Follow Friday ... Grateful for...

It has been a long time since I have done the prompt "Follow Friday".  After the feeds changed, I went to subscribing to the posts.  That meant most of the time I have not gone to the website and posted a comment.  This is nice to not miss a post, but I have begun to wonder if the writers of the blogs wonder how their posts are being received.  Today I thought I would give a few a shout out.
Roberta Estes has helped me so very much in sharing knowledge about DNA... a heroine to me at DNAeXplained - Genetic Genealogy.  Judy Russell has broadened my understanding of legal issues, and reading a document, yeah for The Legal Genealogist .  If you are a beginning genealogy blogger, Geneabloggers by Thomas MacEntee is still the best for getting you started and keeping you going.
Amy Johnson Crow has to be one of the greatest caring genealogy bloggers for giving prompts that really make a difference in our personal posts of family history.  Jana Last on Jana's Genealogy and Family History Blog has been a great blogger herself, but even more, she has been a great edifier to many bloggers with her Follow Friday ~ Fab Finds.  There are more but I will save for another day.
Be a great follower and be sure and leave for those that serve the genealogy community as a whole a word of thanks or encouragement so they will stay with us in the long haul.
Later, friends. 

Follow Friday The 1940 Census

Public Domain. Wikipedia

I was browsing today and was excited to see that the tickers are getting very close to the final count down for the 1940 Census Records release.  Will we all be on the internet either on twitter, G+, Facebook, or blogging counting down together on April 2 ( 5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 - ! )?  I check the website frequently to remind me how close the date is.  You can follow with me. See the links below.
The desire is to have people from the state they live in or the state(s) they are researching in do the indexing for that area. This should increase accuracy... and maybe even some serendipitous moments of finding a family member.   The questions have been posed as to how are they going to get the proper state to us.  I am still waiting for that answer.

I have volunteered to index for Texas. My gr gr gr grandfather came to Texas in 1842.  Yes, I plan to apply for First Texas First Family Certificate, so far not enough time for that lineage paper. I have covered a fair amount of the state for my family and the Hero's family as well as my son-in-law's family.  I digress, but the point is I am ready for Texas.  Bring it on!
Have you volunteered to index.  You are not being asked to index it all by yourself just to do what you can, every sheet counts.  I have been so blessed by the many  records helping me find my family online that I am excited to give back.

At this website 1940 Census, you can see all the organizations teaming together to make this happen 1940 Census Project .  If you are a regular or old FamilySearch indexer you might want to check this website, 1940 Federal Census  This is a how to do it if you don't have an index. Stephen's One Step to the 1940 Federal Census.  We are armed and ready.
What ever site you would want to sign up on, I would encourage you to join us in the count down, today it is 45 days and moving down...  In the words of that great Price Is Right, "Come on down!"

Follow Friday Great Missouri Treasure Hunt

Missouri State Archives is having a Great Missouri Treasure Hunt.  The Missouri Genealogy Research Community on Facebook suggested this would be fun to do and to share finds and methods to help others.  This sounds like my kind of fun. As the picture above shows, I have spent some time searching in Missouri, and it still holds some mysteries for me too.  Click here to find out about the prizes, categories, and dates of the Treasure Hunt. If you have someone or information to find in Missouri, what better time to do it.

Follow Friday A New Missouri Research Help Site.

Follow Friday, I am highlighting another state research community on Facebook.  FamilySearch has added another favorite state of mine. Oh, did I say favorite, hmm maybe not.   How about a much visited state to search for ancestors. My grandfather was born in Missouri and his grandparents came there in the 1820's.
Research in Missouri is not always easy, not necessarily because of the records. Rather because of the attitudes of many of the early settlers, case in point Daniel Boone. 
Daniel said the reason he went to the upper Missouri under Spanish rule was because one, the description by other men who had been there, "These men talked of the beauty of that region: they had stories to tell of the grizzly bears, buffaloes, deer, beavers, and otters..."1.       
Daniel went to Missouri for elbow-room.  He was looking for less government involvement in his life.  It worked for a short while under Spanish rule then American enterprise came upon his again and he submitted this time. Just one example of those that went there because the east was "crowding them" 1. 

I put a link below to his book written originally in 1844.  It has great insights into a pioneer mindset.

