Then and Now: Lincoln Memorial

Posted on by Kathleen

Last month we entertained family from Ohio. For the first time in many years we finally went into D.C. and enjoyed the sites/sights, both words work. 🙂

L. Lincoln Memorial being built in 1916.  R. Lincoln Memorial as it stands today, 2010.

The image on the left is from the National Archives. There are no known restrictions on the photo, so I went ahead and posted it. If I’m violating something, just let me know. The image on the right is my own. As are the ones I’m posting down below.

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That makes sense!

Posted on by Kathleen

Yesterday I shared with you my forays into researching Hulda Adkins, #0034 from my Random Relative Project â„¢ (Category coming soon, I’m addicted to categories). Late last night, I was just kind of playing around on my laptop before bed. I had already turned off my desktop and wasn’t really paying attention to what I was doing. For the purposes of recreation though, I’m taking a more direct route to my discovery.

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Random People: Hulda Adkins #0034

Posted on by Kathleen

I had an idea! Why not share my progress on my “random people” with you! First up is Hulda Adkins. In my Original file I don’t have much on her yet. I have her 1870 listing, which was when she was just 9 years old.

Hulda Adkins
born: about 1861, Kentucky
Parents: Harrison Adkins, Rebecca Click

Hulda’s family in 1870 (Blue Lick Springs, Nicholas Co, KY)

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Progress!

Posted on by Kathleen

I finally sat down and started playing in my free of sources Family Tree Maker family file. The one with all of the people, and none of the sources. I keep on trying to figure out the Source Citation procedure for Family Tree Maker but it doesn’t ever end with me actually feeling like I’m doing it correctly. Even though in the newer versions, they have templates to aid you in the process. For some reason, I just couldn’t get it to be what I wanted.

I think I may have finally “figured it out.” I have to use the quotes, because… Well, I might not have figured it out. I’m never sure if I ever have things correct or not. It’s a side effect of never reading instruction manuals. One day I’ll be forced to follow the “rules” but so far I’m doing fine bumbling through life at the seat of my pants… or fluffy pajamas as it were.

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It’s not my fault

Posted on by Kathleen

Sometimes when I end up spending a big chunk of my time doing stuff on the computer, I don’t always get things done. It’s like I’ve wasted all that time. I’ve finally chased the cause of this very annoying side effect.

I made a disastrous mistake in putting my computer desk near my window. I don’t know what I was thinking. On any given day I am interrupted by birds, squirrels, stray cats, and even crazy weather. With so much going on outside my window I’m surprised I get anything done. Who can resist squirrels hanging upside down from a canopy trying to eat the bird seed? Certainly not me.

If anyone knows of a cure for this crazy disease, don’t give it to me! The world outside my window is so wonderful. In fact we even bought a table set for our deck so I can enjoy it outside too. Hmm… Genealogy blogging from the deck? Who’s in? 🙂

I promise my blog will get interesting again someday. Remember when I wrote stories about cook books and that Irishman who is going to sweep me off my feet? Those were the days. haha.

Why must you do that?

Posted on by Kathleen

I know it’s an old complaint. Everyone has it. I just don’t know why people can’t just get last names right! I’m not even just talking about record keepers. I’m talking about people too. I don’t have the problem on my Dad’s family, or on the Taylors. I have the misspelling problem with the Mays family. That I can deal with.

The Moyer family has been a whole new frustration though. For some reason the family goes by both Moyer and Myers/Meyers/Moyer. I thought at first it was a miscommunication with the census. However, when I looked again at the Moyer tree that was sent to me a few years ago, some of the Moyer children chose to go by Myers/Meyers eventually.

Oy, this just makes things difficult. :\

No Genealogy today

Posted on by Kathleen

Unfortunately, there was no time to write up a post today. I was playing around with my new purchase:

Unfortunately, I forgot to get my Serial ATA cable at the same time. Then I decided why not just install it as the primary drive. My old drive is pretty old, and pretty small.

I didn’t forsee not being able to use my current Windows 7 key on my new install. Seems my key will only work on an upgrade and not on a new install. So that’s alright, just have to go back to Best Buy and get a cable. I did however, waste most of my day trying to get this to work. Good thing I figured it out today and not 30 days in when Windows stopped working!

After all the stress of today and frustration, I’m going to break out my fluffy pajamas and a cold ginger ale. 😉 I want to relax! Shoot, I never did get the laundry in either. What a day!

Current Family File Stats

Posted on by Kathleen

Slowly but surely I’m getting stuff entered into my new shiny Family File. I decided to take a break from that today though. I want to get lost in Census stuff. In order to do that, I can’t be nit-picking on every detail. What is my new great idea you ask? Well I exported a gedcom from my HUGE Family Tree Maker file and smacked it right back into Family Tree Maker. Then I deleted all source information. It was scary and liberating all at the same time.

Okay, full disclosure, sorry. I actually did this yesterday, when I hit the jackpot. I was absolutely dying to dive in and find some Taylors in Maryland. I didn’t want to lose my source information mojo and I certainly didn’t want to just add all those people to the new clean file. So I figured a blank source template wasn’t entirely cheating… right? I mean I’m not adding these guys to my website. I’m not announcing them. I am however, adding in the sources. So when I get to these people in my clean file, I already have their source information! Genius right? Okay, maybe not so much. I’m easily distracted though, so it’s a great secondary option for my genealogy time.

Heck, I’m not even sure I ever stay on topic in these blog posts. I know I start typing with the best of intentions. So I’ll just keep working on my genealogy and my writing skills. We’ll see where they land me.