Book of Me - Prompt 1 - Who am I?

Prompt 1 went live earlier today. You can read the details HERE.

I am keeping my Book of Me as a private blog, but each week I will share some of my details within this blog.

Here is my responses for prompt 1.

A wife
An individual
A daughter
A family member
A friend
A professional
A Genealogist
An historian
A book reader
A pet lover - Alfie!
A colleague
A team member
A team player
A writer
A participant
A chocolate lover
An organizer
A facilitator
A committee member
A tea drinker

The answers are not in any particular order, they are recorded simply as they flowed, but it is interesting that I placed wife before individual.

The Book of Me, Written by You, Prompt 1

Today is the launch of what is going to be a 15 month project. Each Saturday, at around 12.30am UK time I will release the prompt for that week's Book of Me, Written by You.

If you are new here, welcome! The details, background flyer and Face Book link to the Book of Me can be found HERE. 

The prompt for week 1 is a recognized psychology test

1. Ask yourself 20 times “Who are you?”

Each time you should give yourself a different answer, and if you can easily go beyond 20 then that is fine too. The last time I did this (December 2012) I came up with 26. This is the sort of prompt that you can re do at various stages of your life, perhaps after some changes or at the start of the New Year.

This prompt is about how YOU see YOU.

A little later I will stop by with my answers.

The Book of Me, Written by You

For details please visit the webpage HERE you will find the background details and the link to the Facebook page.

Almost time for the Book of Me, Written by You

We are just 2 days away from The Book of Me, Written by You, launch. The prompts will be delivered each week from 31st August 2013 through until the end of December 2014 via Thomas at Geneabloggers and via the Anglers Rest blog. There is a Facebook group set up read for discussion. You can read all about the project and find out what it is all about and sign up to the Facebook page HERE

Provided by Wordle - with thanks to TK

The first prompt is an easy one, but don't let that fool you! The weekly prompts are a mixture of what looks on the surface as trivial, thoughtful and perhaps emotional, not to mention everything in between. They are delivered in a random fashion.

The Book of Me, Written by You is a real opportunity to explore your memories, thoughts, information from your life, things that you can remember, and perhaps the passing on of oral history.

This is a chance to explore yourself and create a legacy for future generations. This is truly a road of self discovery and exploration.

So what are you waiting for? 

More on Thyroid.......and Genetics

This is NOT a medical post and does not reflect any medical or pharmacological details - these are my opinions based upon reading and my professional learning.

Image from About Thyroid

A few weeks ago a newsletter I subscribe to, called Stop the Thyroid Madness shared the details of a medical study, which had been conducted in Italy. You can download the study HERE, but it was published in the Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology journal.

The Study was essentially about the potential link between Levothyroxine (T4) and lung cancer. There were several reasons why I read the article several times before writing this post.

• I am a patient taking levothyroxine (T4) & have done so since 1992
• I have a keen interest in all matters around the subject of hypothyroidism & hyperthyroidism
• I have to, for the day job conduct CPD, so this fits the criteria, albeit rather loosely
• The study was conducted in 18 Italian regions. I am half Italian and Sicily was one of the regions used.
• Question - what is, if there is one, the genetic link?

There was quite a lot of detail in the study and I am not going to bore readers who do not have an interest in this particular issue, but if you do, read the webpage and the study.It is informative and has made me ponder, question and debate the issue of genetics again.

The thread on the webpage had a few responses from those thyroid patients in the US, and the site is written by an American author, which is worth bearing in mind as in the UK things and thinking are a little different, although not necessarily correct. 

There has always been this debate that T4 alone does not work. The reality is that in the UK we rarely prescribe T3 in addition to T4, although I was prescribed it from 1999 to 2008 when I stopped, on the basis that another study revealed that there was a potential link to heart disease.

Taking T4 is a hormone and as any women will know our hormone levels adjust on a fairly regular basis. Blood tests for T4 levels are should be done at least twice a year, and certainly within 8 weeks of any changes to T4 doses, as it takes 6 weeks for the levels to adjust.

I would like to see if this study is going to be done in the UK; perhaps at Bristol, who in the past have taken part in a number of studies. I am also going to write to the authors and ask the question around genetics.

As I said above, this is not a medical or professional post. This was merely reading which I undertook for my personal use and I know that I shared various thoughts and pondering's about Thyroid and genetics before and I have several thyroid patients among my readership.

