Saturday, December 31, 2011

My genealogy day - 31 December 2011

We made it home today from Santa Cruz and Monte Rio.  We drove from Solvang to Chula Vista in four hours, getting home at 12:30 p.m. 

*  I fired up the desktop computer soon after and got my email sorted out and blogs read.  Started in on the Best of 2011 Genea-blogs and worked on it for a long time.  This is something I should do every month.

*  Made my Happy New Year's post for Sunday also.  Then checked Facebook and wrote this post.

End of December Genea-Musings statistics:

* 901 Feedburner readers (+40)
* 1,134 Google Reader readers (+22)
* 23,362 web page visits (754 per day, Site-meter) (+71)
* 39,865 page views (1,286 per day, Site-meter) (+147)
Those are the best month statistics ever!

End-of-December statistics for RootsMagic database:

* 41,448 persons (+65)
* 16,425 families (+27)
* 108,583 events (+182)
* 4,932 places (+26)
* 716 sources (+1)
* 24,612 citations (+181)

 I'm up to 22.7% for citations/events and 59.4% for citations/persons.

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

My genealogy day - 21 December 2011

This may be my last Journal entry for the year - we're off on Thursday for Santa Cruz to spend Christmas with Lori and the boys, and then go to Monte Rio for several days with Paul and Deb.

It was a blogging fool kind of day - I lost track of how many I wrote, but I posted five and wrote quite a few more. 

*  Read email and blogs, and noted that Advent Calendar - December 21: Christmas Music posted.  Got phone call from cousin Diana about the Journal.  We talked about all of the extended family.  It was great to talk to her again.  I forgot to put my cousin's obituary in the Journal. 

*  Wrote (Not So) Wordless Wednesday - Post 184: Randy and Santa Claus and next week's post also. 

*  Worked in FTM 2012 for awhile, and wrote Ancestry Member Trees, Family Tree Maker 2012, and the iPhone Ancestry App - Post 3.  Schelly called, and I posted  MyHeritage Releases new feature-packed Family Tree Builder 6.0.

*  Decided to make a report for Paul on his grandmother's ancestry.  Made an RM5 GEDCOM, read it into FTM16, then the FTM16 file into FTM2012, but the narrative report I saved as an RTF needed lots of editing.  Went back to FTM16 and made an RTF report and had to do only minor edits on it.  Printed it, put it in an envelope, put the envelope in my laptop case.

*  Did some wrapping while Linda was out.  All in a bag that I need to remember!  Gathered all of the electronic gear and the cables and put them all in the laptop case.

*  Noted that Historical Records of a Real Santa Claus posted.  Wrote several more blog posts for next week. 

*  Went off at 4:30 p.m. to go to the bank for cash.  Home by 5 p.m.  Watched TV until dinner time.

*  Online at 6:30 p.m. to read, write three more blog posts, answer some email, add to the Best Of post, check Facebook, and write this post. 

There are 21 blog posts waiting to post now!

Genealogy today was 10.0 hours. 

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

My genealogy day - 20 December 2011

Four more shopping days...yikes!  We leave on Thursday too.

*  Read email and blogs, noted that Advent Calendar - December 20: Religious Services posted, and then wrote Tombstone Tuesday - William and Sarah (Cutter) Knapp in Newton, New Jersey.

*  Answered some CVGS emails, and then worked in FTM 2012 for awhile.  Decided to unlink the AMT tree, so then downloaded the AMT tree to a new FTM database and all of the media came with it.  Added more record links using the iPhone to Russ's tree for his testing.

*  Wrote Ancestry Member Trees, Family Tree Maker 2012, and the iPhone Ancestry App - Post 2 about making it all work.  Had lunch.

*  Left at 1 p.m. to go shopping at Plaza Bonita - bought two small things for Linda.  Need more stocking stuffers and one more nice blouse or sweater.

*  Home by 2:30 p.m. to read, then wrote Possible Knapp Families in Dutchess County - Post 4: Knapps in the Settlers of the Beekman Patent.

*  Went hunting for marriage records in San Francisco on FamilySearch and found a license.  Decided to write it up for next week in two posts.

*  Went in at 5:30 p.m. to eat dinner, watch TV, and read the paper.  

*  Back on keyboard at 6:30 p.m. to read, write more blog posts for next week, and work in FTM 2012 some more.  Added linked images to more people using the iPhone so I can sync them on Wednesday. 

*  Added to the Best Of post, checked Facebook, answered an email about software reports, and wrote this post. 

Genealogy today was 11.0 hours.

Monday, December 19, 2011

My genealogy days - 17 to 19 December 2011

It was not a really big genealogy weekend because Tami, James and the girls were here for most of it.  Then Sunday had football.

1)  Saturday, 17 December 2011:

*  Got email and blogs read, and the Surname Saturday and SNGF posts went up on schedule.  Tami's family got here by 11 a.m. and it was pretty much non-stop fun until evening.  We opened Christmas gifts in the afternoon - Lauren got to ride her new bike and Audrey tried out her skates (can't get them off her!).  Went to dinner at Miguels.  Tami and family went driving by Christmas Tree Lane while I watched the Aztecs game.

*  Managed to get the Best Of post ready to go on Sunday.  Not much else got done!

2)  Sunday, 18 December 2011:

*  Tami's family left at 10 to go to the bayfront, then they headed for home.  We went to church.  Finished up the Best Of the Genea-Blogs post and watched football games.    Took a nap, then mowed the front lawn.

*  Watched the Chargers game during dinner - we won 34-14. 

*  Online at 9 p.m. to read, then wrote the amanuensis Monday post for Monday.  I need to start working ahead so that there's posts during our Christmas trip.

3)  Monday, 19 December 2011:

*  Read email and blogs, noted that Advent Calendar - December 19: Christmas Shopping and Amanuensis Monday - the Will of Henry Farwell (1605-1670) of Chelmsford, Mass. posted.

*  Watched Eastman's talk at MSOG and wrote "The Future of Genealogy" Video.  Wrote Possible Knapp Families in Dutchess County - Post 3: Given Names of the Children.

*  Worked a bit in Ancestry.com and FTM 2012 trying to understand what happened with the iPhone file attachments.

*  Left at 12:30 p.m. to go shopping.  Home by 2 p.m. with some success.  Guessed at the sizes - they were right!

*  Wrote CVGS Holiday Luncheon Review and one more post on the Chula Vista Genealogy Cafe blog.

*  Worked more in Ancestry and FTM 2012, and wrote Ancestry Member Trees, Family Tree Maker 2012, and the iPhone Ancestry App .

*  Went in for dinner, read the paper, added the Ancestry Android app to the Galaxy, and helped Linda do email on the Galaxy. 

*  Back on the desktop at 7 p.m. to read, write the last 5 Advent Calendar posts, an Amanuensis Monday post and two Surname Saturday posts.   Added to the Best Of post, checked Facebook, and wrote this post.

Genealogy today was 10.0 hours.

Friday, December 16, 2011

My genealogy day - 16 December 2011

This was not a big genealogy day - I really did nothing but blog and listen to the radio show.  Oh well.  The weekend is here, and our first family gathering with Tami and her family coming down on Saturday.

*  Read email and blogs, noted that Advent Calendar - December 16: Christmas at School posted, and posted Follow Friday - Pre-Christmas Weekend Genealogy Fun.

*  Wrote Follow-Up Friday - The William Knapp Search, then left to mail my Journal packets, get a Polish dog at Costco and wander through the toys, then picked up George for our walk on the bayfront.  We only went halfway because of my foot. 

*  Home by 1 p.m. to read, read more of ESM's website, and write Elizabeth Shown Mills's "Historic Pathways" Website.

*  Worked on the Samsung Galaxy tablet for the first time.  Navigation is different from the iPhone!  Got Linda's email and Facebook on it and looked at other Apps.  It already had Sudoku and Yahtzee games.  Will add more later.

*  We left at 4:50 p.m. for dinner at Lolita's.  Blech.

*  Home in time to listen to the Geneabloggers Radio show at 6 p.m, until 8 p.m.  Chatted most of the time.

*  Checked Facebook, added to the Best Of post, then wrote the Surname Saturday post and the SNGF post.  Wrote this post.  Just the blogging fool - 6 posts written today.

*  Modified some individuals in the RootsMagic 5 database then made a new GEDCOM, and imported it into Legacy Family Tree. 

Genealogy today was 9.0 hours.

Thursday, December 15, 2011

My genealogy day - 15 December 2011

The day seemed to go by quickly... and now it's almost Friday.  Where did this week go? 

*  Read email and blogs, noted that Advent Calendar - December 15: Holiday Happenings posted, and wrote Treasure Chest Thursday - Lucretia (Smith) Seaver's Death Certificate.

*  Downloaded the MyHeritage App and it works.  Answered some email.

*  Left at 11 a.m. for the ban, the library, and McDonald's. 

*  Home by 12:30 to read, then wrote Possible Knapp Families in Dutchess County - Post 2: The "Nicholas Knapp Genealogy."

*  Balanced the checkbooks and organized the paper files...

*  Added thumbnail images to the FTM2012 shared on iPhone, synced to Ancestry tree, and noted that it's on the iPhone too.

*  Went in at 5 p.m. to watch TV news, read the paper and eat dinner.  Watched more TV after.

