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Showing posts with label Organizing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Organizing. Show all posts
Spring Cleaning
(Copyright (c) 2012 Cynthia Shenette) I've been feeling a bit disorganized and discombobulated as of late, so I think a little spring cleaning is in order. I'll be working on tidying up my blog over the next two or three weeks. I'm planning to check and update my links, better organize my labels, check content for inconsistencies, and reorganize my page elements and widgets. If you see things come and go at random, please bear with me during this time. Also, while I'm in an organizing mood, I'm planning to work on organizing my den which is where I physically store my geneacrap family history archive. It's time to move my files out of the dollar laundry baskets from Target and tackle the piles of paper that are one cracked pot short of an archaeological dig. Hopefully I'll feel a little better, a little more organized, and more motivated to produce something of substance once the process is complete. Thank you for your ongoing patience.
Other Posts You Might Like:
Faces of Worcester Polonia - Follow Friday
Heritage Zen Dives In: NaBloPoMo!
Tuesday's Tip: Consider Adding Links to Your Blog
2011 Favorites In Review: And The iGene Goes To...
Other Posts You Might Like:
Faces of Worcester Polonia - Follow Friday
Heritage Zen Dives In: NaBloPoMo!
Tuesday's Tip: Consider Adding Links to Your Blog
2011 Favorites In Review: And The iGene Goes To...
Madness Monday: The Stuff We Throw Away, and...
The Big Yard Sale: A Hundred Cars, a Little Bit of Cash, and a Whole Lotta Junk
(Copyright (c) 2010 Cynthia Shenette) I am sitting here, exhausted, typing in the debris-strewn aftermath of what the folks in town are now referring to as "The Big Yard Sale." I sold a lot of stuff, mostly household goods and kid stuff, and what's left is currently cluttering up my front hallway, kitchen, and garage waiting to go to Goodwill or be collected by the Big Brother, Big Sister Foundation truck next week.
About a month ago a woman in our neighborhood dropped fliers off around the neighborhood to inquire into the collective interest in a neighborhood-wide yard sale. Last week she notified those of us who responded that the yard sale was on. We live in an area with lots of families with young children so sellers and buyers were plentiful, particularly given the current economy.
All the prep for the yard sale made me think about all of the yard sales and flea markets I've done over the years. I, as well as many other bloggers, have written great posts about the stuff they have, the stuff they've kept, the stuff they've organized, and the stuff they're still trying to organize. See my series of posts, Letters and Photos and Stuff, Oh My!: Sorting Through a Loved One's Estate (Part 1). One thing I've never thought about too much, until now, is the stuff we throw away. What does our "trash" say about us?
For centuries archaeologists have examined, for lack of a better word, junk. The stuff that humans for one reason or another have determined they don't need or can live without. A great collective trash pile so to speak. From that trash pile archaeologists piece together, literally and figuratively, the stuff of people's lives.
With that thought, I tried to recollect what I and my family have tossed out over the years. Even though we don't own it any longer, what does the stuff we get rid of say about us and our lives? Do we regret our decisions to toss certain items away? For years my grandmother bemoaned the fact that she gave a Tiffany lamp to the junk man in the 1930's. According to her the lamp was "old-fashioned" and times were tough. My grandparents were struggling through the Great Depression, and the lead in lamp was worth more as bit of cash in hand from the junk man than the lamp itself was worth.
Other family items I've sold or tossed over the years include:
~ the books Poultry Raising in Your Back Yard and Celery Culture (I grew up in a city that at the peak of it's population in the 1950's hovered around 200,000.)
~ a wooden ironing board and a metal washing board
~ a Victrola cabinet without the Victrola
~ about 20 acrylic cardigans my grandmother was "saving for best" (Apparently best never came up...)
~ more dishes, glassware, plates, and platters than one family would EVER need (Mom said, "We did a lot of entertaining." Clearly. Does anyone really need three teapots, five cake plates/stands, and two hard boiled egg plates? Come on now...)
~ a huge number of religious items, such as prayer beads, crosses, and religious pictures, including several pictures of the pope (I can't remember which one.)
~ a variety of sporting goods, including golf clubs, a tennis racket, and exercise equipment
~ lots, and I mean lots, of doilies
~ an upright piano my grandmother bought for me for a $100 (I don't play the piano.)
~ DECADES worth of used wrapping paper and ribbons
~ hats, lots of hats
~ a moth-eaten beaver fur coat my mom bought in the 1940s
~ Funk & Wagnalls Encyclopedia (You know the one--cream volumes, black trim, gold lettering.)
