A purpose! I finally found the purpose!

I'm not a blogger ... I'm a blagger ... that's a quasi-blogger who is lagging behind. Way behind. But I have figured out why, and that is a real accomplishment: I just don't know what it is I should be blogging about. There are so many blogs out there, what would make mine different and worth following? Well, I got my answer at 4 this morning, when the puppy needed a little outdoor visit (he's recovering from patella surgery and is getting whatever he wants whenever he wants it). I couldn't get back to sleep, wondering about this whole blogging thing (don't ask about the connection between a puppy nature call and blogging ... at 4am, anything can be connected).

As many know, I am a folklorist. I have been collecting and studying folk music and folklore since I was about 8 (and you can imagine how well that went over with my peer group ... everyone thought I was very strange ... and I guess they weren't too far off). It occurs to me that my genealogist friends, colleagues, and acquaintances may not be aware of the many folk songs that have connection to their ancestors. So I have decided that it should be my mission to correct this. I already do this in my musical presentations where I combine music, stories, and history, but I could expand on some of the songs (many that don't make it into presentations) as well as their history and relevance to family historians. And I can also guide people to additional resources in books, recordings, or on the Internet.

And so, with this introduction to my newly discovered purpose (why did it take me so long?), I hope that you will spread the word that those who are looking for a little more social history to add to their family history may find it (as far as the music of our ancestors is concerned) at this blogspot.