Family Recipe Friday- French Dressing

Vera Mariani’s French Dressing

3 cloves garlic, crushed           1 ½ cup olive oil*

2 tablespoons sugar                 1/3 cup wine vinegar*

1 ½ teaspoons salt                   1/3 cup water

¼ teaspoon pepper                  1 lemon, squeezed

¾ cup catsup                          

Mix all.

*Only use Star brand olive oil in the large tin.  Vinegar was Mariani wine vinegar- over 100 years old!  Near equivalent is Granzella’s Premium Red Wine Vinegar from Williams, California.  Almost as good!

Genea-Hero

Last month the 2014 president-elect of the Livermore-Amador Genealogical Society sent an email to all members saying that he was going to be at the National Archives in Washington DC and that he’d be glad to do some research for others.  I thought how nice it was that he volunteered for this and then I thought how I really wanted to know which file I should order of a Civil War pension, as I have a name with two services.  Maybe he could see which was the right one so that I wouldn’t waste money on the wrong one.  But then I thought he’d be too bogged down with other people with more interesting items to find, so I threw away the email.

Then the next week, he sent another note that he was surprised no one had contacted him.  I felt sad for him and didn’t want him to go to the National Archives with nothing to do (!), so I sent him my dreaded Smith request.  Yes, the dreaded Smith.  But the first name was unique so I’d hoped I wasn’t asking too much. 

Well, my Genea-Hero not only found the right file, but copied it all for me!  I now have a CD of the entire pension file!  And it’s fascinating.

This is my husband’s second great grandfather on his father’s side.  My husband never met his father, nor new anything of his father’s side.  I found that his great grandmother was a Smith and her father was in the Civil War.  Twice (which is why there were two that I found and wasn’t sure who to order—they were the same person!).  He now knows that his 2^nd great grandfather was 5’7” tall, had a dark complexion, gray eyes and brown hair. 

He also knows that his grandfather contracted the measles in Kansas City, Missouri in 1861.  As did my 3^rd great grandfather.  Both rode St. Joseph’s Railroad at the same time.  Did they know each other?  Pass each other?  I’m still working a timeline for him, but he was captured by the Confederates in Little Blue, Missouri on 5 November 1861 and then discharged on 22 December that year and returned home (I assume as part of the release agreement).  He reenlisted on 15 August 1864 and was a sergeant until his discharge on 26 June 1865. 

His pension file mentions diseases of the heart, kidney and back as well as chronic diarrhea, all from the measles contracted in 1861.  Since my own grandfather’s pension file reads nearly exactly the same, except chronic cough rather than diarrhea, I am guessing that everyone maybe exaggerated their symptoms just a bit? 

I am sure that as I analyze his service timeline, I will be adding more writings about Kilbourn Smith (and we know know how HE spelled his first name, as his signature is nice and clear!).

Thank you from the bottom of my heart to my Genea-Hero, Patrick!

I Don't Do Resolutions

I make To-Do Lists instead...

At the bottom of this post is my master list of Genealogy Things to Do.  I crossed off those I accomplished in 2013 and put those that I plan to do in 2014 in red.

 Breaking down my 2014 list, here are my objectives in order of do-ability:

·         Write a book about the Mariani family.- This book is in the finishing stages.  Also known as the boring stages.  I just need to hunkerdown and get r done.  Timeline goal: end of March release.

·         Visit Sacramento- 1) 2nd great grandparent's house; 2) Roots Cellar Library. - I can take a day trip with the kids for this.  First step is to find out where the house was.  Slate that for March and trip for April.

·         Find out more about Miles Price’s parents. - I’m going to need to figure out how to research this.  Plan for when Mariani book is done, so April.

·         Update my website with all new features. – This requires research and plotting and planning, as well as learning a new platform.  I will plan this for the second half of the year.

·         Write a book about my dad and my personal history.- I will continue adding stories to my journal about Dad throughout the year.  This will be a multi-year project.

·         Take classes at National Institute for Genealogical Studies.  This requires money.  Once I have enough to spend, I will continue my classes.

·         Write a book about Miles Price.- I just got some pension file records from my husband's 2nd great grandfather.  I may try to combine these records into a book.  There are a lot of similarities and I have some ideas of making a combo project that will be interesting (maybe).  I began looking into this book, but it requires much research and organization.  This may or may not get started this year.

My quick wins are finishing the Mariani book and visiting Sacramento.  I will focus on the Mariani book first and then revisit the list to see what strikes my fancy!  The other main thing I want to accomplish this year is more blogging.  I slacked off in deference to my Mariani writings in 2013.  To kick this off, my goal for January is a post a day and 500 words per day of writing.  We will see how I do!