~ Blue Willow section plates (My husband makes fun of my "food touching issues." What can I say? I come from three generations of people with "food touching issues." I don't like my peas in my mashed potatoes. )
Now if you were an archaeologist, and you looked at my family's trash pile, what conclusion would you come to about my family and me?
My husband and I did a "high five" last night when we realised someone took away the big TV at the end of our driveway with the "Free" sign on it. We'll save $25.00 trying to recycle it elsewhere. All in all, our participation in "The Big Yard Sale" was successful.
We made about $170.00, minus the $25.00 we spent to buy an old, kid's train table for my son's Legos. Oh, and $40.00 went to my son for his items. Believe me, he was keeping track of every dime. Oh, yeah, and $5.00 to give to the lady who organized the effort. So let's see $170.00, minus $70.00 is $100.00. If we add another $50.00 to that, we will have just about enough money to pay the junk dealer to come and haul the rest of our unusable stuff away.
What have you trashed? I really want to know...
(Copyright (c) 2010 Cynthia Shenette) I am sitting here, exhausted, typing in the debris-strewn aftermath of what the folks in town are now referring to as "The Big Yard Sale." I sold a lot of stuff, mostly household goods and kid stuff, and what's left is currently cluttering up my front hallway, kitchen, and garage waiting to go to Goodwill or be collected by the Big Brother, Big Sister Foundation truck next week.
About a month ago a woman in our neighborhood dropped fliers off around the neighborhood to inquire into the collective interest in a neighborhood-wide yard sale. Last week she notified those of us who responded that the yard sale was on. We live in an area with lots of families with young children so sellers and buyers were plentiful, particularly given the current economy.
All the prep for the yard sale made me think about all of the yard sales and flea markets I've done over the years. I, as well as many other bloggers, have written great posts about the stuff they have, the stuff they've kept, the stuff they've organized, and the stuff they're still trying to organize. See my series of posts, Letters and Photos and Stuff, Oh My!: Sorting Through a Loved One's Estate (Part 1). One thing I've never thought about too much, until now, is the stuff we throw away. What does our "trash" say about us?
For centuries archaeologists have examined, for lack of a better word, junk. The stuff that humans for one reason or another have determined they don't need or can live without. A great collective trash pile so to speak. From that trash pile archaeologists piece together, literally and figuratively, the stuff of people's lives.
With that thought, I tried to recollect what I and my family have tossed out over the years. Even though we don't own it any longer, what does the stuff we get rid of say about us and our lives? Do we regret our decisions to toss certain items away? For years my grandmother bemoaned the fact that she gave a Tiffany lamp to the junk man in the 1930's. According to her the lamp was "old-fashioned" and times were tough. My grandparents were struggling through the Great Depression, and the lead in lamp was worth more as bit of cash in hand from the junk man than the lamp itself was worth.
Other family items I've sold or tossed over the years include:
~ the books Poultry Raising in Your Back Yard and Celery Culture (I grew up in a city that at the peak of it's population in the 1950's hovered around 200,000.)
~ a wooden ironing board and a metal washing board
~ a Victrola cabinet without the Victrola
~ about 20 acrylic cardigans my grandmother was "saving for best" (Apparently best never came up...)
~ more dishes, glassware, plates, and platters than one family would EVER need (Mom said, "We did a lot of entertaining." Clearly. Does anyone really need three teapots, five cake plates/stands, and two hard boiled egg plates? Come on now...)
~ a huge number of religious items, such as prayer beads, crosses, and religious pictures, including several pictures of the pope (I can't remember which one.)
~ a variety of sporting goods, including golf clubs, a tennis racket, and exercise equipment
~ lots, and I mean lots, of doilies
~ an upright piano my grandmother bought for me for a $100 (I don't play the piano.)
~ DECADES worth of used wrapping paper and ribbons
~ hats, lots of hats
~ a moth-eaten beaver fur coat my mom bought in the 1940s
~ Funk & Wagnalls Encyclopedia (You know the one--cream volumes, black trim, gold lettering.)
~ Blue Willow section plates (My husband makes fun of my "food touching issues." What can I say? I come from three generations of people with "food touching issues." I don't like my peas in my mashed potatoes. )
Now if you were an archaeologist, and you looked at my family's trash pile, what conclusion would you come to about my family and me?
My husband and I did a "high five" last night when we realised someone took away the big TV at the end of our driveway with the "Free" sign on it. We'll save $25.00 trying to recycle it elsewhere. All in all, our participation in "The Big Yard Sale" was successful.
