projects. I was given a digital frame for Christmas, (thank you, S!) and will soon have more ancestors on my mantel.

I did do more scrapbooking in 2009; I even attended those two crops. I tried a few digital projects, but didn’t like this nearly as well as working with ‘real’ things, so won’t likely pursue that. Will keep working on my vintage scrapbooking in 2010 as I can. You might see some projects yet here on my blog.

2. Travel plans 2010 – I didn’t make it out of Canada this year, but I had fun and learned a lot at the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia conference in Medicine Hat, Alberta and at other sessions in British Columbia, like the British Columbia Historical Federation conference in Nelson, and the Megan Smolenyak seminar in Surrey put on by the British Columbia Genealogical Society (BCGS).

This year, I’m looking forward to a number of local events already, including the Stephen A. Morse seminar in March (co-sponsored by the Jewish Genealogical Institute of British Columbia and the BCGS - details soon) and the Women’s History Fair in April, both in Vancouver. Then in May there’s the BC Historical Federation conference in Vancouver and the Ontario Genealogical Society conference in Toronto which I’m planning to attend. While in Toronto, I’ll be researching my BATTICE, PEEL and ROGERS, WHITE families at the City of Toronto Archives and the Ontario Archives.

3. Blogging 2010: I continued to blog regularly about genealogy, here at CanadaGenealogy and at The Graveyard Rabbit of British Columbia. I especially enjoyed doing the Sombre Sunday and Treasure Chest Thursday posts and will be continuing these.

I participated in a good number of Blog Carnivals, and was a Carnival host, in March for the Carnival of Central and Eastern Europe’s on ‘Female Ancestors’ and for September’s Carnival of Genealogy on ‘Family Reunions’. I’ve joined two blog rings, Blogging For Ancestors and the Geneabloggers WebRing. Participating in both rings and carnivals introduces me to many other bloggers and readers and, usually, is a lot of fun. I've been getting many more comments on my posts, and I am regularly reading other blogs and commenting on them in turn. I also wrote an article for Shades of the Departed, and participated in A Festival of Postcards.

I’d like to take time to blog more and to participate in more Carnivals in 2010 and will work on scheduling myself so I can do that. I do have some blog posts in reserve now, so that’s a bit less ‘pressure’. I’d like to encourage others to participate in blogging and other on-line activities more during 2010. (I love Twitter! and it blends well with blogging.) I started a British Columbia genealogy group on GenealogyWise this year and I have some ideas for CanadaGenealogy in 2010 which you will hear about later. As an example, I just recently noticed that someone else in BC is interested in guest blogging and I’m going to investigate that for myself and for CanadaGenealogy.

4. Sharing more information on-line 2010: My Newdale web pages are still on hold, for reasons beyond my control at the moment. This is the only 2009 resolution I really had to leave undone, but, I have done more research, scanned many more photographs, and in 2009, even found ‘new to me’ historical postcards which I’ll be showing soon enough. When things don’t work out when and how one wants, I think it’s important to be flexible enough to move on to work on another goal for the time being, so that’s what I did. I made some photograph CDs, but wasn’t that happy with them, so I’ll be working on that again. And, after attending the BCGS fall series on ‘Writing Your Own History’ with Moira Connor, I intend to produce at least one booklet on my family this year.

5. Organization and energy saving 2010: I did follow DearMyrtle’s Organization Checklists as posted for the first half of the year and used some of her older checklists the rest of the year. Of course these are all on-going exercises!

And, I’ve tried to be conscientious about saving paper and ink and electrical energy too. I think I’m well into those habits now, although I still have some odd piles of paper to worry about....oh, well.

I’m now using a newer, smaller backup drive and late in 2009, I bought a new laptop which I’m still learning about, and, for Christmas, I received a netbook. (Thank you to J, C, C & S!) This was in my 2009 plans (and dreams). Having the netbook may radically change the way I do research even at local archives and libraries as I am always on public transit and hesitate to carry my heavier laptop every time. This netbook is so light I imagine it will be with me much of the time, but it will certainly be a blessing when I’m away researching.

I’ll be spending a bit of time early in the new year ‘organizing’ myself with the three computers. (For those who want to know, the new laptop is Amy, the netbook is Minnie - such an apt name for a little computer. My older, trusty everyday laptop’s name is Maggie. Amy was my Na, my maternal grandmother; Minnie and Maggie were her sisters. There is a really old desk top here too – but she says her name is ‘just old & tired’.)

I routinely write out my ‘to dos’ for each week which includes my genealogy to dos – documents to look up, things to order – but I’m going to keep a fuller descriptive list in front of me each week this year – drawn from my research plans. Robert Ragan of Treasure Maps Genealogy (he’s the Pajama Genealogy Guy) wrote an article recently on how genealogists can best use personal planners. I’m going to try his ideas, so instead of a list of unrelated activities, I’m going to include a small block of tasks for the week based on who or which family I’m working on during that time. I think it will give me a better perspective for the week, if nothing else. (And I just got a fun pad of coloured planning notes – for accomplishments – Today, Tomorrow, Weekend, Near Future, Someday, and, Maybe Never! I’ll be using that too.) That 'Someday' will keep me positive and the 'Maybe Never!' will keep me smiling!

Now, do tell, what are your genealogy goals for this year?

Why I Belong - 82nd Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy - Breaking Into Society.

Red Hat group at the BCGS Walter Draycott Library, 2009.

The 82nd Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy - Breaking Into Society is already up at the California Genealogical Society and Library Blog.

