‘Years Gone By’ book cover

This is the fourth time I have participated in Jill Ball’s (aka GeniAus) challenge.  As part of the challenge Jill sets out a number of sentence beginnings which bloggers need to elaborate on. It’s a rewarding experience and helps me to realise the many positive steps undertaken during the past year.

1. I was happy to go back to travelling and catching up with a very old relative after a Covid enforced absence in interstate travels. Prior to my arrival in Adelaide, I arranged to have lunch with a 98yr old first cousin of my Dads. This was a beautiful family gathering over lunch, meeting more of my second cousins.
2. In 2022 I was particularly proud of creating a book ‘Years gone by’ which involved condensing my family newsletters from 2009 – 2022 with most years being one page each with the opposite page showing photos taken that year. I ordered two copies via a photo book service so that each of my two daughters received one amongst their Christmas presents. Hopefully they are a family momento far into the future.
3. A new device I embraced was my recently acquired Kindle, allowing me to re-discover the joy of reading, especially so with the novels I have purchased based on a genetic genealogy background.
4. During one of the brick wall sessions in our GSQ Wednesday morning Zoom group, the members tackled one of my own brick walls. One of our more experienced researchers suggested my researching the history of their Non Conformist church in the locality. This led me to locating a google book, confirming that their church was established in Loughborough many years prior to their birth, discounting my previous theory that they had to travel to an adjoining county to worship.
5. A new genealogy book that sparked my interest was by Nathan Dylan Goodwin, The Chester Creek Murders. The fact that this fictional book had a DNA mystery made it all the more thrilling.
6. A geneasurprise I received was a beautiful hand-crafted Thank You Greeting card from one of my Zoom Group members.
7. In 2022 I finally met up once more with my overseas based genealogy mates, Mia Bennett, Sue Swalwell and Michelle Patient. We had a lovely time during their stay in Brisbane which included showing the visiting genies some of our beautiful local scenery.
   
   

   Editor and genie mates at North Stradbroke Island.

8. I am pleased the Covid situation caused me to change my genealogy volunteering role to one involving more web-based duties. These new roles are continuing to give me more flexibility and enjoyment.
9. I progressed my DNA research by attending the Charting Companion presentation followed in the next GSQ DNA SIG meeting by a demonstration by DNA guru Greg. The ‘Penny is slowing dropping’.
10. An informative journal or newspaper article I found was in Google Books, the General Baptist Magazine Repository 1854 which listed the history of the Baptist church in Loughborough, Leicestershire where my Powell family resided.
11. I was pleased I could contribute to the 2022 GSQ Life in Victorian Britain seminar as one of the three on the organising committee. This event with six international speakers was jam packed with interesting information and very well received by those attending.
12. I got a thrill from assisting fellow members to feel the joy of genealogy by convening the GSQ Wednesday morning bi-monthly Zoom meetings, focusing on a topic one meeting followed by tackling members brick-walls on the following session.
13. 

    GSQ Wednesday morning Zoom group members end of year get-together in Nov 2022.

    
    The best value I got for my genealogy dollar was my World subscription to one of the big genealogy companies who have far superior Irish records online as well as covering parish records from many of the Counties of England.
14. Not having touched my DNA results during 2022 at all, this challenge caused me to spend time looking at an unknown match. A discovery I then made was a 4th cousin on my White family line from Bletchingley in Surrey.
15. A fabulous event I attended was a get together of our Wednesday morning Zoom group members for an end of year celebration, we all had a lovely time solving the various trivia quiz challenges set by Pauline.
16. I’m happy I splashed out and purchased a Kindle Paperwhite in November. With many books now downloaded onto it, I found it to be such a great alternative, light and easy to pick up and continue a story.
17. I got the most joy from expanding the knowledge base of participants in my two Irish Presentations for GSQ in May and June 2022; Irish Land Records followed by Ireland Online.
18. Another positive I would like to share is that one of the biggest joys in genealogy is to volunteer, enabling you to learn more, make new friends, and share your own skills and knowledge with others.