In my personal life, in addition to moving, I'm facing many other large changes that are not necessarily for the immediate good.  So my ancestors and writing are going to be a focus this year, keeping me strong and making me feel a purpose and importance. And love. I never feel stronger than when learning about many great grandparents and the struggles they faced in their every day lives. I have their genes.  I'm going to be just fine.

-Debbie

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Debbie’s Master List of Genealogy Things to Do

TRIPS

Lucas County, Iowa where my Conner and Price families lived

Capa, South Dakota where my grandfather lived.  Preferably WITH my grandfather.

Haakon County, South Dakota where my 2^nd great grandfather had a homestead

Sacramento- 2nd great grandparent's house

Sacramento- Roots Cellar Library

Massachusetts- New England Historic Genealogical Society

Massachusetts- Plymouth again

Indiana- Allen County Public Library again

San Francisco- Sutro Library

Salt Lake City- Family History Library

Motor home the Civil War route that Miles’ took

Carluke, Scotland

Go on a genealogy cruise

WRITING

Write a book about my dad- in progress

Write a book about Miles Price- in progress

Write a book about the Mariani family- in progress

Complete a genealogy scrapbook

Enter footnotes to Duke’s book
Write a 5-generation book of the kids' ancestors
Write my personal family history book- in progress
Picture book of Christmas decorations
Revisit blog posts and update to provide source info

CONFERENCES

Roots Tech

FGS conference

NGS conference

RESEARCH AND EDUCATION

Find out more about Miles Price’s parents

Take classes at National Institute for Genealogical Studies

Learn to do presentationsOngoing

Learn Photoshop

Learn inDesign
Learn how to do a for-family podcast
Update my website with all new features
Map and pin where ancestors were from and lived

Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories

For a few years, I participated in the Geneabloggers' Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories. Last year, I also took photos of my special ornaments and then after Christmas, when all the photo sites had big sales, I put it all in a free (well, I paid shipping and tax) photo book.

Now my blog posts and holiday memories are recorded. And hopefully my kids will know which ornaments they shouldn't toss, despite the bite marks and cheesiness.

 

Posted with Blogsy

Why Genealogy is Like Heroin

When I first started doing genealogy, it was the 1990s.  I did genealogy on the internet for fun with no intention of making it a second non-paying job taking up all my extra time and energy (and money).  I would imagine it’s how a lot of us start.  We don’t wake up one day and say, “I think I’m going to research my family history.”  It just comes in tiny, addictive little stages. 

Like heroin.  I’m sure heroin addicts don’t wake up one day and decide to be addicts, join the underworld of heroin doers, and spend all their money on it.  They just say, “Sure, I’ll try a bit of that.”

So one day, I said, “Sure, I’ll try a bit of that family history.”  And then it slowly filled my veins.

Because this was a slow process, it took me a lot of glassed-over glossy stares before I realized I should try to find others like me.  Other addicts to help me feel more normal and to be among my Own Kind.  And to ply me full of my drug of choice.  I found online places for this interaction (RootsWeb mailing lists, to name one), but then I wanted in person meetings.

That is when I did the old-timey Google equivalent (Alta Vista—remember them?!?!) for my town and genealogy.  Up came my local genealogical society.  A “society,” I thought?  I don’t need a whole society; I just need a few friends.  But I went to a few meetings and slowly adjusted. It was, I admit difficult, as they all talked to me like I’d just started genealogy, simply because I was relatively young and because I was new to their group.  At other society meetings, I had the same thing happen.  Treated like I’d never been exposed to genealogy, even though I have done it for quiet awhile.

Now, I don’t mean to pick on my beloved local society because I’ve had this same experience at every society meeting I’ve attended with any of the societies I belong to (Yes, plural.  Shut up.).  But it was very off-putting those first few meetings.

Curt Witcher in his speech on November 1 challenged our societies to be relevant, engaging, fun and worth it.  Along the lines of relevance, many of the societies I’ve joined gave me either hardcopy beginner genealogist forms or PDFs of the forms.  I’d say this is fine for brand new genealogists who haven’t got a computer and don’t know anyone with a computer.  But for anyone else, it’s a bit of a waste of time and money.   My local society has binders for each new member filled with forms, how-to guides and other information.  I’m not sure how often the how-to guides and other information are updated, but I really wonder if those forms and PDFs and how-tos are at all necessary or useful?  Instead, why not find out why a member is new before giving them what we think they want.  Have they been doing genealogy for 42 years, but just moved here?  Maybe local and regional information would be more appropriate.  Are they like me- been doing it but not part of a group?  Find out their level and expertise and try to use them!  Are they truly new?  Hook them up with another member who can be their genealogy mentor.  Don’t just give Family Group Sheets and Pedigree Charts to everyone across the board.  It’s costly and can even be a bit insulting.

