Monday, April 28, 2008

Genealogy Journal - 04/28/08

This was pretty much an all-day genealogy race to see if I can avoid pain in my neck from sitting too much. An interesting day, too.

I was on the computer before 8 a.m. reading my email and blogs, and I posted "The Pace of Genealogy Research - Post 3." Then I finished my Cartnival post about "Leominster, Massachusetts" after finding the map and the web sites. I wrote two more advance posts for next weekend.

At 9:45, my wife called from Victorville asking if I had heard anything about the birth of Audrey. I told her "nope" (actually, I had forgotten all about this event... dumb) but I text messaged James and he responded saying everything was OK, then he sent a picture of Audrey, and then finally a message that Tami was fine. I ate lunch and took off for the library. On the way, he called from home to say that things had gone well. While I was at the library, he sent the picture of Audrey, which I posted later in "Audrey is here - a new leaf on our family tree!"

At the library, I checked out the estate papers work party, then talked to John and Dearl, and went to look in the San Diego newspaper index for an obituary. No luck. Terry came by and we talked at the table for awhile, then two ladies came and said they were looking for me. One of them was Frances, whom I had talked to on the phone on Saturday. I sat with them for awhile and explained what genealogy was, how to do it, gave them some forms, and we went to the library computer to see if we could find her father in the 1930 census and his parents too. We found them in 1910, 1920 and 1930 - they were amazed at how easy it was. Ahem... I told them it's not usually that easy. An easy and uncommon surname, good handwriting and a stable location really help!

I was home by 3:30 p.m. after that, and posted my Audrey note, then checked email and blogs. I found the census images for Frances and emailed them to her. At 5 I went in and had dinner (Dinty Moore stew tonight) and watched BOR, then watered the plants and left for the library again at 6.

The library had a presentation about the Chula Vista Historical Society programs coming up in May, plus a book signing for the Images in America: Chula Vista book just published with historical photographs. I posted about it on the Chula Vista Genealogical Cafe. I talked to a lady about doing oral histories, then came home by 7:30. I got started in finding more Knapp families in the census and was able to put several families together, including spouses and children - and before I knew it it was 10 p.m. Then this post.

Genealogy today was 11.5 hours - of which 0.5 hour was reading and writing email, 0.5 hour was reading blogs, 2.5 hours was blogging, 1.0 hour was texting and phoning about Audrey, 3.0 hours were at the library on CVGS business and consulting with Frances, 1.5 hours at the library for the CVHS presentation, and 2.5 hours was working on Knapp families on Ancestry and the NYTimes.

I wonder what can I blog about tomorrow?

No comments: