It's a start

This is the third year I've attended the Bloggers Summit at SCGS Jamboree.  I've had this blog for I don't know how long, long before the Blogger Summit. It was originally called Reflections because that was what I was supposed to do.  I was in a training on educational technology  (I'm in K-12 education) at least five years ago and we were supposed to "reflect" on our training.  I got the blog set up in the old blogger system but never wrote anything.  At this point I'm not even sure what the address of this blog is.  But, I'm getting started. 

This weekend was the SCGS Jamboree in Burbank.  We had a great time.  Bill has now learned enough that he enjoys the classes, chooses his own, and can hold an intelligent conversation about genealogy.  For the last year and a half he's been my secretary as president of the Genealogical Society of North Orange County California. I'm very lucky as there were not many couples sharing this passion.  He's pushing me to take a vacation to Scituate, Massachusetts this summer to do further research on his Mayhew line.

This Jamboree was different for me.  After all the years of on again, off again, researching, I've now gotten more into the community.  I'm almost finished with the National Institute for Genealogical Studies course through the University of Toronto.  I joined APG this year as an actual member, not publications only.  I joined the Southern California APG chapter at Jamboree. I know people.  I walk around the conference and people say hello to me. I have a nodding acquaintance with people who think they know me but aren't sure. It was definitely different.

Loved Jamboree. (Isn't it funny that the name is so ingrained that it is Jamboree rather than the jamboree.) I went to quite a few sessions on social networking, learned how to use GenealogyWise, Second Life, and Twitter. As with my blogging, these are all things I've already learned and never used.  When I took the class on Second Life and learned about the opportunities for genealogy I re-activated my avitar, although I don't think you have to reactivate, I'm already two years old.  I've had Twitterrific on my iPhone for awhile but wasn't sure how to use it. Guess, I really do like to be shown how to do things rather than fiddle around or read the directions.

Since I've been told that blog entries should be short; people don't like to read more than three paragraphs, I think I should stop reflecting.  My goal is to reflect at least once a week.  Why was I able to start now and not before?  Thanks to the California economy, I have three days of forced furlough.  It's the first time I've been able to come home from a conference and use what I've learned without waiting a week.  Momentum helps.