Winter 2010 GeneaBloggers Games--FINAL TOTALS

I have thoroughly enjoyed this challenge. I want to thank those that organized the event. It has been a stellar learning tool for me.

I had no idea that there were numerous free genealogical tools online. I had not experimented with Google Maps and TimeToast will have me back again working on time lines for other ancestors. I had tried Wordle in the past without any success--this time it worked.

Who knew you could pre-publish blogs. When I think of how I would write the blog a couple of days ahead, then get up the morning it needed to be posted and have to cut and paste it into a "new post" so it would be dated correctly--no more of that! In fact this blog will be pre-published since I have to work on Friday.

Various challenges motivated me to dig back into my files and get to work on ideas and research that has been sitting around for years. Indexing the Pool marriages from the Monongalia County, WV Marriage Record has been in a hard file for over two years. It is now part of the WV Archives on GenWeb.

I did exceed my goals. I had not originally planned to participate in three challenges. When I saw some of the new Wordles appearing on other competitors blogs, I decided to give it another try and became obsessed by the Expand Your Knowledge challenge. It was not one I had listed as one of my events and ended up completing all the tasks.

On my final day all I can add to my total count is that I do back up all my files onto an external drive which gives me one in the Back Up Your Data category. Assuredly, that is an area where I need to do LOTS of work. Something for the future.

Here is the final count for Flipside in the Winter 2010 GeneaBloggers Games.

Final Medal Totals:

Go Back and Cite Your Sources--Platinum Medal
50 new sources cited

Back Up Your Data--Bronze Medal
1 Task completed
-Task C: Backup all your data using an external drive.....

Organize Your Research--Gold Medal
3 Tasks completed
-Task B: Organize at least 20 digital files into folders....
-Task D: Organize at least 20 digital photos into folders...
-Task E: Scan at least 20 photos or documents.....

Expand Your Knowledge--Platinum Medal
5 Tasks completed
-Task A: Use Google maps to locate an ancestor location
-Task B: Create a timeline related to one of your lines of research
-Task C: Create a memorial page
-Task D: Visit tutorial and learning pages on Ancestry
-Task E: Create a surname visualization using Wordle

Write, Write, Write--Platinum Medal
6 Tasks completed
-Task A: Write a summary of what your blog is about and post it
-Task B: Participate in a genealogy blog carnival--Smile for the Camera 20th Edition, 90th COG and 7th Festival of Postcards.
-Task C: Prepare several drafts in draft mode and pre-publish them.
-Task D: Write a brief biographical sketch on one ancestor.
-Task E: Create a page on your blog listing surnames
-Task F: Participate in a 52 Weeks to Better Genealogy--Did Challenge #7.

Reach Out & Perform Genealogical Acts of Kindness--Platinum Medal
5 Tasks completed
-Task A: Comment on a new (to you) blog.
-Task B: Post one or more gravestone photos on Find A Grave--posted 20
-Task D: Assist another researcher with a research request
-Task E: Participate in an indexing project
-Task G: Use the Follow feature and follow one or more blogs.

© 2010, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Winter 2010 GB Games--ORGANIZATION DAY

I am running out of time to devote to the Olympic challenges and have left the two that need the most work. Over the past several days, in between family responsibilities, I was able to spend time working on the Organize Your Research event.

I have been scanning photos and documents, making new folders and moving files and photos into them...all on my external hard drive. Frankly, I have done quite a bit of scanning work on most of my lines; however, I was able to find a sizeable hole in several of my Frederick files that needed work.

This will probably complete my work on the GB Winter Games unless I can find some free time Friday morning to work on one or two more tasks.

Today's medal totals:

Go Back and Cite Your Sources--50--Platinum Medal

Organize Your Research--3--Gold Medal

-Task B: Organize at least 20 digital files into folders....

-Task D: Organize at lesat 20 digital photos into folders...

-Task E: Scan at least 20 photos or documents.....

Expand Your Knowledge--5--Platinum Medal
-Task A: Use Google maps to locate an ancestor location
-Task B: Create a timeline related to one of your lines of research
-Task C: Create a memorial page
-Task D: Visit tutorial and learning pages on Ancestry
-Task E: Create a surname visualization using Wordle

Write, Write, Write--6--Platinum Medal
-Task A: Write a summary of what your blog is about and post it
-Task B: Participate in a genealogy blog carnival--Smile for the Camera 20th Edition, 90th COG and 7th Festival of Postcards.
-Task C: Prepare several drafts in draft mode and pre-publish them.
-Task D: Write a brief biographical sketch on one ancestor.
-Task E: Create a page on your blog listing surnames
-Task F: Participate in a 52 Weeks to Better Genealogy--Did Challenge #7.

Reach Out & Perform Genealogical Acts of Kindness--5--Platinum Medal
-Task A: Comment on a new (to you) blog.
-Task B: Post one or more gravestone photos on Find A Grave--posted 20
-Task D: Assist another researcher with a research request
-Task E: Participate in an indexing project
-Task G: Use the Follow feature and follow one or more blogs.