The questions asked for this Carnival were:

What's your favorite genealogical society?
Do you belong to a society?
Tell us why!

Or if not, why not?

I accidentally missed the deadline, but since I feel this is an important subject, I wanted to add my point of view to the rest.

There’s no doubt about it, my favourite genealogical society is the British Columbia Genealogical Society (BCGS). While it’s not the only genealogical society I belong to, this is certainly the most heartfelt and longest lasting of my genealogical society relationships.

Now - I do live in British Columbia, Canada. I have family history here dating back to 1901 at least and I've always been interested in BC history, but I believe joining a local group or society- no matter your genealogical interests - is very important for genealogists. In fact it's one of the top 5 tips I offer people whether they are beginners or seasoned researchers.

Because of my membership in the BCGS, I've made new friends, I've learned about genealogical resources I might never have heard of otherwise, even when I couldn't attend meetings I had the Society's journal as my genealogical lifeline, and I have access to the BCGS Library - a treasure trove.

The other day I talked at the Finding Your Roots Seminar about the BCGS Walter Draycott Library. In introducing this session, I gave my answers to the question: 'Why should I visit a genealogical society library when there are plenty of libraries around?' Although I was then speaking about only one aspect of the activities of the BCGS, I think the points I made explain why I believe joining a genealogical society is good for genealogists.

1. In a genealogical or family history library, you'll always find that the focus is on research and you'll find that the library, and you, continuously benefit from the expertise and enthusiasm of other members. For example, all BCGS menbers are encouraged to suggest new acquisitions for the Library for their areas of interest and their donations to the Library are welcomed. Our BCGS Special Interest Group facilitors are all on the BCGS Library Acquisitions Committee. This has broadened our outlook and we've been able to to strengthen and develop our worldwide collections, even though our budget isn't always large.

2. You'll find that through co-operative arrangements, societies have been exchanging journals and newsletters, as well as other information and resources, for years or even decades. You'll be able to check indexes and browse through past issues for details on your ancestors. And, remember, 'old' genealogical information really is just as good as 'new'.

3. Genealogical society members are well aware of the value of indexes and lists. These abound in any genealogical library and usually you will find you can easily fit right into an indexing project yourself, like the BCGS BC Book Indexing - so far, 58,000 names indexed there and for the Master Surname Index - over 100,000 entries.

4. Members are eager to share with others and to find those researching in their areas. So in our Library, for instance, you'll find binders and binders of pedigree charts donated by members for use by others, as well as bound copies of members' genealogical research on British Columbia Pioneers. (All indexed, of course.)

You'll also see volunteers reading genealogical and family history journals and newsletters as they're catalogued. We feature their recommendations in 'Gleanings from the BCGS Walter Draycott Library' which is published in our own quarterly journal, The British Columbia Genealogist. And if a member sees something interesting on the Internet, or news of an event coming up, they post that on our Library Bulletin Boards for everyone to read.

5. Membership does bring 'special privileges'. In the case of the BCGS, which has a Library of over 13,000 books, periodicals, microforms, CDs, etc., members may use the Library for free (non-members pay only $5. a day). Only members may borrow circulating materials. For me, as for many researchers, these kind of benefits are a real drawing card.

And, at our Library, there are Special Interest Group meetings and special seminars and workshops. Members are entitled to attend any of the Special Interest Group sessions and receive a discount on most BCGS seminars and events.

BCGS members are eligible to volunteer in the Library too. There's a great variety in the work available, of course, from the duty volunteers who give new visitors tours and check out books, to the cataloguers of new acquisitions and donations, to the indexers of our history book collections who might even work at home. Sometimes we get to participate in special tours and activity days, as several of us did in the Red Hat research day shown above.

By volunteering, I've seen and learned much more about the collections and I've made new genealogy friends as well. Having genealogy buddies nearby is great - they are there to congratulate you when you're successful and to cheer you up and offer tips when you're not so lucky. And usually on a 'duty day', there's time to do and share some work on your own family too.

This, I feel, is one of the major benefits of a genealogical or family history society - the chance to learn about genealogy within a group of like-minded people - who share not only your vocabulary and your acronyms (BMD. GEDCOM, LAC, UEL), but, as well, your enthusiasms and your passion for any and or all things genealogical.

In January 2010, there will be a new carnival devoted exclusively to genealogical (and historical) societies. Keep an eye out for more information at the California Genealogical Society and Library blog.

Carnival of Genealogy - Reunions! - 79th Edition - September 2009

Welcome to the September 4, 2009 edition of the Carnival of Genealogy, the 79th Edition!. The theme this time was Reunions! and the response from genea-bloggers was tremendous.

This is obviously a topic that struck a chord with many. Some enjoy attending and remembering family reunions, others love planning reunions and just can’t wait for the next, then there are those of us who wonder why our family’s never ever even had one reunion.

Many good ideas here too for those of us who would like to have a reunion.

And there’s so much history as well as genealogy. Carol at Reflections From The Fence called one of her reunion notice finds a Genie-Jackpot. Working on this Carnival has made me think about how much these notices and articles in local newspapers could help people looking for lost family links. I've already started keeping a file of ones I run across in my regular British Columbia, Canada newspaper research and now I'll work out a way to index those and I'll make that index available somehow.

Here's the Reunion Carnival roundup:

Bill West presents SON OF ROAD TRIP" PT3 and SON OF ROAD TRIP PT4 posted at West in New England, saying, "I recently attended my first family reunion for the descendants of my great great grandparents Asa and Florilla Ellingwood and blogged about it. (Now, about those reindeer, Bill...)

