AnceStories2: Stories of Me for My Descendants

Journaling Responses to "Week Forty-Three: The New Year"

2009-01-12T21:15:00.000-08:00

Here are what some other bloggers had to say about their childhood memories of The New Year:

The New Year by Wendy Littrell at All My Branches

New Years Memories - Traditions by Donna Wendt at Another Day with Donna

A Very Special Day - New Years Day by Cathy at Detour Through History

New Years Day - Spent and Spending by Thomas MacEntee at Destination: Austin Family

New Year's Eve Traditions by Kathryn Lake Hogan at Looking4Ancestors

My own is My New Year's Memories at AnceStories: The Stories of My Ancestors.

Week Forty-Three: The New Year

2008-12-28T02:00:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe that it's time to ring out the old and cheer in the new. It's also time to write about your New Year's Eve, New Year's Day, and New Year's Resolution memories!

*Do you remember the first time you were allowed to stay up and see in the New Year? How old were you?

*How did you and your typically spend New Year's Eve during your youth? Did you go to a Watch Night Service and participate in communion and prayer? Did you watch the ball drop in Times Square on television? Did your community have a fireworks show?

*Did you have first-footers, mummers, or bang pots and pans on your front porch? Did you wear party hats and use noisemakers?

*If New Year's Eve involved feasting of some kind, what were the usual fare and beverages?

*How do all of the above compare to the way you celebrate New Year's Eve now?

*What about New Year's Resolutions? Did you make any when you were younger? Do you make them now? How well do you keep them? Was there any year when you really did a fabulous job at keeping them? What were your goals and how did you keep them?

*How did you typically spend New Year's Day in your childhood and youth? Did you visit family and friends? Did your family host an Open House? Did you watch the Tournament of Roses Parade and Rose Bowl game or another favorite sport? Or did you go to your favorite ski resort?

*How does it compare to the way you spend New Year's Day now?

*Are there any special customs from your heritage that are integrated into your New Year's celebrations?

*If you celebrate Christmas or another seasonal holiday before the New Year, when do you take down the decorations and put them away?

Week Forty-Two: Writing about the Holidays

2008-12-14T12:35:00.000-08:00

This time of year everyone is busy with holiday preparation. The Genea-Bloggers have been doubly busy keeping up with all the carnivals, memes, and Saturday night games. So rather than post more journaling prompts that might possibly overwhelm our genea-blogging elves, I'm going to encourage those of you who do NOT have a blog to take a look at some of the writing events in which the Genea-Bloggers are participating, in order to get some ideas on what to journal:

The theme for the 61st Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy was "Traditions" and the theme for the 62nd Edition will be "Three Wishes". Jessica Oswalt is doing something similiar for the 14th Edition of the Carnival of Central and East European Genealogy. What sorts of traditions have endured in your family? What new ones have you started? What do you hope will be passed on? If you could have three things that belonged your ancestors as Christmas or holiday gifts, what would they be?

Do you have a favorite Christmas or holiday photo? Who would you give copies to? This was the idea behind footnoteMaven's yet-to-be-published 8th Edition of the "I Smile for the Camera" Carnival, aptly named "Stocking Stuffer."

The footnoteMaven started a tradition of Blog Caroling last year, in which each blogger wrote his or her favorite carol or holiday song. It's been renewed this year. What a great idea! Write about your favorite carol, its history and author, how it became your favorite, and what memories it revives when you sing or play it.

Tim Abbott of Walking the Berkshires is getting ready to put together the 12th Cabinet of Curiosities. Do you have any odd ornaments, decorations, or heirlooms? How did you happen to inherit or come to own these?

Speaking of decorations, have you left a record of your decorated home (present or past) for future generations? Denise Olsen of Moultrie Creek is hosting the Christmas Tour of Blogs. This would make a wonderful scrapbooking/journaling combination for non-bloggers.

Are you of the Jewish faith? Then visit Schelley or John's blogs for creative ideas to share your celebrations of Hanukah.

And if all these ideas aren't enough to inspire you, then I recommend that you visit either Thomas or Jasia's blog to view the wonderful Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories, which they put together last year. There are 24 prompts to keep you busy writing and scrapping!

Journaling Responses to "Week Forty-One: Fall"

2008-12-14T12:01:00.000-08:00

There were a couple of excellent responses to the Fall theme and I'm including them here, along with my own:

"Autumn in My Mind - Word Prompt" by Wendy Littrell at All My Branches

An untitled post by Thomas MacEntee at Destination: Austin Family

Mine is "My Favorite Season" posted at my other blog AnceStories: The Stories of My Ancestors

Week Forty-One: Fall

2008-11-30T11:42:00.000-08:00

Fall--or autumn--is nearly over in the Northern Hemisphere, and many have already seen winter weather. However, the Winter Solstice doesn't begin until December 21st, officially leaving us with three more weeks of my favorite season!

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

*What are your favorite fall activities (indoor or out)?

*What are your favorite fall sports (to watch or play)?

*Do you have a favorite fall outfit to wear? Corduroy slacks and plaid flannel shirt, a cozy sweater, etc.?

*Do you have any particular household or garden chores that you regularly do just in autumn?

*Have you ever gone leaf peeping?

*What observances of nature do you regularly watch (birds flying south, squirrels preparing for winter, etc.)?

*What flowers that bloom during this season do you especially like?

*Do you visit any orchards, pumpkin patches, or corn mazes?

*What about the local fair?

*Do you do any kind of harvesting or food preparation (canning, drying, smoking)?

*What about hunting?

*Do you do any kind of fall traveling, other than holiday travels?

*Which is your favorite fall holiday, and why (Hallowe'en, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, or others)?

*What are your favorite fresh foods that are in season at this time? Favorite fall recipes or beverages?

*Share favorite memories of fall from your childhood.

*What do you least like about this season?

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

*Do you have any hobbies that you take up during the fall months?

Decorate your journal with photos of yourself and/or your ancestors enjoying autumn or harvest. Dry colorful fall leaves between pages of a heavy book, such as a phone book, and use them in your journal as well.

The Genea-Bloggers' Picnic Has Been Posted

2008-08-06T08:08:00.000-07:00

Bill West of West in New England has posted "Welcome to the Picnic!" He asked genealogy bloggers what kinds of picnics they remembered from their childhood. I added some more questions in "Week Forty: The Geneabloggers' Picnic."

There are 20 picnickers, each with their own picnic baskets and favorite foods. My submission, "Picnic Time" is here.

Enjoy the reads!

Another Break!

2008-08-03T18:26:00.000-07:00

I'm taking another break from posting journal prompts for AnceStories2 because I'm going to be very busy in the next few weeks with...well! I can't tell you just yet! It will spoil the surprise! Just check in tomorrow morning at my AnceStories blog for a Very Special Announcement!

And as soon as Bill West posts the Genea-Bloggers' Picnic, I'll link to it.

Week Forty: The Geneabloggers' Picnic

2008-07-27T09:16:00.000-07:00

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"

2008-07-20T16:22:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-13T02:00:00.000-07:00

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"

2008-07-12T08:39:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-06T09:12:00.000-07:00

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"

2008-07-06T08:21:00.000-07:00

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.

Week Thirty-Seven: The Dentist

2008-06-22T18:04:00.000-07:00

I'm back from my hiatus and appreciate everyone's patience through the last few weeks. A recent visit to my dentist prompted my idea for the following questions:

*Who was/were your childhood dentist(s)? Was he/she your family dentist?

*Did you like or dread going to the dentist? Why?

*Did you ever have cavities as a kid, or were you one of those cavity-free kids?

*Did you ever need oral surgery or braces?

*Did you ever knock a tooth out (accidentally or on purpose)?

*What was the tooth fairy tradition in your childhood home? If she visited your house, how much did she pay per tooth? Did she find the tooth under your pillow or in a glass of water?

*What was the worst dental exam or procedure you had done?

*What is your favorite memory of the dentist?

*How have your adult experiences at the dentist compared with those of your childhood?

*Do you still have the same dentist? Why or why not?

*If you have children, what is/was the tooth fairy tradition for them?

*Have you had to have dentures or bridgework?

*Describe your oral health history and relate your opinion as to the causes behind your good or poor oral health.

*Are there any dentists, oral surgeons, orthodontists, dental technicians or assistants in your family tree?

*Are there any stories in your family history about going to the dentist and the kinds of treatments experienced in the old days?

Next week: Open wide and say "Ahhh!" We're going to visit the doctor.

Taking a Break

2008-04-20T10:06:00.000-07:00

I am taking a planned break from writing prompts for two weeks. Although I have the ideas, I just haven't had the opportunity to write them. I was down to a computer-and-a-half these past two weeks. For some reason (and this happens every now and again), my laptop can't access anything at Google: Blogger, Gmail, Reader, etc. These are the features that I probably use 80% of the time I'm online. I could access most other websites, such as Ancestry, etc. but I mainly use my laptop for blogging while the family uses the desktop. Because my laptop is older and slower with a smaller monitor than my desktop, we use the desktop for online gaming (son - Runescape), offline gaming (daughter - Sims), and downloading music and videos (husband). Trying to compete for computer time on the desktop with the rest of the family, especially on the weekends when I try to get a lot of blogging done and schedule my posts, just did not work out.

Now my laptop is doing just fine again (I shake my head as I write this), I am crunched for time. My next online genealogy class begins Tuesday, I am working on a website for a genealogy friend, and I'll be making a presentation on researching military records for the Family History Conference held at the Colville, Washington Family History Center next weekend. Also, Scanfest will be next Sunday, and will take up a good deal of time that day. Additionally, I am in the middle of a daily post on my Civil War ancestors and relatives at my other blog, AnceStories, a blog that takes precedence over this one. I also write and maintain the blog for my local genealogical society.

As the school year wraps up, I may need to take other breaks, since my duties as a parent and a school district staff member intensify and increase. Please bear with me. Once my summer vacation begins (June 14th), I will have more time to be consistent again.

Journaling Responses to "Week Thirty-Six: My Computer"

2008-04-20T10:00:00.000-07:00

Thomas at Destination: Austin Family has written about his computer experiences at "My Computer," while Robert Lord left a few words about his first computer in the comments section of the post to the last journaling prompts. I have been wanting to write about my own early computer experiences and the evolution of the technology in our home, but ironically, my laptop was having some issues and so I was limited to the amount of time I could be online and blog! I still plan on writing about this later, and will update this post when I do.

Week Thirty-Six: My Computer

2008-04-13T10:00:00.000-07:00

If you're reading this, you're using a computer or a device that can connect to the Internet, such as a cell phone or other electronic device. And chances are, you own this device, unless you're reading from a public computer or work computer. Technology changes so quickly that it's not unusual to hear someone recall a computer they owned five years ago with the same sort of fondness that they would mention a favorite car from 30 years ago. Let's take a trip down memory lane and talk about your first personal computer, or perhaps your first experiences with computers (if you don't currently own one).

*Tell about your first experiences with a computer? Did you take a computer class in school or college, or perhaps as a part of work training? What kind of computer did you train on? What was the purpose of your learning or training?

*If you use computers at work, tell about the various types you've worked with.

*What was the first computer you ever owned (brand)? What type of operating system did it have? How much RAM did it have? How big was the hard drive and processor? Do you remember what type of backup it had (floppy disks, etc.)?

*What about its peripherals? What type of monitor (brand, pixels, size) did you have? What about the keyboard and mouse? Did it have speakers?

*Did you have a printer? What kind of ink did it use? Did it print on single sheets or use continuous feed?

*Tell about your first internet experience. Unless you've recently joined the technology age, you started out with dialup (and may still use it, depending upon what is available and affordable in your community). What was the first speed of dialup that you used? Who was/were your provider(s)? Do you use broadband now? What type (cable, DSL, etc.)?

*For what did you mainly use your first computer?

*What did you love about your first computer? What did you dislike? What about each of your consecutive computers?

