A Few More Genealogy Blogs Added!

Today I have added a few more genealogy blogs. The blogs added are:

• My New Mexico Ancestors and Favorite Recipes
• The Meeks Genealogy
• DNA Ancestry Blog

You can find these and other genealogy blogs on the lower left side of the page. Any suggestions for other history or genealogy blogs are welcome.

More on Genealogy Tech ...

A couple of days ago, FootnoteMaven left a question on my recent Carnival of Genealogy post asking about backing up files that are on flash drives. To be honest, when I wrote the post, I didn't think about the possibility for the failure of a flash drive. I have backed up photos on my flash drives to CDs in the past, and it is probably a very good idea to create CDs that back up one's files. Of course, I also keep paper copies of my research in case of a failure. I think it is a good idea to keep in mind, though, that flash drives can fail. Speaking of losing files, I almost thought I lost some of my files on one of my flash drives recently. Needless to say, I did a back up of those files in case something did happen.

Did Anyone Notice This Article?

Did anyone happen to notice yesterday that a photo of Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan was found? You can read the article here.

Note About the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy

Miriam left me comment, asking if I was still going to do this month's edition of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy. I still intend to this edition, but I think I won't have the fifth edition posted until late-April, early-May.

Carnival of Genealogy Posted!

The carnival of genealogy has been posted! You can read it here. The topic for the next carnival is on writing a tribute to a women who has influenced your life.

Note About Genealogy and History Thoughts Columns ...

I have to temporarily stop posting the Genealogy and History Thoughts Columns. You can read why here. I will start posting the columns again back in May.

More On Light Blogging ...

I realize that I said earlier last week that I would not be posting much, but I have to extend that as I won't be posting as frequently as I have lately. I probably won't be back to posting until early May, because I am entering the last few weeks of the semester and will be spending my time on school work.

Another Silly Quiz ...

I decided to go to Blogthings and take another one of their silly quizzes just in time for Saint Patrick's Day. Here is the results from the only quiz that I believe was appropriate for all ages:

Your Irish Name Is...

Jade Boyle

What's your Irish Name?

More Genealogy Blogs Added!

Today, I have added several more genealogy blogs. The blogs added are:

• Ancestor.ie's Genealogy Discussion Blog
• Genealogy Addiction and Future Parenthood
• Genealogy and History Fan
• Parishmouse
• TNGenWeb - Blount County, Tennessee

You can find these and other genealogy blogs on the lower left hand side of the page. Any suggestions for other history or genealogy blogs are welcome.

This Date ...

You won't see this date again for another four years! Okay, I realize this statement is a bit corny, but I couldn't resist. I was just tempted to post something on this date as this is a leap year.

Speaking of leap years, when a person is born on this day, how do families celebrate that person's birthday in non-leap years, and how does the government determine when that person is legally an adult? What does the government do, as this date only comes once every four years? I'm just curious. I've always wondered what people do in a situation such as this one.

Congrats to FootnoteMaven!

I just noticed that FootnoteMaven has announced that she has been blogging for a year. I just want to say, "Congrats!"

Light Blogging?

As many of you might have noticed, I have not posted as many posts this week. I am not sure if the next few days or next week will be similar to this week. At the moment, I feel as though I am going through a writer's block, and I can't come up with very many ideas for topics to post on at the moment.

More Genealogy Blogs Added!

Today, I have added a couple more genealogy blogs. The blogs added are:

• Chris Staat's Genealogical Musings
• International Association of Amateur Genealogists (IAAGEN)

You can find these and other genealogy blogs on the lower left side of the page. Any suggestions for other history or genealogy blogs are welcome.

Thoughts On A Quote ...

Yesterday, I happened to read a quote that was posted on GenLady's blog. After reading the quote, I thought about it for a long time. Would my ancestors be proud of me? I don't know. For one, I am more educated than many of my ancestors were or ever hoped to become. Undoubtedly, most of my ancestors would be proud of me for that alone. Of course, I am only guessing as I do not know what their thoughts were.

Re-added a History Blog!

