Please, Share Your MemoriesYes, it was wash day, again. The clothes were boiled in water heated in a cast iron wash pot above a roaring fire. Then they were scrubbed on a scrub board, using lots of home made lye soap. Or, if you could afford it, store bought Octagon Soap.
Use the Internet to Find Lost RelativesI found my siblings by googling my maiden name. Two of them had gone onto Facecook and came up in a search I did with Google. Since I have a very rare maiden name, that made it easy.
Use Rolodex for Genealogy ResearchUse a Rolodex for organizing family history or genealogy. Each card will have one ancestor on it, with the basic information listed to save time when doing a search. This idea also works for quick reference for doctors, attorneys and address with billing info on them.
Use Shaving Cream When Taking Tombstone PhotosMy Dad, is on a genealogy kick. He's been going to a lot of old cemeteries, documenting old dates and info for births, deaths, marriages, number of children, etc. One problem he kept having was the dates not coming through on his camera, since the older tombstones turn dark with dirt, mold, etc. Now he carries a can of spray foam men's shaving cream with him, just for this very purpose.
Family Gatherings, Family TreeOnce I attended a family reunion which wasn't as entertaining as it promised to be. Sitting with my aunt and my mother-in-law we found that we spent most of the early afternoon figuring out how everyone was related to us.
Preserving Family HistoryI was fortunate enough to know both of my great-grandmothers, but within the past 13 years, both of them passed on, along with my maternal grandparents. My paternal grandma is currently terminally ill and in the hospital. I was a history major in college, and had always planned on talking to my grandparents and asking them about their lives and my ancestors...
Include Recipes With Your Genealogy ResearchWhen Mom died I didn't find her apple pie recipe, it's gone forever. I decided to gather family favorite recipes and put them in the "More Notes" in the genealogy we're working on. That way the kids, grandkids will have a place to look for their childhood favorites.
