My Semi-Genealogy Day - 31 December 2014

Another year completed...where does the time go?  I'm now 71 years old, so that's about 25,980 sunrises.  The big family news this year was the birth of grandson Charlie in September - that makes 5 grandchildren.  

It was cold last night (below 40F here), and cold today (a high of about 52F), and snow in the foothills down to 1500 feet last night.  That happens every ten years or so.

*  Read email and blogs, then wrote BB Guns and Coonskin Caps at Christmas 1954 -- Post 340 for (Not So) Wordless Wednesday and Top 20 Most Popular Posts on Genea-Musings From 2014 and set it for later.

*  We left at 10:40 a.m. for Carlsbad to meet Tami and the girls at In 'n' Out for lunch, then brought the Sweethearts of Huntington Beach home with us.  We got home by 1 p.m.

*The girls played by themselves, watched videos and TV, read books, etc.  I checked Facebook, answered email and wrote Dear Randy: How Do You Use Notes and Sources in RootsMagic 7?

*  We went to dinner at El Pollo Loco at 5:15 p.m. and were home by 6:30.  The girls and I had Dove bars for dessert.  They played and read, and I answered email and read blogs and checked Facebook off and on.  Linda was on her Chromebook and needed help almost every minute for awhile there.  Audrey and I had a little party in her room, then played balloon soccer in the family room.

*  At 8:30 p.m., we went to the family room and watched the New Year's activities in New York - the girls were excited, counted down the last minute, and cheered on the hour and kissed everybody.

*  Added to the Best Of post, and wrote the New Year's post, and then this post.  Genealgoy today was about 5.0 hours.

Here are the numbers from my RootsMagic database as of 31 December (with increases in the numbers from 8 December 2014 in parentheses):

* 43,986 persons (+ 4)
* 17,572 families  (+ 19)
* 136,426 events  (+ 241)
* 7,837 places  (+ 15)
* 1,135 sources (+ 4)
* 57,783 citations (+ 257)
*  1,071 Multi-media Items (+ 2)
*  2,888 Multimedia links (+ 4)

 I'm up to 42.35%  (+0.10%) for citations/events and 131.37% (+0.55%) for citations/persons.

Genea-Musings statistics for December (compared to stats for November 2014):

*  Genea-Musings traffic rank:  Worldwide: 288,951; US: 77,873 (Alexa)

*  114,321 page views (3,688 per day, Blogger Stats, -77)
* 19.910 web page visits (642 per day, Site-meter) (-69)
* 30,800 page views (994 per day, Site-meter) (-90) 

*  >1,100 readers on Feedly (+??)

*  1,586 readers via email (Feedburner) (+ 17)

Industry database statistics for 31 December 2014:

*  32,529 Ancestry.com Databases (+ 17)
*  2,147,483,647 profiles in Public Member Trees on Ancestry.com (unchanged)
*  3,854 Birth Marriage and Death Databases on Ancestry.com (+7)
*  577 Census and Voter List Databases on Ancestry.com (+2)
*  113,551,253 Entries in U.S. Find A Grave Database on Ancestry.com (+1)
*  94,331,869 Entries in Social Security Death Index Database on Ancestry.com (+ 0)

*  1,870 Record Collections on FamilySearch (+13)
*  869 United States Record Collections on FamilySearch (+11)
*  171 Census and Lists Record Collections on FamilySearch (+1)
*  1,088 Birth, Marriage and Death Record Collections on FamilySearch (+5)
*  93,946,127 Entries in Social Security Death Index on FamilySearch (unchanged)
*  124,060,301 entries in Find A Grave on FamilySearch (unchanged)

*  423,803 Databases on Mocavo.com (+0)

*  5,708,072,169 Historical Records on MyHeritage.com (+0)
*  64,803,737 MyHeritage member profiles*  1,410,940,996 Profiles in MyHeritage Family Trees (+10.7352,333)
*  140,439,379 Profiles in Geni.com World Family Tree (-3,077,393)

*  1,532 Record Collections on FindMyPast.com (+20)
*  558 U.S. Record Collections on FindMyPast.com (+5)
*  581 United Kingdom Record Collections on FindMyPast.com (+12)

My Geneaholic Tuesday - 30 December 2014

We got back from our Christmas holiday to Santa Cruz and Monte Rio on Monday night.

