Geneabloggers Winter Games final status

Today for Go Back and Cite Your Sources! I entered 10 citations in my data base for a Bronze Medal.
I also was able to do Expand Your Knowledge by doing Task B-Create a timeline. 

So, drumroll please!  My final tally:

Go Back and Cite Your Sources!
10 citations for a Bronze Medal

Back Up Your Data
Completed Task C for a Gold Medal

Organize Your Research
Completed Tasks A, B, C and D for a Diamond Medal

Expand Your Knowledge
Completed Task B for a Bronze Medal

Write, Write, Write!
Completed Tasks A, B, C and E for a Diamond Medal

Reach Out & Perform Genealogical Acts of Kindness!
Completed Tasks A, F and G for a Gold Medal

So the final tally is:
2 Bronze
2 Gold
2 Diamond

I am really glad I participated in these Games.  Not only did I get some things done that needed to be done but I also got started on some projects that I will continue to work on.  Best of all, I had the opportunity to "meet" fellow GeneaBloggers and read about some of the really awesome and interesting projects they are working on!

I wish I had time for more but I'm off to the ballgames.

Timeline - William Harrison Ballinger

While reading Miriam Ridkiff's posting, Using Timelines, on her AnceStories blog, I was struck by a comment she made regarding what her timeline format does for her.  She said, "it gave me a visual of the years where there are blanks."  I've put together timelines for some of my ancestors but they haven't done that for me.  So I decided to try her method.

Miriam uses a line for each year of the person's life and fills in whatever she can for that person's lifespan.  She says she has heard that "professional genealogists state that good family research will account for an ancestor's whereabouts with gaps no more than two years apart!" 

Here's a timeline for my brick wall ancestor, William Harrison Ballinger, who I wrote about for a previous Madness Monday.  William was born in 1821 and died in 1909.  You don't need to study the timeline in detail to see where the gaps are. 

What I learned:

• I knew there was a big gap in the early years of William's life up until his marriage.  It's bigger than I realized!
• I have more information than I thought for the time period from the mid 1850's through about 1880. 
• I thought I had more data from the mid 1890's through William's death.  In fact, I think if I were to revisit my files, I could glean more information for that time period.  Who knows what it could lead to!
• Finally, I am reminded that I do have some Mahaska County, Iowa land records for the 1850's that I obtained on a trip to the Family History Library a year or two ago.  I am embarrassed to say, it's in one of those piles I meant to organize and process but life got in the way.  I need to dig those out and at the very least put them in my "To Be Processed" filing system.  Who knows what a review and processing of those papers will lead to!

Thanks Miriam for inspiring me to try a new angle on a tried and true research method!  And in the process, it helped me to earn a Bronze Medal for completing Task B in the Expand Your Knowledge category of the GeneaBloggers Winter Games.

Copyright 2010, Michelle Goodrum

Geneabloggers Winter Games Update

I've made some significant progress in the last couple of days.

In the Organize Your Research category, I completed Tasks B, C, and D. 

My dining room table desperately needs to be cleared off so Task C was the perfect activity.  I put several dozen photos into albums.

Since I'm still trying to get my "new" laptop organized with all of my genealogy "stuff" that is spread between two older computers, Tasks B and D were the perfect activities.  I don't know how many hundreds of digital files and photos I organized into folders but I made significant progress.  I also was able to add tags and descriptions to many of them although there is always more work to be done there.

So now I have completed Tasks A, B, C and D giving me a Diamond Medal!

In the Write, Write Write! category, I completed Task B by participating in the First Edition of the Carnival of Genealogical Societies, Doin' Things Right. 

Since I have completed Tasks A, B, C and E in this category I am up to a Diamond Medal.

Only a few more days to go and so much to do!


Copyright 2010, Michelle Goodrum

GeneaBloggers Winter Games Update

Last night I finished Task A of Organize Your Research! by organizing over 20 "ancestral items".  Most of these are items that are being displayed in my home but it occurred to me that I am the only one who knows the story behind the item.  So I put a label on the item or a card in or with the artifact telling who it belonged to and any other really important/interesting facts.  A couple of the truly older items and those with extensive stories, I photographed for the "Heirloom Book" I have started.  Their information is included on it's own page.  I'll write more on that in a future post.  Bronze Medal.

