A Simple Christmas by Mike Huckabee

Huckabee, Mike. A Simple Christmas: Twelve Stories That Celebrate the True Holiday Spirit. New York: Sentinel, 2009.

I really enjoyed this collection of stories from Governor Huckabee's life that remind us that sometimes simple is better. They also show us the depth of his faith in Jesus Christ. They challenge us to remember the true meaning of Christmas. One of my favorite portions of the book was the introduction. I would have enjoyed hearing him preach that message! Throughout the book, the Governor made reference to many members of his family. As a genealogist, I wanted to go hunting for his ancestors as most of his information on the distant generations appears to have been passed down through oral tradition rather than having been properly documented. I still loved the stories of his family and of himself. One of the most touching stories involved the last days of a family member who died to cancer. Having lost my mother to cancer in the last year, I found myself in tears in that section. While I doubt liberal Democrats would enjoy the book, I do think there are many other classes of persons to whom this book would appeal. The stories are touching. It's a great Christmas read! (4 stars)

The Piano Teacher by Lynn York

York, Lynn. The Piano Teacher. New York: Penguin, 2004.

Miss Wilma is a small town piano teacher in North Carolina. Her daughter Sarah and granddaughter Starling arrive for an unexpected visit. Her son-in-law Harper and Jonah Branch turn up just as the body of an officer is found -- just in time for Jonah to be accused of the murder. Sarah, her mother, and her mother's friend are convinced of Jonah's innocence and must work to prove it before Jonah lands behind bars for good. I really wanted to like this book, but it just didn't grip me. I liked Miss Wilma's character well enough, but the story line just didn't hold me. There was also a thread early in the novel about a piano student auditioning that just kind of fizzled out in the midst of the book with absolutely no resolution. I was more interested in this thread about the promising piano student than about the murder investigation so it left me unsatisfied. (3 stars)

Reflections on Genealogy Blogs & This Blog

Most of you are aware that it's voting time for Family Tree Magazine's favorite blogs. As I began to go through the choices -- and yes, I loaded every blog to give all those with which I was unfamiliar as well as those I read regularly an equal chance, I noticed some trends. I tended to not vote for blogs which had almost meme-related posts exclusively. With the Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories in full swing, I had to scroll back all the way to November to see non-meme posts for some blogs to see what those writers I did not regularly read brought to blogging which was unique. Blogs that only posted to memes such as the tombstone and wordless ones showed little creativity in my opinion. Blogs with super long entries also did not fare well in my voting. With the number of blogs that I try to read, it would be impossible to read entries like that on a daily basis -- especially if they were not immediately relevant to my own research or to areas in which I spend a great deal of time researching. Blogs that focused almost exclusively on reviews also did not get my vote. I think I've seen too many software reviews lately. One blog that I used to read regularly and enjoyed is so full of software reviews now that I've considered dropping it from my feed reader. It used to be more eclectic in nature.

I haven't been blogging as much lately. There are a variety of reasons contributing to my lack of blogging . . . other priorities, illness in the family, blogging burnout, and working on client research rather than my own. I have good intentions, and I know I need to get back to it, but I haven't. I also noticed signs of this same problem among some of the blogs that were nominated. One blog (which used to be a favorite) had not been updated in the last calendar year. I've at least written a handful of posts in that time. Others were infrequent, having only a handful of posts as well. Other blogs seem to be suffering a little "fatigue." They aren't quite as engaging as they once were. It's as though they were writing out of a sense of obligation rather than having something about which they are excited to share. I'll also confess a little secret to you. I hate the word "geneablog." I prefer to use the phrase "genealogy blog" or "family history blog," a term which is much more likely to be utilized by those looking for genealogy-related blogs than an invented term. I know that the English language is evolving, but that's one term that I'd rather have omitted from dictionaries. It's so prevalent that its use will be continued in genealogy blogging circles regardless of my thoughts on the matter. I think the one thing that bugs me about the use of the term is that I feel "trapped" by it. When I began Smoky Mountain Family Historian back in June of 2004, my intent was never to blog exclusively about genealogy. My intent was to blog about anything that interested me or caught my attention. It was to be a reflection of my whole person. I often shared reviews of books that I read. I shared things about my cat. I shared other things. In order to recapture my enthusiasm, I'm going back to my original intent for this blog. You are going to see many aspects of my life as well as glimpses into my genealogical research. I hope that this change back to the original direction of my blog does not cause you to leave. I just need to recapture my enthusiasm for blogging!

