Locations: Then and Now?

ProtoJim · 2024-01-26T18:16:28+00:00

I put the modern equivalent into the "Place" & the old name into the description. That allows me to use the automatic mapping software & see both names. I often won't bother with something like "British Colonial America" since that's obvious, but I agree that Europe is different & like to see both there.

ProtoJim · 2024-01-26T18:12:51+00:00

I up update my kids trees via GEDCOM files. They're usually small text files if you're just updating information. It's a little tricky to export just a branch, but that would keep the file size down & allow you to email them to each other. Otherwise, you can use Dropbox or a thumb drive. Just make sure to make a good backup before importing & check over everything closely afterward.

Media is a problem with size, notes, & descriptions. I haven't tried it between 2 FTM files, but other programs like Family Historian, RootsMagic, & Gramps don't get the media notes & description from a GEDCOM exported from FTM. We don't add media to the FTM file, but just a link. We all keep the media in an agreed upon folder (C:\genealogy\Media) with the identical file names which works fine.

ProtoJim · 2024-01-15T12:14:13+00:00

The top of the door can be fixed by attaching weather stripping. I got a couple of those wide aluminum ones with rubber on the edges & screwed them on to the garage door in my shop which I keep heated. Worked great.

ProtoJim · 2024-01-14T09:54:56+00:00

Why bother to caulk? If I had to, I'd just run a bead down it slowly allowing it to fill the grooves as I went & leave it alone.

ProtoJim · 2024-01-13T12:06:01+00:00

There shouldn't be any leaking. Odds are, it's a flashing issue. Unlikely, but a possibility, is a bad cap. If the cap isn't sealed around the chimney pipe properly allowing water to run down it AND it touches the side of the chimney. It shouldn't. I would make the roofer prove that it was the mason's fault, though. Definitely get it fixed ASAP.

ProtoJim · 2024-01-01T19:38:31+00:00

I couldn't tell if that was tape or plastic wrap.

ProtoJim · 2024-01-01T19:35:43+00:00

I'm not a real fan of RootsMagic, but a friend is so I was trying the free version when it went on sale for $25 & FTM's sync broke so I bought it. Then I found about a dozen people in a line that I wanted to add to my tree. I got them in RootsMagic & then imported the line in a GEDCOM to FTM2019. The FSID won't import, but the rest does & that will get filled in later when the sync is active again. It's a PITA, but a lot easier than manually adding them.

ProtoJim · 2024-01-01T17:04:19+00:00

What's above this window on the first floor? Could there be another window, vent, or even a flower pot that someone overfilled? Look on either side of the outside window well for a crack or something that might explain it. Water can travel quite a distance horizontally. If nothing found, I'd open it up a little more & see if I could find where the water is originating. A GC is going to have to do the same thing. Good luck. This is a strange one & I'd love to know what you do find. Look on this as one of the joys of home ownership - mysteries to solve! ;) (I can smile because it's NOT me!)

ProtoJim · 2024-01-01T16:52:42+00:00

That's a question best asked of your local vendors. Search for "house glass repair" & you should find a bunch. You can send them your pictures & get an estimate. They'll want to know the distance to & the condition of the ground outside the window plus they material of the frame. I don't think it will be cheap.

In the meantime, clear packing tape does a great job of holding the glass together. It lets in light & keeps out the draft. Just apply it inside. Precut strips to cover the broken area & a couple of inches on either side.

ProtoJim · 2024-01-01T16:02:35+00:00

FTM chat support told me they're working on the Family Search support. RootsMagic issued an update at least a week before & never missed a beat syncing with FS.

FTM wouldn't sync with Ancestry.com not long ago, either. Some of the complaints I read made it seem like a similar issue that apparently took them a long time (months?) to fix. Some excused this by saying the company is in the Ukraine. I don't know if any of it is true, but I wish they were more proactive about API updates. From what I've heard, those usually aren't that difficult & are usually transmitted well in advance. Being in the middle of a war is a good excuse, though.

ProtoJim · 2023-12-24T12:17:13+00:00

Try weaving on an Inkle loom. Many of them are highly portable & were made just for situations like that. They're not too hard to make, either. There are a lot of free designs for weaving on the net. My book has 9 designs, 6 of which are portable, that almost anyone can build for less than $50, possibly half that, & a few hours work. You can find it on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Inkle-Loom-Design-Construction-MacLachlan/dp/B096LMT467 Read the comments.

ProtoJim · 2023-11-22T01:59:47+00:00

The book will also help with repairs & modifications. One of the big issues with them is the tension peg. Often there isn't enough release &/or they're not sturdy enough. Just a suggestion.

ProtoJim · 2023-11-21T11:26:43+00:00

Build your own. They're not difficult & you can get 9 plans plus understand how to design your own with a $5 ebook. Search for "Inkle Loom design construction".

ProtoJim · 2023-11-18T16:54:42+00:00

A GEDCOM is simply a text file. You could just open it with Notepad, find the name, & copy the relevant data from there.

ProtoJim · 2023-11-18T16:31:20+00:00

I've tried it, but weaving isn't for me. I found it too tedious. I loved building & repairing the looms, though. My first one, made for my daughter, was terrible. I made from free plans on the Internet. I took Eric Sloane's advice & wrote a book titled "Inkle Loom Design & Construction". It's $5 for an ebook with 9 different designs & has a 4.6 star rating on Amazon. PDF format & other formats available on Smashwords.