*  Online at 7 p.m. to read, then worked on the iPhone adding hints to the tree.  They synced to Ancestry, but not yet to FTM 2012 for some reason.  Got the Journal stuffed, labelled, licked, and stamped while doing the iPhone thing.

*  Added to the Best Of post, checked Facebook, and wrote this post. 

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

My genealogy day - 14 December 2011

It was an interesting day, with the CVGS Holiday Luncheon and then adding music, photos and PDFs to my iPhone.

*  Read email and blogs, noted that Advent Calendar - December 14: Fruitcake! Friend or foe? posted.  Wrote (Not So) Wordless Wednesday - Voss from Molster Farm and then  Rootsweb Review Bites the Dust.

*  Wrapped the flash drive for the CVGS gift exchange, heated up the veggies, put them in the casserole, and took everything out to the car.  Left at 10:40 a.m. for the library for the CVGS Holiday Luncheon.

*  Helped set up chairs, consulted with others on research problems, showed off my iPhone to several people, and the meeting started at 11:45.  Food started at 12:15 when Linda showed up.  Gary put a nice slide show together about 11 CVGS folks that are past presidents, 20-year members or honorary members.  I was included as one of them.  Helped clean up a bit, and then Pam gifted me with the sugar cookies that she made, knowing that I would enjoy them, since I blogged about them the other day.  Yum!

*  Was home by 3 p.m. to read, then wrote Possible Knapp Families in Dutchess County NY in 1790.

*  Very sleepy after all of the desserts ... went in and took a nap, then read the paper, watched TV, ate dinner, and put the trash out.

*  Collated and stapled the Journal copies.  Now I need to buy the envelopes, stamp and label them, and mail them out on Friday. 

*  Worked for awhile trying to get my music, some photos and some PDFs on the iPhone.  Resorted to Googling "how to..." and the articles were helpful, although I didn't catch everything the first time around!  Now I have over 500 songs, over 170 photos of the grandkids, and 4 genealogy reference books in PDF on the iPhone.  In hindsight, the Galaxy will be better for the PDF books!

*  Checked Facebook, added to the Best Of post, and wrote this post.

Genealogy today was 8.0 hours.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

My genealogy day - 13 December 2011

It was a cold and rainy day again, so I didn't go out.  I worked in my database and got my Journal finished!

*  Read email and blogs, noted that Advent Calendar - December 13: Holiday Travel posted.  Wrote
Tech Tuesday - Smart Phone and a Tablet...oh my!

*  Answered email, and answered some Ancestry.com messages. Added info to the database from email, and did some more work enriching the spouses of Seaver folks...I have lots of people with just a name who married a Seaver person, so I'm randomly going through and finding data on Rootsweb WorldConnect, Ancestry databases, especially the census records, or FamilySearch databases.

*  Made another cut-down GEDCOM file that included spouses of descendants, loaded it into FTM 2012, synced to Ancestry.com, and into my iPhone.

*  Posted Early-Bird Deadline for APG PMC in Salt Lake City and then wrote Commentary on Social Security Death Index Restrictions.

*  Worked some more in the database on Seaver spouses.  When I find info in a database, I add it and source it.  I also try to edit the Notes for uniformity when necessary. 

*  Pared down my music collection by using a naming convention and eliminating duplicates.  I still have more to do to separate them into genres.  Eventually, some will go into my iTunes folder and hopefully into my iPhone.  Added a bunch of PDFs to my Dropbox file.  I hope to be able to read them on the iPhone and Galaxy. 

*  Went in at 5 p.m. for dinner, then we took dinner to our friends house where she just got out of the hospital.  Linda likes helping others...she's an angel!

*  Home by 6:30 p.m. to start in on printing the even number pages of the Family Journal.  It went OK, had maybe 10 spoiled pages.  almost ran out of color ink too.

*  Worked more in the database, concentrating on Vermont BMDs on FamilySearch.  Added quite a few marriages with sources. 

*  Added to the Best Of post, wrote six Advent Calendar posts for the next week, checked Facebook and wrote this post.

Genealogy today was 10.5 hours.

Monday, December 12, 2011

My genealogy days - 11 and 12 December 2011

Sunday was not much of a genealogy day, but Monday was all day genealogy!

1)  Sunday, 11 December:

*  Read email and blogs, got Best Of post ready.  Went off to church at 9:40 a.m.

*  Home from church at 11:30, updated the Best of the Genea-Blogs - 4 to 10 December 2011 and it posted.  Went in to watch football and read the paper.

*  Watched NFL games, listened to Chargers game (we won 37-10 over Buffalo), and played with the iPhone.

*  We left at 4:15 for Plaza Bonita to shop for Audrey, and had dinner at the Red Robin.  Pretty good. 

*  Home by 6:15 p.m. to read, worked a bit on the Journal, checked Facebook, wrote CVGS Holiday Luncheon is Wednesday, 14 December.

*  Went in at 9 p.m. to watch Chargers highlights, played with iPhone, finished my Lee Child book, forgot to post.

Genealogy on Sunday was maybe 3.0 hours.

2)  Monday, 12 December:

*  Read email and blogs, noted that Advent Calendar - December 12: Charitable/Volunteer Work posted.  Wrote Amanuensis Monday - the Will of Joseph Farwell (1641-1722).
 
*  Checked RootsTech list of speakers, and wrote First Look at the RootsTech 2012 Schedule, then Tamura Jones finds the GEDCOM X playground.

*  Found an error in my database for a Thomas Clarke, so fixed that and found some sourced data on the family and added several families.  Then I found out they weren't mine.  Drat. 

*  Saw Sheri's Google+ post about the SSDI, so wrote Social Security Death Index Gone from Rootsweb.com. 

*  Made a new, smaller GEDCOM for all my ancestral families, and Linda's, and exported it to FTM 2012 and then synced the new tree to Ancestry.  Then added it to my iPhone, so now I have my ancestral families in a database.  I may modify it because siblings of my ancestors, and some cousins, aren't included. 

*  Went in at 5 p.m. to read the paper, watch TV news, and ate dinner, then more TV news.  Played on the iPhone a bit also.  No games yet! 

*  Online at 7 p.m. to read, then worked on the Journal.  Got the thing edited then printed the odd pages - will do the even pages tomorrow to let ink dry. 

*  Worked a bit in Ancestry and WorldConnect and Google to add content to some Seaver families in the database. 

*  Added to the Best Of post, checked in on Facebook and Google Plus, and wrote this post.

Genealogy today was 11.5 hours.

Saturday, December 10, 2011

My genealogy day - 10 December 2011

It wasn't much of a genealogy day, although we finally made it to the 21st century technology wise. 

*  Read email and blogs, and noted that Advent Calendar - December 10: Christmas Gifts posted.  Answered some email, then figured out that I'd better write the SNGF post, so I did that.  In the mean time, I listened to quite a few Christmas songs on YouTube trying to find the ones I wanted.  Noted that Surname Saturday - FARWELL (England > Massachusetts) posted too.

*  Remembered about the MySociety radio show, so tuned in late, then listened to all of it while I ate lunch.  Noted that Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Blog Caroling!!! posted.

*  Wrote Blog Caroling on Saturday Night! Angels We Have Heard on High and then worked in the database for awhile.  Got two families from the Eva Kempton books sourced. 

*  We decided to go shopping, so off to Target to get Audrey's skates, and then to Verizon to get me an iPhone and Linda a basic Samsung Galaxy tablet.  Had some basic training, but it's going to be pretty hit and miss for awhile, especially on Linda's side.  They set up email and Facebook for her, downloaded some free games, and we'll see how much she remembers tomorrow.  Then to Filippi's for dinner and home by 7:15 p.m.

*  Read email and blogs, then worked with the iPhone for awhile, and downloaded iTunes to the desktop.  Added to the Best Of blog and checked Facebook, then wrote this post.

Genealogy today was 8.0 hours. 

Friday, December 9, 2011

My genealogy day - 9 December 2011

Uh-oh, only 15 shopping days left until Santa comes... actually went shopping today!

*  Read email and blogs, noted that Advent Calendar - December 9: Christmas Weather posted and wrote Follow Friday - Pre-Christmas Genealogy Weekend Fun.

*  Answered some email, got the pictures off both cameras, made some photos for Linda, and wrote The American Community Survey Questions. 

*  Left at 1 p.m. to go to Target to buy a bike for Lauren, then to Best Buy to look at Tablet and notebook computers for me (didn't buy one...) and then to the County Clerk/Recorder's office to get two death certificates for a correspondent.  They had to get the images from the microfilm at the downtown office and fax them to the local office.  I played on the real estate computers for awhile.

*  Home by 3 p.m. to read, answered some email, and posted Review: "Genealogy at a Glance: Immigration Research."

*  Went in at 5 p.m. to read the paper, watch TV and eat dinner.

*  Online at 6 p.m. for Geneabloggers Radio, then wrote four Advent posts and the Surname Saturday post.  Worked on the Journal - now have 15 pages done out of 16...need family input about a marriage and a death.

*  Checked Facebook, added to the Best Of post, and wrote this post. 

Genealogy today was 10.0 hours.

Thursday, December 8, 2011

My genealogy day - 8 December 201

It was a stay-at-home genealogy day, but it feels empty...I didn't get much done today. 

