Today's Journal Entry

I have again neglected to post in my blog. But it hasn't entirely been because I haven't wanted to. I have been involved in a Personal History project. And I would like to tell you about it. Let me start by sharing with you my journal entry for today:

"So I have already begun to neglect my latest attempt at keeping a journal. I started up again a few days ago on a trip to Valdez that I took with my family. My intent was to chronicle all the things we did so that we could remember them later. I decided to do this because I recently re-discovered my journal from my mission that I wrote 12 years ago and a journal that I kept while doing some training in Arkansas in 2003. I read these and realized that I had forgotten a lot of those moments or at least a lot of the details. That got me thinking of all the things that have happened to me since and how much I have forgotten. Quite a bit has happened to me in the last 10 years and I'm sure plenty more will be happening for the rest of my life. I would really like to leave something that will allow my children and grandchildren an insight to what I thought and what I did during my life.

"So as I said I re-started this journal a week ago on our camping trip to Valdez. And it was the only entry I wrote while on the trip. The rest of the entries for that trip I wrote today, trying to recall all the things we did. It wasn't easy and it's only been a week. I can't imagine how much I'll have forgotten in the next year or 10 years or 50 years. It was such a spectacular vacation, one that I don't want to forget. And one I don't want my kids to forget.

"I recently read an article by Michael DeGroot called "The Coming Genealogical Dark Ages." In this article it describes a speech given by Curt B. Witcher, manager of The Genealogy Center at the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Mr. Witcher was one of the keynote speakers at the BYU Conference on Family History in Provo, Utah last week.

He describes a crisis in which information is being lost due to advancement in technology or because of lack of interest by those that are now charged with the duties of protecting records that have been preserved for many years. He talks about the decline in handwritten letters, which have been replaced by emails. He talks about libraries and government agencies that are getting rid of their collections of vital records or newspaper archives. So to prevent memories and family stories from being lost forever, Mr. Witcher is encouraging people to write, "Write as you have never written before." He says to write about memories, describe family photos, keep a running journal to capture all those things that would otherwise be lost.

"So this is yet another attempt to do so. I am really excited for this LDSJournal.com. With it I will not only keep a running journal, but I will be transcribing all my random ill-fated journals that I have keep over the years, including my mission journal, my various military journals, my audio-journal that I keep when I was in college, letters that I wrote home to my mom, any other letters (written by me) that I can get my hands on, and even blog entries. Not only will I be including past items but I hope to include future emails, blog entries, and other such items that I feel may merit remembering.

LDSJournal.com also includes a "journal jar" that asks random questions to maybe spark some sort of response. I will also be using that from time to time when I am feeling "the block!" So hopefully this will be the re-start of a life-long endeavor to leave a legacy for my posterity."

So the last couple of weeks I have been searching for any old journals that I kept. I called my mom and asked her to send me all the letters that I wrote to her while I was on my mission in Russia and while I was in training for the Army. (She even included all the letters that might dad wrote to her while they were "courting.") So I have been busy transcribing, scanning, and filing all these memories. A larger project than I had originally thought it would be. And I haven't even scratched the surface of what I plan to include in this Personal History project.

I would really like to hear about any of your Personal History projects. Maybe they will give me ideas to include in my project!!

What I Do Meme

This is in participation with the Meme that was posted by Thomas MacEntee at Geneabloggers. A submission from a humble genealogy beginner!!

Hardware: PC desktop (Windows Vista) 1 netbook (Windows 7).

External storage: 8GB thumbdrive and I use the netbook as a sort of external storage for my desktop

Online storage: None yet

Backup: thumbdrive

Firewall: McAfee for both

Virus protection: McAfee for both

Spyware: McAfee for both

File cleaner:

Printer: Epson Artison 810 (w/ wifi)

Phone: land line. Motorola Droid thru Verizon

Mobile media: iPod nano (4GB)

Music player: Windows Media Player on the PC and netbook

Car audio: factory installed CD player

eBook Reader: None but I am considering a kindle or an iPad.

Browser: Firefox

Blog: Blogger.com

RSS: I read using iGoogle page with Google Reader

FTP: I have no clue what this is!!

Text editor: MS Word 2007

Graphics: Photoshop CS4Paint Shop Pro Photo X2

Screen capture: MS OneNote

Social media: Facebook and just recently Twitter

Social bookmarking:

Social profile:

URL shortener: don't know how this works exactly, but would appreciate someone telling me!!