We made about $170.00, minus the $25.00 we spent to buy an old, kid's train table for my son's Legos. Oh, and $40.00 went to my son for his items. Believe me, he was keeping track of every dime. Oh, yeah, and $5.00 to give to the lady who organized the effort. So let's see $170.00, minus $70.00 is $100.00. If we add another $50.00 to that, we will have just about enough money to pay the junk dealer to come and haul the rest of our unusable stuff away.
What have you trashed? I really want to know...
Letters and Photos and Stuff, Oh My!: Sorting Through a Loved Ones Estate (Part 3)
We're finally here--down to the nitty gritty. I know you are saying to yourself, "Thank goodness. I didn't think we'd ever get there." (Actually, my husband said exactly the same thing just the other day...) I am currently sorting out at the item level and in the process of organizing literally a hundred letters, thousands of photos and slides, and bits and pieces of memorabilia, hoping to glean whatever genealogical information I can from them.
Before I go any further, however, I would like to say a word about your workspace. I have a fold up table in my den/guest room to stack, store, and organize the projects I am currently working on. I'm trying, I said trying, to keep all of my active projects in one place. I also have three cats that jump everywhere and little boys that battle aliens with light sabers in my house. On top of that, spilling drinks and other liquids comes naturally to us. My fold up table is out of the way where it is not likely to get knocked over or spilled on. Keep all liquids away from your photos and other materials.
For supplies, you can spend what your budget allows. I would love to buy an extensive array of archival products, but they can be expensive. I have purchased basic non-archival storage items from Walmart, Staples, and Target. For acid free archival materials A.C. Moore, Michaels, and the Container Store are possibilities. There are also online product purveyors of archival products such as Gaylord. My supplies are pretty simple. They include archival boxes for storage, PVC-free photo sleeves and slide sleeves. I use acid free tissue paper for wrapping fabric items. I am also planning to purchase acid free copy paper and folders.
I have about 100 letters, mostly in Polish. I don't read Polish, but saved the letters hoping to find someone to translate them for me someday. I'm lucky that I've made contact with a cousin from Poland who is as interested in genealogy as I am. He is kindly translating letters for me one at a time. I scan them and send them via e-mail. He replies with a translation. I have organized the letters in an archival box purchased at a crafts store. They are arranged first by sender and then by date. My cousin translates the earliest ones first, so we can learn about our family using a chronological timeline. I'm planning to print the translations on archival paper and put them in the box next to the original letter.
If you are interested in translating letters get your name out there via blogs, message boards and the like. Stating the obvious, RootsWeb is a great place to start. You too may have a cousin who is interested in genealogy and happy to translate letters for you. Other options to consider: hire a professional translator; contact a poor graduate student looking to make some extra cash; or make friends with another genealogist. Are there any ethic churches or schools in your area you could contact? A final note on letters--if you have envelopes keep the envelopes with the letters. I have the street addresses of our family back in Poland dating back to the 1930s, because my family kept the letters in the envelopes they came in.
I've organized my photos in archival boxes purchased from a crafts store. I also have some photos in archival plastic sleeves and slides in archival plastic sleeves inside a three ring binder. If you have photos in old photographer's folders/portfolios, carefully, and I mean very carefully, remove the photos from the old acidic folders. If you can't remove the photo without potentially damaging it, place a clean piece of acid-free copy paper between the photo and the folder to protect the photo. Before you toss a folder/portfolio make sure there isn't writing on it, like a personal note from the sender to the recipient. You don't want to toss away an inscription by mistake and lose valuable information for your research.
Consider purchasing a light screen to organize slides. If you buy a scanner, can it scan negatives and slides? How many slides can it scan at once? Unfortunately my scanner can only scan four slides at a time. Given that I have a couple thousand slides, I expect to finish my scanning project sometime in 2035. I am currently the process of scanning and organizing photos onto my hard drive, preparing them for a digital scrapbook. I haven't yet, but hope to in the near future, check out one of the photo sharing websites to share all of these great photos with other members of my family. Also, if you are looking for a great gift for someone--birthday, Mother's Day, Father's Day--consider scanning your old photos and then give your loved one a digital picture frame.
Do you have yellowed newspaper clippings? You might want to consider photocopying them onto archival paper. You can keep the original and the photocopy together in an archival folder, or you can toss the smelly yellowed original and keep the copy. You may want to eliminate the paper all together and simply keep a scanned copy on your hard drive, memory stick, or photo sharing website.
