Kreativ Blogger Award! Thank you!

We are really very flattered to have been selected by Mary, author of the AncestorTracking blog and a loyal reader, to be a recipient of the Kreativ Blogger Award, that medal of appreciation created by Huldal on her blog, originally for four of her blogging friends. We have been reading AncestorTracking since she first contacted us and find it not only a very attractive blog but fascinating reading. Thank you so much, Mary, for reading The French Genealogy Blog and for deeming it worthy of this award.

Originally, there were no obligations for Huldal's recipients, but in the delightful way of the internet's customs, the Kreativ Blogger Award has grown and taken on a life of its own. Now, a recipient is to list 7 things he or she loves or at least likes; and then to select 7 other blogs to receive the award. Well, we do not intend to sink any deeper into the personal than all ready appears here in the "Identity Wars" posts, so we will not be naming our favourite film or jam. However, we think that the 7 and 7 requirement could be very useful for our readers were they to relate to the best in French Genealogy. Thus:

Seven Things That We Love About French Genealogy

1.   The fact that so much is, for the moment, free. Just now, nearly all of the Archives Departementales that have websites with digitized images of parish and civil registers charge not a single centime for that superb service. (Taxes in France can reach 60% of one's income, so they really would have a lot of nerve charging, yet that is just what some threaten to do.) This graciousness is under threat and professional genealogists are struggling to have it made law and be protected. 
2. The fact that the French have always been such maniacs about documenting every aspect of the lives of the people. This goes against our slightly libertarian grain, but overjoys our genealogist's heart. The Pregnancy Declarations, for example, would outrage us were we ever to have had to file one ourselves, but we love that those in the past had to do so. The amount of descriptive, personal and genealogical information in one can be astonishing.
3. The fact that the community of French genealogists, both professional and amateur, is a large group of individuals who all (but for one unpleasant person) are extremely friendly, helpful and generous with their time and knowledge.
4. The history! We love being able to get inside chateaux and archives buildings and to caress old vellum documents with gorgeous (or sloppy) calligraphy. 
5. The logic of French thought - which makes cataloguing and retrieval systems  such a breeze. In all other aspects, we find a society ruled by logic alone to be cold, cruel and devoid of passion, rather like a Karajan version of Tchaikovsky, (except in traffic jams, when all sense and reason are tossed to the winds)  -- but in classifying and organising archives, registers and such, that icy logic is a dream of perfection.
6. The helpfulness of the professionals. Most unusual, this, for the archivists and librarians we have encountered have been, each and every one, professional, knowledgeable, and extremely willing to help. When was the last time, on entering a special library, you were greeted by an expert who sat down with you, listened to your requirements, took notes, and put together a search programme for you? That is the norm.
7. As in all genealogy - we love the stories of human lives, struggles, dreams, and losses. 

Seven Blogs To Which We Wish to Send the Kreativ Blogger Award:

1.  Généprovence - a clean and delightful blog about the genealogy and history of Provence. Each post is fascinating and there are some lovely photos. 
2. Geneablog - rather busy and cluttered but full of the current affairs of French genealogy.
3. Des racines et des êtres - a very personal, meditative blog about genealogy in Calvados.
4. Genealibre - this is a bit of a difficult read, but it is full of useful information on free software applied to genealogy uses, the blogger's passion.
5. Recherches généalogiques - a minimalist blog with bare facts for those doing genealogical research of military personnel. Lots of free information as PDFs.
6. BibliOdyssey - a blog we gaze at when we are in need of resuscitation.
7. French Word-A-Day - Kristin Espinasse's hugely popular blog about life in France is true to the mark every time. She has just published a new book based on her posts.

Again, we are most grateful for this token of reader appreciation.

©2009 Anne Morddel

French Genealogy

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Comments

[Anne]

A blog like yours on Bretagne will be most welcome. Bravo!

[Jean Marie Desbois]

I thank you very very much for this award to GénéProvence. I often visit your blog and I really like it. On the 1st of Jan, I will publish a new blog (www.genebretagne.com) which will be similar to GénéProvence.
Thank you again.