Who Did What? The Closing Ceremonies!

Thomas has posted the Genea-Blogger Games: Closing Ceremonies with some interesting tidbits about the games as well as the flags of all medal winners along with their medal count.

Among other interesting facts regarding the games that Thomas provided is that 35 of the 38 people who entered the competition were able to complete one or more events as planned and earn at least one medal. A total of 120 medals were awarded, of which there were 40 Platinum, 33 Diamond, 24 Gold, 10 Silver and 13 Bronze. Be sure to read the rest of his post for more information and to see who did what. Great job, everyone! Are you ready for 2010?

So, how did I do? The details are here. . .

• Cite Sources: Bronze
• Back Up Data: Gold
• Organize Research: Platinum

• Write, Write, Write: Diamond
• Genealogical Acts of Kindness: Platinum

The End is Here!

Well, not the end, as in the end of the world, but rather the end of the Genea-Bloggers Games! It has been a challenging two weeks but worth every broken fingernail and every sore muscle, as well as all of the sleepless nights. LOL. In my book, each and every participant is a winner! It was interesting to me to see how each individual approached their tasks and how they were accomplished. Along the way I picked up a few ideas that can be incorporated into my research and organizational plans. Thank you very much.

A special "Thank You" and "Congratulations" goes out to the organizing committee consisting of Miriam Midkiff, Kathryn M. Doyle, and Thomas MacEntee. In addition, footnoteMaven is also to be commended for providing the logo and for creating the "medals" that will be awarded during the Closing Ceremonies.

My original goals for the games did not list each specific task to be accomplished but my intent was to compete in each category. (Retirement is Great!) So, how did I do? Quite well, thank you!

1. Go Back and Cite Your Sources! Bronze Medal.
This category is the weakest link in my research. Back in the "early days" when I first started using a program to record family information there was no sourcing option, so all of my source information was put in notes. I know where (most of) the information came from, it just isn't in the proper format. As I migrated to more modern software I never took the time to add proper source citations. I haven't downloaded the new version of Legacy yet but I understand their source writer will make the job easier and help maintain consistency. Anyway, bottom line is that yesterday I entered 15 or so "proper" citations in my database earning a bronze medal.

2. Back Up Your Data! The committee will have to determine the medal count for this category as tasks A and C were in place prior to the beginning of the competition.
A. Prepare a comprehensive backup plan for your digital research files and a security plan for your hard copies and photos. [Third Update]
B. Secure your hard copies and photos in waterproof containers. - I purchased several plastic totes and have put the "most important" documents and photos in them. I don't know how "waterproof" these containers are - I'm sure that they would fill up with water if completely covered. But they are certainly better than the cardboard "bankers boxes" that I have been using. It simply isn't feasible to store "everything" (20+ years of research) in plastic containers.
C. Backup all your data using a flash drive, an external drive, CDs, DVDs, or an online resource. [Third Update]

3. Organize Your Research! Platinum Medal.
A. Organize at least 20 hard files or ancestral items. [Fifth Update]
B. Organize at least 20 digital files into folders, add metadata, etc. [Fourth Update]
C. Organize at least 20 photos into photo albums, protective holders, boxes, etc. [First Day]
D. Organize at least 20 digital photos into folders, add metadata, etc. [Fifth Update]
E. Create at least 20 data entries in your database, or scan 20 photos, or scan 20 documents. [Third Update]
F. Create a master list of your files and notify your family members of where it is stored. Not completed - added to my "to do" list.

4. Write, Write, Write! Diamond Medal.
A. Write a summary of what your blog is about and post it on your blog. [First Day - What's it all about?]
B. Participate in a genealogy or family history related blog carnival. [Third Update - Say What? submitted to COG 54]
C. Prepare several posts in draft mode and pre-publish. [Fourth Update]
E. Sign up to host a future carnival. I will be hosting the October edition of Smile for the Camera.