The Picky Eater

Yes. There truly is one in every family. It's impossible for our family to create a meal without alternatives around the holidays. It's not the older generation that is the problem. It's the ones under age 35. Turkey . . . fortunately most of the family will eat this. Of course, it is my cat Brumley's favorite part of the holiday meal. Cornbread dressing . . . only those over age 35 will eat this. Fortunately those of us over 35 don't mind because it leaves more for us (until we've had it as leftovers for a 3rd time). Cranberry sauce . . . This is a tricky one. My dad, my brothers, and I will eat this. Mom always served the jellied kind out of the can. I prefer making it myself, but the family eats the jellied kind better because of tradition . . . so I usually suffer. Rolls . . . this is one item everyone will eat. Green beans . . . generally speaking, it's those of us who are older who eat this, but I was shocked when, at Thanksgiving, one of my nephews actually put some on his plate. He didn't eat a lot of green beans, but he ate a few. There may be hope for that younger generation yet. Sweet potato casserole . . . some will eat; some won't. Cheesy potato casserole . . . one of my newer favorite dishes. We started making it because one of my nieces really liked it. We're not sure if she knew it had onions in it when we first started serving it, but she does now, and she still eats it. Mashed potatoes . . . served as an alternative for those who won't eat the cheesy potato casserole and/or dressing. Fruit salad . . . another food that everyone will eat. Carrots with ranch dressing . . . for my youngest niece who is now a senior in high school. Pecan pie, Pumpkin pie, Cheesecake supreme . . . everyone will eat at least one of the choices offered (although why some of my nieces and nephews would ever eat the boxed cheesecake you buy at the grocery store after eating the homemade variety we serve, I don't understand). Chocolate . . . Can you believe that I have a niece who won't eat chocolate? We even have Swiss ancestry!!!!! She needs to learn to embrace her inner Swiss. I always tease her that I'm not sure we're related. Of course, we have coated pretzels, fudges, cheese balls, summer sausages, and other things to munch on during the holidays as well.

SNGF: Where the Blame Lies

This week's Saturday night genealogy fun challenge is:

1) Read Brenda Joyce Jerome's post Who or What Do You Blame? on the Western Kentucky Genealogy blog. She asks these questions:

* Can you identify person or event that started you on this search for family information?

* Did you pick up researching where a relative had left off?

* Did your interest stem from your child's school project on genealogy?

* If you have been researching many years, it may be hard to pinpoint one reason for this journey.

2) Write your responses on your own blog, in a comment to this blog post, or in a note or comment on Facebook.

Now, I can honestly say that I'm the only one to blame for my own genealogy addiction.

When I began researching genealogy that I knew of no other relatives who had researched a single thing about our family. We had no school projects on genealogy. The only thing I knew is that my Mom had always wanted to know something more about her great grandfather Walton Harris. At the time I began researching, I was living in Cincinnati. I knew that it was one of the top genealogical libraries in the country. I just decided to try my hand at it -- a surprise for Mom. It didn't take me long to move to other branches of my family. I found more interesting lines and pursued those. I was shocked when I discovered New England ancestry. I'd grown up in Mississippi and never imagined that I'd discover ancestors in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. However, my New England ancestors are by far my most interesting ones. In those early years, when I got discouraged on a Southern brick wall, I'd always turn to my interesting New England ancestors which would put me back in the discovery phase and get me past the feeling of being defeated by a particularly difficult brick wall challenge.

I mentioned that when I started that I knew of no one else in the family who had researched the family. I did learn about some who had after I started. I learned that Mom and Nanny (Mom's mom) had gone to the courthouse in Pulaski, Tennessee (Giles County) only to be told that all the records had perished in a fire. I'm really not sure who they talked to, but there are quite a few records which did survive. They just found an unhelpful clerk on that date.

I also learned that Mom's Aunt Marie had researched the Lantz and Taylor lines fairly extensively. However, by the time I discovered this, I already had these lines well under way with much of the same documentation she had. I've never actually seen Aunt Marie's research, but her granddaughter has much of it, and I've corresponded with her.

