Happy Thanksgiving!

Here's my Thanksgiving wish for you! I hope Thanksgiving brings you:

• Family, friends with loads of laughter and relaxation
• New memories combined with established family traditions
• Awe as you watch the new Macy's Day parade
• Fabulous food combined football
• A Packer victory
• Capped off with a fabulous new segment of Ugly Betty

Oh, wait! That's my wish for myself! I hope each and every one of you has the Thanksgiving Day you dream of. Enjoy!

Interview with NAWW

After another hectic work week I was delighted to return home from Sacramento to find that my interview with the National Association of Women Writers was posted on their web site. Here is a link if you would like to check it out:

http://naww.org/blog/naww-member-interview-anna-bartkowski

A few days in California...

I traveled to California this week for my day job to participate in the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People workshop. I originally attended a Seven Habits workshop many years ago after the book's debut.

Today we covered Habits 1 and 2. Be Proactive and Begin with the end in Mind. It is amazing how much I remember. It is also amazing to me how my goals and objectives are clearer to me this time around.

My focus on family history, memories, writing and publishing have integrated completely into my lifestyle. All of my free time is spent on my true pleasures. I no longer veer off course, as I did 17 years ago.

What a blessing! I can enjoy the workshop for the next two days with the confidence that I am living my legacy.

I took a couple of days off....

After my 31 days adventure. October flew past me with so many tips, ideas, and baseball games. So, I took a few days off from my blog to regroup. I tried many of the tips and still have many to incorporate into my family history research.

I've accomplished so much. Here is a brief list of which I am quite proud:

• Mailed my picture of unknown Russian men to Photo Detective Maureen Taylor for her expert investigation. http://www.maureentaylor.com/
• Uncovered a great web site honoring the war heroes of Saipan in World War II which I accidentally found when I googled my uncle's name. See for yourself at http://www.nps.gov/archive/amme/court_of_honor/unit46_plate9column5.html
• Requested military records for my father and uncle.
• Started and made a significant dent in my photograph archiving.

This list assures me I have made process and yet there is so much more I want to do. I just need to pace myself.

And, sometimes, when I think I am the only one concerned about history, a close friend, Mitzi Kleidon, gives me a wonderful magazine entitled The Writer. In the December 2007 issue, the cover headline is "Write a Family History." The features explains why it is the best time ever for this pursuit. Inside you learn step by step how to write your family history. This story eases the way for individuals who say they don't know how to write to capture their memories. Check it out for yourself at http://www.writermag.com/wrt/

One of the best ideas shared in a sidebar story (which I wish I had thought of myself in October) is to write birthday letters each year for each of your children. It is a beautiful thought. The letters will be treasured heirlooms for generations. It requires a bit less time than a daily journal and certainly gives a yearly perspective of a child's life. The letters can be saved and given on an milestone birthday or other special occasion. I know I will add it to my "to do" list.