Part 1. ROUNDUP at HILL COUNTY: Getting to Know You: Overture, Act 1, Scenes 1 - 15

See Part 2. ROUNDUP at HILL COUNTRY, Getting to Know You: Overture; Act 2, Scenes 16 - 30
and Part 3. ROUNDUP at HILL COUNTRY, Getting to Know You: Act 3, Scenes 31 - 42; Finale and Reprise
and Part 4. ROUNDUP at HILL COUNTRY, Getting to Know You: Act 4, Scene 43, New Material and Update


Click the title above to hear an audio file.

by Terry Thornton
email: hillcountrymonroecounty@gmail.com

OVERTURE:

Getting to know you,
Getting to feel free and easy.
When I am with you,
Getting to know what to say.
Haven't you noticed?
Suddenly I'm bright and breezy,
Because of all the beautiful and new
Things I'm learning about you
Day by day.

Lyrics from Getting to Know You, by Oscar Hammerstein II, Oscar, lyrics and Richard Rodgers, music. "Getting to Know You" from The King and I. 1951.

The Hills are alive with the sounds of Getting to Know You! Why if you even click the title above you will hear me singing!

I am delighted to present below the 42 blog sites and 40 different publishers and writers who replied to the "getting to know you" challenge. Here is a summary --- a carousel of all the things you are --- the bright, the breezy, and the beautiful for us to enjoy as we get to know you.

Just listen to the wonderful sounds of music from Rogers and Hammerstein. Why there is music in the air --- and with the support of this large group of caring geneabloggers, you'll never walk alone --- so, what's the use of wond'rin, come on in and meet all kinds of people in my own little corner of the world. Yes, we deserve each other. But enough happy talk --- come, climb ev'ry mountain with me in the Hill Country's Getting to Know You Challenge.

The order presented below was determined by the order in which I received notification that the Getting to Know Me article was published by those participating in this challenge.

ACT 1, Scenes 1 - 15

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1. footnoteMaven who writes footnoteMaven starts her Getting to Know Me article with a quote: "Bloggers need to burn with a restless intensity that makes people want to come back and see what they've got to say."

Gosh! Does the Maven ever practice what she preaches --- and she has a loyal following returning again and again read what she has to say. And she says it wonderfully well!

Her choices for articles to read to get to know her include these three:

A. Finding That Two Hundredth Edwardian Woman in a White Dress published August 23, 2007

B. My Ancestors Didn't Raise No Fools -- April or Otherwise -- or Did They?, April 1, 2007

C. What's In a Name?, July 16, 2007

footnoteMaven enjoys receiving emails and comments from readers. She encourages reader interaction. The Maven writes and publishes from Washington where she also publishes Shades of the Departed. FootnoteMaven is also very active in the administrative work of the GeneaBlogger Group.

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2. Thomas MacEntee is the organizer and administrator of the new and rapidly growing GeneaBlogger Group which is using Facebook to form an influential association of writers and publishers interested in genealogy and family history. In his spare time he writes and publishes several blogs including the popular Destination: Family Austin.

In his Getting to Know Me, Getting to Know Destination Family Austin article, Thomas establishes that he combined his love for genealogy with his knowledge and expertise in information technology --- and I'm sure you will agree that his publication reflects the care, love, and detail he gives to both fields.

Thomas' choices for his bright, breezy, and beautiful articles are:

A. Off-topic: Blood Test for Alzheimer's Disease, October 16, 2007

B. A Man With Dolls, December 7, 2007

C. Kenny's Choice: A Veteran's Day Tribute, November 11, 2007

Reader comments are encouraged at Destination: Family Austin. Thomas, who is headquartered in Chicago, always finds time to respond.

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3. Jessica Oswalt writes and publishes Jessica's Genejournal. In her Getting to Know Me, Getting to Know All About Jessica's Genejournal, she establishes that she has been blogging for slightly more than a year (but she doesn't tell you that she blogs along with attending college). She describes herself as "a work in progress" as she juggles the demands of her studies with her love for writing genealogy and family history. Jessica is also the sponsor of one of the regular carnivals within the geneablogging community.

