I am pretty new at blogging. I’ve very quickly discovered that if you have an interest, there’s probably a blog for that. I started my Facebook page for Genealogy Lady last July. This was not my first Facebook page. I have my personal Facebook page and one for my fibre arts business (sewing and knitting). I tried starting a couple smaller genealogy pages, mostly dealing with the descendants of one specific ancestor. I consider them to be my stepping stones. I eventually deleted both of them and combined all my genealogy onto one page. Once I started the Genealogy Lady page, I began to look at who else had genealogy related pages.  There are other genealogists, genealogical and historical societies, libraries; you name it! I started liking pages that interested me. It’s basically the same thing with blogging. Once I find a blog I like, I want to come back every day and follow them.

The first blog I ever started to follow was The Legal Genealogist. We all know how much she rocks! Since I am going to be starting Boston University’s Genealogy certificate program in January, I feel like I’m getting a head start on some of the legal issues I might run into as a professional genealogist. Judy’s blog is one that I read every day. I’ve even been brave enough to make a couple comments.

Once I started publishing my blog, I developed a small fan base, i.e. MY FOLLOWERS!  It still amazes me that someone actually reads what I write every day, or at the very least, occasionally. I’ve clicked on the links to the people who liked my posts. I’ve found several people who have similar blogs to my own, at least in theme and scope. I now follow about 20+ blogs on a daily basis at this point. Two of the blogs I would like to mention are Masako and Spam Musubi and A Hundred Years Ago.

In Masako and Spam Musubi, Mustang.Koji talks about the experiences of his Japanese American relatives who fought on both sides of the Pacific during World War II. I find his blog is a nice compliment to mine. He gives me another perspective of life during World War II. As I write about the experiences of a country doctor from Indiana, Koji writes about the heroism of his uncles as they served their countries,the prejudices they endured as well as the sufferings of the Nisei and the non military members of his family. As a California transplant, the plight of Japanese Americans is a part of our American history that I did not learn about until adulthood. The subject was not covered much in my Massachusetts history classes.

In A Hundred Years Ago, Sheryl transcribes and writes about the entries from her grandmother’s diary. She posts each entry exactly one hundred years after it was written and then includes a modern commentary of the events. She also draws on contemporary sources to document the diary. I wish I had the forethought to align my grandparents’ letters to the actual calendar days that they were written. Since there are so many of the letters, it probably wouldn’t have worked out in the end.

My grandfather’s letters are in a bit of a loop at the moment. Several of the same themes are being repeated over and over. My grandmother’s impending visit is taking up a lot of paper as well as the attempts to locate Uncle Jim. This letter did provide me with a bit of medical jargon which was surprisingly easy to interpret.  There are about five more letters until my grandmother finally arrives in Norfolk!

Letter transcription:

Sun A.M.

Dear Mother,

Received your letter last night about 9:00 P.M. I’ll try and see what I can do with that card and then send it back – so that you may drive down if you can make good arrangements. You shouldn’t try to make the trip too fast. Just take it easy. Of course I’ll be off Sat. P.M. – but you can get here sun if you can’t make it Sat. You can let me know later in the week. Which ever way you come Telegraph me as to about the time you’ll arrive especially if you come on the train. If you should come in the car and get here during the day come to the house first because you can’t come into the base without a pass.

(page 2) you can get 50 gallons of gas per mo. without an X card. So if you inquired ahead and got a big tank full. Then you would have enough to make it on in.

I haven’t been able to contact Jim as yet. I’ve called out there but they can’t locate him by telephone-And on thurs-I wrote him a letter and still no answer. Maybe he has been transferred.

This Mrs. Ahern was getting Theobromine sod[ium] acetate¹, Ammonium Chloride² and digitalis. If Art still has some you might send some but if not return her money and tell her to see a Dr. there. That probably would be the best thing to do.

In case thisI don’t get this registration card back in time go to Joe and have him make out a duplicate. I may write more later

Love Daddy

Notes:

1. Information on Theobromine sodium acetate can be found here.
2. Ammonium Chloride is used as an expectorant in cough medicine. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ammonium_chloride)

©2012, copyrighted & written by Deborah Sweeney