I'm feeling a mass of mixed feelings: pride, consternation, relief, hope, frustration, and more!!
- My new tree is slowly growing, person by person by person, details by details.
- I have practical detailed research logs modified to my liking (love Excel)(Thank You, Thomas).
- I'm using several new tools such as Evernote to help this process.
- My Research Toolbox is slowly being added to as I go along in researching, using every opportunity to see if something might be helpful.
- My newly named and organized files make better sense to me and are easier to use.
- All documents I find are properly listed-cited-saved-named in my new naming system recommended by several genealogists: SURNAME, First Name(s) - Date - ITEM, Place - Other imp't details if needed. (Thank you Miriam & Diana, others).
- All maps, photographs and more are also listed and named in a similar fashion.
- All documents are properly put into my Sources template with appropriate person details (Thank you Thomas once more).
But...
Two weeks ago I had intra-ocular surgery to remove an epiretinal membrane growing rapidly in my right eye, which is the 'only' eye with good vision. My left does peripheral vision - I suspect there's very little real estate in the brain for signals from that eye! Currently, I have dozens of floaters which make reading challenging, but I know they will slowly be dealt with as my eye clears them out. We live in wonderful times where I don't have to go blind slowly! And living in BC, my only expenses were $58 for two eye drop preparations. Our taxes at work. Thank heavens.
Because of the eye issues, I wasn't able to do much computer work this past 10 days - and then my hard drive and one RAM unit died... fixed now with help from my friend, wearing one of his hats as a computer tech guy, and it's back to normal but better! (Thank you Dallas).
I'm quite happy with my results to date, and think I have a handle on what used to cause me to get so frustrated and disappointed with my work. I also realize I'm essentially a disorganized visual-oriented person, so any system has to be very simple, very clear, in only 1 or 2 steps. So far so good.
I'm sliding behind in the Do-Over weeks, but I truly don't give a darn, because I'd already decided this Do-Over will take as long as it will take. I'm not in a competition with others, nor trying to race through the work to be done and dashing through a learning process. It will likely take all year or so.
Thanks for all the great ideas and suggestions on the Facebook page, plus I learn a lot by reading about others' problems or challenges. Learning comes from many sources, eh?
Let's see how I do by another 5 weeks or so. It's a great journey I'm on. Feel free to add your comments or suggestions below - I love to know people have been by.
