Catching up

Well apparently I'm a binge blogger lately. It's all Sheri Fenley's fault. At NGS she happened to show me that she hadn't posted for a while and I thought, "Well if the great Shirley has her quiet moments, I probably should too." You have to watch out for us blondes. LOL. Now I need a picture of a bottle of ketchup like the Ancestry Insider uses.

Really, it was a mixture of doing some writing (articles and the start of a book (!?!)), doing some reading (below), some minor health problems (just annoying), not to mention the exhaustion of doing the BYU and NGS conferences back to back. A great time was had by all, and we're all rested up and back on track. And of course Generation Maps is busy as usual. If you haven't gotten your family reunion chart in to us for this summer, be sure to get it in soon. It's already shaping up to be a great season.

Among other things, I read Elizabeth Shown Mills historical fiction work Isle of Canes. I haven't looked at how other reviewers treated it, but I was extremely impressed. I don't know that the writing flowed all that terribly well, but it was an impressive example of professional genealogy work. Though it was a work of fiction, you could tell the massive amounts of research that had gone into the book. She knew the people, she knew the neighbors, she knew all the surrounding information and she knew it well enough to make you care deeply about these people. It was a beautiful, heart-wrenching story. Amazing book and incredible genealogy investigation.

I've also been working on UGA projects. Here is a quick update on some of those:

1)SLIG registration opens June 10th

Get in on the ground floor. Registration for the 2011 Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy opens at 9 AM MST Thursday, June 10, 2010 online at www.inofuga.org. Some of the country’s best genealogical educators are gathering to help you gain expertise in a flash with small class sizes and hands-on research. Whether you are a beginner or are looking for advanced skills, you can’t afford to miss this wonderful opportunity to learn from the experts. Register early as all class are expected to fill to capacity.

The 2011 Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy will be held 10-14 Jan 2011 at the downtown Radisson Hotel located at 215 West South Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah. Registration is $320 before 30 October 2010, thereafter $345. UGA members can use the coupon “SLIG2011” before October 30^th for the member pricing of $280. All coupons used by members will be verified by membership staff. Registration includes course materials, an orientation breakfast and the Friday night banquet. Evening classes and additional dinner tickets are extra.

Courses for 2011 include:

• American Records and Research: Focusing on Localities with Paula Stuart-Warren, CG
• NEHGS part1 --New England and New York with D. Joshua Taylor
• Irish Family History Research with David Ouimette, CG
• Research of France and her Former Colonies with Earl Charvet
• Researching in Washington, DC, without Leaving Home with Rick and Pam Sayre, CG, CGL
• Professional Paths and Income in Genealogy with Kory Meyerink, MLS, AG, FUGA
• Internet Tools & Techniques with Barbara Renick
• Producing a Quality Family Narrative with John Philip Colletta, Ph.D., FUGA
• Advanced Methodology with Thomas W. Jones, Ph.D., CG, CGL, FASG, FUGA
• Accreditation and Certification with Apryl Cox, AG and Connie Lenzen, CG
• Problem Solving with Judith Hansen, MLS, AG

and 2)Hold the date. Mark your calendar October 15th 2010 for our UGA membership meeting and open house gala. This banquet will launch our 40^th anniversary renaissance year with the first meeting of our new virtual chapter so plan to attend online even if you can’t be in Salt Lake City. Along with dinner and a speaker, there will be displays and discussions about our new Speaker’s Bureau, the new Intermediate Genealogist Education Program, and our new chapter initiatives as well as many other activities to launch us into the next steps in UGA’s history. More information will be forthcoming.