A Welcomed Weekend

While we have a busy schedule this weekend we still have an opportunity to catch up on a few things. When we originally moved into our house we were able to get a pretty good handle on a few things but there have been a few places around our house that have been in need of our attention. The largest and most time consuming of which has been the organization and reorganization of our offices… they always seem to be the first things that are pushed down the list when something comes up.

Things have been so busy this summer that there hasn’t been much time on the weekends to spend as a family let alone get the things we want to get done around the house. While we don’t have the large blocks of time, I can see a few opportunities to tackle some of the disorganization that can be found around us. Now that things have been moved out of my wife’s office from the chaos of renovations last month and there is an extra bookcase in my office, there is an outside chance that we will be able to make some progress.

But even if that time evaporates and we find ourselves in the same situation come Monday morning, I am okay with that so long as we are able to spend the little free time that we have with our son. It is a new give and take that we continue to embrace, and sometimes fight, every weekend. There are moments when we wish we could have some space, have a break, just a little time to ourselves but there are also the moments when we could spend all day just watching our son in amazement occasionally looking at one another in disbelief that he is our little boy.

Just that simple fact makes me forget about all the things that need to be done. But we still need to make the time to take care of the house because when we aren’t overcome by the adorableness, we keep thinking about that list that does seem to want to go away. This weekend we hope to make those down moments a little easier and our list a little shorter. After all, like many things you just can’t put them off forever. Eventually that list needs to be taken care of so when we do have those moments to ourselves, we can enjoy the quiet and relaxation that those moments provide.

Sunday Search: Getting Involved

I have always been a firm proponent of getting involved. I don’t simply join something to be a member. At the same time, I also believe that if you want to learn you have to be active and pursue that knowledge to the best of your ability. This is the mentality that I had when I joined Rotary, when I submitted my petition to my Masonic lodge, and when I first submitted my application to join the Sons of the American Revolution. This past week I continued to live up to those personal expectations when I left the office a little early so that I could make it to my chapter’s executive committee meeting.

I simply don’t understand how many people can join an organization and not have any understanding of how it works. This was the best opportunity for me to get involved right away and try to educate myself regarding the process that are in place, how the chapter works, and what the plans are for the future. By the end of the evening, the meeting had well exceeded my expectations and I now feel confident that I will have a fairly broad base of knowledge regarding the organization in the very near future… more than what I learned from the fire hose on Monday night.  

Additionally, my fellow compatriots were eager to educate me and help me to get involved right away. With so many positions open in the coming year, and now with a better understanding of the requirements for each, I volunteered to step in where needed (and so long as they are comfortable with me in that particular office). After all, we all have an understanding of the importance of our heritage and family history and by putting ourselves out there and being a part of something greater than ourselves, we add our own intricacies to that history.

Of course, given the nature of this organization in particular, it is even more important for me to be involved. We served to honor the memories of our ancestors and we must continue to be involved in uncovering as much as we can about their lives and do our best to discover other patriots in our family tree so that we can honor them in the same way. I guess you could say that I am already involved and this is only the most recent means by which I can continue to unravel some of the mysteries in our genealogical story.

Sunday Search: Other Genealogy Groups

More piles of paperwork like this one should be expected...  

While I should hear back soon, I am still waiting to hear back from the Sons of the American Revolution regarding my application tracing back to John Redcross. As this process continues, I am looking into a variety of other genealogy, specifically hereditary and lineage based, organizations. The first group consists of those closely tied with the current outstanding application and the supporting documentation already compiled. This should streamline my application for the Sons of the Revolution. And while currently under consideration through a different line, it is possible that I may submit an additional application tracing back to John Redcross to the Monacan Indian Nation… we just need to find that one additional document!

Of course, while compiling the other supplemental applications to these aforementioned organizations, there is the possibility that I could uncover additional information prior to the revolution or find ancestors who served as commissioned officers. In these instances I will be sure to process additional applications to the Order of the Founders and Patriots of America, the National Society Sons of the American Colonists, The Society of the Cincinnati, and the General Society of Colonial Wars. All of these organizations have varying genealogical requirements so there really is no guarantee that I will be able to successfully gain membership but I can always try so long as I have the evidence to support my claim.

