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/

Data Backup Day!

Today, the first of the month, is Data Backup Day for Genea-Bloggers.

I backed up many of my computer files again, and now I have backup copies of my 2 blogs since Blogger has made this so easy. I even rearranged some files on my external backup drive.

Usually I do back up computer files every Wednesday (my anti-procrastination day), or special files every day if I'm working on a big project, but I have also now arranged to receive a 'hassle' e-mail every 10 days reminding me to back up both my personal blogs from http://www.hassleme.co.uk/. If you keep forgetting to back up, and don't have a reliable human to give you a gentle reminder, try hassleme. It's free (but a donation is always appreciated).

Backup Your Blogger-Based Blog, Thomas MacEntee, Bootcamp for Genea-Bloggers...: http://fbbootcamp.blogspot.com/2008/12/backup-your-blogger-based-blog.html

Data Backup Day, Genea-Blogger Group: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/event.php?eid=42197774095

Remembering Long Gone Stores - downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Simplicity Pattern Sewing Contest 'models', Hudson's Bay Company, downtown Vancouver store, early 1950s.



A Meme: Stores of Yesteryear...inspired by the Smoky Mountain Family Historian.

This is a bit of a ramble...but that seems to be partly what an on-line meme is all about, rather like that party game where one phrase is whispered from person to person around the room...


What I remember best from ‘long ago’ here in Vancouver are the three downtown department store buildings we used to shop at on Friday nights – the Bay (1927), Eaton’s (originally Spencer’s, 1907 – bought by Eaton’s in 1948) and Woodward’s (1903). Two of the buildings remain. The Eaton’s building, now often called the Spencer building, houses Simon Fraser University’s main downtown campus, but the Woodward’s building has been mostly demolished for redevelopment - a painful topic to many still. Only the Bay, Canada’s oldest corporation, remains in business and it’s at the same location. (I just spent several days at Fort Langley, a Hudson’s Bay fort, now a national historic site. The Bay has changed a lot - "the Governor and Company of Adventurers of England trading into Hudson Bay" might not recognise much of the business now. )

Many Friday nights, Mum and I would head downtown and eat dinner together, afterwards we’d shop. No malls then; we took a bus from up Cambie, perhaps to the Bay, walked down Granville, and along Hastings to Eaton’s, then to Woodward’s. Sometimes we went on a block east on Hastings to Army & Navy (1919), Canada’s ‘Original Discount’ store, but that wasn’t as often.

Each department store had its own atmosphere, but some things seemed the same. Remember the elevator attendants? Woodward’s was more the ‘working man’s store’ (although it was women doing the shopping). Eaton’s had nicer things and fewer work boots, and the Bay was reputed to sell the best line of everything. Each store had its own loyal customers, except perhaps on Woodward’s $1.49 days when everyone lined up for the bargains.

I don’t think Mum really had a favourite, although she used to work at Eaton’s in Winnipeg, so she talked about Eaton’s more. The Bay had the biggest candy department as I remember, and, I think, the best fabrics and the latest patterns. I remember being lost in that fabric department as mum checked out the newest from Butterick or Simplicity or Vogue. She entered the Bay’s sewing contests too, as witness the photograph here. She did love to sew. I was never so domestic. I just remember now how the fabrics felt and how the outfits looked on mum or me when finished. Once I went to ‘teen charm school’ at the Bay – oh, dear! Confessions! Eaton’s had the Marine Room restaurant though. That was by far the nicest place to eat.

Woodward’s had the Food Floor – everything you could want in those days, even imported English pickled walnuts – no Brie or anything too fancy – and we could eat strawberry tarts in the mezzanine cafe. Maybe Woodward’s had the best toy department too, or the best prices on toys; many of our Christmas photographs with Santa were taken there. Woodward’s certainly always had the best Christmas windows – back then store windows were really important. People crowded around on the sidewalks to really look.

Truthfully I didn’t pay that much attention to the everyday shopping Mum did. Typical, I suppose. What I remember shopping for best is books, still my favourite shopping experience. Since I never had much money, I bought books at rummage sales and church jumbles, like the book below, sold originally at Spencer’s. (I thought the prices were of interest too.) New books appeared for birthdays and Christmas, and I imagine many were bought at Woodward’s since I remember that store having the best book variety and the more reasonable prices. I wonder if they had Henry Miller’s Tropic of Cancer in 1961 when the Mounties raided stores and the library looking for copies? (I’ll bet Eaton’s didn’t ever sell Miller- Eaton’s was always known as a ‘puritanical' store - even my mother said so –no tobacco, for instance.)

Duthies’ (1957) was the first independent ‘new book’ store I remember here – what a revelation – all the great books from the library were for sale there right downtown. Then in the mid 1960’s, along came MacLeod’s Books, the best ‘old’ book store here – maybe anywhere. Books piled everywhere...beautiful books, literature, art, history, antiquarian books, banned books, even just ‘plain curious’ books, By that time our Friday night shopping trips were history. Mum still came along with me to the bookstores though. We used to ‘share’ – I’d buy one book and she another – we knew we could always read each other's. I still miss Woodward's myself, but today both Duthie’s and MacLeod’s are still in business, thank goodness, though not at the same locations.


Hudson’s Bay Company history: http://www.hbc.com/hbcheritage

Eaton’s: A Canadian Institution, radio and television clips, CBC Digital Archives: http://archives.cbc.ca/economy_business/business/topics/377/

The history of the Woodward’s building, GVTV video: http://www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/Greaterdot...3-woodwards.wmv

Army and Navy, Company History by Catherine C. Cole, Before E-commerce: A History of Canadian Mail Order Catalogues, Civilization.ca – the Canadian Museum of Civilization: http://www.civilisations.ca/cpm/catalog/cat2401e.html

1950’s Fashion History: The 'Look' of 50s Glamour with Fashion Dressmaking Patterns: http://www.fashion-era.com/1950s/1950s_3_fashion_dressmaking.htm

Censorship in British Columbia: A History, B.C. Library Association Intellectual Freedom Committee: http://www.bclibrary.ca/bcla/ifc/censorshipbc/intro.html

Smoky Mountain Family Historian: http://familyhistorian.blogspot.com/2008/08/reading-obits-brings-back-memories.html