Happy New Year 2012 & Goals For The Year

Many Goals for 2011 were accomplished and there were some that were not.  After reassessing, some of my goals I had for 2011, I decided not to follow through with as I feel they are not necessary right now.  

 

Goals For 2012

1.  Meet my Porter Family in Las Vegas: Date set for January 24 & 25, 2012 (Bought ticket)
2.  Boston University Genealogy Certification Program (Paid last payment 12/30/2011)
3.  Worcester, Massachusetts Family Research Trip #2
4.  New Bern, Craven County Family Research Trip: Summer
5. Riverside, CA National Archive Research Trip
6.  New York Research and Tourist Trip #4 February 2012
7.  Write and Complete “Embraced Identity” and ready for publication in 2013.
8.  Exercise 3x Week
9.  Lose inches to be a size 8 petite
10.  Continue Family Research & Blog
11. Blog Research for “Cully Family History, An African American Legacy.
12. Develop Porter Foundation with the goal to raise funds for at least 2 Elementary Schools.
13. Blogging Presentation for San Diego African American Genealogical Research Group for January 2012.
14. Attend the Roots Conference in Los Angeles, March 2012.
15. Finish paying for Tori to Spain, April 2012.
16. Finish paying for Tori’s School Ring, January 2012
17. Build various streams of income for 2012.Read at least 2 books a month.
18. Raise funds for Uncle Wendell Culley’s headstone.
19. Orlando Florida and Cully, Switzerland…Jazz Festival, April 2012

With all these many goals, I am so excited for the New Year!!!  I wish you all a Happy New Year and a Bountiful Year!!!

The things I would like to accomplish from the Year 2011

The things I would like to accomplish for the Year 2011.

     Every year instead of doing resolutions, I put together a list of things to accomplish.  This year was pretty successful.  Here was my list for 2011, and I have already put my list together for 2012 and will post those on January 1, 2012.  May you all have a Happy New Year!  I have enjoyed reading everyone’s blogs, and look forward to reading more into the new year.

1.  Write Embraced Identity-A Memoir (complete manuscript by Jan 2012)  Maybe in June 2012…LOL

2.  Research for  The Cully Family History Book (Lot’s done and more to do)

3.  Trip to New Bern/Craven County, North Carolina to document and research (August) ? Not this year  😦  Maybe 2012

4.  Trip to Worcester, Cambridge & Boston, MA to document and research (July end)Did an earlier trip

5. Plan Cully Family Reunion for 2012 in Florida.?

6.  Howard/Paulette 2011 Family Reunion in Chicago (July 1-5) (pd for registration and flight)  Ended up cancelling.

7.  Trip to Detroit, MI to get headstone on grandfather’s grave.  (Need to find another way)

8.  Have a headstone placed on Uncle Wendell Culley’s gravesite.  (made calls but did not make it happen)

9.  Put together scrapbooks of 2010 trips (done)

10.           Complete New York Family Research Trip Presentation by January 7, 2011 to be presented to the Genealogy group. (done)

11.           Help Vanessa buy a car.  (still looking)

12.           Get Victoria a car. (her dad’s going to get it)

13.           Save some $$$ this year. (Not)

14.           Plan for 2012 Trips to Martinsville, Virginia & Sistersville, VA for research. (Maybe)

15.           Help Tori with SAT for College  (Will be taking in 2012)

16.           Help Tori Research schools of choice: Howard U, Harvard, Stanford, Yale, Univ of Irvine, UCLA & UCSD, and apply.  (We visited Harvard and Howard)  She thinks she will go to Cornell.

17.            Help Victoria apply for scholarships for school.  (Will be doing this soon)

18.            Help my Niece Brittnee get into her school of choice in NY- Fashion Institute. (not sure if this is what she will be doing)

19.           Develop and Improve family relationships(doing it)

20.             Piano Lessons  (Currently in process) (quit)

21.             Blog more. (Currently in process)  (doing it daily till my computer crashed…LOL

22.             Trip to Washington D.C. and Boston & Worcester (April 1-10, 2011)  Spring Break  (Done)

Orphan Photo #3

     I came across this photo in my mother’s collection.  I do not have any background information on this little girl, but on the back of the photo, it appears that her name is: Theda Fern.  I am guessing that this picture was taken in New York, but I could be wrong.

Actual Photo

Close-up Photo

‘

If you see a different name, please let me know.

