Thankful Thursday

Just happy to be back in AZ (even though I didn't miss the extreme heat).  I'm grateful to have been able to help my daughter in UT and her family. 

Memory Lane Monday: Nicknames

I’m using the ’52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History’ series as an aid in beginning my personal history this year.  See the entire challenge on my Examiner.com article. These weekly challenges are authored by Amy Coffin of the We Tree blog and hosted on the GeneaBloggers website.

Here is the beginning of my memories about NICKNAMES.

Even though I have red hair and the nickname "red" is common in such cases, there have only been two people who called me that who could get away with it--both close friends.  I DO NOT like being called "red".

For a short time, as a young adult, I was called "Irish".  I loved it.

AND . . . there's a nickname behind the selection of my business name, which is Charlie Ink Productions and Publications.  "Charlie" was a nickname given me when I was about twelve or thirteen years old.  When a friend of mine learned that "Carolyn" was a feminine form of the name “Charles”, I was nicknamed "Charlie".  The nickname didn't stick, but "Charlie" seems to suit me when I think of myself as creative and energetic (which is not always the case). "Ink" was chosen as a "play on words", sounding like the abbreviation Inc. (standing for Incorporated).  Since I was a calligrapher for over twenty years (using ink to write beautiful pen strokes on family tree charts as well as doing other custom work), “Ink” was a natural selection for me.”  Now, the mystery of the name "Charlie Ink" has now been entirely revealed.  To see more about me, click here.                                    

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Please leave a comment and let me know your nicknames.

As founder of Family Tree Quest, people sometimes ask what tools I recommend for organizing and recording personal and family history.  Here are my highest recommendations.

Heritage Collector Suite-  Your complete Family History Management System  (my highest recommendation)  This has everything you need to get your family history clutter into one, orderly place.  Store and retrieve photos, documents, videos, etc.  Create a PDF for a bound book.  Many bonus items such as storybook and GPS modules.

Personal Historian Software-  I love it’s timelines and personal history prompts. 

Flip-Pal™ mobile scanner –  Portable, easy flip-and-scan-technology.  You can even scan pictures in the frame or while they remain in their photo albums!  I sit on the sofa in comfort and scan to my hearts delight.

Find the perfect journal at Amazon or Galison and Mudpuppy

Want to write for Examiner?  To check out their wide-variety of topics Click here.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” I have not received any compensation from Amy Coffin or GeneaBloggers.com for writing this post. I am listed on the GeneaBloggers Blog Roll because I find it to be a valuable, shared community resource. As founder of Family Tree Quest [dot] com, I am an affiliate of LifeStory Productions, Inc. Flip-pal, Galison and Mudpuppy and Amazon [dot] com.

Resource Wednesday: The greatest resource of all

What is the greatest resource of all?  A human life, full of potential and the ability to make a positive change in the world.

Sooooooooooo, I'm happy to announce the birth of our new grandson, McKay.
8 lbs 5 oz
21 inches long
born yesterday

Memory Lane Monday: Dinner Time

I’m using the ’52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History’ series authored by Amy Coffin as an aid in starting my personal history throughout the year.   I want to leave my OWN story in my own words so my posterity will be able to know me a little better. Perhaps you’d like to do the same.

Here is the beginning of my memories about Dinner Time.

See the entire challenge on my Examiner.com article.

As a child, my mom fixed the dinners and we had dinner every night around 6 pm.  Dad had regular work hours, so this routine was useful to all of us and added stability to our routines at home.

When I was a mother of young children, my husband had varying work schedules.  I still tried to have a regular dinner time, yet I was fine with being flexible, too.  When he wasn’t home, we’d sometimes eat out with friends or bring in meals, if I was tired.

Now, my five children are grown.  Some have families of their own.  We have “Family Dinner” once a month—where all our children, their spouses and their children get together to share a meal and talk and have fun.  It is served buffet style from our counter, and we all sit down at our dining room table and eat as a family.  It has become a beautiful tradition, and is something we look forward to each month.
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Leave a comment and tell us YOUR memories of dinner time.

As founder of Family Tree Quest, people sometimes ask what tools I recommend for organizing and recording personal and family history.  Here are my highest recommendations.

Heritage Collector Suite- Your complete Family History Management System  (my highest recommendation)
This has everything you need to get your family history clutter into one, orderly place.  Store and retrieve photos, documents, videos, etc.  Create a PDF for a bound book.  Many bonus items such as storybook and GPS modules.

Personal Historian Software- I love it’s timelines and personal history prompts. 

Flip-Pal™ mobile scanner –  Portable, easy flip-and-scan-technology.  You can even scan pictures in the frame or while they remain in their photo albums!  I sit on the sofa in comfort and scan to my hearts delight.

Find the perfect journal at Amazon or Galison and Mudpuppy

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As the Phoenix Genealogy Examiner, I create an article about this series each Monday.  Click subscribe (at the top) if you’d like to get my articles automatically delivered to your email inbox, or click the RSS icon to read my posts via a feed reader.  These weekly challenges are authored by Amy Coffin of the We Tree blog and hosted on the GeneaBloggers website.

