In June, I completed the 30 x 30 challenge in which I did at least 30 minutes of genealogy research a day the whole month. Then I kept it up into July, managing to research each day through July 9. I’d created a wonderful routine of doing genealogy research first thing in the morning. It was a great way to start the day.
Then my routine was disrupted by a pre-planned trip to visit my dad in Walla Walla, Washington. Unfortunately, he ended up being hospitalized after a fall the day I arrived. So my days have been spent first at the hospital, then the rehab facility. He comes home in a couple of days and I go back to my home in six days. So I just haven’t had the luxury of time alone to do research. (This also explains why I didn’t blog last week!)
I was really struck yesterday by how much I miss researching. I miss my connection with my ancestors. And I miss making progress. I also miss my peaceful morning routine.
I’m trying to stay connected with my ancestors by talking with my dad and my aunt (his sister) about family history. I’ve been able to share some information that they didn’t know, uncovered in my research. And my aunt gave me the beautiful photo above of her mother as a baby, with her sister and parents. (The parents are William Reese Rasco, 1878-1957 and Louella Watts Rasco, 1879-1953. The kids are my great aunt Lessie Rasco, 1901-1994, and my grandmother, Beatrix Rasco Adams, 1907-1987.)
I hope having researched daily for 39 days will help me get right back into the swing of things when I get home next week. Perhaps I can get started before that, once once my dad is in his home and I’m hanging out with him there.
What I want to avoid is losing my mojo and getting out of the habit of researching. So you may see another 30 x 30 challenge coming up sooner rather than later!
Great post Janine. Even though you weren’t actively researching your ancestors, you were still connecting to them by talking to your father and aunt about their families. I am sure you learned a few small facts about their families. I hope your father fully recovers.
Thanks, Nan!
I’m sorry that your dad fell, but quick, before he can get away: ask him where he met your mother, ask him about the rotten jobs he had before he got his first “grown-up” job, ask him what skills his parents taught him to do “by observation,” like painting a house, mowing, keeping a garden, loading a station wagon, playing cards, dancing, ….
Thanks, Marian. That’s a great list of subjects for discussion. There are a few I haven’t asked and I really appreciate your suggestions!!
I too start my day touching base with my research. Do you have a routine within your routine? Like a particular line or subject first etc.? I’m always looking for ways to enrich my process.
Glad you father will be home and begin to heal. And what a wonderful photo to be entrusted with.
Gayle, I’ve been focusing on the Adams line all year. So that’s a given for me. And since I’ve created the habit of jotting down what I researched and what my next steps are in my log, my routine is to open Evernote and take a look at yesterday’s note. Until I finished it, I always had my gggrandfather’s voluminous Civil War pension file to transcribe. Now I need to come up with a new default project to fall back on. Thanks for your kind words about my family situation and that great old photo.
I’ll be at Rootstech, too. It was a birthday present from my hubby…of course, he has an ulterior motive. I do his family genealogy as well as mine. See you there.