Follow Up Friday - How I'm Doing On My January Goals

So here it is the first Friday of the month. This is Follow Up Friday where those of us who are participating in Corn and Cotton's Blogging Meme post what they achieved towards their 2012 goals. In my last "goal" post I broke down my year goals and posted what I planned to work on in January. I think I did fairly well this week. I'm tired and I will be glad to see date night tonight, but for the most part I am satisfied. I still have a couple of things I want to get done this weekend, (lecture to attend, client work to do) but for the most part I am pleased with my week. I spent a fair amount of time scheduling things into my day planner and for the most part stuck to what I had scheduled. I really liked the structure this provided. Furthermore, I feel the accountability the Meme is providing is just what I need to keep me on task. (Thanks Stephanie) So without further ado, here are my accomplishments.

Things I got done this week will be in red. Things I have put on the schedule for next week (or coming up later like the conferences) are in blue and those things that I had planned on doing and somehow they just didn't happen, well, those are in green. So far the New Year resolution momentum is serving me well and I feel I got a lot done. I addition to those things you will find below:
         I will be attending a lecture presented by Lisa Louise Cooke on Sunday at the Central Library in Sacramento (with my friend and cohort in crime, Gloryann). 
         I attended the Northern California Association of Professional Genealogists field trip to the Special Collections Department of the Library at the University of the Pacific. (More about this in the next blog.)
         I worked on two clients cases.
         I talked with and scheduled some speakers for the Second Life Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists.
         I attended a meeting in Second Life. 
         I took care of personal life things like Doctor's appointments, lawyer consultations, church work, plumbers, chimney sweep, aborist, grocery shopping, cooking, house cleaning, and reading.  


1. Before I attend those conferences I need to get my business cards made up with my new business name.
         I ordered my new business cards on Tuesday. 
2. I need to prepare my "homework" for SLIG (Tom Jones class. We haven't even got there and we have homework)
         Still need to do this
3. Gather together what I will need to do research in the Family History Library (I have about 4 days available to do research there between SLIG and RootsTech)
         This is on the schedule for Monday
4. Make a list of things I want to learn during RootsTech
         This is done
5. I have a deadline of Jan 8 to submit my class handouts for the two lectures I will be giving in Redding on Feb 25.
         This is done
6. Write six blogs for January (I have set six blogs per month as my overall goal and I feel that is very doable. Six blogs per month equals 72 blogs and I posted 77 last year)
         If you don't count the Tombstone Tuesday post (which I don't, it didn't require much writing) I have    posted three times this month already (with this post counting as one). I have 2 others all done and waiting to post. So that is five out of the goal of six. 
7. I will be attending a Webinar by Thomas McEntee and two Webinars put on by Legacy in January
         Because of a doctor's appointment that ran late I missed the Webinar I was to attend on Wednesday. But I will review it from Legacy archives (or if it is not available I will find another.)
8. I will be attending SLIG (both 7 & 8 go towards my educational goals for the year)
         Can't wait
9. I plan on getting three classes done on the NGS Home Study Course in January
         Finished Lesson Number One today. (One down, two to go to reach my goal)
10. I have set a goal of finishing two classes from National Institute for Genealogical Studies (GenealogicalStudies.com)
         Discovered that the class I was half way through has expired so I need to re-up for it. So a little more time involved. I can't just click into the website and off I go. Hoped to have it finished before the next one began. So this will be addressed next week. Meanwhile, my next class begins on Jan 9. 
11. The organization of my genealogy files (already in progress)
         Didn't work on this at all this week. Hope to get to it next week. It's on the schedule.
12. To check on my various genealogy memberships (societies, NGS, APG, Speakers Guild, etc) and be sure they are all up to date.
         I just put this on the schedule for next week.
13. Transcribe the Succession Papers (It's like a will) for Irma Domingue (wife of Slyvester Romero) for my certification work.
         Got three pages done this week. (It's 20 pages long.) 
14. Review my Rhoades family genealogy and see if there is something in that research I can use for my certification.
         Didn't work on this.
15. Send for two different succession records for Landry and Romero (for use in Kinship part of my certification work)
         This is on the schedule for next week. 
16. Order three films for review in Feb. from my Family History Center
         I will do this right before my trip so that they arrive about the same time I get home. I don't look at films at the Family History Library since I can do that at home. I'd rather spend my time looking at the books and other sources that I can't get at home. 