*Tell about any crashes or hard drive failures you have experienced.

*How did you discard former computers?

*Share the progression of your first computer and internet experiences through your present ones. Compare and contrast.

*What is on your wish list for your current computer situation? Is it a whole new system? Some jazzy peripherals?

To read the favorite hardware, software, and websites/blogs that genealogists and family historians use, you may wish to read the 43rd Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy: Technology, which was posted 4 Mar 2008.

Journaling Responses to "Week Thirty-Five: Spring"

2008-04-12T11:01:00.000-07:00

Take a look at Thomas' response at his blog, Destination: Austin Family, titled "Spring." I love the photo of the flowery hat, and he and I share a love of asparagus as one of our favorite spring foods.

Spring, alas, is not my favorite season for a myriad of reasons, which I explain in "Spring: Not My Favorite Season" over at my genealogy blog, AnceStories: The Stories of My Ancestors.

Stay tuned for "Week Thirty-Six: Computer Memories," which will be posted tomorrow.

Week Thirty-Five: Spring

2008-04-06T02:00:00.000-07:00

Spring has finally sprung, despite the fact that Old Man Winter '07-'08 keeps trying to keep his hold on the Northern Hemisphere. For many, Spring is a favorite season, full of flowers, birds, butterflies, and bees. Some have favorite sports that begin in Spring. Others (like myself) are ambivalent toward Spring, because although the days are getting lighter, longer, and warmer, they are marked by mud, pollen allergies, and schizophrenic weather.

*How do you feel about Spring? Is it a favorite season of yours, or a least-favorite? Why?

*What are your favorite Spring activities? Do they include gardening and yardwork? House repairs or touch-ups?

*Do you have favorite Spring flowers or blossoming trees?

*What are your favorite Spring sports, either as a participant or as an observer? While basketball is wrapping up in March Madness, baseball, track and field, tennis, and golf are starting up in schools across the nation.

*Here in Spokane, Spring is welcomed with such community events as Bloomsday Run (one of the largest in the nation) and the Lilac Festival. Does your community have Spring events, and what is the extent of your participation?

*Do you have a regular Spring cleaning time? When is it and what does it include?

*What are your favorite Spring holidays? Easter or Passover, Mother's Day, Earth Day, Memorial Day are a few.

*What are some of your favorite foods that are in season during Spring?

*Ah-choo! What do you like least about Spring?

*Do you have favorite memories of Spring Break from your school or college years?

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

Journaling Responses to "Week Thirty-Four: Holy Days of Spring"

2008-04-05T02:00:00.000-07:00

Ever the faithful journal-keeper, Thomas MacEntee of Destination: Austin Family has posted his response to the last set of journal prompts, "Holy Days", on his blog.

I also did some browsing through some of my favorite genealogy blogs and came up with the following list of Easter memories and traditions. Even though they weren't written for the journal prompt, I think that by reading these, you may get even more ideas on how to share your Holy Days of Spring memories.

Craig Manson of GeneaBlogie shares "Easter Sunday, Albuquerque, c. 1960s."

Jasia of Creative Gene wrote about attending this year's Easter Mass in "Polish Pride."

Lisa of 100 Years in America wrote about a Hungarian tradition that takes place Easter Monday in "Hungarian Easter Monday weather: showers!" Easter Monday was also a holiday celebrated in Ireland, and she tells about this in "A joyful Easter Monday to you!" on her Small-leaved Shamrock blog. Lisa also shared two traditions from Eastern Europe: "Decorating eggs... and fighting!" and making Croatian Easter bread in "Doing your Easter baking?" Both these posts are on her 100 Years in America blog.

Lisa Alzo of The Accidental Genealogist highlighted an article from the Pittsburg (Pennsylvania) Post-Gazette about how the long-standing tradition of blessing Easter baskets is still being faithfully observed. She also shared her traditional Slovak Easter breakfast in "Happy Easter!"

And John Newmark, who often writes about his Jewish heritage, shared this sentimental post, "An Easter Bloom," about a flower his great-grandfather picked and gave his daughter (John's grandmother) on Easter Sunday in 1926.

It's always interesting to see the diverse ways in which holidays are celebrated within the same country by people of the same religion. Our culture, family history, and geographic location influence us all in many ways, and it is simply fascinating and fun to see that as we celebrate our holidays!

I realize it's been a couple of weeks since I've posted a prompt. I've put together a new one that will post tomorrow and have already started working on next week's. Blogger in Draft's scheduling feature is a godsend, helping me to plan and work ahead!

Week Thirty-Four: Holy Days of Spring

2008-03-16T10:43:00.000-07:00

Sunday, March 23rd, 2008 marks the celebration of Easter for most Christians (Eastern--commonly known as Orthodox--Christians will be celebrating April 27th), and sunset on Saturday, April 19th will be the date Jews will commemorate Passover. These are undoubtedly two of the most well-known spring holy days, although other cultures and religions have their own as well.

*How did your family traditionally celebrate its holy day? Did you attend worship services? Which kind (Good Friday service, Sunrise service, etc.) did you traditionally attend? Did you family approach this holy day with a lot of reverence, or was it secularized?

*What foods did your family eat during the meals celebrating your holy day? What special preparations were involved? As a child, did you help prepare any of the meals or dishes?

*Did you receive or give any gifts or treats as part of the celebration?

*Did you wear special or new clothes?

*What kinds of decorations were created or put out for this holy day?

*What year stands out in your mind when you think back through your life of all the Easter/Passover/other spring holy day celebrations you participated in? Why? What was special/unique/different about that particular one?

*Did you participate in any community events surrounding this holy day (egg hunts, etc.)?

*Do you have any favorite hymns, religious or secular songs, or other music?

*How do you celebrate this holy day now in comparison to when you were a child?

Don't forget to share favorite photographs of you and/or your family celebrating this holy day!

Journaling Responses to Week Thirty-Three: Laughter, the Best Medicine

2008-03-16T10:01:00.000-07:00

Here are some posts by other bloggers who've responded to last week's prompts about Laughter, the Best Medicine:

Tex knows a lot about humor; in fact, she once wrote a dissertation on it! Her post is AnceStories: Laughter, the Best Medicine at her blog, All My Ancestors.
I love Colleen's title for her post: Ha! Ha! Ha! You can read it at The Orations of OMcHodoy.
You've got to see the fun and wacky photo Thomas posted on Make 'Em Laugh on his blog, Destination: Austin Family. Having participated in Scanfest with Thomas, I know he has a wicked sense of humor!

If you have written a response to this prompt on your blog (even if it is long after the time it was originally posted), please let me know, and I'll add a link to your post. Remember, they don't have to be written in order; you can pick and choose as you like.

Great Lakes Dunes Featured on Stamps

2008-03-11T07:08:00.000-07:00

(click here to enlarge)

I'm a big fan of stamp collecting. Although I haven't done so since I was child, it's one of those ways like coin collecting, reading biographies of historical characters, conducting science experiments, and creating works of art that expand a child's mind and can be a lead into learning more about one's own past. A number of years ago, the United States Postal Service began a series of a large block of stamps that highlight various ecological habitats found around the U.S. According to this article in the Muskegon [Michigan] Chronicle, the "glorious sand dunes that line portions of all five Great Lakes are about to get national exposure," while being featured in the 10th installment of the Nature of America educational series.

This announcement caught my eye for several reasons: the first, stemming from my childhood hobby of stamp collecting, and the second being that Michigan is an ancestral location for me. But I have more than a passing interest in the Great Lakes dunes than just that they are a wonderful natural feature. You see, my parents met while both their families were camping at Silver Lake State Park 47 years ago this summer, and their first date was ~~driving around on the dunes in a rented dune buggy~~ taking a motorboat ride across Silver Lake, then walking across the dunes from Silver Lake to Lake Michigan! I thought it would be a great idea to buy a block of these stamps and preserve them in a scrapbook to use as a creative prompt to write about how my parents met, so that generations to come would know their story.

Week Thirty-Three: Laughter, the Best Medicine

2008-03-09T13:14:00.000-07:00

A while ago, I was working away at my laptop, when my teenage son's belly laugh floated down the stairs from his room where he was watching one of his favorite television shows, Family Guy. Immediately, I flashed back to my childhood and heard my brother's own childish belly laugh echoing in my memories, from the weekend mornings when I would try to sleep in and he would be watching Saturday morning cartoons in the living room directly below my bedroom. I thought about how my son's chuckle imitates both my brother's and my sister's, and how my daughter has a very unique outright laugh (it almost sounds fake!), although at times I hear her paternal cousin's giggle or her paternal aunt's chuckle when she is amused. My sister-in-law and my mother-in-law share the same "ha-ha!" and my husband, brother-in-law and father-in-law sound alike as well.

Now that nearly all my grandparents are gone, I can tell you that one of the sounds I miss most is my maternal grandmother's merry laugh, and my paternal grandfather's knee-slapping that accompanied his guffaws after telling a good joke. I can't remember my maternal grandfather's laugh or even a memory of him laughing out loud...maybe because he was a quiet man. I know that my dad and his mother have similar laughs, and I wonder that if I could be transported in time, which ancestors they would sound like.

Ancestral photographs and documents may tell us who someone looks like in the family, or what similar habits or occupations were passed from generation. But sound--people's voices and the way they laughed--are not things that often get recorded for future generations. Yet, they could tell us so much about ourselves and our families!

*When you laugh, who do you sound like? Your father, mother, a sibling, or other relative?

*Who in your family giggles? Belly laughs? Chuckles? Guffaws? Knee slaps or does some other large physical act while laughing?

*What other members of the family have similar laughs? Query the older generations and ask them "who in the family has your grandma's (or grandpa's) laugh?"

*Who has the most unique laugh in your family, and why?

*What kinds of things did your family laugh or joke about?

*What best describes the style of humor in your family (dry, wet, ironic, silly)?

*Did you ever have tickle fights?

*Who were the practical jokers in the family?

*What private jokes did you have as a family? What key phrases were giggle starters?

*What do you remember about your own children's first laughs when they were babies? What silly things did you do to get them to chortle?

*What books, magazine, or cartoon strips were favorite humorous reads in your family?

*What comedy television shows or movies were favorites in your family?

*Do you ever play games that get your family giggling up a storm? (Our family plays Balderdash with my brother-in-law's family every year while camping at the lake for a week...it's our favorite group activity, mainly because we get so darn silly while playing it!)

*Do you have digital recordings, videotapes, audio tapes, or home movies with family members talking or laughing in them? I'm a fan of Susan Kitchen's blog, Family Oral History Using Digital Tools, and she has lots of good tips for preserving these recordings. Perhaps you should plan to do some recording at the next family gathering!

*Besides preserving audio recordings (and perhaps posting them on your blog!), you can post photos of family members cutting capers, laughing, or joking around. If you don't have a blog, you can add these photos to a scrapbook and post your responses to this prompt. You could also add quotes about laughter from the Bible or other sources to your journal, scrapbook, or blog.

And now, it's time to do a little giggling yourself! Watch the YouTube video below! For more great baby laughing videos, go to YouTube and enter "baby laughing" in the search engine.

Journaling Responses to "Week Thirty-Two: Honoring Our Leaders"

2008-03-09T12:21:00.000-07:00

I apologize for dropping out of sight the last two weeks. I've barely been keeping my head above water, and things have eased up just a bit, enough for me to try to get back on track. I wanted to let you know about some terrific responses to the last set of journaling prompts, which have been published on genealogy blogs:

Elizabeth from Little Bytes of Life posted "Week Thirty-Two (But Week One for Me): Honoring Our Leaders."
Thomas at Destination: Austin Family wrote "Honoring Our Leaders."
Tex posted "President's Day...Late" at her blog, All My Ancestors.
My own post is "Honoring Our Presidents" at AnceStories.