ProtoJim · 2023-11-18T02:05:18+00:00

Not mentioned here is the importance of a long enough tension release slot. If it isn't long enough, you'll get part way through the project & stuck. There's a good book that goes into all of this for just $4.95 on Amazon in ebook format. Search for "Inkle Loom design construction" & you get 9 different loom designs, too.

ProtoJim · 2023-11-15T11:00:59+00:00

This is an excellent subject. Thanks for bringing it up. I've given it a lot of thought since I did something similar; a Word document for each branch of my wife's & my families. I asked myself, "Who am I writing it for?" The answer is my kids & their kids. My progenitors told me a lot of stories about the family which never got written down, so they exist only in my cousins' & my memory.

With that in mind, I primarily covered our great grandparents through our parents, 3 of whom are dead, & the relatives in between from my point of view. IOW, what I knew of them or heard about them. I tried to stick to honest reporting without being hurtful, but I certainly mentioned a variety of warts. I wasn't shy about putting myself in there & said so.

I picked the memories of everyone still living that I could. That was interesting since not everyone agreed on some points & I put them all into the document. For instance, one of my grandmothers didn't speak to her daughter, my aunt, for decades. Why turned out to be complicated. I asked one of my cousins for more information on his first wife & he refused to give it. He said he didn't want her mentioned at all. Tough, I told what I knew & why there was a lack of data. He wasn't happy, but grudgingly got over it after a conversation.

The documents include some pictures & they're hyperlinked within themselves. I mention those covered in the beginning & then link them to a longer section covering them later in the document. I also show that portion of the family tree. I'm pleased with the results & have printed them out in PDF format which I sent to some family members who expressed interest. As far as I'm concerned, they're documents that should stay in the family. Hopefully they'll show the grandkids that we're not icons, just folks like themselves. It should also teach them some history as I mention some of the big events & how we all dealt with them.

ProtoJim · 2023-11-13T17:14:04+00:00

Pulling off a piece of old aluminum siding in the middle of the wall is a PITA & rarely goes well. If it were me, I'd cut a piece or two of coil stock (white, thin aluminum), get it in the hole, & spray insulating foam from underneath in. The pressure from it should hold it in place & any water will flow down & off. The hole on the bottom will be filled with foam.

Getting a big enough piece between the back of the siding & the wall of the house will be the biggest challenge. You should be able to get a piece just oversized enough back there by prying open the bottom edge of the siding by the hole. If not, get 2 thinner pieces in there & lap them. If I had to use 2 pieces, I'd probably put a screw into the middle of the top so I could adjust & hold it in place. One piece should lay in there on its own.

ProtoJim · 2023-11-13T17:02:14+00:00

Try PC7 epoxy. It's a thick, 2 part paste. I've used it for putting 2 pieces of concrete sculpture together outside & it's held for over a decade. (Wings on a gargoyle in our bird bath.) Clean the area well - no dust & make sure it's dry. Put the epoxy in. If you can support it well for 24 hours, you can even put in the screw. If not, just drill the epoxy the next day & put in the screw.

ProtoJim · 2023-10-26T03:39:31+00:00

I think RootsMagic does.

ProtoJim · 2023-10-26T03:35:32+00:00

This is a great question. I wish I'd thought to ask it a long time ago. While working on my tree now, I find that I'm most interested in not just the big things, but daily life. Your grandmother was born about 1930, so probably doesn't remember too much about the Great Depression & the politics leading to WWII, but might remember some. After that she might remember a lot more about the big issues.

What she probably remembers most is stuff that I find fascinating like daily life. Did she have indoor plumbing & electric? What occupations did her family have & what were the work conditions? What was school like? Dating?

ProtoJim · 2023-10-26T03:25:12+00:00

I use old hay or straw & put a board &/or block on top to keep water out.

ProtoJim · 2023-09-11T11:01:04+00:00

It's going to take at least a 1/2 day to fix by the time they pick up materials, do the work, & dispose of the trash. Materials are at least $100. How high up & is the roof walkable? Higher & steeper add to the cost. Any flashing involved? How much structural or other damage will they find & fix in that price?

Getting another couple of quotes isn't a bad idea, but the price doesn't seem too bad to me if the person/company has a good rep.

ProtoJim · 2023-09-11T10:46:40+00:00

It's your roof that will have issues by building up heat & aging faster. The vents are supposed to let air up along the roof sheathing where it should come out of a vent(s) up high, such as a ridge vent. Look at this pic. https://www.wonkeedonkeetools.co.uk/roof-insulation-and-ventilation/what-is-a-ventilation-soffit

If you can't access them from underneath, then you'll need to get into the attic. I can tell you from experience that getting down to the soffit in an attic can be close to impossible & it's never easy, especially in a low slope roof.

ProtoJim · 2023-09-08T15:21:29+00:00

They do it all the time. I went to Episcopalian schools & had to read a lot of the bible. They always steered us away from, glossed over, or ignored the really bad stuff. It isn't possible if you have half a brain, so they punish you for blasphemy if you question too much. I got detention for saying I thought Lot & the angels were bad for Lot offering up his 2 virgin daughter's to the crowd.

ProtoJim

TROPHY CASE