View from the Porch

My front porch, late April, 2015, photo by Midge Frazel

View from the Porch

As I prepare for warmer weather, some might think that genealogy will take a back step in my life for the summer. In the summer months I take my new iPad and my iPhone out to do work in this mobile office. I have also been hoarding new genealogy books so that I get get away from the technology for a while.

As I am retired, I think a lot about just relaxing and doing nothing. I am not very good at doing nothing but I am very good at living my life as I see fit. I've been made fun of (read: bullied) because I resisted the suggestions of family and friends to live a "normal" life. If I had kept a diary of those annoying suggestions, it would now be made into a major motion picture. I would call it: "Do as I say. Be successful".

Four careers later, I am successful. Are people jealous? Probably. 

I like getting up early and going to bed when I am tired. I am not a heavy eater and I no longer drink. I am not that good at making friends but you would not know that if you met me. What do you think?

So, what porch activities are good for summer genealogists? 

Personal Setup

Midge's Personal Setup, 27 April, 2015, photo by Midge
Apple Store, Marlborough, MA

Yesterday, I ordered online the new iPad mini 3 that I wanted to buy all through this long, snowy, winter. Fearing that this mini model of the iPad (mini) might be replaced by an even larger iPhone 6+, I knew I must buy it soon. Ordering it online, as I did last June for my MacBook Air, is a good option for me.

I had it "shipped" to my new Apple Store in the Solomon Pond Mall in Marlborough, MA. I put that in quotes because it meant they would take one off the shelf and make it ready for me to go to the store. Three minutes after the store opened, I got the email and we were off.

Although I have owned many computers, I still like to experience the way the manufacturer sets them up. I liked that they made me do it myself and that was easy until we got to the SIM card in the iPad. I don't think they did that right and they sent me to the Verizon Wireless store in the Mall to have it "fixed". It works perfectly now.

I enjoyed the Apple Employee who had cords hanging from his belt like men used to carry keys. Remember that?

Being a Winner?

Midge Frazel and Dear Myrtle, April, 2015 at NERGC 2015

Being a Winner!

You know how they have those baskets or boxes that you put your name into at conferences and hope you win something but you don't expect you will? Well, I won. I am still shaking my head.

I have owned two iPads and two iPhones. I used to have an Android phone but simply because my carrier wasn't allowed to be selling iPhones. Of course, they got over it when Apple allowed it. 

This device is way easier than my old droid phone. The apps are much the same. However, buying a case turned out to be a problem. I bought a case for it and it is quite great. Now, hubs tells me it won't do because our old treadmill doesn't have a lip to rest it on. He wants me to buy another case so he can glue or heavy velcro (his fav choice) to attach it to the controls for the treadmill. My solution? Quit the stupid, expensive, gym and buy a new treadmill with a lip.

No matter what people can find an obstacle to using technology in an easy way and sometimes, it is not about the technology at all. A lot of times it is about the money or making choices. I am tired of teaching and presenting to the people in my own generation. 

What does hubs think is great? His old fashioned flip phone and fits in his pocket. Go figure...

I need coffee. (update!)

Ordered this tablet stand for treadmills

Kaffee with Kathy

Midge with Kathy Schrock at the Cape, 13 Aug 2010

The Beach Bums

Hardly a day goes by when I don't think about my friend, the famous ed-tech guru Kathy Schrock. I have to think of her when I look at my iPad and my iPhone because it was her suggestion that I return to my Mac roots. When I met her, she was a die-hard Windows user, and now, like me she speaks three languages, Windows, Macintosh and Android.

She got me into Facebook just a couple days after it opened to the "public". That was January 2007 when we went to an ed-tech conference in Florida called FETC. I'm thinking today of all the conferences we went to together. I'm not half  (half-caf) as exhausted today as when I traveled with her. She has two speeds. Awake and Asleep. Both are at full tilt. Just typing that makes me tired.