Someone on the Thornton line had done a little bit of research too because the reunion booklet shows signs that some research was done, even though it was not documented. I'm still not sure who compiled the information in that older booklet, but I do know that Dad's first cousin took it and researched some more -- as did I.

I later found another Hester researcher who had more information on descendants of other branches than I did. (Of course, I was able to help her get forward on some of the ones she didn't have as well fleshed-out.)

However, I was addicted before I made the discoveries of other researchers -- and I have no one to blame for myself!

An Interesting Family

I stumbled across a rather interesting family (at least according to the online family trees which are in various states of documentation ranging from none to mediocre). I had copied various Harris and Davis marriages from the Lincoln County index in Mrs. Harry Kennett McAdams' book Kentucky Pioneer and Court Records: Abstracts of Early Wills, Deeds and Marriages from Court Houses and Records of Old Bibles, Churches, Grave Yards and Cemeteries (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1961). One of the marriages was for a Samuel Harris to an Elizabeth Van Cleve on 25 October 1784. (p. 112) I will admit that this Samuel Harris is in Kentucky earlier than my family appears to have been.

I decided to see if I could find anyone researching this couple in an effort to discover how these families might or might not be related to my Harris and Davis families. As I inserted the couple in a search in WorldConnect (http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/), I came up with something quite interesting just from the locations mentioned for Samuel's birth and death. Samuel was said to have been born 20 Nov 1763 in Bechman Twp., Dutchess Co., N.Y. I recognized that immediately as the area where the Beekman Patent was. At least one tree stated that he was born in neighboring Nine Partners rather than Bechman Twp., but it was still in the area. There is a note in one tree that states he was a member of the Reformed Dutch Church. His death location was listed as Pleasant Hill, Mercer Co., Ky. I immediately recognized this as what we call "Shakertown." In fact, some of the trees elaborated a bit more on this connection. It appears that Samuel and his wife Elizabeth, said to have been a North Carolina native, became Shakers in 1806. Seven children were listed in one of the trees, and it was noted that all of their sons eventually left the Shakers, but that the daughters remained. Samuel and his wife Elizabeth are said to be buried in unmarked graves at Shakertown.

I found this connection between the Beekman Patent and Shakertown to be very interesting. I'd love to do further research on this family to try to prove or disprove the claims made in the online trees.

Things That Make You Go Hmmm . . .

In the process of my efforts to make sure all my notes, photocopies, etc. are filed in a more easily retrievable manner, I began tackling a notebook that contained some of my earliest attempts in genealogy. This particular notebook contains information from at least three families that were connected with each other. I've not worked on one of the families in at least a dozen years (maybe even longer). As I am going through the materials, I'm trying to see what is in my database and what isn't, if it pertains directly, in an identifiable manner to my direct or collateral lines, and add it if necessary. For things that were attempts to crack the brick wall on this line, I'm going back to try to annotate some of the research so that I can see if I can make it a bit more meaningful to try to get past the brick wall, and typing it up (with footnotes) to get it in a more retrievable format. I've come across some interesting things.

I had handwritten notes on notebooks in 3 ring binders without reinforcements. I've discovered a page of notes with the bibliographic information missing on one of the items. What I do know about the source is that on pages 143-147 (at the very minimum) is a list of early marriages of Cumberland County, Kentucky. My notes indicate that the source stated that the county was formed in 1798 and included large parts of several counties, one of which was Wayne County. I also have a note that the list that follows was made by Mrs. Nora C. McGee before the courthouse fire of 1933. (I've summarized for you here, but I had the actual wording in my notes.) Then I included the marriages for two surnames that I was researching in Wayne County. Oh, how I wish I'd known then to make sure that the source information appeared on each page that I wrote by hand. I sent an e-mail to a couple of friends who do a great deal of research in Kentucky. I mentioned to them that I'd probably gotten it from the Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County. I also mentioned that if they couldn't identify the source that I'd have to hope that either the McClung Collection or Tennessee State Library & Archives had it. One of them quickly replied that it was not one source and that it was probably another which was available at TSLA. To look at that source is now on my "to do" list for my October visit to TSLA.

