20 October 2011

Dear Flip Pal Fairy GodMother

Dear Dahling Flip Pal Fairy Godmother,


So what is it with your family lately?  Your sister, the SLIG Fairy Godmother deserted me in my time of need (blogger contest for tuition waiver).  Your cousin, the IGHR Fairy Godmother (Birdie Holsclaw Scholarship), is pretending like she doesn't know me.  Are you going to bail on me too??????


I really need you to shake the magic wand and shower me with fairy dust.  I am going to attempt to create a Christmas Family Tradition again this year.  If you will recall, the previous two years were freakin' train wrecks, complete disasters and obvious FAILS.  Please take a moment to refresh your memory.  Go ahead, I'll wait.  It's not like I'm going to Salt Lake City or Birmingham in the next few minutes (Oh Hell Yes I am pouting)





2nd Year  Fiasco



Pretty pathetic, huh?  So now I am sure it is quite obvious why I need that Flip Pal to try and make the third attempt at Creating A Christmas Family Tradition the charm.   The possibilities are endless if I were to have one of those cute little scanners.  I have visions of family history projects for Christmas dancing in my head.

Hugs from your ever loving Genea-Goddaughter

Sheri

(Ahem, that would be Sheri Fenley, the one who lives in Stockton)

18 October 2011

The San Joaquin County Obituary Indexing Project Is A Go!

All the hard work of the Coalition of the San Joaquin County Obituary Index Project has finally paid off.  FamilySearch Indexing agreed to partner with us and thanks to Devon Ashby, our project is up and running.  Devon, who is the project coordinator for FamilySearch Indexing, went to bat for us and got our project pushed through.  A big "Thank You" goes out to  Cath Trindle from the California State Genealogical Alliance who put me in touch with Devon.


The project is up and running and waiting for volunteers like YOU to "pay it forward" with a little bit of your time and talent.  If you are already an indexer with FamilySearch, you will find our project under the heading - 


US, California, San Joaquin County - Obituary Index File, 1850 to 1991


If you want to help with the project and are new to the program, there will be a training webinar tomorrow - Wednesday, October 19th at 2:00 pm Pacific Time / 5:00 pm Eastern Time.  It will be recorded for later viewing if you can't make the session tomorrow.  Contact me for the link and instructions for  the training webinar via email at:


sherifenley@gmail.com


For background on the coalition and the project,  I direct you to a post I wrote earlier which you can read HERE.

15 October 2011

To The SLIG Fairy Godmother

Christy Fillerup,  who is the Head Honchess of the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy,  announced that they were having a contest for bloggers and the prize is a waiver of the tuition for the upcoming SLIG 2012.

Like so many of you, I have to watch my spending. The way the economy has affected the budget at  Camp Fenley, I am  left with only being able to attend one big event per year.   However, if the SLIG Fairy Godmother shakes her wand at me and some magic dust comes pouring out giving me the opportunity to attend tuition free, then I will find a way to make an airline ticket and hotel reservations appear.

I almost did not enter this contest because I didn't know what to say that hasn't already been said.  But here it is - 30 minutes until the deadline and I have had an epiphany!

For the last month I have been stripping 12 layers of paint off newly found doors for my kitchen cabinets.  There were none when we moved in 3 years ago, or so I thought.  I found them in our newly discovered basement.  Remind me to tell you that story sometime!

Anyhoo, I have come to the realization that whoever said  "the right tool for the job  makes all the difference in the world" wasn't just blowing smoke up my skirt.  The 12 layers of paint were layered like strata - an oil-based olive green, then a water based brown, then another oil based robin's egg blue and so on and so on. So I had to use a combination of chemical strippers and constantly change the blades in the scraper.

Well, I think that SLIG is a tool for the professional genealogist.  If I were to attend, my research skills and knowledge of the holdings in the Family History Library would get the workout I need in this area of my skill sets.  At a first and quick glance, the courses seemed to be like ones offered at IGHR however after looking closer, I was wrong to make that assumption.

