Monday, February 04, 2008

Carnival of Genealogy, 41st Edition


Welcome to the February 4, 2008 edition of the Carnival of Genealogy. The topic for this edition is: If you could have dinner with four of your ancestors who would they be and why? Come meet some interesting dinner guests and read about epicurean delights. Oh if only we could make these family dinners really happen... what a delightful learning and life experience that would be! But for now we must content ourselves with merely reading about them. Warning! Reading these articles may make your mouth water and /or cause hunger pangs. You are advised to read while eating something tasty and delicious to avoid pain and suffering. And now, on with the dinners and diners...

Bill West presents West in New England: A SMALL FAMILY DINNER posted at West in New England. Bill's article will make your mouth water. Steak and potatoes, ham and pineapple pizza, a stop at the Diary Queen (for a banana split or ?), and more, what a menu! We expected Bill would invite the elusive John Cutter West, but stop by to see who else will be at his table! Thanks for sharing your tantalizing table with us Bill!

Ken Spangler presents COG #41! Who Would You Choose? posted at Beyond Fiction. Kudos to Ken! It was difficult for him to limit himself to four dinner guests but he did it. And I must say, he selected very interesting ancestors at that. Stop by and see what connection one of his ancestors had with Babe Ruth! Thanks for sharing your dinner party with us Ken!

Debra Osborne Spindle aka "Tex" presents Dinner with 4 posted at All My Ancestors. Tex has a no-nonsense approach to her dinner party. She'll feed her guests but she also plans to quiz them hard! Stop by and meet the relations at Tex's place! Thanks for sharing your ancestors' dinner party with us!

Chery Kinnick presents Dearest Grandma: Hyggelig å møte deg? posted at Nordic Blue.
For Chery, it's a girl thang! She plans a Norwegian buffet for the four ladies on her tree that she'd most like to meet. You have to stop by just to read about all the great food she'll serve. She describes the setting so well you'll feel like you're there with her. Thanks for sharing dinner with us Chery!

Ruth Stephens presents Bluebonnet Country Genealogy Blog: If you could have dinner with four of your ancestors... posted at Bluebonnet Country Genealogy Blog. Not everyone would enjoying pulling up a chair and sitting down to dinner with a drunkard and a bank robber, but Ruth has a brave soul and she would. Check out these two characters and the two other very interesting ancestors Ruth would like to meet! Thanks for sharing your dinner plans with us Ruth!

Amy Crow presents Ancestors I'd Like to Have Dinner with posted at Amy's Genealogy, etc. Blog. It's girls night out for Amy! Tough choices she has, but she selected four very interesting ancestors to dine with. Amy is new to the COG so stop by and say "howdy" and meet the family! Thanks for sharing your dinner guests with us Amy!

Jewelgirl presents THREE GENTLEMEN AND A LADY posted at Searching For Family Branches. Jewelgirl has put a lot of thought into her choice of dinner guests. She's even planning to share her favorite brand of tea with one of them. Stop by and see who she'd like to have tea with! Thanks for sharing your ancestors and tea with us Jewelgirl!

Myrt presents If you could have dinner with four of your ancestors who would they be and why? posted at DearMYRTLE, your friend in genealogy. She couldn't do it. Myrt couldn't choose just four ancestors to have dinner with. But if you check out her article you'll be introduced to some mighty interesting people. You'll see why the choice was so difficult for her! Thanks for sharing your ancestors with us Myrt!

Randy Seaver presents Dinner with my Elusive Ancestors' Children posted at Genea-Musings. Randy is up for some time travel and would like to spend his dinner time in his ancestors' eras. He has selected his dinner companions based their probable ability to tell him about their own ancestry and he has prepared a list of questions for each of them. He's hoping they'd all bring their families with them and then worries about how he'll record all the details... take your technology with you Randy, and Angel Linda too! Stop by Randy's dinner party and meet the family! Thanks for sharing with us Randy!

Terry Snyder presents Of Mothers and Daughters and Dinner Parties — Part I | and Of Mothers and Daughters and Dinner Parties — Part II | both posted at Desktop Genealogist. Terry's post will either bring a smile to your lips or a tear to your eye, or both. Her dinner party plans are made with reuniting loved ones in mind and she takes us there with her, to dinner with mothers and daughters. Very moving and beautifully written as usual for Terry. Do stop by and read her posts. You'll be glad you did. Thanks for sharing your dinner guests with us Terry!

Becky Wiseman presents Who, What, When, Where, Why? posted at kinexxions. Becky's dinner with four ancestors became five and then before you know it, it turned into a whole family reunion! Not only that, it became a multi-day affair too! Well, if anyone knows about family reunions it would be Becky. She's shared 30 family reunion ledgers with us on her blog. So I guess you could say family reunions run in her family. Stop by and read about her family reunion and meet the ancestors! Thanks for sharing your family reunion with us Becky!