5. Reach Out & Perform Genealogical Acts of Kindness! Platinum Medal.
A. Comment on a new (to you) genea-blog. [Second Update]
B. Join another genea-blogger’s blog network on Facebook Blog Networks. [Second Update]
C. Invite other genealogists to join Facebook. [Fourth Update]
D. Assist another researcher with a research request or lookup. [Third Update]
E. Participate in an indexing project. [Second Update]
F. Join a genealogical, historical, heritage or lineage society. [Third Update]

A Symbol of My Heritage

Stay tuned for the Closing Ceremonies to be posted by Thomas on Monday, August 25th, at Destination: Austin Family.

Genea-Blogger Games: 5th Update

The last update on "The Games" provided my status for all categories, this post will discuss what has been done since then... in category 3. Organize Your Research!

Current Status: Items B, C and E were previously completed. With these two, I've now earned a Platinum medal in this category!!

A. Organize at least 20 hard files or ancestral items (books, fabrics, inherited items) into file folders, boxes, envelopes, containers, etc.; archival-quality where appropriate.

The process of going through my research files and pulling out the documents and notes that pertain to my ancestors has been started. (My existing filing system, which I'm not happy with, is described in the fifth paragraph of this post, just in case you're curious.) The remaining documents will be separated and eventually organized into family groups. For now, I'm concerned only with the ancestor documents and info, which will also be scanned at some point in the future. I've just started this process but have pulled out more than 20 ancestral documents, put them into sheet protectors, and filed in the appropriate ancestor folder.

D. Organize at least 20 digital photos into folders, label, add metadata, add descriptions, add tags, etc.

As I've been scanning the family photos, the image files have been put into folders based upon who has possession of the original (mom, me, my brother, etc.). When scanned, the file names were composed of the year and person (or group) in the picture with a sequential number, if there was a series of pictures taken in the same year. Once I've entered the location/owner of the original then the files will be re-organized by surname and individual or group.

Using Windows XP, I selected one of the folders, which contained about 30 photos, and added the author (location of original), a title, subject, and comments to each picture, one at a time. What this has done for me is confirm that I definitely need to find a program (inexpensive and that I like) that will allow me to enter the image information in batch mode since some of the data will be the same for a large number of pictures.

Okay, now I have a question. . . If I add the image information to the file then edit the image, when I save it or save-as another filename, the information is lost. Is this normal? This was using an old version of PhotoImpact (version 4.2, which has worked well for me for a few years) as well as Paint Shop Pro 7, which is also a couple years old.

Genea-Blogger Games: 4th Update

Only a few things have been accomplished towards The Games in the last few days. We're at the halfway point of the "competition" and there is still a lot of work to be done! The pressure is mounting. Stress levels are rapidly increasing. The nice summer days are full of temptations and procrastination is worrisome, but hope is on the horizon and the end is in sight! Sources will be cited, data will be safeguarded, research will be organized, fingers will be worn out with writing, and other researchers will be helped!

1. Go Back and Cite Your Sources!
Current Status: Nothing completed in this category yet.

2. Back Up Your Data!
Current Status: Tasks A and C completed - Bronze, Gold ? A medal for each task completed?

3. Organize Your Research!
Task B is now done: The 74 newspaper clippings that were scanned earlier this week have been digitally filed. Added labels, metadata, descriptions, etc. via Windows Vista.
Current Status: B, C and E completed - Gold Medal

4. Write, Write, Write!
Task C complete: Have written several posts in draft mode and scheduled them for future publication.
Current Status: A, B, and C are complete - Gold Medal

5. Reach Out & Perform Genealogical Acts of Kindness!
Task C is done: Have recommended facebook to several genea-bloggers that are not there yet. Also mentioned facebook to several members of my local genealogy society. Thus far, none of those contacted have signed up.
Current Status: All tasks completed - Platinum Medal

• Official Rules and Categories
• My Goals for The Games
• First Day of Competition
• Second Update
• Third Update

Genea-Blogger Games: 3rd Update

This was a busy day of strenuous competition with tasks completed in four (or three?) different categories!

3. Organize Your Research!
This task puts me at the Silver Medal level in this category!

E. Create at least 20 data entries in your database, or scan 20 photos, or scan 20 documents.
Scanned 74 newspaper clippings that were in a Phend surname folder located at the Whitley County Historical Museum.