Office suite: MS Office 2007 Enterprise

E-mail: Yahoo mostly, with Gmail as well

Calendar: Google for personal stuff, Outlook for work stuff

Accounting: MS Excel

PDF generator: Adobe Acrobat Pro

Genealogy database: RootsMagic 4

Genealogy tools:

Other tech stuff: Polaroid t1234 12.0 Megapixel,

Non-Tech stuff: Binders, folders and paper, of course!!

So if you too are into genealogy, I would recommend going to the links above and check out what your fellow experienced (more or less) colleagues are using these days!!

Leaving a Story

So, I got to thinking the other day that I wish I had something that had been passed down from generation to generation. An heirloom that had been handed down from eldest son to eldest son. Something that was in someway connected to an ancestor. The closest thing I have I don't really have yet. My mother has some wood furniture that her father had made. And I am sure I will get some if not all of it when she passes (not that I hope for that day). My mom has made cross-stitches that she has given my brother and me as gifts over the years. And I'm sure we can pass those down to our children and grandchildren. And there will probably be things that I make or acquire that my kids will take and pass on down the line.

I feel that these objects tell a story of the person from which they originated. Or a story of why that object was important to the family or the descendants of that family. But I have none of that to help me in investigating who my ancestors were. So then I got to thinking about what else would be great to have that I might have a possibility of finding somewhere. And I thought of journals or diaries. Fortunately, I do have one small diary of my grandmother that she kept while she was being courted by my grandfather. She tells of her dates and meeting his family and him meeting her family. Awesome stories. I just wish I had more.

So then that got me thinking again......what stories am I leaving for my kids. At the moment, there are a couple of blog entries and some old journals that I started off and on over the last 20 years. But there buried and I don't even know if I can find them all. So, I have challenged myself that I am going to get all those journals together and I am going to first find a place that I can preserve them. Second, I am going to transcribe them, so that I can publish them. Third, I am going to start another journal. Something that is a little more intimate than this blog. Something that I can express my feelings on more personal issues so that my descendants may get a glimpse of the person that I am.

I once came across a website that promotes keeping journals. The website is www.ldsjournal.com. It is a free service that allows you to keep your journal stored online and then for a fee they will publish your journal into a book. This is how I am going to go about publishing all my past and future journals. I encourage you to check it out. It does have some upgradable options for a yearly fee. But I do warn that it does have an LDS church influence, although minimal.

Has anyone else come across an online journal site?? Maybe something with more functions or options than LDS Journal. Or does anyone else have ideas for telling your story for future generations??

Third Time's a Charm

Alright, everyone, here is attempt number 3. My third attempt at starting a blog that I will hopefully stick to this time. I hope I do because I am starting to run out of ideas for blog titles. And some of you may be a little confused with the title that I have chosen for this one. And it may even change again, but only slightly. I think I will be adding a poll to see how ya'll might feel about the change, but I will explain that a little later.

First, let me explain the origin of this blog. As I mentioned, I have previously started 2 other blogs "My Life As.......Me!" and "Roots, Twigs, and Berries." The first was an anecdotal view of the things that I experienced in my life. My life is rather boring however and that blog was abandoned due to lack of material. The second was my attempt to document my experiences and such while researching my family history. That one was abandoned because I became to involved with other things in my life that I found I had no time to put the time and effort into it that I felt I needed to. Then it got to the point that I didn't want to update it because I hadn't for so long that it seemed rather pointless.

So, that brings me to "The Leaf Hunter." Yes, odd I know. However, a dentist once asked me if I was a "hunter" or a "gatherer." Knowing that flew army helicopters, he was asking me what kind I flew. Being a "hunter" meant flying the Apache helicopter (which, for those that don't know, is an attack helicopter). Being a "gatherer" meant flying a Blackhawk helicopter, which has varying missions including picking up troops (gathering). So, being an Apache pilot, I proudly told him I was a "hunter."

"What does 'Leaf' mean?" Well, I go back to my interest in genealogy. Think of a family tree being as a representation of my entire family past and present. (DUH!) Anyway, the branches are all the different families. What are all the leaves??? The individuals, every one connected to a branch or family connected to the whole tree. And what does a genealogist or family historian do? They find all those individuals...those leaves. There ya go....."The Leaf Hunter"

Anyway, although I am essentially starting a whole new blog, I thought I would import all the posts from my other two blogs. I would appreciate ya'll taking a look at them and commenting as you feel appropriate. Don't worry there aren't that many and I really think you'll enjoy them. But you do have to read them to understand the poll that I will be posting on here soon. Oh, it would probably be better to start at the earliest post and work your way forward in time. So read away and enjoy.