*  Read email and blogs, then wrote Tuesday's Tip - SlideShare.net has Some Genealogy Presentations.

*  Worked a bit in FindMyPast First, then their tree Hints, and then in WikiTree a bit.  Answered email.

*  Set up Linda's Chromebook, then helped her learn to use Gmail.  After 3 hours, she can read email and write email, and delete, but she struggles to remember the steps.  A mouse would probably be good for it!

*  Added to the Best Of post, checked Facebook, answered email, and wrote So I Went Away For a Week... and then My Best Ancestral Genea-Discoveries of 2014.  Answered more email.

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

*  Online at 6:30 p.m. to review, edit and practice the Probate talk.  Worked on email some more, especially several Seaver problems.  Checked Facebook.

*  Worked on the Top Genea-musings posts for 2014.  Read blogs and email.  Wrote this post.  Genealogy today was 8.5 hours.

My Semi-Genealogy Days - Sunday and Monday, 21-22 December

These were not genealogy days in the full measure of the term...but I'm ready for Christmas now.  The last packages came today from Amazon!  Still one more I forgot to order last week, but it will go to Lori's house after the holidays - out of stock.

1)  Sunday, 21 December - first day of winter!  A family history day, but not much genealogy.

*  Read email and blogs, and got the Best of the Genea-Blogs - 14 to 20 December 2014 ready to post after noon.  

*  We left at 9:30 a.m. for church, then left there at 10:10 to drive to Tami's for our first Christmas celebration with her family.  Got there by 11:50 a.m. and Charlie was smiling, the girls were excited to see us.  We went to lunch at Marie Callenders, and came home to open gifts.  The girls loved their scooters, and we got a 2015 calendar with 2014 pictures.  We love them!  I got a Hawaiian shirt and Linda some jewelry.  Tami and Linda went shopping, while James and I watched football, and I took a nap.  L&T came home and all the girls made gingerbread cookies.  We had dinner, and left at 6:40 p.m. and made it home without a stop at 8:20 p.m.  Charlie was smiling more and giggling a bit, and didn't cry very much.  Took some pictures but not a great set.  Drat.  

*  Checked email and blogs, but really tired.  Tried to go to bed early but tossed and turned.  

2)  Monday, 22 December 2014

*  Read email and blogs, noted that Amanuensis Monday - Post 248: Inventory of Simon Gates (1739-1803) Estate posted.  Finished up the wash, got the suitcases, wrapped presents, and packed. Transcribed more of the Gates file, and wrote an Amanuensis Monday post for next week.   Wrote New or Updated FamilySearch Record Collections - December 14-20, 2014.  

*  Checked Facebook, answered emails.  Went to lunch with Linda at Olive Garden with Barbara and Jean.  Home at 1:30 p.m.  Wrote More Online Genealogical Education from NIGS.

*  Went in at 4 p.;m. to watch TV, tread the paper, and took an hour nap.  Had dinner, then watched the Broncos-Bengals game.  In the second half, got the laptop out, added the OCCGS talks to the files, fired up FTM and updated it, then synced Deb's tree with Ancestry, and attached a bunch of records to Deb's family tree using the Hints.  Added several more ancestral families too.  Bengals won 37-28.  

*  Online to read, check Facebook, and write this post.  Genealogy today was 6.0 hours at most.

3)  We  are on our way to Lori's and Paul's for the rest of the week, so Geneaholic will be dark, and Genea-Musings will be on autopilot.  I will have the laptop with me, so will try to stay on top of blog posts and email but not much else.  

My Semi-Genealogy Saturday - 20 December 2014

Linda woke up bright-eyed and bushy tailed, feeling much better, so our visit to Huntington Beach is on for Sunday.  No real symptoms, used eyedrops several times.

*  Read email and blogs after breakfast with the Men's group at Marie Callender's at 8 a.m.  Stopped by the bank on the way home, didn't go shopping...home by 9:45 a.m.  Noted that Surname Saturday -- KENDALL (England to colonial Massachusetts) posted.

*  Answered email, checked X-matches at FamilyTreeDNA - I have some 3rd to 5th cousins, but none with trees with common ancestors.

*  Transcribed the Simon Gates inventory for the AA post, and wrote the post for Monday.  Noted that Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Make a Surname Christmas Tree posted.