4. Write, Write, Write!
This gets me to the Silver Medal level thus far in this category!

B. Participate in a genealogy or family history related blog carnival.
Say What? was written for and submitted to COG 54, The Family Language.

5. Reach Out & Perform Genealogical Acts of Kindness!
Yesterday, I completed tasks A, B, and E. By finishing these tasks I've now earned a Platinum Medal, my first!

D. Assist another researcher with a research request or lookup.
Responded to a query that I received yesterday regarding a possible kinship with Henry Robison (abt 1794-1852) and his wife Ann(a). Not enough research has been done to provide enough evidence that Henry and Anna are the parents of Lydia Robison who married Lysander Joslin. Lydia is a sister of Henry Robison, Jr. My correspondent descends from James Robison and his wife Tabitha Scott. It is likely that James and Lydia are siblings but more research needs to be done. I sent her what little information I had on Henry and his wife. If the connections pan out then I've found a new cousin!

F. Join a genealogical, historical, heritage or lineage society.
Today I renewed my membership in the National Genealogical Society. I also belong to the New England Historical Genealogical Society, the Indiana Genealogical Society, and am an active member of the Genealogical Society of Whitley County (Indiana).

2. Back Up Your Data!

A. Prepare a comprehensive backup plan for your digital research files and a security plan for your hard copies and photos.
I'm not sure this qualifies for a medal since it is something I've already done but I thought I'd include it in the hopes that it might help someone. In October 2007 I wrote Are You Prepared? I'm Not which includes some links to information regarding disaster preparedness and recovery. A month later I followed up with My Plan to Prepare for Disaster. I'm still working on it so I'm "not there" yet. But I do have a plan ;-)

C. Backup all your data using a flash drive, an external drive, CDs, DVDs, or an online resource.
Again, this probably doesn't qualify for a medal since it is something that I've been doing for quite a while but I thought I'd share what I am doing as far as backing up data is concerned. I have two external hard drives that I rotate for full digital data backups. One drive is stored at my mother's place 30 miles away. Backups are done at night (while I'm sleeping) on an every-other-day basis and the drives swapped whenever I visit Mom, at least once a week. Also at least once a week, the full backup is replicated to my laptop. So I have at least three backups, in varying stages, of all digital files. All of my digital data is stored in various subfolders of the main folder with the exception of my Legacy database files and email, which gets buried by Windows deep in some obscure file structure. I use a simple replication program that is set up to copy the data in those three folders.

Both of my blogs are also backed up. Whenever I post an article I copy the final version, paste it into a word document, and save it using the date and post title as a file name. I tried simply printing the post directly to a pdf file but don't like the output. An excel spreadsheet was created as an index the posts with the date, title, and surnames that were included in the post. In addition to these local copies, a private blog was created on another blogging platform. Once a week I import the new posts from Blogger into this private blog.

If these two tasks don't comply with the requirements then this category is one in which I likely won't medal. I'm working on getting my paper files organized and scanned but there isn't any way that it can ALL be accomplished within the next two weeks.

• Official Rules and Categories
• My Goals for The Games

Genea-Blogger Games: Update 2

Reach Out & Perform Genealogical Acts of Kindness!
Completed the following three tasks to get to the Gold Medal Level, for now:

A. Comment on a new (to you) genea-blog.
Left a comment at Nana's Diggins, which is a new blog authored by Sue Tolbert. I found her blog by browsing the Blog Network at Facebook. She has three really neat photographs posted so far and has some wonderful stories to go along with them. fM in particular should enjoy This Is Lydia and She Is Dead. Sue is a (relatively new) member of the Genea-Bloggers Group.

B. Join another genea-blogger’s blog network on Facebook Blog Networks.
And then I joined Sue's Blog Network! Also confirmed her as the author (extra credit?). And I also joined the Blog Network for several other new Genea-Bloggers.

E. Participate in an indexing project.
Spent several hours this afternoon with six other members of the Genealogical Society of Whitley County. The group is creating an index for some old Clerk of Courts records. One person has indexed about a fourth of the 30+ boxes of packets since April 2007. This project has been made a priority and several more volunteers will be helping. Due to incompatibilities between computers and software I had to create a new spreadsheet for the new people who will be using Excel instead of Works. Once all of the packets have been indexed (hopefully within the next year) I'll merge the various files to create a master index and format it for the website and for hard-copy publication.