Chaos in Waiting

Well, I picked a fine time to start a new project when I decided to start this blog. Shortly after my last post, my life was thrown into chaos. I previously wrote about my "awesome job." Well, my awesome job is about to get colder. My job is taking me to Alaska!! So, as you can imagine, my life has been in a constant state of confusion, learning, chaos, and (as the title suggests) waiting. Waiting?? Have I mentioned that I am in the military?? Well, I am and sometimes the military doesn't necessarily work on the same time line that its soldiers do. I have been waiting for my orders for the last 2 weeks now. So I am in limbo until they finally call on me to go up there. So in the meantime, we are preparing our house for sale, packing up what things we cherish (so as not to leave them in the hands of the military to move for us), and saying goodbyes to our families (because it will be more difficult for visits both ways). And to top it all off, I have been in a state of office/genealogy/computer cleaning and purging. Getting rid of redundant files and pictures and programs and whatever else. My friend (who is more computer literate than I) has been helping me save critical files and links and reformatting my computer, which all turned out to be a bigger project than I had originally anticipated. So with all the recent activity my blog has had to take a back burner as I prepare myself and my family for this new adventure into the last frontier. However, I am anticipating more spare time with this new position and I hope to continue with this blog with more regularity. I am also going to attempt to chronicle my family's trip to the frozen north. So stay tuned!!

A Beginner's Library

So, here I sit. Listening to the Lord of the Rings soundtrack. About to write my first blog post that will be entirely based on a genealogy topic. I've been wanting to write something about this for quite some time. Partly because when I first started my family history, I had a hard time determining which books I should buy. In fact, I still have that problem. The other part is hoping that someone will read this and suggest even more books that will be a good addition to my (or any other young genealogist's) library. However, as I become more experienced, I find it easier and easier to choose the books to add to my personal collection. But any insight or advice from those more experienced than me is greatly appreciated.

My collection of genealogy books is somewhat small. But there are a number that I use rather often and I feel could be beneficial to anyone's collection.

The newest addition to my collection (purchased 3 weeks ago) is Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace by Elizabeth Shown Mills. I know that anyone that has spent more that one day in the genealogy field is familiar with this book or at least they should be. Honestly, I am slightly embarrassed that it has taken me so long to buy this book. As one that studied history in college and is now involved in genealogy now, I fully appreciate the need to cite sources and I find Mrs. Mills approach to this extraordinary. Not only does it tell and teach how to cite sources, details how to best analyze any evidence that may cross a researchers path.

And with products, such as RootsMagic 4, basing their source templates on those found in Evidence Explained, I feel that it is one of, if not the most, essential book for the library of genealogists of any experience level.

The Organized Family Historian by Ann Carter Fleming is a book that I bought when shortly after I realized that I was gathering more research information that I could effectively organized. I wasn't quite sure how to organized all that mess so that, first, it was understandable to me and, second, so that it was understandable to those that I would inevitably share it with.

This book comes with a companion CD containing different forms and worksheets to help organized your research and findings. Most of it is included in most genealogy programs, but this book explains how to use all those forms in a way that any beginner can understand.

I must admit, however, part of the reason for my buying this book was to find a filing system that I was comfortable in using. (The filing cabinet on the cover sucked me in!!) And although Mrs. Fleming's ideas on filing systems is sound and it is probably effective for many people, I found that it was not what I was looking for. I am still searching for that "perfect" filing system, or at least one that I am comfortable with. So, if anyone has any ideas or has a filing system they would like to suggest I try, please, let me know.

Probably, the first serious genealogy book I bought, Everton's Handybook for Genealogists has probably been the most useful. I own the 10th edition, however, I understand that there is an 11th edition that includes a companion CD. I have not seen or used the 11th edition and was not able to find a link for it. I have used my 10th edition very regularly, whether it be to find the address for a local county clerk's office or to determine the existence of particular counties in different time periods. I even used it to search for societies or repositories in Alaska, which is where I will be moving to in about 2 months.

The Handybook for Genealogists has allowed me to find birth and marriage information for my mother's family that I was not able to find elsewhere. And because this book covers every state it will be invaluable to those researching multiple family line (or the same line) in multiple states.

One of the next books that I bought was written by George C. Morgan of the Genealogy Guys. The book, How to Do Everything with Your Genealogy seems to expound on the principles of genealogy that Mrs. Fleming only hinted at in her book. He also goes into more detail on research techniques and where to begin looking for information.

I own the first edition (pictured right). It covers just about any topic that you can think of. However, if you are thinking of more current topics like DNA research then you may want to look at getting Mr. Morgan's second edition (linked to the title above) which has just recently been published. Either edition is sure to expand your genealogy tool set.