Since I'm trying to identify the parents of Dicey Davis who married Charles Harris in Wayne County in 1811, I thought it might be helpful if I looked at some online family trees to see if any of them could shed some light on some of the marriages that I had collected. We all know how entertaining some of those trees can be, especially the undocumented ones. For example, I found the same marriage attributed to one husband who was said to have belonged to different sets of parents. I was attempting to locate a Marice Carter who married a Betsey Harris 10 Dec 1806 in Cumberland Co., Ky. I found a Morris Veale Carter, who married a Nancy Brown in 1813 in Nelson Co., Ky., whose parents were listed by one researcher as Edward Carter and Margaret Mason, but by most researchers (including ones with a greater degree of documentation) as Peter Carter and Amelia Veale. None of these trees identify an earlier marriage to a Betsey/Elizabeth Harris, but at least I have an annotation about it which might help in unpuzzling something in the future.

Then you have the cases of the underage marriages. Did an 18-year-old man marry a 10-11 year old girl as one tree seemed to indicate in the marriage of Robert Davis to Sally Smith in Lincoln County, Kentucky in 1796? The tree, which lacks documentation, states that Robert was born in 1778 and was the son of Robert Davis and Jane Jopling. It states that Sally was born in 1785/86 to Martin Smith and Hannah/Joannah Stephens. Do we have incorrect birth dates? Or is this a case of misidentifying the wife? Or did an 18 year old really marry and underage girl? Once again, I have an annotation with plenty of questions for further research attached to this one for further investigation.

I'm not a person who uses online family trees as a source for a final report. I'd much prefer to get as close to the original records as possible. These trees only provide clues for me. I want to see if I can build the families from the original records. I just need to know what other people are saying about the relationships and see if I come to the same conclusions from my own research. If there are disagreements between my conclusions and theirs, can I resolve the conflicts? This is a case where my annotated notes will prove more helpful than my genealogy software. I have not identified any of these families as my own, although they are in the same area as my families.

Another Book Has Arrived

As I was reading reviews at work the other day, I ran across a review of Middling Folk: Three Seas, Three Centuries, One Scots-Irish Family by Linda H. Matthews. (Chicago: Chicago Review Press, 2010).

I'm excited about this book because it's published by a press known for good literary works. This is definitely a history of the Hammill Family who came from Scotland. It is divided into five parts:

Part I: The Hammill Family in Scotland and Ireland
Part II: Charles County, Maryland, 1725-1778
Part III: Prince William County, Virginia, 1778-1845
Part IV: Prince William County, Virginia, 1845-1896
Part V: The Hammill Family in the Far Northwest, 1880-1928

I'm really looking forward to reading this book. The "blurb" on the dust jacket is a sentiment that many of us share about our own families that we have researched:

Matthews combines meticulous research and deft storytelling to show how the Scots-Irish Hammills--millers, wagon makers, and blacksmiths--lived out their lives against a backdrop of the American Revolution, the Civil War, and westward expansion. Readers will come away with a newfound respect for the ordinary families who helped shape this country and managed to hold their own through turbulent times.

The UPS Man Arriveth

I just love it when the UPS man comes to my house. He brings packages with such interesting things. Today's delivery was a book I'd ordered from Amazon.

Rohrer, S. Scott. Wandering Souls: Protestant Migrations in America, 1630-1865. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2010.

The book addresses migrations of several religious groups over the period of time mentioned in the title. The first chapter deals with the Puritans. The second with the Anglicans of Virginia. The third with the Scots-Irish Presbyterians. [The author of the book called them Scotch-Irish. I remember being told that Scotch is something you drink or a brand of tape. People from Scotland are Scots. However, most of us realize that we have to live with both spellings for this ethnic group.] The fourth chapter deals with Pietists (such as the Moravians). The fifth chapter deals with Methodists, specifically in the area that became Ohio. The sixth chapter deals with Baptists and Congregationalists. The sixth chapter deals with the Amana Colony in Iowa. The seventh chapter deals with the Mormons. I'm really looking forward to using this volume as I research my ancestors and the ancestors of others. I'm really glad that I stumbled across a reference to it the other day in a book review that crossed my desk at work.

