Gene Notes

Some random and some not-so-random thoughts on family history.

Tuesday, December 31, 2013

2013 Resolution Recap

On January 1, 2013, I counted my resolutions for 2013. Here they are along with comments on the progress:

First and foremost, is organizational remodeling around the house. First on the list is the laundry room, so that our cat, Mouse, is not freaked out in the hallway trying to use her litter box. And lets face it, I hate having it in the back hall. Yes, this was accomplished. It not only involved the laundry room, but a little reorganization in our closet to accommodate the laundry hamper - a 3 section sorter. We are all happy with the results.

Secondly, is organization of the storeroom/craft room. I am hoping to get some stuff done in there that will make the room more useable! Since I plan on scanning photos in there, I need some place to work where I can leave photos out if necessary. Keeping my fingers crossed on that one.
We started this project in February, by contacting the contractor who built our kitchen and bath cabinets. It took as long to get the cabinets as it did for me to have a baby! Unfortunately, our contractor had some issues with the electrical plant at his workshop, but finally, in November, the cabinets were installed. We also had some cabinets made for our living room. I love it!

Thirdly, yes, I will continue to scan, sort and scrapbook photos. It isn't going to get done on its own.
Finally getting to it, but other things have gotten in the way. Older daughter is buying a home which closes on January 6th. My craft room is acting as a staging area for stuff for her new home. It also acted as Christmas present central. Soon it will be clean and sorting and scanning photos will resume.

Fourth, continue with volunteer projects. That is one of the most important resolutions.
My favorite project is the Missouri Death Certificate Project, which I've participated in for several years. That will resume probably mid January! Last year, we were done indexing them in 72 hours.


I am amazed that I actually put things on the list that got accomplished or are in the midst of work. It's about time!


Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Monday, December 30, 2013

Monday - The Countdown

Daughter is moving in eight days. Actually, closing is in one week. We have been trying to help her with various things, including in making a box of weird things she needs for around the house. Like furniture moving pads, shelf liner, and arranging for new locks. I've forgotten how much work it is to move, but at least she is only moving 2 miles instead of interstate!

I remember our moves vividly. Our first home in Canton Township, Michigan, mostly because I contracted pneumonia that weekend. Our second home in Redford Township, was more or less uneventful, except this time we had two small children besides all the furniture and stuff.

The next move, to Livonia, Michigan I remember very vividly because I was sick for a week before moving with a high fever and still things got packed up and moved. Really glad we had movers for that!

Then we moved from Livonia to Cookeville, Tennessee, a move of 600 hundred miles. Again, movers for that and I will admit that was the scariest move of all. Things went missing during that move that I finally found this year.

Then our last move, hopefully, which was about a mile from the condo we rented. It didn't take long since so much of our stuff didn't get unpacked in the 8 months we were in the condo.

While I am very excited for our daughter's move, I don't envy the work involved. Been there, done that!

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Saturday, December 28, 2013

The Last Saturday!

Today is the last Saturday of 2013. I don't know why, but I am always anxious for the New Year to start? And I am always so hopeful that good things will be accomplished. This year, I've spent mostly trying to catch up on things or in hurry-up-and-wait mode. With only three more days left, I am really looking forward to 2014.

2014 will be the start of several things - older daughter moving into her own home - me collecting Social Security, and DH will qualify for Medicare  this year.  Younger daughter - not sure what changes she may be expecting, but hope they all are wonderful.

Some of you may have noticed no Sympathy Saturday. They will resume next year, I just wanted to take the opportunity to blog about good things on Saturday for a change during the holidays.



Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Friday, December 27, 2013

TGIF

Here it is two days after Christmas, already and I haven't even ventured out past lunch and groceries. The tree did come down as planned on Thursday. Poor Mouse the cat is bereft of her favorite playthings!

Today, DH and I are making a quick trip to pick up a table from younger daughter that is going to older daughter's new house in about 10 days. Things are getting a little hectic in that respect.