I enjoyed reading these, especially discovering which president each person felt was the greatest leader for our country.

As a side note, I encourage you not to feel that you have to write any of these posts in a particular order, or that you need to "catch up." They are numbered for my convenience only. You can write from any prompt at any time, and if you have a blog, post them whenever you wish. In other words, it's not like a carnival with a specific due date. If for some reason, like the last two weeks, I'm unable to get prompts published, I encourage you to take a list at some of the other prompts you may not have written to, so far, and use them instead. The idea is to get you to write about your own life and your ancestors' lives to share with future generations. Feel free to come up with your own prompts and write to those, too!

Week Thirty-Two: Honoring Our Leaders

2008-02-17T09:46:00.000-08:00

Here in the United States, we commemorate Presidents Day on the third Monday of February. Most government offices are closed, as well as many schools, businesses, and private organizations. This holiday originated because two of our most famous and beloved presidents were born in the month of February. George Washington, the Father of Our Country, "first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen," was born on what was then February 11, 1732 in Westmoreland County, in what was then the Colony of Virginia, British America. During his lifetime, the calendar was corrected when it was discovered that it was eleven days off. His corrected birth date became February 22. Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president, known for his poor roots as well as holding the nation together during the American Civil War, was born February 12, 1809 in Hardin County, Kentucky. While he was beloved by many in the Northern States and will be forever honored by the African-American community for his Emancipation Proclamation, he was reviled (and in many places, still scorned) by those in the South.

The following prompts are listed to help you remember how you celebrated the presidents' birthdays in the past, and what you believe about honoring our leaders. If you live in another country, you may choose to answer these prompts from a perspective of honoring your own national leaders and/or celebrating your king or queen's birthday.

*As a child, do you remember celebrating either Lincoln or Washington's birthdays? How did you celebrate them? What do you remember learning about either of these men?

*Did you get a day off of school, have an assembly, or was there a play performed?

*Do you ever remember reading any books or watching any movies about these two leaders?

*In your opinion, who was the greatest leader of our country, and why?

*In your current career, do you get Presidents Day off? Why or why not?

*In many communities, Presidents Day weekend is well-known for sales and special deals. How do you feel about this? Do you like to go shopping on this weekend? Or do you feel this emphasis on commercialism is disrespectful?

*Presidents Day is also a day when veterans and Purple Heart recipients are honored. Are or were there any Purple Heart recipients in your family or ancestry? Have you written about what they did to earn this great award?

Journaling Responses to "Week Thirty-One: St. Valentine's Day"

2008-02-17T08:45:00.000-08:00

These genea-bloggers have posted their responses to "Week Thirty-One: St. Valentine's Day" on their blogs, and can be found at the following links:

Thomas MacEntee at Destination: Austin Family published "St. Valentine's Day" before he left for vacation. He also published "1001 Reasons Why You Want to be My Sweetheart."
I wrote some of my Valentine's Day memories from my early school years in Klawock, Alaska in my post, "Happy Valentine's Day!" on my AnceStories: The Stories of My Ancestors blog.
However, I believe Randy Seaver trumped us both with his "Valentine's Day Gift"! Visit his blog, Genea-Musings, to read how romantic Randy got his best Valentine's Day gift ever!

If you or any other blogger you know responded to these prompts, please leave a comment below, and I'll be sure to add the post to my list.

Week Thirty-One: St. Valentine's Day

2008-02-11T17:44:00.000-08:00

I apologize for getting this out so late. I try to post these on Sunday, or at least have them written up to post first thing Monday morning; but I was working on some deadlines for both home and work most of the weekend.

Love it, tolerate it, or hate it, the Holiday of Love is nearly upon us. Here are some prompts to get you started writing about Valentine's Day holidays past and present:

*What is the first Valentine's Day that you remember? How old were you or what grade were you in?

*Did you have celebrations at school? What were they like? Were there games and refreshments?

*Did you make some sort of individualized Valentine "mailboxes" to hold the greetings you received? Or did the classroom have one big box? How were they (or it) created and decorated?

*Did you buy or make Valentine cards? Did you include goodies such as lollipops, candy message hearts, or Hershey kisses?

*Do you remember the first boy or girl you had a crush on in school? Did you have the nerve to send him or her a Valentine? If so, what was their reaction/response?

*Did your crush send you a Valentine?

*How did you feel about Valentine's Day as a child? Was it fun and exciting, or disappointing and sad? Or were you simply bored with it all?

*As you got older, did you attend any Valentine's Day dances? Tell about your experiences!

*What is the nicest card or gift you have ever received for Valentine's Day? Who sent it to you?

*How do you celebrate Valentine's Day now?

*Do you remember hearing how your parents or grandparents celebrated Valentine's Day?

If you have a written journal, you could decorate it with favorite cards you've received. If you have a blog or computer journal, you could decorate it with scanned copies of your favorite cards.

Journaling Responses to Week Thirty: Crafts and Hobbies

2008-02-11T06:31:00.000-08:00

Thomas from Destination: Austin Family tells me he's addicted to these journal prompts! He's no slouch at creating prompts, either, as his Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories prove! Thomas responded to last week's prompts about Crafts and Hobbies in his post by the same name, here.

If you or another blogger you know has responded, please leave a comment below, and I'll add a link to your post.

Week Thirty: Crafts and Hobbies

2008-02-04T13:34:00.000-08:00

This past week, we've experienced a lot of snow in my hometown, keeping many families, including ours, homebound. While I love being on the computer, reading, blogging, and researching, I've been feeling the need for a little creativity, lately. I picked up some fabric to make a new throw pillow and matching lamp shade to brighten up the living room, and yesterday, discovered a new cross stitch book at the library. As you've probably guessed by now, some of my hobbies include needlework. Over the past twenty years, I've taught myself to sew, crochet, knit, cross stitch, and do plastic canvas work. I don't do nearly as much needlework as I used to, but it's something I turn to several times a year when I feel I need a creative outlet. Another fun skill I picked up was learning how to create things out of wood in the Industrial Arts class where I assist our special needs students as part of my career with the local school district's special education program. I especially like using the skill saws to cut out intricate shapes in the shelves the students build. Working with wood--with its fresh-cut smell--and shaping it into something the mind's eye sees first, is a love I'm sure I've inherited from generations of carpenters on both my father's and mother's sides of the family. With these things in mind, I encourage you to write about the crafts and hobbies of your life, and share them with your descendants:

*What kinds of hobbies or crafts have you enjoyed over the years? Are they activities that you've created (visual art, needlework, metalwork, etc.) or items you've collected (model railroads, dolls, spoons, postage stamps, etc.)?

*How did you become interested in them? Were you taught them by a parent, grandparent, or other relative? Did you take a class, or teach yourself? Did you inherit a collection that you decided to build upon?

*Do you have a hobby or craft room where you can work or display your collection or store your supplies? If not, what would your dream hobby or craft room look like?

*What is it that your hobby or craft does for you? For instance, I know someone who took up crocheting to keep her hands busy while she was quitting smoking. Another relative knits items to donate to others as a way to give to the community. As for myself, I like the relaxing feeling of a hook and yarn between my fingers.

*Have you ever created your own patterns? Have you ever done a pattern enough that you've memorized it and create the object without reading the instructions? What one item have you made many times?

*Have you ever shown or displayed your hobby or craft at a collector's show or fair? Have you ever marketed your hobby or crafts either in a physical store, crafters' fair or online?

*Where do you purchase your supplies or items for your collection?

*Name your one--or several--favorite things you've created or collected? Why are they a favorite?

*What hobbies or crafts do you remember your parents, grandparents, or other relatives doing? Or what have you learned, if you've researched your family history, about the types of hobbies and crafts your ancestors did?

Don't forget to include some photos of your collections or the items you've made, prizes you've won, or photos of you engaged in your hobby or craft!

Journaling Responses to Week Twenty-Nine: Family Time

2008-02-03T13:10:00.000-08:00

The following genea-bloggers have posted their journal responses to "Week Twenty-Nine: Family Time" on their blogs, and can be found at the following links:

Lori Thornton at Smoky Mountain Family Historian posted "Family Life"

Thomas MacEntee at Destination: Austin Family also wrote a post entitled "Family Life" and included old and newer photos

I always appreciate hearing from anyone who's been following these prompts. If you are journaling your responses, please let me know by using the comments feature. Remember, you don't have to have a blog to write the stories of your childhood for your descendants!

Week Twenty-Nine: Family Time

2008-01-28T00:28:00.000-08:00

Last week there were some great responses to "Games and Puzzles." You could really see the family dynamics as various bloggers wrote about the game times they had with their families. I wanted to continue in the same vein with "Family Time." These times can be referring to your household family, or extended family members.

*Did your family have a regularly scheduled family time?

*What sorts of things did your family do together most often?

*Where did you spend your family times? At home or elsewhere?

*How important were family meal times?

*Did you ever go for "Sunday drives"? Where did you go?

*Did your family have a favorite place at which to eat out together? What made it a favorite?

*Was there a favorite television show you liked to watch together (or a radio show to listen to together)? Did you ever read together?

*What kinds of things did your family talk about when they got together?

*Were there certain kinds of sports or activities that you participated in as a family?

*Did you ever have a family portrait done by a professional photographer? Was this done on a regular basis, or just occasionally?

Understandably, if you grew up in a household where the family dynamics were not the best, the above questions may not apply. Some people may find it therapeutic to write honestly about this, while others may find it helpful to write about how they determined to have things be different when they raised their own families.

One of my great-great-grandmothers, Jana "Jennie" (TON) HOEKSTRA, was orphaned at an early age. She lived with her step-father, but once he remarried after her mother's death, she went to live with an uncle and aunt, and worked as a maid and a laundress at a young, young age. She had a very hard life. One of the most precious possessions I own is a little scrap of paper on which she wrote about some early memories she had of her immigrant Dutch parents:

I, remember when my mother was kind to me, and took the long walk, with her, Sundays after-noon and her Love.

I, remember the walk, my Father and I took one evening in Cincinnati Ohio. The Father's day, and mother's days are a blessing.

Sunday Feb 14--1943

This is all I have ever seen in Jennie's writing, and it is so significant that the one thing that has been saved of all she ever wrote was about her family! Make sure your descendants have a record of your family times, and copies of your family portraits or snapshots.

Journaling Responses to "Week Twenty-Eight: Games and Puzzles"

2008-01-26T09:22:00.000-08:00

The following genea-bloggers have posted their journal responses to "Week Twenty-Eight: Games and Puzzles" on their blogs, and can be found at the following links:

Thomas MacEntee's "Games and Puzzles" at Destination: Austin Family

Lori Thornton's "Games and Puzzles" at Smoky Mountain Family Historian

Tex's "Games" at All My Ancestors

I've really appreciated and enjoyed reading these responses. When people talk about their families, you really get an understanding of the dynamics of these families and the individual's growing up years. Comparing and contrasting those similarities and differences with one's own family is fascinating!

If you know of anyone else who has posted a response, please let me know by using the comments feature. Remember, you don't have to have a blog to write the stories of your childhood for your descendants!

Week Twenty-Eight: Games and Puzzles

2008-01-20T16:53:00.000-08:00

With all the snow we're having here in Spokane this winter, nothing sounds like more fun than gathering the family around the table to play a few games on a winter evening. Here in the Midkiff house, we have three shelves full of board and card games, a collection my husband started building not long after we were married. He wanted to have a variety for our future family to choose from for family nights. We don't play as often as we used to, so maybe it's time we started that back up. A Midkiff family tradition we've started and continue every summer is to play Balderdash nearly every evening of our week up at the lake with my brother-in-law's family. My brother-in-law usually comes up with the funniest definitions, but I usually end up winning! We always get silly and adults and kids alike thoroughly enjoy this tradition!

When I was in college, our high school and college youth group enjoyed playing Spoons, Charades, and especially Pictionary, long before the latter became a board game. It was supposedly created by Gonzaga University students here in Spokane.

