Goals to Help Me Shape Up and Get It Right

Joining in with Elizabeth O’Neal’s Blog party for January Genealogy Blog Party: Shape Up Your Research  I love following her, receiving her newsletters, and using her suggestions to stretch my stride. I first became acquainted with Elizabeth when I took ProGen classes. She is an amazing mentor.

 These are my Genealogy Shape Up Goals this year. 

(had to add Genealogy so as to not give you false expectations.  😉)

1.  To lengthen my stride in DNA understanding I am taking and giving classes on DNA. I am learning more each time I attend or prepare lessons. Taking a clue from the experts, there is always more to learn. 
2. While I do not have the resources to travel much or to pay for many conferences, I plan to take advantage of Webinars and Virtual Conferences. Not as much fun socially but still informative. 
3. I will write on my blog and then transfer to FamilySearch Memories at least 6 family stories. Reason for transfer is to insure they will not be lost.
4. I will finish my applications for both Texas First Families Certificate and The DAR as well as "turn them in". 😉
5.  I am not brave enough to Vlog, but I have the goal to post on my blog at least monthly this year. Life happened and I fell short in the last two years but will accomplish it this year.
6. I will continue to encourage and assist my children that have expressed interest and are helping with family research. Mercy it has been a trip trying to do the research on mine and my husband’s genealogy. Rewarding but exhausting.

There is still time to join in with the others on Elizabeth's blog. Come and Join the party and make yourself accountable for the coming year.  Reading over this makes me wonder how I am going to measure up. 😊

The End of an Era

By the title you might think I mean, a death occurred. Not so. But it is the end of shared moments and fun times for these three lovely ladies that have had a long life of memories together. My mom, her twin, and their niece are the last of their generation living.  My cousin who lives in Virginia has moved her mom, my mom's twin, to be near her. Neither of the twins are able at 89 to make the trip back and forth now, and the niece may or may not fly to see one or the other, she is just a year younger.

Niece is on the left. The twins are on the right.

When they were young they were always together. The niece's mother was 23 years older than her sisters. When her mother died she was raised by her grandmother with her aunts, who were just a year older.

Can you imagine being a mother, grandmother to this group. 

Happy graduation day!

When they were raising their children, because they lived in different states and different towns and they all worked, there were few times they all got together at the same times.

My mom on the left, another sister, the niece, a friend, a niece of a younger generation, and mom's twin.

Then my father and the niece's husband died. That began the times of the three going on summer time adventures until they all retired, then they found time to go on cruises and long trips.
The last 10 years my mom has been in assisted living for a combination of dementia and depression. Her medication has helped her greatly. The result was we would have to get together on the birthday of the twins. My daughter hosted some meetings. Some get-togethers were at my aunts.
I have to admit that I cried the last time we all met, and so did my mom, who realized in spite of her dementia, that this was their last meeting while living. My cousins and I went to great lengths and distances to make sure they had a time to say good bye.