Joe...we are in Melbourne on the east coast about an hour from Orlando.
Check out my blog for some organizing tips!

I have JUST reorganized almost ALL my files at let me tell you..it makes one hell of a difference! And I also found, as an added bonus, that I have a maple coloured desk buried underneath all those documents! Now that I have a system in place there is no way I am letting it get that bad again. I actually found papers that had information I have been looking for forever. Had I kept organized I would never have wasted all that time repeating those searches. Oh .. a definite must...keep a research log of everything so you don't make the mistake I made. I actually "drafted" one up but I am not sure if it totally meets my needs yet.

I so agree with you! I would never had any success without being organized...you end up chasing loose ends over and over otherwise. Let us see your sample research log when you finish it..I am trying to design one too but still missing bits.

I have my 2 drawer file, loaded with papers...but, not the actual documents. Years ago, I bought two very thick, pretty, old world looking photo albums. I took out the pages, and bought archival quality sheet protectors (I think they are called). I bought two albums, one for hubbys family, one for mine. I divided both for mother and father sides. I put the documents that I copied from the fhl and those I sent for, in these protectors and typed a little slip of paper for each one, so that one could see at a glance (in english) what they were and who they were for.

If I had known, I would have bought my own archival quality paper, to stick in their printer, while printing. But, in those days, I never gave preserving them, a thought.

While I keep paper copies of documents filed away in folders by surname, I store the same documents with the genealogy software that I use. I scan all of the documents either as jpeg or PDF files. On documents written in Italian I include a translation of the document as a part of the PDF file. For example, all of the letters that were translated for me by the translators on this site are stored in PDF files with the image of the letter in Italian accompanied by the translation page by page.

BillieDeKid wrote:

Hi Joe Here is the link for the records that the LDS (church of the Latter Day Saints) has up with scanned records for census, ships manifests etc. It's still a work in progress but does the same thing that ancestry does only it's free. search.labs.familysear...8315#start You have to register to use (I believe). If that link doesn't work try this one. search.labs.familysearch.org I have it bookmarked with my automatic log in info (first link) so it may not work.

Hi BilleDeKid,

I tried both links, it seems they want money to continue my search and view the image. Not sure I'm ready to invest before I know what I'll be looking at. Am I doing something wrong here?
Thanks, Joe B.

money????? It's through the LDS and it's free. Something isn't right.

Edit to add comment............

I was just on it Joe and I'm not getting anything about fee's or charges to continue (and I don't pay for the site)

Your right. Something isn't right....it's me. I clicked on the the photo of an image (little green arrow embedded in it). That took me to "findmypast.com" which is a subscription service. Sorry about that. If the the image has a note next to it (Image Provided by FindMyPast) then it's not available as a freebie, otherwise, no problem. Seems like if it's been more than a few days since I've logged in to something I forget what I'm doing. My apologies...Joe B.

LOL no problem Joe!!! I'm just glad it's working for you now and no need to apologize (I'll just have nuccia *whap* you.....lol)

BillieDeKid wrote:

LOL no problem Joe!!! I'm just glad it's working for you now and no need to apologize (I'll just have nuccia *whap* you.....lol)

No whapping unil Friday!

I'm hiding Friday. That's my Pub day, so if there's any whapping to be done bring the price of a pint along with you.

Also BTW...Just started doing Family Search Indexing. Very time consuming. Some of that stuff is pretty hard to read. Need thicker glasses.

Joe B.

JoeB wrote:

Also BTW...Just started doing Family Search Indexing. Very time consuming. Some of that stuff is pretty hard to read. Need thicker glasses. Joe B.

Good for you Joe! Thats awesome. As for thicker glasses...my eyesight has changed so much since I started working on the computer that I have had to change my prescription 3 times in the last two years!

Keep us posted on how it's going.

Oh, and I did get your PM a while back. Sorry I didn't return one back but honestly, I have been ill for the last few weeks and have been in bed. Today I MAY TRY to catch up on things around here (but don't hold me to that..).

[quote="nuccia"]

JoeB wrote:

Oh, and I did get your PM a while back. Sorry I didn't return one back but honestly, I have been ill for the last few weeks and have been in bed. Today I MAY TRY to catch up on things around here (but don't hold me to that..).

That PM didn't require a response. Just a silly thing that a bottle Chianti caused me to think I had an epiphany. Just delete it. Hope your feeling better...Joe B.

How about this little gem that I've missed for years... Marriage certificate for my Grandaddy Henry Walton (Walton is my middle name). Found this through the LDS Family Search site. Thanks Elizabeth and Cathy.

AWESOME Joe!!!!