*Did you have a regular game night or family night?

*What games (board, card, dice, or acting out) did your family enjoy? Was there a favorite you played time after time?

*Did your family have a family or game room? What was it like? What kind of game equipment did it have (foosball, pool table, etc.)?

*Do you have any funny stories or a particular memory (good or bad) that stands out of game-playing time?

*What's the first game you remember playing?

*Were there any games you disliked? Why?

*Were there any games that were not allowed to be played? Why?

*Did your parents have a regular night when they would play games or cards with friends or extended family?

*Did you ever have game nights with groups, clubs, or neighbors on a regular basis?

*Was game playing associated with certain annual events, like holidays, birthdays, or vacation times?

*What kinds of snacks and beverages were enjoyed during game playing?

*Were there prizes awarded to game winners or even to losers? What kinds? Did everyone chip in towards purchasing the prizes?

*Did your family or you ever do jigsaw puzzles? What's the largest--in terms of number of puzzle pieces--jigsaw puzzle you've completed?

*What did you do with completed puzzles? Did you display them or simply put them away?

*What about puzzles such as crosswords, cryptograms, or others found in puzzle books? Are you a Sudoku fiend?

*Did you ever go to an arcade and play pinball machines or other arcade-style games? Or did you ever shoot pool?

*Do you remember seeing your first video game, either in an arcade or on a television (Pong, Atari or early Nintendo games)?

*What kinds of video games did you like to play, if any? Do you play any now (gaming station or handheld)?

*What was your first computer game? Do you ever play computer games now, either on your computer or online?

*What about the present? Does your family or do you personally play games or do puzzles? Do you participate in game nights with others, such as poker or Bunco?

*Here are some other game ideas to write about: lawn games (horseshoes, croquet, badminton); kid games (marbles, jacks); betting, casino games, and bingo; party games (pinata, pin the tail on the donkey), etc.

*What do you know about your parents', grandparents', or perhaps even great-grandparents' game playing? Do you remember them saying anything about games they played when they were young?

*Do you have any photos of either your present or your childhood families playing games? What about ancestral photos?

I'll have more prompts about other family times in next week's post.

Journaling Responses to "Week Twenty-Seven: Civil Rights and Diversity"

2008-01-19T16:23:00.000-08:00

This past week, several bloggers took on the challenge of writing about civil rights and social justice and then posting their responses on their blogs. Here are links where you can read their stories:

Larry Lehmer of Passing It On posted "Black, white, yellow and brown: Does it really matter?"

Thomas MacEntee of Destination: Family Austin wrote "Civil Rights and Diversity: Serving Witness, Giving Voice." He also invited us to re-read "Race and Family History" which he posted back in November.

UPDATE 20 Jan 2008: Colleen of Orations of OMcHodoy posted her thoughts on "Civil Rights and Diversity".

Several other people commented on my post or e-mailed me privately to tell me that they were also writing responses, but due to the sensitive nature of the topic, were not posting them on their blogs. This is certainly understandable.

If you have responded to this topic on your blog and would like me to link to your post, please contact me. My e-mail can be found by clicking on my profile information in the right-hand column.

As a reminder, you don't need to have a blog to write these responses. They're meant for you to write in whatever format you are most comfortable with, whether in a bound journal, in a document format (like Microsoft Word) on your computer, or online in private or public format, whatever works best for you. Be sure to make backups if you are writing in electronic format, whether you print up your writings or store them on a CD, DVD, or USB drive.

Week Twenty-Seven: Civil Rights and Diversity

2008-01-13T11:19:00.000-08:00

And last, never let your mind become so narrow that you cannot associate with those of another race, color, or way of believing.

--Faith Valk Robbins to Miriam Joy Robbins, 10 May 1967, in "Mother's Message to Her Child" from the Baby Book of Miriam Joy Robbins, pg. 47

With Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday coming up next weekend, and the celebration of Black History Month in February, many of us are thinking about the Civil Rights Movement and issues such as diversity, social justice, tolerance (a word I dislike...who out there wants to be merely tolerated?), and acceptance of those different from ourselves.

The quote above written by my mother in my baby book when I was just under two months old. I am very grateful for parents who taught and walked a life of acceptance towards others. Even when our family was faced with several years of intense racism and hatred during a nasty lawsuit in the mid-1970s while living in Southeast Alaska, I never heard them say a negative word. My parents were--and still are--very conservative in their beliefs, but their faith in a loving God who loves all His children is behind their compassion and acceptance of all they meet. Others have not been so fortunate, I know, to have grown up in such a family.

*What was the racial, ethnic, or religious situation in the community where you grew up? Was your family part of a racial, ethnic, or religious majority or minority? Were there differences in your community or family such as developmental disabilities, mental illness, or social class differences? Were there bi-racial or mixed-faith families?

*How did this affect you and your family? Did your family experience discrimination or prejudice, or were family members prejudiced against others? Have you ever feared for your life because of prejudice?

*What were you taught about people who were different from you? Do you still believe this? Why or why not? If not, what made you change your mind?

*Were there households in your neighborhood or community where a couple was co-habitating rather than being legally married? Were there gays and lesbians in your community? Or did you grow up in such a diverse household? What was your family's or the community's reaction to this?

*Do you remember the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s or the AIM movement of the 1970s? What about the Equal Rights Amendment or the AIDS epidemic? What were your feelings or thoughts on these matters? Did they affect you directly, and how?

*What do you remember about meeting someone for the first time who was different from you in some way? What preconceived ideas were dismantled as you got to know this person as an individual, rather than as a symbol of your differences?

*If you are a person considered "different" by the mainstream, do you have a successful experience to share where you were able to change someone else's preconceived ideas about your diverse situation? How did that occur?

*Are there any oral histories in your family about being able to vote or own land or other civil rights for the first time? What about stories were rights were denied? (George Geder shared some stories of discrimination during his grandfather Jack Hancock's life here. My daughter, who loves to shop, was most distressed at how Jack's daughter Sadye was thrown into jail for staring at a dress in the window of a "for whites only" store.) Are there events in your family history where ancestors or relatives triumphed over social injustice? Were any of your ancestors social reformers? Are you?

As I'm sure you're all aware, the above prompts can bring up some volatile emotions. Please use caution and wisdom if you post your responses on a blog or other public format. These prompts are not meant to cause an uproar; the purpose of these prompts, as always, remains a way for you to tell succeeding generations about your life story.

Journaling Responses to "Week Twenty-Six: Winter"

2008-01-11T19:42:00.000-08:00

There's been a variety of thoughtful responses to Sunday's writing prompt on "Winter," and I thought I'd leave some links to them so you can read them as well:

Thomas MacEntee's "Old Man Winter" at Destination: Austin Family

Randy Seaver's "Winter in San Diego - Memories" at Genea-Musings

"Winter" by the author of All My Ancestors

UPDATE 15 Jan 2008: Terry Thornton's "Recollections of Winter: From Angel Dust to Wearing Long Johns" at Hill Country of Monroe County, Mississippi

UPDATE 15 Jan 2008: Bill West's "Winter" at West in New England

If you know of any others, please let me know. My e-mail is available on my profile page (see right-hand column).

Week Twenty-Six: Winter

2008-01-06T15:23:00.000-08:00

Here in Spokane, Washington, we've received about four inches of snow overnight. We've had more snow this season since the winter of 1969. It's got me thinking about the season...the things we like and dislike, and how we've endured or enjoyed it over the years. Here are some prompts to help you write about the winters in your life:

* What has been your attitude toward winter? Is it "the weather outside is frightful" or "let it snow, let it snow, let it snow"?

*What are or were your favorite outdoor winter activities? Some ideas to jog your memory include sledding, skiing, skating, snowshoeing, snowball fights, or making snowmen. Where did you go to do these activities? Did you ever have an accident participating in any of the more active sports?

*What are or were your favorite indoor winter activities? Did you play board games or cards, listen to the radio or watch TV, do puzzles or needlework, read books and magazines, or write letters, journals, or stories?

*What do you remember about winter clothing in your childhood? Do you have any stories to tell about long johns, snow suits or snow pants, a favorite or unfavorite pair of boots? Did you wear a pair of mittens with a string connecting them around your neck? Colleen shares a great memory here!

*Did anyone ever make you hats, scarves, mittens or sweaters to wear? Were they knitted or crocheted?

*What were your favorite winter foods or drinks? Some ideas include soups, stews, casseroles, hot chocolate, tea, or hot buttered rum.

*How about the cold? Did you ever get frostbite? Did you ever take a dare and stick your tongue on something metal? Was your bedroom cold at night in the winter? How did you stay warm at night...with an electric blanket, a bedwarming pan, or hot potatoes at the foot of your bed under the covers?

*What big storms or hard winters do you have memories or stories of? (Those who live in Spokane may have their stories of Ice Storm '96.)

*If you live(d) in areas that get little to no snow during the winter, what are or were your winters like? Windy and rainy? Warm or hot? Did you wish for snow, or were you glad you didn't get any? If it did occasionally snow, did the bad weather shut down your community? Do you remember the first time you saw snow? What did you think of it?

*Do you remember stories from your parents, grandparents, or other family members or old timers of big storms or hard winters of the past?

*Do you have any photos of your ancestors outdoors in the winter, or of their homes or automobiles covered with snow? What about photos of ancestors' horses and sleighs?

Decorate your journal with photos of yourself and/or your ancestors enjoying (or enduring) wintertime.

Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories

2007-12-03T06:33:00.000-08:00

I haven't added any journal prompts in such a long time (hangs head guiltily). However, Thomas and Jasia put their heads together and came up with an Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories for other genealogy bloggers that is just perfect for journaling your own Christmas memories. I invite you to click on either link above (it's the same list) to read the list of 24 blogging prompts which can be used for your journal. There's one for each day from December 1st through the 24th. It's not too late to start; I haven't blogged anything so far, but will jump in as time allows.

If you'd like to read others' memories, click here to see Thomas' introduction to each day's theme with links to bloggers' posts. I've noticed that by reading these posts, I've been reminded in more detail of some of my own Christmas memories.

P.S. If you don't celebrate Christmas, you can alter these prompts to reflect your own religion's winter holiday memories.

Week Twenty-Five: Your First Job

2007-10-07T10:55:00.000-07:00

I'm again looking to recent events in my daughter's life for ideas for writing prompts. She just started working at Cinnabon at a nearby mall, and normally is a fairly unorganized person. However, this new job has forced her to stay on track with homework, appointments, and deadlines, which has been an unexpected bonus!

Here some prompts to get you thinking about your first job...whether it was actual employment, or work around your home or neighborhood as a child or teen:

1. Describe your first job. Where and for whom did you work? How did you hear about this job, and what was the hiring process?

2. What were your expected duties? How often did you work? What were your hours?

3. What were your wages or salary? How often were you paid? Was it in cash or by check? Did you receive any benefits, and if so, what were they? Did you ever get a raise?

4. What did you do with the money you earned? Was it saved for a particular reason, or was it used for living expenses or freely spent? Did you have a bank account? Did you pay taxes?

5. Did you have to wear a uniform or working clothes? If so, write a description. If you have a photo of yourself in the uniform or working clothes, add it to your journal.

6. Did you like your job? Why or why not? Was it difficult or easy? Were there particular duties you enjoyed or especially disliked? Why? Would you do that sort of work again?

7. Write about your supervisor. What was it like to work for him or her? Did you get along? Explain.

8. Write about your co-workers. How did you get along with them? Did you make new friends at work? Are you still in touch today?

9. Do you have any funny stories or experiences to share from your working experience at your first job? What about any sad or thoughtful ones? Did anything unfair happen to you while you worked there?

9. How long did you work at this job? Why did you leave? Where did you go for your next job?

You could continue this writing prompt for several weeks by writing about each subsequent job you had. You could also write about any times of unemployment or gaps in your work history (such as a woman staying home to raise a family).