Global Genealogy

This morning whilst I was consuming a bowl of Kellogg's Crunchy Nut I was reading through my mail and I spotted a post from Jill who blogs at Geniaus. As I read through the questions listed, I put my cereal to one side and started to type up my response. Alfie was far from impressed as I always leave him a little milk at the end, which today was much longer! I know he is a very spoilt dog!

It occurred to me that without the internet I would never have met the genealogists that have taken part in Jill's meme, or responded to the comments either via Jill's or my Google+. Then I got to the bit in the questions about collaboration and then the idea of Global Genealogy came to me in a flash.

Image from Globe Photo

The concept is in fact a simple one, it actually connects what genealogists and especially those of us that blog do best. Collaborate. So here is the deal.

There will be a blog which will be hosted and written by us all. The vision is that there will be one post each day,- which means 365 people 365 blog posts. Or it could be 28 of us with a post, each writing a post on a particular date in the month, with days 29 - 31 covered by volunteers. It depends how much the word spreads, as to how many people want to take part.

The only criteria is that the post must be genealogical, family history or at least historical, local history connected in some way.

So that is easy....right?

Another Geneameme & Global Genealogy

Jill at Geniaus is at it again! - It's time for a Geneameme to celebrate August, which has been family history month in Australian (New Zealand of course took part too!)

The challenge Jill has set is laid out fully at her blog post, but the questions are:

1. What are the titles and URLs of your genealogy blog/s?
2. Do you have a wonderful "Cousin Bait" blog story? A link to a previous blog post might answer this question. 
3. Why did you start blogging? Is there someone who inspired you to start blogging?
4. How did you decide on your blog/s title/s?
5. Do you ever blog from mobile devices? What are they?
6. How do you let others know when you have published a new post?
7. How long have you been blogging?
8. What widgets or elements do you consider essential on a genealogy blog? 
9. What is the purpose of your blog/s? Who is your intended audience?
10. Which of your posts are you particularly proud of?
11. How do you keep up with your blog reading?
12. How long have you been blogging?
13. What platform do you use for publishing your blog/s?
14. Which of your posts has been the most popular with readers?
15. Are you a sole blogger or do you contribute to a shared blog?
16. How do you compose your blog posts?
17. Do you have any blogs that are not genealogy related? If you wish please share their titles and URLs.
18. Have you listed your blog/s at Geneabloggers?
19. Which resources have helped you with your blogging?
20. What advice would you give to a new Geneablogger?

My main blog is Anglers Rest, which tends to cover all my interests, but mainly genealogy and books. I also have several other blogs, which deal with specific projects - 

Italian Genealogy

Sutera Tales ~ The beginnings of a One-Place Study

Puttenham One-Place Study

Orlando One Name Study

Worship One Name Study

Grave Encounters - which looks at cemeteries, graves and memorials etc

The titles of the blogs were pretty much set by the project they were covered, with the exception of Anglers Rest, which is the name of our house.

I share my blog posts, from all blogs via a network blog link up to my twitter feed. That same feed also shares to the Anglers Rest Face Book page.I also have an email subscribe facility on my blogs. I also share via Google+, which I am just starting to embrace a bit more. I think it is important to enable others to access your blog updates in a selection of ways. That way you can welcome dialogue with others; which is one of the points of blogging. 

I welcome comments to my blogs. I do not accept anonymous comments and do not use verification codes, which drive me nuts! I have a short time window for comments, so if a comments comes in after a particular time frame, then it is moderated. 

I started the Anglers Rest blog back in 2002 when blogging was just about starting. Many of my contemporaries were using Live Journal, which I found irritating, and eventually most of them moved to Wordpress. I do have a page at wordpress which I developed as an attempt to undertake a small project to see how on got on with it, but I do prefer blogger!

The purpose of Anglers Rest was initially for my own amusement. I share the items which I find interesting, which are typically books and genealogy. Over time, especially the last few years I have gained quite a following, which is lovely that anyone should feel my inane drivel is worth reading! 

My audience is typically readers and book lovers and those from within the genealogical community which is a perfect fit! There are a few others including some former colleagues who occasionally mention that they read posts. The one thing I have never done is promote or really mention my regular day job, as blogging was really a release valve for me. Over recent years I can reflect that blogging has become part of my existence and I enjoy it, the interaction with others it brings, not just in terms of reading and commenting, but development further into Google hangouts.

