July was another exceptionally productive month. I really feel like I accomplished a LOT.
Research
- Continue working on the Patterson/Chapman lines from last month. I hit the jackpot on research clues with this line. Last month, I had found a website that presented an extensive three-generation research report on the descendants of John Patterson and Nancy Chapman. I’ve been going through, verifying the evidence and validating the analysis. While there have been a few items I have not been able to verify, most of the data is valid and I’ve been able to expand on quite a bit of it. Then, this month, I re-visited an Eastern Cherokee Application that I had ordered a couple of years ago for a descendant in this line (this was before they were available on Footnote.com). One page in the app referenced 43 other applications based on the same ancestor. All these applications were rejected, but they are still the mother lode of genealogical information on this family. Names, dates, direct evidence of family relationships. . .it will take me a long time to work through all 43 apps, but it will be worth it.
- Use research log – I did much better with this. As long as I remember to open the file on my desktop, then I usually remember to make an entry. The trick is remembering to open the file.
Organization
- Do some database cleanup work. I cleaned up the repository list, so check.
- Work on adding back photos and documents to TNG. Part of this is putting copyright notices on the images. Shoot for 10 a week. Well. . .I think I did about 6 total.
- Desktop cleanup – I didn’t write this down as a goal this month, but I took advantage of my lack of internet on Saturday to do some major filing work.
Education
- Finish Lesson 7 on the NGS Home Study Course. I ran into a kink with the microfilm I needed, so this is a holdover. . .again. I did start working on Lesson 8 in the meantime.
- Watch one of the webinars that I got at Jamboree. I watched Sharing Genealogy Electronically. You can read my review here.
Writing
- Write 10 blog posts. I did 17. Woo hoo!
Other
- I’m also working on refreshing the website design and I should have that ready to unveil sometime this month. This (of course) took way more time than I had allotted, but I really wanted to get it done and I rolled out the new design mid-month. I’m still tweaking a few things and fixing some stuff that didn’t make it through the transition as cleanly as one would have hoped.
- I also launched the “31 Weeks to a Better Genealogy Blog” challenge this month and, I have to say, it is going very well. Thanks to everyone who is participating!
- I also started working on another new project that I hope to announce soon.
So, lots of genealogy in July. . .how was your month?
