Blog
Google Earth Street View Story (Video)
Ya gotta love Google Earth’s Street View! It can bring you up close and personal to locations important to your family history. For instance in our family there’s the house in
England where Grandpa Cooke was born…
And the Opera House where he and his mother played in the orchestra in the early 20th century…
It’s almost like being there! But what if you really could be there? There’s a great little video that brings street view to life. It’s called 2nd Avenue, and it’s one of the finalist WNET’s Favorite short videos contest. Check it out and cast your vote for Street View!
3/21/12
Family History Mystery Solved!
From the Genealogy Gems Mailbox:
Hi Lisa, You’ll probably think I’m crazy, I love your podcasts, but I’m still catching up!! In August I decided to listen to your current podcasts as you issue them, while still working my way through all your past podcasts. I’m at number 59 and laugh to listen to you celebrate and sound surprised that you’ve reached a second anniversary, when I “know” that you’ve made it to 5 now!
Back in 2009. you ran a series of “Name that Tune” challenges, which I absolutely loved, I think I have old time music in my DNA. It took me a day to recognize the “Missouri Waltz,” I knew “The Dark Town Strutters Ball” right away; when I was little I named my doll “Honey” and always thought of those first lines “I’ll be down to get you in a taxi, Honey…”, I knew “I’ll see you in my dreams” don’t know if you are old enough to recall “Sing along with Mitch” when it was on TV, but we had all Mitch Miller’s Sing Along albums and “I’ll See you in my dreams” was among them.
Okay, so that brings me to the reason for this email. In Episode 56, you celebrated “I’ll See you in my dreams” and then played a brief 30 seconds of another tune, it was a violin instrumental. Well as I said I’ve listened up to 59 and I’ve never heard the result for that last tune. I think it may be “Thine Alone” by Victor Herbert. It was from the operetta “Eileen”. Herbert was born in Ireland and emigrated to America, his more famous songs include “Ah Sweet Mystery of Life” and “The March of the Toys” from “Babes in Toyland” but he seems to have written hundreds of songs.
You had a loyal listener named “Jeannie” who called you with the names of the first 4 songs, I laughed at the similarity in our names, but anyway, I’m going crazy, did anyone else ever recognize that song? If you go to iTunes, there is a good instrumental version of “Thine Alone” on the Album “The Music of Victor Herbert & Sigmund Romberg” performed by George Melchrino. It is a lovely song.
I can’t tell you how many wonderful memories those songs gave me!! Yes, I am working on my Family History and really enjoy all your podcasts, videos, blogs and advice. I did finish your Family History: Genealogy Made Easy podcast series, got to get to work on the Family Tree Magazine Podcast too!!
Thank you so much for all you do!
Jean Goggins
Dear Jean,
No, no one ever dad identify that song – until now! I totally agree after listening to “Thine Alone” on iTunes that is the song. I’m so glad you emailed me about it! In fact I was just talking about that “name that tune” series and the old reel-to-reel that of Grandma and Grandpa in my recent presentation Genealogy Blogs and Podcasts 101 that was streamed live on the RootsTech website (and is still there on video – part of the Saturday Recap).
I’m so glad you’re enjoying the podcasts. Thanks for writing and solving this family history mystery!
Lisa
2/20/12
FamilySearch Launches Mobile Indexing App (2/12/12)
FamilySearch launched its much-anticipated mobile device for indexing. The device will expand the capability of volunteers to help make the world’s historic records searchable online. The mobile device app works on Apple iPads, iPhones, and Droid smartphones.
To download the free app, search for the FamilySearch Indexing app in the Apple app store or Droid Market store online.
