Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Auld Lang Syne Redux


I’ve never been one to put much stock in the New Year’s Day holiday. For one thing, it seems everyone spends all their celebratory energy on the preceding night’s festivities, making the holiday designation for January first seem like such an afterthought. Then—and this will ring true for fellow family historians—if one’s family doesn’t hold the tradition, it’s unlikely to be passed down through the generations. Needless to say, since my family was never big on New Year’s Day—other than my musician dad, who occasionally used the holiday to catch up on sleep after playing a gig the night before—I don’t have that tradition, either.

Last New Year’s Day, I quoted an old passage from Louisa May Alcott’s Rose In Bloom which painted a picture of a very different New Year’s Day tradition. It took me all the way through my own childhood and half way through my daughter’s before I discovered that book. But finding the New Year’s Day passage was worth the wait. It opened my eyes to a world where renewing old acquaintances was not something you did in dimly lit corners at the stroke of midnight, but a lively pursuit engaged in during the many sunshine-embraced hours of the following day.

Last year, my Auld Lang Syne roundup featured my favorite fellow bloggers from 2011. I decided to reserve that reminiscing for yesterday’s post, this year. Instead, today, I’d like to spend time expressing my thanks to all of you—A Family Tapestry readers for 2012 who have taken the time to stop by and even leave a comment or two.

The point at which I made that decision was just a little over a week ago, when I ran across one particular comment that just made me smile.

unknown young girl in winter coat and muff 1954 named Diana
Diana in 1954
After having posted a mystery photo of an unidentified little girl in a winter coat and muff, I noticed Wendy from Jollett etc. remarked,

"A muff! Of course, this picture was saved. You can't throw away a picture of a little girl with a muff - it's a rule."

Of course. How could I not have known that?!

That was one of those moments when I realized how grateful I am for those of you who stop by and leave a comment. While I will probably never meet you in real life, you are friends. Your words make a difference.

How often it is that we bloggers slip into that blue funk where we think nobody really reads what we have to say. We feel like we are shouting into a tin can (that’s how I used to feel in my radio days, even though I knew better at a “Top Forty” formatted station) and nobody is there to listen.

You and I know better. If nothing else, we listen to each other. I think it’s fairly safe to say others are listening in, too. And—good for us family historians who would want it that way, anyhow—those “out there” folks will get to keep listening in on our posts, long after we’ve pushed the “publish” button and moved on to other projects. We are laying down a legacy of sorts—one to which Google™ will someday direct other researchers interested in those very same surname, family, and community search terms.

When we comment on each other’s writing, we are actually joining in one gigantic, worldwide conversation. We get to talk to people we’d never have the opportunity to join for morning coffee (well, with certain exceptions!). We get to become a part of each other’s research and pet projects. We get to exchange ideas. Give feedback. Be an encouragement.

So, for all of you who have graced this blog with your presence through your comments, you have my heartfelt gratitude. I have certainly enjoyed getting to know you—and following your own projects. Consider this my verbal Friendship Bouquet. Thank you to:

Michelle Taggart of A Southern Sleuth
Julie Cahill Tarr of GenBlog
Gini Webb of Ginisology
Joan of Roots’n’Leaves
Shelley Bishop of A Sense of Family
Susan Clark of Nolichucky Roots
Jenny Jones of Raking Through the Leaves
Heather Rojo of Nutfield Genealogy
Patrick Jones of Frequent Traveler Ancestry
Kathy Pooler of Memoir Writer's Journey
Randy Seaver of Genea-Musings
Grant Davis of The Stephen Sherwood Letters
Mariann Regan of Into the Briar Patch
Linda Huesca Tully of Many Branches, One Tree
Smadar Belkind Gerson of Past-Present-Future
Karin Hadden of The Art of Genealogy
Jessica (“not a bird watcher”) of The Brick Wall Climber
Lisa Wallen Logsdon of Old Stones Undeciphered
Leah Allen of Leah’s Family Tree
Pam Garrett of Family Stories
Debi Austen of Who Knew?
Jennifer Darling of The Dead Bell
Cathy von Hassel-Davies of Digging Up Your Roots
Celia Lewis of Twigs and Trees
Fi of Dance Skeletons
Bettyann Schmidt of Rhine Girl
Eowyn Langholf of Turning Hearts Genealogy
Nicola Carpenter of Murderous Monday
Kathy Hart of Kathy's Search 
Karen Glass of Family History With a "Looking" Glass
Brenda Clifford of Family Heritage Remnants of Time
Colleen Greene of Colleen & Jeff's Roots
Sharn White of Family History 4 U
"ljhlaura" of Branch and Leaf...a Family History Blog
Jim of Hidden Genealogy Nuggets
Susan of The Family Snoop
Sally Knudsen of SallySearches
Kathy Reed of Jones Family Matters
Mickishell of We Cannot Know Them All
And my real-life coffee buddy, Sheri Fenley of The Educated Genealogist

For those of you who prefer to do your blog hopping incognito, thank you also to:
Plus my kind-hearted and supportive near relatives and those distant cousins I've met along the way...not to mention those multiple mystery people known to us only as “Unknown.”

And Wendy, of course, who got me thinking about this whole idea in the first place.

May you all enjoy a blessed, productive, insightful, successful year in 2013. And may we all continue to share in each others joys and victories—and lift each other up in those doubtful moments in between the high points.

14 comments:

  1. Happy New Year to you too Jacqi!
    Deborah

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    1. Ah, Deborah! Thank you so much! Best wishes to you in this New Year, too!

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    1. Best wishes to you, too, Grant, for success in this new blogging year.

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  3. Here's to more great conversations in 2013! Happy New Year, Jacqi!

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    1. Yes, Lisa...I find it's the conversations that make it all worthwhile!

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  4. What a lovely, heartfelt post, Jacqui. I feel so honored to receive your verbal Friendship Bouquet. Thanks so much for the mention and link. Wishing you many blessings in the New Year!

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    1. Thank you so much, Kathy, for stopping by. I appreciate the work you are doing at your blog and projects.

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  5. Happy New Year..my goodness there are a bunch in your blog bouquet..I am honored to be included! You do make me feel a tad guilty..In Far Side of Fifty I sometimes touch on family history on Wistful Wednesday..but I really should research more than I do. I do have a good handle on my own memories though..hopefully my Grands will enjoy it all someday. I just don't have enough hours in the day:)

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    1. Far Side, you are among the earliest blossoms in this bouquet! :)

      Yes, I know you have so much else to talk about in your Far Side of Fifty blog, but I thought I'd mention both of your blogs. You do so much for so many others. No wonder you wish there were more hours in a day!

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  6. HappyNew Years! Goodness that is quitea list! I am sure eaxh is worthy of a trip... I now have plans for this weekend!

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    1. Truth be told, Iggy, this is a list that was a year and a half in the growing of it. But if it brightens up your weekend...you are definitely a power reader! ;)

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  7. I was catching up on my blog reading after having taken a Christmas break with family and now am surprised to receive your sweet friendship bouquet! Thank you so much, Jacqi. It's always a pleasure to read your beautifully crafted stories - it is also an honor to be included in such a distinguished list.

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    1. Linda, I always enjoy reading your stories about your family. You certainly have a way with words--and some endearing stories about family memories. Plus, some women in your roots gifted with that certain quality of spunk and verve.

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