Countdown to Mesa, AZ Expo, 22-23 Jan 2010, Lisa Louise Cooke

It's hard to believe, but the Mesa, AZ Family History Expo is just over a month away. And there are so many exciting things going on at that event that I know I am not doing them justice with my weekly blog, but hopefully something I write will inspire my readers who plan to attend to enjoy some part of the experience they might have otherwise missed.

Lisa Louise Cooke will be there with her Genealogy Gems Podcast booth. If you have never listened to one of her podcasts, you have missed out on a treat. Not only does she educate her listeners, but she does so in an entertaining way. I was able to attend a seminar in October where Lisa was one of the featured speakers. She spoke about the many ways of using Google and making it one's personal genealogy assistant. I took tons of notes and implemented many of her ideas (and was so proud of myself that I actually already knew about some of the things she suggested). At the Mesa Expo, Lisa will be speaking on this topic and also about Google Earth. Lisa's tips and instructions are easy to follow for the most computer-illiterate, so this is a perfect series of presentations for anyone who has not yet tapped Google for the full resource it is (not only for genealogy, but for all areas of interest).

Lisa's podcast she did with me at an Expo earlier this year (episode 32) is still up on her website (until Dec. 23), if you are interested in hearing us talk about music, rving, and genealogy and how I manage to meld them all together. To hear it takes a subscription to her premium service, but that gives the listener a chance to hear the most valuable of her genealogy gems.

Lisa also has a book of "Genealogy Gems" - tips to help make your genealogy research more effective - available on her website. Plus, she sells a specialty item - an actual genealogy gem: a beautiful pin that declares the wearer to be a "genealogy gem." These and related items can be found in her on-line store.

So, when you come to the Mesa, AZ Family History Expo, be sure to stop by Lisa's booth and check out her items, attend one of her three lectures, and/or attend the blogger banquet on Friday evening to be part of her LIVE broadcast of the event (a first-time experience for all of us)! Tell her I sent you.

Family History Expo Countdown, Mesa, AZ - Speaker, Alice Volkert

I am excited about the Family History Expo in Mesa, Arizona, for a number of reasons. One of these is that a dear friend of mine will be one of the presenters and I am looking forward to hearing her talk about naming children during Colonial Times. Alice Volkert, who will also be discussing the use of digital photography in genealogy, serves with me on the Southern California Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists and keeps track of our members and money as the treasurer. I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Alice as a fellow genealogist who has a high level of professionalism in her work as a researcher and a presenter. Check out the two presentations she will be doing at the Expo by clicking here. Alice, a DAR member, also runs Volkert Services, helping people research and chart their family trees.

If you are still trying to decide whether or not to attend the Mesa, AZ Family History Expo, maybe this will help you make that decision. I'll talk about some of the other presenters in my weekly blogs, counting down to this event on the 22nd & 23rd of January 2010. It's just around the corner!