I am amazed at how much time is added to research by a full day! You can make a little leap–little leaps are the start of something bigger and more productive. Small scale, spur of the moment (this may be less productive–if that is what you manage, however, take it), quick solutions right now build momentum later. You will be ready for and recognize more opportunities everywhere you look.
You can make a BIG LEAP–big leaps usually require more careful planning and a longer lead time. With an extra day to work on your genealogy, pick any day you want. Schedule it ahead of time. Tell all your family and friends that this extra day is all your own.You can choose your day as 29th of February (which is the added day on the calendar). )r, you can select any day of your choosing–just don’t allow others to invade your day.
You might choose to attend Roots Tech held this year on Leap Day. Several of my genealogy friends at the Family History Library told me that they were planning to attend all four days. A client getting on the elevator, held the door to assure me he would see me at Leland Meitzler’s Family Roots Bookstore in the Salt Lake Plaza Hotel. Leland sets up a really good bookstore with all the latest books available as well as many old favorites that are still relevant to my research interests.
You might choose to spend the day interviewing older family members about what they recall. Select a photograph or two of the family and use these as an entree. The more you have to show, the more they will remember.
You might choose to search a cemetery, or visit an archive or record office. Looking at the actual sources and touching the original records is a stimulus like no other. I keep a file in my research box with records I want to look at–so that I know exactly what they contain and I can determine how to use the evidence I find. I also keep a file of articles and books I want to check. When I get a whole day, an extra day–I am jubilant!
Some people I know, look forward to lounging on the beach or going to dinner and the movies. They relish an evening to attend a sports event. I live an exciting life to me–boring to many of the people I know: visit a library? Are you kidding?
Hooray! An extra day in 2020 to work on genealogy research. And I will find a quiet corner in a new library where I can see what is new and useful to tell you all about. Your favorite genealogist, Arlene Eakle http://arleneeakle.com
PS NEW and added to the content on my Home Page:
- Pay Pal is still working. You can order online, on this website–books, research, reserve your spot for research trips, etc. Keep your eye on my Home Page.
- Sneak-Preview Search–at a price you won’t believe. I’m still working on the copy–you can watch the page evolve. And know that the research service is genuine–always more information discovered than you pay for.
- New article promised: “Genealogy Resources in England” I’ll bet dollars to donuts you have not searched. Your genealogy may already be compiled! And my article on “Catholics” in the British Isles is still relevant. Very important, especially for Northern England and those who migrated to Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. The article gives the dates of many Catholic censuses. Once you read about this religion, you will understand the paranoia the English have about the Roman Catholic Church. You will also have a better understanding of the history of Ireland–now and then.