Given the broad history that we have uncovered in my family, on both sides, it is interesting to see where I can submit applications for membership. After all, not all lines can be traced back to the Revolution, or involvement thereof, so it is quite useful to have a number of other organizations to join for not only the purpose of enjoying the company of others with a common family history but also as a means to confirm and verify the research and genealogy work that we have done. Depending on the family line, there are a variety of other organizations for which I have already pulled together the necessary documentation which include the Society of the War of 1812 (Jacob Teaford), the Sons of Confederate Veterans (George William Clapsaddle), and the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (Jacob Worth).

The only other organization that offers some certainty as to whether or not we will be able to gain recognition is the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania which recognizes the First Families of Pennsylvania. This recognition is achieved by a “GSP member who can prove descent from a resident of what is now Pennsylvania” during one of the following time periods: Colony and Commonwealth: 1638–1790; Keystone and Cornerstone: 1791–1865; or, Pennsylvania Proud: 1866–1900. There are plenty of ancestral options on my mom’s side of the family and, surprisingly, a few possibilities on my dad’s side as well. These will, most likely, be submitted as I pull together information for some of the aforementioned organizations when there is an overlap in the genealogy.  

Those are the organizations where I have a certain level of confidence that I will, at one point or another, be submitting an application for membership. However, there are some other lines that I have been tracking which, while I have yet to fully document, could provide some additional opportunities to submit applications to the Military Order of the Stars and Bars (Confederate Officers), Aztec Club of 1847 (Mexican War), The Huguenot Society of America (French Huguenots), and the Saint Nicholas Society of the City of New York (ancestors living in New York prior to the Revolution). Again, I consider these the long shots but if the documentation is there I will gladly submit the applications.

Firearms Friday: Miscellaneous Parts

This summarizes the majority of the spare parts that I have... 

When sorting through the boxes, drawers, and safes around my work bench it is amazing how much stuff that I am able to uncover. Not only is it a useful exercise in updating my parts inventory but it is also a means to reorganize all the miscellaneous items that got put aside at one point or another but never properly cataloged. Not get me wrong, anything with a serial number is well documented but anyone that does any gunsmithing or replaces parts knows that there are always pieces that simply get consumed by the workbench.

However, what I find to be the most interesting part of the process if not finding the useful parts and pieces that I can either use right away or store in my bench for later but the parts that I have no idea how I got them. Well, that isn’t completely true. Many of the items revealed during the excavation are from firearms that I used to own. We all have that miscellaneous box or drawer of parts laying around full of items that we thought we would use but never did. Before we knew it, the parts had been swallowed by the work bench and the firearm was sold or traded.

Then there are the parts to firearms that I never owned. These come about because of three very simple reasons: I hope to own that particular make/model in the future; I didn’t read the box, bag, or description closely enough and bought the wrong nonreturnable item; or, it was too good of a deal on a part that I can easily use for trade fodder. I know that I am not alone in having some things fall into one of these three categories.

At this point it is a matter of pulling together all of the different parts and separating them into a system that will work moving forward. Actually, it is more about updating the current system. This basically comes down to parts that I expect to use immediately, backup parts and those that were swapped out, parts that I will use in the future upon acquisition of the correct firearm, and those that will be exclusively used for trade fodder or will be sold. Of course, this is all in the hope that I will be able to maintain this means of organization moving forward and now that my wife and I have settled down that is actually a possibility.

Filling The Planner

It is amazing how fast my daily planner has filled up this year. As soon as I purchased the paper planner at the beginning of the year, I quickly started filling in the events and appointments that I had on hand at the time. This included work, lodge, personal and other reminders of what each day had in store for me. It has also served me well in scheduling different topics for the blog and had come in handing on a number of occasions both as a means to remind me of what I am writing about but, more importantly, of where I can move some topics when another blog needs to be written right away.

While some, many in fact, will see my bound paper planner as an antiquated form of organization, it still remains the most efficient form for me. Not only do I seem to do better when I am able to write things down, cross items off, and budget my time accordingly, it also forces me to slow down and remember what I am putting into my schedule. This is especially true for work engagements as it is too easy to simply accept a calendar invite. By pulling out my planner and recording the meeting, I tend to recall the commitment days earlier rather than fifteen minutes prior.

Of course, the most important part for me is the simplicity of this paper based system. I still enjoy writing many things by hand and editing documents by hand and having this out has allowed me to maintain my tactile focus without the constant windows and websites loading in the background just beyond the word document. It also eliminates the digital clutter that can become commonplace in an industry that relies so heavily on the digital world. Even when crossing off multiple items and shifting appointments around, the physical paper still seems cleaner than the digital jumble.