One of the most useful and informative sites is run by Thomas at Geneabloggers - he has daily prompts which over the years I have randomly taken part in. Usually weekly there is a list of new genealogical bloggers which is added to his huge database. Mine are included and truly, the Geneabloggers site should be one of the first places a new genealogy blogger visits.

The biggest underestimation anyone can have is the power of blogging. Apart from being potentially therapeutic, it is a a huge source of information and friendship. I have developed some great friendships because of blogging. That extended source of collaboration is great and enables even the shyest of people to take part. The team mate spirit as a group of bloggers take part in lengthy events such as the April A-Z Challenge or Family History Writing Month. February was quite a busy genealogical month as you can see from my review post HERE. Further collaboration is with Historical Tapestry, a historical fiction blog that I contribute to and I contribute to The Grave Yard Rabbits, which has been on a summer break.

The process of blogging is a two way street. Since the demise of Google Reeder I can not get into the swing of thing, and am way behind on reading and commenting. I imported by Google RSS feed into both Feedly and Flipboard, which I prefer out of the two.

I like to compost my blog posts at my desk via laptop. I have an iPad, which is getting a little tired and now could do with being upgraded, but at my desk is where I feel more comfortable. However, I often have ideas for blogs and column posts (I write a blog post and a column post each month for the In-Depth Genealogist) when I am out and about or in front of the telly. Those notes are recorded either in my notebook or in OneNote.

I have had various posts over the years that seem to have received lots of comments either privately or by comments being left. Sometimes the interest in particular posts is curious. Posts which I think will be popular are not and vice versa.

Something that has been a success is The Book of Me, Written by You, which I am now going to give a shamelessly plug to. I have not created a blog for it, but the prompts will be delivered each week from 31st August 2013 through until the end of December 2014 via Thomas at Geneabloggers and via the Anglers Rest blog. There is a Facebook group set up read for discussion. You can read all about the project and find out what it is all about HERE

Now, given what I have said in response to Jill's questions about blogging and it's collaboration between genealogists. I am going to set a challenge. The internet has made interaction between genealogists across the world so easy. How about this. A blog that will embrace Global Genealogy daily. If you would like to take part in this collaboration blog please leave me a comment with your email address or send me an email with Global Genealogy in the subject line.

Created using E-Mail Icon Generator

Jill, I have had a lovely hour or so responding to your questions. Thanks also must go to you for planting the seed of the global genealogy.

The In-Depth Genealogist -Online Tree's Survey

The In-Depth Genealogist team will be hosting a discussion at Rootstech 2014 looking at the fascinating subject of Online Trees: The Root of All Evil.

To get everyone in the mood they have devised a short survey by which you can give some feedback.

You can complete the survey HERE  (http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NZTJCRJ)

Now this is a fascinating debate and something well worth considering. I have mixed views about sharing data online. For me this is devised into two issues

1. Plagiarism
2. Inaccuracies

Sadly these two points seem to go hand in hand. Uploading a tree to a website, either your own site or at a research site such as Ancestry is of course a great idea, however, ancestors can be claimed by people who may have flawed research, or perhaps they claim photographs and articles and then use the material as their own, or attach it to the wrong individual. Actually the possibilities are pretty much endless.

Genealogy is about building your ancestral pedigree and family history is about fleshing out those names and dates and bring those people alive. 

As a researcher I of course have family trees. When I am working on a particular family I often draw a tree, as it helps me to put data into context. I put fact in one colour and hypothesis in another. I date the tree and indicate which colour is which. My own family history programme contains fact only and it is written in a way that enables me to track back the data using the paper trail. I have a tree on line which is private and it is there purely for my benefit. On the odd occasions I share a Gedcom file there are no sources - which is a deliberate act. If I am sent a Gedcom of someones research I never merge it with mine, until I have checked and followed a paper trail.

Do I miss out on genealogical connections?

Quite possibly, but I do share information by

1. Blogging about ancestors, either in full or by sharing snippets of information and then by using the labels to track posts
2. Adding material to my web page in a variety of ways
1. Time line structure - Example
2. Story structure - Example

Collaborating and sharing information with fellow researchers is great. If someone want to use a picture or information I am happy to share, but it is only good manners to ask. When you are asking you are developing a conversation and the opportunity to perhaps gain other information and to meet, even virtually a family member, regardless of if there is a distant or close genealogical connection.

