My failure to post anything for the past month and a half doesn't mean I have abandoned this blog, or worse, gone to join the ancestors I've been writing about! After completing 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks in 2014, I was ready for a little break. While I enjoyed participating in the 52 Ancestors challenge, and it did prompt me to post (more or less) regularly, I've decided not to continue my participation in 2015. As yet, I haven't decided on what kind of format or theme will take its place, or if I'll just adopt a more diverse and eclectic approach to this blog.
Some genealogy bloggers are participating in Thomas MacEntee's Genealogy Do-Over. While I know my genealogy research could use a good deal of scrutiny, reorganization, and re-evaluation – not to mention a citation overhaul! – a complete do-over such as he suggests feels a little too drastic to me. Setting everything I have aside would mean not only my own research, but that of my late brother as well, and I'm not prepared to do that. So I intend to focus my energies on organizing and re-evaluating the information I have; making sure I have reliable sources for the people and facts in my tree; and making a plan for tracking down any missing documentation.
Along the way, I hope to make at least one (hopefully two) genealogical excursion this year to some of my ancestors' old stomping grounds, to see what ancestors I might be able to dig up (figuratively speaking, of course) in cemeteries and town records. I have a lot of places to choose from: although I have visited most of the cemeteries that enshrine my Maine and New Hampshire forbears, I have yet to visit Newburyport and Bridgewater, Mass.; Bristol, Conn.; Smithfield, Rhode Island; Caledonia County, Vermont; or the many locations in southeastern Quebec associated with my Washburn and Rabideau ancestors. In truth, I have enough places I'd like to go that I'll probably never make it to all of them in my lifetime. I'd better get started!
I may even dip my toes in the waters of genealogical conferences. I've never attended one, and would like to see what it's like, learn a thing or two, and maybe even, if I'm lucky, get to meet a few of my fellow genea-bloggers.
With any luck, these activities should provide me with plenty of blogging fodder for the foreseeable future.
1 comment:
Sounds like a good plan. I too took some time off to "recover" from the 52 Ancestors challenge as I just needed a break. And had to figure out what my blog is going to be about this year (that's in flux).i understand how you feel. Good luck and have fun!
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