Another benefit of this ‘old school’ system has been the fact that I am able to schedule anything I need to without having to consult my computer or smart phone. It is a system that still transcends generations and given the frequent communication I have with many older generations, this can be a huge asset. Lastly, there is a sense of permanence and obligation when you write down a meeting in front of someone. The digital divide is still alive and well so appointments change regularly when simply typed into a computer or phone. Write down an appointment in front of someone and they tend to honor that arrangement more regularly.

In the end, I guess I am one of the few remaining that still prefers the physical planner over the digital calendar. In a sense, there is something a little out of touch about this method and I am okay with that. I don’t mind being ‘behind the times’ as it pertains to how I go about my day. There is a calmness to nostalgia and the simpler way of doing things that seems to be lost in most technology. All of these things are designed to make our lives easier but is that really what they are doing? For me, the pendulum swings both ways and sometimes it is nice to swing into the past.

Mortgage Monday: Needing Separation

While I have a home office, I have yet to use it as much as I would like. In fact, I have used the kitchen more than any other place in the house to get work done and it has actually worked out well so far. While it may not be the optimal place to get projects done, it allows for greater flexibility to switch from work to family. Again, not the optimal work conditions but I can’t help it.

To be honest, the space I am currently using to get work done is more because of the fact that there are a few projects still incomplete around the house. Namely the organization of my office which at one point was pretty close but it now a bit disheveled. However, the biggest thing preventing me from using the space is the simple fact of noise. My office is currently open to the main entrance of the house and the stairs to the second floor. Any work that I do in the office could wake up our son.

This is just one of many projects (which have all been discussed previously) that have to be completed. I consider this one to be an essential change to improve the functionality of the space. And that it important to note… we have the space. This is a luxury that we have to work with… we don’t have to move things around or have multipurpose rooms. We have the space to separate everything and our goal is to separate work from the family.

That strong divide is something that I would like to reestablish sooner rather than later. Not only am I able to be more efficient and productive but I can keep the piles of papers and my computer out of the family space of the house. We all need that divide between work and home whether it is a long drive or simply a door between rooms. Of course, the nice thing is that my wife and I both have our own spaces which we can make our own because, again, we have the space to do it. But this will also take a little time.

It just goes to show that things still need to be figured out over time even though you may have found the perfect home for your family. There are always going to be projects that have to be done to fine tune the house to fit your needs. This is because of the simple reality that a perfect home is going to be an imperfect house.  

Final Preparations

We are now in the final couple of days, hours really, before the final stated meeting of the year and, as always, there are a few things that I am scrambling to get done before tomorrow night. Mostly this consists of printing out a fresh pile of paperwork, doing some final revisions to the minutes, and making sure all the bills are organized and included in my monthly spreadsheet. It isn’t a time of trying to figure out what to do but rather a period of setting aside the time to do the things that need to be done every month.

Of course, there are always one or two new items every month and the preparations for this meeting are certainly no exception. With elections and installations taking place tomorrow night, I have to make sure that I have all of the corresponding paperwork and lists readily available. There are also a few extra meetings that I have to have on the side throughout the night that require some additional time and planning. And, finally, I need to make sure that the annual donation totals are ready to be calculated and the attendance numbers updated.

However, what might be the most important thing that I have to do personally is to prepare for another year in office. While I took my oath two years ago expecting to stay on as Secretary for a number of years, there never really is certainty when holding elected office. It has been a learning experience to say the least and while I have been far from perfect (really really far), so far the brethren have been supportive of the work that I have done at the lodge and knowing that I have their support is really what keeps me going.

I am also getting ready to hit the reset button after this meeting. Not because I want to forget anything or ignore what has happened but as a means to move forward without either thinking about any past issues of relying on the successes of the previous year. It is a new year with a new slate of officers. While many things remain the same, the masonic years must remain independent from one another for just that reason. What happened in the past, good and/or bad, should remain there. What we learned from those experiences, what to do and what not to do, are the only things that should impact the present and be part of the future.