Sadly, I won't be at Rootstech 2014 to hear the discussion by the In-Depth Genealogist team, and I hope this is one of those that will be streamed so that I can hear it virtually. It is a fascinating debate and you can contribute by taking part in the survey and even write a blog post.

Plagiarism Concerns......Sadly

The definition of plagiarism is

"The practice of taking someone else's work or ideas and passing them off as one's own."

Several weeks ago I had a communication with someone who had obviously looked at my web page and seen the list of presentation and details of "The Book of Me, Written by You". I answered the question they raised and thought no more of it.

Why should I? - The world of genealogy, family history and taking things a step further is developing and genealogists do like to collaborate on projects, which is absolutely something I subscribe to.

Then I had another several communications with other people which left me feeling that potentially a piece or perhaps pieces of my work were potentially at risk of being plagiarized by the initial individual. I slept on the concerns and this morning after a trouble nights sleep I feel just as concerned.

1. I have no proof, that anything will happen or indeed has happened. 
2. I have a nagging feeling of concern that will not go away
3. All I have are a series of individual instances that when joined together cause concern
4. I personally always name someone if they have inspired an idea. An example of this was the February Photo Collage Festival which was inspired by Kristen and Pauleen - 
1. That is good practice
2. polite 
3. morally the right thing to do.

We all work hard at what we achieve. In the relationships that we build despite the miles, we show respect and friendship. We collaborate ideas and thoughts and that is perfectly acceptable and welcomed.

What is not acceptable is that someone whose work has been created through hard graft is taken and used as someone else's, and furthermore, that friendship offered and received is so easily tarnished, exploited and deceived.

Therefore, I will do this. Should any of my work be plagiarized by anyone, including those well known within the family history arena I will name and shame. It is as simple as that.

Those Thursday Places - One Place Studies

I recently had cause to contemplate the actual definition of a one place study. Having had the question presented I stopped, thought and debated.

I have an interest in three individual places

• Puttenham in Surrey (linked to the nearby parish of Wanborough). I have family connections to the parish from 1724.
• Sutera in Sicily which is central to my particular Orlando ancestry, Orlando being one of my one name studies
• Walnut Tree Close in Guildford Surrey linked to my family history, but the study started in 1984 before my genealogical interest became formalised.

In each of these studies I am interested in the people, places, buildings, occupations and much, much more.

In all three of these cases I am genealogically linked, but in a similar vein I am interested in the history of my house, but do not plan to proceed to the next level and study the town in which I live. The reason for that is that despite living here I do not feel a connection to the town.

Do you need to feel a "connection" to your study?

I don't know if it is vital, but I think there needs to be an question or X  factor, a link, a catalyst that makes us ask the question or at least be interested in the area.  The moment we ask that question or we start digging into archives we are probably on the point of no return!

Over the years I have gathered information about Lockerbie in Scotland. I feel no particular connection to the town, but my husband does. It is also the site of the air disaster in 1988 and therefore I have been interested in the various aspects of the history of the area. I have visited the memorial gardens many times.

I say gardens because there are more than one. There is a central monument located at the cemetery to all those who lost their lives, over 270 people; all those on the plane and several residents whose lives and homes were desecrated as the fuselage came to rest on the ground in Lockerbie. There is a memorial garden located where the houses were and there is a memorial room at the nearby hamlet of Tundergarth where the majority of the fuselage came to rest.

So over the last 20 years I have visited the gardens, photographed the memorial and plaques and paid my respects with my husband. My husband lost a friend in the disaster. Despite that connection, albeit, third hand I have no interest on taking that interest to a more formal level. 

There are other places, either towns or villages, specific buildings or buildings of a specific nature that hold an interest for me. The interest is there as perhaps peripheral research; flesh on the bones of other research.

I still have not come up with a definitive definition of a one place study and in broad terms I doubt anyone will. Each study will be different in terms of content and reasoning. There will obviously be common factors, such as the records available - parish records, census, maps; naming just a few.

Ultimately if you research for whatever reason an area, and gather a mixture of information depending on why your are researching, regardless if you are coming to the project with a genealogical or historical mindset, or a mixture of the two, then you are probably doing a one place study.

Welcome aboard!