There is one course in particular that I am dying to take:


COURSE 10:  Advanced Evidence Analysis Practicum


I have never seen a course like this offered anywhere.  As one might expect, the course was filled practically overnight.  But there is a waiting list and if I were going, I would add my name to the list.This hands-on course is an opportunity for advanced genealogists to put their research skills into practice. Participants will work on at least five complex genealogical research problems—a new one each day. Each case will require careful evidence evaluation and/or additional research to solve. The objective is to give each student experience in conducting research on complex problems, analyzing and correlating evidence, and reaching conclusions. The research problems will be varied, offering students the challenge of stretching their mind and skills in directions that their research may not normally take them.

Another choice :


COURSE 9:  Advanced Genealogical Methods


Students in “Advanced Genealogical Methods” will learn how to use and assemble evidence to rediscover ancestral origins, identities, and relationships that have been forgotten in the passage of time. The course will address advanced use of evidence from a variety of genealogical records and research in populations for which the usual records are in short supply (including female, enslaved, and impoverished ancestors). Students also will learn how to develop written proof summaries to show their conclusions’ accuracy and create a credible record of their findings for present and future generations of family historians.



Tom Jones is the instructor for this course and I am sure that this class is not for sissies.


One final choice I would make would be:


COURSE 7:  Principles of Effective Genealogical Librarianship


Now I know what you are thinking, "Sheri, you are not a librarian."  No I'm not but taking this course would educate me in the ways of those magical people and their secret coded language and the hidden rooms where they keep all the good stuff!  (Our librarian here in Stockton thinks she is a Harry Potter character so I have learned to humor her)



So with 5 minutes to spare, here SLIG Fairy Godmother is my entry to the contest.  The End.

UPDATE:  Congratulations to Annaleise Taylor Dearinger who has won the contest.



05 October 2011

It Is Time For My Annual Halloween Video!





It's October and faithful readers of this blog know what that means . . . .    That's right!  My Annual Halloween JibJab Video!


This year I have made two for your viewing enjoyment  The first, star the "Saints" - authors  from the blog THE CATHOLIC GENE.   Donna Pointkouski, Craig Manson, Lisa Alzo, Steve Danko and of course ME!  (The other "Saints" from our blog - Jasia, Smallest Leaf, Cecile and Denise Levenick will get their own video as soon as they send me a photo of themselves )



This second video I made because I really like Zombies.  Randy Seaver, Bill West and Thomas MacEntee make great ones!  Caution for the squeamish -   A few limbs are torn off bodies and there is lots of gratuitous blood just like a true Zombie movie should have.






HAPPY  HALLOWEEN!

Genealogical Writing Opportunities & Contests





I have come across so many opportunities for writers to shine and show their stuff.  I have compiled a list just for you  because I am all about sharing, caring and giving.  You're welcome.










The Southern California Genealogical Society GENEii  Family History Writers Contest is now open to everyone.  There are two categories with six cash prizes of $25 - $200 Entries must be received between November 1 and December 31, 2011.  FAQ's and how to enter can be found HERE














The Connecticut Society of Genealogists literary contests are underway.  There are two different contests.  Entries for both contests are due by February 15, 2011.  Winners for both contests will be notified by April 1, 2012.  There is some serious prize money at stake here - $250 to $1000!  You can find full contest rules and entry forms HERE.













Family Tree Magazine is looking for another genealogy newbie to blog about their experiences.  Last year's winner - Nancy Shively - was such a hit, they are doing it again.  To apply for the job click on over and fill out the application HERE.








The National Genealogical Society Annual Family History Writing Contest has a deadline of December 31, 2011.  The person who compiles the most outstanding family history will receive an expense-paid trip to the next NGS Family History Conference. The benefits include travel to and from the conference, hotel accommodations, conference registration fee, and a complimentary banquet ticket.  Manuscripts meeting the requirements will be submitted to the editors of the National Genealogical Society Quarterly (NGSQ) for consideration and will be placed in the NGS Library.  
Contest rules and how to enter can be found HERE.






The Pinellas Genealogists Family History Writing Competition deadline  is October 31, 2011.  For rules and a lists of prizes visit their website located HERE.






















BCG Education Fund - Donald Mosher Memorial Award for Colonial Virginia Research  deadline December 31, 2011 - This competitive $500 Award funds scholarly research on colonial Virginia topics in the following categories:  family genealogy, immigrant place or family origin, and publication of obscure or difficult Virginia resources.  To learn more, click HERE.


Do you know of one I missed?  Please let me know in the comments section.