Welcome ! Come join me and find out what we may have in common


Picture a welcoming place to sit, a warm, friendly enviroment,

maybe a steaming cup of coffee or tea and a smiling face that is intereted in sharing many thoughts....I have a curious mind and if you are reading this my guess is you do too...let's share a few minutes and some conversation as friends old and new.































Saturday, March 26, 2011

Surprised at Ancestry

I LOVE genealogy and enjoy teaching others to find their family roots. My husband ( who is also a genealogist) and I encourage our class to tune in "Who Do you think you are?" to see how they might expand their own
hunt for their ancestors. I so enjoyed season 2010 and was looking forward to another interesting season.

Last night we watched Steve Buscemi episode and were shocked  and disappointed at the HUGE gaffs in research and presentation. No genealogist amateur or professional would have let this air without some BIG changes.Please read the review by Janice M. Sellers "Ancestral Discoveries". She hit the nail on the head pointing out step by step where mistakes were made.

This does not help Ancestry's credibility to let such poorly presented episodes be aired. There were assumptions made and conclusions reached that went beyond reasonable documention.

I know they were hoping to draw in a new audience and make it as fascinating as possible but this ( in my humble opinion) was "rubbish"!!!
I hope other will express their disappointment to Ancestry and ask that future programs be more in line with the programs in 2010.
No one could be happier with a company that incourages it's audience to look into their family's roots and be a part of preserving history but this program will have a short live span if it continues to do such shoddy work.
PLEASE...ANCESTRY... get it together and give us programs that keep us clammering for more!
I am taking Janice's review to my class this next week to demonstrate POOR DOCTUMENTATION!

Monday, March 14, 2011

Help me, I'm New

My husband and I have been involved in Genealogy for (me 11years) for him alot longer.
At first, I was very involved in my own family roots and was ordering books and joining NEHGS
and family organizations totally involved in " the hunt"...how exciting! Next step... I joined DAR and became the registrar...helping other get their papers in order to join. Then a couple of my DAR sisters asked me to help them join other organizations and I joined the Mayflower Society. My learning curve expanded as I got involved in family
history in the south. I learned about migration routes and got familiar with ports of entry in the south. Then a school friend asked if I would trace her family lines...and still another good friend with an emphasis on the mid west. This probably sounds familiar to some of you.:) I went to a summer neighborhood gathering and a neighbor told me she has wanted to join DAR all her life...so, guess who got involved!

I am fortunate to be retired and love to research because more and more people are interested in genealogy and
once they find out about your interest...it becomes so easy to jump right in. I did some research with Afro-American genealogy....which was quite interesting! The "Who Do You Think You Are?" Ancestry program has inspired many to start the search so a hobby that is already #2 ( I think) is fast becoming even MORE popular.

The senior center asked us teach a genealogy class and we set a goal that no one in our class would leave without a fresh piece of information about their family. Our goal has taken us in directions we would not have thought. I have thought about taking a course to be a certified genealogist but I am concerned it would take
some of the enjoyment I have experienced away...and it might feel like a school project instead of the joy I have felt in learning on my own.

This week we start another four week class...I know as we sit around a table someone will say..."I have always wanted to know( fill in the blank) but I need help..you see I'm new! ( and we will be off and running again)
Has this been your experience too??