Engaging… Has your society been together forever?  Do you all know each other and have social time before or after?  Include the new people!  My local society has visitors, new members and guests introduce themselves (or be mentioned).  That way we can make them feel welcome during the social part of the meeting.  And if you all do know each other, don’t assume that everyone knows everyone else.  Introduce everyone in your circle.  Talk about genealogy!  Find out what they do, how they do it, and how they can contribute to the society.  And how the society can contribute to them.

Fun… I think this is where we excel.  We are inherently fun because we all find the same thing fun: our family history.  But do we capitalize on this fun?  No.  We bury it in the word, “Society” and in the bylaws and newsletters and complaint departments.  We should bring it to the forefront so that everyone comes to meetings or special interest groups or opens newsletters and experiences more fun.

Worth it.  This one is the hard part.  Of course I think they are worth it because I belong to several.  If I didn’t, I would just stay in pjs instead of attending the general meetings, board meetings, project meetings, special interest groups, and field trips.  To me, they are worth it.  They give me a way to take AND give.  They give me a way to learn, make friends with the same interests, and they give me a way to help others.  But what do people want?  Our participation at events is low.  Why?  We clearly aren’t providing what they want in these events.  The writing group has about 6 of us that are diligently attending.  Out of 200 members.  I love my 6 so it isn’t something I’d change, but maybe the 294 others wish we had an underwater genealogy class.  Or a how-to find your grandma from outer space class.  If we just assume they want a writing group like I do, then we are again deciding what they want and complaining when they don’t rush to get it.

We need to get better at asking.  Our polls need to be more specific.  Our answers need to be more honest.  I belong to several societies in the towns across the country that my ancestors lived in.  I won’t go to their meetings ever.  But they’ve never asked me why I belong or I’d tell them it’s because I like their newsletter.  Or I’m thankful for the work they did on a project and want to show my support.

Do we know why each of our members is a member?  Why don’t we? 

Do they know why they are a member?  Why don’t they?

Now back to the heroine analogy.  A quote that applies to heroin AND genealogy:

“Anything worth doing, is worth overdoing.”
― Nikki Sixx, The Heroin Diaries: A Year In The Life Of A Shattered Rock Star 

Presentation by Curt Witcher

The San Mateo CountyGenealogical Society had a seminar on Saturday, November 2 featuring CurtWitcher of the Allen County Public Library.  Sadly, I have a tough time getting away on Saturdays and so I was unable to attend.  But on Friday, November 1, Curt did a very small selective presentation on the future of genealogical societies.  The San Mateo County Genealogical Society offered up a seat to my local genealogical society (Livermore-AmadorGenealogical Society) and I was able to attend on their behalf! 

It was wonderful.  I nodded all afternoon in agreement.  The title was, “Re-Think, Re-Boot, Re-Connect: It’s a New World!”  Mr. Witcher talked about doing an Environmental Scan—look around at other entities like schools, businesses, libraries, etc.  See what they are doing.  Browse the internet for new and interesting ideas.  Often at board meetings, we hear about how “those people” are using technology.  But “those people” are “MOST people.”  We are the outliers.  The number of people doing genealogy is into the 60-80 million, but our societies are declining.

We need to re-think what we provide.  We need to take pride in the journey and the experience.  Curt talked about 21sters, defined as those who came to genealogy in the 21^st century.  We complain that they want instant results, but that is “just how it is.”  We need to work with that.  We need to “tune our radar" and engage individuals who are not in our space. 

We need to go where they are.  Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Blogs, Tumblr, Snapchat (I felt old, as I don’t know how Tumblr and Snapchat would work for genealogical societies.  But then I at least knew what they were… barely).  Our websites should be interactive with streaming video and dynamic.  Societies get paralyzed by over-analysis.  We use the “ready, aim, aim, aim, aim, aim, oops- target moved” philosophy. 

Our customers and prospective customers need to see us as RELEVANT, ENGAGING, FUN, and WORTH IT.  Do they? 

Tomorrow I’ll post my own thoughts.  Today was a thankful post to the San Mateo County Genealogical Society and Curt Witcher for the opportunity to sit with others and hear some hard truths making it understood that we need to make some changes in our “industry.”