Charles Hansen presents The First Hansen Family Reunion posted at Mikkel's Hus, saying, "Hard to believe this reunion was 18 years ago, seems like just a few years ago." Charles has one vivid description of a ‘not to do next time’.

Randy Seaver presents No Family Reunions in my family posted at Genea-Musings, saying, "My dad was from Massachusetts, my mom was an only child of only children, so we had no family reunions to enjoy as I grew up. I do love my cousins in New England!" There are a few of us like this, Randy.

Robert Lord presents Lord and Lady: OLYER REUNION 1940 posted at Lord and Lady, saying, "Olyer family first reunion 1940 were you there all descendants of John Olyer and Charlott Scutt" – love that big family photo, Bob!

Wendy Littrell presents When We Get Together posted at All My Branches Genealogy, saying, "In my life, I've experienced reunions from several branches of the family. In several posts, I've listed my experiences, information I've gleaned from news articles about past reunions, and how to make sure you leave the event richer in family history." Wendy has written about reunions often; follow her links to read her stories.

Cyndi Beane Henry presents The Monroe Bean's posted at Mountain Genealogists, saying, "Our family reunion occurs every other year. How fortunate am I that reunion was just held on August 8th this year! It's an event I live for!" And as a family reunion organizer, it sounds as if Cyndi’s done very well – another branch is now attending.

Dorene Paul presents Lindsey and Mary Ann Young House posted at Graveyard Rabbit of Sandusky Bay, saying, "This blog post about Lindsey and Mary Ann Young House features an article about one of the many reunions of the Young and House families held in Erie County, Ohio in the first half of the twentieth century." Lots of history here with the reunion news.

Midge Frazel presents Under the "Family Reunion" Tent posted at Granite in My Blood, saying, "Come under the reunion tent to visit with the Gallup Family and their great history at this 107th reunion. I was the newbie and was given a prize, had a yummy lunch and made new cousin friends." And Midge found a new cemetery project too.

Cheri L. Hopkins presents Memories To Last a Lifetime posted at THOSE OLD MEMORIES, saying, "A short story about my family reunion and why they can be so important for each of us. A bittersweet reunion for my family, but precious memories for a lifetime!" An inspiring post, Cheri.

Leslie Ann presents Carnival of Genealogy, 79th Edition-- Family Reunions posted at Lost Family Treasures, saying, "My family reunion memories." The Smedley reunion sounds great – family is family!

Linda Hughes Hiser presents Carnival of Genealogy, 79th Edition--"Family Reunions" posted at Flipside, saying, "The Pool or Poole Family of Morgantown, West Virginia Reunion that met annually and still does." Reunions must be a good way to look at name changes too.

Sean Lamb presents We're all bozos on this bus posted at Finding the Flock, saying, "I'm in the middle of a career change to become a professional photographer, so I was naturally asked to take the group photo last year at Thanksgiving. Knowing my family, I naturally couldn't let it go at just a formal photo of the group." I love it, Sean! And I bet the kids did too.

Jasia presents A Family Reunion That Wasn't a Family Reunion posted at Creative Gene, saying, "I had a wonderful opportunity to meet a branch of my family previously unknown to me. It may not have been called a family reunion but that's what it was for me!" Yes, I agree – make a visit a reunion whenever you can.

Carol presents 79th Carnival of Genealogy, Carnival of Family Reunions, Lashbrook style posted at Reflections From the Fence, saying, "This photo of a 1933 reunion was a bit before my time. That said, I have been able to use it to add faces to many names in my data base." Great find; great idea!

Brenda presents Dougall Part 4 posted at Brenda Dougall Merriman, saying, "A quick-witted 84-year-old created a poem to celebrate a 1984 family reunion. It was the 150th anniversary of John Dougall's arrival in Canada." Of course there was a piper.

Karen Hammer presents Family Reunions - Never a Dull Moment posted at Ancestor Soup, saying, "Reminiscences of family reunions..." Sound family philosophy here.

Earline Bradt presents COG #79 - Family Reunions - Our Next Family Reunion posted at Ancestral Notes, saying, "My first family reunion could have been a disaster, it poured rain the first day, all day, and the second day was the hottest most humid day of the year, but, attitude is everything! We were determined to have fun and we did!" Earline is planning the next two already.

Dru Pair presents Find Your Folks: 2009 Carroll Family Reunion posted at Find Your Folks, saying, "This year Professor Dru attended the family reunion of distant relatives and had a ball meeting them face-to-face, presenting them with family history information, and eating finger-lickin-good food!" Dru really has 3 posts here. One, a tribute, “ The Spiritual Legacy of Bessie Bullock Carroll (1901-1991)’”, was written for the reunion.

Ken Spangler presents I Love Family Reunions! posted at Beyond Fiction, saying, "It's been a while since I participated in a carnival but today I would like to share my thoughts on family reunions and share some pictures of past reunions on my Forbes side." Welcome back to the Carnival, Ken.

Janet Iles presents Janet the researcher: Family Reunions - Iles style posted at Janet the researcher, saying, "Fifteen years have passed since the last Iles family reunion, Janet recalls these reunions in her posting." I’d love to hear more about the family band sometime, Janet.

Lorine McGinnis Schulze is one of those who contributed several posts. Hers are full of reunion ideas, all posted at Olive Tree Genealogy Blog . What I would do differently at a Family Reunion Lorine says is "My conclusion after our Family Reunion was over!" There is Scavenger Hunt at Family Reunion – The Scavanger Hunt I planned for our Family Reunion" and Family Reunions & Genealogy Games – the Genealogy Games I created for our Family Reunion".