Well, that's it for this week. Wow, what a colorful blog. Although the color coding thing works, I think I need to find a better way to show my progress. Any ideas anyone? However, on the achievement scale Not Bad, if I do say so myself. I have a good feeling that I can achieve all that I have set up to achieve in January. What do you think? How are you doing? (Caroline, my goal buddy, how are you doing?)

Tombstone Tuesday

Grant found me this tombstone online while surfing around. Don't know why he was looking at tombstones. He's not a genealogist. Perhaps he's trying to figure out where to "plant" me after he gets the bills from RootsTech.

Breaking It Down: Genealogy Goals for January

I decided to break down my goals even further.
So each month on Motivation Monday (the first Monday of the Month) I will post what I hope to accomplish that month. Each Friday (on Follow up Friday) I will post how I am coming along.

So here goes: These are my goals for the month of January 2012

A lot of things need to happen in January since I will be attending the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG) immediately followed by RootsTech in February.
But attending those two events accomplishes part of my educational goals for the year.

Goals:
1. Before I attend those conferences I need to get my business cards made up with my new business name.
2. I need to prepare my "homework" for SLIG (Tom Jones class. We haven't even got there and we have homework)
3. Gather together what I will need to do research in the Family History Library (I have about 4 days available to do research there between SLIG and RootsTech)
4. Make a list of things I want to learn during RootsTech
5. I have a deadline of Jan 8 to submit my class handouts for the two lectures I will be giving in Redding on Feb 25.
6. Write six blogs for January (I have set six blogs per month as my overall goal and I feel that is very doable. Six blogs per month equals 72 blogs and I posted 77 last year)
7. I will be attending a Webinar by Thomas McEntee and two Webinars put on by Legacy in January
8. I will be attending SLIG (both 7 & 8 go towards my educational goals for the year)
9. I plan on getting three classes done on the NGS Home Study Course in January
10. I have set a goal of finishing two classes from National Institute for Genealogical Studies (GenealogicalStudies.com)
11. The organization of my genealogy files (already in progress)
12. To check on my various genealogy memberships (societies, NGS, APG, Speakers Guild, etc) and be sure they are all up to date
13. Transcribe the Succession papers for my certification work
14. Review my Rhoades family genealogy and see if there is something in that research I can use for my certification
15. Send for two different succession records for Landry and Romero (for use in Kinship part of my certification work)
16. Order three films for review in Feb. from my Family History Center

Well, that's it for now. I think. It seems like a lot, but some of them are just short little things like ordering films so I think I can manage it. Check in with me on Fridays and see how I'm doing. Oh, and check in at the blog Corn and Cotton to see how other's are doing with their goals. See you on Friday.

Genealogy Goals for 2012

Ok, I'm joining in on the fun.

Stephanie, over at the "Corn and Cotton" blog has a group of us "gathering together" to cheer each other on and keep the motivation ramped up while we conquer our genealogy goals during the new year.

So the first step is to post our goals. Oh MY!!!!!

It's a scary thought to put it out there in the open for all to see but, gulp, if my friend Shelley Bishop can do it over at "A Sense of Family" blog then so can I. The worst thing that can happen is that I don't meet all my goals, right?

So here goes.

My first goals involve ORGANIZATION:
1. Clean out my e-mail files/folders
I was real good about setting up the folders but I've gotten into the very bad habit of just dumping mail into the folders without looking at it. Not personal notes, mind you, but the stuff I'm on mailing lists for. I started on this today, so already I have accomplished something.
2. Finish organizing and color coding my personal (vs Client) genealogy files.
I am about a quarter of the way through with this, and I hope to have it done by the end of the week.
3. I have some data on a database program that did not gedcom transfer well to my other database programs, so I need to clean that up.
4. Scan (documents, photos, everything) I'm not saying I'm going paperless, but I think I need to heavily reduce.

