Well hello there! How the heck are you?
Why yes…yes, it is mid-month and I’m just getting around to writing a few planning notes down for of September.
Yeah, August was a doozy, between the farm/animal care, my daughter being home from all day every day after eight weeks of summer day-camp, and present life in general. Life was very full in beautiful and rather challenging ways, including a deeply rough goat labor that was incredibly painful in every way. If you are interested in some personal details, you can read this post here that talks about many of the happenings this summer (good and hard).
It seemed as though August wasn’t quite ready to let me out of her teeth as the challenges continued into the first week and a half of September. So here I am, mid-month, trying to find my groove again in a world that seems ever-determined to encourage me to nap 😉
But I digress, let’s dive into what’s been accomplished and what I intend to accomplish in the few short days remaining in this month.
August 2025 Accomplishments
- Reviewed Isaac C. Graves’ 400 page Civil War Pension File for any relevant information. While an extensive document containing his continuous fight to prove his pain and fight for payments, I was not able to find any statements to help me prove his lineage beyond his father. I was able to confirm his mother’s Maiden name (Walker) and pinned his county of birth down in North Carolina.
- I spent a little time researching my great-grandpa’s half-brother, A. Stanton, in Medora, Illinois and came up with nothing. He lived in a tiny community with no city directory and I am going to have to get creative with how I approach this. This is one of the few moments I wish I was still on Facebook. Surely there’s a community group on FB that could offer some insights. Alas, I am not willing to dive back into the Meta-Verse. Sigh. I will probably reach out to the Historical Society or closest Library to see what I can find.
- I did not, in fact, begin the new Heritage Journal spread for my paternal grandfather, Arthur. I just didn’t have any such creativity or drive in me for this spread and so surrendered it instead of trying to push through.
All three of my August goals are solid reminders that research doesn’t always happen in great bursts. The details add up eventually (usually) with persistence and patience, but the ebb and flow of it all cannot be forced. Nor should it be. Truth be told, if the genealogy of it all isn’t enjoyable, it will fall away, and that’s the last thing we want, right?
Onward.
September 2025 Goals
Since there are less than two weeks left in the month, I’m going to do my best to set myself up for success and keep this very simple:
- Adjust my Ancestry membership down to reflect the time I’m spending (not spending) on the site these days. World Membership is lovely, but not necessary right now.
- Begin (yes, for real this time) my paternal grandpa Arthur’s spread. This remains important for my heart space as well as to keep me on track for what I would like to accomplish in October when the veil is at it’s thinnest.
- Write up a blog post about the Heritage Beads I strung up a couple of years ago, to be published at the very end of September as I prepare (again) for some fun, deep Ancestor work in October.
Curious? Stay tuned! I’m excited to share with you some ghosty work I’m doing in October!
But first, September’s goals!
Do tell, how’s your research and documentation going? How are you approaching your family history goals these days? Are you carving out time and space to dive into your passions and curiosities? I sure hope so.
Onward,
Melissa