Although I've been keeping a fairly low profile, my work has continued over the past year. One of the first things I did at the beginning of the shutdown was carve out a more official office space. I moved furniture around, painted an accent wall with leftover paint, and found a wonderful old library table to use as a desk. This has enabled me to offer several classes to local genealogical societies and other organizations via Zoom. I applaud everyone who worked hard to pivot and adapt with short notice in those early months! I've also been able to participate in several online conferences and courses. I just finished participating in a Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG) course called Corpus Juris: Advanced Legal Concepts for Genealogy, which was fantastic!

Although libraries and archives have remained closed, I am still able to continue doing client work with digitized records. Over the past year this research has taken me through many time periods in places ranging from Mid-Michigan, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana, to California and Scotland. I've also been learning about the 1918 influenza pandemic, which had many parallels to our current times. One of my favorite things about using Zoom for Side-by-Side Client Work is being able to share screens. This allows us take a closer look at records together and I can guide clients through any situations they may have found challenging. I'm looking forward to doing more of this work in the year to come.

I'll admit that my mind has been less preoccupied with the past, and more cognizant of the present during these times. The events of the past year have been very challenging for so many of us. I started keeping a "COVID diary" last March, where I take notes on what I've done during the day and included important local or national news. I know that one day my descendants will be wondering what this was like for us. 

I'm sending out virtual hugs, with a candle lit in my heart for better times ahead.

It is ALSO very special because today I finished a thirteen month long study group called ProGen. If you know me in real life, or were enjoying my regular blog posts (ha!), you may have been wondering where I have been for the past several months - that's where! Each month I had assigned readings and written work that I would share with a small group of other genealogists. We would read and review each other's creations and share resources. All of this took a lot of time and effort. It has been challenging for me to balance along with my client work and ongoing commitments of home and community. Somehow I survived! I came out feeling stronger in my professional skills, and am grateful for all I learned from my peers.

Completing ProGen has prepared and inspired me to continue working toward certifying with the Board for Certification of Genealogists. That is my next major genealogical goal. In the meantime (after a few naps and at least an attempt at getting my house in order), I am looking forward to speaking at a couple of local family history gatherings and commencing new genealogical journeys with clients, both past and future.

2/2/2020 - it's Groundhog Day my friends - many happy returns!