Week Forty: The Geneabloggers' Picnic

OK, I lied when I hinted that I might post another prompt mid-week. Truth is, there's been so many carnivals lately, it was overwhelming to think of coming up with more ideas...and then finding time to write about them, too! (What's a carnival? It's a little like these writing prompts, but on a much larger scale. Go here to see the latest edition of the Carnival of Genealogy to get an idea. There are about a half-dozen more that I participate in!).

I thought I would share with you an idea by Bill West who blogs at West in New England. A while ago, he featured the Geneabloggers' Parade, with genealogy bloggers writing about what things they would enter in a genealogy parade. Now Bill invites one and all to the Geneabloggers' Picnic.

*What food does your family serve at picnics?

*Are there traditional foods or family recipes?

*Is there one particular relative's specialty you wish you could taste again or one perfect picnic day you wish you could go back and relive?

Here's more ideas I came up with:

*You could expand to write about family reunions, past and present, and what kinds of foods were/are brought to them.

*You could add what dish everyone loved to eat, and which one people were sneaking off to scrap into the garbage so they wouldn't hurt the cook's feelings!

*Is there a picnic basket, old ice chest, a BBQ grill or camp stove, a special dish (physical, not recipe) or picnic cloth that's been handed down in the family and used for decades at picnics, potlucks, or reunions?

*Is there a favorite campground, park, home, or meeting place where picnics or reunions regularly occurred?

*What about unwelcome guests like ants, mosquitoes, and yellow jackets? Raccoons, anyone?

*What favorite picnic or reunion photos do you have, especially ancestral?

*Beverages served, games and activities played, stories told...all contain memories that future generations will someday treasure, if they're left for posterity!

The deadline is Friday, August 1st. If you have a genealogy blog, write your memories there, then contact Bill at lunacy2ATmindspringDOTcom. You don't have to have a genealogy blog to participate, of course. You can choose to write your memories offline in a journal, or your choice of media. If you would like to publish your memories online, but don't have (or don't want to have) a genealogy blog, e-mail your writing to me at kidmiffATgmailDOTcom by August 1st, and I will post it here on this blog and send Bill notification so he can link to it.

Next week: Get out your hammer, paint, and wallpaper...we're remodeling!

Journaling Responses to "Week Thirty-Nine: Summer"

We had some great responses to last week's prompts! I even heard from a fellow genealogy society member who journals off line! She brought up some good points about copying and pasting my prompts while trying to eliminate the images on the blog. I will address these later this week.

First of all, we have faithful Thomas of Destination: Austin Family with "Summertime and the Living Is..." Next is Apple of Apple's Tree with "Summer Time." It's been a while since Jasia of Creative Gene joined us, and her post is "I Can't Resist."

I have been wanting all week to write my own post, but this weekend was absolutely crazy, and the busy-ness spills over into the early part of this week. So please forgive me if I hold off on posting a new set of prompts; I want to write my own responses, and then we'll move on!

UPDATE: My post is "Celebrate Summer!"

Week Thirty-Nine: Summer

No doubt about it, summer has arrived in the Northern Hemisphere! This season tends to be a favorite for most people; however, there are a few who prefer a different one, or perhaps just plain don't care for summer for reasons such as heat.

*How do you feel about summer? Is it a favorite season, or do you prefer another?

*What are your favorite summer activities? Do you enjoy being outside, or would you rather curl up with your air conditioner?

*Do you have a favorite summertime sport to participate in or watch?

*What is your typical summer outfit?

*Do you take a summer vacation? Where do you normally go, and what kinds of activities do you do there?

*What is your favorite summer holiday, and why?

*What kinds of summer foods or drinks do you enjoy?

*Share some favorite memories of summer vacation from when you were a child.

*What is your least favorite thing about summer?

*Do you enjoy summer storms?

*What is the hottest summer temperature you remember experiencing?

*Do you have a memory of a cool or cold summer? Has it snowed on the Fourth of July in your area?

*What family birthdays, anniversaries, or events are commemorated in the summer? Are there any significant family history events that occurred during summer?

*What summertime hobbies do you pursue? If you are a genealogist, do you travel to ancestral locations during this season?

*Do you have any summertime photos of your ancestors? Check out the 49th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy ("Swimsuit Edition") for great stories and photos of genealogy bloggers' ancestors in swimsuits and summertime wear.Blinkies from: Pinky Blinkies, Donna's Dilemmas, Joyful Mother Designs, Berry Hollow, ExPat's Palette, Buttercup Graphix, Mommyfeet Blinkies, Kari's Blinkies, Blinkies-2-Go, and Marsha's Graphic Garden. Click on each blinkie to go to its creator's site. Some websites may no longer be in existence.

Journaling Responses to "Week Thirty-Eight: The Doctor"

Tex, who blogs at All My Ancestors, wrote "The Doctor: A Medical History." And Thomas of Destination: Austin Family posted "Doctor, No!" I got a good laugh at Thomas' comment, "How about lawyer and indian chief to complement this theme?"

Week Thirty-Eight: The Doctor

Following up on the medical/health theme from two weeks ago, we venture into more memories:

*Who was your doctor or health practitioner when you were growing up?

*How often did you go to the doctor? Every year for a check-up, or just when you were ill?

*Did you have a lot of illnesses as a child? Or were you fairly healthy?

*Did you have any injuries (broken bones) or surgeries? Have you ever had to be hospitalized?

*What specialists did you have to see?

*Did you have to see an optometrist and/or wear glasses?

*Was going to the doctor a pleasant or unpleasant experience? Share both your most unpleasant and your favorite medical memories.

*As an adult, how do your current medical experiences compared with those of your childhood?

*Do you still see the same doctor?

*What kinds of health problems are prevalent in your family? Are there any genetic diseases of which your relatives should be made aware? How have you attempted to avoid these risks or diseases?

*Are there any doctors, surgeons, specialists, nurses or other health practitioners in your family, or in your ancestry?

*Are there any stories about certain medical problems or injuries, or about interactions with medical practitioners that have been handed down through the generations?

Craig Manson of GeneaBlogie blogged about the Surgeon General's Family History Initiative and how to use the "My Family Health Portrait" feature, which is a wonderful tool to use and print up to take with you to your next physical exam. The Surgeon General has urged people in the past to ask questions of their family members during holiday gatherings to uncover and keep track of potentially genetic risks.

Next time: Heat Wave! It's summer in the Northern Hemisphere, and we'll be sharing our favorite summertime memories.

Journaling Responses to "Week Thirty-Seven: The Dentist"

There were two genea-bloggers who posted their responses to "Week Thirty-Seven: The Dentist." They were Thomas MacEntee of Destination: Austin Family with "A Fistful of Teeth" and Tex of All My Ancestors with "Dental Health: Family Adventures and Memories."

UPDATE: Kathryn Lake Hogan of looking4ancestors posted "Visiting the Dentist" on 28 July 2008.