"If you can't get rid of the family skeleton, you may as well make it dance"
-George Bernard Shaw


Monday, May 25, 2009

Happy Memorial Day! Thank a vet!

Today as I sit here waiting for the family to get out of bed and get ready to go off to Mom and Dad's house for Golf, family and Barbeque, I like many people, think about, and thank, our veterans. Both my Grandpas were vets from World War II and my Dad is an Airforce Veteran and my husband is a veteran from the second Iraq war. I am thankful for the men and women who have given us the freedoms that we have.

Now of course this wouldn't be a complete entry without me talking about how to incorporate genealogy into our days. If your family is like mine, stories will be told today. This is a perfect time to record those stories. Taking a small tape or digital voice recorder to set nearby to record the stories. Another method is to take notes when stories are being told.
If you want to be more formal, prepare some interview questions to take along with you and set up some interview time with your family members. Some suggestions I have read include setting up time, like an appointment, with family members, or making an interview corner that family members can come to you. Personally I prefer a less formal method.

Another time to think about interviewing and recording stories is family reunions and gatherings. If you family is like mine, this summer you have reunions, camping and family cookouts for holidays. In our hometown there is also the summer time national festival. There are so many oppotunities to make family memories and gather family stories.

The stories are what makes our genealogy 'real'. Family History is more the just the facts and vital statistics, it is the stories that future generations will read that will make our lives more real to them, so it is important to record them.

Enjoy the barbeque, or whatever your family traditions, enjoy the family! Thank the vets in your lives! Be safe today!

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