Virtual Advent Tour - Kiva - Genealogists for Families Project

I am delighted to take part in the Virtual Advent Tour hosted by Marg & Kelly. This is the third time of taking part. It is a wonderful way to meet other bloggers and spread festive cheer! When I decided to take part I selected two special dates - this is the first of those two dates.

The 18th of December always signifies two things in our family, exactly one week to Christmas and my late beloved Grandmother's birthday. Today she would have been 101 years old and I so wish she was here, more so this year than any other.

Back in 2011 I made my first loan of $25 to the Genealogists for Families Project at Kiva. The basic principle is that you loan $25 through the scheme to individuals who do not have access to traditional banks. When the loan is repaid you can either withdrawal your money or loan again. You can make many loans or just one or two. The choice is up to you. I should point out, that you don't need to be a genealogist to join the genealogist team, who have made loans of a staggering $82,250 at the time of writing this post. To demonstrate how successful the project is, when I wrote a similar post in 2011 the team had loaned $5,350. In fact for the last two years I have made regular loans and I always make a loan commemorate my Grandmother's birthday.

My Grandmother was a true inspiration to me. We spend many, many hours together, shared shopping trips, hospital visits, conversations, jokes, hugs, cuddles and laughter. When she passed away she left a void that was very big and I knew that I would never fill that void. That has indeed been the case and today, I feel a real sadness, not just that she is not here, but that Mum is in hospital and I so wish that my Grandmother was here, so that I could share my worries and concerns and tap into the wisdom font that my Grandmother was.

So, in memory of an outstanding lady, who gave me so much I have made another loan with Kiva.

Christmas is the time for giving and I want to commemorate the lady who was my Grandmother. Acknowledge her achievements and values and to assist others in her memory.

The photograph here is of my Grandmother, Lilian Edith Butcher nee Matthews (1912 - 1995) on the occasion of her 21st Birthday.

If you would like to join the team, then please click HERE

Blogging A-Z - April Challenge - K is for .....Kiva

A little earlier this week I made another loan through Kiva as part of the Genealogists for Families Team.  The loan was to a lady in Kenya, so you may well be asking what this has to do with my A-Z Challenge theme of Australia.


The Genealogists for Families Team, whose motto is

"We care about families (past, present and future)"

was started by an Australian who continued the legacy of her late father. What a wonderful way to honour a loved one, by sharing their values. Over time I have supported others using my family members birthday's, Christmas and anniversaries as a commemoration. A rather wonderful way of linking past with present and hopefully future.

My first loan was made in honour of my late Grandmother's birthday. The loan to an individual in Sierra Leone,which is where my Grandfather spent half of his Second World War service.

The Genealogists for Families Team is exactly that, a team of enthused genealogists and their friends and family. You can read about the Team HERE. The team has members across the globe, helping people across the globe, but it all started down under!

Taking part in the A-Z April Challenge

Blogging Awards & Some Thoughts

In the last week there has been numerous posts about awards and the value of them. You can read a really good discussion at Finding Eliza with a link to an article called Blogging Awards & SEO & a further posts and comments over at Family History Across the Seas hosted by Pauline, along with a post at Australian Ancestral Journeys

It became clear that many of the genealogical bloggers appreciate the gesture of receiving the award, but feel uncomfortable of the forwarding of it. Feeling, that it singles out fellow bloggers, in addition to the SEO.

I have to say I agree. There are lots of blogs that I visit and comment on, and whilst I am very grateful that others feel that my blog is worthy of an award, and that people read my posts and leave comments. I do not like passing them on.

Several times last year I wrote a post saying that I had been awarded an award and then linking to the main page of the awarder - much in the same way as I have linked to Pauline in this post, and the way that I often to link to other bloggers when I write posts, as a courtesy and acknowledgement.  I then went onto to say this -

"I follow a tremendous number of blogs and many of them are versatile. I have therefore decided not to pass along the award, but to make a further loan $25 to the Kiva Project that I have mentioned several times on this blog. I am a member of the Genealogists for Families Team"

Therefore I have decided that should I be nominated for a blog I shall no longer forward it on. Nor will I be awarding any awards.  Instead I shall

1. Use it as an opportunity to undertake something of lasting value by making a loan to KIVA via the Genealogists for Families Team 
2. Create a page for blogs that I follow regularly and enjoy.

