Missing Blogger Found

Who is the missing blogger?  Well, its me.


I was reading some genea-blogs this past weekend, and a geneablogger had thought that the summer-time bug had caught me since I haven't been blogging.  HA!  Wish that were the case.  The reality is that I have been very busy this summer which is why I have been missing on the Geneablogger scene since May.  Having my kids home for the summer has been great; however, it does require me to really be full-time mom and part-time genealogist.


What have I been doing?  I have completed all of my English research courses with the National Institute for Genealogical Studies. I have only one more course to complete this fall in order to receive my Professional Learning Certificate in Genealogical Studies (PLCGS).  I continue to be actively involved in ProGen. Participants are required to complete and post monthly assignments, as well as provide peer reviews.  I have recently been named the interim chairperson for the Essex County Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society.  And, I have been working on twelve United Empire Loyalist certificate applications.  Add to the mix day trips, visiting with friends, a short vacation and interruptions that begin with "Mom, ..." frequently throughout the day, and you can see how my blogging time has vanished. Whew!  


I'm expecting things to settle into a regular routine again as the kids return to school next week. Until then, I am going to enjoy our last week of summer vacation.


(The video is a tie-in to this week's Saturday Night Fun at Genea-Musings).


Copyright 2008-2010, Kathryn Lake.

Canadian Genealogy Carnival 9th Edition - Updated!

Welcome to the 9th Edition of the Canadian Genealogy Carnival.  For this edition, bloggers were asked to share by photo and/or post the fashion fads of their Canadian family.


Brenda presents Fashion Fads posted at Brenda Dougall Merriman. Brenda shares some beautiful photos of her mother sporting the latest Canadian fashions during the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s.


Next, we have E J Bradt  at Ancestral Notes.  Earline wasn't really into fads, but when she wanted a new outfit, she knew what to do.  Read about it at Canadian Genealogy Carnival – Canadian Fashion Fads.


M. Diane Rogers at CanadaGenealogy, or, 'Jane's Your Aunt' shares a lovely family portrait.  You can view it at Canadian Genealogy Carnival-9th Edition-Fashion Fads.  Perhaps you can help Diane identify the family.


Janet Iles presents Carnival of Canadian Genealogy - Fashion.  She showcases some photos of her mother during the 1940s at Janet the Researcher.


Lastly, you can read about the fads I was into at Jordache, Nikes, Cougars and Bombers at The Lake Family of Lincolnshire.


Thanks to all the Geneabloggers who participated in this edition.


For the 10th Edition of the Canadian Genealogy Carnival, share with us your family's or your ancestors' favourite Canadian holiday - Family Day, Victoria Day, Dominion or Canada Day, Civic Holiday, Labour Day or Remembrance Day. Tell us about the activities and events that made it special.  The inclusion of a photo is always welcomed.  Deadline for submissions is June 27, 2010.


Copyright 2008-2010, Kathryn Lake.

OGS Conference 2010: Pre-Conferece Excursion

This week-end I am attending the OGS Conference 2010 in Toronto.  I decided this year to really do it up and attend all of the pre-conference stuff as well.
Today was spent at the Archives of Ontario.  One of the interesting things I discovered while researching the Ontario Birth Registrations was that beginning in 1910 information about the parents date and location of marriage was asked.
Once I get back home and am recovered from the conference, I will post my findings and share with you all the good stuff I found at the archives.
Tomorrow is another jammed-packed day.  I hope to have an opportunity each day throughout the conference to keep you posted on the activities and sessions I will be attending.
Time to call it a day!





Copyright 2008-2010, Kathryn Lake.

Back to the Old Neighbourhood

If you are reading this post then one of two things has happened. Either you entered the URL manually or all the setting changes I have made worked! I have moved my blog back to Blogger, and am continuing to update and synchronize all of my blogs.


My goals for this week are to complete the changes to LOOKING4ANCESTORS, post an article about a cool genealogy website I have been checking out, and post the Canadian Genealogy Carnival.


Thanks for your patience.

What I Thought of WDYTYA

This past Friday, I invited some friends over for a Who Do You Think You Are party.  Of course, one of the things we did was watch the show.  Here is what I thought of the first episode of WDYTYA:

1) It was a typical American television show with lots of commercials and a recap after each and every commercial break.  Too bad there were so many commercials.  I would have liked more content.

2) Did they really need to play the Rob Thomas song "Small Wonders" for dramatic purposes? I know it was for entertainment value but I thought it could have been toned down a bit.

3) They made it look like researching your family history was really easy.  Now, I know the whole point of the show is to entertain and make money for NBC.  And really, most people would be bored out of their skulls if the show focused on how to do the research.  I would have liked the narrator to have said something about the challenge of finding the records, especially for Sarah Jessica Parker's ancestor, John S. Hodge, who was involved in the 1849 California gold rush.

On the WDYTYA web page there are a links to How To articles.

4) Did I like the show?  YES!  I loved it.  I will be watching every episode either on TV or online, or maybe both!

5) I thought Sarah Jessica's reactions and emotions were genuine.  You could tell she became emotionally invested in her ancestors.  She wanted to learn what happened to them, even if it was something bad.  I remember her saying "I can't get him out of mind" in reference to her ancestors, John S. Hodge.  Also, while she was waiting for the documents at the Massachusetts Historical Society, you could see how anxious she was.  When the archivist arrived with the materials, Sarah Jessica said something about changing her mind about wanting to read the records.  She did anyway but with a fear in her heart as to what the warrant was about for her 10th great-grandmother, Esther Elwell.  That's the sign of a family historian - when you care about your ancestors and what happened to them.

6) When they showed the 300 year old warrant for Esther Elwell.  How cool is that!?

6) Sarah Jessica was so excited to tell her "mommy" about what she had learned about the family.

7) And the best part, in my opinion, is that Sarah Jessica's children are going to know their family history.