Tuesday's Tip - Facebook Messages

Last week I discovered on Facebook a separate message box marked "other". Inside the folder were nearly 120 messages that I have never seen. Some were immediately deleted and others were read and eventually replied to.

I still do not understand of the point of this message box and I still can not find a way of directing this mail to my physical email inbox or message box on Facebook.

To check if you have one of these message boxes -

Open Facebook and click on messages symbol there is should indicate to you that there are two message facilities - one that reads messages and one that reads other.

I am still not sure if I can see the other message box from my iPhone app. If you sent me a message via Facebook and I did not reply this is probably why.

If you have any tips about reading the other messages via iPhone, please leave a comment.

Family Connections - A Reflection

I suddenly became aware, following my telephone conversation on Friday that I had with Edith's Grandchild, that on this particular line the descendant path stops here. For some strange reason I felt a degree of sadness and to be honest I have thought and reflected quite a bit on the conversation.

I offered to share the details,documents and photos but this was politely declined because quite simply no emotional connection was felt to Edith as a Grandmother, who was deceased before this Grandchild was born. Truly I am saddened.

I looked again at my Jelley family research and even though it is believed there are further descendants through the other child of Edith's,  I suspect that there will be little interest, even if I successfully manage to locate them,

This conversation had been my first major breakthrough on this line in many years and this conversation is certainly the first between descendants of Edith and descendants of Edith's brother John in around 100 years.

As I sat and wrote up my journal for Friday making notes of the conversation and recording the information gleaned, I decided that I shall share the details with the Jelley one name study, but the feeling of sadness remains. Illogical it might be, but fact it is.

Wonderful News - Family Connections!

Regular readers of this blog may recall my research into the life of my Great Great Aunt Edith Jelley nee Matthews. You can read the details on the webpage HERE.

Well research showed that the little boy in this photo did indeed marry and have a descendant. I spent some time yesterday pondering on whether I should make contact.

I located a road name,but not the number. Directory Services could give me a phone number but not a house number so it was either phone and potentially sound like and excited mad woman or write a letter and hope that the post man (or woman) knew their customers.

I pondered and pondered. Watched the news over lunch and pondered a bit more. In the end I decided that I would probably sound a bit enthusiastic, perhaps a bit excitable, like Alfie does when he knows or senses it's WALKIES time.

I rang, and after a few rings the phone was answered. I explained who I was and what I thought I knew and after a few moments, I was greeted with the voice of my several times removed cousin. This is the first contact this side of the family had spoken to my branch of the family. How wonderful is that?

I shared what information I knew, offered  copies of the photographs I had and in exchange I was given the small snippets of information that really I think define the issues that arose once Edith had passed away, aged 40 in 1921. I left my phone number, so we might keep in touch.

As I shared the information with Stuart during our time walking Alfie, I felt a strange sense that perhaps somewhere, looking down was Edith, knowing that perhaps that despite it being over 90 years later, someone, somewhere still cared enough. I can now look at this picture and see things in a different light, and know that whilst some would perhaps not have telephoned, I am glad I did.

The In-Depth Genealogist - Digital Magazine - Issue 7 - OUT NOW!

The next issue of the free digital magazine is available NOW!





Enjoy this digital edition of the magazine? then why not stop by The In-Depth Genealogist and read the

• Website, 
• Blog 
• take part in the Forum.

You can read my Introduction post HERE and you can follow the column by visiting The In-Depth Genealogist website and subscribing via email or via twitter and Facebook.

This is a great addition to the genealogy market and I am very proud to be a part of it. This month's Across the Pond column is about the Book of Me., which launches on 31st August.

Happy reading & researching!

Tuesday's Tip - Email Control

Actually I am the very last person to give tips on controlling ones inbox. Mine is always full. I use Gmail for email, and have done for about 3 years. It is set to collect email that is sent to my ISP address.

Smart phones have in some ways revolutionized the way we interact with our inbox. I am a naughty scamp; I often check email when I am on the settee, in bed and even out and about. Where I go wrong is to star an item using my iPhone or iPad, because perhaps I want to read again on a bigger screen - my laptop perhaps. Of course that day never actually arrives and I have therefore a permanently chockablock inbox.

Back in March, I selected all email and archived the lot. I felt happy!, but before long I was back to old habits and a full inbox, so I have devised a simple plan.

