We've done charts for some amazing families this holiday season. All families are amazing, but there were a few details this year that were striking. We did one for a mob family that was fascinating. We created a chart for a wealthy, self-made American family that married into one of the great European dynasties with lots of intrigue and difficult situations. And my personal favorite--one of our charts included an astronaut who had died--the place of death listed was not on the earth. It is such an honor to be able to help display these family histories.
Without giving too many details, I have to tell you how striking it was for me to see history within the context of a family. To see the photos of the humble beginnings and how each family had changed and shifted through time was amazing. And seeing where each family is now, the relationships they've developed and the great heights and depths they have gone through was so moving to me. And I'm not even a member of these families. With every chart we send off, we hope that the family loves it as much as we do.
Whether or not you can look up your family members in Wikipedia, seeing your own people and the way your family has moved through time is much more spectacular than all the examples we could ever show you in our gallery. And our talented designers always come up with incredible, personalized designs for each of our client's incredible families. Let us know when you are ready for a family history masterpiece. We're excited to help you show off your incredible history too.
This week I was mentioned in an article by Family Tree Magazine as one of the "40 Social Media Mavericks" that new people should get to know. I don't usually get mentioned in things like that because I don't have time to be on social media full time. In the family history community there are a lot of hobbyists who are retired, or stay at home moms who become the most prolific, go-to, stay-on-top-of-every-news-item people. And there are the people for whom genealogy news *is* their business. Those are usually the Mavericks who get mentioned. I try to get my message out there over our various social media channels, but I'm also trying to do other things in the genealogy space--run a chart printing company and write books. And that creates what sometimes feels like a vicious circle. I've felt really stuck that I can't get the message out about what I am doing effectively and still do the job effectively. I think that is true of alot of small companies. So thank you to Lisa Louise Cooke as well as Alison Dolan and Diane Haddad, the editor and publisher of Family Tree Magazine. I really appreciated your acknowledgement of what we do when so many days are hard work and the normal uphill battle life gives us. And I know the other people caught in the wide net you tried to cast were appreciative too.
It made me stop and think about how we are all seeking acceptance in this world. Even more so now that we are all looking for a few more +1s, comments, or likes. In some ways I think social media has made us all 13 year olds again, looking for that acceptance from our peers and basing our self worth entirely too much on what other people think of us. I happened to catch a few minutes of an interview last week--I think I was in the Dr's office, sorry I can't cite where-- and Oprah was being interviewed talking about loneliness and being validated by other people. She said the most brilliant thing. She said of all the interviews she's done over the years--politicians, movie stars etc, almost everyone would lean over after the interview and say "Was that ok? Did I do ok?" I found that to be astounding. EVERYONE is looking for validation in this world. And EVERYONE deserves to be validated.
I saw a wonderful TED talk this week about how to make those connections. It has made me think. You need to watch it.
There are lots of lists. Like everyone else, I worry about what lectures of mine are accepted, what events I'm invited to, who mentions me in an article, and how many people are on my social networks and who opens my newsletters and how many people come to my websites. If you are a hot shot in all those areas now, just wait, you won't be in the future. Life moves that way.
AND THAT'S WHAT MAKES FAMILY and FAMILY HISTORY SO IMPORTANT.
Those are where the most important and long lasting connections are. Everyone deserves to be validated but the world doesn't have the time or focus to validate anyone for very long. But, if you don't have a grandmother or a mother who thought you were wonderful, I hope you have a spouse or a child, a sister, a brother, a niece, a nephew, or a grandchild. Those are the connections that last. That is where the long lasting acceptance is--probably because they are stuck with you and most people work to make those relationships good over the long haul. In college I remember hearing about a parable (again--no chapter and verse--this is the blog post of missing footnotes). It was about a dragon slayer who went to work every day to slay dragons out in the world, but came home to their family every night. The family bound up the dragon slayer's wounds and healed them for the next day's battle. Those family relationships, those treasured family stories that give us self esteem, those are the places we find those healing balms. I think those are the real places that we should be worried about who we are and what people think about us.
On Twitter this week I mentioned that I've been working on ferreting out the fears that hold me back. Like everyone, I fear not being accepted, and I also fear social networking taking up all my time. I am so so thankful for this recognition. It has made my load much lighter. But I'm also going to make sure I spend enough time with my family today. I love you all. I LOVE this genealogy community. It has been a blessing in my life to have so many wonderful friends here. But my real worth lies at home. And so does yours.
Happy Blogiversary to me. Happy Blogiversary to me. Happy Blogiversary dear Chart Chick. Happy Blogiversary to me. If I'm 4 years old I can sing to myself can't I? Where's the presents?
We've done some fun races again this summer. Laurie and Kristy Buzbee and I have had some great fun practicing and participating in some biking and triathlon events.
We did one, two triathlons a couple of years ago. But last year I injured my knee and got to cheer Laurie and Kristy on instead of getting involved. Having participated, watching triathlons are really fun, but it makes you anxious to get going again.
So this year I injured my shoulder and was really frustrated at the first of the year. (Yes I'm getting old and falling apart.) I'm a horrible swimmer to start with and when you add a bad shoulder, it's impossible. With other health issues compounding the problems, it was a struggle this year but I persevered. No records were set but we had a great time. And I'm ready to keep moving into a better year next year.
I like the low-key easy going races. In July we did the Tour de Donut. In this fun race you do three laps, and in between each lap you get to eat donuts. 3 minutes are deducted from your time for each donut eaten so the winners actually end up with negative times. I didn't have any donuts--didn't sound good to me with the biking but it makes for a really fun atmosphere.