The next two books that round out the favorites from my collection are probably not books that EVERY researcher needs in their collection. However, they should have one (or more) similar to them.

Years ago, when I took my first family history class at college, one of my assignments was to find out as much information as I could from immediate family, aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc. While speaking to one of my aunts, she mentioned that she had received a booklet from an individual that had compiled some information on my Sheeley family line. She offered to send me the pages that pertained to my direct ancestral line. When it arrived, I was shocked at the amount of knowledge that was contained in the envelope. And this was just and extract!! Unfortunately, once the assignment was complete, this information was put in a box and forgotten for a number of years. When I finally decided to restart my family history research, I came across these pages. On the last page was the address (then a number of years old) of the compiler. I wrote to him in hopes that he was still at the address. I asked for a full copy of the compilation that had been in the possession of my aunt. Luckily, he was still at the address, but he informed me that he no longer had any copies of that original compilation, BUT if I was patient he would send me the second edition of his work which was nearly complete. I was anxiously patient and a couple of months later received Seven Cow Tails, One Hair. This book contains the descendants of Johann Nicholas Schiele, the first person in the Schiele/Sheely/Sheeley family to come to America (in 1739). This book contains 486 pages of births, marriages, deaths, histories, and pictures of 12 generations of descendants. (Unfortunately, no source citations) So, I guess you could say, an awesome amount of information was placed in my lap.

The second book is similar in nature. Pioneers and Prominent Men of Utah by Frank Esshom, is a compilation of photographs, genealogies and biographies of men that traveled to Utah "by wagon, hand cart or afoot, between July 24, 1847, and December 30, 1868, before the railroad" and of men that held prominent positions in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that traveled to Utah "after the coming of the railroad." This book is the only book (so-far) that I have in electronic format. The book itself came to my knowledge back in that family history class in college. I was doing research on my father's maternal grandparents and found some of that line in this book. Again, that research was put in a box for a number of years and I recently found it.

I had also just recently read Dick Eastman's blog entry "Converting My Personal Library to Digital". One of the comments suggested a website, http://www.archive.org/index.php, for locating out of print books. So, on the slim chance that it was there, I did a search. To my surprise, it was there. I downloaded it and I am still finding links to ancestors in this book.

In both cases, I found (and continue to find) additional information that initially I missed. With these books close at hand, I am able to cross reference other names that may come up in my research to see if the are related or if they link to other nuggets of information that may be contained in the books. I feel that compiled genealogies are essential to any genealogists library.

There they are. I hope this post is useful to anyone that may read it. I encourage those of you that are more experienced to suggest any titles you feel should be in the library of any genealogist. (Also any filing tips would be greatly appreciated as well.)

TALON

SNGF

I have been following Randy Seaver's genealogy blog for quite some time now. In fact, it is one of the links located in my blog list located at the right. And, to my surprise, he recently commented on my last post which was posted almost 3 weeks ago. Every Saturday night, Randy comes up with a fun little activity and tonite I decided to participate. Randy's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun can be found here. Below are my results to his directions.

2. A carpet installer decides to take a cigarette break after completing the installation in the first of several rooms he has to do. Finding them missing from his pocket he begins searching, only to notice a small lump in his recently completed carpet-installation. Not wanting to rip up all that work for a lousy pack of cigarettes he simply walks over and pounds the lump flat. He decides to forgo the break continues on to the other rooms to be carpeted.

At the end of the day he's completed his work and loading his tools into his trucks when two events occur almost simultaneously: he spies his pack of cigarettes on the dashboard of the truck, and the lady of the house calls out 'Have you seen my parakeet?'

3. Your date of conception was on or about 4 November 1977 which was a Friday.
You were born on a Friday under the astrological sign Leo.
Your Life path number is 6.
Your Native American Zodiac sign is Salmon; your plant is Raspberry.
Celebrities who share your birthday:

Sally Struthers (1948)	Jim Davis (1945)	Rick Wright (1945)
Bill Bradley (1943)	Phil Proctor (1940)	Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (1929)
Rudy Vallee (1901)	Beatrix Potter (1866)

4. If you are able to achieve the potential of your natural expression in this life, you are capable of much human understanding and have a lot to give to others. Your personal ambitions are likely to be maintained in a very positive perspective, never losing sight of an interest in people, and a sympathetic, tolerant, broad-minded and compassionate point of view. You are quite idealistic, and disappointed at the lack of perfection in the world. You have a strong awareness of your own feeling as well as those of others. Friendships, affection, and love are extremely important.

If any of you care to do this and would like to share please post as a comment or as a link to your own blog post.

TALON