I've re-added a history blog to my history list that got deleted from my blog by accident. The blog is:

• WW1: Experiences of an English Soldier

You can find this blog and other history blogs on the lower right hand side of the page. Any suggestions for other history or genealogy blogs are welcome.

Have You Looked At These Sites?

I was just wondering if anyone had noticed these two websites:

• Behind the Name - the Etymology and History of First Names
• Behind the Name - the Etymology and History of Surnames

Obviously, from the titles of the websites these websites deal with the meaning of first names and surnames. Both sites appear to be very informative. My only problem is that most of the surnames of my ancestors did not show up when I typed them. I don't know when the websites are updated, so it could be very possible that the owner is still updating the surname database. So, what do you think about these two websites?

Added Another History Blog!

Today I have added another history blog. The blog added is:

• World History Blog

You can find this and other history blogs on the lower right hand of the page. Any suggestions for other genealogy or history blogs are welcome.

More Genealogy Blogs Added!

Today, I have added a few more genealogy blogs. The blogs added are:

• Caddo - My Home Town
• OneGreatFamily Blog
• The Polish Pioneers of Calumet, Michigan
• Why My Family Genealogy Would Make A Great Western

You can find these and other genealogy blogs on the lower left hand side of the page. Any suggestions for other history or genealogy blogs are welcome.

Thoughts About Irish Heritage in America ...

Whenever I think of writing a post on Irish ancestry, I hesitate as I am not completely sure if my ancestors who married in Ireland are actually Irish. The problem is that the surname for my ancestor is supposed to be Scottish and not Irish, or so information that I have read on the surname says. (Of course, it is entirely possible that my ancestors were descended from Scots that settled in Ireland.) Of course, when I was little girl, I did not know that I had ancestors that were born in Ireland, and I think that was also true for my family members. It was not until I began researching my family history that I learned I had ancestors born in Ireland.

So, why am I writing this? Well, when I was in elementary school, students were expected to wear green on Saint Patrick's Day. This was, of course, primarily a peer pressure expectation from fellow classmates. I realize that wearing green on Saint Patrick's Day is probably expected almost everywhere in the United States, but there was also another rumor that was told in my elementary school that I am unsure if it has been heard anywhere else in the United States. Supposedly, according to this rumor, on Saint Patrick's Day, one could see leprechauns but only if one was Irish (or, apparently, of Irish ancestry). Silly and unbelievable? Yes, but when one is five, six or seven years old, it can be believable. Or it was when I was that age. Of course, that was the time of my life when I was enthralled by fairy tales. And among those fairy tales were stories of leprechauns and pots of gold at the end of the rainbow, especially with cartoon shows of fairy tales. Undoubtedly, the leprechaun with a pot of gold is a stereotype, albeit one that seems to be friendly. And, one could argue, that the Lucky Charms cereal reinforces that stereotype. If one thinks about cartoon shows and cereal that deal with Irish stories, one could argue that the Irish immigrants who came to the United States did influence our culture, even if that influence is subtle.

My Grandparent's Names

Earlier today, Randy Seaver posted about the names he gave his grandparents and then challenged other genealogy bloggers to post about the names they gave their grandparents.

So, what names do I give to my grandparents? I call my grandparents, Grandma and Grandpa. If I happen to be talking to a family member about one of my grandparents, I might specify with the surname of my grandparent. For example, I would say, "Grandma [Surname]." I can't say for sure, but I think it was the same way for my parents as well. In referring to my grandparents, my parents call them "Mom and Dad," even if they are not their parents, but their in-laws. (As far as I know, I don't believe my parents' calling each other's parents, "Mom and Dad," has ever caused problems, although I did have a high school teacher who got upset that his married daughter called her father-in-law, "Dad.")

Speaking of parents, I have only called my parents either, "Mom and Dad," or, "Mommy and Daddy" when I was younger. I have never been allowed to call my parents by their first names, although I understand that there are some parents who do allow their children to call them by their first names. If I ever have children, I don't believe I would allow them to call me by my first name. I guess I'm just too traditional to allow that to happen.