Follow Friday: Roots’n’Leaves

It’s no secret in the genea-blogging community that Joan Hill, who writes the blog Roots’n’Leaves, is one heckuva writer. She was the featured writer for the 89th Carnival of Genealogy sponsored by Jasia at Creative Gene; her poem, “I Dinna Hear the Voices,” struck a chord with all who read it. I started to look through some of her past posts to select a few representative articles, and it was extremely difficult to pick just a few. Even her “About Me” profile on her blog is arresting and captures her feel for the march of time: “A child of the 30’s and 40’s, ‘Betty Crocker’ mom of the 50’s and 60’s, college student of the 70’s, businesswoman of the 80’s and 90’s, and finally retired to my home in the hills south of Ashland, Oregon, to garden, contemplate, and write.”

Some of my favorite posts illustrate Joan’s gift for seeing the transcendent and the wonderful in the mundane events, the routine, and the little surprises and joys of life (“Sentimental Sunday: A Love Story at Burger King,” “Carnival of Genealogy, 92nd Edition: A Night of Dancing at the Crazy Horse”). And, of course, one of my favorite posts has to be a portrait of a beloved animal companion: “Sentimental Sunday: My Sophisticated Rake.” Finally, to see “what makes Joan tick, read “Confessions of a Storytelling Family Historian; Part I, The Beginning.” Each genea-blogger I read brings out some slightly different aspect of genealogy. For Joan – it is genealogy as creativity in the form of storytelling and poetry.

This Week

Betty at Betty’s Boneyard Genealogy Blog writes about how to coax information out of a reluctant relative in “Madness Monday: When Relatives Won’t Share.”

Taneya at Taneya’s Genealogy Blog, in “Genealogical Societies and I,” discusses what genealogy societies can do to lure her (and other members) in and keep her (and them) when genealogists have to limit their participation to just a few societies.

Something all genea-bloggers should keep in mind (refraining from copyright infringement) is addressed by Dear Myrtle in “Genea-Bloggers’ Code of Conduct.”

I loved reading the tribute to two moms and description of a “mixed family” in “They Said It Would Never Last” at The Genealogy Gals.

Lynn at The Armchair Genealogist asks “Who Owns Your Family History Story?” and advises family historians to "let history be kind."

Tina at Gen Wish List presents some very good ideas in “OGS Conference – advice for conference organizers.”

I try not to jump the gun on genealogy carnivals, but remember Jasia’s unforgettable “ghosted” photos in “Memory Too”? Well, if you want to know how to do that….

Happy 2nd Blogoversary to Sheri at Twig Talk!

This week I started following these blogs:

My Ancestor’s Name
Reconnected Roots
Ciccolella Family History