kellytf via pixabay.com: Public Domain Have you ever discovered something shocking in your research? I've found terrible tragedies, murders, accidents, and such, but not often something that blindsided—jolted me physically. To be "blindsided" means to be caught completely off guard by an unexpected event, particularly one that is harmful, distressing, or leaves you unprepared to react, according to Dictionary.com. Google adds that the term originated in sports like football—referring to a blindside tackle, a hit delivered from outside a player's field of vision. I shouldn't have been shocked to find Alexander Hamilton (not the famous one) in this place and time as a slaveholder, or to see his name in the 1850 Slave Schedule in Grainger County, Tennessee. But my research there so far had turned up little evidence of slaveholding, so I'd neglected to seek out those records. I'm not alone—few other researchers on Ancestry, FamilySearch, or WikiTree had li...

Is Routine Boring? Routine,  boring, humdrum. Or, habits which free you from confusion and endless decisions! Routine helps you get to work quickly and move through a process efficiently. Do you have research routines and templates for your genealogy? Lately I've been trying to develop research routines and templates, and recently saw a video that snapped into focus what I was trying to do. Call it the power of three .  Connie Knox's Genealogy TV episode  Ancestry and FamilySearch, FindMyPast or MyHeritage: Family Tree Trifecta Strategy  describes her professional routine for each person: work three sites with three search strategies each (3x3x3) with the goal of 27 new facts and sources. Complete this cycle for each person you are reviewing, each new place, and each new FAN club member as they come into view. The power of three can keep you focused and successful.  Become a Fan of FANs FANs are F amily, A ssociates and N eighbors . Sometimes we race right pa...