Sunday Search: Unintentional Intentional Errors

Every once in a while I will receive a message through my Ancestry.com account regarding some of the information in my family tree. Sometimes it is about documents, photos, or certain details that I have discovered elsewhere and uploaded to the website which I am happy to share and discuss with anyone who contacts me… you never know how you might be related. However, most of the time, the questions and corrections are regarding the very tips of the limbs that I have yet to fully research. In these instances I reply letting them know that the research has yet to be done and the information is stemming from scant documents that have been uncovered. This is usually followed by an invitation to share any information they might have on that individual or, as has been the case a few times, the correct name that should inscribed on that leaf.

This all comes down to how each of us use Ancestry as a genealogical research tool. While many people refuse to enter information in to their tree until they have verified the content, I prefer to use the website to both record known facts and figures but also theorize as to those names that may consist of the next generation. Sometimes it can be stemming from information culled from documents and other times it is a much more general estimation given the age of children, where subsequent generations lived, and sometimes the information that has been passed down in the family.

Even the most basic of estimations have sometimes led to the information that I have been looking for. Many times I have entered the surname and approximate year of birth to find only a handful of possible people who could fit into my tree. After looking at all the records available, I was able to not only find the right name but verify that, yes, they are my ancestor. All it takes is that small detail and a little bit of deduction in order to begin chipping away at that wall. This is the process that has worked for me and has kept me somewhat organized in my research thought process over the years.

Of course, with this being my process it leaves a number of assumptions wilting under the sun on the end of the branch until I am able to make the time to prune them but I know that the information is there and I don’t have to worry about retracing some of my steps over and over again when I find the rare moments to search for that next generation. Again, while not a process for everyone, it is the one that has worked best for me so far. Now if I could only be so organized with all the photos, documents, and notes cluttering my office.

Pulling Papers Together

 

When my wife and I decided to resume our house hunt this summer I knew that, at some point, I was going to have to spend a fairly significant amount of time in my office pulling all the documents together needed to apply for a mortgage. While the prequalification process was relatively painless and pretty straightforward the subsequent list of items needed seemed a little daunting when I first read through them in my email. There was nothing out of the ordinary and it could have been really quick had I been up to date with all my filing and organization but that certainly was not the case.

Following my conversation with the bank to get prequalified, I received the following list of items needed for underwriting:

1.)    Copies of drivers licenses and copy of a credit card (for ID purposes)

2.)    Copies of W2s from 2013 and 2014

3.)    Copies of full federal tax returns (form 1040) from 2013 and 2014

4.)    Copies of pay stubs from the most recent 30 days – (last 2 pay stubs if you are paid bi-weekly)

5.)    Copies of bank/investment account statement covering the most recent 2 months (most recent quarter for quarterly statement) – please include every page of the statement even if it is blank

6.)    Copy of fully executed agreement of sale (when available)

7.)    Copy of will and death decree to document inheritance

Again, not a problem if everything were neatly filed away and labeled. It took some time and a lot of patience but I was finally able to get everything ready to go. It was a time consuming process and one that could have probably been put off for a while but I wanted to be able to get things moving rather quickly as soon as we found our home.  

Of course, while pulling all of these items together I could help but think to myself that I should probably just put aside all the items I need to finally file our taxes this fall. There is a heck of a lot of overlap in the two lists and this mortgage process would be the perfect impetus for starting that tax file. And I do mean start as our taxes are an annual pain in the rear consisting of hundreds of pages of supporting documentation for the purpose of itemizing all our deductions. The mortgage underwriting documents are done but the tax documents still have a long way to go. Thankfully, I have a really comfortable office chair and my files are now in better change then they have been in months. I just hope I don’t have to break out the check book again!

Taxes Done?

The past couple of years have made me dread this particular day on the calendar. Having received hefty bills from the federal government and not enough funds to cover the costs, we have filed extensions. Seems like this is the time of year when everyone does some spring cleaning especially the government which likes to clean out your bank account. This year, we have the funds to pay what I am certain will be a ridiculous amount but don’t have the time to pull everything together. The extension streak is alive and now in its third year.

We were actually keeping things organized for much of 2014. This was in large part due to having to pull together all the documents in early fall before that extension ended. It was rather easy to put some of those items aside in a folder designated for the current year. Yep, things were pretty organized by the time December came around.

It really is amazing how cluttered things can get when you move from one place to another. Not the space in which we were living but in the individual boxes where all of our papers and documents were relegated. All of the organized folders seem to blend together in a pile of muddled ink... this reminds me, we have to set aside those receipts from the move. This is only accentuated by the fact that all of the tax forms arrived the following month so now what was once consolidated into one place is now in a few places waiting to be collected again.

