Lilian's Tree

 Well we all hoped that 2021would be a better year but things are just plodding along. January. Craft - 8 Baby Beanies, 6 draw string bags, Unicorn bunting, and started and finished a quilt for James. Blog posts - 5. Books read - 4 a bit slow but have been doing knitting instead. Photos taken -  158 February, Craft - 1 beanie.  2 Christmas stitcheries. Photos taken - 347.  We had time away in the Hunter Valley and I took heaps of photos. Also used my camera at the NSW State Archives, to copy documents. Books read - 8 Blog posts -  1 Attended, online RootsTech Connect 2021. March. Craft - 2 beanies.  Photos taken - 45 and 3 videos. Books read - 3 Blogposts - 5, including this one. Attended, online, In Search of... Family History Technology and FHDU. I've also hosted 2 Writing Group sessions and 2 SAG Hangouts.

 Hi, As my theme is Names Hanging On My Tree   I will do first names starting with A through to Z. I'll try to find their meaning, origin and other forms of the name. So from tomorrow, Thursday April 1, follow each day, not Sunday's as a girl has to rest, and see what I post. I will be using this book as I explore the names. Published in 1995, my copy is very well used and the pages are falling out of it. ISBN 0-304-34398-6 And sometimes the internet, if the name is unusual.  Bye, Lilian.

 I started researching 36 years ago, last January and to say that the genealogy bug bit and bit hard would be an understatement. I love the finding of old records, interesting newspaper items and holding something that my ancestors wrote or touched, well the feeling is beyond belief. Last week the Society of Australian Genealogists had the usual members only Hangout and it was on this topic. Views were many and varied.  I commented on using microfiche and how you could go cross-eyed looking at them. Another said she still uses them as they often have more/correct information that what comes up online. Mistakes are made in transcribing things across, especially with names.  Some mentioned going in to dusty archives and getting the books of the shelf and going page by page through them, for that vital piece of information. Still others mentioned cemetery searches and children commenting that 'other families had picnics at the beach, why did they have them at the cemetery?'....

 Back at the start of 2021, Fiona Brooker from Memories In Time, set a challenge for us to work on over five days. Each day a new task was revealed, each was set to expand on what we had done, the previous day. I did mine each day and had heaps of fun. This is what I ended up with, an Ancestor chart that shows me how many ancestors I know about  and how many more I need to find. It's not as tidy now, as I am using it as my working copy. I had so much fun, doing mine that last Sunday I did Hubby's and have now added more ancestors to his as well.   When I say I added Ancestors, I don't just go to an Ancestry tree and 'pick' them, I do full on searching and checking BEFORE they are added. Fiona has heaps of useful information on her website, including several blog posts on the Leads Method of grouping your DNA and a Plan to Publish series. Why not have a look! Memories In Time Happy Ancestor Hunting, Lilian.

This year I've taken up the challenge to blog every day, except Sunday's throughout April. Yep that's 26 posts on my theme.  This year I'm going to to do    NAMES HANGING ON MY FAMILY TREE. As a genealogist I come across interesting and unusual first name and though I would discover the meaning, origin and history of 26 of them.