Vickie Everhart presents We're all here for a family reunion posted at .:BeNotForgot :: begotten & ne'er forgotten :., saying, "It was November of 1931 when descendants of William P. Henry (1836-1912) and Josephine Wingfield (Davis) Henry (1842-1899) gathered in Rockdale, Texas for their first reunion in twenty years. Mayhaps they were heeding the urging of President Hoover, who in October 1931 had appealed to the American people "to make November 26 next the outstanding Thanksgiving Day in the history of the United States."" Excellent post. I love the way the history is tied in.

Linda Stienstra presents Family Reunions? posted at From Axer to Ziegler, saying, "Family reunions was a foreign term to my family since we lived overseas." Very nice photos and what good memories.

My own family is another one that doesn’t have reunions – but sometimes they get together again –as in Irwin Family Reunites – Manitoba, Canada, right here at CanadaGenealogy, or, Jane's Your Aunt.

Jessica Oswalt presents A Family Reunion From A Child's Perspective ... posted at Jessica's Genejournal, saying, "Some memories of a family reunion I attended when I was a child." Jessica’s grandmother had a very interesting idea. My local newspaper would go for that, I think.

Vickie at BeNotForgot shares her research about a 1931 family reunion in Texas with We're all here for a family reunion.

This concludes the 79th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy. There is much to learn in this Edition and so much fun too. Hope you all enjoy this Edition as much as I have.

And now, heed the Call for Submissions for the 80th Edition!

The topic for the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy will be: Family Fun!

Research an event your ancestor may have attended. Did your ancestor live within a few blocks of the parade route for the annual Fourth of July parade in the town where they lived? If your family lived in a rural area, perhaps they attended a county or state fair. If they lived in a big city, perhaps they attended a play or movie opening. Was there an amusement park or traveling carnival near the area your family was from, one they might have visited? Were there fireworks displays in the town your family was from? How much do you know about the types of entertainment your ancestors might have enjoyed? Check into it then write it up! This "fun" edition of the Carnival of Genealogy will be hosted by Jasia on the Creative Gene blog. The deadline for submissions is September 15th.

Submit your blog article to the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy using the carnival submission form. Please use a descriptive phrase in the title of any articles you plan to submit and/or write a brief description/introduction to your articles in the "comment" box of the blog carnival submission form. This will give readers an idea of what you've written about and hopefully interest them in clicking on your link.

Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Carnival of Genealogy - IRWIN Family Reunites - Manitoba Canada

I’m not aware of any organized family reunion ever being held by members of my direct families. And nowadays, although there have been a few weddings and one big anniversary party a number of years ago, I’ve been sad to hear it said at several funerals— “This is the only time we get together.” I wonder if that’s often been the case in my family.

Sometimes, of course, it probably just wasn’t possible to ‘reunite’. Many of my relatives lived in straightened circumstances. I don’t think that William ROGERS and Mary Ann WHITE, for instance, living in Toronto, Canada, could have done more than dream of returning to England to see their kin again. (But wouldn’t that have been grand for me – especially if a report in a local newspaper had mentioned a WHITE reunion, which of the relatives had come from 'where' and exactly how they were all related. It does seem to me I often see these notes in newspapers for other people’s families).

I do have a report from a newspaper about one happy occasion when my IRWIN great great grandparents and their children were together again. This is from a newspaper clipping I received from a relative. I have not yet been able to find the article itself in a newspaper to confirm the date and place of publication. I believe this to be from the Canadian Post at Lindsay, Ontario, Canada.

NEEPAWA-MANITOBA. Correspondence of The Post.

A very happy and pleasing event took place at the new residence of Mr. James Irwin, Neepawa, Man., on Christmas Day. Mr. and Mrs. Irwin were formerly residents of Cambray, Ont., and spent over forty years of their life there. About fourteen years ago the family circle was first broken by two of their children leaving their home for the far west. As years passed on one after another of the family got married and started out in life for themselves, till all but three had left their parental roof and settled down in new homes in Manitoba. Mr. and Mrs. Irwin were anxious to spend their declining years among their children, and having sold their old homestead in the east a year ago last fall, moved to Manitoba (with the rest of the family) in the following spring....
On Christmas day the entire family of nine children gathered together once more around their father’s roof. After doing justice to a good Christmas dinner they presented their parents with two handsome easy chairs...."

The newspaper clipping includes the text of the presentation to the Irwins by their children which says, in part,

Dear Parents,- We, your children, are happy to be permitted to meet once more around the family circle, and to have you in our midst in this the land of our adoption, as you have left your home in the east to live in this country...it is the first time we have all met together for fourteen years...May you long live to enjoy the comfort of ...[the easy chairs] and the company of your children. Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Signed,

William Irwin [my great grandfather]
Samuel Irwin
Mrs. Jos. F. Brown [Elizabeth Anne]
Margaret J. [Jane] Irwin
Mrs. M. Murchison [Mary Ellen]
John Irwin
Mrs. A. Riches [Esther Delina]
James Irwin
David Irwin

Now, I’d have thought the family might have had their photograph taken at this long awaited reunion, but if so, there isn’t a copy known to me. However, there is a photograph which I believe would have been taken about 1909 showing all the children, their spouses and Mr. and Mrs. Irwin. See if you notice anything odd about it.






