Adobe Stock: Generative AI Doing genealogy is good for us No matter how you define it, learning family traditions, story, lore, and placing ourselves into the flow of history is good for our health. And for those of us who do research, the thrill of discovery and of connecting with cousins can't be beat. Pure joy. There have been some academic studies about the value of knowing our family and community history for youngsters, but we don't need studies to know that those benefits stay with us all our lives. In this increasingly fragmented world, a sense of belonging keeps us centered . Those who plan or attend family reunions often build memories that last for a lifetime.  Milestone celebrations  such a births, birthdays, shared holidays, graduations, engagements, weddings, housewarmings, homecomings and funerals are fundamental ways of structuring family ties, even when our relatives and ancestors leave us. There is something solemn and sacred about leaving flowers on a grave;

Do you remember 40 years ago? Our SKCGS newsletter does!    South King County Genealogical Society Newsletter, V. 1, No. 1 Above is the top of Volume 1, Number 1 of the Newsletter, which later became SoKingNews. Thank you to Katie Hanzeli who scanned these newsletters from her own collection, Rich Thayer who kept our digital files safe, Michele Mattoon who uploaded them, and Tina Lawson who has been getting them onto our website .  SKCGS incorporated in September 1984  and put out the first newsletter one year later. Amazing to look at that old tech - remember typing  mimeograph "masters?" not a fun job.  What fun that they were celebrating their first picnic!  We've been searching for creative ways to celebrate our 40th anniversary, and a picnic this summer would be lovely. We just need someone to volunteer to organize it.  You can see MaryLynn's contribution of the top image in this post, and in our new blog header, at  https://skcgs.blogspot.com/ .  Ten years late

Happy New Year Fireworks Vectors by Vecteezy   The old year fades away and the new year enters brightly, bringing hope for health and prosperity in the days to come.  Cultures throughout the world have their own method of celebration, many with fireworks and joyful music. Last year, just before New Year's 2021, I discovered a Youtube three part presentation of Hogmanay over Edinburgh that made a great impression on me.  When I looked for  Hogmanay for 2022, I learned much more about the tradition in general and the 2021 Youtube presentation in particular.   Hogmanay is the Scottish word for the last day of the year or New Year’s Eve. Although Hogmanay is generally regarded as the most important Scottish holiday, the origins of both the word and the traditions are obscure. Many people think that the term comes from French but there are also theories that it may have Gaelic, Norse, or Anglo-Saxon origins. The traditions, as with most modern holidays, likely grew from pagan ones and m