52 Ancestors In 52 Weeks: First

First things first…first and foremost….first on the horizon…right now, these first thoughts are propelling my blog for this week. A new year welcomes new challenges and new goals as a first line approach to what comes next with my family tree research.

First things first: thank you, Amy Johnson Crow, for hosting 52 Ancestors. The weekly prompts spurred me on to start a blog about my family. Without your help, I most likely would not have written on a scheduled basis. Ideas and research would have fallen by the wayside. Thank you for the nudge, the mentoring, the prompting.

First and foremost: I discovered my writing voice. I discovered that I wanted to tell a story each week…not a story story, but the researched facts about my ancestors dressed up in personal vignettes. One thing I did not want to do was write scholarly articles spewing out all the references and sources for each ancestor. I would have faded fast on that route. Also, I discovered what I wanted to call myself as far as loving genealogy. I am a family history writer/author. I desire to craft out my writing…hopefully to bring my ancestors to life for one shining moment each week.

First on the horizon: I plan to let others in my family and friends circle know about my blog. I am not looking for praise and adulation…I am looking to inspire others to take pen in hand and create picture stories about their families. If one thread from an ancestor’s life can be shared, then the whole fabric of her being will be resurrected and remembered.

So a toast to the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks project: may our postings be works from the heart!