Navigating the Chronicles

If you are new here, you may be a little confused.  That's ok.  Genealogy is never linear or particularly easy to organize.  It can get overwhelming navigating this blog, much like diving into genealogy for the first time - or walking into a genealogical library for the first time.  It is my goal to make sure that everything is easy to find, and make sure that my readers can easily follow along.  If you have any questions, or if you would like to say hi or make a suggestion, feel free to send me an email!

Scheduled Posts and Topics

I schedule my research during the week for the upcoming posts.  I post when I can, but I try to include at least ONE post a week - if at all possible.

Monday is when I make my main entries for the week.  Monday posts can be about my research, a specific ancestor, new arrivals when babies are born, guest posts from other genealogists (or those who love the hobby) and how-to's including:

• Making Family Albums
• How to Begin 
• New Printables
• How to Cite Sources
• How to Manage Ancestry.com
• Where to Look
• Books to Read
• How to Organize Files
• How to Print and Copy Pictures

Thursday posts are more fun (or sometimes creepy).  Depending on the information I have and what I'm working on that week, topics can range from:

• Throwback Thursdays:  This will include pictures I have found from my family's past to which I may not have all the answers yet.  This also includes toys from a specific era, news stories, types of cars on the market, and even more serious matters like wars, civil rights, and important times in history.
• Headstone Thursdays:  This is where some may be freaked out.  Headstones are an important piece to finding information about ancestors.  There are even some traditions that were performed at funerals.  This is when the ancestor I am writing about becomes human.  It includes pictures of headstones, signs and symbols, death certificates, wills, obituaries, and sometimes information about how the person died or interesting things about their funeral and requests.
• Where Am I Today?:  This includes information about geographical locations.  It is great to know where these ancestors lived and what the city or town was like.  This will have pictures of homesteads, plantations, farms, and basic information about the county, region, country, or state where these people lived.

Friday posts will happen on occasion, depending on my schedule and finds.  This will help lighten up the mood during the times that my research may be at a standstill or when I'm researching something that isn't a pleasant topic.  Such topics include:

• Food Friday:  Fun recipes that are either passed down through generations, or reflect what my ancestors ate on a regular basis.  This also includes information about popular candies and beverages for that era and location.
• Fashion Friday:  Find out what they wore on a daily basis!  Or find out what hairstyles and beauty routines were popular during that era.

How Do I Find Someone?

There are a couple of ways to find a post about a specific ancestor.  One way is using the search bar located at the top on the right-hand side of the blog.  Type in the name of the person you are looking for, and posts will appear that mention the person's name.  

Another way is to look through the Blog Archive located on the right-hand side of the blog under the search bar.  Click on the month to review the titles of all the posts for that month.  That is where you can find the name of the person you are looking for.  Click on their name and it will take you to the post all about the person.

If you are looking for a general topic or theme, scroll to the bottom of the page to find my Tags.  These tags will direct you to all of the blog posts about that topic and theme.

What Are These Links at the Bottom of the Blog Post?

At the bottom of the blog posts, you will find links for names and blog titles.  Some will be active while others are not.  The active links will be blue with a line under the name.  Those links will take you to other posts that are in relation to the current blog post you are reading.  

For example, if you are reading a blog post about Cherokee Native Americans, at the bottom a link will appear for an ancestor named Rebecca.  Click on the link for Rebecca and you will be taken to the blog post all about my great-great grandmother Rebecca, who was a Cherokee Native American.  At the bottom of her blog post, you will see a link taking you to Cherokee Native Americans.  You will also find links to posts about her children, her spouse, and her parents.  Links for blog posts about her headstone, fashion for that era, and recipes for that time and location will be available as well.

How Do I Read These Citations?

You can read all about citations and how to locate the content by clicking here!

If the content is found online, just click on the citation link and it will open a new window to where I found the information.

I Think We Are Related.

Fantastic!  I'd love to talk to you!  Just send me an email!  I'll gladly share information and help you with your journey into genealogy!  It's always a great day when I meet a long lost relative.