*  Went in with a headache at 3:15 p.m. to watch TV, read the paper, and took an hour nap.  No headache afterwards!  Checked Facebook.

*  Back in the family room at 5 p.m. to watch the Chargers pre-game, and eat dinner.  First half was terrible - down 28-7 and it should have been 35-7.  Chargers came back in the second half, outscoring 49ers 28-7 to send it to overtime, and the Chargers won 38-35 after a Niners fumble.  From deep despair to hope to exultation.  They're still not a playoff quality team.  Just sayin'  A win a win, now I have to watch next week at Paul's house.

*  Online at 10 p.m. to read, finish up the Best Of post, check Facebook, and write this post.  Genealogy today was 5.0 hours.

My Genealogy Friday - 19 December 2014

We had a good day shopping ... got Linda taken care of!  She had the droopy eye, some chills and a headache tonight, we still haven't figured out what is happening - almost two weeks now.  Someone suggested it might be shingles.  I hope not.  We've canceled Sunday at Tami's and might cancel the trip over Christmas too.  Frustrating, and she isn't a happy camper.

*  Read email and blogs, noted that 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - Week 51: #58, William Knapp (1775-1856) posted.  Wrote FindMyPast Announces Start Your Family Tree Week 2014/15 and Inaugural FindMyPast Tree Awards and set it for later.

*  Looked in the FHL Catalog for New Jersey wills - very confusing.  Tried to find a book/page number for the ones mentioned in the Calendar of Wills - found some online but not many of them.  

*  Answered email, also answered some Ancestry messages.  Went through the Carringer line for New England guys in Essex County MA and downloaded several probate records from AmericanAncestors.  Renamed them and put them in the surname/family files.

*  We left at 1 p.m. to go shopping - found clothes at Catherine's and then to Office Depot to look at Chromebook for Linda.  Seems to work OK, hope she can adapt to it.

*  Home by 3:30 p.m. to read, add to the Best Of post, and then wrote New or Updated Ancestry.com Databases - 13 to 19 December 2014.

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

*  Online at 7 p.m. to read, then saw my first FMP Hints and figured out how to use them.  Blog post next week on this.  Linda had a headache, droopy eye, some chills, wanted eye drops, no lesions (which is good).  My eyes are itchy too.

*  Wrote two Surname Saturday posts just in case.  Checked Facebook.  Wrote this post.  Genealogy today was 8.5 hours.  

My Genealogy Thursday - 18 December 2014

The days have dwindled to a precious few...7 days until Christmas!!  When will I finish my shopping for Linda?  She had a good day medically today - no overt symptoms except for the droopy eyelid occasionally.

*  Read email and blogs, wrote Treasure Chest Thursday - Post 244: Marriage Record of Nathan Gates and Abigail Knowlton and then Crestleaf Publishes "How Are We Related?" Family Relationship Chart and set it for later.

*  Put together the chronology of Linda's symptoms and events.

*  Worked a bit on the FindMyPast tree to see if I could stimulate a Hint.  Nope, not yet!

*  We left at 1:15 p.m. for the medical center, and saw Dr. Long.  She listened well, and thought that it might be Bell's Palsy for the eyelid.  If so, there's no treatment but patience.  Checked her for stroke symptoms and found none.  Went to the store, and home by 3 p.m.

*  Wrote FGS Conference, RootsTech Conference and the Family History Library - a Win-Win-Win For Me and worked on the To Do list some more.  Answered some email.

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

*  Online at 6:50 p.m. to write two 52 Ancestors posts, then downloaded some probate files from AmericanAncestors.  Put them in the surname/family folders.  Need to rename them, transcribe them, and use them for AA and TCT posts.

*  Checked Facebook, added to the Best Of post, and answered email.  Got an email from a Whittle descendant in Sacramento area - cool!

*  Genealogy today was 8.5 hours.

My Genealogy Wednesday - 17 December 2014

Sometimes things don't go as planned.  I was going to go shopping today, but got bogged down doing genealogy stuff and never got out the door.  Linda's eyelid was OK all day until evening when it drooped again.  The daughters are concerned, and we have a doctor visit on Thursday afternoon.

*  Read email and blogs, then wrote Christmas at the Carringers - Post 338 of (Not So) Wordless Wednesday and checked into FindMyPast Hints.