Want to write for Examiner?  To check out their wide-variety of topics Click here.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” I have not received any compensation from Amy Coffin or GeneaBloggers.com for writing this post. I am listed on the GeneaBloggers Blog Roll because I find it to be a valuable, shared community resource. As founder of Family Tree Quest [dot] com, I am an affiliate of LifeStory Productions, Inc. Flip-pal and Galison and Mudpuppy and Amazon [dot] com.

An Ancestor's Example - How to Overcome the Storms of Life

I loved this video about a woman who had suffered through divorce.  Hope you like it, too.

Memory Lane Monday: Grandparents’ House

I’m using the ’52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History’ series as an aid in beginning my personal history this year.  See the entire challenge on my Examiner.com article  THIS WEEKS ARTICLE INCLUDES A HILARIOUS MEMORY OF A TOAD at Lori Wiser’s Grandparents home!  These weekly challenges are authored by Amy Coffin of the We Tree blog and hosted on the GeneaBloggers website.

Here is the beginning of my memories about my Grandparents’ House.

I loved the small farmhouse of my grandparents in Santaquin, UT.  Most of my memories of it are vague.  I value the pictures I have of me (about age five) riding on a horse in the fenced side-yard with my dad holding the reins and leading me forward.  Dad and I had smiles on our faces, and, because of pictures, this memory still lives in my heart.

Their home was a very small, two story home.  I can’t imagine raising eleven children there. I’m told my grandmother fed the hobos that would hop the train and get off in her small town.  I remember her kitchen being very small.  My Aunt Norma would tell me stories of sweeping weevils out of the flour bin.

I had an aunt (Eva) and an Aunt, Uncle and cousin that lived across the street (Blanche, Denzil and Jana Lee).  When I was really little, another Aunt lived across the street from my grandma.  I mostly remember Aunt Eva’s house because that’s where we would stay when we’d visit.  My aunt was warm and welcoming.  My grandfather had been mayor of the town, and he died when I was two.  After my grandmother broke her hip, she stayed at Eva’s.  I loved the large porch.  The weather was often cold and crisp.  A dramatic change from my home in Southern California.

I appreciate using these posts to get a start to my personal history.  I can see that they stimulate additional memories that I will work on more at a later date.  I really appreciate Amy putting these prompts together.

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As founder of Family Tree Quest, people sometimes ask what tools I recommend for organizing and recording personal and family history.  Here are my highest recommendations.

Heritage Collector Suite-  Your complete Family History Management System  (my highest recommendation)
This has everything you need to get your family history clutter into one, orderly place.  Store and retrieve photos, documents, videos, etc.  Create a PDF for a bound book.  Many bonus items such as storybook and GPS modules.

Personal Historian Software- I love it’s timelines and personal history prompts. 

Flip-Pal™ mobile scanner –   Portable, easy flip-and-scan-technology.  You can even scan pictures in the frame or while they remain in their photo albums!  I sit on the sofa in comfort and scan to my hearts delight.

Find the perfect journal at Amazon or Galison and Mudpuppy

Please leave a comment and let me know YOU stopped by for a visit to my blog.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” I have not received any compensation from Amy Coffin or GeneaBloggers.com for writing this post. I am listed on the GeneaBloggers Blog Roll because I find it to be a valuable, shared community resource. As founder of Family Tree Quest [dot] com, I am an affiliate of LifeStory Productions, Inc. Flip-pal and Amazon [dot] com.

Resource Wednesday Writing Prompt and Dragon Naturally Speaking

Here’s Family Tree Gal’s RESOURCE WEDNESDAY writing prompt and Resource of the Week: Dragon Naturally Speaking 11 - voice recognition software.

WRITING PROMPT:

Each Wednesday, tell about a resource (software, personal interviews, notebooks, filing system, webinar, book, website, etc.) you are using to meet your personal growth/ genealogy/ or family history goals.  What are the strong points of the resource?  What are your challenges while using it?  In general, would you recommend it to others?

In an effort to help each other, please include your advice in the comment section below and comment on Family Tree Gal’s Facebook page.  Note:  Twitter hashtag for Resource Wednesday= #rwed

MY RESOURCE OF THE WEEK:  Dragon Naturally Speaking 11

This is wild!  Dragon Naturally Speaking 11- voice recognition software  (Check out all their editions)

I intend to use this to help me write my personal history or tell stories about my ancestors.

I loved the Home Edition and am now experimenting with the Premium edition which is supposed to work with a digital voice recorder.  It types as you talk into a headset with a microphone.  It works 3x as fast as regular typing.  I love it.

There is a “learning curve”.  You must say “period” for it to type a period, etc.  The software also trains itself to your voice, so, at first, you must make corrections to what it types.  The more you stick with it, the less mistakes it makes.  It made me laugh when I first saw it type while I talked.  I wanted to show everyone in the house!

Some people don’t want to stick through this learning process, and it bothers them.  Me, I think it’s wonderful and worth it--even when I make some corrections.  I am glad to have Dragon Natrually Speaking 11- Premium Edition.  I’m excited to see how it works with a digital voice recorder.

Click the banner below to learn more about Dragon.
Check out all their editions on the left sidebar of their site.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”  As founder of Family Tree Quest [dot] com, I am an affiliate of Nuance—makers of Dragon Naturally Speaking 11.  Because of my affiliation, I was sent copies to review.