One of the things I plan on doing this weekend is getting a jump on my resolution list. Not sure if I am going to actually write one out or just pull an old one out and see how much I've accomplished. Sometimes that is encouraging and sometimes it is down right depressing. I think I might be surprised at what I've accomplished this year. I hope!

 Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Too-Too Thursday - After Christmas Lag

We had a truly wonderful Christmas with our kids and younger daughter's man and boy. And on Christmas morning, they made breakfast for us! I don't normally make breakfast in the morning. Mostly because I am not a morning person. It's usually all I can do to get a cup of coffee to my mouth without spilling it in the morning. Then older daughter returned for dinner on Christmas. It was a very quiet evening.

The tree WILL come down today. No more fighting with the cat about chewing on the cord, pulling the ornaments off and climbing it. Really. My first cat, Miss Perfect, otherwise known as Mandy NEVER played with the ornaments or climbed the tree. Mostly she slept under it. She was a good cat. She's the reason it took us so long to adopt another pet, it was hard to not compare any animal with the sweetness that was Mandy.

Not that Mouse isn't sweet. She is truly adorable. And loves to snuggle. And climb Christmas trees.

Also, when my house is de-Christmasfied I can go back to my genealogy database cleanup while I wait for older daughter's house to close -11 days and counting. And I hope to get into my craft room and make a craft for me!

Hope your holiday was wonderful!

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Am I Ready or What?

I was up late last night finishing the final craft project. Well, almost. I was up and working on the final one which I only got half way through last night. This morning they finally got wrapped and now I can relax a while. Not! Company is coming this afternoon for dinner, gifts and spending the night. Older daughter will not be spending the night, but only lives 5 minutes away. Next Christmas she'll be in walking distance of us!

All in all, we've had a good year. We're all healthy and happy and what else could you ask for?

Hope your Holiday Season is Merry & Bright!

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Monday, December 23, 2013

Countdown to Christmas

All right! I'm almost there! Christmas is in two days and I only have one more craft type gift to finish and bathrooms to clean! Company in the form of younger daughter, her man and boy are descending on us on Christmas eve and spending the night. Older daughter lives nearby and will spend Christmas Eve with us and come back on Christmas day. She still has packing to do for her big move in January!

Mouse has not totally destroyed my tree, although she is constantly trying to chew on the cord. I wish I knew what to give her so that she will leave the tree alone! At this point, I am threatening to remove the tree after company leaves on Christmas!

I guess this has been enough of a break, back to work!

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Saturday, December 21, 2013

HAPPY 4TH ANNIVERSARY - GENE NOTES

 I can't believe it has been 4 years since I started this blog, and this is the 1,285th post. Wow, congratulations me. 

I've commented at times that it is sometimes difficult to come up with a topic. I do use some themes, but for the most part, these blogs are written off the top of my head or from something interesting that I see while researching. When I am actively researching, topics are numerous and I have to write them down in a notebook, so that I can remember them when I run "dry."  Lately, however, I have been caught up in life, so that sometimes blogging is the last thing on my mind. 

Anyway, thank you all for hanging in there and reading my blog when you can catch it!

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Friday Fussing!

The good news is that younger daughter came Thursday night and spent the night. Friday, we wrapped gifts. Lots and lots of gifts. Her gifts.

When she left, I was inspired to wrap the rest of the family gifts. And I am glad to say that everything but the "craft" gifts for everyone are done. And I am working on them. Those I have a template for and that is all that I am saying about that!

The bad news is that I was so "wrapped up" in what I was doing I forgot to post Friday. So here it is a day late!