As far as memorabilia is concerned--tickets, programs, postcards, menus, diaries, yearbooks, etc.--archival boxes are handy. If I have several copies of something and the item is of special significance or interest, I keep three copies. I don't think more than that is really necessary. I don't really see the need to keep more than one copy of most things. As I mentioned earlier, acid free tissue is great for storing fabrics.
When I started this process in 2004 my son was 18 months old. It's now 2010, and my son will be heading off to second grade in the fall. I say, somewhat tongue in cheek, by the time I finish he'll probably be in college. At least I won't be bored in my retirement years. Yes, my organizing project has taken a while. As I said, my process may not be the best way or work for everyone, but it's worked for me. I hope you find some what I've shared useful. Now go forth and organize...
Letters and Photos and Stuff, Oh My!: Sorting Through a Loved One's Estate (Part 2)
Now that you have all of your boxes at your home or storage spot, it's time to sort some more. For some people sooner is probably better than later, because it is easier to remember what items are in what box while the big sort/clean out project is still fresh in your mind. Other people may want to wait a while, particularly if they are dealing with photos and mementos of lost loved ones. Do what is best for you. Personally, I usually think about sorting through stuff when my husband asks, "Oh sweetie, can we get rid of some more of that stuff?" Time to get to work!
You might want to organize items that might be of interest to other family members. One of the first things I did was gather and give away some stuff that might be of interest to my mother's brother. While it was fun looking at my uncle's homework from the 1930s and 1940s, I didn't really see a need to keep it. Ask yourself if what you are keeping is vital or peripheral to your research.
Next, do you have photos in frames? Do you love the frames? Do you even like the frames? If not, take the photo out of the frame and toss the frame. Better yet, sell your frames at your next yard sale, and put the money you make towards a genealogy or family history project. I found I was able to condense what I had, just by getting rid of the picture frames I didn't like or need.
Consider sorting items into boxes according to family surname. I organized a box of stuff for my dad's Shenette family and several boxes of stuff for my mom's Szerejko and Bulak families. I labeled the boxes with their last names and indicated what was in the box: Szerejko photos, Szerejko memorabilia, Shenette photos, and so on. Depending on how much you have, you might want to extend it out according to family surnames or lines.
Next I tried to identify people and figure out what family they came from. Unfortunately a lot of the photos I have either didn't have any information written on them or were written in Polish. Even though I don't read Polish, I made some pretty good guesses by looking for clues on the photographs. I sorted photos out by where the photo was taken. I knew my grandmother's Bulak and Kowalewski families came from the Ostrolenka area in Poland. My grandfather's Szerejko family was in Warsaw. If I saw a photo that was stamped with a photographer's stamp from Ostrolenka it went in one box. If I found a photo that said Warsaw on it, either from a photographer's stamp or written on the back, it went in another box. Here I would say go with your gut feeling. Your guess may be right! My guesses have been surprisingly on target for the most part. I recently made contact with a cousin from Poland and together we have been working on identifying photos. While I can't say I've been 100 percent accurate, I've been pretty darn close. Another tip for identifying people, ask yourself, "Who do they look like?" I have looked at photos and just known that a family group belonged to the Bulak family. The resemblance to my grandmother and her father or mother leaves little doubt as to what part of the family they are from.
Finally, I have a box I've somewhat unceremoniously labeled "Unidentified Dead People." Poor souls. I don't have a clue as to who they are. In my collection, this box consists mostly of photos of wedding groups. I keep thinking I'll finally be able to identify them some day. I've considered scanning them and saving them to my hard drive in order to free up physical space and toss the actual photos. I've considered posting their photos on one of the websites aimed at identifying old photos. For some reason I've had a hard time either letting them go or deciding what to do with them, so for now they just hang in limbo. Other projects and research take precedence. At least they are all together in one box...
Coming up next: Getting down to the nitty gritty...
Letters and Photos and Stuff, Oh My! (Part 1)
Letters and Photos and Stuff, Oh My! (Part 3)
You might want to organize items that might be of interest to other family members. One of the first things I did was gather and give away some stuff that might be of interest to my mother's brother. While it was fun looking at my uncle's homework from the 1930s and 1940s, I didn't really see a need to keep it. Ask yourself if what you are keeping is vital or peripheral to your research.
Next, do you have photos in frames? Do you love the frames? Do you even like the frames? If not, take the photo out of the frame and toss the frame. Better yet, sell your frames at your next yard sale, and put the money you make towards a genealogy or family history project. I found I was able to condense what I had, just by getting rid of the picture frames I didn't like or need.
