Family Tree Stats

Here's the statistics from my current Family Tree Maker database. 

Over 4000 people, 16 generations and 580 surnames. Over 15,000 facts and nearly 2000 pictures.

I'm impressed. With me. 

Fresh Starts in 2015

A new year is all about new opportunities, right? Fresh starts. 

I always do the resolutions thing. I'll exercise more, lose 20 pounds, keep a cleaner house, organize my research. Yeah. Right. A girl can dream.

Speaking of fresh starts, I've often toyed with the idea of starting my genealogy research all over again. After all these years and after all the MOUNTAINS of research and facts I've accumulated. 

I've done a terrible job over the years of documenting and properly citing my sources plus I've learned so very much along the way. This would be a great (but oh so daunting) chance to start at the beginning - with myself - and document things the right way. To reexamine my sources, rethink my research strategies. Seems a good way to jump-start my research, which really needs a shot in the arm.

Even one of my genealogical idols, Myrtle, has considered starting over. One of my favorite blogs suggests not really starting over, but instead doing a "reappraisal". 

Cool idea.

Book sale at NC State Archives

The NC State Archives is holding a GREAT sale on some of it's books!  Check it out here. 

History for all the People - NC State Archives Blog

Did you know the NC State Archives writes a really nifty little blog entitled History for all the People? 

They discuss ongoing projects at the archives, upcoming events, how to do things, find things, and all sorts of other interesting news. 

I subscribe to it, so it lands in my email box each time a new post is available. 

I've found it enormously helpful in learning how to find things at the archives, available resources (things off the beaten path), and loads of other cool things.

Check it out!

Family Tree Maker - Bah Humbug

I think I seriously goofed yesterday when I was cleaning up some files on my laptop. It's not a crisis level goof, recovery can happen even if it will cost $$. I hope.

I was cleaning up some OLD FTM back up files when I may have mistakenly deleted my FTM executable file. Egads. I'm surprised that FTM let me delete the entire executable so easily. So maybe that's not the issue. 

I also downloaded a FTM patch which appeared to be required about the same time. Maybe it was buggy or a virus and made my FTM.EXE disappear. Scrooge.

Or maybe I was just distracted preparing for 30+ people to give us a Christmas visit when I deleted the wrong FTM file. 

Whatever the cause, I'm very sad to see that I cannot open any of my FTM files. I'm off work for a good stretch during the holiday and was really looking forward to working on my genealogy.

There's really no point to this post except to vent.  

I'm pretty sure my gg grand-parents didn't have this problem.