Of Fishing Lines, Cousin Bait, Siren Calls and . . . and . . . Blogiversaries!

Seven years ago today was Mother's Day. And, doing what one does on Mother's Day, on May 8, 2011, I thought about mothers. Thought about mothers, that is, enough to start up a blog—on mothers, of course, but also about fathers. Those two-fold strands are what weave us together into the network of humanity. Or, as I thought about it at the time, what tie us together into the tapestry of our families.

Today—2,557 posts later—is my blogiversary, the blogger's way of saying it is the anniversary of the date when I started A Family Tapestry. Of course, two thousand articles provide more than ample room for ruminating on all the aspects of genealogy—from how I started my own research to how I stumbled upon fascinating aspects of my families' stories.

And there are plenty of stories to tell—from my father-in-law's teenage days serving in the Navy during World War II to the rogue relative in my own family who almost lost his neck over his international crime spree during the years of the Great War. Room enough, in fact, to launch into episodes about my family, my husband's family, and others from our extended lines—not only here in the United States, but in Canada, and even back to Ireland, where we traveled a few years ago, and to eastern Europe, where I've tentatively explored new research resources regarding my father's family.

There seem to be never-ending supplies of stories, when it comes to these family members. Perhaps we live in a golden age of genealogy, where source documents can be at our fingertips—often at no charge to the researcher, if one knows where to look—but for whatever reason, there is an abundance of records and resources online for the curious (and persistent) family history explorer.

Whether you've been along for the ride here for years or only moments, welcome! Whether you were attracted by the wriggling cousin bait on my family history fishing line, or are a fellow geneablogger stopping by to compare notes, I love to hear from fellow researchers. Please feel free to say hi or leave a comment. I talk back!

I love blogging because it is a way to connect with like-minded people, to see who else is out there, following that same siren call to know our roots. How can we explain that to others? Thankfully, there are those who don't need an explanation. I suspect you are one of them. That is why you are here.

Above: Some family stories are more colorful than others. From the scrapbooks and photo memories of my mother's life, an undated photograph of an unidentified touring troupe she danced with (center of front row, seated, with toe shoes on). Photos and details such as these propel me to keep writing.