2. Taking Stock

The Goal this week is to begin to gather what you have. 

Like a family tree, there is really no end to gathering family memorabilia, but we need to start somewhere.  Did you begin your tree?  Did you fill in some dates? What else did you find this past weekend? 

Did you see any of these personal items?
1.    Family photos,
2.    A family Bible,
3.    Family Home Videos (8mm, VHS, Beta, Mini DV, DVD)
4.    Newspaper clippings,
5.    Birth announcements/ Birth certificates,
6.    Marriage announcements/ Marriage licenses,
7.    Death announcements/ Death Certificates,
8.    Love letters,
9.    War-time letters,
10.  Telegraphs,
11.  Scrapbooks/ Diaries

Do you have any of these tools?
1.    Digital camera,
2.    Computer,
3.    Scanner,
4.    Video camera,
5.    Super 8 film projector,
6.    Slide projector,
7.    VHS player,
8.    DVD player,
9.    DVD burner.

What software do you have on your computer?
1.    Word, Word Perfect, or Pages,
2.    Excel, Quattro Pro, or Numbers,
3.    WindowsLive Movie maker, iMovie, Corel VideoStudio
4.    Corel PaintShop, Adobe PhotoShop Elements
5.    Do you have internet access on your own computer? (You can do a lot of research at the library but you will not be able to download software.)

Gather what you have or note where it is so you won’t have to look for it later.  Look through the family albums and papers. If you have the opportunity to do that with another family member, it may evoke some stories.  Take notes so you’ll recall them later.

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