That "thing-a-ma-jig"

We all have one.  Those "what you ma-call its" that help us get through our days.  Those things that you never really got around to get the "official" name or title, but it comes in handy when you need them.  For me doing genealogy, the picture shown is one.  I have used it for years when those "squares and circles" need to be drawn, or those maps need to be drawn, or those straight lines need a little help, or when... on and on it goes.  You can use it for all kinds of stuff.

I still don't know what it is officially called.  It has "professional SKETCH MASTER template" in small print on the surface.  "STAEDTLER" is written in caps surrounded by black highlight.  A variety of scales and sizes are given.  A inch ruler and a metric ruler are in place.  I believe I got this in my college days at our university book store, but I don't really remember.  Does anyone know if you can still find them?  Please post.

Anyway, this is an example of one tool that I have used over the years...that thing-a-ma-jig!

Color Coding: Brighten Up Your Day

Tree limbs and branches on the old family tree can get complicated fairly quickly.  After a few generations "bunches" of them start to appear.  Keeping them kind of organized, and grouped appropriately, can be a real challenge.  Over the years I have found that a color coding system can be helpful.

The figure to the right shows my own system, developed after a few generations had passed.  Three sons of one grandfather started things off.  Each son was given a color (magic markers were used) and from that point onward in the family tree, this color was applied to this branch of the tree.  Pink to the oldest
[his line descended through a daughter ], yellow to the second son [the color I had at the time], and blue to the youngest which was my direct branch [ Go Big Blue ! cause we grew up in Kentucky under Adolph Rupp!]

You can see the branches bloom before your very eyes.  The second son seemed to get the advantage with more children around the tree. It became evident that the baby of the family must have remained in contact the oldest branch since one grandfather married into this group.  Each page can then be used to show the relationship between the branches. [For us visual learners, this can be very helpful.]

The "square and circle" method has been presented in my blog entitled: Ge-ne-al-o-gy 101.  My complete family tree using this method is given in my blog entitled: Jones Surname DNA.  Have a go at it if you like to color...it will brighten up your day.

Name That Topic

The Brick Wall Protocol has been written to try and help those genealogist who are stuck before one of those road blocks.  Sooner or later it will happen if you climb trees long enough.  I thought it might be helpful to give those who have been reading these post a place to share a topic that is important to them.  This may be a question, a document, a resource, an archive, etc. that has been helpful or useful in their own tree climbing.  There may be a method or technique that has been helpful.  It just may be a question about the brick wall you are now facing.

If any reader has a topic or question that has been important to them, please place in the comment section of this post.  Perhaps this may then begin a conversation among us, we might call the demolition derby. Any drivers out there?