Normally it wouldn’t be a problem pulling things together as in the past I have had time to do it. And that is the key. February and March were, to say the least, busy months. With all the hours that I have put in at the office and doing my best to protect the time that I have with my son, there are few minutes remaining during the day when I can take care of all these other projects that keep building up. Time is not being kind at the moment.

It doesn’t help that the days seem to be evaporating before us. Just as we get ready to plan for one thing or another, the pages of the calendar have turned and the time we once had was gone. Other things seem to pop up now and again as well chipping away at the days when we thought we would have a chance to catch our breath. But, as we have done many times over, we will find the time to get the taxes done and hold our breath waiting to hear the final total… hopefully the news will allow us to breathe afterward.

Genealogy Wish List

This time of year, regardless of a person’s faith, everyone puts together a wish list of what they would like to receive or see happen during the holiday season. Sometimes it is as simple as Ralphie repeatedly pleading for a Red Rider BB Gun while others are more complex or impossible to fulfill. This list, my genealogy wish list, leans more toward the latter while I hope that some will turn out to be as simple as Ralphie’s request. So here it is:

1. Redcross/Beverly Marriage License: This is the last remaining piece that we need to definitively prove our genealogy back to the Monacan records. While we know where it should be and have seen the document listed in the indexes of the local courthouse, the actual marriage license has disappeared and no one knows where it is. There are some theories however but it is going to take a lot of time and significant effort to either prove or disprove them.
2. Monacan Nation Membership: We don’t know if this is going to be possible without the aforementioned document but we need to at least give it a try. Maybe the index will be enough as it is still a state document but we just don’t know. Everything else is in place we just need to pull all the documentation together, pay the application fee, and see how things pan out.
3. John Uttley’s Service Record: While I have been able to track down when he was sworn into the Philadelphia Police Department and I have found his badge number and highest rank achieved (that was a long couple weeks of calls), there is little else that I can find regarding his service. During this research process, I found out that all the old police records were destroyed and that nothing is left but a basic database of names, badge numbers, and ranks. Maybe there is a copy somewhere… let’s hope that is the case.
4. McKannan Arrival Date: The original surname was McKenna. First name was William. Arrival was during the potato famine. This shouldn’t be challenging at all. This is going to take more luck (maybe luck of the Irish) than anything else as all existing leads have proven very little and, if anything, have created more possible links than verifying any. It’s a long shot but I am going to keep pushing and sorting through records.
5. Percy Teaford’s Service Record: While I have been able to find a good amount of information regarding my grandfather’s service in the Navy during World War II, I haven’t been able to get any additional information on his service in the Narberth Fire Department. This is one of those things that is just going to take time and me driving over there to see if they have any information. It would be interesting to read about this.
6. Autocar: Both my great grandfather and my grandfather worked at Autocar in Ardmore. While the factory is long gone I am curious to know if the records are still floating around (if they survived the fires just before the plants closed). I have reached out to the current incarnation of the company but have yet to hear anything. It would be nice to have an answer as to whether or not the employment records even exist.
7. Jacob Teaford’s Story: The second first generation to be born on this continent (before the founding of the United States). We know very little about him. We have more details about his father, the immigrant, and the generations since but he has remained a mystery for years. Heck, we can’t even figure out who was the mother of his son Jacob from which I am a descendant. He is the reason why we are green dot bastards and it would be nice to fix that.
8. Nicolas Love’s Parents: We have the names from his recently discovered death certificate but we no little else about them. We can’t find a record of their marriage and we can’t find any census records. While there are theories, like many other areas of the tree, we have yet to prove any of them no matter how probable one seems.
9. Maiden Names: This is always an issue in anyone’s tree as even death certificates of siblings can differ from one to another about their mother’s maiden name. This is just going to take more digging, marriage record research, and looking at census records for possible clues.
10. Revolutionary War Ancestry: There seem to be more and more connections found whenever I spend some time working on the tree. Many of them are confirmed but some connections remain tenuous at best. Even today I made the interesting discovery that my 6x great uncle was the inspiration for the movie “The Patriot”. It would be nice to confirm them all and have those findings verified by the Sons of the American Revolution. Shocker, more paperwork!
11. The Yeagle Connection: I reached out to that side of the family before but the connection didn’t last beyond the scope of our brief conversation over the phone. While I don’t know what thoughts may have been going through her mind, it would be nice to reconnect and find out a little bit more about this line that has been largely forgotten about by my family.
12. Organization (Not Just Lists): All of these things need to be organized both physically and digitally. Right now there is a mix of physical and digital records spread across a couple of computers, ancestry.com, shelves of binders, and books tabbed for the relevant passages. Eventually, they will all be pulled together, organized in binders, and uploaded to the tree so that everyone can benefit from the work that has been put into this continuous search for answers.