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Too-Too Thursday - Libre Office Fails

I got a new Windows 8 computer this year. Unfortunately, it is not compatible with Microsoft Office 2003. I have been using Office since 1997. And I opted not to purchase it this year. Well, I think that was a mistake. I tried Open Office. Sucked. Not supported. Tried Libre Office and while it performs some functions, it screwed the hell out of my Christmas Labels. So I tried typing them individually. It would only let me do one page. Really? So I tried putting it in a Libre database and importing it into Libre Writer using the database and table format for my Avery labels. GIANT FAIL.  No wonder I have a migraine. I ended up typing the second page of labels as a new document. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Wedding Wednesday - Estes & Wallace

 On December 19, 1850 in Buchanan county, Missouri, Mr Littleberry Estes and Miss Hannah Wallace were married. Littleberry was my 1st cousin 4 times removed. His father Peyton Estes was a brother of my great-great-great grandmother Anne Estes (who married Nathaniel Davidson.)


Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Tuesday To - Dos!

Okay, I knocked some things off my Christmas shopping list. That is a huge thing. However, when I went to print my address labels so I can send cards off, I discovered that Libre Office imported last years labels as 33 on a page instead of 30. AND, I couldn't just copy and paste into a new file. Just add this to one of things I really hate about windows 8. And yes, I opted NOT to purchase Microsoft Office 20xx. I have no idea what version they are on and I am tired of it. Is it too much to expect things to work properly?

So tomorrow? Well, I still need to keep typing in the addresses so I can print the labels, as I am NOT addressing them by hand. Then I need to grocery shop, Christmas shop and finish up some crafts. And start a craft. And then finish it.

And unfortunately, the little Genealogy elves have not done anything with my pile-o-paper, either. 

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Monday, December 16, 2013

Monday Moanin' Recap

Let's see, over the weekend I:

1. Enjoyed a visit from younger daughter on Saturday afternoon. It included lunch with hubby and both daughters. Then a visit to our local home improvement store to look at paint samples, bathroom accoutrements and tile for older daughter's new home. Then dinner with both kids.

2. Made boxes for some gifts. Then put gifts in boxes. Wrapped other gifts.

3. Shopped online. Hubby has finally started giving me gift ideas.

4. Chased cat away from Christmas tree. This accounted for a good part of my weekend.

5. Made leftover spaghetti for Sunday dinner.  Started wrapping stocking stuffers.

I still have stuff to put out for Christmas. And gifts to shop for. Cleaning, organizing, menu planning, etc.

I still have cards to address. This is Monday's project after return from shopping!

No genealogy in store for me this week.



Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Saturday, December 14, 2013

Sympathy Saturday - Elbert Percival

 Elbert Percival was born about October 1871 and was the son of Henry Shattuck Percival and Susan Roberts. He was buried in Highland Cemetery, on December 14, 1928. You can visit his Find-a-Grave Memorial here.

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Friday, December 13, 2013

Freaked Out on Friday - Still Behind

I think I might get caught up on some things by the end of the year. Hah! Who am I trying to kid? I'm just going to be further behind. Preparations for Christmas seem to be pulling me in several different directions, like cleaning, decorating, cards, shopping, gifts, wrapping ... well, you get my drift. It leaves so little time for organizing and actually working on any genealogy.  I feel like I should stay up all night and work on that stuff.

This feeling of being pulled in different directions is just intensifying. No wonder I can't turn off my mind at night. And the weather isn't being very cooperative. I feel guilty about sneaking off to my craft room or my office. Actually, I really wonder about just locking those doors and shutting out the world and the commotion!

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Too-Too Thursday - Moving Right Along

 I am getting some things accomplished - about half way through with my RootsMagic to Legacy 8 transfer project. I wish I was making the same kind of headway through my piles o' paper.

Alas, other things are coming up instead. And of course, I should be either wrapping gifts, shopping for gifts or addressing Christmas cards. Instead, I am booked for appointments this week. Today, I head into our local Social Security office to get myself set up for my pension. Oh yeah! That's probably the most exciting thing I have going this week. Sure beats yesterday's 9 am dentist appointment!