Jessica identifies the following articles as the ones to read to learn of her best, breeziest, and most beautiful work.

A. Genealogy and History Thoughts Column 14 --- My Thoughts on Another "Genealogy is Bunk" Article, June 23, 2008

B. Ten Signs You're Addicted to Genealogy, February 4, 2008

C. I Am My Own --- Well Not Quite . . ., November 9, 2007

Comments are encouraged at Jessica's Genejournal. Says Jessica, "Reader feedback is one of my ways of determining how well I have written my posts."

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4. Midge Frazel is the publisher/writer of Granite in My Blood. She submitted the following article as her entry into the Getting to Know Me challenge: Breezy, Bright, and Beautiful Gravestones. Both the title of her entry and the title of her blog give good clues as to what Midge is all about.

A family historian/genealogist, Midge has been publishing online since the 1980s. She has had an interest in being the "family keeper of records" since childhood and believes that she was born to do this work. A published author, lecturer, and family historian, Midge identifies the following of her blog articles as her choices for bright, breezy, and beautiful.

A. A Paper on the Barber Family of Westerly, RI, published December 19, 2007

B. Eunice Williams, March 18, 2007

C. Daniel Denison and Jeremiah H. Denison, April 11, 2007

Midge encourages comments at Granite in My Blood.

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5. Colleen McHugh at Orations of OMcHodoy offered her challenge response in Getting to Know Me, Getting to Know All About OmcHodoy. Colleen has been blogging about four years and has another blog, The Oracle of OMcHodoy. She explains the origin of the name "OMcHodoy" in her getting to know me post as well as establishes what she does when she is isn't blogging.

Colleen selected the following three articles from her two blogs as her brightest, most breezy, and most beautiful work.

A. However, posted December 7, 2005. Actually Colleen says that it takes a series of posts to show her "brightest" work --- a series taking the reader through various processes and "However" is the first of four posts she identifies as the best showing the processes of genealogical research. Read them all.

B. Blog Takeover, posted July 26, 2008. [July 26 is my birthday but I'm not the dog who took over Colleen's blog!]

C. A Tribute to Women, posted March 9, 2008

Colleen says, "My goal was to chronicle my research, good or bad, mistakes and all." Reader comments are encouraged at both of Colleen's geneablogs.

Colleen is one of the administrators of the GeneaBlogger Group at Facebook.

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6. Wendy Littrell is the writer/publisher of All My Branches Genealogy. Wendy tells us all about her work in Getting to Know Me, Getting to Know All My Branches Genealogy.

Says Wendy, "The legacy I leave for my descendents is as important as that which I’ve inherited from my ancestors. Writing has always been cathartic for me - enabling me to share emotions, thoughts, goals, and stories with anyone or no one."

Wendy selected the following three articles as her bright, breezy, and beautiful posts from her archives at All My Branches Genealogy.

A. The Case of Chase, posted July 26, 2008

B. Unusual Photos, posted June 23, 2008

C. On the Spot Education, posted May 14, 2008

Wendy welcomes reader comments saying, "Those who leave comments are generally sure to receive a visit from me."

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7. Bill West publishes and writes West in New England. His Getting to Know Me, Getting to Know "West in New England" establishes that he is a thrifty New Englander, historian, bookseller, with a computer. He doesn't dwell, however, on his love for the flutaphone --- but if you read his work you come to know and appreciate his interest in music along with his love and appreciation for family and history.

Bill tells how his blog goals have changed and evolved with his work at West in New England. He states, " My goal was to preserve and share what I know or discover my family's genealogy but that now has expanded to include my memories of my immediate family, of growing up and living, and of some of the things that I like or dislike."

Bill selects the following three of his articles to introduce himself and as samples of his bright, breezy, and beautiful work.

A. Orpha, posted September 27, 2007

B. A Flutaphone Lullaby, posted March 22, 2008

C. Aggie, posted February 1, 2007

Of reader interaction, Bill says, "If you're new to my blog, feel free to post a comment on an article, or if we share a common ancestor, let me know by comment or email. I'm always glad to meet a new relative and I'll happily share with you any information I might have about our families."