One Lovely Blog Award

Last week I was nominated for this award by Vikki who blogs at The View Outside.

Like Vikki, I am a little bit of an blog award rules breaker! So I am on this occasion not nominating this to other bloggers. This is for two reasons, firstly I received an award in early June which I have only just responded to and secondly, I plan to, as is my custom to make a further loan in support of the Genealogists for Families Team at Kiva.

I will though say this, I read many blogs, not in a particularly timely manner. Each one adds value to my reading and thoughts and I value the comments and friends that I have made via the blogging world.

Illuminating Blog Award

In early June I was awarded the Illuminating Blog Award by Peggy at Musings of a MadCityWriter. I am always amazed that there is an interest in the ramblings that I write and that people enjoy what they read and then bestow a virtual award.







Here are rules of acceptance:

1. The nominee should visit the award site (http://foodstoriesblog.com/illuminating-blogger-award/) and leave a comment indicating that they have been nominated and by whom. (This step is so important because it’s the only way that we can create a blogroll of award winners).
2. The Nominee should thank the person that nominated them by posting & including a link to their blog.
3. The Nominee should include a courtesy link back to the official award site (http://foodstoriesblog.com/illuminating-blogger-award/) in their blog post.
4. Share one random thing about yourself in your blog post.
5. Select at least five other bloggers that you enjoy reading their illuminating, informative posts and nominate them for the award. Many people indicate that they wish they could nominate more so please feel free to nominate all your favorites.
6. Notify your nominees by leaving a comment on their blog, including a link to the award site (http://foodstoriesblog.com/illuminating-blogger-award/).

As is my custom, I shall nominate several writers whose blog I read, I shall share one thing about myself and make a loan via the Genealogists for Families Team.

The random fact about myself is that I rarely drink alcohol. The alcoholic drink I had was a glass of sparkling rose wine in Jersey in July 2011 for our Wedding Anniversary!

My nominations are

1. The View Outside
2. Genealogists for Families Project - the blog where it all started!
3. Family History Across the Seas
4. ANZ LitLovers LitBlog
5. Beth Fish Reads

Jubilee Time Capsule - Kiva Project - 28th September 2011

The following is a post that I submitted to the Jubilee Time Capsule.

The genealogical community has always been a friendly and active one. Regardless of where perhaps you are in the Commonwealth, or even beyond, so many people have ancestral links back to either parts of the United Kingdom or a Country which has such links with the Commonwealth. 

On 28th September 2011, a lady in Queensland Australia created a team called Genealogists for Families within the non profit organisation called Kiva (http://www.kiva.org/about). Building on the success of the conception of the team in 2011 the Genealogists for Families Team received an award for 'Best New Community Project'.

Now, 9 months later, the team consists of more than 170 people, across the globe, but predominately across the Commonwealth. The team have loaned, which is the principle of the Kiva system, more than $16,000 to across the globe, but of course part of the Commonwealth are very well represented too.

This is a fantastic achievement. One that I am proud to be a part of. This shows the value of family across the Commonwealth, it shows that in a world filled with war, poverty, uncertainty and fear that regular, working and retired people from all across the globe & Commonwealth care about others, who are in the main strangers, and come from a variety of Countries and different walks of life.

The basics of the system are this. Register on the Kiva site and go on, join the team! Read through the selection of those who need help and having made your selection make your $25 loan. The loan is repaid and you are then free to reloan your money or withdrawal it from the project the choice is yours. $25 is the cost of a Macdonalds for 3 people, yet $25 can do remarkable things, improving the lives of others.

Non Genealogists can join the team, which is open to family and friends of Genealogists. You can visit the team page http://www.kiva.org/team/genealogists and read about the project. 