Chris Dunham presents Dinner With the Dunhams posted at The Genealogue. Chris shares with us not only his gourmet dinner menu but the dinner dialog as well. He has some interesting ancestors... they rather like to eat and run. But stop by and meet them briefly anyway. Who knows, maybe Chris will offer you a waffle while you're there (sorry, there are no leftovers from the main course). Thanks for a great laugh Chris!

Sharon Klein presents Dinner with four ancestors, who and why? posted at Genealogy. Sharon is new to the COG but like the rest of those participating she has a good deal of knowledge about her family. Her article is well written and it's clear she's given a great deal of thought to the questions she'd like to ask her ancestors. Stop by and say hello to Sharon and welcome her to our merry band of bloggers. Thanks for sharing your family with us Sharon!

Jessica Oswalt presents A Family Dinner Affair? posted at Jessica's Genejournal. I find it fascinating to discover why people chose the people they did to invite to dinner. Jessica would like to have dinner with one of her ancestors to practice speaking German! Isn't that great?! Stop by and see who else she'd like to have at her dinner party! Thanks for sharing Jessica!

John Newmark presents Dinner Party for Five * 2 posted at Transylvanian Dutch. John would like to discuss, among other things, politics and religion, with his ancestral dinner guests. Most of us would like to avoid this sort of dinner conversation in fear of it escalating into something ugly. But John has selected his ancestors carefully and is very interested in their views. Stop by and see who he's invited! Thanks for sharing your dinner with us John!

Donna presents Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner? posted at What's Past is Prologue. Donna's got the food thing all worked out with an on-site chef (all the genea-ladies are very envious). The rest of her dinner with her ancestors would attempt to solve mysteries and answer questions, and boy she's got some good ones!!! Stop by and check out Donna's dinner party! Thanks for sharing Donna!

David Bowles presents Dinner with My Ancestors posted at Writing the Westward Sagas, saying, "I'd like to have dinner with three generations of ancestors who lived through the Battle of Guilford Courthouse in the Revolutionary War." That about says it all! Stop by David's blog to learn the details of his dinner. Thanks for sharing your dinner with us David!

Miriam Robbins Midkiff presents Guests for Dinner posted at AnceStories: The Stories of My Ancestors. Miriam has such interesting ancestors, and so very many questions for them! Mostly Miriam wants to confirm information she's come across in her research (she's done a lot of research!). Stop by her blog and prepare to be entertained! Thanks for sharing your dinner guests with us Miriam!

Janet Iles presents Guess who's coming for dinner? posted at Janet the researcher. This is one of those articles that will have your mouth watering for sure! Besides a tasty menu, Janet shares with us four of her ancestors and a slew of questions she has for them. It sounds like a wonderful event to be capped off with a drive around the area. Stop by and salivate! Thanks for sharing your dinner with us Janet!

Thomas MacEntee presents A Dinner of Remembrance posted at Destination: Austin Family. Thomas was inspired by the movie, It's A Wonderful Life, when he wrote this piece. It's clever, funny, and poignant. Don't miss this terrific article! Thanks for sharing your family with us so creatively Thomas!

Lori Thornton presents Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? posted at Smoky Mountain Family Historian. Lori has an ancestor who preferred seven course meals so she'd like to dine at his place. Can you blame her? She has lots of questions she'd like answers to and she'd like to talk a little religion too. Stop on by Lori's blog and meet the ancestors! Thanks for sharing Lori!

OMcHodoy presents So Many Ancestors posted at Orations of OMcHodoy. Colleen would prefer to split her time, having the main course in her ancestors' era and desert in the present day. Why not?! In addition to introducing us to her ancestors and sharing her questions with us, Colleen also shares photos of her dinner guests. Stop by for a visit! Thanks for sharing Colleen!

Steve Danko presents Dinner with My Grandparents posted at Steve's Genealogy Blog. Steve plans to serve good Polish food when he dines with his ancestors. Yum! He has a very thorough list of questions for them and anticipates that he'd be tipped with a freshly washed and ironed dollar bill as his guests depart. What's that about? Stop by Steve's blog and see for yourself! Thanks for sharing your dinner party with us Steve!

Jasia presents A Quirky Dinner Party posted at Creative Gene. Good Polish food and toe tapping music are what I'd like at my ancestral dinner party. I've created a "quirky" picture of dinner with the grandparents and have included a slew of genea-bloggers at the event. Stop by and check it out!

Terry Thornton presents Dinner for Six: A Staff of Twenty-one: PRICELESS posted at Hill Country of Monroe County, Mississippi, saying, "Four of my dead relatives are coming for dinner and all my rowdy friends are coming to help!" PARTY AT TERRY'S HOUSE! Terry's got it all figured out and well choreographed. Dinner with the ancestors will be quite the event! Stop his blog and see for yourself (and be sure to read the comments if you're not familiar with Bob Andy Pie). Thanks for sharing the hilarity with us Terry!

