Excited!

I've so many things to be grateful and excited for, but one of them is a visit from my dad.  He'll be here tonight or tomorrow and hopefully staying for awhile!  The second is that...

I'M AN AMBASSADOR!

A 1940 Census Indexing Project Ambassador, that is.  I've signed up to help index the 1940 census when it comes out and hope you will join me.

If you'd like to be an ambassador, too, you can sign up here:  http://the1940census.com/

52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy: Week 8 – Genealogy Libraries

Genealogy Libraries: Genealogy libraries (and dedicated departments in regular libraries) are true treasures in the family history community.  Tell us about your favorite genealogy library. What or who makes it special?

My favorite genealogy library is the California Genealogical Society’s library.   It’s a relatively small area packed with great books, periodicals, and people.  Over the summer, when the days are longer, I like to schedule time after work to just be in the library.  The atmosphere alone breeds excitement and enthusiasm.

One trip last summer had me talking to Jane.  Jane asked me about who I was researching and we chit chatted a bit.  She offhandedly said I should check the digital records on FamilySearch for the mortuary records for one person I was researching.  We did and found some interesting things, although nothing too new.  But wait, Jane said.  She disappeared and came back with a giant old dusty book.  GIANT old dusty volume of the IOOF cemetery records.  My guy was in there and we learned much from looking at those handwritten records.

But more than information, like I said, is the enthusiasm.  I haven’t yet been where I didn’t meet someone interesting or where I didn’t find a treasure of a book to take me off my research course! 

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52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy by Amy Coffin is a series of weekly blogging prompts (one for each week of 2012) that invite genealogists and others to discuss resources in the genealogy community including websites, applications, libraries, archives, genealogical societies and more. You do not have to be a blogger to participate. If you do not have a genealogy blog, write down your thoughts on your computer, or simply record them on paper and keep them with your files.

If I Were on Who Do You Think You Are. And Cannolis.

As I watched the recorded episode of Marissa Tomei on WDYTYA last night, I realized that if they did a show featuring me, the story would play out far differently.  Even if I had the same story.

It would open with me looking not beautiful like Ms. Tomei.  Sure, I’d have new clothes, but my brand-spankin’ new flowey sundress with matching umbrella would be in a size smaller than the size I actually wear (the dress, not the umbrella…).  My logic is always that by the time any far-off big event occurs, I’m magically going to be one size smaller.  But I never am.

My too-tight clothes and I would be nervous, too.  So we’d be awkward, fat, cramped and that damn umbrella would blow inside out and my flowey dress would try to follow, luckily held down from underneath by my ripples of Rubinesque ridges.

We would open with me telling my family of the wonderful adventure the show was going to help us with.  Their eyes would glaze.  “Genealogy?  Did you say you were going on a genealogy trip?  For how long?” They ask the length only so they can judge how much reprieve from my “fun stories” they will get.   They will not ask any questions and will only say, “Have fun and don’t hurry back!”  They are already dreading all my chit chat upon return…

Since for this imagination, I have Ms. Tomei’s family, I would tell the show that my main focus is on my murdered great grandfather.  They would take me to his home town in Italy and to the archives.  While there, I’d get sidetracked by the giant books and need to read all of them before we leave.  And since I don’t speak Italian and when I say, “Canovaros” it doesn’t roll in a melodramatic Italian accent and sounds more like a really bad way to say Cannibals.  Or cannolis. Mmmm cannolis.

Now that I’m sidetracked by books and cannolis, I want to visit all the places there.  I stay up all night on Google, Ancestry, and GenealogyBank while eating a truck-load of cannolis (because once you think of them, you have to have them).  So the next morning my clothes are two sizes too small and I didn’t have time to wash my hair but who will notice?

I put the show behind by weeks by all my sidetracked adventures and I’m far too haggard to feature on film any longer.  They black-shape me like on Court TV.  When they finally tell me the results of the murdered grandfather, I no longer care, as I’m onto bigger and better things.

They fire me and I go home and excitedly tell the family the murder details because who doesn't love a good murder story?  Just a moment before their eyes glaze, they say, “Yes, we know.  We have all the newspaper clippings, photographs and actual video-recorded  event right here where they've always been.  Didn't you know?”

