2011 Favorites In Review: And The iGene Goes To...

(Original Image and Text, Copyright (c) 2012 Cynthia Shenette)

Welcome to the Carnival of Genealogy's 5th Annual iGene Awards hosted by Jasia at the Creative Gene.  I am honored to present this year's awards for Heritage Zen in the categories of Best Documentary, Best Picture, Best Comedy, Best Screenplay, and Best Biography!

As you can see I have once again dipped into my costume closet for an appropriate dress for the occasion.  For this year's ceremony my wardrobe was inspired by Whoopi Goldberg's turn as Queen Elizabeth I during the 1999 Academy Awards.  I'll be the first to admit, Whoopi pulled off the look way better than I do, but given my limited opportunity to wear Renaissance attire I figured I run with it.   Now I know you are saying,  "Where's the Elizabethan collar?"  You caught me during an impromptu moment.  The dress does have an E-collar (no, really it does), but I took it off to relax backstage before the show (which is kind of like the Elizabethans' version of letting your hair down, if you know what I'm saying).  Enough with the idle fashion chatter.  There will be plenty of red carpet photo ops after the show...

First up is the award for Best Documentary.  The award goes to...A Comedy of Errors: My Family in the Census (Part 1 of 3) for my series on errors in the census!  The United States government makes mistakes?!?  No!  Say it isn't so!  I hate to shatter your illusions but yes, occasionally (or as in my case, often), census takers do make mistakes (Just because you're dead doesn't mean you don't count.).   I know enumerating a Polish neighborhood was probably no easy task back in the day and probably left the poor census taker scratching his head all the while mumbling, "I'd like to buy a vowel," but really...  Oh, and for you Moonstruck fans, I like to look at the photo of my great-grandfather Antoni, and imagine him wiping his tears like Cher's grandfather at the end of movie saying, "I'm so confused..."

Next up is the award for Best Picture, and the award goes to...it's a tie AND for the second year in a row!  The iGene is to be shared between the photo in Send Up a Flare, Mystery Bride Identified! - Mystery Monday and the photo in My Family Tree: A Literal Interpretation!  My photo of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Shenkowski and corresponding happy ending post in Send Up a Flare brought tears to the eyes of audiences nationwide.  Also, is there a genealogist amongst us who doesn't dream of finding a photo of their ancestors perched in a tree?  I don't think so.

The award for Best Comedy goes to...What the Dickens 2, Or More Tales From Hell's Kitchen, my sequel to last year's Best Comedy winner, What the Dickens, Or How to Blow Up a Duck!  When was the last time a sequel won a major award?!?  It's time to don your gay apparel (and grab a fire extinguisher) and return with me to Christmas Past as I share more heartwarming holiday tales of food preparation gone wrong.  If there was an award category for Best Disaster (kind of like the Towering Inferno or Earthquake (In Sensurround), THIS would definitely be it!

The award for Best Screenplay goes to...Girls Just Wanna Have Fun..., my entry for the Swimsuit Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy!  Does this not have the potential to be the perfect chick flick?  Five twenty-something girls go to the beach for a day of sun and fun!  It's kind of like a post-World War I/pre-Roaring Twenties version of Beach Blanket Bingo!  Given that this is likely to be an ensemble film, I decided to cast the entire ensemble of superb actresses from the 1995 BBC version of Pride and Prejudice with Jennifer Ehle as my grandmother, Antonina.  In case you are concerned about the English accents, have no fear.  Jennifer is already American, and anyone can learn an accent (After all, how hard is it to master that Boston accent anyway?).  Rounding out the cast is a young Colin Firth as Kahuna and  a young Johnny Depp as Moondoggie (Candy for the eyes, ladies, candy for the eyes...).

The award for Best Biography goes to... my series Flu 1918 (Part 1 of 3) - Amanuensis Monday!  Flu 1918 is a serious entry documenting the effects of the Spanish Flu Pandemic on my family and the citizens of Worcester, MA.  A shoo-in dramatic winner for sure.

Now a brief thank you...

I'd like to say thank you to iGene host Jasia at Creative Gene and the entire staff at the Carnival of Genealogy for once again putting together another great show (That production number with the kick line was amazing, wasn't it folks!?!), the Academy (of Genealogists and Family Historians), my friends on the Frustrated Footnote Committee (I know I promised to try try harder last year, but I really mean it this time!), Thomas MacEntee at GeneaBloggers for hosting the Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories (because frankly where else could I share my stories of food preparation mayhem with a wider audience two years in a row! Thomas, buddy, this one's for you!), my family (especially my (still) long-suffering husband (Love ya honey!), and my son the Lego guru (Don't forget your homework son! Spelling test tomorrow!)), and finally a BIG shout out to the AFC Championship New England Patriots who are headed to the Super Bowl on Sunday! GO PATS!!!

Well this concludes this edition of the iGene Awards.  Thank you all. Goodnight.

THE FINE PRINT: In an effort of full disclosure I feel it's my duty to disclose the sad truth that my husband seems to feel I have way too much time on my hands  (I'm beginning to suspect he is right...).

Submitted for the 114th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy.


Other Posts You Might Like:

And The Award Goes To...
Chopin Rising
The Rope Pull - Wordless Wednesday
Heritage Zen Dives In: NaBloPoMo!