Theda Fern

Wordless Wednesday: Pastoral Visit, New Bern, NC

Pastoral Visit New Bern, North Carolina Post Card (The Albertype Co. Brooklyn NY)

   This is a postcard I purchased a few years ago through e-bay.

Wordless Wednesday: Osborne Ambrose Cully’s 1918 Scrapbook

     Here is a page out of my Grand-Uncle’s 1918 Scrapbook.  The individuals are: Harold S. Saunders, Dick Neuman, and Jack.  No last name for Jack…Wonder if he was Osborne’s friend or was he family.  It looks to me that Harold was in the military.  These photos were most likely taken in Massachusetts or Connecticut.  Will do some research on Harold & Dick to learn more about Osborne’s friends.  Harold S. Saunders was an electrician as Osborne was.

     If anyone know’s any of these individuals or their families, please contact me and let me know more.  Thank you, and Happy Reaserching!!!

Genealogy Corner: Day #5

     The last few days have been very busy for me.  I began to switch my blot to WordPress, and hopefully will have it where I want it by the weekend.  Then at that time, It will be permanent.  I still like to use blogger, but I am thinking WordPress will be better for me.


     I began to send out Holiday/Christmas Cards today.  I also sent a few calendars that were put together by the San Diego African American Genealogy Research Group.  Every year Felix Greene, President of the group publishes a collaborative calendar that features a members relative/s.  This year I had my Grand Uncle Wendell Culley featured in the month of August 2012.  This is such a great idea for a keepsake and at the same time to raise money for your organization.

    

This is the picture that I submitted for the Calendar:

I have been looking at planning some family research trips for the 2012 year.  Before the end of this month, I intend on visiting my Grandmother’s brother, who is the last one living in his generation as it has been awhile since I seen him.  I spoke with him yesterday to get his address.  I learned that his father grew cotton in his fields.   I plan to go back to New York and Worcester, MA in February 2012, and possibly to New Bern, NC in the Summer.

      Until tomorrow….Happy Research….and Happy Holidays!!!

Genealogy Corner: Day #4

Keith S. Porter My Grandson at Pre-school Last December 2010

      Today, I read a few pages of chapter #3 of the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass.  I have the holiday fever, so I feel as though I have ADHD right now.

     I started working on the PowerPoint Presentation for my Genealogy Society meeting in January 2012.  I will be discussing Blogging Your Family History.  I have made an agreement with myself, since I am a recovering procrastinator to do at least 2 slides a day, so by the time my presentation date, it will be complete.

     I began scanning some of the old pictures I want to use for my presentation, as I would like to make a few collages.  When my computer crashed, I lost all of those needed photo’s, so of course, I am also backing up.

     I am also going to be moving my Blogger account to WordPress, as I have been seeing that individual bloggers on Blogger have been locked out of their accounts, and I am worried that it could happen to me.

     I received a book in the mail, Postcard History Series, Worcester by Frank J. Morrill, William O. Hultgren, and Eric J. Salomonsson.  I plan on posting on my other blog, The Cully Family: An African American Legacy, a few of the postcards that I feel are in relation to my ancestors.

     Before I go, I must do a little tooting because I made it in Randy Seavers, Genea-Musing: Best of the Genea-blogs mentions.  Randy quoted “Hundreds of genealogy and family history bloggers write thousands of posts every week about their research, their families, and their interests. I appreciate each one of them and their efforts.

My criteria for “Best of …” are pretty simple – I pick posts that advance knowledge about genealogy and family history, address current genealogy issues, provide personal family history, are funny or are poignant. I don’t list posts destined for the genealogy carnivals, or other meme submissions (but I do include summaries of them), or my own posts.” “
     So with this, I am so honored to have a place this week on Randy Seavers list.  I am learning so much from all of you that blog your family research, and those that help many of us to stay updated.  Again, Thank you Randy!!!

Genealogy Corner: Day #3

Today was a slow day for me.  I scanned the ten death certificates I received a few days ago.  I cropped them and saved them to my hard drive.

As I was organizing my room I found the photo of my Paternal Grand Aunt, Hattie Bunn Criner, my grandmother’s younger sister.  I met Hattie for the first time in 1989 at my grandmother’s funeral.  I was really in awe because she looked so much like my grandmother Helen.

Hattie Bunn

I thought I would get some reading in today, but I got a call to go to a Christmas Party, and had only ten minutes to get dressed…so….no reading for me tonight.