You could also write about the employment history of your parents, or even your grandparents. If they are still alive, interview them about it. If not, write what you recall. Either way, you will be leaving a written record for their descendants.

Week Twenty-Four: Learning to Drive

2007-09-16T09:14:00.000-07:00

My daughter took driver's ed this summer, bringing back a flood of memories for me. A perfect topic for a journal entry! I thought.

*How old were you when you learned to drive? What year was this?

*How did you learn? Was in it driver's ed (school or private) or with family or friends? Who taught you? If you took a class, what do you remember about the teacher, your classmates, and the course? Do you remember how much it cost? Did you use simulators?

*What kind of car or cars did you use in your training, either in class or with your family or friends? Do you remember the year, make and model? Stick shift or automatic?

*Where did you practice? Was there a certain road or a certain place that everyone in your community would go to learn to drive?

*What were the requirements at that time to earn a license? How old did you have to be to get a permit and to get a license? How much did it cost?

*Tell about your experience getting your license: the written exam and the driving test. Did you past the first time? Do you remember how well you did? Were there skills you struggled with or had to re-do? How old were you when you got your license?

*What was your worst driver's license photo? What was your best?

*Did you have your own car, or did you drive a family member's? What was the year, make and model? Did you love it, or were you embarrassed by it? What was your dream car (or truck)?

*Write about the different vehicles you've owned over the years: the years, makes and models; the color; what you liked or didn't like about them; how you came to purchase them and how much they cost at that time; why you got rid of them. What were your favorites and the ones you liked least, and why?

*How many years have you been driving? Have you ever gotten a parking ticket or a moving violation? Have you been in any collisions or other accidents? What is your driving record like? Write about those experiences.

Include photos of you and your vehicles, and/or find photos of the models you owned on the Internet to download and include in your journal.

Week Twenty-Three: Remembering 9/11

2007-09-10T22:52:00.000-07:00

As I write this, it is already September 11th on the East Coast of the United States; the sixth anniversary of 9/11. This was an event that affected every American, whether we knew someone who was killed that day, or not. Our world shattered, and we felt vulnerable. We have all experienced tragedy on a national level at more than one point in our lives: JFK's assassination, for example, or the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster. Most of us have never recorded the events as we remembered them on those days, nor the feelings that accompanied them. There aren't many of the generation left that remembers Pearl Harbor, and even less who can recall the day World War I ended. The memories of those Big Events in our nation's history are being lost to time.

For your journal prompt to help you remember September 11, 2001, I invite you to go here to read and listen to the lyrics of Alan Jackson's "Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning?"

*How did you hear about the attacks of 9/11?

*What did you do that day? Did you go to work or school, or stay home?

*What were your feelings?

*How has what happened that day changed your life in some way?

*What are your hopes for the future, in connection with this tragedy?

I have posted my journal response here.

Week Twenty-Two: Your Recipes

2007-07-15T10:02:00.000-07:00

Do you have a favorite recipe that you are famous for? Is there a favorite recipe that's been handed down through the generations? This week, take some time to write about a recipe (or several) that has significance in your household or family. Here are some things to consider:

*If there is a history to this recipe, write about it. Did it come from the Old Country, or was it printed in a favorite cookbook or local newspaper?

*Is there a funny (or sad) story that relates to this recipe, either in preparing it or eating it?

*What sort of memories does preparing or eating this particular food bring out? Are there particular cooking utensils, mixing bowls, serving dishes, aprons, hot pads, furniture (kitchen table), appliances (old cooking stoves, porcelain sinks) that come to mind when you remember this recipe?

*Do you have any photos of your family eating this, or someone preparing it? Do any particular conversations come to mind?

*How has the recipe changed over the years? What sorts of alternate ingredients or preparations have been made? Why?

*Does anyone still make this recipe? Why or why not?

These questions can pertain to a whole group of family recipes or just one in particular. Here are some recent blog posts that inspired this post:

When Is Raspberry Jam NOT Just Raspberry Jam? by Pat Richley of DearMYRTLE, Your Friend in Genealogy (she also wrote the next two titles)
Raspberry Jam II
Raspberry Jam III
Carnival of Genealogy, 16th Edition: Food and Family Recipes - many family recipes and memories shared here by various bloggers, including myself

Besides what I wrote for the Carnival of Genealogy, I have posted a couple of recipes, for my famous spaghetti and Peach Dessert, at my personal blog, &Etc.

Consider creating a family cookbook with favorite recipes and ancestral or family photographs. They make great Christmas gifts or fundraisers at family reunions. Many can be self published for a low cost using your own printer, or a printing business such as Kinko's, Office Depot, Staples, Costco, etc.

Week Twenty-One: Your National Holiday

2007-07-03T11:08:00.000-07:00

This week marks national holidays for two major countries: Canada, which celebrates Canada Day normally on July 1st, but officially on the 2nd, since the First falls on a Sunday; and the United States, which celebrates Independence Day on July 4th. Here are some prompts for letting your descendants know how you celebrate your national holiday:

*What was tradition in your childhood family for celebrating your national holiday? Did you dress in a national costume or in your national colors? Did you display your national flag? Was your national holiday a one-day celebration, or longer?

*Were there any programs on the radio or television that you listened to/watched as part of this observance? Was there a church or other religious ceremony you attended?

*Were there neighborhood or community events in which you participated? Did they include games, dancing, feasting, fireworks, or music? Was the national anthem sung or played? Was it a festive or somber affair? Were there celebrities, local government officials, or national leaders in attendance?

*Did you have an indoor feast, or a picnic or barbecue outside? What foods were traditionally served?

*How did your childhood celebrations differ from the way you celebrate as an adult? How are they the same?

*What does it mean to you to be a/an ____________ (insert your nationality here)? Do you consider yourself patriotic? What freedoms or privileges do you most cherish? If you are an immigrant, you may wish to write about your immigration experience (when, where and why), how life in your new country compares with your old, and your feelings about your motherland and adopted country.

Here are some great websites to educate you further, or to use to enhance your online journal:

Fourth of July Celebrations Database
Celebrate Canada!
A list of National Holidays
To find more online information about your specific national holiday, enter the name of your country and "national holiday" in quotation marks at Google.
3D Flags has animated national flags you can download and use on your website or blog. They have three sizes and three background colors to choose from. They also have U.S. state flags.
If your national colors are red and white, or red, white, and blue, there are some backgrounds and graphics on my pixel graphics site here, which you can use free-of-charge.
Sites to download free midi (audio) files of your national anthem can be found here and here, while lyrics can be found here.

My journal about my childhood celebrations can be found here.

Week Twenty: Your Reads

2007-06-24T16:39:00.000-07:00

I've been feeling a bit in a rut, so I decided to do some random prompts, instead of staying on what might be more obvious topics. Today's prompt is "Your Reads."

*When you were growing up, what magazines, newsletters, or newspapers were in your home on a regular basis, either purchased from a newstand, or subscribed to by mail? Were any of them children's publications?

*What are your memories about those publications? Were they interesting, entertaining or boring? Was there a magazine you didn't get that you wished you did? Why?

*As an adult, what publications did you subscribe to or purchase regularly in the past? Why did you choose them? Why did you stop purchasing them?

*What magazines, newsletters, or newspapers do you currently read, and why? What other ones would you read if you could?

*What publications do others in your household read? What have the others read or subscribed to in the past?

*Have you ever had your writings (or art) published in a magazine or newsletter? If so, write about that/those experience(s).

*Have you ever wondered what your ancestors read? Do you ever wonder what (and how) your descendants will read? Blogging has changed the world!

Week Nineteen: Your Community

2007-05-28T09:21:00.000-07:00

It's been two weeks since I've posted a prompt. "Your Community" is the focus this time. You can choose the current community you live in or any of the past communites in which you've resided. Perhaps you will want to write about all the communities of your life. Here are some things to consider:

*Describe your community: the location, including county and state; its size, and if a small one, its relation to a larger community; how long you lived there.

*What do you know about the history of your community? Who were its founders? What were major events of its past?

*What indigenous peoples lived there, and what ethnic groups immigrated to it?

*Why did you settle in this community?

*What do you like about it? Dislike? What would you change? What do you hope will never change?

*List some of the physical features and structures of the community...its parks, community centers, churches, and businesses, especially the ones you frequent.

*List events and celebrations that make this community unique, especially ones you have participated in.

*Write about your neighbors, friends and any family that live in this community, and describe your relationship with them through the community perspective.

*If you are active as a volunteer, committee or board member of your community, write about your experiences and responsiblities.

*What is the economy like? What is the economic makeup of its citizens? What is the rate of unemployment? What is the housing market like?

*What major political leanings does the community have? Major religous denominations? Are you in the majority or minority as a citizen in the political and religious areas? How does that shape your everyday life?

*What do you see as the future of this community, and why?

Week Eighteen: Your Neighborhood

2007-05-13T10:49:00.000-07:00

Most people have fond memories of the neighborhood in which they grew up: the hangouts, the haunted houses, the secret hideouts. Rural or urban, every location has something unique and attractive to children. In this busy day and age, most children's lives are very over-scheduled and with the dangers of sexual predators, gangs, and drug dealers, as well as the electronic attractions of computer/video games, cell phones, and instant messaging/MySpace/FaceBook, kids don't roam free as they once did. Leave a record of some great memories for your descendants!

*Describe the neighborhood of your childhood. Was it rural or urban? If urban, what stores, parks, and businesses do you remember? If rural, describe the woods or plains, streams or lakes/ponds that you explored. Or perhaps you lived in a small town or the suburbs, which were a combination of the great outdoors and the community services.

*What was your favorite place to go hang out with your friends? Why? What were some of the things you did there?

*Who were your friends and where did they live? Describe them...how old they were, how you ended up becoming friends, what was special about them?

*Are you still in touch with your childhood friends? Why or why not? Where do they live now?

*What was your favorite place to go to be by yourself? Why? What were some of the things you did there?

*Was there a haunted house or cemetery or some other scary place in your neighborhood? Did you ever go exploring there? What happened?

*Was there a place from which your parents told you to stay away? What was it and why were you supposed to stay away from it? Did you ever visit it anyway? What happened?

*Where did you learn to swim? What was your favorite "swimming hole?"

*Where did you ride your bicycle?

*Where did you go to the movies? or shoot pool? or play video games (before they were available for home use)?

*Where did you go bowling? or rollerskating? or skateboarding? or sledding? or ice skating?

*What kinds of outdoor games did you play with your friends? Hopscotch? Marbles? Cowboys and Indians? Capture the flag? Tag? Jump rope?

*What kinds of mischief did you and your friends get into? Were you ever caught? If so, what were the consequences?

*Was there a house in the neighborhood that everyone gravitated to? You know, the one whose mom didn't care if you hung out there all day, as long as you cleaned up after yourselves? Was it your house, or someone else's? Describe what you used to do there.

*Was there a convenience store, malt shop, Mom and Pop store, candy store, or some other place that all the kids loved to go to get their treats? What kinds of treats were your favorite? Was there an ice cream truck that you used to frequent?

*Did you ever have a lemonade stand? Write about your successes or failures with that.

*If you lived in the country, where did you like to go fishing, hunting, hiking, or ORVing? Tell your stories.

*Did you ever run into wild animals (bears, snakes, etc.) or fierce farm animals (bulls, roosters, etc.) while playing out in the country? Tell about your adventures!

*Did you ever run away from home? Why? Where did you go and how long were you there?

*Did you have a tree house or clubhouse? Was it secret, or did everyone hang out there? Who built it?

Instead of writing down your responses, you could make an audio recording and transcribe it later. I can think of so many stories about running around as a kid, that writing them down would take a very long time! A recording would be simpler and faster. Find some photos of you and your friends hanging out, or of the places you used to frequent to illustrate your written journal.