*  Read email and blogs, noted that  Advent Calendar - December 8: Christmas Cookies! posted and wrote Treasure Chest Thursday - Isaac Seaver's Birth Certificate.

* Worked on the CVGS Newsletter, got it wrapped up, and the master printed off. 

*  Wrote Exploring Family Tree Maker 2012 - Post 28: Creating an Undocumented Facts Report.

*  Got sidetracked and did some online searches for Massachusetts folks - siblings of my ancestors, adding dates and places for them and their spouses.  Only did about 15 searches on AmericanAncestors. 

*  Left at 2 p.m. to copy the CVGS Newsletter at the UPS Store, then took them to the post office and mailed them, along with 90 Christmas cards.  Two tasks completed...but most of the work was last night.

*  Home at 3 p.m. to answer email, worked some more in AA.org, then wrote Wild Card Searches on AmericanAncestors.org.  AA.org stopped working for me...frustrating!  Just a busy time, I think, or I need to reboot.

*  Went in at 5 p.m. to watch TV, read the paper, and eat dinner. 

*  Online at 7 p.m. to read, answer email, and fill out the  American Community Survey for the census bureau.  Interesting. 

*  Added three pages to the Family Journal tonight - 11 down, five to go! 

*  Added to the Best Of post, checked Facebook, and wrote this post.

Genealogy today was 10.5 hours.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

My genealogy day - 7 December 2011

It was a pretty full genealogy day - but I didn't do any online research or work in my database at all.  I have too many projects to finish this week!  I finished two tonight.

*  Read email and blogs, noted that Advent Calendar - December 7: Holiday Parties posted, and that My Rooted Technology - a Meme posted.  Wrote (Not So) Wordless Wednesday - Post 182: Molster Farm and set it for late morning, but it went into Draft and I didn't see it until mid-afternoon.

*  Wrote SDGS Family History Seminar Features Thomas W. Jones and set it for mid-afternoon. 

*  Gathered my papers for the CVGS Board meeting and left after 11 a.m. for lunch at McDonalds, then to the library by 11:45.  Surveyed new site for the genealogy book collection, and then sat through the 2.5 hour meeting, 

*  Home by 3 p.m., read everything, and started in on Christmas letter printing.  Got enough letters done for Linda to finish Phase I of the card/letter mail out.  Now I need to finish the Family Journal.

*  Answered some email, said goodbye to Tami (she taught in SD tonight), and we had dinner, and I watched the sports news, then took the trash out. 

*  Worked on the CVGS Newsletter and got it almost finished.  Hope to publish it tomorrow and get the cards in the mail. 

*  Read blogs, added to the Best Of post, checked Facebook and Google+, and wrote this post.

Genealogy today was 9.0 hours.

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

My genealogy day - 6 December 2011

We're back from our long weekend on Catalina Island.  We drove up to Long Beach on Saturday morning, caught the 12:15 p.m. catamaran to Catalina, and were in Avalon by 1:45.  It was a bumpy ride over.  Found the hotel, got checked in, rested up, went out shopping, had dinner to celebrate Linda's birthday, enjoyed pictures with Santa Claus and the crowds out for the tree lighting.  On Sunday we took a 4 hour tour around the island - to the airport, offroad to the beach, then Middle Ranch, and back to the airport for lunch, then back to Avalon.  Saw buffalo and one fox and some birds.  Pretty.  Unspoiled except where the fire burned off vegetation in 2005.   Rested up, did some shopping, had dinner.  Checked my email and read blogs but did no genealogy work at all.  We came home on Monday - caught the 11:45 catamaran to Long Beach, then drove home in time to see the Chargers game on TV on Monday night.  I did write two Advent posts on Monday night just to get the juices stirring again, and worked through some of my email pile.

*  Read email and blogs, noted that Advent Calendar - December 6: Santa Claus posted.  Wrote Tombstone Tuesday - Edwin and Alice (Corey) Richmond in Leominster, Mass.

*  Worked in TootsMagic 5 and wrote Exploring RootsMagic 5 New Features - Post 5: The "On This Date" Report.  Answered lots more email.  Printed off CVGS things too.  Checked up on plantar fasciitis - yep, I got it!

*  Found some newspaper articles in Ancestry.com about several of the Knapp folks, so added data and sources to my database.

*  Downloaded the FTM 2012 patch, and wrote Family Tree Maker 2012 Patch Released and set it for later.  Worked on the shared tree in Ancestry.com adding content and sources found in newspaper articles.

*  Made the Christmas letter labels for Linda.  Worked in Find-a-Grave adding content and sources for Brookline NH and Evergreen MA entries by Carol P. 

*  Went in at 5:30 p.m. to read the paper, have dinner, and watch the TV news.

*  Online at 7 p.m. to read, then worked on family letter, and also on CVGS Newsletter.  got the framing done, added some content, now need content from others. 

*  Checked Facebook, added to the Best Of post, and wrote this post.

Genealogy today was 11.5 hours.

Friday, December 2, 2011

My genealogy day - 2 December 2011

I think I'm ready for the weekend.  I blogged my fool head off again today...

*  Read email and blogs, noted that Advent Calendar - December 2: Holiday Foods posted.  Wrote My "On blogs and blogging" article in NEHGS 'The Weekly Genealogist" newsletter and then Follow Friday - Have Some Weekend Genealogy Fun.

*  Worked a bit in RootsMagic 5, and wrote Exploring RootsMagic 5 New Features - Post 4: The CountyCheck Report and set it for early afternoon.

*  Left at 11:30 a.m. to go to Costco for a Polish dog, then looked at the toys, and then to Plaza Bonita to look for birthday gifts for Linda.  Foiled again...I wish I could find pretty clothes for her in her colors and styles. 

*  Home by 1:30 p.m. to read, answer some email, and write Follow-Up Friday - Comments about RootsMagic GEDCOM, Places, etc.  Wrote the Surname Saturday post, and one other.

*  Went in at 5 p.m. to watch the news, read the paper, water the front plants, and doze off.  Came in at 6 p.m. for Geneabloggers Radio, but dinner was called at 6:05 so I missed about 15 minutes of the show.

*  Came back at 6:20 to listen to the show and chat along, and at 7:30 I wrote the SNGF post for Saturday and got the Best Of post ready to publish on Sunday.  Checked Facebook, Google Plus and wrote this post. 

Genealogy today was 9.5 hours.

Got the 2011 photos and scans backed up last night to the external drive. 

We are off to Catalina on Saturday via Long Beach to celebrate Linda's birthday, and will be back on Monday after noon to watch the Chargers game.  blogging will resume on Tuesday at expected levels.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

My genealogy day - 1 December 2011

Phew!  It was a genea-blogging-fool day!  12 posts... a record, perhaps?

*  Read email and blogs, and posted Advent Calendar - December 1: The Christmas Tree.  Then wrote Advent Calendar posts for the next four days too. 

*  Wrote Treasure Chest Thursday - Isaac Seaver + Lucretia Smith Marriage Certificate and went looking for the house in Medfield.  I think I  found the location - see Where Did My Alpheus Smith family reside in Medfield, Massachusetts?

*  Worked a bit in RootsMagic 5 on the CountyCheck system.  Captured screens and wrote Exploring RootsMagic 5 - Post 3: The CountyCheck Feature and set it for later in the afternoon. 

*  Wrote Genealogy Days in Chula Vista - December 2011 and one more CVGS post.  Answered some emails, went out to the pharmacy and shopping for Linda's birthday. 

*  Home by 3 to read, then started on the FamilySearch list but got sleepy.  Worked on the Knapp stuff for awhile, and finished the FS list task.  Went in at 5:30 p.m. to watch TV, read the paper and eat dinner.

*  Online again at 6:30 p.m. to read, then wrote New Historical Record Collections at FamilySearch - November 2011.  Added to the Best Of post and wrote the amanuensis post for Monday.  Did some more Smith research.

*  Checked Facebook, read the new GEDCOM into FTM 2012 and checked it.   Wrote this post and I'm done, I think.

Genealogy today was 12.0 hours.

Got the Genealogy files backed up to the external drive last night.  Need to do the pictures tonight.

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

My genealogy day - 30 November 2011

Eleven months down, one to go.  I wonder if I've done any of my new year's resolutions.  I'm afraid to look!

*  Read email and blogs, then wrote My "Welcome to the World of Genealogy Blogs" article in "The Weekly Genealogist" newsletter.  Downloaded and read the latest NEHG Register. Wrote (Not So) Wordless Wednesday - Post 181: Visiting Liland Farm.

*  Put together Exploring RootsMagic 5 - Post 2: The Research Manager and set it for late morning.

*  Had lunch, got my briefcase and went off to the library for the CVGS program meeting.  Program started at noon, Georgie Stillman talked from 12:45 to 2:15 on ten member heirlooms.  She is so good!

*  Home by 3 p.m. to read, then write Genealogy Paintings - Unique Ancestry Art and FamilySearch Home Page and Search Forms Revisited.

*  Tami was here to teach a class, so we had dinner early, and I put the trash out, and watched the news. 

*  Back online at 6:30 to answer email, then worked in the database for awhile, and finished the three pages of Aunt Gerry's memories for the Journal.  Went in at 9 p.m. to watch the end of the SDSU basketball game, then added to the Best Of post, checked Facebook, and wrote this post.