• Official Rules and Categories
• My Goals for The Games

Genea-Blogger Games - First Day of Competition

The first day of "competition" for The Genea-Blogger Games has come and gone. So, what did I accomplish on that first day?

In the Write, Write, Write! category of The Games, the first challenge "Write a summary of what your blog is about and post it on your blog" has been completed! See What's it all about?

In the Organize Your Research! category, I've completed the third challenge "Organize at least 20 photos into photo albums, scrapbooks, collages, protective holders, boxes, etc." A marathon session was held yesterday on the photos of my older brother and his family. The pictures were removed from the "magnetic" album pages, sorted into chronological order, attached to acid-free paper, and labeled with identifying information. They will go into the protective pages after they are scanned within the next few days. I haven't counted how many pictures there were but it was way more than twenty.

Some of the pictures after they were removed from the old albums. Additional sorting was done on each stack of pictures to put them in chronological sequence.


The finished stack of 70+ pages is nearly an inch and a half high. Want to take a guess as to how long it will take to scan them all? By the way, I am beginning to see a little Light at the end of the tunnel.

• Official Rules and Categories
• My Goals for The Games

What's it all about?

Wow. I nearly missed a milestone! Well, actually, I did. This is post number 501 here at kinexxions! So in honor of that occasion, I thought I'd write a bit about the blog. Well, that and the fact that one of the "events" for the Genea-Bloggers Group Games in the "Write! Write! Write!" category is to write a summary of what your blog is about!

It was one year and seven months ago (January 12, 2007) that I finally gathered my nerve and started this blog. My original intent was to also include posts on the people and places of Whitley County (Indiana), but then I decided that kinexxions would focus primarily on my own family history and a little over a month later Whitley County Kinexxions was born. Posting there has been light to non-existent this summer due to my scanning project, but I intend to return to it again. Sometime. Soon. Really. Both blogs are companions to my website. I've written before about the joys and pitfalls of blogging, so I won't repeat those thoughts here. Suffice to say, if I didn't think it was worth doing, I wouldn't still be doing it!

What does the word kinexxions mean? It's not in any dictionary that I know of. Basically, it is a melding of "kin" and "connections", i.e. making connections with kinfolk. To me, that is what genealogy and family research are about. Why the double "x" you ask? I just liked the way it looked. Plus when I tried to register it spelt as "kinexions" or "kinnexions" I found those names were already in use.

Genealogy posts here on kinexxions range from biographies of ancestors and other relatives to personal history, family letters, reunion ledgers, mystery photos, and more. But kinexxions isn't just about genealogy and family history. You'll find some photography, memes, wordles and other fun stuff too.

The design of the blog (color and layout) is the same as it was in the beginning. I generally stick with something I like (and am sometimes reluctant or slow to change). But I have added a few things in the right sidebar. Most recently, a section for facebook links. I'll take this opportunity to invite you to join my blog network on facebook. And if you're not already a member, join the Genea-Bloggers group! And if you're from Indiana or have Hoosier ancestors, how about joining the Indiana Genealogy group?

Scroll down the page a bit and you'll see two sections in the sidebar for the families that I'm researching. That first section lists a couple databases and several websites out on the 'net. The second section includes links for the surnames that I've posted about here at kinexxions. These are what I call "index" posts that provide a list of all the posts for that family name. For example, the Phend Family and the Wiseman Family.

You'll find the listing for the blog archive at the bottom of the sidebar. In Looking Back - Kinexxions in 2007 I listed some of "top" posts for that first year. And in February 2008, the iGene Awards for kinexxions highlighted "the best" posts in several categories. The iGene Awards were the brainchild of Jasia, as was the Carnival of Genealogy. I'm proud to say that I've contributed to almost every COG since I started blogging. I even hosted the 27th edition back in July '07!

In addition to the COG, I've also participated in the "Smile for the Camera" carnival hosted by footnoteMaven at Shades of the Departed. In April, I was honored to be the first guest blogger at Shades in the "Friday From the Collectors" series with my post A Moment In Time.