FamilySearch as started the Missouri Genealogy Research Community on FaceBook.
It is based on the principles of Ask a question, Find an answer, and Teach others what you know.
Stop by and join in the conversation or share a story about an area, ask if anyone knows a surname. We hope to see you there. Yes, I already liked Missouri and it comes in my wall feed when someone has something to say.  One person said 'Y'all will never known what you will find in Missouri..there is a reason it is the Show ME! state'
Would love to have fun with you as I tear my hair out searching for my hard headed Missourians who eventually became Okies. Go Figure.

1. Daniel Boone: His Own Story   By Daniel Boone, Francis Lister Hawkes

Follow Friday A New Illinois Site

http://www.freeclipartnow.com/geography/us-counties/Illinois.jpg.html

I do not do this prompt often, and this probably is a variation of it. 
I have joined the Illinois Genealogy Research Community on FaceBook sponsored by FamilySearch. Their motto is Ask, Find, and Teach. 
I have come to this community to recruit members because I have learned so much from you. Carol of Reflections of the Fence and Lisa of Old Stones Deciphered are members with me. I am really getting excited about working beside and with some great researcher to learn and hopefully I will even have some to teach. Jan Edwards is a member of the community. She LOVES research and is excited about this. I have seen several research sites she has posted.
If you love Illinois research or have a need for help in Illinois come and join us on FaceBook. Here is their Wiki link.
My motto is the ancestors can run and hide, but we will find them...Oh yeah. ; )

Follow Friday Professionalism Journey Starts

Graphics Fairy image

I am getting so excited!  I am starting with PROGEN Study group in a week, Labor Day put our group off a week starting.  The book "Professional Genealogy" is WOW. Since I have embarked on this journey, I have come across some neat wonderful examples of professional genealogists.  I am doing this to become better, not sure about doing someone else's genealogy for money. I have always believed in documenting sources, but this is a whole new dimension for me.

For Follow Friday I would like to suggest a marvelous blog that I have come across that many of you probably already know about, Heather H Doherty (click on her name to view her blog).
She is a lot of fun on twitter, and I love the educational aspect of genealogy she features. 
If I were to be a professional genealogist, I would love to share like she does.

Follow Friday Inspirations

Today as I saw Follow Friday tweets come up on twitter, I began to contemplate what would I blog on that subject.  My blogging is more than just genealogy.  It is my family stories.  I have along the way of my blog evolving, developed, I believe, some blogger friends.  These ladies have been uplifting and encouraging to a blogger that has never been a writer.  I just kind of lay things out there. They are quite knowledgeable in genealogy, where as I have been a jump in and get wet type of researcher from years ago.  Thus, I have learned along the way about many different facets of genealogy from them. 
There have been others, and I do not mean to slight anyone, but these three have been friends to me for sometime and I want to say 'ThankYou'  to them.

Linda at Flipside,
Carol at Reflections from the Fence and
Barbara at Life from the Roots

Follow Friday Frustration

I am using Follow Friday to remind fellow bloggers, if you have an informative blog, and have put links in, check them.  I appreciate the blog owners that share information somewhere else on the web, a link that will give you more information, or how to.  However, it is frustrating if you click on the link and it doesn't work.  Also, if you want to email the owner to tell them something isn't working, a correct email would be helpful. The reason I mention this is, some, due to the style of their blog, have their comments disabled.  Maybe the blog owner feels the blog is not necessary any longer due to new sites that have come in. If that is the case, tell the users up front you are not continuing the blog.   Sorry for my apparent ranting, but I was so frustrated yesterday when I was using a Texas Historic Cemetery blog that was supposed to have cemetery's  information and none of the links worked and the email wasn't valid.
I have come across some sites that recognize the limitations of the internet and post this on their side bar. Links are always changing.  Please let me know if any links become obsolete, or if you have come across a site that other will enjoy. Thank you.  This is a great boon to users and useful to a blogger who's intent is to be helpful.
I follow blogs.  I read and follow their links.  I comment and give feed back.  I love the community, and I want it to be seen at its best.

Follow Friday

I like Cindy's blog Everything's Relative - Researching Your Family History. I love her format, the appearance of her blog and her methods of presenting her family history. My editor is not letting me post a link to her. So here is her address: http://genealogybycindy.blogspot.com/