State of the Blog 2015

US Capitol
From the steps of the Library of Congress

Well I looked at my 2014 goals (2014 The Year of Challenges and Basics) and realized I did NOT even come close to making them!!

Why not? LIFE. THE REAL WORD. FIRST WORLD PROBLEMS.

I ended up moving months before I thought I would. So time was spent on packing and packing. AND more packing. I can not believe the “STUFF” I have acquired over the years. So I am in the process of decluttering. It’s been hard on some things. Others I’m like “why are you even still in my possession”!!

Yes, really my apartment!!

Then I lost my feline best friend of the last 17 years, Cody. He had had diabetes and kidney issues for the last couple of years but I was giving him daily shots and buying prescription food for him. In the end he had a large tumor in his lungs. My vet finally brought “the subject” up. I know he’s not in pain anymore and is with his sister Belle. This is the first time in my life that I have been without a pet for more than a week. When the time is right, I want to get another pet but not now. Still grieving.

Belle and Cody

And here we are in 2015.  I had decided last year that I needed to give my genealogy a spring cleaning. So my goal is to start over in sorts. First taking inventory of items that I have. During this move I have found some things I didn’t even realize I had!! 

After that, time to start fresh in my genealogy program. I currently have a robust database…..but not a lot of sources and if they do have sources not a lot of citations. So I created a 2015 file and am starting fresh. Just one name so far...MINE!!

I use Legacy 8. Love it! Got introduced to it by the now defunct KSL radio show, “Relatively Speaking” with Mary Slawson. Anyone remember that? I still have old podcasts on my mp3 player that I listen to occasionally.

Thomas MacEnteee aka the Genealogy Ninja started the “Genealogy Do-Over” for 2015. When I first heard it I thought GREAT just what I needed. Apparently I am not alone because currently there are close to 3,000 people in the Facebook group alone! I got a late start but thought “I can catch up”. Then Mother Nature was decided to give me the nasty office cold (but not the office flu thank goodness!). And then she followed it up with a massive migraine. So then I was a few weeks behind already.  At this point, I am following the process of others and seeing what they have had success with and adapting it to what I want to do. I would highly recommend checking out not only the Facebook group but Thomas’ websites, GeneaBloggers and High-Definition Genealogy, if you are interesting in getting a fresh start on your genealogy or if you just want some tips and pointers on enhancing what you have!!

Step One for me, figuring out what I have. This will also help in my decluttering process as I am consolidating boxes and space. I am giving myself the first quarter of 2015 to complete this task. By the end of March I WILL know what I have in my possession and what I still need/want/desire to get. 

So here comes 2015 .... ready or not!!!