• Read emails on any devise and delete them once read. 
• If I want to look at something later move it to a folder marked - To Look At



Image courtesy of Google images

• If I think of an idea or want to jot something down following reading my email, make a note in a notebook and then delete. 

The aim should be that at the end of every day the to look at folder and my inbox are both empty.

Simple.......apparently!

DNA Contemplations

Over the last week or so I made a bit of a discovery online. I won't share that discovery, but my thinking processes turned to DNA testing and contemplation's.

The way my brain works is to seek information, read and digest anything I can. Understanding the concept and seeing how I can use the concept in my research, with particular focus on my Orlando line.

Many of my fellow members of the Guild have already started a DNA project for their registered names, and like them I registered a project for both of my registered studies. I have not gone any further with them, that is until now.

So now I am back on the trail of books about DNA especially those relating to genealogy. I have this book, a re-borrow from the library. I have also reserved another 2 books on the subject.

The biggest question I have is around testing from myself when I have no male subjects to compare against. As soon as I can work this out and understand it, I will order a test.

Furthermore, one interesting notion is, that given the historical background of those in Sicily, with a Arabic or Jewish background, I wonder if that will be revealed in my test?

In the meantime, here are the links to my one name studies DNA projects

• Orlando DNA project 
• Worship DNA project

Are you interested in the DNA aspects of genealogy? Have you come across good books, articles or websites? -if you, please do share I would be interested to here if others gave also found this a mind field!

The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman

Over recent years I have read several books that have all won prestigious book prizes. With many of them I have wondered just what the hype was all about, or was I being a complete philistine and missing the point, or not reading deep enough.

Then about two weeks ago a librarian and member of my book group presented me with my reserved copy of the Devon libraries summer read; The Light Between Oceans.

I started reading over the weekend and feel very tired today as I was awake finishing this book into the early hours.

The scene of the story is set when Tom, a decorated war hero from the First World War returns to Australia and is given the chance to work temporarily at a lighthouse situated off the Australian coast, on a fictitious island called Janus.

Tom is ready for the peace and quiet of island living.Coming to terms with his war time terrors and survivors guilt he sets about living for months on the island, where the methodical process of keeping the lighthouse functioning becomes his anchor.

On a period of leave a few months later he reacquaints himself with a local girl from the shore and they spend much time together, and eventually the decision is made, Tom will marry Isabel.

It is during their time on the island that they encounter a rowing boat upon the rugged coast line of the island. The inhabitants are a dead man and a young, breathing baby. Isabel has had numerous miscarriages and this seems to her to be divine intervention. A baby for them to love and care for.

Tom struggles between duty to the procedural issues of the lighthouse, to his wife and to his own happiness. Ultimately Tom's struggle with his own conscience and doing the right thing tears his and Isabel's life apart, but once the wheels have started to turn there is no going back.

This was a beautiful book, with a lovely well researched story. There is much more that I could share with you, but I won't. Locate a copy and read it! For me this has the wow factor that many of the books that win prestigious book prizes lack. The book not only was well researched, but delivered a moral and ethical dilemma and as I turned the pages I wondered what I would have done in Isabel and Tom's shoes.

How I am keeping my Book of Me

We are just weeks away from the launch at Geneabloggers of The Book of Me, Written By You. You can read the details HERE. Don't forget to add the launch day, 31st August 2013 to your planner.

Over on the Facebook page there was a discussion on how to record or keep The Book of Me. Interestingly, the majority of those in the group have decided to keep their Book digital and I guess that reflects what kind of world we live in.

My own Book of Me is being kept in a blog format. The blog is private, but periodically I may share bits of that blog here with you all. I will though, each week announce the prompt using Geneabloggers and the Facebook page and over on Facebook there can be facilitated discussion about the prompt. That may also appear on this blog too.

I have already set up my private blog and in addition to the prompts I thought that I might record other memories that spring to mind, this includes the few prompts that have popped up on the Facebook page.

I also plan to add scans from the notebooks that I created when visiting elderly relatives. I also think that I might share periodically a photo from my personal collection with details of who and when.

I am going to use the blog tags to separate posts. I plan on using the following tags, although there maybe others.

• Book of Me
• Photos
• Other Memories
• Journal

The point of the organised tags is that in the future I plan to print into book form, I may though separate the Book of Me prompts from other posts.

The book of me is a journey. Some of the prompts are basic, others might be emotional and some may be "deep". You do not have to complete all the prompts and you may choose to substitute some prompts. I would recommend you date your individual writings. 