© 2010, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

GB Winter 2010 Games--More medals

A recap of my first week of the Winter 2010 GeneaBloggers Games shows that I have competed in four of the six competition categories. I hope to complete those four by Monday and concentrate on the final two the remainder of the week. I have done nada on the Back Up Your Data and Organize Your Research--both of which need some serious work by Flipside.

I reinjured my left leg at work last night, so was home today with my leg up, thus giving me some valued time to work on the games. I was able to write and submit:

-Memorial Page for my Aunt Barbara Ann McGoey Hughes on Facebook and Footnote
-Indexed the Pool/Poole marriages in Monongalia County, West Virginia to the West Virginia USGenWeb Archives.

-Three posts in draft mode and pre-publish them for this week. I never knew you could do this!

Today's medal totals:

Go Back and Cite Your Sources--50 Platinum Medal

Expand Your Knowledge--5--Platinum Medal
-Task A: Use Google maps to locate an ancestor location
-Task B: Create a timeline related to one of your lines of research
-Task C: Create a memorial page
-Task D: Visit tutorial and learning pages on Ancestry
-Task E: Create a surname visualization using Wordle

Write, Write, Write--6--Platinum Medal
-Task A: Write a summary of what your blog is about and post it
-Task B: Participate in a genealogy blog carnival--Smile for the Camera 20th Edition, 90th COG and 7th Festival of Postcards.
-Task C: Prepare several drafts in draft mode and pre-publish them.
-Task D: Write a brief biographical sketch on one ancestor.
-Task E: Create a page on your blog listing surnames
-Task F: Participate in a 52 Weeks to Better Genealogy--Did Challenge #7.

Reach Out & Perform Genealogical Acts of Kindness--5--Platinum Medal
-Task A: Comment on a new (to you) blog.
-Task B: Post one or more gravestone photos on Find A Grave--posted 20
-Task D: Assist another researcher with a research request
-Task E: Participate in an indexing project
-Task G: Use the Follow feature and follow one or more blogs.

© 2010, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

TimeToast Timeline--Jessica Pool VanGilder

Work has taken me away from my Olympic quest at the end of this week; however, today found me working on Expand Your Knowledge Task B: Create a timeline related to one of your lines of research. I hope to blog about my paternal great grandmother Jessica Pool VanGilder for the upcoming COG and a timeline of her life is a GREAT beginning. This was a BLAST to do! Who knew opportunities like this were FREE for genealogists. I will admit it did take me all morning to complete this task and it is almost 1:30 and I am still working on it. Here is the site of The Timeline for Jessica Pool VanGilder. For easier reading, click on the "View as list" under the timeline. As you can see, I have added numerous photographs, documents and newspaper articles. My count has only risen by 1 in the past several days; however, this event is one of the best I have done to date. WAHOO Today's medal totals: Go Back and Cite Your Sources--50 Platinum Medal Expand Your Knowledge--3--Gold Medal -Task A: Use Google maps to locate an ancestor location -Task B: Create a timeline related to one of your lines of research -Task E: Create a surname visualization using Wordle Write, Write, Write--5--Platinum Medal -Task A: Write a summary of what your blog is about and post it -Task B: Participate in a genealogy blog carnival--Smile for the Camera 20th Edition, 90th COG and 7th Festival of Postcards. -Task D: Write a brief biographical sketch on one ancestor. -Task E: Create a page on your blog listing surnames -Task F: Participate in a 52 Weeks to Better Genealogy--Did Challenge #7. Reach Out & Perform Genealogical Acts of Kindness--4--Diamond Medal -Task A: Comment on a new (to you) blog. -Task B: Post one or more gravestone photos on Find A Grave--posted 20 -Task D: Assist another researcher with a research request -Task G: Use the Follow feature and follow one or more blogs. © 2010, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Winter 2010 GB Games and 52 Weeks to Better Genealogy Challenge # 7

This is waaay cool. Wordsley, Staffordshire, England. This is the furthest back I have been able to trace my Hughes surname. Wordsley was and is a small village outside Birmingham, England located on a Stourbridge Canal.

I have decided to turn this into three events. The Google map for Expand your Knowledge and for the Write, Write, Write competition, a brief blog on the Hughes Family that lived in Wordsley, England and participating in 52 Weeks To Better Genealogy - Challenge #7.



To date I have been able to trace my Hughes line back to William Hughes and Mary Green of Wordsley, Staffordshire, England. They are my paternal gggg grandparents. From the 1841 United Kingdom census, which a dear English friend sent me one year as a Christmas gift, William is listed as living on the Dock in Wordsley and is employed as a boatman.

In the late 18th century, canals were cut to open up landlocked areas of Britian, providing transportation for mined goods. The Stourbridge Canal opened up Wordsley as a port village along the long canal system.

My friend Heather put it best. "The boatman bit is interesting. That part of the country is criss crossed with canals which were a major way to transporting goods before the roads were improved. Exports from that part of the country would have included coal and pottery. In order to give the canal boats something to use as ballast on their return trip, sand was often used. Sand is the primary material used in glass and Wordsley has a large glassmaking industry."

There is a road near the canal marked "Dock Road", which may have been the area where, in 1841, William Hughes hung his hat after a day of walking a horse up and down the tow path along the canal.