Genealogy today was 10.5 hours.

End of November Genea-Musings statistics:

* 861 Feedburner readers (+15)
* 1,112 Google Reader readers (-5)
* 20,201 web page visits (673 per day, Site-meter)
* 34,165 page views (1,139 per day, Site-meter)

End-of-November statistics for RootsMagic database:

* 41,383 persons (-10)
* 16,398 families (+33)
* 108,391 events (+207)
* 4,906 places (+44)
* 715 sources (+26)
* 24,431 citations (+1062)

I pruned some unrelated people from the tree, but added a bunch of sources and citations.  Cool.  I'm up to 22.5% for citations/events and 59.0% for citations/persons.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

My genealogy day - 29 November 2011

It was a busy stay-at-home day, with much of the day spent in RootsMagic 5.

*  Read email and blogs, wrote Tombstone Tuesday - Aaron Smith (1765-1841) in Medfield, Massachusetts.

*  Got RootsMagic 5 working with my database converted by Bruce B.  Checked out new features.  Wrote RootsMagic 5 Webinar is Today at 4 p.m. PST and then Exploring RootsMagic 5 - Post 1: The View Screens.

*  Had lunch, answered some emails, put a Research Log together in RM5, and wrote My RootsMagic 5 Problem was Solved Quickly.  Wrote Checking Out the New FamilySearch Home Page and Search Forms.

*  Worked more on the Research Log for William Knapp in RM5.  Watched the RootsMagic 5 webinar and learned a few things.  Not sure I can remember them all!

*  Went in at 5:30 p.m. to read the paper, watch TV and eat dinner.

*  Back online at 6:30 p.m. to print Linda's Cabo pictures, then started the Seaver-Richmond Family Journal for 2011, got all pages set up, and first five pages done. 

*  Added to the Best Of post, then went searching for sources for some Knapp births in New York City.  Found them in FamilySearch, and added citations to the births and christenings. 

*  Checked Facebook and wrote this post.

Genealogy today was 11.5 hours.

Monday, November 28, 2011

My genealgoy days - 27 and 28 November 2011

Once again, I missed a journaling day on Sunday.  Really not much to say!  Monday was busy!  Got the sniffles and sore throat, started the cold capsules.  My right foot feels much better today.

1)  Sunday, 27 November 2011:

*  Read email and blogs, got the Best of the Genea-Blogs - 20 to 26 November 2011 ready to post at noontime.

*  Went to church, home by 11:30 a.m., read some, went in to watch football.  Watched Chargers game - lost to Broncos 16-13 in overtime.  Drat.

*  Back online at 5 p.m. to read, then ate dinner, and back to post CVGS Program is "Heirloom Discovery Day" on 30 November on both blogs.

*  Worked in Ancestry.com finding census records for the Knapp children, and adding people, facts, notes and sources to the database.  Checked Facebook and Google Plus.

Genealogy today was maybe 4.5 hours at most.

2)  Monday, 28 November:

*  Read email, and quickly posted RootsMagic 5 Released, then tried to down load it.  Download went fine, including removing RootsMagic 4, paid for it, and tried to load my RM4 database and got an error.  Now the RM4 database was partially converted, and I had no RM4 on my computer.  Not to worry - found my RM4 registration code, downloaded RM4 again, copied the database from Dropbox to my Database file, and had RM4 running again.  Sent RootsMagic customer support a message, and got a response.  Tried to send RM4 file but it hung up in transmission.  Drat.

*  Wrote Read D. Barry Sheldon's blog, Above the Branches and continued worknig on the RM4/FRM5 problems.

*  Once I had RM4 back, I wrote Amanuensis Monday - Obituary of Lydia (Griggs) Smith (1808-1889) (the info was in my RM4 database).  Continued working in RootsMagic 4, added some spouses from the Smith family to the database. 

*  Had lunch, wrote Santa Claus videos at Ancestry.com's YouTube Channel.   Answered a bunch of emails. 

*  Left at 1 p.m. to go to the library to work on a query, but had no luck  at all.  Home by 2 p.m..   Edited my NEHGS article and sent it off one more time.

*  Registered and added content to LostCousins, then wrote The LostCousins Website - use it for "Cousin Bait"   No matches for Richmans and Marshmans.  Drat.

*  Sleepy, so went in to watch the news and take a nap.  Read the paper, had dinner, and watched the Saints game. 

*  Online at 6:30 p.m. to read, then test Mocavo UK and write Mocavo Genealogy Search Engine for the UK is Live.

*  Sent a Backup file to RootsMagic at their request to try to solve my RM5 problem.  Added more content to the Knapps in the RM4 database.  Added to the Best Of post.  Checked Facebook, and wrote this post. 

Genealogy today was 10.0 hours today.

Saturday, November 26, 2011

My non-genealogy days - 24 throguh 26 November 2011

I have not had much time to pursue my genealogy goals since Thanksgiving Day, which is understandable I guess.

1)  Thursday, 24 November 2011:

*  Read email and blogs, and noted that Happy Thanksgiving! and I Am So Thankful ... posted.  I wrote My Mayflower Connections - 6. William Brewster and My Mayflower Connections - 7. Edward Fuller and set them for later in the day.

*  Russ was working on my GEDCOM file, and we exchanged many emails as he found problems or quandaries, and we thrashed them out. 

*  Linda and I left at 3 p.m. to pick up Lillian, and we all went to Ben and Sharon's for Thanksgiving dinner.  Their three kids, five grandkids, and three other family friends were there, for a nice group of 16.  We were home by 8:30 p.m.

*  Read everything, added to the Best Of posts, and answered some email.

2)  Friday, 25 November 2011:

*  No, I didn't go shopping at midnight, at 4 a.m., or anytime during the day.  Linda did in the morning but not to the busy stores. 

*  Read email and blogs, and wrote Follow Friday - More Weekend Genealogy Fun! and then My Mayflower Connections Compendium (and an explanation).

*  worked some more on Russ's emails, and wrote File Sharing and Brick Walls - Russ Examines My Database and set it for later.  Kind of wary of someone finding all of my errors of commission and omission! 

*  Tami and James, Lauren and Audrey, and Spencer the basset  arrived just as I was finished with the last post.  While A and T slept, I did more work, writing The Strange "Y" in a Death Description Field in a RootsMagic 4 GEDCOM File.  When A got up, I helped get her settled with a snack and we watched TV and cuddled. 

*  T & J left for dinner and a shopping date, and we took the girls to El Pollo Loco for dinner, then to Cold Stone for ice cream afterwards.  We were home by 7:30 and finally got the girls in bed by 9.  They were still awake at 10:15 when T & J got home. 

*  Needless to say, I had to hurry to get the two posts for Saturday done before bedtime at 11:30.

3)  Saturday, 26 November 2011:

*  nope, no shopping for me!  Linda went swimming, I got up with the girls and got them breakfast and we watched TV.  After T & J got up, I sneaked some time to read email and blogs and note that Surname Saturday - LNU (Massachusetts) posted. 

*  We left at 9:45 a.m. to go to Sea World.  It was a beautiful day - sunny and blue skies and about 75 F.  Took some pictures by the Christmas tree, then went to Dolphin show, walked through Turtles and Sharks, and then got lunch at Shipwreck Reef Cafe.  Linda and I sat near the exit while the girls played at the playground.  We left at 1:30 p.m. and were home by 2.

*  Everybody was tired, my foot hurt, and I got a short nap watching football.  Came in at 3 p.m. to make sure that Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Historical County Boundaries posted.  Matt wrote that I hadn't sent him my FORUM column, so I found it, edited it one last time, and sent it only a month late.  Rats - forgot to send it in October. 

*  Went in to entertain the girls and Spencer (who badly chewed one of Linda's nice sandals) and we took Linda out for dinner for her birthday to Miguel's in Eastlake.  We were home by 6:30 p.m. and T & J took their kids and dog home soon after.  It's quiet around the messy house.

*  I watched the SDSU football game - they beat UNLV 31-14 (so now 7-4). 

* Online to read, add to the Best Of post, answer some email, check Facebook, and write this post.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

My genealogy day - 23 November 2011

It was a stay-at-home day again - did a lot of blog writing, one research log, a speaking calendar and some data mining.

*  Read email and blogs, and wrote (Not So) Wordless Wednesday - Post 180: The View from Gjelle Farm.  Put My Mayflower Connections - 3. Richard Warren and My Mayflower Connections - 4. Francis Cooke together and set them for later, but they didn't publish at the right time.

*  Worked on transcribing the research log for William Knapp, including adding to what ended in 1993 based on the papers collected since then.  Created some reports also, and a GEDCOM file, for Russ to review and work with.

*  Checked into Research Logs and notes in FTM 2012, LFT 7 and RM 4.  Wrote Research Logs in Genealogy Software to try to summarize my findings.  got some helpful comments too.  Answered several emails.

*  Went in at 5 p.m. for dinner, then read the paper and watched the news and the SDSU basketball game.  Aztecs beat Arizona 61-57. 

*  Back in the cave at 7:15 p.m. to read, then put a speaking/conference calendar together.  Wrote My Mayflower Connections - 5. Stephen Hopkins.  Wrote two Thanksgiving posts and one more Mayflower post for Thursday.

*  Found that I didn't have good notes for some of my Mayflower people, so perused the WeRelate.org, Mayflower Families and Wikipedia biographies to add content to the database. 

*  Checked Facebook, added to the Best Of post, and wrote this post.

Genealogy today was

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

My genealogy day - 22 November 2011

Had my OASIS talk today, so I did get out and get a little exercise.

*  Read email and blogs, then wrote Sheri's Thanksgiving Video - Genealogy Fun! and Tombstone Tuesday - Carringer Niches at Cypress View. 

*  Worked a little in FTM 2012, then wrote My Mayflower Connections - 1. George Soule and set it for noon time, but it didn't post then.  I had to post it later.

*  I thought my OASIS talk was at 2 p.m., so I got the laptop case ready, then checked the calendar one more time and it said 1 p.m.  Yikes!  I left at 12:10 p.m. and was there by 12:35, and set up by 12:45 and the class started at 1:15 p.m.  It went the full 90 minutes because of questions.  I had about 45 attendees and they seemed interested.  They liked the handout with lots of links.  One of the attendees was a sorority sister of my mother.

*  I was home by 3:30 p.m. to read, posted the Soule post, worked on my NEHGS article a bit, then wrote My Mayflower Connections - 2. William White.  I was tired so went in to watch the debate and read the paper, eat dinner, and watch the end of the debate.

*  Back online at 7:15 p.m. to read, answer some email, read some of the GEDCOM blog posts, read Google Plus, and finally worked in Find-a-Grave.  Found quite a few entries for my Metcalf and Smith lines in Dedham and Medfield and Walpole MA, and up in Piermont NH. 

*  Checked Facebook, added to the Best Of post, talked to Lori for 30 minutes, and wrote this post.

Genealogy today was 9.0 hours.

Monday, November 21, 2011

My genealogy days - 20 and 21 November 2011

I was a bad boy last night - didn't write my journal here and rushed in to read my detective book.  Now I can't remember what I did!

1)  Sunday, 20 November 2011:

*  Read email and blogs, and finished up the Best of the Genea-Blogs - 13 to 19 November 2011 post.

*  We left for church at 9:30 a.m., not raining yet.

*  Home by 11:30 a.m. to go to the Scanfest - scanned 41 images of Seaver probate records - now have to name them and stitch some together.

*  Came in at 1 p.m. to watch the Chargers/Bears game.  Forewent going to the wedding at church, Linda went.  Chargers lost 31-20 in a decent game, but mistakes in the end cost us.  Now 4-6 and no hope for a winning season, let alone playoffs.

*  Online at 4:30 to read, and print out the OASIS handout for Tuesday.  Transferred files to flash drive.

*  Went in at 5:30 to read the paper, eat dinner and watch the Eagles/Giants game for awhile.

*  Online again at 7 p.m. to read, then do another page of sourcing NH Marriages on Ancestry.com. 

*  Started a new Best Of post, checked Facebook.

Genealogy on Sunday was about 6.0 hours.

2)  Monday, 21 November 2011:

*  Read email and blogs, wrote Amanuensis Monday - the Obituary of Lyman Dwight Smith (1807-1889), and then worked in FTM 2012 and wrote Exploring Family Tree Maker 2012 - Post 27: Doing a Web Search - Case 1 - Source Citations.

*  Gathered my three queries up and headed to the library.  Got one done, the second one I left a critical piece of paper at home.  Drat.  Stopped by the UPS Store to copy my two-page handout for OASIS on Tuesday.

*  Home by 1 p.m. to read, then write Breaking News: MyHeritage has Acquired FamilyLink and WorldVitalRecords and You Can Help Rescue Some Underwater Texas Cemeteries.

*  Got the OASIS Talk files on the laptop and shut it down.  Answered some email.   Wrote What's "Bad" About Genealogy Software?

*  Went in at 5 p.m. to read the paper, watch TV and eat dinner. 

*  Back online at 7 p.m. to read, then work on the NEHGS article.  Added to the Best Of post, checked Facebook and google Plus and wrote this post.

Genealogy today was 10.5 hours.

Saturday, November 19, 2011

My genealogy day - 19 November 2011

I'm wondering if I should start my birthday and Christmas shopping soon?  Linda's BD is 3 December.

*  We left before 7 a.m. for the dolphin club breakfast at Carrows.  I took the laptop, and left right from there for the CGSSD meeting at UCSD, starting at 9.

*  Paid my CGSSD membership for 2012, attended the RootsMagic class, then the business meeting and the program.  Read blogs there, and tweeted a bit, and noted that Surname Saturday - FLETCHER (England > Massachusetts) posted.


*  Home by 12:30 p.m. to read email and blogs, noted that Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Thanksgiving Edition posted, and ate lunch. 

*  Watched football, read the paper, took a nap. 

*  Online at 3 p.m. to read, then worked in New Hampshire Marriages on Ancestry, adding content and sources for Seaver people.  Added quite a few new spouses and some sources.  Only got about 80 covered out of about 500.

*  Went in at 5 p.m. to watch the Aztecs game (they lost to Boise State), ate dinner, watched USC game (they won) and the end of the Oklahoma game (they lost).

*  Read, added to the Best Of post, checked some census records for some Seaver folks, checked Facebook, and wrote this post.

Genealogy today was 7.0 hours.

Friday, November 18, 2011

My genealogy day - 18 November 2011

It was a stay at home day again, I'm trying to rest my foot.  At least I can walk normally for most of the day now.

*  Read email and blogs, then wrote Follow Friday - More Weekend Genealogy Fun.

*  Worked in FTM 2012 for awhile, then wrote Exploring Family Tree Maker 2012 - Post 26: Doing a Web Search - Case 1 - Attaching an Image.

*  Answered some emails, worked some more in FTM 2012, had lunch, and can't remember what else I did until I listened to Ruth's interview with me at FGS.  Wrote My Interview with The Passionate Genealogist.

*  Wrote Follow-Up Friday - Free-form sources in Family Tree Maker 2012 and then worked in the database a bit - transcribed one will but was sleepy so stopped.

*  Went in at 5 p.m. to watch TV, water the front plants, add fluid to the widow washer in the car, read the paper, and eat dinner.

*  Back online at 6:10 to listen to Geneabloggers Radio and chat with the folks.  Another good show. 

*  Wrote tow posts for Saturday (since I'll be at the CGSSD meeting) , added to the Best Of post, checked Facebook, and wrote this post.

Genealogy today was 10.5 hours.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

My genealogy day - 17 November 2011

Yikes, it's the middle of November and I haven't even thought about the annual Seaver-Richmond Family Journal until just now.  Been too busy with everything else.  Will the cousins and brothers miss it?  Maybe I should not even send it and see who complains.

*  Read email and blogs, and quickly wrote Archives.com is NARA Partner to Host 1940 U.S. Census Images, and then Treasure Chest Thursday - Hattie (Hildreth) Seaver's Death Certificate.

*  Left at 10:45 a.m. for lunch with the Rohr retired engineers group.  Sat with Dennis, had a good time.  five guys asked me about genealogy research, four of them from England!

*  Home by 12:45 p.m. to read, then worked in FTM 2012 for awhile, and finally wrote Exploring Family Tree Maker 2012 - Post 25: Doing a Web Search -Case 1.

*  Answered emails for awhile, mainly on CVGS problems.  Did some more in FTM 2012 on Web Searches. 

*  Went in at 5 p.m. to read the paper, watch TV and eat dinner.  Back online at 6:15 p.m. to read emails and blogs, then wrote the SDGS seminar summary article and emailed it off.

*  Worked in Find-a-Grave and entered about 40 into RootsMagic database, all from one Boston area cemetery.   Added to the Best Of post, checked Facebook, and wrote this post.

Genealogy today was 9.0 hours.

I need to update my Ancestry Detective handout on Friday, and make a list of my speaking engagements for 2012.  Might even start work on the SRFJ too. 

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

My genealogy day - 16 November 2011

It was an interesting genealogy day, but I didn't really accomplish much besides writing some blog posts.

*  Read email and blogs, researched and wrote (Not So) Wordless Wednesday - Post 179: The Voss, Norway Church.  Wrote NEHGS Survey on Blog Reading, CGSSD Meeting on Saturday Features "Memories of Gettysburg" and  Dear Randy: What are you going to do with your "Genealogy Stuff?" and set them for later in the day.  Whew!

*  Had lunch at home, left at 11:30 a.m. for the library and the CVGS Computer Group meeting.  got the room set up and Shirley led the group through a number of sites.  I was excited that my OASIS student, Joanne, joined CVGS and attended the meeting today. 

*  Checked out a book from the library, headed home to switch cars, then headed to the airport cell phone lot to await Linda and Marilyn 's arrival from Cabo.  Got their at 2:40 p.m., so read the newspaper.  Their plane was on time at 3:10, but they had to go through Customs, and they finally called at 3:45.  I picked them up, and we got stuck in traffic, so didn't go the freeway.  Got to M's house at 4:45, but she had no key and the neighbor with a key wasn't home.  We all went to dinner at Pat and Oscars in Eastlake.  Got to M's house at 6:15 and waited until 6:45 for the neighbor to come home.   Stopped at Costco for gas, and home by 7:15 p.m.  Helped Linda unpack and get the wash going.

*  Online at 7:45 p.m. to read, add to the Best Of post, check Facebook, work for awhile in the database looking for errors, and wrote this post.