Well, I think that will do it for now. Please take a look around the blog and hopefully you'll find something of interest. And feel free to visit anytime, the door is always open ;-)

=+==+==+==+=
Updated at 3:15 PM 08/09/2008 - - - I may have nearly missed a milestone but apparently I "jumped the gun" a bit by posting this prior to Noon PDT. Would it help to know that I had actually intended to "pre-publish" this post? But I forgot to change the time prior to clicking on "publish post". Sigh. I wasn't the only one who started early and Miriam has forgiven us, so all is well...

On your mark, get set, ready?

It's almost time for the Opening Ceremonies! The Genea-Blogger Group Games (henceforth known here as "The Games") officially begin on Saturday with genea-bloggers from around the world participating. Consisting of five categories with various tasks to be performed, The Games will certainly be a challenge. I'm looking forward to these games and "meeting" some of the new Genea-Bloggers. I'm also looking forward to those "other" games that will be going on at the same time!

The five categories of "The Games" (and my goals) are:

1. Go Back and Cite Your Sources!
One of my resolutions this year was to "clean-up" the sources in my databases. It's one of those items that hasn't been started yet. I'm planning to download Legacy 7.0 soon and am hoping their new sourcing templates will help make the job a bit easier.

2. Back Up Your Data!
I'm fairly confident that I'll be able to accomplish several of the tasks listed but the last two are way out of reach for me (too much stuff has been collected over the years).

3. Organize Your Research!
I've slowly been working on this but still have a long way to go. My major project this summer has been organizing and scanning family photographs. All those genealogy documents are still waiting for me so maybe "The Games" will kick-start the process.

4. Write, Write, Write!
I think I'll go for the gold on this one! Which three will it be?

5. Reach Out & Perform Genealogical Acts of Kindness!
Three should be doable here as well. I like gold. But Diamonds and Platinum would be nice too.

A special "Thank You" for all their work goes out to Miriam Midkiff, Kathryn M. Doyle, and Thomas MacEntee. They are responsible for organizing the Genea-Blogger Group Games and I'm sure they have expended considerable time and energy in doing so. In addition, footnoteMaven is also to be commended for providing the very fine logo being displayed by participants. fM has also created the "medals" that will be awarded during the Closing Ceremonies.

=+==+==+==+=

Updated 6:45 PM - Check out the Opening Ceremonies of the Summer 2008 Genea-Blogging Group Games: The Parade of Delegates for a listing of all participants and the flags that represent them!

A Symbol of My Heritage

One of the prerequisites for participation in the Summer 2008 Genea-Blogger Group Games is to create a flag that represents your ancestry, heritage, or personal expression. These flags can be created at WeAreMulticolored.

This is my flag. Bold, simple, clean lines. It turned out rather nice, if I don't say so myself ;-0 (Can you tell, I kind of like it?)

• The colors Red, White and Blue signify the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and the United States of America. The first two are the homelands of my earliest known ancestors. The latter is my homeland.
• The Red and White colors also represent Switzerland, as does the small White Cross in the center of the flag. Switzerland is the homeland of my Phend and Wiseman ancestors.
• The two large crosses symbolize my parents while the four stars stand for their four children.
• The four blue sections represent my four grandparents and the ocean their ancestors had to cross to reach this country.
• You'll notice that the four "arms" of the large white cross do not extend to the edges of the blue background. The eight "notches" created as a result, symbolize my eight great-grandparents whose paths crossed and merged at just the right moment in time.
• The tips of the red cross, which extend to the edges of the blue background, represent bridges that symbolically span the ocean as well as connect the generations.

In addition to Swiss, Dutch and English, my heritage also includes a considerable number of "Pennsylvania Dutch" ancestors, one or two Scots-Irish, and probably some other (as yet unknown) nationalities.

Wordle Wednesday - Genea-Blogger Group Games

The Summer 2008 Genea-Blogger Group Games are scheduled to get underway Saturday with the Opening Ceremony on Friday. My contribution to the festivities is this Wordle which graphically summarizes the events (click on the image for a larger version). If you haven't already done so, you also should read about the events that were left out by the committee (thanks Donna).