Getting Started

I have been doing genealogy for over two thirds of my life but feel like I'm still just a beginner.  It's one of those things that I love to do but it has had to take a back seat because life just interfered.  I had dinners to cook, carpools to drive, football and volleyball games to attend, and children to love and nurture on.  I've recently become an empty nester and find that I have some time on my hands.  So, I have pulled out all of those scribbles on legal pads, documents I copied, and the trusty old tree chart and started getting my stuff organized.  I spent months going through 30 years worth of accumulation of documents, photos, and notes and entering them into a family tree program.  Now I know what information I have on everyone in my tree-and what I need to start looking for.   I have also realized that I should have taken better notes, asked different questions, and documented EVERYTHING with SOURCES!

My husband is not interested in genealogy at all.  He tolerates it and occasionally will be interested in something that I discover but for the most part doesn't care that I discovered who John Griffin's parents were or that my distant cousin has a picture of my great-great grandfather.  However, he doesn't mind me wandering through cemeteries looking for long dead ancestors or haunting courthouses and genealogical websites for that elusive one fact that ties one generation to another.

I decided to start blogging about my journey through the genealogy world because I need to keep a record of what I do and when I do it.  I have also learned so many lessons the hard way and want to pass them along to anyone that might decide to follow me on my journey.  Mostly, I want to be able to share my discoveries and frustrations with others that will understand.  So, here I go traveling down the dusty country roads and through the old cities of the south to find out where Grandpa (and Grandma!) came from and what he did in his life.

Every family has skeletons in the closet and hidden treasures waiting to be found; I hope to discover all of mine!