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8. Denise Olson resides in Florida where she is the publisher/writer of both the popular Moultrie Creek and Family Matters. Denise O's Getting to Know Me, Getting to Know Moultrie Creek was published at Family Matters.

Denise O indeed resides alongside Moultrie Creek. She is busy with technical matters involving her love of and expert use of computers. In her spare time she writes her blogs and maintains a large following of correspondents with whom she is most willing to help. Denise O is also very active in the administrative work of the new GeneaBlogger Group.

Says Denise O, "I started writing Family Matters to demonstrate that 'common' computer tools and software were just as critical to genealogy research as dedicated genealogy software and services." Her work and her tutorials on how to use basic computer programs to present geneablogs have been an inspiration to many of us who have no skills in computers.

Denise identified the following three articles as her bright, breezy, and beautiful pieces by which to introduce her work to you.

A. Research Delivered, posted July 20, 2008

B. Autobahn Adventures, posted March 29, 2008

C. Cherokee Rose, posted March 16, 2008 [Note: I'm partial to Cherokee Rose; I am so glad Denise O included it as her "beautiful" piece; I agree.]

Denise O's three articles takes your seamlessly between both of her major publishing platforms, Moultrie Creek and Family Matters. At both sites, Denise O encourages comments and interaction with readers.

Denise O states that she sees "technology as a tool to make my life easier and more enjoyable." And she is most willing to use that technology to share with her readers.

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9. Denise Levenick writes and publishes The Family Curator. Her article for the challenge is Getting to Know Me, Getting to Know The Family Curator.

Denise L. was an English teacher before she was a blogger and some of her best work involves getting students involved in genealogy through a letter transcription project. Denise L., new to blogging since mid-2007, says that every family has a curator, the one "who ends up with 'the stuff'." Here are the posts Denise L. identifies as her bright, breezy, and beautiful articles.

A. Day 3 -- The Transcription Project, posted May 21, 2008. [Note: Denise L's account of her students working with the transcription of some old letters is a read you shouldn't miss. I found her process and her description of her students most interesting.] Denise L says the guest column she wrote for Shades of the Departed (click to read) about her transcription class project is the best of her work --- so I'm including it although Denise L didn't submit it in her Getting to Know Me post because she was following the rules of the meme.

B. Return to the Family History Project, posted July 4, 2007

C. An Ironic Epitaph, posted July 8, 2008

Denise L allows reader comments and looks forward to hearing from readers and other bloggers.

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10. Melody Lassalle writes and publishes The Research Journal. Melody also has been running the Portuguese Hawaiian Genealogy and Heritage website, www.islandroutes.com sites for almost seven years.

In Melody's Getting to Know Me, Getting to Know The Research Journal article she states, "My goal is to teach people how to research their family tree, but I also want to help them go beyond basic information. Understanding the why and how of genealogy is just as fascinating as names, dates, and places. Finding out why our ancestors migrated or how they survived a disaster brings us closer to who they really were."

Melody identifies the following of her articles as her bright, breeziest, and most beautiful. Read them to gain a better understanding of her blog and of her work.

A. Leprosy and the Molokai Colony, published 2002. This is a must-read for all. It is amazing that so much historical detail survives about this sad chapter in Hawaii's past.

B. When Turkeys Sleep, published July 24, 2008 (This is both funny and breezy!)

C. Sinking of the Liscome Bay, published September 17, 2008

Melody encourages comments saying, "I hope [readers will] leave comments telling me about their research adventures and let me know if they’ve found anything I’ve written to be helpful."

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11. Kathryn Lake Hogan, LOOKING4ANCESTORS, write and publishes from Canada. There she is involved with genealogy both at the level of her own family and with societies such as the Ontario Genealogical Society and the United Empire Loyalists' Association of Canada.

Kathryn in Getting to Know Me, Getting to Know LOOKING4ANCESTORS lists the following three articles as her brightest, breeziest, and most beautiful and recommends reading them to understand what her blog is all about.

A. Joseph Brinley George, 1894 - 1986, Part One, June 15, 2008

B. The Disease of Distraction, July 8, 2008

C. She Was One Smart Cookie!, May 5, 2008

Says Kathryn, "I hope you, as a reader of LOOKING4ANCESTORS, or as a friend on facebook, will comment, or write on my wall to say "hi". . . I hope you will visit again or better yet, become a regular reader."