Facebook Cousins

Yesterday morning, I decided to check Facebook before heading out to church. There was the beginning of a discussion on a photo that Pam Sayre had posted about a photograph of Linda Woodward Geiger and a Perkins cousin and his wife that she had met at the Museum of Appalachia during the FGS Conference in Knoxville. Linda had posted a comment about being descended from John Perkins and Judith Gater of Ipswich, Massachusetts. I quickly chimed in "Cousin Linda" for I, too, am descended from that couple. It wasn't long until Polly Kimmitt joined those claiming kinship. After comparing lines of descent, we discovered that Linda & I are 9th cousins once removed (with the common ancestor being the immigrant John Perkins and his wife Judith Gater), Polly & I are 9th cousins once removed (with the common ancestor being the immigrant's son John Perkins and his wife Elizabeth Evelith), and Linda & Polly are 9th cousins twice removed with the common ancestor being the immigrant once again. Since then, Bill West has also claimed to be our cousin. We'll have to calculate the degree of kinship when we have his line of descent. Now the really interesting thing was coming up with a way to cite a comment on a Facebook photograph that would meet Evidence Explained standards. I don't claim to have done it the way Elizabeth might have, but I came up with a way to do it since it is temporary documentation anyway (and not on my direct line).

Update (9/7/2010): Bill and me are 10th cousins once removed. Bill & Polly are 11th cousins. Bill and Linda are 9th cousins twice removed. Other Perkins cousins found are Melinde Lutz Sanborn, Natalie Cottrill, and Randy Seaver. We don't have enough info at the moment to calculate the degree of relationship to the last three. Natalie and Bill do share a descent through John & Judith's daughter Mary.

Update (9/9/2010): Randy Seaver and Linda are 9th cousins twice removed. Randy, Bill, and Polly are 11th cousins. Randy and me are 10th cousins once removed.

Sunday Ramblings

I've just returned from worship today. Our pastor is wonderful, and his message today was very uplifting. Only a few more hours until the launch of a new ministry for our teens with which I'll be working. It's called "Exalt!" and will involve praise and drama teams. I will be working with the praise teams.

I stopped at O'Charleys on the way home to grab a bite to eat. I ordered the black and blue salad, but I kind of feel that I was cheated on the blue part. The blue cheese crumbles were so fine inside the dressing that you couldn't even see them. If I had not tasted the flavor, I would not have known they were there. The steak was cooked as ordered and was tasty, although it was definitely not the best grade of meat available. The bacon crumbles were almost overpowering. I think I would have preferred their omission. I guess that it just wasn't like the black and blue salad I would have made!

My feet are beginning to recover from those concrete floors at the FGS Conference in Knoxville. I think that they'll be fine by next weekend.

I spent yesterday scanning 297 pages of documents that I photocopied on a recent research trip. I will be using these documents along with some other materials already in my possession and some research yet to be done to create an account for future publication. I'm just not sure yet how far into the future it will be, but I will be writing, documenting, and looking for any gaps in the narrative as I go.

I think it's about time for the Sunday afternoon nap! My cat has already begun his.

FGS 2010 Recap

I'd love to provide you with a nice long recap of the FGS Conference in Knoxville, but I expect that I would put most of you to sleep if you heard my recap. My duties as audiovisual chair kept me putting a lot of miles on my feet during the course of the conference. I was able to spend a little over four hours on Tuesday at the McClung Collection of the East Tennessee History Center, providing expert assistance for researchers. During "Focus on Societies" Day, I presented Organizing Your Society's Library and Archives. During the main part of the conference, I presented Appalachian Resources of the Appalachian College Association and Alabama Ancestral Sources. I was honored to have the author of one of the resources I mentioned as a general source in attendance at that last session. It was fun to meet a few genealogists that I only knew through Facebook, and it was fun spending time with so many that I only see once or twice each year. Everyone seemed to enjoy the restaurants on Market Square. I don't know if it still holds true, but I know that at one time Knoxville was said to have the most restaurants per capita. I think several of them were enjoyed by conference participants. It was exciting to have so many people enjoying this area. Participants also really seemed to enjoy the outing to the Museum of Appalachia. There was plenty of time to network while enjoying music and Appalachian heritage and culture. It will take my feet a couple of weeks to recover, but the conference was a huge success, so I guess the foot pain was worth it. I'm now back at work so I can get a little rest!

Booking Through Thursday: Evolving Reading Tastes

I spotted this meme over at the Should Be Reading blog:

Have your reading choices changed over the years? Or pretty much stayed the same?