Yes, Mrs. Mary Jane Irwin wasn't really there. I have an ‘original’ copy of this photograph which was given to me by my cousin. We both believe this must have been taken after Mrs. Irwin’s death in April, 1909 as her image has been cut out of another photograph and pasted on. James Irwin died in July 1910 and he does seem to be right in the photo so this was likely taken between April 1909 and July 1910.

The group photograph was taken in a studio and it seems to me that space for mother Mary Jane’s image was deliberately left when arranging family members for the portrait. What do you think?

Was this the only copy or could there be ‘doctored’ copies around that look as if she is alive and in that room with her husband and family? If so, I have never seen one.

This post was written for the Carnival of Genealogy. This time the theme is Reunions! and the Carnival will be posted here at CanadaGenealogy, or, Jane's Your Aunt on 4 September 2009.

79th Carnival of Genealogy Coming Up Soon - Family Reunions!

SAGGERS sisters get together, 1948, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Private collection.

SAGGERS sisters only, get together, 1948, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Private collection.


The 79th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy will be hosted right here at 'CanadaGenealogy, or, Jane's Your Aunt'.

The theme this time is Family Reunions!

Have you been to a family reunion recently?

What do you know about past family reunions?

If your family doesn't have reunions, why do you think that is - family skeletons or feuds, perhaps, or just geography?

Or, has there been an important or intriguing family or other reunion in your community that you can tell us about?

The deadline for submissions is September 1st, 2009.

Submit your blog article to the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy using the carnival submission form.

Please use a descriptive phrase in the title of any articles you plan to submit and/or write a brief description/introduction to your articles in the "comment" box of the blog carnival submission form. This will give readers an idea of what you've written about and hopefully interest them in clicking on your link.

The latest edition is 'Pony Pictures!' To see those, go to Creative Gene.

Past posts and future hosts can be found on the Carnival of Genealogy blog carnival index page.

Carnival of Genealogy - Summer Vacation Lake Louise 1963

Here's a photograph of me at Lake Louise in Canada, taken by my mother, I believe, while we were on a trip together in 1963. Luckily for me, Mum identified the photos from this trip on the back. I believe this was my first visit to Lake Louise, but she had been there several times before.

Note my matching shoes and bag and the fancy glasses. We 'always' matched our accessories, and only used white till Labour Day. This was just before beehive hairdos were popular in our town, so my do is pretty plain, but I did wear high heels from quite early on. Anything to make me taller! (Even later in the 60's, I was in my brother's old jeans, wooden beads and sandals, but that's another story.)

And then, as now, I had my whole life in my purse, including a pen and notebook and a novel to read in any spare moments. Wonder what I was reading that year? I'll bet I took some Canadian history along - perhaps a Thomas Costain novel or two (or maybe one of the Angélique books).

This photograph has surprisingly good colour, I think, at least compared to some of the 1970s colour photographs I have. But, the edges of this photo are all yellowed.

This was written for the Carnival of Genealogy - the 76th Edition. The topic:
How I Spent My Summer Vacation. Watch for the full Carnival to be posted soon at Creative Gene.

For more about other family vacations, including mine, read the latest Canadian Carnival of Genealogy too - over at Looking For Ancestors.

Swimsuit Edition - 74th Carnival of Genealogy - Bathing Beauties - Newdale? Manitoba Canada

This next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy is:

Swimsuit Edition!

Why should Sports Illustrated have all the fun? This is your chance to show off the bathing beauties in your family. Pull out the old photos of Grandma Moses in her seaside bloomers, Auntie Mae in her pin-up girl suit from the 1940s or 50s, cousin Paula in her psychedelic bikini from the 1970s, or even yourself in your Speedo! Let's have some fun here!



When I saw the topic for this Carnival, I couldn't resist posting these two fun photographs. Sadly I must report that both are in my 'unidentified' box, although I've tentatively matched up two of the women with women in other photographs from Newdale, Manitoba, Canada. Of course, I do hope that someday I'll find someone with other copies of these with all the names written out!

These two images weren't developed the same way, however it looks to me as if the five women in the second photograph are also in the first one, and their swimsuits look the same - although that wouldn't mean both photographs were necessarily taken on the same day.

I suspect that my grandpa may have taken these as there are lots of snaps by him, many in his own photograph album, although none of those are of these young women. If they were taken near Newdale, Manitoba where he lived from at least 1906, then the setting could be Clear Lake.

I love this last one - very playful! Must have been warm, I think, that day, for these young women to sit in the water and show off their feet all together on cue.

But, this particular photograph is in shocking condition. It's very faded and was folded in half at one point, and left that way for a while. And someone's little darling (my Mum!) wrote on it - back and front. My Na was a sterner grandmother than a mother, that's obvious. I hope to have this one 'restored'.




This 74th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy will be hosted by Jasia at Creative Gene so be sure to pop over to her blog soon to see who else attended this Carnival.

Local History! - Carnival of Genealogy - 71st Edition

The 71st edition of the Carnival of Genealogy is now posted at What's Past Is Prologue!

The topic for this Carnival was Local History! and this was clearly a popular topic - with 25 entries. There are stories here about honeymoon hotels, Victorian houses, many heroes, even a story about a sack of flour. All are well worth a read!

The next Carnival of Genealogy will honour Mothers! Creative Gene will be hosting that Carnival and has all the details posted here.

You can write about "your mother, grandmother, godmother, step mother, den mother, aunt, neighbor, or friend who happens to be a mother" - you might even want to write about a 'historical' mother from your home town as I think I will. As Creative Gene says, "Let’s make all our moms famous!"

