Friday, February 15, 2008

It's Academy Awards time - the AGFH of course!

I knew there was method to my forgetfulness - I posted my candidates for my best posts on Genea-Musings for 2007 here, then neglected to pick one! Well, Jasia has stirred me to pick five ... in five different categories, and award them the, hmmm, let's call it the "Randy" - a beautiful small trophy of Rodin's The Thinker.

The topic for the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy is The Best of The Best! It's Academy Awards time... time for the Academy of Genealogy and Family History aka AGFH (an esteemed organization that all genea-historian bloggers who participate in this edition of the COG will become founding members of) to honor their best blog posts of 2007 in the following 5 categories:

1) Best Picture - Best old family photo that appeared on your blog in 2007. Tell us which you liked best and why.

And the "Randy" goes to .... big fanfare ... The Train Station

The picture of my grandmother Bess Seaver, Aunt Geraldine Seaver, my future parents Betty Carringer and Fred Seaver, my aunt Emily Taylor and her daughter, Dorothy Chamberlain, and my grandparents Lyle and Emily Carringer - the occasion was Bess and Gerry arriving at the Union Station in downtown San Diego, looking like fashion plates, to attend my parents wedding in July, 1942.

2) Best Screen Play - Which family story that you shared in 2007 would make the best movie? Who would you cast as your family members?

And the "Randy" goes to -- The Adventures of Benjamin Franklin Seaver

This was a series of 10 posts obtained from historical newspaper articles about one mariner in the early 1800's who was captured by the Barbary Pirates and ransomed - he survives and dies off the coast of Argentina in 1814 - see here. It would make a great movie, I think. Who would star in it? Obviously, Russell Crowe as Benjamin Franklin Seaver!

3) Best Documentary - Which was the best informational article you wrote about a place, thing, or event involving your family's history in 2007?

And the "Randy" goes to -- Dear Genea-Man - What is "Proof?"

This was the most difficult selection of the bunch - I was going to pick my Della's Journal series but that wasn't original writing on my part, just transcribing.

4) Best Biography - Which was the best biographical article you wrote in 2007?

And the "Randy" goes to --- Today Is "Gramp's" 116th Birthday

This was about my maternal grandfather, Lyle Lawrence Carringer (1891-1976), who was a wonderful man!

5) Best Comedy - Which was the best funny story, poem, joke, photo, or video that you shared on your blog in 2007?

And the "Randy" goes to --- My Censuswhacking Index

The award is given for the "body of work" - meaning that I'm honoring myself for all the time I've spent searching the census records for strange, curious, raunchy, and funny names. Not all of them were in 2007, of course!

So that's my list of Academy of Genealogy and Family History Awards winners.

I still feel that I have to give a "Randy" for the Best Post of 2007 on Genea-Musings ---

And the "Randy" is awarded to --- A Challenging Moral Dilemma

This post was about my semi-fruitless search for a possible step-sibling of mine, and my anticipation of a phone call out of the blue saying "Hi, I'm your brother (or sister), tell me about my father."

This last one was a highly competitive award - I listed 28 posts on my Best of Genea-Musings for 2007.

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