They are not talking about differences between childhood and adulthood, but the reading choices that you make in adulthood. I do plan to comment a bit on my reading choices in my later elementary, middle, and high school years and how they evolved into some of my adult choices and then how my tastes have (or have not) changed.

In my later elementary years, I was hooked on the Hardy Boys series. I loved to follow Joe and Frank and all their sleuthing adventures. I basically loved any other book that involved a nice light mystery, although I never really read Nancy Drew. My brothers had owned some of the Hardy Boys series so I started with them and never really switched to Nancy. In fact, one of my classmates (who died earlier this week) was collecting the Hardy Boys books and often loaned his copies to me to read. As an adult, this love for the light mystery developed into a love of the cozy mystery. It's still one of my favorite genres -- but only if it is well-written. There are so many new cozy series that are developing right now that just are not that interesting or well-written. I guess that you could say that I'm more discriminating in series and know that I can't possibly read them all so I only read the ones which really appeal to me.

Beginning in middle school and lasting throughout high school, I developed a strong love for the "romantic suspense" genre. Some were marketed as "Gothic" novels, but the ones I really liked did not have (or at least I didn't notice) connections to the Occult. Most involved a woman who ended up at a country estate (or larger somewhat historic home). There would be something strange and life-endangering and the heroine would be both attracted to and frightened of a man whom she thought might be the one behind the problem. The first book I read in this genre was Phyllis Whitney's Window on the Square. I believe I was in about the fifth grade when I stumbled upon this book. I began reading other books by Whitney. Then I discovered Victoria Holt and others who wrote similar books. I checked them all out of our public library. This was back in the days when you signed the book cards. I used to looks for certain names on the cards to know if I might like the book. This genre has almost disappeared (or at least I only see a handful of books in the review sources). In my adulthood, I think this particular taste evolved into books (especially mysteries) that were set in English country estates and even into books that evoked English village life. (I think I enjoyed the setting the most about the romantic suspense books.)

During high school, especially during the summer months, I received huge quantities of Harlequin and Silhouette romances that had their covers removed. I know now that these had been reported as being destroyed, but I was a voracious reader, and it kept me occupied. I would often read two a day. I never was a huge fan of the romance, but I loved the settings -- Greek Islands, coastal locations in the U.S., Hawaii, etc. As an adult, I rarely read the romance. I'm not even a huge fan of "chick lit." What I do enjoy is a good travel narrative! I also enjoy reading books set in a variety of places.

Now, let's take a look at some of my reading tastes as an adult. In my early adult years, I read a vast amount of Christian fiction. It was a fairly new genre at the time, because prior to that most Christian fiction was a somewhat fictionalized biography of some Biblical character. I guess that I had read Eugenia Price books in high school, but I really think the birth of Christian fiction as a genre occurred with the publishing of Janette Oke's books. I used to read lots of Christian fiction books, but I got tired of them. It was the same formula over and over, and for many of them, the incorporation of the plan of salvation at the end of the book seemed rather forced. I won't say that I've entirely given up the genre, because there is an occasional Christian writer who writes well. If a plot sounds like something I would enjoy, I might give the author a try, but I'm not likely to give them a second chance if the writing does not measure up. It's just not a genre that I frequently read.

As far as mysteries go, I am much more diverse in my reading. I still don't really like hard-boiled novels, but I do like police procedurals as much as the cozy featuring the amateur sleuth. In recent years, I've begun to really enjoy some of the Scandinavian mysteries that are increasing in popularity with American readers. British ones are among my favorites.

I've always had a love for history. As an adult that love has increased. I read far more true histories now than historical novels as I did several years ago. I guess I'd rather make sure that the facts are there and properly documented!

I've also become more adventurous in my reading. Part of this is because a friend and I regularly exchange books. She has introduced me to some wonderful authors, and I've introduced her to some as well. The two of us decided to participate in some of the LibraryThing challenges. To complete some of the challenges, we are stretching our boundaries and discovering books that we otherwise would never have discovered. We both discovered a wonderful Canadian book called Mrs. Mike that is reminiscent of some of the prairie romances that are set in America. We've discovered other Canadian authors that we would not have discovered otherwise. The Europe Endless challenge encourages us to find a book set in every European country. We're really stretching in the boundaries here! Do you know how difficult it is to find books set in some of the smaller countries? The 1010 challenge encouraged us to read 10 books in 10 different categories for 2010. I have enjoyed this challenge and the discoveries of new authors. One of my categories is "Caribbean." I've read or will read books by authors such as Michelle Cliff, Jamaica Kincaid, and Andrea Levy that I otherwise might not have discovered.