Some of the records are nearly impossible to find as they are either confirmed as missing or destroyed. Some of the things on my wish list are just a matter of me finding the time to commit to the various projects. In all reality, I would be happy just to fill in a couple of these pieces of information and have everything available so that the entire family can learn and appreciate where we come from. So, let’s see if I can be good this year and at least get a few of these things checked off!

Invasion Of The Large Sticky Notes

We all have memories, at least those of us over a certain age, of the blackboard being filled with what at the time seemed like an endless list of information. While it was nothing more than routine at the time, in hindsight it was actually a great tool to make sure that everyone was on the same page and, for me, it kept my wandering mind on task. While I see this as my mind being occupied by an overflow of thoughts, today it would most likely be seen as ADD which, to use a technical term, is crap.

Moving on in my academic life, the chalk quickly stepped aside and the grease board became a more prevalent wall decoration. I recently found out that I am older than I thought as the term ‘grease board’ is no longer used. Even after my undergraduate years, the white board was something that I tried to utilize for the same benefit that I got out of the chalk board in my youth. There is something about writing down a task, monitoring progress, and finally crossing it off that is oddly satisfying in a way that I have not been able to achieve through digital means.

Now, I find myself taking a step back as the back wall of my office is constantly covered with large sticky notes. For those of you unfamiliar or just can’t picture the process, these bloated sheets of paper are a cross between a Post-It note and wall paper. There seems to be a temporary state of permanence with these scribbling broad sides that force me to make progress on the variety of projects that I have going on at any given time. Working on multiple accounts and numerous projects, this is an essential process in place that keeps my mind from focusing on one task too long or straying off and concentrating on a non-priority.

So now, between the random pieces of paper pinned above my desk and the large swaths of note paper stuck to the wall behind me, my office is resembling a chaotic collection of thoughts and tasks that may be foreign to some but I have found is quite common for those in my line of work. It’s basically like a sane version of “A Beautiful Mind” with a less socially awkward cast of characters. Of course, we all have our days when reality takes a back seat to whatever scenario we find ourselves in or requests that we receive from clients. I guess you could say that the most insane part of this job and the way my office looks is the volume of work that it represents.

I Hate When Cleaning Leads To Taxes

Every once in a while my wife and I find ourselves in desperate need to do some cleaning around the apartment. With our schedules the way they are and other projects taking priority, things just seem to build up over time until we get to the point that we can’t take it anymore. It is a slow build but one that we see happening and keep planning on taking care of which in itself is a process that can take weeks.

There are also projects that keep getting put off. Mostly they involve reorganizing different areas or shifting things around from one location to another. A prime example is the reconfiguration of our kitchen. When we first moved in we set up a kosher kitchen and kept it that way for well over a year. However, in the early part of last year we decided to adjust our observance level and at that point stopped keeping kosher. Since that time we have been meaning to consolidate some of the utensils and free up some counter space. Today that finally happened.

Later in the evening, after my wife had gone to bed for the night, I shifted my focus to the office. Paperwork of any kind is tedious but especially when it is a matter of organization. I first went through the existing files and pulled out all of the items that made me say “why the heck is this getting saved” and threw it into the overflowing shred box tucked under my desk against the wall. I guess I am going to have to make another trip to Staples in the near future.

Once I was able to consolidate and sort the overabundance of papers in the filing cabinet I was finally able to focus on the piles that had taken over my desk. This is when I came to the realization that most of the papers were either paid bills or magazines. While the magazines have been consolidated into a single stack the bills were a little bit more involved. Some went into a miscellaneous bills folder but the vast majority ended up in the dreaded tax folders.

