Put another candle on the birthday cake. . .
It’s hard to believe that The Family Curator is SIX this year! Was it only six years ago that I began reading Arlne’s mail and fussing with old photographs? It feels like they’ve been part of my life forever, but have to remind myself that I didn’t inherit her keepsakes until the turn of the century (this century!).
It was about 2000 when Arline’s steamer trunk of keepsakes passed from my Aunt’s care to my Mom. Auntie wanted the trunk, so Mom got the contents in cardboard boxes, and that’s how the letters, photos, and all the other stuff came to me.
The rest, as they say, is history. Which nudges me to make a few notes on the
The History of The Family Curator Blog
4 July 2007 — Inspired by Thoreau selecting Independence Day as the jumping-off point for his time at Walden Pond, I launch The Family Curator blog on 4 July 2007. Create Reading Women’s Lives, high school English unit for my upper-division students using letters, documents, and photos from the Arline Allen Kinsel Papers. Begin an online journal (web-log) on Blogger to record my efforts. I discover I like blogging.
4 July 2008 — footnoteMaven features my classroom experience “Reading Women’s Lives” at Shades of the Departed online photo magazine. My mom joins me in the search for Arline’s story. I start to explore the world of FaceBook.
2009 — I enjoy meeting genealogy bloggers in real-time at conferences and seminars throughout the year. My new status as “retired teacher” gives me more time to blog and work with Arline’s archive. The Family Curator changes blogging platforms and design moving to SquareSpace.
2010 — An exciting year when The Family Curator is named one of Family Tree Magazine’s Top 40 Blogs. Arline’s letters and photos are scanned, filed, and researched. The bottom falls off the world when my mom becomes ill, and passes away in August; my genealogy buddy is gone.
2011 — Blogging is slow, but geneablogging friends are a great support this year. The Family Curator is honored to be included in the Top 40 Blogs, and a new project is in the works, a book about working with family archives. Twilter explodes; The Family Curator is there.
2012 — Writing, writing, writing. How to Archive Family Keepsakes, F+W Media is published. Blog redesign and update; still on SquareSpace. Now we have to track Pinterest, Facebook, Google + and Twitter. Whew!
2013 — So far this year, Blog Book Tour for my new book. Speaking, writing, and having a great time doing what I love — writing about family history and family keepsakes. Stay tuned for more new projects!
Nobody does it better! Six? Has it been that long? Congratulations.
HAPPY BLOGOVERSARY TO YOU, HAPPY BLOGOVERSARY TO YOU,HAPPY BLOGOVERSARY DEAR DAHLING DEEEEEENISSSSEEE, ,HAPPY BLOGOVERSARY TO YOUUUUUUUU!!!!!!
Thanks, all. Yes. it certainly is a long adventure!
Happy Blogiversary!!
Denise, I'm glad to learn about your history of receiving "the stuff" and writing a blog. Congratulations on your 6th birthday and all your accomplishments! It must be satisfying. A steamer trunk, too! A trunk full of keepsakes is a lot of keepsakes! A long adventure.
Congrats and happy blogiversary, Denise! I enjoy reading your posts (and your book) so much, both for the helpful, practical advice you give and for your friendly, encouraging voice. Thanks for brightening my days!
Thank you for the kind words, Wendy. I love reading your comments and feel like we "talk" the same language. Here's to 2014!
Thank you, Gini. We share a special bond that I truly treasure. Thank you Always understanding.
Happy Blogiversary, Denise! So glad to count you among my "go-to" genealogy references and fellow genea-blogger! Your posts and archival strategy has been a great inspiration!
Happy Blogiversary, Denise . . . our lives are that much richer for having you here. Hugs.