Returned to Genealogy and Research: Got Zotero

Zotero is "the only research tool that automatically senses content in your web browser, allowing you to add it to your personal library with a single click."

"Zotero collects all your research in a single, searchable interface."
 
After reading The Gilded Hour by Sara Donati (aka Rosina Lippi) I visited her web pages, where she recommends Zotero.  Zotero is free, open source and just what I need. It is what every genealogist, student, political activist and writer needs.

John Muir - Father of our National Parks

John Muir Quotes and vistas

Our family toured many of the great National Parks when I was a child:
Mt Hood, Carlsbad Caverns, Yellowstone and Old Faithful, the Painted Desert, Mt Rushmore, the Ozarks, many other works of nature. I didn't know then what an unusual chance it was for me to see, up close and personal, a living buffalo, a brown bear, deer, elk, eagles, prairie dogs, sea lions, the variety of wildlife.

Read of John Muir and his Scottish ancestors at WikiTree. See how you are connected to this notable person.

Sunshine

Sunshine two days in a row! Daffodils blooming in the front yard, gladiolas sprouting in the back. Oh joy, spring is here.

Patience

"Good things come to those who wait."

I don't know who said that, and I'm sure there are many who would disagree, but as another saying goes -

"Patience is its own reward."

Which I suppose is another way of saying the same thing.

I am not innately patient. Indeed, that must be a rare virtue to occur naturally, or we wouldn't have so many sayings to encourage patience.

Patience is not a passive state. It is not mere resignation, waiting for whatever happens.

Patience has a goal, and works actively towards it, and steadily, without getting discouraged or angry that it requires more work to reach the end result.

I'm learning to treasure patience, and even enjoy it. Having set difficult goals for myself this year, I must patiently pursue them, or be a liar to myself. They are personal goals - no one can keep me from attaining them except me. Patience is my friend and partner, helping me work through the hard spots.

Work that is Worth the Effort

The following message was posted to my profile at WikiTree today.  Paula's words encouraged me so much, and I want to share them because they are also meant for the members of the Magna Carta project, and could apply to so many of the members of WikiTree who carefully document profiles of our mutual ancestors in quiet obscurity. It is work that is worth the effort - let's all keep on keeping on!

The following message from Paula J was posted on your WikiTree profile.

We are still working on the Henry Wyche profile and connections. We removed a bad connection (wife) as his wife proved to be unknown as you noted.  There is still much work to do going down the line towards present day but I wanted to thank you for the solid foundation that you and Magna Carta project put up that keeps us from having to clean up and source earlier ancestors whose profiles are in great shape!! 
It is like a huge gift! 

The descendants are quite a mess and we are putting up as many profiles as we can to prevent future confusion. Like most southern families, names are reused so often it is difficult to untangle who belongs where!

It just makes me appreciate your work all the more!! Thanks again!

Where do we keep our Will Power?

Making changes in my habits, especially exercise and eating, requires using my will power. Today I found out where my will power is located - in my ventral medial prefrontal cortex and my dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.  Oh, well of course. ummm, where is that?

This image at Wikipedia puts them both near the front of the brain. Being able to picture where my will power is kept does not help me to access it when I need more of it. For tips on how to do that, see these ideas published at Livestrong.