My next set of goals involve WRITING:
1. I would like to say I will post to my blog 3 times a week, but most weeks just don't work out for that kind of goal so my goal will be to post 6 or more posts per month.
2. I would like to put my journalism degree to work. So with that thought in mind my goal is to write for and be published in my local genealogical society's magazine.

Goal set number three is all about EDUCATION:
1. I plan to attend SLIG, RootsTech, NGS, FGS, Jamboree (S. CA) and hopefully Elizabeth Shown Mills class at Samford (IGHR). This one is easy for me, just time consuming, and costly. I'm an information junkie, and a conference addict.
2. I will finish up my NGS Home Study Course.
3. I will complete at least 5 classes through National Institute of Genealogical Studies (GenealogicalStudies.com)
4. I will attend at least 4 (or more) Webinars in 2012

Then there are my RESEARCH goals:
1. I want to jump into researching my husband's family. His father is 85 (this month) and still sharp. But you know what happens if you don't ask the questions in a timely fashion; so this is the year for the Parker research. For 2012 I will be doing the interviews and artifact gathering.
2. Theaux: this is the family focus for my attempt at my certification (haven't started the clock yet.) I want to devote more time to this, so I am setting the goal of 15 hours (or more) a week toward this family and my certification. (I may adjust to devoting more time here part way through the year as other goals are completed)
3. Technically this isn't research, really it is more in line with analyzing, but I need to develop some "Time Lines." So I will create time lines for the paternal grandparents and maternal grandparents of the Parker line, the Theaux line, and the von Aspern line.
4. I don't know if this goal falls under "writing" or "research" but I've decided to put it here. I plan on getting better at my research reports. I got better during 2011 at keeping my research logs but fell down consistently on writing up my research reports. Maybe if I talk into my digital recorder, talking myself through the analysis and plans for further research and then just transcribe the recording. I've just got to find what works for me. I find writing reports tedious. I'm just not disciplined enough I guess: who would have thunk it.

And lastly my BUSINESS/PROFESSIONAL goals:
This is the BIG category. Last year (2011) I started lecturing and I really enjoy it. I still take on clients too, and I've got a couple of side projects going on. So this year I have quite a bit of work to accomplish towards establishing my business.
1. Name change
2. Website
3. Business License (under new name)
4. Advertising
5. Business Cards
In addition, I have some goals professionally:
6. To develop 15 more lectures
7. To increase the amount of times in the year I am hired (paying gig) to speak/teach. (In 2011 I lectured 10 times; I got paid 3 times)
8. Continue working with my clients (currently have 4 clients) don't really want to increase that number for now, there are just too many other things in the works.

Well, I think that is about it for my genealogy goals. I'm sure I've forgotten something, and I have many more goals for 2012 but those are my personal goals and are not for publication.

RootsTech's Ban On Book Vendors

I have been posting to Facebook like a crazy woman ever since the news was made public.

To see where it all began go to  Leland Meitzler's post HERE. 

RootsTech now scares me for a whole new reason. 

Old School Genealogists already fear that the New School Genealogist relies too heavily on internet and digital creations for sourcing or just plain old "doing" their genealogy. In other words some fear that genealogy done by "New School" "Techie" genealogists might be limited to online research. That would be incredibly stupid. The vast amount of genealogy information can not be found in the digital world. 

So why would RootsTech, want to ban books in their vendor hall? Is this not a genealogy conference? Yes, it is a genealogy conference with a focus on techie stuff for use in the genealogy world but it is still a genealogy conference. Right?

Some genealogist, especially the beginners, might only pick one genealogy conference to go to in the whole year. Hopefully RootsTech would be that conference. How sad if that new genealogist could not find the one book that sends them down the road to discovery because RT doesn't have book vendors. 

When I first started doing genealogy I used "The Idiots Guide To Genealogy," I still recommend it to beginners. I would like to know what beginners guide RootsTech would recommend? And why can't I find it at RootsTech?