2008 iGene Awards - Carnival of Genealogy

The winners of the 2008 iGene Awards for the Carnival of Genealogy were announced today! See Creative Gene for links to all the winning posts. Congratulations to all and thank you to Creative Gene for organizing the Awards again this year.


The theme for the next Carnival of Genealogy will be: "Nobody's Fool" – who in your family was known to have the best common sense, the best sage advice and basically just “kept it together” all the time? Let's hear about them! Hosted by Thomas MacEntee at Destination: Austin Family. Deadline: March 1

The 2008 iGene Awards - Carnival of Genealogy - 66th Edition

It's time to announce the 2008 iGene Awards, The Best of The Best! This year there were 5 categories and the winners are...

Best Picture - Without a doubt this was the "Carnival of Genealogy – “Swimsuit Edition”, from Newdale, Manitoba, Canada 1908, “Merry Widow Camp Aug ’08 Wolfe Lake”, posted Sunday, June 01, 2008.

Great photograph of a happy time. Lots of comments for this one. Although I have since found a number of other references to Wolfe Lake in Manitoba, I haven’t yet found it on a map : http://canadagenealogy.blogspot.com/2008/06/carnival-of-genealogy-swimsuit-edition.html

Best Screen Play – This family photo will inspire a new Canadian ‘Heritage Moment' film series – posted Wednesday, May 07, 2008, "General Stores of Canada: Merchants and Memories by R.B. Fleming".

I'd like to play an old curmudgeon grumbling in the back corner of the store, but I’d cast Yannick Bisson as whoever of Newdale, Manitoba simply because... (and he's Canadian) : http://canadagenealogy.blogspot.com/2008/05/general-stores-of-canada-merchants-and.html

Best Documentary - The winner here is an article about the 1916 Canadian Prairie census posted Thursday, August 21, 2008, "Canada, 1916 - Taking The Census in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba": http://canadagenealogy.blogspot.com/2008/08/canada-1916-taking-census-in-alberta.html

The 1916 Canadian prairie census is now available to view on microfilm through Library and Archives Canada (LAC) and many libraries. We await the arrival of an index and page images at Ancestry.com. This census has been indexed by FamilySearch volunteers; page images and the index were briefly available free on-line. The 1916 images are to be available on LAC's website by Winter 2009 and a free index should be on LAC's website by Summer 2011. I understand the census index will be on FamilySearch free to all in December, 2011, perhaps sooner to 'qualified' FamilySearch members.

Best Biography – 2008's winning article has already inspired me to do more research and to plan a trip to Manitoba, Canada next year. Posted Sunday, December 07, 2008, "Isabelle McTavish - Canadian Missionary Doctor - 1881-1953: Canadian Genealogy Carnival, Edition 2": http://canadagenealogy.blogspot.com/2008/12/isabelle-mctavish-canadian-missionary.html

Best Comedy – It's a tie - no, wait, it's a hat! The 2008 comedy choices are from Wednesday, September 10, 2008, “Na's Hat - Smile for the Camera”: http://canadagenealogy.blogspot.com/2008/09/nas-hat-smile-for-camera.html
and Monday, September 15, 2008, “Na's Hat - another look”: http://canadagenealogy.blogspot.com/2008/09/nas-hat-another-look.html

Those are the 5 iGene Award winners for 2008. Congratulations to all!

Links to all the iGene Award blogs will be posted at Creative Gene soon: http://creativegene.blogspot.com/

Grandpa Scott and Sandy - 'Walking In A Winter Wonderland' - Carnival of Genealogy - 64th Edition

It's time for the Carnival of Genealogy's 64th Edition - 'Walking In A Winter Wonderland'.


Not All Misery During Canadian Winter

....Canada as a matter of fact has one of the healthiest climates in the world – our winters and all.... A good many Canadians do not realize this. They have got into the bad habit of blaming the climate unduly and thus disparaging the country. If they lived more in the out-of-doors and enjoyed and made use of the bracing winter weather, they might get over the illusion that this is a terrible country to live in. The greater part of our winter should be a joy to every normally healthy inhabitant of the country.

Manitoba Free Press, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, 31 January 1927, p. 1


My mother grew up in Manitoba, Canada and always thought we wet coasters in south western British Columbia didn't even know what winter was. I never heard her or my Na complain about winter, except maybe about the slush and wet we kids tracked in on their clean floors.

This photo, signed 'Love Dad', shows my maternal grandfather, James Walter Scott (1885-1947) on the farm in winter at Newdale, Manitoba, Canada with the family's dog, Sandy.

I don't know what date this is, but it was probably in the 1930's as my mum was working in Winnipeg by then, and I imagine the photo was taken to send to her in the city. (She was an only child.) Likely my Na - my maternal grandmother, Amy Estella (Irwin) Scott (1884-1983) - took the picture.

I'd guess it's early in the winter as there's snow on the ground but Grandpa's not 'bundled up' yet. My mum told me once he always wore a hat. This one sure wouldn't keep his ears warm.

I never met Grandpa Scott, but I feel from what my mum and grandma told me of him that we'd have liked each other. My mother used to talk a lot about Sandy, the dog, a lot too. I remember she told me he was afraid of thunder storms and used to hide under the bed. Probably he liked winter as less chance of thunder then, I think.

New Year's Resolutions! Carnival of Genealogy - 63rd Edition

What Some People Say....

that New Year's resolutions again prove more brittle than

the crust of Christmastime mince pie.