There is further information on my website -

• Information, which explains how this project came into existence is HERE 
• Information with a genealogical slant is HERE 
• The Book of Me in association with Geneabloggers - HERE 
• Facebook group  - HERE

The Face Book group is currently set to closed, but once the discussions get underway the group will change to secret allowing comments and discussions to be private among those who are members of the group.

Irritated?.....You Bet I Am!

I love receiving comments on my blog or perhaps an email. I try and respond to comments on the blog as I find that can be very interactive. So I was extremely irritated this morning to receive a comment advising me that it would have been more useful to have posted a picture alongside a list of names that had been transcribed.

Over the last 4 months I have been moving material from my website located on the servers at my ISP to a new site. As part of that older site there were transcriptions of War Memorials and Grave Stones and perhaps no picture.

Many of the transcriptions were done sometime between 1986 - 2010 and in those early years any pictures would not have been digital ones. There maybe a picture and I need to scan it, and in some cases no picture exists. I can tell if a photograph was taken by looking in my journal.

Whilst I appreciate comments, suggestions and friendship I do not appreciate someone that has never interacted with me before advising me that I can do better. Not only is it bad manners, but that individual is not looking at the wider picture. I had choices -

1. I could post a transcription and no picture 
2. I could post nothing

What I did is a no brainer! better some detail than none. So my advise to those who are dismissive of other's efforts. Be grateful that someone has bothered to transcribe with or without a photograph.

As I said, irritated? you bet I am.

National Family History Month - Down Under!

Firstly, this post was inspired by Frances who blogs at Rebel Hand. Francis created a great post about National Family History Month, so click the link above and hop over to Rebel Hand!

Despite being half English and Italian, well Sicilian actually, I have many links to Australia. Over the past few years I have shared many of them with you. They are not all direct links of my ancestry as I believe that sometimes you need to research sideways in order to get back a generation or two. Furthermore, I am slightly fanatical about having gaps - if an ancestor had 3 sisters I need to know what happened to them too. That is the difference between genealogy and family history I guess.

By Esther Bellasis circa 1802 Located at the
 Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales

• George Bridges Bellasis and his wife Esther nee King were the first connection I established to Australia. They arrived in 1802 and you can read about them HERE
• John Hunt Butcher was born in Surrey. He along with his wife and several children migrated to Tasmania in 1821. You can read about John HERE
• John Ellis was born in Surrey and migrated from Elstead with his wife and family in 1854 to Geelong Victoria.You can read about John and Sarah nee Turpin HERE
• Hartwigs & Hohnberg, are two family lines that are not directly linked to me at all, I find their history fascinating. Originating in Prussia and migrated to South Australia before making their way to New South Wales. You can read about them HERE
• Goucher - Now this is my married name and as far as I known none of my husband's Goucher ancestors ventured to Australia before the 20th Century, however there is a Henry Goucher who was transported in 1812 on board the Guildford to New South Wales. There is little details about the heritage of Henry, and because I am a little obsessed curious I have done a little reserach on his life which you can read HERE and HERE
• The Noack family like the Hartwigs and Hohnberg's originated from Prussia, they are not a direct line, but are fascinating none the less and you can read about them HERE
• Orlando is the name of my Sicilian family and the focus of one of my One Name Studies. I track any Orlando world wide. The study has a blog to accompany it HERE
• Robert Turpin who was transported in 1831. You can read the research about Robert HERE
• Worship is the surname of my husband's Grandmother and again a focus for my second One Name Study. Again I track the surname world wide.You can read about an Aussie Worship HERE and the blog to accompany the One Name Study is HERE

I have one more branch that I tentatively research, but the individual went to Australia post Second World War and I am in touch with the family. In fact I lived with many of them during my year in Australia in my 20s. That branch of the family is thriving well!

Do have a look at the National Family History Month website. Events and Societies are listed by State and if you are researching during August in the Australasian region do explore all states. My Butcher family who migrated to Tasmania has descendants in Western Australia and that further migration happened during the 1860-1880 period.

How wonderful to have a whole month dedicated to genealogy, the Aussie's are very lucky! Those in New Zealand are also taking part and you read about that HERE.Whilst I have not mentioned my New Zealand links I do have some, again that migration took part in the 1970s and I am trying to locate a cousin or two!