Motivation Monday - March Goals

Well, first the confession. I didn't post my February goals. That doesn't mean I didn't accomplish anything. Just that "the plan" didn't get posted.
So here is what I did during February:
The first week of February I was in Salt Lake City with about 2000 of my closest friends attending RootsTech. (This meets some of my educational goals for the year.)
During the second week of February I attended a local society meeting, gave a presentation at the Second Life chapter of the Association for Professional Genealogists, and met with a client.
The third week of February I had a couple of doctors appointments and left on Thursday for a retreat so not much got done that week.
The last week (plus a few days) left in February I recovered from some bug I picked up (probably due to being overly tired) and tweaked my presentations that I presented the last weekend in Feb. (Out of 29 days in February I was gone 13 of them.)
I wrote and posted six blogs (when the month is all said and done.)
Not great. But not bad either.

So on to March:
I am having surgery on my shoulder in late March so I need to get extra done before I am out of commission.
Business Goals:

1. Finish paper work for new Biz License 
2. Work on new web site (be ready for the big reveal in April)
3. I speak once (One presentation) in March on the 21st. 
4. Send out letter to genealogy societies advertising my presentations (mailing 3 times a year for two years)
5. Develop topics for 8 more presentations
6. Complete development of 2 presentations (make the Power Point Presentations and write up notes and handouts)

Education Goals:

1. I ordered and received some new books: Acadian-Cajun Genealogy by Timothy Hebert; The Canary Islands Migration to Louisiana 1778-1783 by Sidney Louis Villere; and The Canary Islanders of Louisiana by Gilbert C. Din. So I hope to get through these books during March. I may save them for the first week of recovery. 
2. Also in March I will be attending the all day seminar produced by my local genealogy society "Root Cellar." They are hosting George Morgan.
3. Work on my NGS Home Study Course
4. Work on the four classes I'm taking from National Institute for Genealogical Studies

Writing Goals: 

1. I took on the challenge of writing a letter, note, postcard or some other written type of correspondence every day for the month of March. So all my sisters, brothers, cousins, and friends will be getting a note of some kind. 
2. Write and post 6 or more blog posts
3. Write a first draft of a magazine article
4. Do an interview for my blog

     
Organization Goals:

1. Update to Roots Magic 5
2. Clean Office (again) and sort files
3. Participate in a scan fest
4. Bring my "resume" up to date

Research Goals:

1. Work on the Parker family line (specifically determine the wife of Peter Becker)
2. Work on my CG work (Theaux line) (Specifically: order two or more succession records (whatever the budget will allow)
3. Develop Time lines for all family lines
4. Research work for my clients
5. Finish transcription on the succession record of Irma Domingues

Other:

1. Check and double check that all the speakers that are booked for the rest of the year for the Second Life Chapter of APG are confirmed.
2. Gather photos for my personal genealogy
3. Order table cards for NGS Ohio for SL APG

So that's it for March, I think. I've probably forgotten something...if you think of what it is let me know. 

That Old Get Up and Go, Got Up and Went - Motivation Monday

"I don't know what happened to my get up and go. Have you seen it? It seems to have abandoned me right after Roots Tech. I've been trying to catch up and work on projects that needed my attention but I seem to be running on my reserves. I've let the blog slide and I've not worked on my web site or new biz brand at all. My clients are clammering about their jobs and I'm not giving the time to my presentations that they deserve." 


So started my e-mail to my friend Caroline. Being the good friend that she is, she pointed out that I don't have to do everything at once. That I should pick one project and chip away at it and in doing so my "goal Goddess" status would be returned to me. Then she cracked the whip and said, "get to it." 


It worked. I decided I would use this example as my Motivation Monday post. 


Sometimes it is the excitement of a new project that gets my energy up. Sometimes it is a looming deadline, and I trudge through the work and "get it done." But every once in a while you just need a pep talk from a friend who has been there and can be the extra person at your pity party. 


Thank you Caroline for being my inspiration. 


What gets your engine running? Do you have days where you just don't want to deal with the laundry, dishes, blog, work, kids, pets, deadlines, commitments and responsibilities? What do you do to get out of the ditch? What gets you back on track? Does a break (vacation, day off, etc.) make you lose your groove? Did you have trouble getting back into the swing of the day to day after SLIG/RootsTech? Let's compare notes.

Genealogy Books in my Personal Library

What would you grab if there was a fire? I would grab my photos and my computer. I'd also make sure that my animals were safe. But if I had a few hours to prepare for a disaster I would pick out some of my, probably not replaceable, books that I use for genealogy.

I am a book addict. I probably have more than 300 cookbooks alone. Then there are the mystery novels, how to books, craft books and the genealogy books. Most of them can be replaced if need be. But I have a few genealogy books that I don't think I could get again. They have long ago gone out of print. Books like, The Gerron Family Descendants of Solomon Geron. Or, Marriage Records from 1810 to 1910 in Meigs Co., Ohio. 


They aren't the books I turn to over and over but they probably can no longer be found.

