Opining Online

A comment from Don Michel on this post about the rewarding, but frustrating, hobby of genealogy:

It sounds as though you have not defined what you want from genealogy, that is what is your real objective. Is it to gather lots of names and dates, or is it to know you ancestors as real people, how and where they lived, did they have unusual hobbies or personalities? Doing this will help you develop a reasearch plan and strategy and keep you from frenetic activity and then the periods of burnout that you seem to be experiencing.

I admit, he’s right. I don’t have a plan and even when I have an immediate goal I am far too easily distracted. I do, however, have an ultimate goal and it’s time I made a plan to accomplish it.

My ultimate goal is a book for my grandchildren. I envision it as a way for them to know their great-grandparents - only two are still living and some of my grandchildren haven’t even been born yet!

I also envision it as way for them (and me) to learn how their family before them fit into this nation and the world — I want them to know where they came from. I want them know the history that was the present when their gggg-grandmother was alive and how she might have spent her days.

What better way to illustrate the Civil War than with stories of their ancestors’ battles? In my family tree, there are Union and Confederate soldiers, as well as one poor man who fought for both sides, was imprisoned by both sides and died in Andersonville.

I want a history of the migrations. Maps. The groups of families that traveled together and intermarried. And photos.

I want it all, which is quite a lot. And if I’m going to accomplish it, I certainly do need a plan.

Thus I need HELP! Planning is not my forte. Or even my pianissimo.

But here’s what I’m thinking:

1. Capture now what might disappear. We have recordings of my father, my mother, my grandmother, my aunt. There are three other aunts and a great-aunt I need to interview soon. You’d think I would have learned by now to not put this stuff off.
2. (actually, no. 1, part a., but I’m not that good with html) Scan photos belonging to my aunts, cousins, etc. Decide on a way to label and organize them. Back them up in more than one place. UPDATE: Include old recordings, voice and movies in the preservation.
3. Get documents for the generation before me. It did not occur to me until considering joining DAR that I needed documentation for people I knew. Like my mother. My grandmothers. I knew them, why would I need any documentation!

HELP! I am open to any… all suggestions.

Could it be simply the ability to play?

My father, age 85:

My father, age 85

My granddaughter, age 18 months.

So it took me a few days instead of just one to recover from our decision to drive home without stopping. My dear husband and I are too old for that.

The best part of the trip was my grandchildren. This is the first time we’ve ever had all four of them together and it was awesome. The best part of the grandchildren part was the birth of #4 happening while we were there.

Baby Addie, as she’s called by her big brothers, was born Aug 1, 2008. In this photo she’s about 3 1/2 hours old. For those of you who haven’t had the pleasure, I’m here to tell you that there’s nothing quite comparable to cradling a sleepy and content newborn in your arms.

My goal was to get a photograph of all four grandchildren together. That never got off the ground because it was hard enough getting the older three in the same room at the same time, much less facing the camera.

Here’s Addie’s big brother, Janson, waiting for his Papa to throw the ball to the sky. He’s 19 months old and quite a rambunctious character.

Addie’s bigger brother, Aidan, is really more interested in monsters and superheroes than baseball, but I think he’s got potential. If becoming a superhero or baseball star doesn’t work out, he’s got considerable heavy equipment operating experience to fall back on. He’s a first rate wielder of crayons too.

Their cousin, 18 month old Isabelle, was totally uncooperative in having Nonna get a nice still shot of her that day. Too many new toys, too many new cousins and way too much to do. This shot of her is a couple of days later at a picnic in the mountains.

In a later post, I’ll have several more pictures of this location. It is the first place I lived as a child that I have actual memories of.

Family Reunion Time! This year, instead of Arkansas in August, we got smarter and decided to get together in southwest Colorado. Since most of the family is still located in the Ark-La-Tex, there won’t be as many attending. The Colorado branch has made many trips to Arkansas, and this year they don’t have to travel.

Since our newest granddaughter is due any minute now, the timing is perfect. It’s been too long since I saw her two older brothers too. And it’s been too long since I got to cuddle a newborn. My other granddaughter will be there too. It will be the first time I will have had them all together. I’m pretty excited about that.

There’s one son-in-law in Iraq, but hopefully he can join us by webcam once or twice. Isn’t technology wonderful?

I may, or may not, post while I’m there. Of course, I’m taking my laptop but I’ll be pretty busy chatting, enjoying the cool dryness and the wonderful scenery. There will be photos when I get back.

In the meantime, check out what Baldilocks has planned. I hope to be able to help her with that when I get back in about two weeks.