2014 has already been a busy year.
I returned to the office on January 6th after a very enjoyable holiday season with family and friends. Molly went back to her teaching about the same time after a brief hiatus to allow for snow and extreme cold school cancelations. And then Molly and I just returned late yesterday from the wedding of our nephew in Philadelphia this past weekend.
While at the wedding reception I was able to spend some time in genealogy conversation with my nephew's cousin from his mother's side. "Kenny" and I have communicated about our mutual interest in family history over recent years and we both stood there at the reception -- cameras in hand to record yet another family history event -- chatting about genealogy while the reception whirled around us.
We discussed my year-old blogging adventure and Kenny had kind words for the blog based on a few visits. I spent a good deal of time encouraging him to start his own family history blog as soon as possible and I ran down some of the many benefits of being able to share -- and thereby preserve via wider distribution -- all the family history and treasures he has been able to accumulate. What I forgot to emphasize to Kenny was the wonderful community of people that inhabit the genealogy blogosphere!
During this first year of genealogy blogging, I have come to meet a couple of distant cousins and many other kind, helpful, and encouraging genealogy bloggers. I have developed a circle of "Blog Acquaintances" and several have become friends that I just happen not to have met face-to-face as yet. One of those friends wrote me an email and left a comment on my Blogiversary post while Molly and I were at the wedding in Philadelphia.
Barbara Poole, of Life From The Roots blog, wrote to congratulate me on completing my first year of blogging and to note how The Prism had received the honor of being recognized by one of the premier genealogy blogs in a round-up of blogs for 2013. And it was Barbara's kindness in sending her congratulations that reminded me that in the rush of the New Year I had completely forgotten about sending a very appreciative 'Thank You" for the 2013 round-up mention. Thanks to Barbara I immediately rectified my faux pas with a direct email today to the blog author.
While a belated "thank you" is better than none, it is still not as good as a timely note of appreciation; but the bright side here is that Barbara's thoughtful kindness allowed a timely thank you to her, and a blog prompt for today that permits me to (1) offer a broader, more public "Thank You!" to Randy Seaver, genea-blogger extraordinaire at Genea-Musings blog; and (2) to tell Kenny that some of the huge benefits of genealogy blogging are the acquaintances, friendships, supportive encouragement, and distant cousin connections you can make upon entering this wonderful family history community!
So without further ado . . . thank you again Barbara!
And, Randy Seaver, a belated but very heartfelt "THANK YOU!" for including The Prism among the 23 blogs you mention as your picks for "Best of the Genea-Blogs for 2013." To be mentioned in the same company as the well-established blogs that have made your list for two or even three years, is . . . I am truly at a loss for words. I can say that your inclusion of The Prism has made my year -- and 2014 is only 13 days old!!
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One other thing I will say -- and that I think all of the bloggers you mentioned would join with me in saying -- is that your list (being understandably and properly modest) left out one of the very "Best of the Genea-Blogs for 2013" (and past and future years), so readers should add to their copy of your list Genea-Musings by Randy Seaver found at this link EVERY day! As others have said -- and I echo -- I do not know how you do it, but we are all glad you and others (such as Thomas MacEntee) are able to do what you do and that you keep it up!
Warm regards and best wishes for 2014 to Randy and all the other members of the genealogy blogosphere community!
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Copyright 2014, John D. Tew
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Congratulations John! Your blog being listed in Randy's "Best of" list is a well-deserved honor!
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