Genealogy today was 7.5 hours.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

My genealogy day - 15 November 2011

It was another fairly full genealogy day, interrupted by a visit to the dental hygienist.

*  Read email and blogs, wrote Tuesday's Tip - Check Out the Penny Postcards on USGenWeb Archives.

*  Got cleaned up, left at 9:40 a.m. for the dentist office.  Stopped at the bank on the way home.  Two birds with one trip.

*  Home by 11:30 a.m. to write Richard Sandler Wins a FREE RootsTech 2012 Registration!   Had lunch.

*  Worked in FTM 2012, then wrote Exploring Family Tree Maker 2012 - Post 24: Adding a Media Item.

*  Found the Dodge County newspaper articles I copied in Beaver Dam, so transcribed two of them into the database.  Added children to the Lyman Smith and George Smith families - they are cousins to my Devier Smith. 

*  Went in at 5:30 to eat dinner, watch TV, and read the paper.

*  Back on the computer by 6:15 p.m. to read, then transcribe two more articles, and add sources for the articles and the census data entered before.  Answered some email.

*  Snooped around in the database looking for obvious errors using a random search - found some names in capitals, and then looked in the SSDI for folks in the database - found probably 15 to 20 that I didn't have, so added them.  Mainly distant cousins of myself or Linda. 

*  Added to the Best Of post, checked Facebook and wrote this post.

Genealogy today was 10.5 hours.

Monday, November 14, 2011

My genealogy day - 14 November 2011

It was a pretty full genealogy day with my OASIS class, a little blogging and some data entry in the evening.

*  Read email and blogs, and noted that Amanuensis Monday - the Will of John Brooks (1623-1691) of Woburn, Massachusetts posted.  Gathered my OASIS stuff and left at 9:10 a.m. for Mission Valley.

*  Got there by 9:35 a.m. and got the computer and projector set up, then brought up RootsMagic to demonstrate reports, and FamilySearch, Ancestry, Genea-Musings on the browser.  All nine students came, and seemed to learn quite a bit for the entire class - they're all pretty actively searching for ancestors and family stuff.   They even asked about DNA testing, my blog, Jamboree, and several other things.  Demonstrated using AmericanAncestors to get Mass VR data too.

*  Stopped at Mcdonalds for lunch, went to Ralph's for groceries, and was home by 2 p.m.  Noted that Exploring Family Tree Maker 2012 - Post 23: Using an Existing Source Title posted.

*  Read email and blogs, and Google Plus and Twitter, did some research for my student and emailed her two images, and eventually wrote Using the Massachusetts Vital Records 1841-1915 Databases - Then and Now based on the OASIS class work.  It's funny - two knowledgeable genealogists commented that they didn't know the Mass VRs were now on FamilySearch!

*  Went in at 5 p.m. to watch TV, read the paper, eat dinner and watch the football game for awhile.  

*  Came in at 6:45 p.m. to answer email, read blogs and email, then worked a bit in the database adding a World War I draft registration Fact to RootsMagic and a source citation.   Started in on the Fisher article from the Kempton book, added several more generations, and tried to summarize the notes.  I still have more to do won this surname before I'm done.

*  Added to the Best Of posted, checked Facebook, and wrote this post.

Genealogy today was 10.5 hours.

Sunday, November 13, 2011

My genealogy day - 13 November 2011

It was a sat-at-home day in order to rest my foot and get some useful genealogy work done.  I'm not sure that I succeeded!

*  Read email and blogs, and got the Best of the Genea-Blogs - Week of 6 to 12 November 2011 post finished.

*  Watched football for awhile, read the paper, dozed off once, and back at about 11 a.m. to do something useful.  Decided to work on adding Facts to some of my families to cover education, religion, residence, occupations, etc, based on available data.  Had to modify some of the sentences for them to be sensible.  Added Pension data to Isaac and Alvina.

*  Back to watch football, eat lunch, and back at 2 p.m. to work some more.  Found a whole set of poorly done family data (I think I merged a GEDCOM file for the Remley family) and went through taking out the WFT data and eliminating many families of no interest to me.  Ran a problem report for age of mother at child's birth and sorted through those, trying to rationalize them.  Only a few were from ancestral families, most were collateral.

*  Watched end of 49ers/Giants game, then back online to check Twitter and google Plus, and work some more in the database.  Pruned more families!

*  Had dinner, watched some of Jets/Pats and back to work in FTM 2012, write two posts for Monday morning, and check the last OASIS class presentation again.  Started the next Best Of post, worked more in the database, checked Facebook and wrote this post.

Genealogy today was 7.0 hours.

Saturday, November 12, 2011

My genealogy day - 12 November 2011

It was a rainy genealogy day - rained all day, and I did genealogy almost all day.  My right heel is still really sore, to the extent of limping, and thinking about using crutches.

*  Read email and blogs, noted that Surname Saturday - HARWOOD (England > Massachusetts) posted.

*  Left at 8:10 a.m. to drive through the rain to the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Mission Valley for the SDGS Fall seminar, with Lou Szucs of Ancestry.com speaking all day.  Had a good talk with Lou before her four presentations.  She mentioned me and Genea-Musings several times in her talks - nice of her.  Had a good lunch with Jayne, Dona, Marna and others.  Dozed off in the 4th talk for awhile...Lou said others did too.  Said my goodbyes and drove home in driving rain.

*  Home by 4 p.m. to read, note that Saturday Night Genealogy Fun -- A Veteran's Service and Gravesite posted.

*  Went in to watch the rest of the Aztecs game at Colorado State - high winds, Aztecs won 18-15.  Ate dinner, read the paper.

*  Back online to read, put the Harwood material in the database.  Checked Facebook and Google Plus.  Went in to watch end of the Stanford game.

*  Back online, messed around in medieval lineages for awhile.  Did some email.  Wrote this post.

Genealogy today was 10.0 hours.

Friday, November 11, 2011

My genealogy day - 11 November 2011

It was Veteran's Day and the library was closed, and no mail, so I did genealogy for most of the day.

*  Read email and blogs, posted Veteran's Day 2011 - Thank You, Gramps and then Follow Friday - More Weekend Genealogy Fun.

*  Wrote What's My Morning Tech Routine? and set it for later in the morning.  Answered some email.

*  Left after 11 a.m. to go to Costco for stuff and a hot dog for lunch, then picked up George for our walk on the bayfront.  Came home with a sore right heel - and can hardly walk, have lots of pain.  Wonder what happened.  Never had this problem before.

*  Home at 1 p.m. to read, then write Follow-Up Friday - Responses to Family Tree Maker 2012 Series Comments and set it for mid-afternoon.

*  Worked through one more surname from the Eva Kempton books - Larkin - entering data, notes and sources into the RootsMagic database.  I only have a few more to do from that series, but lots more from other resources.

*  Went in at 3:45 p.m. to read the paper, watch TV, and ate dinner watching the Carrier Classic basketball game from San Diego.

*  Back online at 5:45 p.m. to read, then listened to Geneabloggers Radio and chatted away.

*  Wrote two posts for Saturday, added to the Best Of post, checked Facebook, entered Find-a-Grave data for about 15 people into the database, and wrote this post.

Genealogy today was 9.5 hours. 

Thursday, November 10, 2011

My genealogy day - 10 November 2011

It was a decent genealogy day, but then my Chargers had to spoil the evening with a weak effort, getting beat by the damn Raiders 24-17.  Shoot.  Did get to talk to both daughters, though!

*  Read email and blogs, wrote Treasure Chest Thursday - Frank W. Seaver's (1852-1922) Death Certificate.

*  Worked in FTM 2012, and wrote Exploring Family Tree Maker 2012 - Post 22: Creating a Civil War Pension File Source.

*  Had lunch, went down to the church office for awhile, and wrote November CVGS Newsletter is Available and CVGS Research Group Review - 9 November 2011 on the Chula Vista Genealogy Cafe blog.

*  Organized the RootsTech contest, and wrote Win a FREE Registration to RootsTech (2-4 February 2012).

*  Watched the two recent Legacy webinars, but got sleepy.

*  Went in at 3:30 p.m. to read the paper, but didn't nap.  Had dinner at 5, then watched the Chargers game until 8:30.

*  Back online at 8:30 to read, answer email, add to the Best Of post, write a post for Friday, check Facebook, work a bit with Find A Grave data, and wrote this post.

Genealogy today was 9.0 hours.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

My genealogy day - 9 November 2011

I feel like I wasted the day, but it was really quiet around the house with Linda off to Cabo for a week with her friend.

*  Read email, but we left at 7:45 a.m. to pick up Marilyn, then drop both Linda and Marilyn at the airport for their flight to Cabo.

*  Home by 9 a.m. to read blogs, note that (Not So) Wordless Wednesday - Post 178: Dinner in Oslo with Genealogists posted.

*  Reviewed Civil War Pension presentation, copied to flash drive, copied to laptop, ready to go!  Had lunch, noted that Exploring Family Tree Maker 2012 - Post 21: Creating a Cemetery Grave Marker Source posted.

*  Left for the library at 11:30 a.m., got set up early, chaired the Research Group, gave my presentation, took notes on other stories/problems.  Helped several folks with answers to questions.