In the Back Up Your Data! category, I made a complete backup of all the genealogy data and files that have been migrated to my "new" laptop by backing up to MyBookWorld and to an online resource.  Bronze Medal.

Total updated medal count:
1. Go Back and City Your Sources! Nothing yet but I WILL be doing something soon.
2. Back Up Your Data! Bronze Medal for completing Task C.
3. Organize Your Research! Bronze Medal for completing Task A.
4. Expand Your Knowledge! Nothing yet
5. Write, Write, Write! Gold Medal for completing Tasks A, C, and E
6. Reach Out & Perform Genealogical Acts of Kindness! Gold Medal for completing Tasks A, F, and G.

You know the great thing about these Games?  Since some of these tasks can be done over and over, it's a great way to get into a new habit.  For example, pre-publishing posts and commenting on new (to me) blogs.

Copyright 2010, Michelle Goodrum

GeneaBloggers Winter Games Update

The last few days I have managed to tear myself away from the Vancouver Games on TV to participate.

In the Write, Write, Write! category:
Task E: I created a page on the blog of a tab of the Surnames I am researching using the New Pages Feature in Blogger.  I also added another tab listing the Societies and Organizations I belong to with links to their web pages.

This moves me up to a Gold Medal since I have already completed Tasks A and C.

So my medal count is as follows:
Write, Write Write - Gold Medal
Reach Out and Perform Genealogical Acts of Kindness - Gold Medal

Copyright 2010, Michelle Goodrum

Geneabloggers Winter Games Status #2

Day 4.  Today I worked on the Write, Write, Write! category and completed the following:
Task A: Write a summary of what your blog is about and post it on your blog.
I used the new Pages feature in blogger as suggested and was glad I did.  I suspect I will be adding more tabs to the blog in the near future!
Task C: Prepare several posts in draft mode and pre-publish them.
I love this feature and have used it before.  If you haven't tried it, you should.  It's easy and a great time management tool.

This puts me at the Silver Medal  level in this category.

Copyright 2010, Michelle Goodrum

GeneaBloggers Winter Games Status #1

I'm off to a bit of a slow start since it's already day 3 but that's OK. 

I started off with the Reach Out & Perform Genealogical Acts of Kindness category by completing:
Task A: Comment on a new (to you) genealogy blog.
I commented on 2 today
Task F: Join a genealogical, historical, heritage or lineage society.
I've had a post it note on my computer for quite a while now to join the East Tennessee Historical Society.  Done.
Task G: Use the Follow feature on a Blogger-based genealogy blog and follow one or more blogs.
I lost track of how many I started to follow today but it was at least 2 or 3.

That was easy and fun!

Copyright 2010, Michelle Goodrum

Winter 2010 Geneabloggers Games

Well, I've decided to take the plunge and participate in the Winter 2010 Geneabloggers Games.

I plan on participating and medalling in 4 of the 6 categories.  If I have time, I'll attempt the other 2 as well.

1. Go Back and Cite Your Sources!

I am going to attempt at least a Bronze medal by going back and correctly citing 10 sources.  When I changed genealogy programs a few years back, some of the citations didn't transfer over.  I've been slowly going in and re-adding the missing ones.  There's plenty of work to be done in this area.

2.  Organize Your Research!

I am shooting for a Gold medal on this one by completing at least 3 of the organizing tasks.

3.  Write, write, write!

Since the whole purpose of my blog is to write, I figure I might as well go for Gold and complete 3 of the tasks.

4.  Reach Out and Perform Genealogical Acts of Kindness!

It's time for a little payback after all the help I've received over the years.  I'm attempting a Bronze but I can see myself getting wrapped up in this one.  So who knows....

So, I've designed my flag which is a combination of the American, New Zealand and Greek flags.  American for my country of which I am proud.  New Zealand because I really would like to go there some day.  Their flag also includes Great Britian which is a country I also am enthralled with.  To me the Southern Cross on their flag is calling me to visit the southern hemisphere.  Finally, the Greek flag because I visited Greece a few years ago and was drawn in by the ancient history that is everywhere.

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