Next week,we'll expand a bit and on focus on "Your Community."

(P.S. Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there!)

Week Seventeen: Your Pets

2007-05-06T11:07:00.000-07:00

Please take a moment to read my post "May is Here Already!" over at my main blog, AnceStories: Stories of My Ancestors. Life is incredibly busy for me until June 15th, when school gets out. I can't promise to publish posts at this blog every week until my summer break, so I appreciate your patience with me! :-)

The topic for this week is Your Pets. Here are some prompts to ponder:

* Have you ever had pets? What kind were they? What were their names? Why did you name them those names?

*Were they family pets, or did you have a pet of your own? How about your siblings, spouse or children: Did they have their own pets?

*How did you acquire your pets? Were they given to you, bought, or did you adopt a stray? What was your parents' (or spouse's) reactions to having a pet?

*If you had a pet as a child, what were some of the responsibilities that you had in caring for your pet? Were you pretty good in caring for your pet, or did you need a lot of reminding?

*Describe the personality of your pet. Did he or she have any tricks they could perform or special qualities? Do you remember any funny stories about your pets?

*Did you have to housebreak or leash-train your pet?

*Have you ever entered a pet in a fair, show or contest? Did you win any prizes?

*Did your pet ever have any bad behaviors (biting people, getting into fights with other animals, digging, getting into the garbage, etc)? How were those issues dealt with?

*Have you ever taken your pet to a pet therapist?

*Did you ever have a pet run/fly away or get lost? Share their story.

*Did any of your pets reproduce? Tell about your pet's pregnancy and the birth of the baby animals. How many survived? What became of the babies?

*Were any of your pets neutered or spayed?

*Were any of your pets injured or become ill? Did they ever need veterinary services (other than check-ups and immunizations)?

*Who was/is your veterinarian? How did you choose that particular one? What is your relationship with your vet like?

*Did any of your pets die from old age, illness, injury, or by being put down? Write about that experience.

*Was your pet buried? Where?

*If you never had a pet, tell why. Did you or a family member have allergies? Were there pet restrictions where you lived? Did you, your parents, or other family members simply not want to have a pet around?

*Have you ever had a professional portrait taken of your pet? These and/or snapshots of your pet will add to your journal.

*Even if you never had a pet of your own, perhaps you have some sort of animal experience to share. Perhaps you always felt like your neighbor's dog was your own, or perhaps you had a bad experience with a relative's bird or an alley cat. Or maybe you'd like to share what your ideal pet would be if you could have one.

*You can also write journal entries for any pets you remember family members (grandparents, etc.) having. There may even be old photos of them sitting around in family collections! I always enjoy looking at very old family snapshots and seeing pets, wondering about their relationship to the people in the photo.

You can create a free memorial page for any and all of your pets at FindAGrave. You will have to register to be a member (don't worry, it's free and you won't receive spam e-mail). On this site, you can write your pet's story, list the body's disposal (burial, etc.), post photographs and leave virtual notes, icons and musical messages to honor your pet.

To use this site, go to www.findagrave.com and click on "Add burial records" in the right-hand menu. On the next page, click on "Add Family and Friends." You'll be prompted to set up a free account. Then you can create your page. If you have any difficulty or questions, feel free to e-mail me (see "View my complete profile" in the right-hand menu).

Next time, our topic will be "My Neighborhood." Be prepared to write about the neighborhood hangouts you enjoyed while growing up, whether it was a park, eatery, clubhouse, etc.

Week Sixteen: Your Children

2007-04-22T19:04:00.000-07:00

Your Child or Your Children is the topic of this week's prompts. Is there anything more amazing than becoming a parent? The responsibilities, the joys, the trials...probably few things create more significance--for better or worse--in our lives than that of the parent-child relationship, whether it is the one with our own parents or the one with our children.

If you are not a parent, you may wish to choose a person in your life that you may look upon as a surrogate child, whether a step-child, niece, nephew, cousin, or family friend. You may also wish to share about the choice--or lack of choice--involved in not having children and how that affects your life.

*How many children did you want to have? How many do you have?

*Did you have gender preferences (one boy and one girl, or all girls, etc.), and if so, why? What did you get?

*What are the names of your children? Who were they named for and why?

*When and where were each of them born?

*Did you adopt? Write about your adoption experience: how long you had to wait, which country you adopted from, open or closed adoption, etc.

*If you had biological children, was it difficult to conceive? If so, write about that experience.

*Share any stories you remember from the pregnancies of each child.

*Share the story of each child's birth.

*Write about anything significant that you remember from the different stages each child has gone through, such as infancy, toddlerhood, the first day of Kindergarten, elementary, middle or high school, college, marriage, being a parent themselves.

*Describe each child's personality, interests, and talents.

*Describe each child's features and build.

*Describe the relationship of each of your children to each other and to your spouse.

*Write down the wish you have for each child's future.

Add favorite photos of each of your children to your journal.

Our topic next week will be Your Pets.

Week Fifteen: Your Anniversaries

2007-04-15T11:04:00.000-07:00

This is Part Three in a three-part marriage-based set of journal prompts. Everyone who has been married at least a year has an anniversary story to share. Even unmarried people in relationships celebrate anniversaries--and why not?! Obviously, some anniversaries are more memorable than others. Hopefully, your anniversaries have been joyful, but occasionally, the memories of one may be sad or even painful. Life has its ups and downs, and anniversaries are often reflective of that. If you've been married more than once, you may wish to do separate journal exercises for anniversaries for each of your marriages. Here are some questions and statements to ponder as you journal this week:

* Your first anniverary is often one of the more memorable. When, where and how did you celebrate yours? Did you share a piece of cake frozen from your wedding the previous year?

* Have you exchanged traditional anniversary gifts over the years? For example, a gift made of paper was the traditional first-year anniversary gift, while the modern one is clocks. A table of both traditional and modern gifts can be viewed here.

* Some people celebrate a delayed honeymoon on an anniversary; have you?

* Have you ever gone somewhere special for an anniversary, like a cruise, a trip to a special destination, or a return to your honeymoon location?

* Have you ever been separated from your spouse on an anniversary due to work, military service, illness, etc.? How did the two of you deal with that?

* Have you or your spouse ever forgotten an anniversary? What was the outcome?

* Do you have any funny anniversary memories to share?

* Which anniversary was the hardest? Why?

* What was the most memorable or favorite anniversary, and why?

* Are your children or extended family members included in anniversary celebrations, or are they private?

* If your 25th, 50th, or another significant anniversary is in the near future, do you have special hopes or plans for it? Or if you've recently celebrated one, write about it.

* Share any special anniversary celebrations your parents or parents-in-law have celebrated. Perhaps you remember your grandparents' special anniversaries. What was your role in those?

Photos and mementos of your anniversary celebrations would make nice accompaniments to your journal. Next week, we will be writing about Your Children. Have fun with your memories this week!

Taking a Break

2007-04-08T12:32:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter! I'm spending time with my family today and will be back next weekend with our new prompt. Meanwhile, if you're not busy with your own family, you may wish to catch up in your journaling, subscribe to this blog via e-mail (see right-hand menu), or read my other blogs (access by looking at my profile in right-hand menu).

Week Fourteen: Your Wedding

2007-04-01T09:10:00.000-07:00

This is the second part of a topic that began last week with "The Significant Other in Your Life." Not everyone who is following these journal prompts is married, and this is not meant to exclude anyone. So if it doesn't pertain to you, just skip this prompt!

*When were you married? Why did you pick that date?

*Where were you married? Be specific, and include the building (house of worship, courthouse, wedding chapel, etc.), not just the town or city. Explain why you chose that particular location.

*Did you have a wedding planner (a professional, or a friend or relative that helped out)?

*How formal or informal was the wedding?

*Who married you? Was it your family priest, pastor, or rabbi? A justice of the peace? Captain of the ship? ;-)

*When you obtained your marriage license, what were the qualifications (if you remember)? For instance, did you have to take a blood test or get your parents' permission (if underage)? Do you remember what the fee was?

*If there was a wedding rehearsal, where and when did it take place? Was there a rehearsal dinner? Who attended or who was unable to attend? Were there gifts exchanged then?

*Who were the members of the wedding party, and how were they related or connected to you? Who was the maid/matron of honor and the best man?

*Describe the bride's dress. Was it a family heirloom, purchased or made for this wedding, rented or borrowed? Did she/you wear "something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue"? What were they?

*Describe the bride's bouquet.

*Describe the bridesmaids' outfits. Was there a color theme?

*Describe the groom and the groomsmen's outfits.

*Was the building decorated? If so, how?

*Where did the parties prepare and dress for the wedding? Who helped with the dressing, hair and makeup, if applicable?

*Were there ushers who weren't part of the regular wedding party? Who were they, and how were they related or connected?

*Was someone in charge of a guestbook and/or receiving gifts? Who were some of the special guests that attended? Who traveled the furthest to attend?

*What music was played and/or sung, and by whom? Why these music choices?

*Was the bride walked down the aisle, and if so, by whom? If not the father of the bride, then whom and why?

*Did you use traditional vows, write your own, or "borrow" some you liked?

*Describe the ceremony: the sequence of events, the prayers, music, exchanging of rings, lighting of candles, communion or drinking of wine, stepping on wine glass, etc.

*Describe the wedding rings: were they family heirlooms, or purchased? Where were they purchased? Were they a matching set?

*Did anything interesting, tragic or funny happen during the ceremony (i.e., at my cousin's wedding, the flowers on the candelabra caught on fire during the prayer!)?

*Who was/were the photographer(s)? Were the photos taken before or after the ceremony? Why?

*Describe the reception: the receiving line, the cake and champagne, toasts, dancing, etc. Where did it take place? Was it directly after the wedding, or at another time and location altogether? Why?

*Did you open the gifts at the reception, or later? Did someone open them and record them for you?

*Describe the bride and groom's going-away clothing. What vehicle was the "getaway" car? Was it decorated traditionally (soaped-up windows, tin cans, streamers, etc.)?

*Did you go away on a honeymoon? When and where (this could probably be a whole other journal entry!)? If you did not go on a honeymoon, explain why.

*Did you enjoy your special day, or was it stressful? What would you change and why? What worked out especially well, and why?

Most brides have a bride's book or wedding book with photos, invitations, programs, engagement announcements, etc. If for some reason you don't have one, you could create your own and put in your writings, along with the photos and ephemera. It would be interesting for a man to write his perspective of his wedding (which, of course, would vary from the woman's). A divorced man may not have access to photos or ephemera from his wedding, as often it's the woman who retains the wedding book after a divorce. It could be a special gift to his children to write about his wedding for them, as sometimes it is not a topic that's brought up with the father by the children.

Some people have been married more than once. Although it would take time, it would be interesting for your descendants to have journal entries about more than one wedding, not just the marriage that produced children. You could compare and contrast the weddings, too; especially the details of each that worked best for you.

Part three on this particular topic (marriage) will be "Your Anniversaries," coming next week.

Week Thirteen: The Significant Other in Your Life

2007-03-27T16:41:00.000-07:00

Yes, I'm late again (hangs head). This was a busy weekend with lots of errands and necessary shopping, plus I hosted Scanfest. I apologize for my tardiness, as we head into the next topic, the Significant Other in Your Life. This could be your Husband/Wife or the love of your life.

*How did you meet him/her?

*Were you attracted to him/her right away, or much later?

*Write about your first date. Who asked who out? What did you do? Where did you go? Was it terrific or a disaster?!

*Tell about some of your other memorable dates.

*When did you know that he/she was "the one"?

*Tell about how you got engaged, if applicable. Was it a surprise proposal, or expected?

*Write about any bridal showers or bachelor(ette) parties you might have had.

*Did you receive any pre-marital counseling, or go on a retreat?

*If you never married the love of your life, what were/are your reasons?

*How long have you been together?