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My Mother-in-Law's Cannoli Recipe

1 ¾ cups unsifted, regular all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 egg, slightly beaten

2 tablespoons firm butter, cut in small pieces

¼ cut dry Sauterne (sweet white wine – Riesling should do)

1 egg white, slightly beaten

Shortening or salad oil for deep frying

Ricotta Filling (see below)

Powdered sugar

Chopped sweet chocolate and halved candied cherries

Sift flour with salt and granulated sugar. Make a well in the center and in it place egg and butter.  Stir with a fork, working from center out, to moisten flour mixture. Add wine 1 tablespoon at a time, until dough begins, to cling together.  Use your hands to form dough into 9 ball. Cover and let rise about 15 minutes.

Roll dough out on floured board about 1/16 inch thick. Cut to circles 3 o- inches. With rolling- pin, roll circles into ovals. Wrap around aluminum tubes;  seal edge with egg white.  Turn out ends of dough to flare slightly. Fry two or three at a time in deep hot fat (350 degrees) for about 1 minute -until lightly golden.  Remove with tongs to paper towels to drain; let cool about 5 seconds; then slip out tube, holding shell carefully. Cool shells completely before filling.  Use pastry tube to fill. Sift powdered sugar over shell; garnish at once with cherries.- Makes 25.

Ricotta Filling

Whirl 2 pounds ricotta cheese in the blender or press through wire strainer until very smooth.  Beat 1 ½ cups unsifted powder sugar and 4 teaspoons vanilla. Mix in ½ cup each finely chopped citron and orange peels and ¼ cup chopped sweet chocolate.  Chill several hours or overnight.

Fluffy Ricotta Filling

Prepare ½ recipe Ricotta Filling and fold in one cup heavy cream beaten until stiff.

Pistachio Filling

To either of the above filling recipes, add a few drops green food coloring to tint pale green.   Use chopped blanched pistachios for garnish.

52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy: Week 7 – Historical Documents

Week 7 – Historical Documents: Which historical document in your possession are you happy to have? How did you acquire this item? What does it reveal about your ancestors?

I wrote about this just a few weeks ago.  *LOVE* this:   
Renouncing the Thrown

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52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy by Amy Coffin is a series of weekly blogging prompts (one for each week of 2012) that invite genealogists and others to discuss resources in the genealogy community including websites, applications, libraries, archives, genealogical societies and more. You do not have to be a blogger to participate. If you do not have a genealogy blog, write down your thoughts on your computer, or simply record them on paper and keep them with your files.

52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy: Week 6- Family Heirlooms

Week 6 – Family Heirlooms: For which family heirloom are you most thankful? How did you acquire this treasure and what does it mean to you and your family?

I’m not 100% sure this is an heirloom, since it’s only as old as me and broken, but I do treasure it.  When I was a little girl, my dad carved this wooden doll for me.  It got broken through the years (although her mod-‘60s hair has remained untouched), but I’ve always treasured her and she sits right here at my desk where I can see her.

Carved Doll (next to lipstick for scale)

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52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy by Amy Coffin is a series of weekly blogging prompts (one for each week of 2012) that invite genealogists and others to discuss resources in the genealogy community including websites, applications, libraries, archives, genealogical societies and more. You do not have to be a blogger to participate. If you do not have a genealogy blog, write down your thoughts on your computer, or simply record them on paper and keep them with your files.

Wordless Wednesday:

Left to Right: Ann (Konst) Conner, William Mason Conner, Harriet (Price) Conner, Orville Thomas Conner, Carol Conner

Ann and Orville are my great grandparents.  William and Harriet are Orville's parents, my great, great grandparents.  Carol is Ann and Orville's daughter, my grandfather's sister.

Goals

Now that we are over 1/12 of the way through 2012, I guess I’d better do a goal check…

Writing/Publishing Goals

Finish rough draft of Grampa book.  With the help of my new genealogy writing group through L-AGS and the Family History Writing Challenge, I am well on my way to finishing the rough draft.  I have finished part 1 and a lot of part 2.  My side goal is to have Part 2’s rough draft done by February 26.

Photo book of WMC. Working on an interactive timeline instead of photo book

Research Goals

Order Civil War pension file for Miles Price.  Completed Monday!

Blog Writing

Need to get better at this.  Will spend some time prepping some posts and scheduling them.

I have been good at not getting too sidetracked, though!  Except by life and work…