The Rebels

 James Dean, Natalie Wood, Sal Mineo. Rebel Without a Cause, West Side Story. "57 Chevy, black leather jackets, Rock and Roll is Here to Stay. 

Poodle skirts, pedal pushers, saddle oxfords, 45 records, Annette, Sandra D.

ELVIS!!!

I feel so sorry for my parents. It must have been hell living with these teenagers. 

But what made us such rebels? Speaking for myself I was a year old when Pearl Harbor sent this country into WWII. Of course I didn't realize it but it became normal for all my older cousins to be in military uniforms. I never under stood the word war. But that didn’t make me a rebel! 

Many kids my age grew up with their fathers in the service and their mothers working in factories. (My parents were older.) These children became responsible for their younger siblings and also for helping out at home. Personally I think they grew up faster that the rest of us whose mothers didn't need to work. Did it make them rebels? Maybe. Why? Because they learned responsibility at an early age. And they knew women could survive on their own.

Whatever it was, the result was Civil Rights and Women's Rights. And the 1950s lighted the fuse that started the fuss. 

What Did We Learn From Looking Back

We know what we have now.

We know not to take it for granted.

We know life can be a constant battle 

 I really believed and still do believe we can learn a lot from the census. But what? There’s something wrong with this post on my blog. I can feel it but I  can’t describe it. There is something wrong. But what’s wrong. Its me. It has to be me. My view has changed.

Let me think about it and I’ll get back to you. See ya later alligator!! After while crocodile!!

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I never realized what the 1950s were all about and then the census reminded me

With the 1950 census indexing project coming to a close on many genealogy websites it's time to take a look at myself in the census. I missed being counted in 1940 because I was born too late, but I turned 10 in 1950. And, after years of seeing my ancestors in the census, I am finally looking at myself.

I was a little disappointed at first but as I learned more about pop culture in the 50s I became more disappointed and I just wanted to bang my head against the nearest wall. I didn't realize what life was like back then. Compared to now!! As I started to relive my memories my mood improved a little but I was now becoming aware that I totally accepted the misogynistic society that I was born into. Seventy-two years ago as a 10 year old girl I guess it was just life. The 1950 census was a wake up call that made me realize why I am who I am today.

I decided that the best way to get a good view of the census would be to take a trip back in time.

1950

In post WWII the perfect family was born. Father was the breadwinner and disciplinarian of everyone in the household. Mother stayed home, cooked, cleaned, took care of the kids and tried to look like a movie star all day. Sure!! Men were back from the war and needed jobs so women left the workforce and went back to being "just housewives". Young couples graduated from high school, got married, started a family and moved to the suburbs. I remember in 1958 many of my friends were engaged and planning a summer wedding when I graduated from high school

In the early 50s we all walked to school in the morning, went home for lunch,  and finally walked back home in the afternoon. We played outside, rode our bikes and as we got older talked on the phone. Boys took shop class and girls took home economics. We survived air raid drills, bomb shelters and polio. There were no drugs, no alcohol, and no sex. We were totally innocent.     

And then it happened! Television!! 

It took a while to catch on. Many were still listening to the radio since those families couldn't afford a tv. Department stores offered a free home demonstration, you could rent a set for a dollar a day, OR you could grab a lawn chair and sit on the sidewalk outside a store display window and watch for free. Remember those days? 

My parents had a television so all my aunts, uncles and cousins came to our house. We turned out all the lights and sat  in the dark and watched 15 minute shows. Plus a lot of test patterns. Why did we sit in the dark? Because anything else would ruin our eyesight and let's face it we were used to watching movies in dark theaters.

A New Generation. 

 During the early 50s television began to be available from coast to coast, unless you lived in the country. In the fifties my dad retired and we moved to Florida. We had a tv but there were no tv stations. We lasted 6 months and moved back home. There you have it -- tv had us under control and we weren't alone. As our own lives were changing in the 50s, a new generation that had been born in the late 1940s was beginning to appear in our lives. Baby Boomers!

Marketing.

Television's evil twin had all of us in her cross hairs. Yup! Marketing was here to stay!  Soon we were learning how we should look and act. How to look, diet, dress, live. What we just couldn't live without in our lives. Sitcoms and advertising were shaping our lifestyle. 

Baby Boomers were targeted and taught to "need". Their teacher was Miss TV. But as these Boomers were growing up, the teenagers of the 50s came into their own.

*Next: The Rebels.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Frugal Tip

       Ancestry Labor Day DNA Special. 

DNA Test - $59  (regular $99)  Excludes shipping.

Ancestry Labor Day DNA Special.

Offer ends 4 Sep 2022

Battery recharged! Back on the road but headed in a new direction!

 I guess it just isn't possible to retire from the world of genealogy. I tried and I was successful for about two years. During that time I purged my genealogy files and cleaned out my office. Recently I put my laptop on my dining room table in front of a large window with a great view. We all know that nothing screams genealogy like a dining room table. And so I am back! While purging and organizing  I saw all the information and facts I have accumulated over the past 70 years. I also had a chance to think about all the things I have accomplished in my many years of genealogy. I realized I know hundreds of stories about my family and ancestors. Why in the world would I just stop?