Is anyone else really working on their family history this time of year? I work on it at night mostly when I can't sleep. It's pretty repetitive, so it doesn't take long to have that sedative effect. So, depending on how wide awake I am I might get two to four pages of corrections done. I am converting my RootsMagic baptism/christenings to Legacy christenings. I can't believe how many christening records I have!



Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Wedding Wednesday - Percival & Brant

On December 11, 1848 in Trumbull County, Ohio, Mr. Sereno Percival married Hannah Oatley. Sereno was my 4th cousin 4 times removed. It was his second marriage.








[Blogger's note: I used Legacy 8 deluxe to generate a list of marriages that occurred on December 11th. It only showed me those results. Very handy.]
 
Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

More Adventures with Legacy 8 Deluxe

First, I have to thank the Support Team at Legacy Family Tree. They have been very helpful in my transfer from RootsMagic. Since I got Legacy Family Tree on November 26th, I've only used RootsMagic as a reference. Which means that basically I am just making corrections or conversions of my old data.

Today I sent my 31 MB GEDCOM file so they could see some of the issues I encountered. I hope it helps.

Last week on December 3rd, I got notification that my Manual and backup CD were on their way.  It is now the 10th and I still don't have them. Being sent Priority mail too. Finally, when I clicked on the USPS Confirmation/Tracking number I get this message for yesterday: PROCESSED THROUGH USPS SORT FACILITY and 4 different times. Looks like it finally departed the USPS sort facility today. Well, I should have it soon. It might help on some of the issues I've been having with sentence structure.

Then yesterday, I did discover that I do have my 2012 Christmas card list on my new laptop. Don't know how I missed it before. Now, I need to go out to the shed and retrieve last year's cards so that I can double check addresses.

And did I mention I still have most of my shopping to do? I haven't even started my DH. Hmmmm. That's all I am saying about that.

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Monday, December 9, 2013

Monday - The Start of Another Busy Week!

I've been working sporadically on my other Legacy 8 project while waiting for the manual to show up, swapping my old baptismal events which I converted to christening events, to the Legacy 8 christening event. Fortunately, I had only 32-1/3 pages of them. Now I have 22-1/3 pages. I can pretty much do this swapping using only the keyboard except for getting to the person's edit screen. I haven't quite figured out the shortcut for that!

My tree went up on Friday. It's a 9 foot tall pencil style. Since my ceiling in my living room is vaulted, there is plenty of room for it. And of course, Miss Mouse the cat has made it her personal project to climb it. It's hard to yell at her when you are laughing at the expression on her face which is the only thing sticking out of the branches. I am really trying to discourage her from climbing it and pulling the ornaments off. Fortunately, they are made of fabric, so she can't hurt them too much. I'll know I'm in trouble when I see her carrying them off to her hiding places.

Lots of appointments this week, leaving little time for Christmas shopping, cards, wrapping, etc. Since there aren't too many days left, I think I will have to fit this stuff in one way or another. The weather has been genuinely nasty, and there is something about shopping in pouring rain that is very un-Christmas-like!

My lists are calling my name!



Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Friday, December 6, 2013

Sympathy Saturday - Buford Allen Chinn

Buford Allen Chinn was born June 27, 1856 in Missouri, the son of Joseph Garland Chinn and Nancy "Nannie" Shelby Chinn. He married Willie Donaldson May 30, 1882 in Lexington, Missouri. She died September 20, 1888 also in Lexington, Missouri. Buford died on December 7, 1913 in Chicago Illinois. He was the last surviving child of Joseph & Nancy Chinn, and they would ultimately raise Buford's children.

You can visit Buford's Find-A-Grave Memorial here.


Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Finally, Friday! One Thing Done!

For the last week, I've been working on seeing what went wrong with the GEDCom import from RootsMagic v 6 to Legacy 8. Once I realized I hadn't turned off the color coding before the import I decided to save the file and just delete those items. I took my 177 page error file and took it down to 60 pages. A lot easier to deal with. Thursday night I finished reviewing and editing the people indicated in the report. Whew! Happy dance. Much celebration here in Mid Tennessee.