We did another biathlon in Laurie's neighborhood which went well. She lives in a beautiful area. I made the mistake of stopping to check my bike and telling Laurie I'd catch up. Won't do that again. And last weekend we did the Share a Smile triathlon. I didn't actually do the swim, so it was a biathlon for me, but that was great because then we could do the bike and run (read: walk) together. I don't know if I'll ever try to do a triathlon in the morning and give 2 lectures at a genealogy conference in the afternoon again (Sandy Family History Expo)--my brain was pretty fried. But it felt good. And it was the best reaction ever was when Christy Fillerup asked how it had gone that morning and I moved my sweater to show her the number they had written on my arm. I said "Went well. Have the body art to prove it." And next to her, A.C. Ivory got this funny look on his face and said, "What *DID* you do this morning?" Priceless.
I so love biking, and Kim and I have enjoyed lots of walks together this summer. We live in a great place with lots of trails around and it gives us a good break from the computers where we can talk about plans for the company. And all summer I've been working on "Killer Hill" by my house for bike practices. I took some pictures for you this morning. "Killer hill" is just before the mouth of the canyon going up to the right in this first picture. I've seen people go up that hill and always thought that would be the ultimate if I could do that. I'm happy to report that Killer Hill has now been conquered by Janet Hovorka. Oh yeah.
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 30th 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 40th 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.
We had a crazy December. Each end of the year is getting busier and busier as Generation Maps grows. I'm happy to report that the holiday season was good for us and Generation Maps is doing well. I've begun to think this company is fairly recession proof as we continue to see growth in our contacts and sales. When you are involved in something important, people value that no matter what. And the people we worked with this holiday season expressed to us many times how meaningful and important family history is to them and how excited they were to be able to share it with their families. It was nice to be able to help so many people with something that they love and help them express the importance of their families and connections.
So after the long hours leading up to Christmas I took a break (as you have seen from my unusual quiet on the blog and facebook). I got some sleep. And my children were happy to see me looking at them instead of the computer screen.
Here are a few of the things we did to take a break:
Made a gingerbread model of a friend's house as a gift (It kind of looks like our house too.)
Introduced the kids to "I Love Lucy"--they loved it. (BTW if you haven't ever seen "Forever Darling" with Lucy and Desi, rent it. Lots of "dealing with your family history" themes.)
Played Monopoly for the first time in years. Now that I own a business, it takes on a whole new meaning--I quite enjoyed it. I just might turn out to be a tycoon in this life, although I'm sure my son will outdo me there.
Stopped cleaning up the house for a week. I highly reccomend it. Everything is still here. And clean-up-able now.
Went to several movies and out to eat several times to just relax. We were snowed in on Christmas day though, which made for a nice peaceful holiday--new soft slippers and everything.
I hope you and yours had a nice holiday season as well. Now it is back to the treadmill, and the grindstone :-). Happy to go back to the things I love. I still have several more entries on the "Sharing your family history with your family" --slowest blog series ever. And we are working on several really fun, ornate custom charts for customers who were willing to wait until after Christmas. I'll let you know how it goes.
I have to tell you that last mile feels so good. As I was coming down that last stretch, I hit a great song on my mp3 player: Jon Schmidt--All of Me. You can hear it here or here. Oh Man. If you haven't ever heard of him go listen. When I hit Jon Schmidt's stuff on my exersize mix it is so inspiring. And this last mile was like being in my own personal Nike commercial. It just feels so good.
But I have a confession. I do triathalons but I'm slow. Just in case you ever want to come cheer us on, just know, you'll be standing there waiting a loooooong time. The people at this triathalon were alot more competitive. There was a spectator at the end that yelled, "You're still a winner." I had to laugh. I thought I was a winner until he said that :-). And I wanted to yell back, "Yeah well, I'm running and your sitting on the side." :-) Maybe someday I'll get more competitive about it but for now I'm having fun. I do want to thank the 4 gracious people who kindly let me pass them though. I'm not worried about winning but it does feel good to pass someone.
Got to go. I leave Kim to finish up the printing that has been ordered. We have enjoyed SCGS and I'm sure we will be back. I scored this year--because we couldn't be away from the kids and the business for long, Kim got to drive everything down, and I got to fly. It worked. He gets to stop and spend some time with his Dad in St. George, and I get to hurry home. I'll see him tomorrow but I'll still miss him. We love working together--usually. :-). I love conferences. Can't wait for the next one.
My blog says that I'm a genealogy chart printing expert. I really need to clarify.
I'm really not the printing expert around here. In fact, quite often I think our printers are controled by an evil maniac on an island somewhere with a remote control trying to ruin my day. Luckily we have Kim. He is the real expert. He can do anything. It is really alot more complicated than you would think to get something to print out 150 feet long, or even 2 feet long. Plotters don't work like regular printers. I have learned alot about charts, but he is the amazing print director. We would be sunk with out him getting everything to print right. He has been able to teach other people around here how to do it, but not me. I don't think I want to learn.
Just want to make sure the right person gets the credit. I've become a chart expert. But I'm not a chart printing expert.
The night I decided to do a blog, Kim and I tossed around a bunch of names. A few discarded: Pedigree princess Simply Pedigree blog.generationmaps.com (boooooring) the blueprint broad (suggested by someone who's identity I will protect.)
The point--it could have been worse.
I went to bed and was just about to fall asleep when it hit me. Catchy, funny, a little intriguing. Just like sweet humble me.
In the spring/Easter time it works. I hope I don't hate it by this fall.
Amy, Me, Laurie and Kristy
