I have been answering a lot of e-mail lately, some of which is quite old. I used to be really good about responding to everyone, almost immediately, but I have gotten slower in my "old" age. It might take me a month or two before I get up the initiative to respond to certain e-mail. I get so many requests for help that I have to put some off or else I would never get anything done in my personal life. I love reading what you all send, and I will do my best to help out, but forgive me if I am slow.
I also tend to lose interest in genealogy once in awhile. It is almost like a sanity to check...to drop everything and do other stuff. I love this hobby but I cannot let it rule my life. If you notice in my posting archive, you will see some months that I post every day and others where I drag along. It is not that I run out of things to say, I just have nothing interesting enough on my mind at that moment to bother writing about. Unlike some genealogy blogs, I do not try to keep you informed off all the industry news. I do pass along items from time to time but this blog is pretty much about me and what I find interesting. I try to keep it fun to publish and/or do things that I like and that I use in my own research.
I do not tend to devote a lot of time talking about non-Ancestry/Family Tree Maker products. Those are the ones that I have used for years and that I find most helpful. I have tried other programs, such as The Master Genealogist
, but they are either too involved or too simple. My focus is keeping genealogy fun. The day it stops being fun for me is the day that I quit all together. This is not my job. It is something I like to do and I am glad that you guys care enough to read what I write and respond with your comments and questions. That is what it is all about...sharing and communicating for fun.
I have seen people get into literal fist-fights over who was right about a name or date. I used to be like that but now I do not care so much. I respect the passion that people feel for their research, right or wrong, but I am not going to argue with anyone. You might say that I have found genealogical peace. I go with the flow, say please and thank you, and simply enjoy what I am doing. In the words for Forrest Gump, "When I got tired, I slept. When I got hungry, I ate. When I had to go, you know, I went." I get hot and heavy when I am on the trail of a long-lost ancestor but I can also set it all aside, take my kids to Disney World, and never check my e-mail for two weeks. I have found balance.
I will eventually respond to every e-mail that I receive but the time has to be right for me. Do not take it personal but the more interesting I find your inquiry, the more quickly I will respond. Sometimes it takes awhile to respond because I am think up the right answer or checking into a source for you...and you do not even know it. You think I am blowing you off when I am really doing some leg work. I tend to not respond until I have an answer, decreasing the number of back-and-forth e-mail between us. I try to answer the question directly but I honestly do not want to do the whole project for you.
I used to do research for money but that is miserable. I spend the whole time that I am at the archives wishing that I was working on my own family. I will do some paid stuff, mostly just making copies of known documents, but those days are pretty much gone. You can always ask because, if money is tight, I might take on a project or two...you never know.
Anyway, I just felt like rambling a bit today. There is nothing in here that is going to help you find your great-great-grandmother's maiden name but maybe you still learned something of value.
I also tend to lose interest in genealogy once in awhile. It is almost like a sanity to check...to drop everything and do other stuff. I love this hobby but I cannot let it rule my life. If you notice in my posting archive, you will see some months that I post every day and others where I drag along. It is not that I run out of things to say, I just have nothing interesting enough on my mind at that moment to bother writing about. Unlike some genealogy blogs, I do not try to keep you informed off all the industry news. I do pass along items from time to time but this blog is pretty much about me and what I find interesting. I try to keep it fun to publish and/or do things that I like and that I use in my own research.
I do not tend to devote a lot of time talking about non-Ancestry/Family Tree Maker products. Those are the ones that I have used for years and that I find most helpful. I have tried other programs, such as The Master Genealogist
, but they are either too involved or too simple. My focus is keeping genealogy fun. The day it stops being fun for me is the day that I quit all together. This is not my job. It is something I like to do and I am glad that you guys care enough to read what I write and respond with your comments and questions. That is what it is all about...sharing and communicating for fun.I have seen people get into literal fist-fights over who was right about a name or date. I used to be like that but now I do not care so much. I respect the passion that people feel for their research, right or wrong, but I am not going to argue with anyone. You might say that I have found genealogical peace. I go with the flow, say please and thank you, and simply enjoy what I am doing. In the words for Forrest Gump, "When I got tired, I slept. When I got hungry, I ate. When I had to go, you know, I went." I get hot and heavy when I am on the trail of a long-lost ancestor but I can also set it all aside, take my kids to Disney World, and never check my e-mail for two weeks. I have found balance.
I will eventually respond to every e-mail that I receive but the time has to be right for me. Do not take it personal but the more interesting I find your inquiry, the more quickly I will respond. Sometimes it takes awhile to respond because I am think up the right answer or checking into a source for you...and you do not even know it. You think I am blowing you off when I am really doing some leg work. I tend to not respond until I have an answer, decreasing the number of back-and-forth e-mail between us. I try to answer the question directly but I honestly do not want to do the whole project for you.
I used to do research for money but that is miserable. I spend the whole time that I am at the archives wishing that I was working on my own family. I will do some paid stuff, mostly just making copies of known documents, but those days are pretty much gone. You can always ask because, if money is tight, I might take on a project or two...you never know.
Anyway, I just felt like rambling a bit today. There is nothing in here that is going to help you find your great-great-grandmother's maiden name but maybe you still learned something of value.