It would be tempting to reach for The RedBook and The Source. Two books that should be in every genealogist's library. But I know I can still get a hard back copy of them and RedBook (if not both) is available digitally.

What books would you grab and which books would you be tempted to grab?

What's in your library?

OOOOPS, I Did It Again

Years ago there was a pop song that had a title something like oops I did it again. Well, that's what's happened to me. I did it again. I pre-posted (scheduled my post to run at  a certain time on a certain day) because I would be away. Then promptly forgot to write the post.
Life just gets in the way...you know?
So forgive me dear Le Maison Duchamp readers. I will write the RootsTech Recovery post in just a couple of days and tell you all about how I am putting all that new knowledge to work.
See you then.
~Kim

Grandma Theaux's Letter - Page Four

Mama Theaux was such an independent cuss, don't you think?  Now I know where I get my "strong will." I can just see her sneaking out to meet her "sweet heart," sweating bullets and praying to Mother Mary to not get caught. Shall we see what happens next...

Page 4
But one time I got a date with what my parent call high socity [sic]
They were the they are the bad one on his first and last date
he tried his luck and I well told
him I had never gone with that
kind, and he told me that the
boys I was gone with were the
cheep grade. I tod told him they
were cheep but clean and who
he was refering [sic] to is my husband now and he was and always will
be a clane [clean] man.
Why make everything wrong many
times what is wrong for us is
the the making of God, children
will will alway do the wrong first
because they think its right and
some time to do like the bad
kids. Now when I was 11 a student
at M. C. C A boy on our farm died
so some good people came to
pray for his soul at his parent
house, it was more fun then
prayre I knew better but I
followed with the rest, the rosery
was recited and being a convent
girl they put me to show the
other how to answer which I
did, I ask God for to forgive me now
come the littl [liturgy] of the semt [saint]
I was to answr answer in her mercy
on in us, pray for us as it was
But the gang mad [sic] a mermers and
me instead of corrected them I went
allong it was fun the poor lider [leader] God...

(To Be Continued)

Military Monday: Grand Dad Parker

Born at home in Meigs County, Ohio in 1905, George Vincent Parker was a slight man with a quiet personality. George exchanged vows with Ethel Heidenreich in 1925 and they remained married till Ethel's death in 1995. Eighteen years after their wedding, George took up arms against the Germans while stationed in France during World War II, he was 38 years old. It must have been a personal conflict for him; fighting against Germany while married to a woman of German heritage.

During the war years, Ethel and her son, Bill, struggled to make ends meet at home in Ohio. Bill was in high school and worked and night to help support the family. Then in January of 1945 Bill was drafted and sent to Germany.

Both men made it home alive and well. 

My Week at SLIG

This was the most amazing week! I got to visit with old friends and made a bunch of new ones. In addition I took several great classes and learned a lot.

Thomas W. Jones Ph.D., CG, CGL, FASG, FUGA, FNGS

In case you didn't know, this week I attended the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy held January 23 to January 27. SLIG is set up in "Tracks." There are six tracks. You choose a track and all the classes you take, all day long (from 8 in the morning till about 5 each night) are focused on one subject area. I attended Course 9 "Advanced Genealogical Methods" My instructor was Dr. Thomas Jones. Dr. Jones is a highly respected, very knowledgeable and slightly evil man. I say evil because I think he gets a kick out of trying to stump us. We had some very challenging cases to solve. Yes, there was HOMEWORK. He's a wonderful teacher and I had the best time.
Some of the other tracks offered were: Midwest U. S. Research; Swedish Research; Advanced New England Research; Advanced Research Tools: Land Records, and that's just a sampling.

For all of my genealogy pals out there, you should absolutely think about attending SLIG next year. The tracks are geared at all different expertise levels, so even if you are a beginner there is something for you. (For more on what SLIG is all about see: Susan Farrell Bankhead's blog, and Valerie Elkin's blog) Extra bonus, it is held right before a HUGE genealogy conference, RootsTech.

Christy Fillerup - Coordinator Extraordinaire 

That's right I'm still in Salt Lake City. I had five days of SLIG then I get four days of research at the Library to end all genealogical libraries (at least in my opinion) The Family History Library and then RootsTech will start. That's almost three full weeks of solid genealogy (plus eating and socializing with friends.) I'm in heaven.

Good Company at the banquet

The next SLIG will be held January 14-18, 2013. Registration opens on June 2, 2012. Sign up early to get the "early bird special" that's when prices are lower. (Sign up at www.infouga.org) Next year's tracks have already been announced (they may add some more "extra" classes as well.)  They are:
1) American Research and Records: Focus on Localities with Paula Stuart-Warren
2) Bridging the 1780-1830 Gap: New England to the Midwest (and points in between) with D. Joshua Taylor
3) German Research with F. Warren Bittner
4) A Genealogist's Guide to the Internet Galaxy with Thomas MacEntee
5) Researching in Washington, D. C. Without Leaving Home with Rick Sayre and Pamela Boyer Sayre

All Smiles

6) Hanging out a Shingle: Genealogy Marketing and Business Practices with Crista Cowan

Hope to see each and every one of you there.