Savage storms continue to pound Northern California . . . the LifeTimes Family Research Center [which is mostly still in boxes in the living room] had to be protected from a leaky roof this morning. And the Bloggcast Center narrowly escaped damage when two trees fell on the east side of the sprawling quarter-acre suburban complex. All things considered, it’s good to be back . . . .

I never did like the idea of “New Year’s Resolutions.” But I do have in mind some goals, research-wise, that I’d like to achieve this year. The serious-minded among you should stop reading here and see Chris’s 2006 research plan.

The Gines Family

Modest Goal: I’d like to track down the parents of Richard William Gines (b. 1860, Bossier Parish, Louisiana; d.?, Shreveport, Louisiana). A trip to the Bayou State seems in order. A trip would also help me find the parents of “Dick’s” mother-in-law, Syntrilla Brayboy.

Major Goal: Link the Gines, LeJay and Brayboy families in Louisiana to the families in South Carolina.

The Mansons

Modest Goal: Find the parents of Charlotte Manson in North Carolina.

The Birdsong Family

Modest Goal: Find any evidence of George Preston Birdsong’s trip to Texas in 1884 and subsequent 20 year stay and eventual return to Georgia.

The Gilberts

Major Goal: Verify or debunk the anecdotes about Sarah Gilbert’s being an Indian.

The Long Family

Modest Goal: Discover the origins of James “Old Man” Long (c. 1831-?).

Overall Goals:

Learn, Share, Enjoy, Appreciate

A prosperous 2006 is my wish for you . . . .

Changes

You’ve noticed the new profile and that I’ve dropped the “nom-de-blog” in favor of the name by which the real world knows me. The old profile explained that I didn’t want to get this avocation mixed up with my somewhat high profile day job. Also, I didn’t want anything said here to be attributed to some other motivation. But last night, as the clock struck midnight, I ceased being a public servant and had my personal First Amendment rights restored. As a result, I feel no need to compartmentalize my life in the way folks inside the Beltway frequently are perceived as doing.

I may yet change the photo–we’ll see.

Although the Bloggcast Center is fully operational, it’s not running at full capacity as of yet. [Example: this post is being sent to the server at a positively prehistoric 31200 bps instead of the usual 10 Mbps!]. So bear with me as we make our technical adjustments [i.e., figure out which box the cable modem got packed in!]. And we’ll meet our new motto: GeneaBlogie–Not as erudite as Eastman, Not as clever as Chris, but [what the heck, insert your own punchline here].