Best of the Genea-Blogs - 27 January - 2 February 2008

Here are my picks for great reads from the genealogy blogs for this past week. My criteria are pretty simple - I pick posts that advance knowledge about genealogy, address current genealogy issues, are funny or are poignant.

I don't list posts destined for the Carnival of Genealogy, or other meme submissions (but I do include summaries of them), or my own posts.

* " 'What God Hath Joined Let No Man Sunder:' Divorce and Spiritualism in the Family Tree" by Tim Abbott on the Walking the Berkshires blog. Tim obtained additional information about an ancestor that was, well, difficult to understand. There are often two or more sides to a story, as Tim finds out.

* "Family by Choice, not Genes" by Donna Pointkouski on the What's Past is Prologue blog. Donna tells us about Father George who was a special person in her life.

* "Genealogical Evidence Is Where You Find It: Locating Births, Deaths and Marriages" by Arlene H. Eakle on the Arlene H. Eakle's Genealogy Blog. In addition to a good summary of web sites, Arlene's advice about what sources you use should be must reading for every researcher.

* "The Pajama Game: Can a Romance Blossom Between Genealogy Societies and Stay-at-Home Genealogists?" by Thomas MacEntee on the Destination: Austin Family blog. Thomas compares the attitudes of entrenched genealogy societies and truculent Internet researchers to the characters in the play, The Pajama Game. Then he shows each side how much they are alike, and how they really need each other. Brilliant!

* "Bob Andy Pie" by Terry Thornton on the Hill Country of Monroe County, Mississippi blog. Terry's wife sure knows how to make some good eating stuff - and Terry can tell stories about them, with recipes too! I seem to add a pound or two just reading about Terry's eats.

* "Milo Morgan and the Amazing Palpitating Bosom" by Lidian on The Virtual Dime Store Museum blog. Lidian does a bit of research on the subject matter and uncovers a dastardly deed about a titillating subject. (Thanks to Janice Brown for the link to Lidian's blog!).

* "3rd Edition of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy" by Jessica Oswalt on the Jessica's GeneJournal blog. Jessica is trying to build this Carnival - if you have Central or Eastern European ancestors, please blog about them and submit the article to her Carnival.

* "A Million Dollars for Your Research" by Schelly Talalay Dardashti on the Tracing the Tribe: The Jewish Genealogy Blog. Schelly answers the question posed by Robert Ragan in part - and asks for more suggestions.

* "A Million Dollars? Just for Genealogy Research?" by Becky Wiseman on the Kinexxions blog. Becky ponders the Robert Ragan question, and thinks she would wisely put her affairs in order and go have fun in ancestral and family localities. She needs to find the rich uncle first, though!

Please go to the blogs listed above and read their articles, and add the blogger to your Favorites, Bloglines, reader, feed or email if you like what you read.

Please make a comment to them also - we all appreciate feedback on what we write.

Did I miss a great genealogy blog post? Tell me!