*  Home by 2:30 to read, then write San Diego Genealogical Society Seminar on Saturday Features Lou Szucs.

*  Went out at 3:30 p.m. to mow the front lawn - it dried out a bit after two rain storms. 

*  Back in the house by 4:45 p.m. to eat dinner, watch a bit of TV, then came in at 5:30 p.m. to participate in a RootsTech phone call.

*  Answered some emails, worked a bit in RootsMagic 4.  Made a book to show capabilities of RM4 - pretty good.  Discovered again that marriages and spouses of children in an ancestor with children narrative report aren't listed - a drawback!

*  Added to the Best Of post, deleted some alternate events Facts from RM4 database, checked Facebook and wrote this post.

Genealogy today was 10.0 hours. 

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

My genealogy day - 8 November 2011

Stayed home, finished a few tasks today, and chunked away at others.

*  Read email and blogs, wrote Tombstone Tuesday - Edwin and Juliett Bryant in Leominster, Mass.  Worked in FTM 2012, and then wrote Exploring Family Tree Maker 2012 - Post 20: Using a Generic Source Citation Template and set it for later in the morning.

*  Started preparing my Civil War Pension File presentation for Wednesday's CVGS Research meeting.  Modified the NARA and DM list to put it in date order instead of page number order. 

*  Wrote Videos from Ancestry Day at San Francisco 2011 and then Volunteer for Families for Forgotten Heroes and Unclaimed Persons Project.

*  Sleepy, so went in at 4:15 p.m. to read the paper, watch TV, try to nap (didn't), and we ate dinner.

*  Back online at 6:30 p.m. to read, check Facebook, write two posts for Wednesday morning, add to the Best Of post and write this post.

Genealogy today was 11.0 hours.

Monday, November 7, 2011

My genealogy days - 6-7 November 2011

I was tired last night, so I didn't write my journal entry.  Bad boy!  Anybody care?

1)  Sunday, 6 November:  Rain again today.

*  Read email and blogs, got Best of the Genea-Blogs - 31 October to 5 November 2011 ready to post after noon.

*  Went off to church at 9:30 a.m., home by 11:30 a.m.  Met a genealogist visiting her brother.  Checked email and read a bit.

*  Went in at 12 noon to read the paper, watch football and eat lunch.  Watched the Chargers/Packers game, which ended 45-38 Pack.  Rats.  Grrrr.  We ate dinner later

*  Back on the computer at 7 p.m. to read, edit one more time and print out the CVGS Newsletter, print out the address labels, make sure the flash drive was in my pocket, etc. 

*  Started next week's Best Of post, worked in FTM 2012 on sources again, wrote two posts for Monday, checked Facebook and went in to read my book at 10:30.  Where did the time go?

Genealogy today was 4.5 hours.

2)  Monday, 7 November: Cleared up but cool and sunny.

*  Read email and blogs, checked the OASIS presentation one more time, noted that Amanuensis Monday - the Will of John Heald (1611-1662) of Concord MA posted, gathered my laptop and newsletter stuff, and left at 9:15 a.m. for my OASIS class.

*  Got there and was set up by 9:45, class started at 10:15 with questions, homework review, then presentation and demonstration of RootsMagic charts, Message Boards, and Ancestry Trees.  Helped several students with problems in the last 45 minutes, others used the free time to search online.  Emailed several the census records we found together.  Left at 1 p.m.

*  Stopped at McDonald's for lunch, then published the CVGS Newsletter at the UPS Store. 

*  Home by 2:30 p.m. to read, noted that Exploring Family Tree Maker 2012 - Post 19: Creating U.S. Census Source Citations posted.  Read everything, and got really sleepy.

*  Went in at 3:15 to watch TV, read the paper and nap.  Did some garage chores, then we ate dinner, and watched TV.

*  On the computer at 6:30 p.m. to read, answer several emails, work a bit in FTM 2012, then worked for awhile in Find A Grave and added content and sources to my database.  That is fun and relaxing, addictive even, and good for the database too!

*  Added to the Best Of post, checked in on Twitter, Google Plus and Facebook, and wrote this post.

Genealogy today was 9.0 hours.

Saturday, November 5, 2011

My genealogy day - 5 November 2011

I spent most of the day watching live streams from the San Francisco Ancestry Day - not what I planned, but it was good.

*  Read email and blogs, then went off to my men's group breakfast at 8 a.m.

*  Home at 9:30 to read, noted that Surname Saturday - PRESCOTT (England > Massachusetts) posted, and write Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - The Ancestry.com YouTube Channel and set it for early afternoon.  I watched several YouTube videos in the process.

*  I was all ready to do some serious research work (after all, I had all afternoon...) but then the Ancestry Day Livestream caught my eye, and I watched presentations by Anne Mitchell,  Crista Cowan, Jeanie Croasmun and Laura Dansbury about using Ancestry.com for various online research tasks.  There went the afternoon!

*  I went in at 3:45 p.m. to watch football, read the paper and take a nap.  The Aztecs game came on at 5 p.m. so I ate dinner watching that.  They eventually won 35-7.

*  Back online at 7 p.m. to read, answer email, scanned some family documents and the ten VR certificates I was missing (including my mother's death certificate!).  Named the files and put them in the right places, ready to be attached to Facts.

*  Worked on the CVGS Newsletter, and got it 100% complete.  It needs a good proof review still.  I'll publish it on Monday.

*  Added to the Best Of post (noting that only one other person has done SNGF so far...), checked Facebook and wrote this post.

Genealogy today was 8.0 hours.

Friday, November 4, 2011

My genealogy day - 4 November 2011

I love a rainy day...I get to stay in and play with my genealogy software, and blog, and have fun.

*  Read email and blogs, wrote Follow Friday - This Weekend's Genealogy Fun.

*  Worked in FTM 2012 on sources - got a surprise, and wrote about it in Exploring Family Tree Maker 2012 - Post 18: Creating a Vital Record Register Source Citation.

*  Talked to Yvette, answered some email, had lunch, wrote Review: "Genealogy at a Glance: English Genealogy Research" and set it for mid-afternoon.

*  Added some document images to my RootsMagic database, and then added content for two Wheeler families to my database. 

*  Went in at 5 p.m. to read the paper, watch TV news, and eat dinner.

*  Rushed back at 6 p.m. for Geneabloggers Radio on Copyright.  Checked Facebook.

*  Worked on the CVGS Newsletter - have it about 90% done now.  Added to the Best of post and wrote the Surname Saturday post.  Wrote this post.

Genealogy today was 12.0 hours.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

My genealogy day - 3 November 2011

A stay-at-home day and almost all genealogy work...with some progress.

*  Read email and blogs, wrote Treasure Chest Thursday - a 61st Wedding Anniversary Celebration (that was a long transcription - added it to the database).  Wrote Marian's "Cracking the Case of Nathan Brown's Parents" Webinar and set it for late afternoon.

*  Answered some email, did some CVGS work, and had lunch.  Swabbed my cheek #1 for the FTDNA autosomal test too.

*  Worked in FTM 2012 for awhile making source citations, then wrote Exploring Family Tree Maker 2012 - Post 17: Creating a Vital Record Certificate Source Citation.  Watched Thomas's latest Explorinar.

*  Saw that my source citations for many vital record certificates were poorly done and not up to EE standards, so spent the rest of the afternoon fixing them.  Got the VR collection out and compared records to sources to images, and found I have about 8 that I haven't scanned for some reason.  There's more work to do! 

*  Went in at 6 p.m. to read the paper, eat dinner and watch TV news. 

*  Online at 7 p.m. to read, then work on the CVGS Newsletter.  Got it maybe 60% done - the easy part is done!

*  Added to the Best Of post, checked Facebook, and worked with Find A Grave adding content and sources to the White/Oatley families in Killingly CT.  Wrote this post.

Genealogy today was 12.0 hours.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

My genealogy day - 2 November 2011

It was pretty much an all-genealogy day, and I even got out of the house for awhile.  A warm day - high of 80 F, fire on Tecate Mountain to the southeast in Mexico.

*  Read email and blogs, and wrote (Not So) Wordless Wednesday - Post 177: Upstairs in the Four Mile Inn.   Wrote Exploring Family Tree Maker 2012 - Post 16: Creating a Timeline Report and set it for late morning.

*  Tuned into the Legacy webinar at 11 a.m. and enjoyed Marian's presentation.  Ate lunch during the webinar at my desk. 

*  Gathered my stuff at 11:45 a.m. and went off to the library for the CVGS Board meeting. 

*  Home by 2:30 p.m. to read, then wrote Today is "Gramp's" 120th Birthday (a repeat post from 2007).  Noted the new Ancestry database, and wrote U.S. Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010, on Ancestry.com.

*  Tried to watch the rest of the webinar, but it would freeze. 

*  Went in at 5 p.m. to watch TV, read the paper, water the front yard, take out the trash, and eat dinner.

*  Back online at 6:30 p.m.  Watched the rest of the webinar.  Wrote three blog posts for the Chula Vista Genealogy Cafe blog.  Checked in on Facebook and Google Plus, worked in Find A Grave for awhile adding content and sources for Seaver persons in my database, added to the Best Of post, and wrote this post.

Genealogy today was 11.0 hours.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

My genealogy day - 1 November 2011

This is the start of National Blog Post Month, do you think that I can write at least one post each day this month?