You can read about the regular people that are supporting the project via the blog http://genfamilies.blogspot.com.au/

Genealogists for Families - We care about families (past, present and future)

Sunshine Award

Thanks to Betsy of Remember........a family history blog who gave me the award at the end of 2011.

The rules are quite simple-

1. Thank the person who gave you the award
2. Answer 10 questions
3. Pass the award along to 10 sunshine worthy bloggers

Here are the questions and my answers!

1. Favourite colour - green and blue
2. Favourite animal - Kaola
3. Favourite number - 2
4. Favourite drink - Tea
5. Facebook or Twitter - It depends, but overall I think Twitter
6. My Passion - Several - my family, genealogy and books
7. Giving or Receiving - Giving is best!
8. Favourite Day - Friday
9. Favourite Flower - Sunflower
10. Favourite Foods - Dark or plain chocolate toffees.

I should now pass the award along to 10 worthy bloggers. I have decided that I am not going to pass the award along. There are so many wonderfully informative and fun blogs out there, certainly many more than 10! I follow loads and do not comment nearly enough.

Instead I am going to loan another $25 to the Kiva Project that I have mentioned several times on this blog. I am a member of the Genealogists for Families Team.

Leap Years, and a reflective thought.

Leap Years are needed to keep our calenders in alignment with the Earth's revolutions. If we did not have an extra day every four years we would loose 6 hours from our calendar every year, which means that after 100 years our calender would only be 24 days. Leap Years were invented by Julius Caesar over 2000 years ago and were reflected in the Julian Calendar. In 1752 Great Britain changed and adopted The Gregorian Calender

I am sometimes in amazement of the things that just are. As a genealogist I am aware of the Calendar changes and often ponder on the wider implications things such as this, impacted onto the life's of my ancestors.

We live in a modern, technological advancing world. A teacher friend, once told me that in order to teach her subject, which happens to be French, she had to first teach several of the students how to tell the time. I was amazed. When I asked why, she replied that the children had learnt to tell the time using digital displays rather than a traditional clock. That issue had never occurred to me.

We present to the future, a generation of children who regularly use computers, Playstations, iPhone and iPods,and much more. Basics things can become forgotten, and technological advancements are seen as the norm and perhaps taken for granted.

The eldest family member I can remember is my Great Grandmother who was born in 1898. She died in 1973 and left a world that had experienced Wars during her lifetime, The Great War, The Second World War, The Boer War, Korea and Vietnam. She had known poverty, fear, worry and grief. During her lifetime she had buried her husband, three infant children and three of her nine adult children. Times were hard and to us, in this modern age perhaps incomprehensible. What would she has made of the world now?

The issues she felt in the United Kingdom are still in existence now in parts of the world. Parts of Africa and the Middle East torn apart by War, famine, and disaster. In many ways, the fact that these things still plague families is tragic.

I was therefore delighted last year to become part of a group called Genealogists for Families. The group is two fold. It brings together like-minded genealogists, across the globe who share a common interest and passion for their families.

Genealogists for Families supports a team which is part of the Kiva Organisation. Whereby, those who choose to, can loan $25 to a specific individual of your choice. The $25 is a loan not a hand out. It is repaid in monthly instalments and allows those registered at the Kiva site to access to funds when there is not the facility to access traditional banks. Our contributions are not going to stop Wars, famines and alike, but it does enable us to be part of someones future.

I made my first loan before Christmas in memory of my Grandmother and have three more loans that I plan to arrange in the memory of two deceased special family members and to commemorate a special birthday of my Mum's. I plan to continue this process through the course of the year. If you want to take part click HERE

The Genealogists for Families motto is "We care about Families (past, present and future"

Submitted at http://feb29th.net/ - A blogging project across the globe.
(http://feb29th.net/2012/03/02/a-reflective-thought/)

Guest Post at 'Genealogists for Families' Project

Judy, who is the project developer and coordinator at the "Genealogists for Families" Project invited me to be a guest on the project blog today.

You can read my Guest post HERE.