On September 24, Kathryn hosted the first Canadian Genealogy Carnival at her blog. I'm sure the CGC will become a standard feature among our northern GeneaBlogger friends and will include many of us USAers who have Canadian interests and family ties. Thanks, Kathryn, for hosting this important new carnival.

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12. Colleen M. Johnson is the writer and publisher of CMJ Office Blog. Colleen writes in Getting to Know Me, Getting to Know CMJ Office Blog that the following three articles are the ones she considers her best, sassiest, and most beautiful. She describes her love for her work and of her passion for genealogy.

A. Trust In Small Business, September 5, 2008

B. Seeds Fell in Canada, September 17, 2008

C. The Clune Family from Tierlaheen, County Clare, March 3, 2008

Colleen accepts comments at her blog; WordPress requires a log-in to make a comment. Says Colleen, "One of the ways that people can get to know me is by reading my blog postings. A more recent way would be through social networking groups via Facebook, Linkedln and Twitter. From these, you will uncover my soft nougat inner layer; or perhaps, I’m chocolate filled. I do love chocolate. Doesn’t everyone?"

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13. Janet Iles is Janet the Researcher. Janet hails from Grey County, Ontario, Canada. She is a retired librarian and operates a consulting and research service. In her post

Getting to know me, getting to know Janet the Researcher, she identifies the following articles as the ones to read to see her brightest, sassiest, and most beautiful work.

A. Mom, how did you get so smart?, May 13, 2008

B. Bathing Beauties, May 28, 2008

C. Women's History Month Salutes, March 13, 2008 (A salute with several excellent photographs of Janet's grandmother, Emily Lily Dudley Iles)

It is easy to post a comment at Janet's blog; she encourages readers to do so saying, "[I] hope that readers will comment when they stop by to read, if they remember a place or activity that relates to the topic."

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14. Jennifer J. Regan writes and publishes Rainy Day Genealogy Readings. A Bay Area California resident, Jennifer is one of the younger genealogists coming along (most of us are of the white or blue hair variety!) and states, "I see genealogy as a discipline growing and changing right before my eyes, and I want to be a part of the movement that brings family history research into the realm of this new technology-oriented age."

In her post Getting to Know Me, Getting to Know RDGR, Jennifer identifies the following articles as her brightest, sassiest and most beautiful.

A. iGoogle and Organizing Your Online Research, March 29, 2008

B. Ancestry Newspaper Rollout: Why I Say "Meh" , June 13, 2008

C. Extra! Extra! Rethinking Newspaper Research, May 11, 2008

Says Jennifer, "I am a pretty introverted person, a bookish sort, and have been all my life. One of the most surprising, but pleasant, things I have discovered, is that by writing a blog, you CAN get to know people, and people want to get to know you. . . Please don't hesitate to let me know if a post helps or confuses you! As I tell my little son quite often, 'Helping others can be so much fun!'"

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15. Sheri Fenley of Stockton, California, has a new blog called The Educated Genealogist. Although she has been writing and publishing her blog for about two months, her study and preparation for it began in 1988.

Sheri says, "The last five years I totally immersed myself in a structured, formal education. Finally I am confident that I have the skills and knowledge to perform historical and genealogical research on a professional level. The only thing I am missing is a job. I feel like I am 'all dressed up with no place to go!'"

So she became a geneablogger!

In her article, Getting to Know Me, Getting to Know All About The Educated Genealogist, Sheri identifies her brightest, breeziest, and most beautiful articles as

A. Sheri Went to Samford, posted August 11, 2008

B. A Primer on Setting Goals and Reaching Them, September 15, 2008 (A fun read --- we all need to reach our goals --- but first, you have to identify them.)

C. I Smile for the Camera Submission, August 8, 2008 (One of the best family photographs I've ever seen on the geneablogger pages.)

Sheri welcomes comments at her blog; in her "About" section she provides an email address also.

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Roundup at Hill Country continues after a short intermission. Act 2, Scenes 16 - 30 will follow.