We'll finish this topic next week with "Your Wedding." I promise I will get back on track and have the next prompt ready Sunday morning!

Week Twelve: Your Daily Life

2007-03-18T15:53:00.000-07:00

After reading some ancestral diaries that others have posted on their genealogy blogs, I thought it would be interesting to provide our descendants with a narrative of our daily lives. In other words, on a typical weekday, what happens? Here are some things to consider:

*What time do you get up?

*What do you do first?

*How do you get to work or school (or do you work at home)?

*What ordinary, perhaps even boring (to you) things to you do at each hour of the day?

*What people do you interact with on a daily basis (co-workers, friends, neighbors, family, community workers such as the mail carrier, etc.)?

*What do usually eat, and where?

*At the end of the workday, what things do you do at home?

*What do you do to relax in the evening? List television or radio shows you watch, music you listen to, websites you visit, etc.

*When do you go to bed?

Now spend some time journaling about your typical weekend day:

*What sorts of things do you normally do on Saturday?

*Where do you go?

*Do you attend worship services on Sunday, sleep in, or regularly participate in some other activity?

*How do you prepare for the coming workweek?

If you have regular activities that happen on certain days of the week, you could add those. For instance, I like to visit my Family History Center nearly every Thursday evening to do research, and I could write about what I do and the volunteers I have gotten to know there.

If you like, you could list this in an hour-by-hour procedure, such as "6:00 a.m. - wake, get dressed; 6:15 - work out on treadmill; 6:45 - eat breakfast: yogurt and a cup of coffee," etc.

It would be interesting to bring your camera to work and take pictures of your workplace and co-workers to add to your journal; or even the commute, if you're sitting, stuck in traffic. If you work at home, you could use the auto-timer or arrange to have someone taking photos of you.

It's often the ordinary days that are overlooked; and I think our descendants would love to know what a typical day was like for us...after all, wouldn't we want to know the same about OUR ancestors?

Next week, we'll be talking about marriage, significant others, or the loves of our lives.

Week Eleven: Your Father's Life

2007-03-11T13:37:00.000-07:00

Last week's prompt was to write all about your mother. This week you'll be writing about your father's life.

Besides the basic details of his life (birth, marriage(s), death (if deceased), parents, siblings, etc.) write about the things that no future genealogist will probably be able to discover: his personality, his traits, strengths, weaknesses. What were his aspirations? Was he happy and fulfilled in his occupation? What was your relationship with him like? Was he cold and aloof, warm and affectionate, or somewhere in between? What sorts of things did you do together? What was his relationship with your mother like? Again, you may be one of the few people on this earth that know/knew your father well, and you have the ability to share this information with future generations!

Include photos of different stages of your father's life, especially those of the two of you together.

Next week's prompt will be "Your Daily Life."

Week Ten: Your Mother's Life

2007-03-04T18:35:00.001-08:00

I'm late and I'm sorry...it's been a stressful week at work, followed by a busy weekend. Nevertheless, here we are!

The topic is "Your Mother's Life." Did you know that March is Women's History Month, and March 8 is International Woman's Day (widely celebrated in Europe)? So in this prompt, I'm encouraging to spend time writing about your mother. Write about the events of her life, her accomplishments, personality, hobbies, and your relationship with her. Those parent-child relationships can be complicated, so if yours isn't all you wish(ed) it could be, be frank. Maybe you were one of the lucky ones, and had an absolutely wonderful mother. Or perhaps yours was somewhere in the middle between terrific and not-so-great. Chances are, you're one of the few people who know/knew your mother well, and your memories of her are definitely worth sharing with your descendants!

Include photos of different stages of your mother's life, especially those of the two of you together.

Next week: You guessed it! "Your Father's Life."

Week Nine: Letters to Your Siblings' Descendants

2007-02-25T09:12:00.000-08:00

The prompt for Week Nine is an expansion of some of the prompts from Week Three: Your Immediate Family. Week Nine focuses on your siblings, but we're going to take a slightly different approach from the question-and-answer format. For each of your siblings, write a letter to their future descendants of 50 years from now. Imagine that you are the only one left to describe the lives of your siblings to their descendants (and for some of you, this may be so). Incorporate the important events, locations, and people of your siblings' lives, but most importantly, describe the things that make them "real," which are difficult for the family historian to discover: their personalities, their flaws and strengths, their passions and dislikes, their relationship with you.

Obviously, if you have many siblings, this assignment will take a while. You may choose to write one letter a day, or to write one now and each of the others around the time of your siblings' birthdays, as a way to honor them. Don't forget half- and step-siblings.

If you are an only child, you can adapt this for favorite cousins or even close friends.

You can include photos of your siblings at different ages of their lives, and photos that include both of you. Make copies of these letters and share them with your siblings (cousins, friends) and/or their descendants. They would make nice gifts at birthdays, anniversaries, or reunions.

Week Ten will focus on your mother and her life.

Week Eight: Your Oldest Living Ancestor

2007-02-18T17:24:00.000-08:00

Who was your oldest living ancestor (grandparent, great-grandparent, even possibly a great-great-grandparent!) at the time you were born? Perhaps you didn't have a direct ancestor living, but a collateral one, i.e. a sibling or cousin of a grandparent or great-grandparent. You can choose to write about this person instead, especially if your grandparents weren't living when you were born or didn't live nearby while you were growing up. Just to make it a bit easier for me, I'm going to refer to this person in my prompts as "she."

*What was the relationship (grandparent, great-aunt, etc.) of the oldest living ancestor you had at the time of your birth?

*What was her full maiden name? What was/were her married name(s)?

*When and where was she born? Who was president when she was born? Go here to find out.

*How old was she when you were born?

*Did you get to know this ancestor/relative personally? What was your relationship like? Were they a favorite, or were you neutral towards this person? Perhaps the relationship was even strained. How did that affect you?

*Describe this ancestor's personality, likes/dislikes, strengths/weaknesses. How are you similar to this ancestor? How are you different?

*Describe this ancestor's physical features, including complexion, hair and eye color, build, height, and any possible disabilities that she had. How are you alike or different from her in your appearance?

*Did you inherit anything of sentimental value from this ancestor? Describe the item(s) and include a photograph in your blog or journal.

*Did this person ever talk about her ancestors? Tell about the oldest ancestor she may have mentioned, following the same prompts that this blog has.

*Write a short biography of her life from birth to death. Include her parents' and siblings' names, her spouse(s) and child(ren), the places she lived, her occupation(s), military service, etc. Make sure to include full dates and locations of major life events. Also include photographs, especially any that has the both of you in them.

Next week, we'll return closer to home and go in-depth about your siblings. Are you an only child? We can journal about that, too!

Week Seven: Your Religious Life

2007-02-11T09:25:00.000-08:00

Were you raised in a household where religion/faith was a major part of every day living? Was your family only nominally religious, or somewhere in between? These questions are the basis for our weekly prompt, Your Religious Life.

*What religion/faith/denomination/sect were you raised in, if any?

*What do you know about the history of your faith or particular religious organization?

*For how many generations was your family involved in this particular faith or denomination?

*Who would you characterize as the religious leader in your childhood household or extended family? How involved with your local house of worship were the adults in your household?

*How often did you attend your house of worship? Was your attendance on major religious days only, several times a year, once a month, once a week, or every time the doors were open?

*What religious leaders were important to you, and how did they make a difference in your life?

*As an infant, were you baptized, dedicated, christened or accepted into your faith in a ceremonial way? Tell about this event.

*As a child, did you participate in Sunday School, Children's Church, Vacation Bible School, Hebrew School, or any other faith-based children's program on a regular basis?

*Were you involved in any club-like group as a child that was organized through your house of worship (Awanas, Boy or Girl Scouts, Royal Rangers, Missionettes, etc.)? Tell about any awards or badges you received.

*Did you ever attend retreats or camps for children or youth, sponsored by your religious organization?

*As a youth, were you involved in a youth group? Tell about some of the activities you participated in, whether service-oriented or just for fun.

*Did you participate in any ceremonies in your childhood or youth that demonstrated your commitment to your faith (first communion or confirmation, becoming a Bar or Bat Mitzvah, etc.)? Tell about that event: what was the ceremony like, who attended, what gifts did you receive?

*As a youth or adult, did you become an official member of your particular faith? Did you make a public commitment or profession of faith (baptism, etc.) or participate in a ritual or ceremony to celebrate it?

*As an adult, do you still remain involved in the faith of your youth? Have you changed denominations or even religions? Are you no longer involved in faith-based organizations? What has caused you to remain with or change from the faith of your youth? If you were not involved with a faith as a child, but now are as an adult, how did that change occur, and why?

*Are you currently involved in any service to or activities within your house of worship, and if so, in what capacities?

*If you are married, did you marry someone within your faith, and was the ceremony conducted by a religious leader of your faith?

*If you have children, did you raise--or are you raising--your children in the same faith? Why or why not?

*Have you had what some call a religious experience or life-changing moment?

*If you could write a statement of your personal faith, what would it be? Include your own personal philosophies and beliefs, whether or not they are generally accepted by your official faith. Things to consider can include the meaning of life and suffering, your beliefs about God and holy leaders, and your beliefs about the after-life.

*Do you have a special scripture from your holy book that has particular meaning for you, or that you use for a personal statement of your faith?

*Do you have any favorite hymns, songs, and/or prayers? Why are they significant to you?

Photos from major religious events in your life, of the house(s) of worship you attended, of religious leaders, and of religious activities in which you participated would be great illustrations for this topic. You could also add ephemera (certificates, awards, church newsletters, Sunday bulletins, etc.) to your journal.

Next week, we will change our focus from our own lives to the life of the oldest ancestor that was alive at the time of your birth. Start thinking now about what you know about this person. We will return to more prompts about our own lives at a later date. Mixing it up a bit will help us be more creative in our thinking, and thus our writing!

Week Six: Your College (or Post-High School) Life

2007-02-04T08:17:00.000-08:00

This week's topic focuses on your college (or post-high school) life. The prompts for college life are listed first; prompts for post-high school life are listed after.

*What college(s) or university/ies did you attend? Where and when?

*Why did you choose that/those particular college(s)?

*What was your college's colors and mascot?

*Do you know the history of your college? You can do a search at Google to find your college's website to learn more.

*Has the college's name been changed, or has it merged with another institution? Is it still operating?

*Were you offered a scholarship? How did you pay for your tuition, books, and other expenses (savings, scholarships, loans, work-study, job)? Do you remember how much tuition cost per year?

*Where did you live during college? Home, dormitory, apartment, etc.?

*If you lived off campus, how did you travel to school?

*If you lived away from home, when did you go home for visits, and how?

*What was your major (or majors)? How did you become interested in this? Did you switch majors? What was your minor, if you had one?

*Did you complete college with a degree? If so, which one(s)?

*What classes/courses did you take?

*Which were your favorite or worst classes, and why?

*Do you remember any of your professors/instructors? What memories do you have?

*Do you remember any other staff (administrators, deans, counselors, secretaries, custodians, etc.)?

*What kinds of grades did you get? Were you ever on the dean's list? What was your GPA and/or class ranking at graduation, or when you left college?

*Did you ever win any awards?

*Did you ever get disciplined?

*Did you participate in college sports, leadership, music, clubs, or other activities? Write about those experiences.

*Did you ever attend games, dances, concerts, parties, or other activities?

*Were you accepted into a fraternity or sorority?

*Did you ever stay up all night to finish a term paper or cram for finals?

*What was your dating life like during college?

*Who were the friends you hung out with?

*Share your graduation experience.

*Were you able to find a job in the field in which you earned a degree? Why or why not?

*If you attended a trade or vocational school, answer the questions above that relate to the type of school you attended.

*What degree(s) or certificate(s) did you obtain from your trade or vocational school?

*If you did not attend school post-high school, write about why you choose the direction you did. Answer any of the above questions that pertain to your post-high school life.

