Follow Friday: 13 August 2010

Many of us in the Genea-Blogging community were very saddened to hear of the passing of William Terrance “Terry” Thornton on August 9, 2010. Founder of the Graveyard Rabbits, outstanding writer, and source of encouragement to many – we will miss you, Terry.

(There are many wonderful tributes to Terry this week, and I suggest you read them all, and especially that you read Terry’s discussion of “The Graveyard Rabbit” at, where else, The Graveyard Rabbit.)

This Week

Genealogy and science fiction – what a great combination! Karen Packard Rhodes at Karen About Genealogy has written about “My Favorite Star Trek Episode,” which happens to be one about genealogy. It’s one I missed, so I’ll have to keep my eye out for that one…. “Fascinating, Captain.” Oops, wrong version of Star Trek….

Jennifer at Rainy Day Genealogy Readings does some very astute categorizing in “Anatomy of an Internet Genealogist.” Just FYI, Jennifer, I almost never swear. Except when someone forgets to use his turn signal. Just sayin’….

And a second outstanding article at the same blog is Jennifer’s post “In Defense of Google Books,” which is a response to Martin Hollick’s criticism of same at The Slovak Yankee, “Why Google Books Still Stinks.”

Sharon at Genealogy contrasts fiction with fact in “Endearing Family Stories – Fun Even if They’re not True.”

I always love a good story. And a simple and touching story, artfully told, is best of all: the author of Sharing Our Family’s Memories writes about the time when her mother felt “Like a Kid in a Candy Store.”

At Moultrie Creek Gazette, Denise Olson describes how to “Build a Table of Contents for Your Blog.”

What is your channel noise? An interesting question, one covered by James Tanner at Genealogy’s Star in “Is technology really a help or just more noise in the channel?”

Hmmm, intriguing question. In my case, not too much TV watching – I agree with those who say most of it is abysmal (and most of the good stuff is reruns). I mainly watch when I am too tired to do anything else, or when I just want to be near my family for awhile (if they are actually watching TV), but then I almost always have my laptop open (as do they). But, hey, at least we talk about what we are watching or reading. (We’re an “It’s OK to read at the table” family, provided it does not keep you in your own little cloud.)

Computer would be the big distraction – e-mail mostly, plus blog reading and commenting.

Other than those two things, the main “noise in the channel” is real life, and of course when our priorities are properly ordered, “real life” comes first (= taking care of family, home, and work).

Lynn Palermo at The Armchair Genealogist wrote on a very thought-provoking theme: “If I Was Starting All Over Again – My Best Advice for a Beginner Genealogist.” Lynn asks, “What’s the best advice you would give a beginner family historian?” She inspired me to write my own suggestions.

Astrid continues to narrate her adventures visiting Norway, one of the countries of her ancestors in “Norway, Day 4 and 5” at Of Trolls and Lemons. Check out the pictures of the beautifully set coffee and dinner tables!

Cooperative genealogy at its best: “Amanuensis Monday – A Letter to John Owen Dominis” at Heather Rojo’s Nutfield Genealogy and “Amanuensis Monday: Essie’s Step-Daughter” at Leah’s The Internet Genealogist (in a regular feature establish by a third genealogy blogger, John Newmark at TransylvanianDutch).

Words to make a translator’s heart beat faster: “…these people were our ancestors and somehow their culture was one of the ancestors of our own. So we get lulled into a false sense of security and believe we understand them. Then there is a danger that though we might understand the words they wrote, we won’t understand what they actually meant.” This is from “Geneanthropology” at Daniel Hubbard’s Personal Past Meditations – A Genealogical Blog. An art museum plays a role, and the subject is how not understanding the culture leads us to mistakes.

(Oops, forgot to include this:)

For more suggested genealogy blog reading, check out John Newmark’s “Weekly Genealogy Picks” at TransylvanianDutch and Randy Seaver’s Best of the Genea-Blogs at Genea-Musings.


Happy 2nd Blogoversary to Sheri Fenley at The Educated Genealogist!

Happy 1st Blogoversary to GreatGreats!

This week I started following these blogs:

Blogging from the Branches

Deb’s Delvings in Genealogy

Digging Down East

Genealojournal

Memory Hook (and added it to the Texas Team)

My Webb Family

Tiff’s Genealogy Adventure