Consider sorting items into boxes according to family surname. I organized a box of stuff for my dad's Shenette family and several boxes of stuff for my mom's Szerejko and Bulak families. I labeled the boxes with their last names and indicated what was in the box: Szerejko photos, Szerejko memorabilia, Shenette photos, and so on. Depending on how much you have, you might want to extend it out according to family surnames or lines.
Next I tried to identify people and figure out what family they came from. Unfortunately a lot of the photos I have either didn't have any information written on them or were written in Polish. Even though I don't read Polish, I made some pretty good guesses by looking for clues on the photographs. I sorted photos out by where the photo was taken. I knew my grandmother's Bulak and Kowalewski families came from the Ostrolenka area in Poland. My grandfather's Szerejko family was in Warsaw. If I saw a photo that was stamped with a photographer's stamp from Ostrolenka it went in one box. If I found a photo that said Warsaw on it, either from a photographer's stamp or written on the back, it went in another box. Here I would say go with your gut feeling. Your guess may be right! My guesses have been surprisingly on target for the most part. I recently made contact with a cousin from Poland and together we have been working on identifying photos. While I can't say I've been 100 percent accurate, I've been pretty darn close. Another tip for identifying people, ask yourself, "Who do they look like?" I have looked at photos and just known that a family group belonged to the Bulak family. The resemblance to my grandmother and her father or mother leaves little doubt as to what part of the family they are from.
Finally, I have a box I've somewhat unceremoniously labeled "Unidentified Dead People." Poor souls. I don't have a clue as to who they are. In my collection, this box consists mostly of photos of wedding groups. I keep thinking I'll finally be able to identify them some day. I've considered scanning them and saving them to my hard drive in order to free up physical space and toss the actual photos. I've considered posting their photos on one of the websites aimed at identifying old photos. For some reason I've had a hard time either letting them go or deciding what to do with them, so for now they just hang in limbo. Other projects and research take precedence. At least they are all together in one box...
Coming up next: Getting down to the nitty gritty...
Letters and Photos and Stuff, Oh My! (Part 1)
Letters and Photos and Stuff, Oh My! (Part 3)
Letters and Photos and Stuff, Oh My!: Sorting Through a Loved One's Estate (Part 1)
In April of 2004 my mother unexpectedly entered a nursing home. As an only child, I was left to close out and sell her house and sort through the belongings of not just one lifetime but two. My mom's house belonged to my grandmother for almost 30 years and my mom lived there for another 25. Both my mom and my grandmother were savers--they saved everything. At the time I was a new mom with an 18-month old child. To say I was overwhelmed--with a toddler, running back and forth to the nursing home, and the endless task of sorting through my mom's belongings--is an understatement. On top of it all I was surprised to find a treasure trove of old letters, slides, photos, and memorabilia hidden in the basement.
I had to decide how best to sort, transport, store, and organize my little gold mine. I didn't have the luxury of time, because my mom's house had to be put up for sale. Sorting and organizing was and continues to be a process. Thankfully, with hindsight, I think I made some pretty good decisions. I'm not saying that my way is the best way, but I'd like to share some tips on what worked for me. For the purpose of this article, the term "estate" means photos, slides, letters, and memorabilia or items relating directly to aiding my genealogy and family history research.
I think the stuff in my mom's basement is probably pretty typical of what many people find when sorting through estate items. I found the good, the bad, and the ugly. Some of the items in my mom's basement were in great shape, some dirty or dusty, and some moldy and downright disgusting. I did a physical review to decide what to keep and what to toss. The first thing I did was purchase some large cardboard cartons with handle cut-outs for easy sorting and transporting. Another option, if you don't want to spend money is to go to a liquor store and see if they have any empty cartons available. Empty liquor boxes are just the right size to pack stuff but are not too heavy to carry. I didn't use archival containers/boxes at this point. I saved those for later in the process.
Now it was time to sort. I had boxes for photos, boxes for framed photos, boxes for memorabilia, and boxes or trash bags for gross stuff. All the clean photos and letters went into clean boxes. If you find a collection of items that seem to belong together, keep them together. My grandmother's sister traveled to Poland in the 1930s, so I made sure all of the items I found from her trip or that I thought might be from her trip, went into the same box. If you find letters, keep them in their envelopes if they come in envelopes. If you find letters in a language that you don't read, keep them. Maybe someday you'll be lucky enough to find a long lost cousin to translate them for you. I did.