I've discovered that I like diversity in my reading. I've got a huge to be read pile of to-be-read books with Asian (including some of the Asian Middle Eastern countries). I'm making Asia one of my categories in 2011. I had gotten turned off by mysteries featuring archaeologists a few years ago. (It was probably the presence of one snake too many. I really don't even remember now.) However, I've rediscovered these, and I have a lot of catching up to do. Many of these are some of the better-written mysteries out there.

So, yes, my reading has evolved over the years, but it has also stayed the same. I just have a more mature reading pattern that involves books written at more mature levels as well as those that are more "fluff."

Cite Your Sources

I just noticed an obituary on a genealogy blog copied and pasted from either Legacy.com or from the electronic edition of a newspaper which published the same version. The blogger did not include a link to the original location, nor did she include a source citation for where she obtained the item. The blogger is not giving credit where credit is due and is, therefore, guilty of plagiarism. As often as we hear the three words, "Cite your sources," in genealogical circles, you would think that the proper documentation would have been automatic.

I also just noticed a post by another genealogist who wishes that she had not shared information with another genealogical researcher. Why? Because that person had posted the information and photos shared without proper attribution. I wish I had a dollar for every time I've heard this sentiment echoed. I'd be a rich person. CITE YOUR SOURCES, people, CITE YOUR SOURCES.

William Terrance “Terry” Thornton (1939-2010)

We have lost a beloved educator, storyteller, and blogger. Terry was my second cousin once removed. His parents were Garfus Sherman Thornton and Letha Doris Hollingsworth Thornton. He was born and grew up in the Parham Community of Monroe County, Mississippi. He has immortalized this area through his blog, “Hill Country of Monroe County, Mississippi” and through his columns in the Monroe Journal bearing the same title. He graduated from Hatley High School and the University of Mississippi. He served as principal of Amory Middle School at one time and later went on to be a professor at Troy State University in Alabama. He retired to Rinnie, Tennessee, near Crossville. (He always did like those hills.) He later returned to Mississippi to be nearer his family, residing in Fulton in Itawamba County, just north of his beloved Monroe County. Terry’s wife Betty, sons Teb and Jim, and brother Sherman survive him.

Terry was a born storyteller. He loved to relate stories of the family. Several years ago, he started a newsletter for family members called “The Thornton News.” It was sent to all descendants of Richard Thornton and his elusive wife Agnes. [We’ve since determined that Agnes’ surname was Branum or Barnum.] In one of the earlier issues of that newsletter, he related why Monk Thornton had to move to Georgia. It was very entertaining. He also related the story of the “worm” (a moonshining term) that he later shared on his blog. We all looked forward to his contributions.

After the demise of the newsletter, he eventually turned to blogging to share his stories – not just with his own family, but with others as well. His gift of relating a story made his blog a favorite of many. He had a following, not only in the blogging community, but also in the “Hill Country” area. He was asked to share his stories with the readers of the Monroe Journal (a merger of the Amory Advertiser and Aberdeen Examiner). He did so in a biweekly column as long as he was able to continue.

Visitation will be Wednesday, 11 August 2010 from 5-7 p.m. (CDT) at E. E. Pickle Funeral Home in Amory, Mississippi. The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Thursday, 12 August 2010 at the funeral home with burial in Lann Cemetery following. [Terry shared a photo of his pre-need marker on his blog (complete with a bagpiper).]

Memorial gifts may be made to the Itawamba Historical Society of which he was a member. Address is P.O. Box 7, Mantachie, MS 38855.

His obituary and online guest book for those wishing to express condlences to the family are available here: http://www.legacy.com/funerals/eepicklefuneralhome-amory-smithville/obituary.aspx?n=william-terrance-thornton-terry&pid=144608502.

One more quick memory: Terry loved his catfish from Pickles on the Hill in Amory! He would have to stop there every chance he got!

Quick Update on Terry

William Terrance "Terry" Thornton died last night. E. E. Pickle Funeral Home in Amory, Mississippi is in charge of arrangements. There will be an online guest book for folks to send their condolences to the family. More later.

Pray for Terry

Many people in the genealogy community have appreciated Terry Thornton's Hill Country of Monroe County (and the predecessor). I've been struggling with whether or not to say anything or not, but I feel compelled to ask everyone to add Terry and his family to their prayer list. He's terminally ill and has only a short time to live. Terry & I have a common ancestor in James M. Thornton (1825-1913).

Cooling Off in East Tennessee

It's hot in East Tennessee. Many genealogists will be coming to this area in less than two weeks and might be looking for a way to cool off. I've come up with a solution -- tour a cave. In the Townsend area, you will find Tuckaleechee Caverns. It is open 7 days a week from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The temperature is 58 degrees year-round (even when the heat index exceeds 100 degrees as it has all this week). Another options is Forbidden Caverns. Located east of Sevierville near the community of Chestnut Hill, these caverns are also 58 degrees year-round. They are open daily except Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the months of April through November.

Books Featuring Genealogy

Last night, Bill West from over at West in New England mentioned in his Facebook status that Danielle Steel's new novel "features a heroine tracing her genealogy to solve a family mystery." The book entitled Legacy will be released 28 September 2010 according to Amazon.com. I don't normally read Danielle Steel's novels, but this is one that I'll be sure to check out of our library. The publisher's blurb even mentions that the heroine makes discoveries at Salt Lake City's renowned Family History Library.

I think that seeing this blurb really made me miss the Rett MacPherson cozy mystery series featuring Torie O'Shea. It's been a couple of years since Rett came out with a new novel in the series. I always eagerly awaited the next installment. When I noticed there were no forthcoming installments of the series on either the publisher's site or the author's site, I emailed the author awhile back. Her response indicated that she was spending her time on other things and not writing a novel at the present time. I was very sad. I keep hoping that she'll resume the series, but as the time passes so does the likelihood of that happening.

Over the years, there have been a number of short series featuring genealogists and several stand-alone or individual novels in a series featuring persons on a quest for their family's story. There are a number of sites online which list many of these titles although some are becoming slightly dated. I just wish that we had a current cozy mystery series that provided some escapist reading for those of us who enjoy family history. I hope someone will undertake the challenge of writing such a series. In the meantime, I will just have to enjoy books such as Danielle Steel's upcoming mystery (which I hope is well-done) to get my "fix" on genealogical escapism!

Two Weeks Until FGS

Two weeks from today, APG will be holding its Professional Management Conference in Knoxville, and two weeks from tomorrow, the Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference begins with its Focus on Societies Day. Many librarians have already pre-registered for the COMPLETELY FULL Librarians' Day which will be held at the Hilton on that day. All of us here in East Tennessee are looking forward to greeting all of you who are coming! I spent a good part of the afternoon at the Knoxville Convention Center ironing out a few last minute details with their wonderful staff. After that, I ran over to the East Tennessee History Center for a few minutes. I noticed that the museum gift shop is really filled with things that genealogists will enjoy purchasing! I stopped by Coolato Gelato which is just across Gay Street and barely down in the next block from the History Center to enjoy a small hazelnut gelato. On a day with a heat index of 103, the gelato really hit the spot! (Of course, I enjoy their gelato any time I have an opportunity to do so!) There's also a French Market Creperie, Lenny's Sub Shop, and the S & W Grand Cafe in this block. Knoxville's Market Square is actually a block nearer the convention center and offers many dining opportunities. Market Square Kitchen is known for its soups, but offers sandwiches and other foods as well. The Tomato Head is a local favorite. The offer vegetarian entrees as well. You can build your own salad at Trio Cafe. When you walk in, get one of the menu slips and pencils and circle the ingredients you want on your salad. They have other menu items as well. If you are in a Latin mood, try La Costa. It's gaining a great reputation and a strong following. In the hot weather, Rita's on Market Square is a popular place. They serve Italian Ice and Custard. Oodles Uncorked is another restaurant in Market Square. Be sure to check out the Market Square District Association page for more information on restaurants in Market Square and on Gay Street as well as other merchants in these areas.