To find out more about the wonderful project click HERE. We care about families (past, present and future).

Beyond the Internet Week 4: Donations and Subscriptions

I can not recall where I have found any evidence that my family made a donation to a public subscription. So I shall use a modern example.

A few years ago, I found on line a reference made to an ancestor - William Arthur West. William had been in the Army and was stationed in what was known at the time as Zulu land. His wife accompanied him. While in South Africa his wife passed away and is the only white female buried in the cemetery. 

The reference I found on line was in relation to the Rotary Club for the town where William lived in England with his second wife after he left the army. The Rotary Club had links to the town in South Africa where William's first wife was buried. As you might expect, modern provisions and schooling in the local area is not brilliant. I had reciprocated the details with the Rotary Club about William and when I sent off the CD of data for their archives enclosed a cheque in memory of William and his first wife. The Rotary Club has strong links with the local community and has provided financial assistance in relation to the school and running water. 

A second modern example is The Families for Genealogists Project organised by Judy Webster. I joined the team back in October and knew that I wanted to contribute, but I also wanted my contributions to mean something. My first loan was made in December in memory of my Grandmother's 99th Birthday and I plan to commemorate various family events during the year. To join the project click HERE.

Virtual Advent Tour - Kiva - Genealogists for Families Project

I am delighted to take part in the Virtual Advent Tour hosted by Marg & Kelly. This is my first time of taking part and I am hoping that it won't be the last. It is a wonderful way to meet other bloggers and spread festive cheer! When I decided to take part I selected two special dates - this is the first of those two dates.

The 18th December would have been my beloved Grandmother's birthday, her 99th one in fact. As I wandered up to my study to write this post I was suddenly aware that my Grandparents feature in pretty much every room in the house, despite the fact that we purchased the house a year after my Grandmother passed away. I have inherited lots of their belongings and photos.

Regular readers of this blog will have read various posts about my Grandparents and the families they descended from. I am very proud of them and the achievements they accomplished. I have been suddenly aware that apart from being my Grandmother, she was also a wife, a mother, a friend, sister and much, much more. In writing this post, I remember her, upon her birthday. The reality is, that I think of her every day and miss her the same. She was a huge influence in my life and her passing left quite a void

In the Spring after we moved here, I purchased a beautiful peach coloured rose. My husband planted it in her memory and every time I look out of the breakfast room window I ponder on what she would think of my zero gardening ability. The rose is lovely, and despite some fairly harsh Winters in recent years, it continues to flourish, with much assistance from my beloved. Usually on her birthday I purchase a bunch of vibrant coloured flowers, as that is how I recall her, bright, happy and always joking, and place the vase in a location where I can enjoy the flowers. This year I have opted for something very different.

About 6 weeks ago, perhaps longer, a fellow genealogist alerted me to a project called Genealogists for Families Project. The moto is "We care about families, Past, Present & Future" I joined the Genealogists team and logged in. I had a good read of the project and had a look at all the individuals listed who would benefit from a loan through the Kiva Organisation. I discussed it with my husband and shared my plans with him and pondered on how I could utilise the scheme with a genealogical link.

The basic principle is that you loan $25 through the scheme to individuals who do not have access to traditional banks. When the loan is repaid you can either withdrawal your money or loan again. You can make many loans or just one or two. The choice is up to you. I should point out, that you don't need to be a genealogist to join the genealogist team, who have made loans of a staggering $5,350 at the time of writing this post.

So, in memory of an outstanding lady, who gave me so much I have kicked off my involvement with Kiva and made my first loan. I have picked an individual who lives in Sierra Leone, because he is supporting several family members, purely because they are his family, and also my Grandfather was stationed in Sierra Leone during the Second World War.

Christmas is the time for giving and I want to commemorate the lady who was my Grandmother. Acknowledge her achievements and values and to assist others in her memory.

The photograph here is of my Grandmother, Lilian Edith Butcher nee Matthews (1912 - 1995) on the occasion of her 21st Birthday.

If you would like to join the team, then please click HERE