When technology catches up to (and contains) all the genealogical information that I use that is in print...then they can quit selling books. And don't tell me...well you can order that book, or buy it at one of the other national conferences. What if I want to look through the book first and decide if it pertains to my needs? What if I can only attend one national conference a year? I guess, if I can't buy books at RootsTech, and I know that good genealogy is based on using other sources in addition to digital ones, and I can get digital ones online...well then...hummmmm...my money is better spent going to NGS or FGS.

Not to mention that I can see all those techie things you're trying to sell me at FRYS or BEST BUY. Or I am sure my blogging buddies will tell me of the newest gizzmo I've just got to have...(can you say Flip-Pal). 

Personally I don't go to the vendor hall to look at all the new gizzmos. There is usually too big a crowd, or it's a demo of how a BOOK is digitized, or some such thing. While I am glad some books are being preserved by digitization...I don't need to know the How of it. I like to drive my car but I don't need to know how the car's electrical system works to take a drive.

And I don't spend hundreds of dollars to play pool or chess or Wii or pong or whatever else is in the "game room."

I go to RootsTech for the lectures when I do venture into the vendor hall (and don't get me wrong, I spend hundreds in there too) I mainly go for books. That's one of the reasons I drive to most of the conferences...so I can haul back books. If I fly I have to ship them. 

And RootsTech...don't you remember last year after Lisa Louise Cooke spoke there was a run on the Book Sellers to buy her book. Now tell me...do you really think speakers such as Lisa Louise Cooke come to speak at your conference for what you pay? What do you pay...I've heard it is the price of admission to the conference...if that's it then I would venture to guess that the speakers are counting on selling some of their books. So why would they want to speak at your conference if they can't get their books sold there?  Wake up! You're speakers sell books. They are your vendors. See this blog. 

It was my understanding that this was a genealogy conference that embraces technology not a technology conference that embraced genealogy. Or are we just a new market for the sales team?

Sharon Sergeant, in a Facebook post, said it so well, this conference is supposed to be "the marriage of genealogy to technology, not a divorce."

Come On RootsTech....think...it's not hard....who is your audience? Genealogists who use Technology or Techies who do genealogy?

NGS Home Study Course

At the FGS (Federation of Genealogical Societies) conference this year I purchased the NGS (National Genealogical Society) Home Study Course.
I finally took it out of it's folder and began work on it today.

Surname Saturday: Duchamp

My second great grandfather was Eugene Auguste Duchamp De Chastaigne he was born in July of 1837 in Morris County, New Jersey. His family had come to this country from Martinique Island in the Caribbean. In 1860 he married Marie Amelie Sandoz in St. Martinville, Louisiana.

The name is shortened to Duchamp when speaking about the family but the full "correct" and legal name was Duchamp De Chastaigne.

His father was Jean Baptiste Eugene Duchamp De Chastaigne and his father (my 4th great grandfather) would have been Jean Baptiste Matthieu Duchamp De Chastaigne.

I can go a couple of more generations back but I did not do the research on this family. My cousin Eric did. Tragically all of his research was lost in Katrina. Luckily he had sent gedcom files and printouts to many family member...a good reason to share your research and to keep back ups somewhere safe.

Because we had the basics, pedigree charts and family group sheets, we were able to recall the information but not where he had got the information. That's right...he didn't record his sources when he put the information on Ancestry.

This has been a valuable lesson to me. You never think that tragedy will strike you. But it can. Mother nature is like that and fires happen. I urge everyone...don't wait...share your stuff today and make sure it is sourced so you can find those documents again.

Ok, enough about that....

It occurred to me today that because I don't have any source notes to go by that I'm not sure which Duchamp owned the plantation.  I know that Eugene Auguste was the owner of the town house. And I have always thought that he owned the plantation too. But it is possible that cousin Eric may have merged the ownership of the plantation and the townhouse into one man. (I've just recently discovered on another line where I suspect he merged two different men because they married two different women with the same name....but that's another story.)

So I have work to do on this line to determine which Duchamp owned the pharmacy, the opera house, the plantation and the townhouse ...or if they were all owned by different Duchamps.