She is also Highly Caffeinated. She drinks Starbucks coffee by the gallon. She is probably the most high energy person I have ever known. Her blog, Kathy Schrock's Kaffeeklatsch tells us why she named it that:

"Webster's defines kaffeeklatsch as "an informal gathering to drink coffee and chat." I feel it is a perfect analogy for a blog! (And you are welcome even if you don't drink coffee!)"

I didn't think of it at the time, but, yes, I copied her. I guess I will have to buy her coffee next time I see her. I do that anyway.

Everytime I buy a new techno-device, she gets the first test email. She loves buying and setting up any type of computer.

Yes, she bought an Apple Watch. She's hard to keep up with. Don't even try. 

Flying at Half-Caf

Photo by Midge Frazel

Flying at Half-Caf

When you see the above photo of the decaf and the half caf coffee, You will know that The Highly Caffeinated Genealogist is in desperate need of some high energy.

This week the BSO's (bright, shiny objects) got to me. Thanks to Dear Myrtle, I won a Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 tablet. Immediately, it changed my plan for this week after the conference. 

I was going to give my iPad mini (1st generation) to hubs so he can watch programs sent to it from our Xfinity X1 system and also so he can check Facebook. But, this tablet seems a better choice for him. I bought a case for it and arrived from Amazon a few days ago. I think I have made the right decision for him.

However, that kills my plan. I wanted to buy an iPad mini 3 for myself. I love the size of the 7 inch or so devices. They are perfect for communication friends and family with social media. The iPad mini (1st gen) is my second iPad. I bought one not long after we moved here. It was quite large and heavy and so when the iPad mini came out, I decided to run with that.

My friends that have Android based tablets love them, but I have to teach hubs how to use it. He loves his Kindle Paperwhite but really doesn't want a phone that doesn't fit in his pocket. 

I find the iPhone 6 not to my liking so I can't give him my iPhone 5s and buy a new one. 

I need coffee...

Blogging Buddies

 Beverley Fieg, Lori Lyn Price,Laurie Desmarais, Cynthia Shenette, Midge Frazel,Dave Robison, Pam Carter, Liz Loveland and Elizabeth Pyle Handler  and Heather Rojo

Elizabeth, Heather, Lisa and Midge, April 2015

Conference Moment #10: Blogging Buddies

Vincent Rojo took some great photos at the conference. I borrowed these from him for this very special memories of NERGC 2015. We met before the banquet and took this photo and then went in to eat with Vincent and hubs. Josh Taylor was the banquet keynote and it was a fun look at family history in the media.

Dessert at the Friday Night Banquet, 2015

I am going to end these ten conference moments with dessert. The next blog post will be about the conference but in a different way. You'll see....

Trip the Tree with Janet

Janet Hovorka, April, 2015

Conference Moment #9: Family History Trips with the Chart Chick

I was delighted to meet Janet. Known as the "Chart Chick", she makes fabulous professional wall charts for your home or family reunions. But, that's not why I wanted to meet her. I wanted to hear how she managed to get children or grandchildren involved in family history. We took our big grandson to the cemetery where his paternal ancestors are buried. He was fearless. He fell down and then, he started to walk between stones. We got some cute photos of him with the stones. I love this one. It looks like he's reading the name.

Stepping on Stones, 2011

Hubs bought her book for me "Zap the Grandma Gap" and I forgot to get it signed because hubs was going back to the hotel to check in and he could put it in the car where it could be safe. I don't get to read it until Mother's Day.

A while back I wrote a book on "doing genealogy" combined with curriculum for educators. I called it, "Links to the Past...". Now, I need some ideas for introducing my little grandsons to our family history. My daughter is a Kindergarten teacher but not in the town she lives in so she asked our "big" grandson's teacher if any grade covered family history. Turns out it is 2nd grade. Yikes. I don't have much time to get this done. I also have to do this twice. 

Janet's presentation style was low-key and friendly. I felt like I was talking to a fellow educator. My Master's in Technology was quite the experience but it won't help me with this!

Janet was so nice to solicit ideas from her audience. I intend to share with her after I try things out. This is an important topic for all of us. Who will take over as our family historian? (Thanks, Janet)