*  Read email and blogs, then wrote Tombstone Tuesday - Charles Auble (1849-1916) in San Diego and Exploring Family Tree Maker 2012 - Post 15: Creating an Ancestor Name List Report and set it for late morning.

* Left at 10:45 a.m. for my eye doctor's appointment - got dilated and had a headache the rest of the day.

*  Home at 12:15 to eat lunch, read, then wrote New Historical Record Collections at FamilySearch - October 2011. 

*  Added content and sources to the database from the Eva Kempton books, but really strained my eyes.

*  Went in at 3:30 to rest my eyes, took a nap, read the paper, ate dinner, and finished my Lee Child novel. 

*  Online at 7 p.m. to read, add to the Best Of post, and write "Day of the Dead" Graphic by Geni.com. Watched the Legacy webinar on Geoff's cemetery adventures and entering data into Legacy Family Tree.

*  Got into Find-a-Grave and added Seaver content and sources semi-randomly...found a treasure trove of several families on a line I have only the bare essentials. 

*  Checked Facebook, and wrote this post.

Genealogy today was 8.5 hours.

Monday, October 31, 2011

My genealogy day - 31 October 2011

The day started out well, then turned brownish in the evening...

*  Read email and blogs, noted that Amanuensis Monday - Petition of Abigail Seaver posted.  Gathered my OASIS things and left at 9 a.m. for the UPS Store.  copied the last three class syllabi and headed for Mission Valley.

*  OASIS class went well - 9 of 10 showed up, lots of good homework done and good questions.  Hopefully, a good presentation too!  Demonstrated RootsMagic and LearnWebSkills and FamilySearch today.

*  Home by 1 p.m. to eat lunch, read, noted that Hallowe'en Names in the WorldConnect Database posted. 

*  worked in FTM 2012 for awhile, then wrote Exploring Family Tree Maker 2012 - Post 14: Making Descendant Charts.

*  Answered emails, then worked in Find-a-Grave for awhile, adding content and sources to the database. 

*  Went in at 5 p.m. for the pre-game show.  We ate dinner and watched the Chargers game.  They lost 23-20 to Chiefs in overtime.  Terrible game all around - played well enough to lose. 

*  Back online at 9:45 p.m. to read, add to the Best Of post, and write this post.

Genealogy today was 7.5 hours.

End of October Genea-Musings statistics:

* 846 Feedburner readers
* 1,117 Google Reader subscriptions
* 19,436 web page visits (627 per day, Site-meter)
* 34,253 page views (1,105 per day, Site-meter)

End-of-October statistics for RootsMagic database:

* 41,393 persons (+74)
* 16,365 families (+46)
* 108,184 events (+301)
* 4,862 places (+26)
* 689 sources (+4)
* 23,369 citations (+453)

Sunday, October 30, 2011

My genealogy day - 30 October 2011

One more day in October...it's been a fast month!

*  Read email and blogs, got Best of the Genea-Blogs - 23 to 29 October 2011 ready to post after noon.

*  Got ready for church, left at 9:20 a.m., went to Hallowe'en Carnival afterwards - lots of small children there.  Ate lunch there.

*  Home by 12:15 p.m. to check in on Scanfest.  Chatted but mostly scanned material from the Seaver probate record collection.  Many pages were oversized so did them in parts, then will need to stitch them together somehow.

*  Went in at 2 p.m. to watch football, read the paper, and take a nap.  Went out at 5 p.m. to clean up back yard and trim the front rose bushes.  Too warm to mow the lawn.

*  We had dinner then back on computer at 6:30 p.m. to read, work with the files and capture more Ancestry census images.  Wrote WikiTree Press Release - WikiTree Makes Collaboration Less Frightening.  Printed out my masters for the three OASIS classes. 

*  Wrote tow posts for Monday, checked Facebook, added to the Best Of post, and wrote this post.

Genealogy today was 6.0 hours.

Saturday, October 29, 2011

My genealogy day - 29 October 2011

A stay-at-home Saturday with no grandchildren vying for attention and getting it...so what did I do?  Hours on end on the computer.  Made some progress, too.

*  Up early and out for a 7 a.m. breakfast with Linda's Dolphin club. 

*  Home by 8:30 p.m. to read email and blogs, noted that Surname Saturday - PAINE (England > Massachusetts) posted.

*  Wrote Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Where Do You Fit? and set it for after noon.

*  Decided to capture as many US Census records as possible from Ancestry.com for my families.  The previous images are mainly GIFs and relatively small, the latest Ancestry images are JPG and fairly large.  In the process, I implemented my latest computer file naming scheme - I hope this one sticks!  Got the Seaver folks done, then started at top of the Surname list and worked my way down to Plimpton by 4 p.m.

*  Went in to watch football highlights and read the paper.  We left at 5 p.m. for Outback for dinner - Linda finally had a good dinner somewhere!  We'll go back more often now. 

*  Home by 7 p.m. to watch the SDSU Aztecs football game.

*  Came in halftime with SDSU losing 27-13, read everything, added to the Best Of post, worked in Ancestry and files some more to finish the R names. 

*  Checked Facebook, wrote this post, and back to watch the end of the game.

Genealogy today was 9.0 hours.

Friday, October 28, 2011

My genealogy day - 28 October 2011

I did venture out briefly today for my weekly constitutional with George (I know, I seem to miss two or three weeks) - this is my only exercise this week, until the lawn mowing on Sunday.

*  Read email and blogs, wrote Follow Friday - Ideas for Weekend Genealogy Fun.  Worked on Follow-Up Friday - FTM 2012, Great Blogs and the ePrize and set it for late morning.

*  Answered some email, and worked a bit making charts in FTM 2012.  figured out how to do the Direct-Line Descendants chart!

*  Had lunch, left at 11:45 a.m. for my walk with George on the bayfront.

*  Home by 1 p.m. to read, then worked on Exploring Family Tree Maker 2012 - Post 13: Making a Direct-Line Descendants Chart.

*  Did some sorting of collected papers to find the next batch of data for entry to the RootsMagic database.  Found I didn't have data on James a. Smith, so found marriage record and several census records and added them to the database.  That was fun.  No death data, though.

*  Went in at 5:15 p.m. to watch the World Series, read the paper, check the mail, and have dinner.

*  Online at 6:10 p.m. to listen to Geneabloggers Radio and then back to the recliner at 7:30 for the rest of Game 7 of the Series. 

*  Online again at 8:30 p.m. to read, add to the Best Of post, write the Surname Saturday post, check Facebook, make a list of the Dill ancestors to check for probate records, and write this post.

Genealogy today was 10.0 hours.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

My genealogy day - 27 October 2011

The days of October are falling faster than the leaves off the trees, it seems...and the hurrier I go, the behinder I get, it seems.

*  Read email and blogs, checked Ancestry to see if my free subscription was registered yet (no...), and wrote Treasure Chest Thursday - Alma Seaver's 1962 Autopsy Report.

*  Got into FTM 2012 again, and made a nine generation book - failed again.  Wrote Exploring Family Tree Maker 2012 - Post 12: How Big a Book Can It Make?  The answer seems to be at least six or seven generations with lots of notes, and maybe eight.  I think it's funny that nobody but Russ and Caroline seems to care...but I will press on!  It's good blog fodder, if nothing else.

*  Decided to work on my FORUM column that's late, and got quite a bit done today.  Need to proof it again and do a little more research. 

*  Checked in on Ancestry.com subscription and I'm good to go after nudging the AARP lady.  Sent Class 1 handout to the students, and called the two that didn't attend Class 1.

*  Wrote RootsTech 2012 Genealogy Conference Video and then Off My Chest: Give Me One Column for Reading Online Magazines.

*  Added the Bradstreet data from the Eva Kempton Volume 2 book to the database, and sourced appropriately. 

*  Went in at 5:30 p.m. to watch the ball game,m eat dinner, read the paper, read NGSQ, and start a new book as the game went on for over 4.5 hours.  Good game.  Got the dishes done between innings.

*  Online at 10 p.m. to read, add to the Best Of post, check Facebook and write this post.

Genealogy today was 9.0 hours.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

My genealogy day - 26 October 2011

Today was mostly a genealogy day - but some problems arose.

*  Read email and blogs, then wrote (Not So) Wordless Wednesday - Post 176: Inside the Four-Mile Inn Kitchen and Exploring Family Tree Maker 2012 - Post 11: Making an Ancestral Family Book - Part 2.  Watched the Ask AncestryAnne video on YouTube.

*  Called Ancestry.com to cancel my account so that AARP could contact them and add the one-year subscription I won.  My part was completed, but AARP did not call!  Nicely worded email followed.

*  Left at 11:15 a.m. to have lunch at McDonalds, then to the library for the CVGS Program meeting. 

*  Home from the library by 3 p.m. to read, then write Ancestry.com Inc. Reports Third Quarter 2011 Financial Results.  Answered email.

*  Went in at 5:15 p.m. to read the paper, eat dinner, and not watch the baseball game - rained out. 

*  Online at 7 p.m. to read, worked in FTM 2012 creating different charts and reports.  Worked in RootsMagic 4 adding Facts for Education, Residence and Occupations, plus some Burial facts. 

*  Added to the Best Of post, checked Facebook, and wrote this post.

Genealogy today was 11.0 hours.