Put all of the dusty some what grimy stuff in a separate set of boxes. Keep the dirt together. Finally comes the tough part. What to do with the gross, moldy stuff? Toss it unless you have the time, knowledge, or financial means to consult with a professional conservator. If you believe your item is of historical significance, of course, consult with a professional conservator. If you bring moldy stuff into your house, be prepared to battle a potential mold infestation in your home. You can use your digital camera to photograph and document anything that might provide valuable information for your research. You can write down information on a notepad or type into a laptop. Finally label boxes before transporting them to their new location.
After transporting your boxes don't do what I did if you can help it. Don't store your things in your basement. Luckily we have a dry, finished basement. I simply didn't have adequate storage space in the upstairs part of my house. Also, during this part of the process, keep your loved ones in mind. I didn't want to bring a bunch of dusty boxes into the house with a small child around. My husband, while indulgent regarding my genealogical pursuits, doesn't always see things the same way that I do. How that is, I can't imagine. I see all those boxes as a 100 years of my family history waiting to be preserved for posterity. He sees them as a pile of dusty junk. If you must store your boxes in the basement, try to raise them up onto shelves or flats to get them off the floor in case you do have flooding. If you have to stack boxes on top of one another, don't stack them more than three high. Place the heavier boxes at the bottom to avoid crushing the contents.
Coming up next: Sorting, sorting, and more sorting...
Letters and Photos and Stuff, Oh My! (Part 2)
Letters and Photos and Stuff, Oh My! (Part 3)
I had to decide how best to sort, transport, store, and organize my little gold mine. I didn't have the luxury of time, because my mom's house had to be put up for sale. Sorting and organizing was and continues to be a process. Thankfully, with hindsight, I think I made some pretty good decisions. I'm not saying that my way is the best way, but I'd like to share some tips on what worked for me. For the purpose of this article, the term "estate" means photos, slides, letters, and memorabilia or items relating directly to aiding my genealogy and family history research.
I think the stuff in my mom's basement is probably pretty typical of what many people find when sorting through estate items. I found the good, the bad, and the ugly. Some of the items in my mom's basement were in great shape, some dirty or dusty, and some moldy and downright disgusting. I did a physical review to decide what to keep and what to toss. The first thing I did was purchase some large cardboard cartons with handle cut-outs for easy sorting and transporting. Another option, if you don't want to spend money is to go to a liquor store and see if they have any empty cartons available. Empty liquor boxes are just the right size to pack stuff but are not too heavy to carry. I didn't use archival containers/boxes at this point. I saved those for later in the process.
Now it was time to sort. I had boxes for photos, boxes for framed photos, boxes for memorabilia, and boxes or trash bags for gross stuff. All the clean photos and letters went into clean boxes. If you find a collection of items that seem to belong together, keep them together. My grandmother's sister traveled to Poland in the 1930s, so I made sure all of the items I found from her trip or that I thought might be from her trip, went into the same box. If you find letters, keep them in their envelopes if they come in envelopes. If you find letters in a language that you don't read, keep them. Maybe someday you'll be lucky enough to find a long lost cousin to translate them for you. I did.
Put all of the dusty some what grimy stuff in a separate set of boxes. Keep the dirt together. Finally comes the tough part. What to do with the gross, moldy stuff? Toss it unless you have the time, knowledge, or financial means to consult with a professional conservator. If you believe your item is of historical significance, of course, consult with a professional conservator. If you bring moldy stuff into your house, be prepared to battle a potential mold infestation in your home. You can use your digital camera to photograph and document anything that might provide valuable information for your research. You can write down information on a notepad or type into a laptop. Finally label boxes before transporting them to their new location.
After transporting your boxes don't do what I did if you can help it. Don't store your things in your basement. Luckily we have a dry, finished basement. I simply didn't have adequate storage space in the upstairs part of my house. Also, during this part of the process, keep your loved ones in mind. I didn't want to bring a bunch of dusty boxes into the house with a small child around. My husband, while indulgent regarding my genealogical pursuits, doesn't always see things the same way that I do. How that is, I can't imagine. I see all those boxes as a 100 years of my family history waiting to be preserved for posterity. He sees them as a pile of dusty junk. If you must store your boxes in the basement, try to raise them up onto shelves or flats to get them off the floor in case you do have flooding. If you have to stack boxes on top of one another, don't stack them more than three high. Place the heavier boxes at the bottom to avoid crushing the contents.
Coming up next: Sorting, sorting, and more sorting...
Letters and Photos and Stuff, Oh My! (Part 2)
Letters and Photos and Stuff, Oh My! (Part 3)
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