Right before I went out the door, One of my dearest friends sent me a Youtube Video she created of the Walter J. Porter Portrait Unveiling. It was spectacular so I thought I would share. Thank You Tracy for your friendship and putting Love into it!!

Genealogy Corner: Day #2

     I had expected to accomplish a lot on my genealogy list today, but time just got away from me.

     The first thing I did this morning, after my chores was to watch Stella Dallas, a 1937 film based off a Novel written by Olive Higgins Prouty.  The leading actress was Barbara Stanwick.  The setting took place in Millhampton, Massachusetts in 1919.  The reason I chose to view this film, was because I am currently reading Pencil Shavings, Memoirs by Olive Higgins Prouty. The book was suggested to me by Olive’s grand-niece, and the film was discussed in the introduction of the book.  I mentioned in my last post that my Cully family worked in the Higgins home, and I am researching the Higgins family in hopes to learn more about my family.

     This morning I had the opportunity to go on air and speak with Preacherman of the online radio KLMT103.com.  I was asked to speak about last Friday’s  Pencil Portrait Unveiling of my late-father Walter J. Porter at the WJP Elementary School.  Our family, Community and foundation donated 3 portraits to the school as many of the children really had no idea who Walter was, even though the school was named after him.  A news Article in our local Voice & Viewpoint can be read by going to this link, Walter J. Porter Portraits Unveiled..

      Towards the end of the day, I went to the mailbox and a large manila envelope with the ten death certificates I ordered from the Secretary of State, Baton Rouge, LA arrived.  I read each certificate and began doing some research with them and added some of the info into my family tree.  One of the Certificate of Death documents I was excited about was my paternal grandfather’s Harrison Porter.  The new information I received from the document was the name of the Plantation my grandfather sharecropped on, “Brown’s Plantation”.  I also learned where he was buried, at the Rose Hill Cemetery in Lake Providence, East Carroll, Louisiana.  I began looking up the new information, but am discovering that it is going to take some time.  I posted to a few genealogy walls, and am now waiting for some responses.

     To top my evening off, I listened to Geneabloggers Radio.  The discussion for the night was “Do Books Still Matter in Genealogy?”  This was a great discussion.  I enjoy reading books, but I also have a Nook. I know things are going electronic, but I don’t think the e-books are going to wipe out the use and need for paper books.

     To end my night, I will read a few chapters in the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass.  I am finding this autobiography emotional, and enlightening.

Genealogy Corner: Day #1

     The Year is beginning to wind-up before it winds down, and I have decided to take a mini break from posting my family research until after Christmas.  I have not forgot about my goal to write daily, so I figure I will just post the things I have done for the next few weeks.

     I am going to spend the next few months catching up on some of the reading I had wanted to do throughout the year.  I just started reading the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave Written by Himself a few days ago.  I am finding the reading quite insightful.

     One reason my interest was peaked in reading about Frederick Douglass, is that I am looking at his family line, because my Peters family had Douglass’s living in their home in Washington, DC. Off the top of my head, which I will go into detail later, the individual was a widow of a Frederick Douglass (not sure if it was possibly Frederick Douglass’s grandson) and her daughter was listed in the household.

     Today I received Pencil Shavings, Memoirs by Olive Higgins Prouty.  I spoke to Olive’s grand-niece Clarinda a few weeks ago, and she suggested that I read the memoirs so that I familiarize myself to the Higgins Family.  I have a continued interest in the Higgins family as My Great Grandfather Ambrose Cully, his in-laws, and his two older daughters worked for the Higgins in Worcester, MA.  I hope to read this book before Summer of 2012 as Clarinda will make some inquiries as to the employment status of my Cully family working for her great-grandparents, and the possible relationship my family had with the Higgins.

2nd Edition Pencil Shavings

     I will be doing my yearly presentation for the San Diego African American Genealogical Research Group on January 14, 2012.  My presentation this year will be Blogging Your Family History.  I have been blogging for less than a year and so far, I am the only member of this group that blogs their genealogy.  I think it will be very valuable to them to get the information and to possibly become members of Geneabloggers.  I will be putting together a slide presentation, so if anyone has any suggestions, please do not hesitate to give me some pointers.

     I am also going to spend this time to read some blogs I haven’t read in awhile.  There is such a wealth of information out their in the Geneablogger World, and wish I had more time to read everyone’s.

      Well, until tomorrow….Happy Blogging!!!!