Yes, I said folders. Plural. If there is ever a reason to hate this time of year it is for the simple, yet complex, reason of pulling together all of your documents, receipts, and forms and filing your taxes. While I closely watch, track, and itemize every year I have never gotten a significant amount back. In fact, last year, I owed an amount of money which didn’t make sense whatsoever… during a financially red year the government still wanted more… more of what we didn’t have. We managed, barely, to pay the bill and now we have to go through the same process again.

Just like cleaning and organizing, taxes seem like a zero sum game but we all eventually end up having to deal with it. I can already tell that this is going to be a long first part of the year. Maybe after April I will be able to breathe… but I think that is going to depend on the financial outcome on in the middle of that month. I guess we will just have to wait and see.  

Working From Home: I'm Not A Fan Of Snow Days

I don’t know if I have ever mentioned this before but I hate working from home. It’s not that I don’t enjoy being home and not having to commute, especially when my wife is home as well, I am just not as productive as when I am sitting at my desk in the office. Even the simple asking of a question can sometimes take longer as you can’t just pop your head in someone else’s office to give them the heads up. However, the thing that suffers the greatest handicap is creativity particularly when you know that much of our day is going to be filled with writing.

Contrary to the noise that I have heard from some others, creativity is a social or group exercise. While others may not be forming the exact words that you inscribe on the page, or as in this instance punch on a keyboard, they still provide a great deal of inspiration and/or direction on projects both work related and purely creative. Whether you want to admit it or not, the work that you do is heavily influenced by the people and the world around you.

However, too much stimulation can be detrimental to the process which is another factor of why I don’t work well from home. While some I know are completely comfortable at home which promotes productivity, that same situation stymies my output. Having so many things of interest around me, o the book cases, in the closet, on the table and desk it can sometimes be difficult to keep my focus on the screen. Actually, it is more of the personal projects, mostly involving organization, that distract me more often than anything else. Most of the time the need to work and get things done, especially those with a tight deadline, force my eyes back to the word document open in front of me but there are occasions when my mind and glance wander and do so for several minutes at a time.

I don’t see this as being a permanent problem of not being able to work efficiently from home but, for now, it is an issue. Maybe once I get things a bit more organized and a few more personal projects taken care of I will be able to keep my mind from wandering in that direction. I think that should be another item to add to my resolutions posted on Wednesday. If I can get that done, hopefully sooner rather than later, I think it would help with most of the other projects and goals that have previously been listed. So, consider this another resolution added to the list with the hope that it is resolved by the time I have to work from home again.

Office Excavation

After my shift yesterday I decided to head into the office and attempt to do some cleaning. As you may remember, we did a significant reorganization and a little bit of cleaning about a month ago but there were some things that we have kept putting off. As much as I hate doing it, it was time to get things cleaned off my desk and organized.

Much of the cleaning and organizing had to do with all the papers and files that have been slowly accumulating over the past several months. I must have had an entire tree blanketing all the surfaces in the small room. In my opinion, is the worst kind of cleaning because you have to go through every document, sort them, and shred anything with sensitive information on it.

The truly astounding part of this endeavor is just how much stuff there is strewn about. For me, paper seems to epitomize the 10 in 5 mystery in that you wonder how ten pounds of crap can fit into a space that should only be able to hold five. It was a seemingly never ending task that had me, time and again, asking why I had kept all this stuff.

At the same time, I did come across a lot of things that I had long since forgotten about. Acceptance letters, testing scores, old flyers from readings, photographs I had taken, and endorsements. However, what were of greatest value to me were the papers that I had misplaced before I could add them to my genealogy binders. Namely copies of a few obituaries, a couple of family photos, and my conversion documents.

My conversion file in particular reminded me of an important part and commonly overlooked aspect of family tree building. All too often, amateur genealogists such as myself get tunnel vision and focus solely on the past. One of the worst things we can do is fail to color the leaf which we occupy on the tree. We have to remember that we are both story tellers and part of the story.

This omission is bad enough but what is infinitely worse is the failure to simply look around. Talk to the family that you have not just for what they can provide with regard to previous generations but for their stories as well. The work that you are doing now is great for the present but infinitely more important for the future generations of the family.

Lastly, the overarching reminder that yesterday provided me with was that whether you are researching your family or some other topic be organized. You are always going to be collecting more documents, more photographs, more books, and more stories and you need to have a place to put them where they can be retrieved easily. It was hard enough to find it once, don’t make yourself have to find it again.