Granny Pam's Genealogical Trials and Triumphs
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2009 Resolutions, Progress?

December 30th, 2009 | Posted by Granny Pam in Organize! | Tools and Information - (0 Comments)

The end is here, the end of the year, that is. It is time to see how Granny has done on her resolutions. On December 28, 2008 I considered my situation carefully and wrote:

For my research:

1. Enter all the information from the BOX into my database. No exceptions, no cheating.

2. I will file all the paperwork in the proper place, not in piles on the floor, desk, or in any convenient box.

Results:

I believe I made three assessments of my progress on August 8, on September 3, and on and October 20th.

For this final look back at 2009, I can report that all the data in the box/pile was entered, and all the original paperwork was filed. That big challenge I made to myself is complete, so I have that to be glad of.

And for my blogs:

1. I will post on either GrannyPam or Granny’s Genealogy every day.

2. I will finish posting all the data from my “old” genealogy site to Granny’s Genealogy.

When this post, and the one I have written for tomorrow is written, I will have made 406 total posts on Granny’s Genealogy, and 180 on GrannyPam. That is a total of 586. To be completely honest, there were many days that I made no post anywhere, but on some days I posted several times.

Honestly, if my goal was to post every day, I did not achieve it. If it was to write every day, I did achieve it.

I am particularly happy about the “Belle’s Box” series of posts. I wanted to highlight a bit about Papa’s family, and their way of life in the early 20th century in Wexford County. Although the series posed many questions, there were also gems, and answers.

As for posting all the data from my old website here on Granny’s Genealogy, I have almost achieved that. There is some data that needs to be reformatted, and I will need to rethink how I present it in blog format. I believe I posted about 90% of the information here, so by my estimate I “almost achieved” that goal.

That is my last look back, from now on, I will be looking forward to 2010. May if be successful for all Geneabloggers!

Reflections and a Resolution Update

June 6th, 2009 | Posted by Granny Pam in Organize! | Tools and Information | What's going On - (1 Comments)
This entry is part 252 of 342 in the series Belle's Box

Today marks the last post in Belle’s box, archival book two. Two down, one to go! The third book had fewer transcriptions and more photos. I don’t know the names of each person in the photos, but I will continue to post each item.

The entire series will end before the annual reunion of Belle’s family, which is scheduled for August 2, 2009.

While this is a little late, I want to include a five-month update on my resolutions; so here they are with progress notes up to May 31.

1. Enter all the information from the BOX into my database. No exceptions, no cheating.

Well, things are slow here. I had a good start and got about a quarter of the info into my computer program, but then remodeling and life in general interrupted.

2. I will file all the paperwork in the proper place, not in piles on the floor, desk, or in any convenient box.

OK, I admit, I have not filed a thing related to genealogy. The paperwork from the first quarter of the problem box, that is the data I’ve entered into the computer is neatly filed in archival sleeves and sitting in a new box I hunted up for that purpose. My reasoning is reasonable, (I think.)

  1. There will be more items for the same names.
  2. The names are in notebooks in alpha order.
  3. I will need to add notebooks in many places in the alpha sequence
  4. It is easier to go through once instead of eight or ten times.
  5. Therefore, I’m saving labor, and time by delaying.

I don’t know if my thinking is faulty, but I’ve always been better able to work in steps. In my mind, entry is one step, and filing is another. I guess I’ll just keep on keeping on.

And for my blogs:

1. I will post on either GrannyPam or Granny’s Genealogy every day. The numbers tell the truth, on the 151st day of 2009 I had made 266 blog posts. I’ve got some days off coming! Seriously, I know I’ll never be Randy Seaver, who posts tons of interesting and useful information on a zillion blogs. So, why try?

On Granny’s Genealogy, this blog, my results are:

January 32
February 30
March 38
April 32
May 34

Total: 166

On Granny Pam, the “real me” blog, my results are:

January 15
February 15
March 26
April 22
May 22

Total 100

2. I will finish posting all the data from my “old” genealogy site to Granny’s Genealogy.

I have made some progress on this goal. I posted some cemetery information and a couple of bios. I expect work in this area will pick up as soon as the last of Belle’s box is posted.

 

So, overall, the results are as I might have imagined. I’m pretty good a sticking to a big project, and posting all the items from Belle’s Box is definitely that. I am also easily distracted, and you can see that in the fact that I let my filing go.

I expect the summer fun we have planned, including visits from grandchildren, bluegrass festivals, gardening, yard work and other fun activities will continue to erode my computer time for several months. We’ll just have to see how the filing goes!