Victoria Daily Colonist, Sunday, 8th January, 1905

Once again it's time to write up those New Year's resolutions, and, to have a look at last year's to see how I did. Not everyone likes New Year's resolutions, or even approves of the idea, but most of the time I find that writing down a goal, then writing up a plan to achieve it, works for me. (Not always, of course!) I'm expecting 2009 to be a very busy year, so I will be spending more time actually working out my plans than in 2008, but for the most part, my goals in 2009 will be very similar.

In 2008, I resolved to focus on

1. research that would fit my future travel plans - to Montreal, Detroit, and Sweden. I did work on this all year. In fact, I made it to Detroit. I had done everything I could beforehand and was able to take full advantage of the time I had there to research my James Walter Scott and his wife and her family, mainly using resources at the Detroit Public Library, especially directories and newspapers. Now I'm ready to head to Sweden and also to Montreal. See you soon, Leonor!

2. scanning more family photographs, especially ones taken when I was young, those of my nieces and also Newdale photographs. Still haven't got to the niece's photographs! but I have done a lot of this scanning. Now in 2009, I must do something to share these photos!

I started a scrapbook for my baby brother and one about myself, but what with one thing or another, few pages got finished. A scrapbooking friend has just reminded me to make more time for this, so that is one of my resolutions and will go into my plan. But I need to make it more fun, I think.

One way to do that is by attending scrap nights and I resolve to schedule that at least twice, but today I looked at Photojojo's list of New Year's resolutions. The 'Get Organized' one is always applicable - we must be realistic - but I was especially struck by one 'start a new tradition' idea - going to a photobooth for pictures every Friday. OK - I wouldn't do it that often, but right away I knew there was a photobooth right across the way. I've never ever ever had my photo done in a booth - why not? I resolve to pencil in a few dates to do that this year and I will do my best to get my kids and grandson to come at least once each with me. Then I can challenge myself to scrap with the new photos and some old ones.

I've signed up for the January Scanfest so I will have the box of photographs of my younger nieces ready for scanning that day. My goodness, they are having children themselves now, I've been so long at this.

3. blogging more. This was fun all year, I blogged while at home and away and I also updated my blog a couple of times. I hosted a Cabinet of Curiosity and, if Creative Gene is willing, I resolve to host a Carnival of Genealogy in 2009.

I joined the Association of Graveyard Rabbits with a new British Columbia cemetery blog too. As well, I write on the British Columbia Genealogical Society's new blog.

I have some future ideas for posts, and I want to write more often. I've set up separate Hassles to remind me to write for each blog, staggering the days, so I won't be feeling frantic. Just recently Blogger changed my status - I'm no longer 'suspect' - so I can postdate entries on both blogs. I resolve to have at least 2 posts and 2 'Wordless' posts ready to go at any time starting in mid-February.

4. putting up a Newdale, Manitoba, Canada genealogy research web pages. Oh, dear! This project was derailed some time in the summer. I was doing ok with it till then, but one too many trips away (and there were a lot of trips), I just never got back to it. This is now a high priority for 2009. By the 9th of February (my mother's birthday - she and her mum are my Newdale connections), I will have something on-line.

5. investigating new ways to illustrate my family history. This I did work on last year - I experimented with 'Passage Express' and with 'Map My Family Tree' software. I use Legacy which now includes features with Microsoft's Virtual Earth, but I haven't had much time to look at that. These are programmes I can continue to 'play with' even when I'm away from home in 2009. I do have a laptop, but I hope to be able to get a lighter one and one of the new small external drives for myself in 2009. (Yes, there are some financial New Year's resolutions this year too.) I resolve to produce CDs for my family with the Islay, Scotland connection information and photographs on it. I have already made a binder which was given to the Islay Family History Society, so I can update that information and add more photographs.

Now about organization. This is a continual challenge, I believe, for most of us. I was so encouraged to see that DearMYRTLE posted her updated January organizational chart today. I loved the charts she had 'in the old days' and I do have her booklets. I resolve to follow her outline and put those brightly coloured file folders and the coloured CD cases I got for Christmas to good use. (Thank you, daughter dear.) I love DearMYRTLE's gold clipboard idea - mine might be for 'next... library day' though as occasionally I get there without that one vital bit of info.

I've recently resolved to save paper in my office as an 'Act of Green', so I'll be thinking twice before I print (that should cut down on the filing!) and I'll be remembering to use both sides when I do print. As soon as I can figure out all these wires and hubs, I resolve to start using power bars to save energy too.

So for 2009, my personal genea-resolutions are to

1. Scan more photos and scrap more photos - about my brother and myself. Attend 2 scrap nights; schedule some time for fun photos to mix with the older ones.

2. Blog on a more regular schedule; have 2 posts and 2 'Wordless' posts in reserve for each blog by mid-February.

3. Host a Carnival of Genealogy.

4. Have some Newdale pages on-line by 9 February 2009.

5. Produce Islay CDs as family gifts.

6. Follow DearMYRTLE's organization checklists.

7. Save trees and energy by using less paper! Buy 2 power bars to use in my office area.

Happy New Year everyone and Good Luck with all your genea-resolutions in 2009!