 Covid was the perfect excuse to stay home and get caught up on that To Do List.   For me it  was more like a time to dive into depression and laziness.  Hibernate! Live in my pj's. Watch tv and have ice cream for breakfast. It should have been a time for research and reading all those conference syllabuses from the last 10 years. But no! It was an excuse to just goof off. I don't know about you, but I misplaced two years of my life. I like to think that made me 2 years younger!!

Believe it or not, good things did come from that. As for me I did get rid of the piles of paper that covered every horizontal surface in my office. I was able to purge my files of duplicate slips of paper, freebies I picked up in the exhibit halls at conferences, and all those articles I saved because I thought I might need them some day. Thinking back I did need this break if just because I needed to clean house and clear my mind. It was more of a time to recharge my battery.

It feels good to be back pounding on my keyboard again and I am looking forward to making a few changes to my blog of 10 years. I will still keep the frugality while also going in a new direction. I will also be focusing on my 70 years of genealogy experience.; sort of "branching out". Don't be surprised if I kick some old habits to the curb and bring in a new outlook when it comes to finding your ancestors. Also with genealogists feeling safer attending society meetings and conferences again, be sure to check out the events page.

There will be something for everyone from beginner to medium/advanced. I will teach when necessary, provide needed help and throw in some tips I've learned over the years. And if there is one thing that makes my blood boil it is the term Brick Walls so you can be sure we will go there soon. It is an overused, inaccurate term that causes concussions and makes people shut down. I prefer the Doughnut Award! Stayed tuned

Sometimes I wonder if any of our elected representatives have ever even thought about researching their ancestors.Do they even realize that government records are valuable tools for genealogists? Do they even care? It certainly doesn't appear so.

We all know that government records such as census, immigration records, land records, probate records - to name a few - are essential for research. Many times they fill in the dash. The government is responsible for creating, preserving, and making these records available to the public. For a reasonable fee!!

For example, a few years ago I was looking for records in Fulton County, Ohio. A clerk spent about a half hour helping me find what I needed. Then another clerk in another office provided me with the copies I needed. I was charged a nominal fee for the copy. The research was part of the services of the courthouse. 

Unfortunately recently budget cuts and massive fee increases are threatening our access to the records we depend on. We can speculate on the reasons but lets set that aside for now. Instead lets concentrate on protecting our rights and records.

Rich Venezia and other genealogists have formed a group called Records Not Revenue and they need our support.https://www.recordsnotrevenue.com/

Family Tree Magazine, September/October issue has a 7 page article devoted to this issue.   

What should you do? Don't ignore, get involved and be informed. It's important for the future of genealogical research.

 

FGS Virtual 2020 Conference had a lot of perks for seniors.

The first part of the FGS Virtual Conference is over and I am back home. Oh, Wait! I never left home. Sweet. I really believe this should continue to be an option for those of us who are seniors. Granted I missed seeing old friends and making new ones, but the convenience of being able to stay home is more important for me now.

When I first registered I didn't realize the convenience and frugal perks that were in store. First thing that hit me was that I am not paying over $100 a night for a room. That is at least a $300 savings right off the bat. In addition the cost of eating out for three days saved me at least $60. Fuel saving was about $30. All together that was almost twice the price of the conference.

But more importantly, the conference was not labor intensive. I didn't have to pack everything and load it in the trunk of my car. And once I got to the conference hotel I did not have to . . . . . well I don't even want to think about that parade. When the conference was over I didn't have to do all of that in reverse. I'm not the spring chicken I used to be so this is a blessing. Walking is not my strong suit any more.

My church has been doing virtual services since March and the council recently voted to install the equipment needed to continue this into the future. Apparently attendance at church services has increased. I would not stop attending church in person because I still want to see all my friends on Saturday afternoons. However, there are days when I just can't make it to church in person due to pain or weather.

On September 15 the second phase of the conference begins. The exhibit hall will be open until October 15. The On Demand sessions will be available until March 15, 2021.

FYI: For anyone attending this conference, please make sure that you sign in to your own account. When I tried to order my On Demand sessions, I found out that there is more than one of me at this event. This is not a surprise since it has happened to me at past conferences. We get the wrong rooms, wrong packets, and when the credit card bill arrives we find that we are paying twice for everything. BUT when one of us wins a door prize we all get a prize. And yes we won a very nice door prize this year. 

FGS pulls off a flawless virtual conference! Congratulations!

What a great conference day!! I admit, I'm still unwinding. Spent the day with the window open and a slight breeze. All comfy in my rocker watching speaker after speaker talking just to me. Occasionally I would sit at the table and watch the comments rolling by on my laptop. For me it was a perfect learning experience.

The speakers were excellent. When Judy Russell sent in her papers for this conference there was no Covid 19 and yet her lecture was spot on. Looking into pandemics of the past shed so much light on what we are going thru today. It's nothing new! 

Now I know that I need to get up on Saturday morning and watch Roots Less Traveled on NBC. It's WDYTYA for real people; not celebrities. Seems someone was listening.

A question I have asked for years was answered. Is there a place where descendants of  slave-owners can share names of slaves. Yes. https://beyondkin.org

Did you know there is such a thing as "quick and dirty" family trees? Clue: has to do with DNA  

New words in my vocabulary: Knowledge card, snippet, organic. Watch out google, here I come.

The next two days are workshops and picking my On Demand lectures. From there the conference lasts from September 15, 2020-March 15,2021. During this time I will have access to all Conference material.

Would I do it again? Ya betcha.

Was it frugal? Absolutely!!