More research and scanning documents and photos is definately on my "To Do List" of future blogs on this branch of my Hughes surname.

Today's medal totals:

Go Back and Cite Your Sources--50 Platinum Medal

Expand Your Knowledge--2--Silver Medal
-Task A: Use Google maps to locate an ancestor location
-Task E: Create a surname visualization using Wordle

Write, Write, Write--5--Platinum Medal
-Task A: Write a summary of what your blog is about and post it
-Task B: Participate in a genealogy blog carnival--Smile for the Camera 20th Edition, 90th COG and 7th Festival of Postcards.
-Task D: Write a brief biographical sketch on one ancestor.
-Task E: Create a page on your blog listing surnames
-Task F: Participate in a 52 Weeks to Better Genealogy--Did Challenge #7.

Reach Out & Perform Genealogical Acts of Kindness--4--Diamond Medal
-Task A: Comment on a new (to you) blog.
-Task B: Post one or more gravestone photos on Find A Grave--posted 20
-Task D: Assist another researcher with a research request
-Task G: Use the Follow feature and follow one or more blogs.

© 2010, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Winter 2010 GB Games--Flipside's Day 2

Holy Cow....I did it!!! I tried to create a Wordle months and months ago....probably when I first saw it on another geneablogger's blog. It just wouldn't work. Just goes to show....if at first you don't succed try again, and again, and again.

I hadn't planned to compete in "Expand Your Knowledge" unless I had time, but when I saw a Wordle on someone's blog yesterday, I just couldn't help myself.

After work and a doctor's appointment, I came home to complete 27 more citations. Thank heavens for take out food.....dinner is served ;-)

Completed Today and Totals:

Go Back and Cite Your Sources--50 citations are now finished

Expand Your Knowledge--Task E


© 2010, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Winter 2010 GB Games--The First Day!

Already two days behind and late off the starting block....why does work always get in the way of fun and a social life? I am poised to surge ahead today primarily concentrating on the "Go Back and Cite Your Sources" event. I am ready to compete today. I have what's left from my Valentine's candy for an energy boost and a large mug (no cup and saucer) of English tea to sustain me. And I'm off and running........

This is an area of my genealogy that is in MUCH need of help. Actually, one of last year's hopes was to get source material onto my Family Tree Maker database. I came out of the gate at full speed and somehow lost the momentum midyear.

Can anyone else identify with this??!

Frankly, I have had to play alot of catch-up this year while writing Flipside. I get the blog outlined and written and then can't find the photos to go with, or find them and they are not scanned, or have scanned them and can't find them in my computer. If I am REALLY doing a bang-up job on the blog and decide to cite my sources, it takes me more time than writing the actual blog to get the source material all together.

So, here we go....

GO FLIPSIDE

B-E-A-G-G-R-E-S-S-I-V-E

be agressive....be aggressive
Tally of sources added to my Family Tree Maker database on Monday, February 15, 2010:

23

LESSON LEARNED: Slow going as each time I find a new reference to source, my mind wanders to research online to find out more information.

© 2010, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser

Winter 2010 GeneaBloggers Games--Opening Ceremonies

I am very excited to be participating in the Winter 2010 GeneaBloggers Games right along with the athletes in Vancouver. Some of the challenges are items that I already do; however, they need a little fine tuning ;-) Others are projects that are on my "To Do" list, so they will now become "Must Do".

My Winter 2010 flag incorporates the three most prevalent countries in my family tree. The United States where I live and on my paternal grandmother's side has lived since the Jamestown colony. The flag of the United Kingdom represents my paternal grandfather and grandmother's roots. It was not until I participated in a Randy Seaver SNGF that I realized just how many German ancestors my tree holds, so the German flag has to be included, too. In the middle is the Hughes coat of arms--my surname.

I had to check my work schedule for the coming week to see how much "free" time I have to devote to the Winter Games. I would love to compete in all six events, but think that choosing only a couple would be more prudent; however, if the following week's work schedule is light, I just might add a few more!

Most definitely, I will compete in the Go Back and Cite Your Sources. Last year I began the process of updating my sources and it got lost in the shuffle. I AM one of those genealogists who opens up FTM and wonders, "Where in the world did I ever find that information!" Much of it is in my hard files, in loose notebooks scattered here and there and in the books I have purchased. The time has come to concentrate on this and hopefully I will be awarded a platinum medal.

Write, Write, Write is the next event I plan to enter. I have yet to write a summary of my blog or participate in a 52 Weeks to Better Genealogy. I think I can get to the diamond medal stage and maybe surprise myself with a platinum!

Reach Out and Perform Genealogical Acts of Kindness is my third event. I am already a contributor to Find A Grave and also work on family trees for many of my friends--gratis. I should be able to earn a platinum medal on this one.

My stretch in the competition will be to tackle the Back Up Your Data and Organize Your Research events. I will be a late comer to those events depending on my work week. I hope to at least give it a go because these are two events that need some work in my genealogical house.

I have set my bar high and hope to come back with the platinum and diamond.

What fun!!! Let the games begin in GeneaBlogger Land.

© 2010, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser