Historical-Matters.com http://historical-matters.com/blog Just another WordPress weblog Tue, 11 Nov 2008 15:20:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 en What happened to Thanksgiving? http://historical-matters.com/blog/2008/11/11/what-happened-to-thanksgiving/ http://historical-matters.com/blog/2008/11/11/what-happened-to-thanksgiving/#comments Tue, 11 Nov 2008 15:20:00 +0000 Mary http://historical-matters.com/blog/?p=37 In yesteryear we had three holidays, about a month apart: Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Now we have “Hallothankmas” from September until the end of the year. Halloween decorations appear Labor Day in stores. The day after Halloween, the Christmas decorations and Christmas sales start. What happened to Thanksgiving? 

We’re in danger of loosing a precious family holiday! Our extended family gathered at grandmother’s kitchen for a feast and to catch up with each other. After the meal, the menfolk gathered around the radio, the women in the kitchen to clean up and the cousins held forth on the front porch. Today most of the family is scattered across the country. Grandmother, the aunts and uncles, and some of the cousins are long gone to the ancestors. But we can keep the spirit aflame in our hearts and in our own homes!

Gather your loved ones together this year and while you’re feasting, remember the extended family.

And may your favorite football team win! Go Sooners!

 

]]> http://historical-matters.com/blog/2008/11/11/what-happened-to-thanksgiving/feed/ Only 18 copies of the Kansas guide left! http://historical-matters.com/blog/2008/11/03/only-18-copies-of-the-kansas-guide-left/ http://historical-matters.com/blog/2008/11/03/only-18-copies-of-the-kansas-guide-left/#comments Tue, 04 Nov 2008 01:04:51 +0000 Mary http://historical-matters.com/blog/?p=36 There are only 18 copies of the Guide to Genealogical and Historical Research in Kansas. Don’t be left out! Order from Historical Matters, 259 N. Kansas Ave., Salina, KS 67401 or e-mail me.

]]> http://historical-matters.com/blog/2008/11/03/only-18-copies-of-the-kansas-guide-left/feed/ Democracy, voters and the public purse http://historical-matters.com/blog/2008/11/03/democracy-voters-and-the-public-purse/ http://historical-matters.com/blog/2008/11/03/democracy-voters-and-the-public-purse/#comments Mon, 03 Nov 2008 17:38:55 +0000 Mary http://historical-matters.com/blog/?p=35 A quote attributed to Alexander Taylor, a Scottish history professor in 1787, after his study of the ancient democracies: “A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority will always vote for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasure, with the result that every demoncracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship.”

Whatever your political philosphy, exercise your right to vote November 4. The fate of our nation is in our hands!

 

]]> http://historical-matters.com/blog/2008/11/03/democracy-voters-and-the-public-purse/feed/ Look for new articles coming to Notes That Matters http://historical-matters.com/blog/2008/11/02/look-for-new-articles-coming-to-notes-that-matters/ http://historical-matters.com/blog/2008/11/02/look-for-new-articles-coming-to-notes-that-matters/#comments Mon, 03 Nov 2008 00:56:01 +0000 Mary http://historical-matters.com/blog/?p=34 Bloggers,

My very capable and charming web designer, Linda Woodward Geiger, will be posting my published articles to my website URL http://historical-matters.com in the next few days. Drop by and check ‘em out.

]]> http://historical-matters.com/blog/2008/11/02/look-for-new-articles-coming-to-notes-that-matters/feed/ Vital record found in Southern Claims Commission file http://historical-matters.com/blog/2008/10/29/vital-record-found-in-southern-claims-commission-file/ http://historical-matters.com/blog/2008/10/29/vital-record-found-in-southern-claims-commission-file/#comments Wed, 29 Oct 2008 13:38:38 +0000 Mary http://historical-matters.com/blog/?p=33 For years, I have been taught that you won’t find vital records in federal records. Wrong! I ordered the disallowed Southern Claims Commission file for Harmon Mickle, one of my ancestors [$450]. In one of the depositions, I found reference to a 3rd marriage for his mother-in-law, Johanna [surname unknown] McSweeney Harland LEWIS. Johanna had dropped off the face of the earth in Sebastian County Arkansas after the 1850 census. I could find her children, but not her. Now I know why — she remarried! Now it’s back to Ft. Smith and Greenwood to find what happened to her. Yes, there are two courthouses in Sebastian County. Forthunately they’re not too far apart with modern transportation. Or maybe, considering the price of gas, I’ll just write, hmm.