*  Talked to Tami for awhile, then wrote I Am Not Doing a Genealogy Do-Over.  Had lunch, checked Facebook, and answered email, including getting the syllabus for Palm Desert finished and sent off.

*  Looked at Geni matches, then researched and wrote FindMyPast Introduces Hints in Family Trees.  Added to the Best Of post and read more email.

*  We left for dinner at El Pollo Loco in National City at 5:10 p.m. and home by 6:30 p.m.  Read the paper and watched TV news.

*  Online at 7 p.m. to check Facebook, and then finish off the 45 remaining 1940 Record Hints in the 1940 census, adding some content and 72 sources to the database.  Did a little investigating on a Seaver problem from an Ancestry mail message.

*  Checked email and blogs, then wrote this post.  Genealogy today was 10.0 hours.

My Genealogy Day - 16 December 2014

Another rainy day, but I didn't stay home all day.  Went shopping.  A bust.  Drat.  Linda is so hard to shop for.  Me, I go on Amazon and find stuff for me, and the grandkids, with ease.

*  Read email and blogs, wrote Tuesday's Tip - Use the Learning Resources on the AmericanAncestors.org Site and then CVGS Annual Holiday Luncheon Highlights and set it for later.

*  Ran the Tree Count in RootsMagic and found singles and doubles and deleted some of them.  Answered email.

*  Left at 11:45 for Costco for a Polish dog, looked longingly at the Samsung tablets, then to Catherines for Linda bnt nada.

*  Home by 1 p.m. to read.  Worked on the MSMoney file - got one bank account done, need to split out the credit card statements.  Then do the other bank account.  I let this go since December last.

*  Worked on NameClean in RootsMagic, and wrote NameClean Function in RootsMagic 7.  Didn't finish it until after dinner.

*  Went in at 5:45 p.m. for dinner, read the paper, watched TV, and then online at 7:15 p.m. to read, then worked in the 1940 census.  Had 103 matches from the latest effort, cleared 58 of them adding content and sources.

*  Read email, added to the Best Of post, checked Facebook, and wrote this post.  Genealogy today was 9.0 hours.

My Genealogy Monday - 15 December 2014

Finally got all of my shopping done, except for Linda!  Amazon is great!

*  Read email and blogs, noted that Amanuensis Monday - Post 247: Letter of Administration for Estate of Simon Gates (1739-1803) posted.  Kind of missed Mondays with Myrt!  Wrote New or Updated FamilySearch Record Collections - December 7-13, 2014 and set it for latem orning.

*  Shopped for about an hour.

*  Worked in the database, closing out completed To-Do items and adding new ones.  Went through the whole set of ancestors back to 4th great-grandparents.  Had lunch and went out to prune the rose bushes.

*  Answered email, added to the Best Of post, checked Facebook, bored.  Wrote Ancestry Green Leaf Hints Keep Sprouting in my Ancestry Member Tree.

*  We left at 5 p.m. for dinner at Outback, Linda had a reaction to the filet again, on our no-no list now.

*  Home by 6:45 to watch TV sports and read the paper.  Online at 7:15 p.m. to read, then work haphazardly in Seaver names, especially those with a dead end, adding content and sources.  Found more Seaver names too.

*    Wrote this post.  genealogy today was 10.5 hours.

My Genealogy Sunday - 14 December 2014

This was not much of a genealogy day, although I did capture several probate record sets in the evening.  And my Chargers lost to the Broncos - bummer.  Probably out of thep layoffs now.

*  Read email and blogs, and finished up the Best of the Genea-Blogs - 7 to 13 December 2014  post.

*  Went off to church at 9:30 a.m., home by 11:15 p.m.  Watched football and read the paper, then watched Broncos beat Chargers 22-10 in a good game until the 4th quarter.  So now 8-6.  Good news is the 49er game is on Saturday night, not Sunday when we're at Tami's for Christmas.

*  Read email and blogs and Facebook after the Chargers game, then went in to eat dinner, read the paper and watch TV news.

*  Online at 6:30 p.m. to read, answer email, transcribe three records and write the Amanuensis Monday post, then downloaded 4 sets of Essex County probate records from AmericanAncestors - 2 for Colby guys and 2 for Bartlett guys.  Still have more to do!

*  Checked Facebook, wrote this post.  Genealogy today was 4.0 hours.