LINKS

The British Colonist, [Victoria, British Columbia Canada] Online Edition 1858-1910: http://britishcolonist.ca/

Photo Resolutions, Photojojo: http://photojojo.com/content/guides/2009-new-years-photo-resolutions

Photobooths Around The World: http://www.photobooth.net/locations

January 2009 Organizational Chart, DearMYRTLE: http://blog.dearmyrtle.com/2009/01/finally-get-organized-jan-2009.html

One Million Acts of Green, CBC.ca: http://green.cbc.ca/

HassleMe: http://www.hassleme.co.uk/

3 Wishes! - Carnival of Genealogy

The topic for the next edition of the COG will be: 3 Wishes! This is your chance to write a letter to Genea-Santa*. Make a list of 3 gifts you would like to receive this holiday season from 3 of your ancestors. These have to be material things, not clues to your family history (we're talking gifts here, not miracles!). Do you wish your great grandmother had gifted you a cameo broach? Or maybe you'd like to have the family bible from great great grandpa Joe? How about a baby doll that once belonged to your dear Aunt Sarah? This is a fantasy so you can dream up gift items. They don't have to be actual items that you know your ancestors owned. However, they do have to be historically accurate to the time period in which your ancestor lived. Do your research. No asking for a new computer from your great grand aunt! Genea-Santa wouldn't like that ;-)

Well, I'm not that optimistic, but as my daughter might say "Mum, Believe!"

So, Dear Ms and Mr Genea-Santa, please see what arrangements you can make about these three genea-wishes of mine. I'm not much for jewellery, and heaven knows, I have enough dishes, ornaments and furniture here. I've kept my choices light so delivery shouldn't be much of a chore. (These wishes are in no particular order. Truly, I'll appreciate anything you can do.)

Wish #1. A Photograph of Mary Ann White and William Rogers

When my great uncle John William Rodgers/Rogers died in 1978, he was the last of three brothers, one being my grandpa. Almost till his death, he lived in the same house he shared for decades with brother Frank and their step sister in Toronto, Canada. I feel sure anything precious that his mother left would have been saved, and John, as the last sibling, would have inherited any family photos or papers. My dad did attend John's funeral, and met the lawyer who handled John's affairs. John didn't leave us anything specifically, but the lawyer promised to send on John's personal effects which might contain some family papers. Unfortunately, the lawyer was soon very ill, and nothing was ever done about this.

I once wrote the firm asking just in case there was a dusty storage room full of interesting old files, but no answer was received. I know now where John's father came from, and I do realize, Genea-Santas, that there might not have been time or money for even one photograph, but I still hope to see someday an image of John's parents. Even one or two images of his brothers and step-sister, Sue Battice Peel, when they were young, would be grand to see.

Yes, Genea-Santas, I hear you. You think I should at least write that firm again. Santas help those who help themselves, etc. Still Santas, if there is a photograph of William Rogers or of Mary Ann White somewhere in the world, maybe you could ask one of the techie elves to scan it and post it on Dead Fred. Tag it 'ROGERS/WHITE, Shipham, Somerset, England and (???) to Toronto Canada' and I'll find it quick as a wink.

Wish #2. One of my mum's own paper doll sets.

One of my mum's biggest disappointments with her young daughter, I think, was my complete lack of interest in paper dolls. According to my mum, paper dolls were her favourites when she was a girl. I can understand that now as I know she was always interested in clothing and in sewing. Paper dolls with wardrobes would have been such fun for her. Alas, I never was interested despite the number of times she cut out Betsy McCall paper doll pages for me. I still have a few of those. (Betsy McCall paper dolls by Kay Morrissey were published in McCalls Magazine beginning in 1951.)

(I did love dolls though, as you may well remember, and Mum might be very surprised, Genea-Santas, that I'm not asking for one of hers. She told me her dad used to bring her a new doll when he had been travelling, but her mother gave them all away in later years. I know Mum never had an Eaton Beauty doll - her dad had a small town general store, after all, and Eaton's Department Store was the competition - but I'm sure she had some beautiful ones. If you could see the poor naked wooden doll she did save and give to me, you would laugh!)

Now I have a few paper dolls of my own, but I sure would like to have a set that she loved. I wonder if there might have been a flapper or two?

Wish #3. Harriet Healy's Bible.

When Harriet Healy left West Yorkshire, England for New York in 1856 with her soon to be step- daughter, Elizabeth Wood (later Woodman), I feel sure Harriet carried a Bible with her and that one of her parents had all the family names and dates entered into it so that the family history would be maintained. They would have known she wouldn't be coming back and they might even have tucked a word of advice or two inside. It's true that I have quite a number of Bibles already, Genea-Santas, but oddly, none has any family information written in it. Harriet's will be the exception to this family rule.

Well, Genea-Santas, there you have my three Genea-Wishes for 2008. No matter what, I'll leave lemon shortbread cookies out for you and there will be milk and ginger beer in the fridge. If you drink the milk, please don't leave the bottle out on the kitchen counter - the cats will knock it off hoping to lap up any spilled milk. I better leave new lint rollers there for you both too. I can imagine how well cat fur shows on your nice red suits.

Wishing you both a very happy 'after Christmas' holiday somewhere warm and quiet,

Diane R

Sue and Joan Paper Dolls by Lydia Fraser, published in the Canadian Home Journal, March, 1936. These paper dolls are too late for my mother to have played with, but she would have cut this page out to keep, I'm sure, had she seen it.

LINKS - Here's some more info, Ms and Mr Genea-Santa, in case it helps the research elves.

The History of Paper Dolls by Judy M. Johnson, The Original Paper Doll Artists Guild: http://www.opdag.com/History.html

The Eaton Beauty Doll:"The Doll We Will Never Forget" by Evelyn Robson Strahlendorf on Civilization.ca: http://www.civilization.ca/cmc/exhibitions/cpm/catalog/cat2101e.shtml