The upcoming holidays are especially good times to gather ANCESTOR STORIES. Over the spam of seven Sundays, I will share with you my approach to preparing your ancestor stories to share with others. Before you can share, of course, you must have them and have them in a form to be useful to share and tell.
If you are on Facebook, the 7 Steps of Preparation to TELL YOUR ANCESTOR STORIES are already available by joining the Cause: TELL YOUR ANCESTOR STORIES. I encourage you to join.
The 7 Steps are, very briefly: Ask, Listen, Record, Organize, Research, Write, Share.
You will want to use Ask, Listen and Record all together over the holidays as family members get together at different times for different celebrations and events.
Our focus today is on Listen, the second of the 7 Steps. But, as I said last week Ask, Listen and Record do go together.
Listen is especially important if you do not have a digital recording devise with you - which you often will not have. Take special note of relationships mentioned. Without interrupting the flow of the conversation, you may want to ask for clarification of relationships if you do not have them clear in your mind. Was this a great-uncle or a great grandfather being discussed, for instance. You will also want to take particular note of the place - town and state - and the date - at least the year, or an approximation. These are the facts you would like to be able to go back and write down for further research. Listen carefully, and use your best memory tricks to retain not only the story content but the basic vital facts, as best you can.
Next Sunday, we will discuss the Record issue in more detail.
Families are Forever! ;-)
Showing posts with label Ancestor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ancestor. Show all posts
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Friday, December 25, 2009
Follower Friday - Miriam
Today I want to recognize Miriam at AnceStories: The Stories of My Ancestors
<http://ancestories1.blogspot.com/>.
She has already received many awards, so my recommendation is nothing new... she is just somewhat new to me, and I want to share my enthusiasm for all the good tips and stories she shares.
Check it out, I think you will agree.
Families are Forever! ;-)
<http://ancestories1.blogspot.com/>.
She has already received many awards, so my recommendation is nothing new... she is just somewhat new to me, and I want to share my enthusiasm for all the good tips and stories she shares.
Check it out, I think you will agree.
Families are Forever! ;-)
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Preparation Sunday - Step 1 of 7
Step 1 - Ask
The upcoming holidays are especially good times to gather ANCESTOR STORIES. Over the next seven Sundays, I will share with you my approach to preparing your ancestor stories to share with others. Before you can share, of course, you must have them and have them in a form to be useful to share and tell.
If you are on Facebook, the 7 Steps of Preparation to TELL YOUR ANCESTOR STORIES are already available by joining the Cause: TELL YOUR ANCESTOR STORIES. I encourage you to join.
The 7 Steps are, very briefly: Ask, Listen, Record, Organize, Research, Write, Share.
You will want to use Ask, Listen and Record all together over the holidays as family members get together at different times for different celebrations and events. You need to think about those circumstances as you plan to gather useful story information. After a holiday meal is a good time to Ask about "the olden times," when older family members were young. How did they celebrate - like we do, or different? Do you remember a special holiday? a special tradition? Who participated? How and Why?
Then it is important to Listen. Listen carefully. Generally, don't interrupt. Let them talk... let their memories come to the forefront and be shared, just as they remember them.
Record. Have a note pad and pen or pencil. Have a digital recorder that can just run, unobtrusively... they will forget it was even there. If all else fails, REMEMBER, and go write it down, or enter it into your computer, later, as best you can.
I think you get the idea... OK? Just do it!
While Listen may be the most important, you must also Ask, in most cases, either to get the conversation going something like you would like, or, to ask a follow up question when there is a break.
You may be thinking of after Christmas dinner with the family, but these "information gathering" situations may carry over into when watching football bowl games, for instance, or the women are talking recipes. When Grandpa Joe, the Packer fan, and Uncle Sid, the Bears fan, start going at each other... it is a good time to ask them why, when and where they each became such rabid fans of their respective teams, for example. When Aunt Minnie talks about her fruitcake, be sure to ask for the recipe, ask where she got it, when she first made it, what was the occasion, does she have special memories of a particular holiday it was served, etc.
Have your own set of questions to ask, if the conversation drifts, such as:
1. What was your most prized possession as a child? At what age? Where did you live then?
2. Tell about the best gift (birthday, Christmas, other) you ever received. What? Why? Where? When?
3. Did you ever find something your Mom or Dad had hidden? Did they every find something you had hidden?
4. Share a memory about a church social activity when you were a child.
5. When you were child, how did you keep your house warm? Did you have running water? electricity? television? Internet? ... you get the idea! ;-)
6. Tell about a time you dressed up in a costume? were in a play? Didn't have the proper clothes to wear for some occasion?
