06 November 2020

Genealogy Projects: A Much Needed Distraction

Genealogy tasks and projects are the perfect antidote for a year of bad news. They're a distraction that takes you straight to your happy place.

This year you'd better not have any large gatherings for the holidays. But you can have your family time by working on your family tree.

Does 2020 make you want you chill? Replace the stress with these family tree projects.
Does 2020 make you want you chill? Replace the stress with these family tree projects.

If you don't have a handful of go-to genealogy tasks to keep you busy, try one or more of these projects:

Make a Custom, Keepsake Family Tree. You may start out making one of these unique family trees for a loved one. But I'll bet you'll want one for yourself.

Take Your Obsession to the Next Level. Poring over the vital records from one grandfather's hometown in Italy, something became very clear. The whole town was related! Neighboring families marrying their children to one another. Widowed in-laws marrying. The amount of interconnection was amazing. That's when I knew what I had to do. I had to document everyone in town and make an enormous family tree. What's your obsession with genealogy? What can you do to make it truly grand?

Serenity now! This genealogy therapy will actually calm you down.
Serenity now! This genealogy therapy will actually calm you down.

Pay it Forward with Cemetery Photos. You may not be able to travel to your ancestor's cemetery, but I'll bet you have several nearby. Why not spend a day documenting one? You can check the Find a Grave or Billion Graves websites to see who's asking for a photo of a particular grave. Then go find it!

Help Out a Less-Experienced Genealogist. Have you developed a talent for reading old handwriting? Are you pretty darned good at finding someone in the census? Sharpen your skills while doing a good deed! Plenty of less-experience family tree buffs are out their asking for help. Try to solve their mystery for them.

Genealogy is the perfect escape from all your troubles. Which project will you choose first?
Genealogy is the perfect escape from all your troubles. Which project will you choose first?

2 comments:

  1. Genealogy certainly has helped me over the last few months...I can lose myself in the past. Plus, seeing all the horrible things from earlier centuries reminds me that, despite the current situation, we here in the 21st century have things pretty good.

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  2. Thank you for reminding us all that there are ways to help each other without putting safety at risk. I particularly like your comment about photographing cemeteries. I have spent several lovely afternoons wandering through cemeteries, photographing headstones. Aside from entering photos, it can also be rewarding to update the Find A Grave records using the information that you've uncovered about your family. Thank goodness for these online activities!

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