Lisa Alzo presents The Accidental Genealogist posted at The Accidental Genealogist, saying, "Thanks for a great topic!" Lisa is opting for 5 dinner guests and lots of tantalizing Slovak food, home cooked of course! Tales of life in Slovakia and the immigrant experience would be the dinner conversation of choice for Lisa. Check out her blog and see who she'd invite! Thanks for sharing your dinner party with us Lisa!

Lidian presents Guess Who's Coming To Dinner? posted at The Virtual Dime Museum. My goodness! Talk about a cast of characters... Lidian has some really interesting ancestors!!! Lidian joins the COG for the first of what we hope will be many times with her plans for dinner with her ancestors. She has a most interesting blog and I encourage you to stop by for a visit and make her feel welcome in our COG family. Thanks for sharing your ancestors with us Lidian!

D. Pavey presents Dinner With Four Ancestors posted at GenLady. D would be happy with sandwiches and cold drinks at her dinner party with her ancestors because it's the conversation that's important to her. Welcome to D who is a first time participant in the COG. Stop on by and meet her ancestors and you'll enjoy a bit of fiction writing too! Thanks for sharing your ancestors with us D!

Lisa presents To be the quiet little girl at the table once again posted at 100 Years in America. Well, Lisa cleverly skirted the issue of which 4 ancestors she'd choose to have dinner with but she shares with us some warm and loving memories of days gone by in the kitchen with loved ones. Stop by for a feel-good read. I know you'll enjoy it! Thanks for sharing your family memories with us Lisa!

Janice Brown presents Guess Who's Coming To Dinner posted at Cow Hampshire. It's girls night out for Janice. She'd invite three brick wall lady ancestors to dine with her at her home. The highlight of the evening would be the entertainment. Stop by Janice's blog for a laugh and a half as the Kings of Geneablogging take to the floor! Thanks for sharing your ancestors and a good laugh Janice!

Craig Manson presents History Comes to Dinner posted at GeneaBlogie. Craig would be dining in Texas back in 1900 with some very lucky ancestors. They would be so proud to know what's become of their descendant! Stop by and meet some of Craig's ancestors and you'll be transported back to another place and time. Thanks for sharing your dining experience with us Craig!

M. Diane Rogers presents Dinner Guests from the Past-Vancouver Style-41st Carnival of Genealogy is post at CanadaGenealogy, or, 'Jane's Your Aunt'. Diane writes beautifully and her line, "She’s a silhouette on my family tree.", describing an ancestor who she has no pictures or even a sample signature of, is my favorite. And I have to admit that she got my mouth watering with her Vancouver-style dinner. But the most interesting part of her article was meeting her ancestors and the tale about her Rogers surname. I won't tell you why that was so interesting, you'll have to head on over and find out for yourself! Thanks for sharing your ancestors' dinner party with us Diane!

Apple presents, Dining Out on her Apple's Tree blog. Apple can always charm us and make us smile with her writing style. For her dinner with four ancestors she does it once again. Stop by and meet her ancestors, including one who according to legend had gold sewn into his pockets! Great questions for interesting ancestors Apple! Thanks for sharing them with us!

That concludes this edition of the Carnival of Genealogy. I hope you enjoyed meeting the dinner guests! Thanks to all who participated this time around. You make this online genealogy magazine one terrific publication!!! And a very special thanks goes out to footnoteMaven who suggested the topic for this edition of the COG. We're all thinking of you and sending best wishes your way. We hope you've enjoyed the show!

And now it's time for a Call For Submissions! The topic for the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy will be: The Best of The Best! It's Academy awards time... time for the Academy of Genealogy and Family History aka AGFH (an esteemed organization that all genea-historian bloggers who participate in this next edition of the COG will become founding members of) to honor their best blog posts of 2007* in the following 5 categories:

Best Picture - Best old family photo that appeared on your blog in 2007. Tell us which you liked best and why.
Best Screen Play - Which family story that you shared in 2007 would make the best movie? Who would you cast as your family members?
Best Documentary - Which was the best informational article you wrote about a place, thing, or event involving your family's history in 2007?
Best Biography - Which was the best biographical article you wrote in 2007?
Best Comedy - Which was the best funny story, poem, joke, photo, or video that you shared on your blog in 2007?

The award given to these very deserving examples of quality writing of family history will heretofore be known as the iGene Award. Please feel free to use this graphic on your announcement post.

Start digging back into your archives and choose which of your blog posts deserve to be recognized for outstanding achievement. This is not a competition between bloggers but a chance for you to spotlight your own shining efforts at recording your genealogy and family history in 2007*. There is no nomination process. You just need to announce your winning blog posts for the 5 categories mentioned above in an article on your blog and submit it to the Carnival of Genealogy. Please act as your own "award presenter" by writing an introduction and include it in the "Remarks" box on the BlogCarnival submission form. The deadline for submissions is February 15, 2008.

*We're going to define "2007" to include any posts written in 2007 as well as those written Jan. 1-Feb. 15, 2008 as well (so that new bloggers can participate).

Submit your blog article to the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

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