Friday, May 8, 2020

Yes. Yes, it Has.


That is the answer, of course. The question would be: "Has it really been nine years?"

Throw in a few leap years—three, to be exact—and tack on today's entry as the start of a new cycle, and that makes 3,289 daily posts since A Family Tapestry launched on Mother's Day, May 8, 2011.

I blame my mother. She just had too many stories of family to not pass them along. And I'm afraid I got her writer's gene, too—that compelling urge to write, no matter whether anyone else would have been interested. It's a way of creating history in its own right—leaving some breadcrumbs scattered along the trail with the hopes that, eventually, some hungry someone would come along and notice.

Encouragingly, people have come along to take a look—get in touch, even. Those of us who really want to know about our family history have a way of finding each other, even if it is only virtual and transient. The ability to reach out and touch someone is infinitely easier, now that we have the Internet to deliver our messages—and Google to sort them all out.

Whether there will be another nine years in this blogger's future, I can't guarantee, though I am fairly certain that the research will always continue. There is something so fascinating about learning other people's stories. Maybe it's an offshoot of learning how to empathize. "Junkman Froggett" taught me that lesson, only a few days ago.

Whether I manage to discover how to tie up the loose threads in my current research dilemma—whether the Rileys I found in Indiana are the same as the Rileys I discovered, back in their old home in Tennessee—I can't yet be sure. That's one hazard of blogging under the alternate persona of the Genealogical Guinea Pig. Taking one day to celebrate one's existence, plus a weekend to recuperate, may, or may not, enable me to come up with the answer by next Monday.



Above: Every time I review blog posts from that initial year of writing, the first item I see is the post containing this painting, a 1898 oil on canvas by German artist Lesser Ury called "Woman at Writing Desk." It struck me that, when I am seated, I have always sat exactly in that fashion—perched at the very edge of the chair, focused on work. Even though I seldom even sit when working now—I use a standing desk—the place where I work is situated much like the room portrayed in this picture: the piano behind me, and the screened-in double doors leading to our front deck wide open to let in the light. Perhaps what draws us to others' work contains a factor of what we appreciate the most, ourselves.

11 comments:

  1. Congratulations on your blog anniversary! I love your writings.

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    1. Thanks, Miss Merry! And you've been such an encouragement!

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  2. Your blog is epic. Inspirational. Thanks for keeping it up all these years. Today is my own mother's birthday, and I always think of her when I work on my genealogy/history projects. And when I am washing dishes :-)

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    1. Interesting that you mention washing dishes, Lisa. I sometimes wonder whether the "white noise" of running water enables the mind to wander to fascinating places in its thoughts. Or is it just the occurrence of Mother's Day which bids us turn our minds back to our moms? Like your mother, mine had a birthday close to Mother's Day, as well.

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  3. Happy Blogiversary! I don't think I knew that you started just after I did, though you have been wonderfully prolific - much more than I. Keep it up!

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    1. Elizabeth, somehow in the far reaches of my memory, I think I knew--but somehow forgot--that you and I started blogging about the same time.

      I see now on your own blogiversary post that you also have been focusing on descendancy research for DNA purposes, so helpful for making those DNA cousin connections. Best wishes for your continued blogging, as well!

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  4. Congratulations! Nine years is quite an accomplishment! Happy Mother's Day this weekend!

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    1. Thank you, Far Side! You have no idea how much of an encouragement to me you have been, since the very beginning!

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  5. Congratulations on 9 years, Jacqi. I really enjoy your posts and musings.

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    1. Thanks, Linda! And here's hoping that someday, somewhere, we'll cross paths at a real, live, in-person genealogy conference again!

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  6. Happy Blogiversary, Jacqi. Sorry I'm late in wishing, but I read my blog posts in Feedly and sometimes get too busy and fall behind. We've been blogging the same amount of time but you are much more dedicated. I really miss the images of paintings you used to use in your blog posts.

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