You can come up with your own, and much better, questions... but do have them available ahead of time. Tuck them in the back of your notepad, perhaps.
Next Sunday, we will talk more about Listen.
Families are Forever! ;-)
The upcoming holidays are especially good times to gather ANCESTOR STORIES. Over the next seven Sundays, I will share with you my approach to preparing your ancestor stories to share with others. Before you can share, of course, you must have them and have them in a form to be useful to share and tell.
If you are on Facebook, the 7 Steps of Preparation to TELL YOUR ANCESTOR STORIES are already available by joining the Cause: TELL YOUR ANCESTOR STORIES. I encourage you to join.
The 7 Steps are, very briefly: Ask, Listen, Record, Organize, Research, Write, Share.You will want to use Ask, Listen and Record all together over the holidays as family members get together at different times for different celebrations and events. You need to think about those circumstances as you plan to gather useful story information. After a holiday meal is a good time to Ask about "the olden times," when older family members were young. How did they celebrate - like we do, or different? Do you remember a special holiday? a special tradition? Who participated? How and Why?
Then it is important to Listen. Listen carefully. Generally, don't interrupt. Let them talk... let their memories come to the forefront and be shared, just as they remember them.
Record. Have a note pad and pen or pencil. Have a digital recorder that can just run, unobtrusively... they will forget it was even there. If all else fails, REMEMBER, and go write it down, or enter it into your computer, later, as best you can.
I think you get the idea... OK? Just do it!
While Listen may be the most important, you must also Ask, in most cases, either to get the conversation going something like you would like, or, to ask a follow up question when there is a break.
You may be thinking of after Christmas dinner with the family, but these "information gathering" situations may carry over into when watching football bowl games, for instance, or the women are talking recipes. When Grandpa Joe, the Packer fan, and Uncle Sid, the Bears fan, start going at each other... it is a good time to ask them why, when and where they each became such rabid fans of their respective teams, for example. When Aunt Minnie talks about her fruitcake, be sure to ask for the recipe, ask where she got it, when she first made it, what was the occasion, does she have special memories of a particular holiday it was served, etc.
Have your own set of questions to ask, if the conversation drifts, such as:
1. What was your most prized possession as a child? At what age? Where did you live then?
2. Tell about the best gift (birthday, Christmas, other) you ever received. What? Why? Where? When?
3. Did you ever find something your Mom or Dad had hidden? Did they every find something you had hidden?
4. Share a memory about a church social activity when you were a child.
5. When you were child, how did you keep your house warm? Did you have running water? electricity? television? Internet? ... you get the idea! ;-)
6. Tell about a time you dressed up in a costume? were in a play? Didn't have the proper clothes to wear for some occasion?
You can come up with your own, and much better, questions... but do have them available ahead of time. Tuck them in the back of your notepad, perhaps.
Next Sunday, we will talk more about Listen.
Families are Forever! ;-)
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
13 Ways - The Book is now available
"13 Ways to Tell Your Ancestor Stories" is now available - in print or as a pdf download:
Just click on the Cover to go to my Storefront.
I really look forward to your comments when you see and read the book.
Thanks for your support!
Families are Forever! ;-)
Just click on the Cover to go to my Storefront.
I really look forward to your comments when you see and read the book.
Thanks for your support!
Families are Forever! ;-)
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Book Update
This is just a note to update those interested in the progress of the companion book to this blog.
"How to Tell Your Ancestor Stories" is in the final editing stages and a preliminary print is being made. For the latest, follow my Book Blog at: http://drbillsbookbazaar.blogspot.com/
I am very pleased to have just received permission from Judy Shintani to use a quote from her blog on the back cover:
“Telling a story about an ancestor can be a gift to oneself and to one’s family. It is powerful to have your stories heard.” Judy Shintani - please visit her sites regularly:
Families are Forever! ;-)
"How to Tell Your Ancestor Stories" is in the final editing stages and a preliminary print is being made. For the latest, follow my Book Blog at: http://drbillsbookbazaar.blogspot.com/
I am very pleased to have just received permission from Judy Shintani to use a quote from her blog on the back cover:
“Telling a story about an ancestor can be a gift to oneself and to one’s family. It is powerful to have your stories heard.” Judy Shintani - please visit her sites regularly:
Judy Shintani
www.judyshintani.com blog: http://judykitsune.wordpress.Families are Forever! ;-)
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