]]> http://historical-matters.com/blog/2008/10/29/vital-record-found-in-southern-claims-commission-file/feed/ Any recipes out there for chowchow in small quantities http://historical-matters.com/blog/2008/10/28/any-recipes-out-there-for-chowchow-in-small-quantities/ http://historical-matters.com/blog/2008/10/28/any-recipes-out-there-for-chowchow-in-small-quantities/#comments Wed, 29 Oct 2008 03:22:18 +0000 Mary http://historical-matters.com/blog/?p=32 We had a hard freeze last night and my three tomato vines bit the dust. Now I have about a gallon of tomatoes in various shades of green to almost red. Does anyone out there have a recipe for a small batch of chowchow or green tomato relish. The ones on the Internet make such large quantities.

]]> http://historical-matters.com/blog/2008/10/28/any-recipes-out-there-for-chowchow-in-small-quantities/feed/ A new insight in program critiques http://historical-matters.com/blog/2008/10/28/a-new-insight-in-program-critiques/ http://historical-matters.com/blog/2008/10/28/a-new-insight-in-program-critiques/#comments Wed, 29 Oct 2008 03:19:59 +0000 Mary http://historical-matters.com/blog/?p=31 I spent a lot of time a couple of weeks ago designing what I thought was a very good program critique with yes/no answers and a request for comments. The first time I used it, I got really good input only from fellow presenters in the audience. I got two or three comment I can use from the participants. Most opted for the yes/no boxes. The next one will have no yes/no boxes, only open ended questions. I don’t know whether the design was faulty or the participants just don’t have a clue how to answer the questions.

What has been the experience of those of you teaching across the US? E-mail me or post to APG mail list.

]]> http://historical-matters.com/blog/2008/10/28/a-new-insight-in-program-critiques/feed/ My next project http://historical-matters.com/blog/2008/10/27/my-next-project/ http://historical-matters.com/blog/2008/10/27/my-next-project/#comments Mon, 27 Oct 2008 17:11:32 +0000 Mary http://historical-matters.com/blog/?p=30 My next project will be developing a program on women homesteaders.

That’s right after I get caught up with everything that’s piled on my desk. (very big grin)

]]> http://historical-matters.com/blog/2008/10/27/my-next-project/feed/ GEN 200 Kinship Theory: Part I http://historical-matters.com/blog/2008/10/27/gen-200-kinship-theory-part-i/ http://historical-matters.com/blog/2008/10/27/gen-200-kinship-theory-part-i/#comments Mon, 27 Oct 2008 17:09:44 +0000 Mary http://historical-matters.com/blog/?p=29 GEN 200 Kinship Theory: Part I is a fairly new class offered by Akamai University as part of their genealogy degree program. Taught by Caroline Earle Billingsley, Ph.D. and professional genealogist, students will learn how to unify history, genealogy, and kinship theory. Applying these three disciplines to the five main areas of family history research: (1) migration, (2) settlement patterns, (3) marriage and naming patterns, political and economic class status, and (5) religion, gives you a deeper understanding of your ancestors not in evidence by studying the families separately.

This is a college class, meaning you use both Evidence Explained and Turabian’s Manual for Writers … for citations. Turabian is a standard humanities version of EE which is genealogy-specific. Class is based on a semester time frame. You determine when the semester starts. However, once you pay your fee, you have 16 weeks to complete the course. You work on your own time, at home, using electronic means to collaborate with the instructor. Communities of Kinship by Billingsley is required reading for this class (and should be for every genealogist). Other readings are light and pertinent to the study. Most of the work and most of your learning experience comes from writing your research paper. Since I wasn’t using my own genealogy, I worked a little harder, because I had to enter data into FTM for 6 families. Had I been working from my own families, this work would have already been done.

I highly recommend this class, especially for learning how to work around brick walls and road blocks.

]]> http://historical-matters.com/blog/2008/10/27/gen-200-kinship-theory-part-i/feed/ Kansas research guide almost gone! http://historical-matters.com/blog/2008/10/27/kansas-research-guide-almost-gone/ http://historical-matters.com/blog/2008/10/27/kansas-research-guide-almost-gone/#comments Mon, 27 Oct 2008 16:47:13 +0000 Mary http://historical-matters.com/blog/?p=28 If you haven’t already purchased your copy of Guide to Genealogical & Historical Research in Kansas, do so immediately! There’s only 30 copies left.

Wouldn’t this make a nice Christmas present for someone on your list?

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