*What kind of job or career did you work at after high school? How did you obtain or choose that particular career? How long did you work at that? Did you like working there? Why or why not?

*Describe some of the experiences you remember with supervisors, co-workers, and customers.

*Do you know the history of the business(es) your worked at, post-high school? Is that/those business(es) still in operation?

*What was your social life like in the four or five years after high school?

*Where did you live, and what was your transportation?

*Did you ever go back to finish a degree or certificate at college or trade/vocational school? How difficult/easy was it to go back to (or start) school after being away for a number of years?

*No matter what direction you took after high school, as you reflect over those first few years of adulthood, what life lessons did you learn? What regrets do you have? If you could do it again, what would you change, and what would you keep the same?

Don't forget to add photos of your college, trade/vocational school, or career days to your journal, as well as copies of your diplomas, certificates, awards, etc. Remember to caption all photos.

Next week's prompt will be about your religious/church/faith life.

Thank you to all who have let me know that they are following the weekly prompts! Everyone I've heard from so far is journaling off-Internet, which is fine, as many of the topics have been very personal, and may not be appropriate for online publication. See you next weekend!

Week Five: Your High School Life

2007-01-28T09:45:00.000-08:00

This week's journaling prompt is very similar to last week's, with a few additions and changes to fit the topic of high school life. As in all journals, you may wish to filter any information you place on the Internet.

*What was/were the name(s) of the high school(s) you attended, and where was it/were they located?

*What grade(s) did you attend at each school? During which years?

*Did you graduate from high school? Why or why not? In what year did you graduate?

*What were the names of your teachers? Who were your favorites and why? Who were your least favorites and why?

*Do you remember any other staff members (custodians, cooks, bus drivers, administrators, secretaries, etc.)?

*Were your classes focused in a certain direction (Vocational Training, College Prep/AP, etc.)?

*What were your favorite and worst subjects at school, and why?

*What electives did you take, and why?

*Did you take Driver's Ed at school? If so, tell about your early driving days. What kind of car did you have?

*What kind of grades did you make? What was your GPA and/or class ranking at graduation?

*Did you walk, ride (bike or auto), drive, or take a bus to school? What memories do you have of going to and from school?

*What field trips do you remember?

*What do you remember about certain projects or essays you had to do?

*Tell about some guests (musicians, performers, authors, etc.) that visited your school.

*What kinds of assemblies do you remember having?

*What sports, clubs, musical groups, and/or activities were you involved in? Did you ever run for class/ASB leadership positions? Tell about some of the memories you have of these activities. For instance, if you were in band, what parades or concerts did you perform in? If you participated in sports, do you have special memories of a certain game or did your team go to championships?

*What awards did you earn?

*Were you ever punished? Why?

*Who were some of your best school friends? Share some special memories about them.

*Did you have a boyfriend/girlfriend during high school? Tell about him/her, and some of the dates you had.

*Were you ever bullied, or did you ever bully anyone? How was that resolved, or was it ever?

*Did you go to dances, formal or informal? Share your memories of homecoming, Sadie Hawkins, prom, and any other dances you remember. Were you ever elected prom/homecoming king/queen?

*Did you earn any scholarships for college?

*Did you participate in any end-of-year senior parties or activities (grad night, etc.), school-sponsored or not?

*Tell about your baccalaureate and graduation ceremonies. Do you remember any of the motivational speech that was given at your graduation?

*Did you have a family graduation party and/or receive gifts?

*Did you have any idea of what you wanted to do after high school? How did those plans come into fruition (or not)?

*What is your general overall perspective on your high school years?

School and graduation photos would make a nice addition to your journal, as well as photos of activities and copies of awards and your diploma. Don't forget to write captions for your photos...just because YOU know who everyone is doesn't mean your descendants will!

Next week's prompt will be on the topic of college life, or life after high school, for those who may not have attended college. And the following week's prompt will be about your religious/church life.

Week Four: Your Elementary School Life

2007-01-21T16:39:00.000-08:00

Preschool, Head-start, Kindergarten, grammar school, elementary school, middle school, junior high...whatever you call the education you had before high school, this is the topic at hand.

*What were the names of the schools you attended, and where were they located?

*What grade(s) did you attend at each school? During which years (you may wish to filter this information if you place it online)?

*What were the names of your teachers? Who were your favorites and why? Who were your least favorites and why?

*Do you remember any other staff members (custodians, cooks, bus drivers, administrators, secretaries, etc.)?

*What were your favorite and worst subjects at school, and why?

*What kind of grades did you make?

*Did you walk, ride (bike or auto), or take a bus to school? What memories do you have of going to and from school?

*What field trips do you remember?

*Tell about some guests (musicians, performers, authors, etc.) that visited your school.

*What sports, clubs, musical groups, and/or activities were you involved in?

*What awards did you earn?

*Were you ever punished (demerits, detention, principal's office, ruler, etc.)? Why?

*Who were some of your best school friends? Share some special memories about them.

*Were you ever bullied, or did you ever bully anyone? How was that resolved, or was it ever?

*Tell about any graduation ceremonies you participated in during this time. Did you have a graduation party and/or receive gifts?

School and class photos would make a nice addition to your journal. Don't forget to write captions...just because YOU know who everyone is doesn't mean your descendants will!

Next week, we will naturally talk about high school life. If you are following these journal prompts, by blog, computer, or by hand, please drop me a line at kidmiff@gmail.com.

Week Three: Your Immediate Family

2007-01-14T16:10:00.000-08:00

This week's topic is the structure of the immediate family you were raised in. Later prompts will ask for more details on certain members of this family; this one is simply a general overview. Remember to respect the privacy of living people by editing any personal information that you place online.

*Who were the adults that lived in your household growing up? Were they your parents, step-parents, uncles and/or aunts, grandparents, or friends/significant others of your parents?

*Who were the children that lived in your household growing up? Were they your siblings, half- or step-siblings, cousins, or others?

*If you were a child of divorced or separated parents, how did you share your time between the two households?

*Are you an adopted child (either adopted by a couple or by a step-parent)? What are your thoughts and feelings about your adoption? What are your thoughts and feelings about your birth parent(s)? How did your adoption impact you? If you have siblings (biological or adoptive), how did your adoption impact your relationship with them? (This set of questions could be a separate blog.)

*Were you an only child? If so, do you prefer your only child status, or do you wish you had siblings? Why or why not? If you have siblings, where were you in the birth order? After reading this, do you feel like you are a typical person for your birth order? (A fun survey to take is the Birth Order Predictor...does it fit you?)

*Did you have to share a bedroom? How did that work out?

*Which adult did you feel closest to, and why? Did this relationship change as you became an adult?

*Which sibling/other child did you feel closest to, and why? Did this relationship change as you became an adult?

Find a group shot or two of your family and add them to your journal. Don't forget to label it!

Next week's prompt topics will be about your elementary school life. Happy Journaling!

Week Two: Your Birth

2007-01-07T09:36:00.000-08:00

This week's topic is Your Birth. Please use common sense when posting personal information about yourself on the Internet. You may wish to have a complete posting in a written journal or in a document on your desktop, and only post a filtered version online. For instance, I will be writing more about my birthplace than the birth date itself (a fact that I wish to keep private, not for vanity's sake, but for security from identity theft). Here are your prompts:

*When were you born?

*What day of the week did your birthday fall on? (If you don't know, use this perpetual calendar.)

*Do you think that the old nursery rhyme about being born on a certain day of the week accurately reflects your personality? Why or why not?

*Were you born on a holiday? If so, which one?

*Which famous person do you share your birthday with? What is your opinion of these people?

*What saint day were you born on? If Catholic, do you pray to this saint? Do you feel he or she has helped you in any special way?

*Do you share a birthday with any of your ancestors or relatives? Or is your birthday the same date as an ancestor's or relative's date of marriage or death?

*What is your astrological sign? Do you think your sign fits you? What about your Chinese sign? Do you believe in astrology?

*What major events happened on the day you were born? What happened the year you were born?

*Where were you born?

*Were you born in a hospital, at home, or somewhere else?

*Why were you born where you were? Were your parents living in that town, or somewhere else?

*Who was in attendance at your birth?

*Is there an interesting story related to your birth?

*What do you know about the history of the place where you were born?

*Do you still live in the place where you were born? Why or why not?

See if you have a copy of the earliest photo taken of you, and add it to your journal.

Our topic next week will be Your Family. See you then!

Week One: What's In A Name?

2006-12-30T08:53:00.000-08:00

Here is the topic for your first blog: Your Name. Here are some prompts to get you started. There are quite a few in this post, which won't always be the case. You don't have to answer every one!

*What was the name you were born with?

*Who gave you your name? Why?

*Were you named for someone? Who?

*Do you like your name? Why or why not?

*If you could change your name, what would it be, and why?

*If your name is different now from the name you were born with, what is it? What was the reason for the change (marriage, adoption, legal name change, etc.)

*Do you have a nickname? How did you get it?

*Do you have a baptismal, christening, or saint name?

*Do you know the meanings of all your names (first, middle, last)? (Go here for first and middle name meanings; then go here for last name meanings [enter last name, then choose "Name Meanings" from drop-down menu].)

*As an adult, how do you prefer to be addressed by others (Mr., Mrs., Ms.)? Are you comfortable with children addressing you by your first name?

*Is your name difficult to spell or pronounce? What are some of the more unusual mis-spellings or mis-pronunciations that you've endured?

The topic for our next post will be your birth date and location. Be sure to send me links to your blog! You can read my answers at my other blog, AnceStories (see link at right). Until next time...

Miriam

Getting Started

2006-12-22T20:46:00.000-08:00

Have you ever thought how wonderful it would be if you came across a diary or journal of one of your ancestors...one that not only documented the details of their everyday lives, but also those of their character, personality, and interests?

Have you ever considered that someday YOU will be an ancestor...even if you have no children or grandchildren, those generations within your family that come after you will someday look at you as someone who lived "long ago." One of the best legacies that you can leave for future generations is the story of your life along with sharing memories of those who have gone before you. How to begin? That is the purpose of this blog.

I have purchased journals in the past, some with blank pages, others with questions and lines for you to fill out with the answers. The problem I've encountered is that I don't always remember to journal consistently, especially in blank journals or diary-style, with the date written at the top of each page. With the question-and-answer style of journal, there either seems to be not enough lines, or too many. I have found that a blog format meets my needs. I can write as much or as little as I like, and edit without the mess of erasures or cross-outs. By having a blog and being accountable to my online audience, I hope to journal consistently.

I invite you to come along with me on my journal journey (both words have the same root). I will post a question, or group of questions, related to a single topic. You can subscribe to this blog by using the "Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)" link at the bottom of this page, and receive the questions each week. Both you and I can post our answers in our respective blogs. Or you may choose to simply post a response on your desktop or laptop using Notepad or Microsoft Word (or whatever it is you use for documents). You may choose instead to handwrite your answers in a blank journal. You can be creative and print up your posts to display in a scrapbook, along with photographs or drawings. If you post to your computer, remember to back up your hard drive regularly and often! If you join me on this journal, drop me a line (see my profile for contact info).

Never blogged before, but you would like to? I recommend reading Robert Ragan's article "How to Create Your Own Genealogy Blog in Less Than 5 Minutes." It's a very simple, easy-to-use tutorial.

A word of caution: the Internet is a public place. Use common sense when writing about personal data or living people. You may wish to edit (filter) the info you place on a public blog, and keep a duplicate posting with the more private info on your hard drive or in a bound journal.

About the name of this blog: I tried to come up with a snazzy title like "Future Ancestor," "HerStory," or some such thing, but they were all taken. I settled with "AnceStories2." AnceStories is my website; it is full of Stories of my Ancestors, hence the name. I already have a blog called "AnceStories," which is mainly an online research log. So here we are with AnceStories2. I hope you write great stories for your descendants!