Not out of the water yet. There is a difference between how RootsMagic handled christenings or baptisms and how Legacy does. That generated what was originally an 87 page report. Once I figured out I could turn off birth and death information in the report, I re-ran it and got it down to 33 pages. A lot more reasonable to deal with. And Legacy has a neat little option for swapping my christening fact for theirs. Which is what I am doing now.

In redoing lots of to do items - the downside being that Legacy does not have a family to-do capability - I found some more information. Of course that has added to my pile on my desk. Eventually I will get through it.

I am still waiting for my manual that I ordered. USPS tells me it is on the way - 2 day priority is taking more than 2 days. I am sure that will make things a little easier. Yes, I do have the PDF version of it too, but sometimes when you open to a page in a book, it makes explanations clearer than trying to print all the links for a specific manual subject. And I sure could use some shortcuts. The one thing I really liked about RootsMagic was the ability to hardly ever use the touchpad or in the case of my new laptop, my mouse. I am much better at keyboarding the pointing and clicking. Go figure!

I have made the commitment to Legacy 8, only entering information in it instead of both programs. One has the capability of a great app that can be synced with my database, the other has a fairly minimal show and tell app.

I hope to work more on it today, but since we are hosting the Blue Cross Bowl or the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association Football games, I might watch more of that!  I could probably do that while I put up the Christmas tree. Decisions, decisions.





Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Too-Too Thursday - Too Much Mess

I've been moving right along on making sure all my information - mostly Research log items from RootsMagic get moved into Legacy 8. I only have 7 more pages to go out of 60. So probably later, someone will hear a big whoop of joy and I'll be doing a happy dance. 

This morning was grocery day, and DH had a dentist appointment in the afternoon. I thought I would get the tree up while he was gone, but two of my moving pads were missing. I am not a happy camper. I use those all the time, and two of them were where they belonged, but the other two are no where to be seen. Hope DH finds them soon!

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Wedding Wednesday - Percival & McNitt

On December 4, 1862 in Van Buren county, Michigan, Leonora Percival and Orville McNitt were married. Leonora was one of the daughters of Cullen Percival and Rachel Quigley.



Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Busier and Busier!

I'm sure it was a great idea at the time, but for some reason, I am doubling up on appointments this week. Almost every morning and afternoon has something planned. I find I am cramming inconsequential tasks like cleaning and grocery shopping in between appointments. That doesn't include trying to shop for Christmas or decorating.

Who needs sleep, anyway?

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes

Monday, December 2, 2013

My Foray Into Legacy 8 - Holy Error File!

For some reason, I forgot to turn off the color coding when I transferred my database from RootsMagic 6 into Legacy 8 Deluxe. Well, I can tell you that it generated 177 pages of errors. I also transferred all my Research Logs from RM to Legacy. I should have turned that off too, since I probably would have saved myself another 50 pages!

However, in going through some of this stuff, I found a Research log item for Emma "Edna" Young Vasen Cox. She was still alive in 1959, when her sister Frances Young Smith died. I've searched in vain for her Cox spouse, but went back and found her on 1910, 20 and 30 and 40 censuses. All under the last name of Vasen. Her first husband Gustav died in 1919. They had a son, also named Gustav who married in 1937 to Edna P. Bentley. Kind of confusing when you see them on the 1940 census with the same names as his parents.

For the heck of it, I searched for Edna Young Cox on Find-a-Grave and did find her under the name of Edna Vasen Cox. She died in 1973 and sure enough there is an SSDI record for her. Still have no idea which Cox she married, but I do have her son's obit, his first marriage, his second wife's obit ... so one entry on the error list generated 8 pieces of paper.

Did I mention my pile is growing?

Copyright 2010-2013, ACK for Gene Notes