Reprieve! 2 July 2016

What is my reprieve from, you ask?  I do not have to redo the Family Tree training after all.  After plowing through a few sections of the older Learning Center course, and noticing some items that were updated in the training I received six weeks ago in the Training Zone, I really did not want to devote the hours that would have been required to go through the course. Toward the end of my shift I was able to talk with a trainer who actually is, I believe, in charge of the certification.  She went over the checklist with me, as required, and I was actually able to explain something to her that she had a question about:  why would one add an unconnected person to the Family Tree?  

There are at least two reasons.  One I learned today when a guest wanted to create a tree for someone else who does not have a Family Search account.  He was about to create a dummy account in which to store the friend's tree when I remembered [the Spirit again] that in the person list at the very bottom is the option to add an unconnected person.

The second reason I had learned a few months ago as I found three generations for the woman who sponsored my grandmother to come to America.  Although she was called "Tanta" [German for "Aunt"] this was often just a title of respect for a woman who was older than you.  She may well be related, but I have not been able to prove that so far.  I did want her family tree available for her descendants, and also for the time when proof is found of our connection.

So I am almost done with Level 2 Certification--the problem being that I still often do not feel very competent in helping guests. I am getting a bit better at remembering some of the tools to use, such as meyersgaz.org.  This gazetteer is so much easier for me to use than the physical book, because I do not have to read the Fraktur print script.  I find that to be much more difficult than the handwritten German script.  The online version [with which one can also use wildcards if the entire place name is not certain] uses the regular type I am used to.  I used it to help a guest this morning.

I spent a lot of time today in the various positions, because other people who were assigned to those positions had the skills that guests needed--we had a flood of people who spoke French and several guests who spoke Chinese, along with someone from Korea.  So I offered to fill the positions while they helped guests. In the afternoon, especially, my energy is low, and the positions involve less critical thinking.  This gave me a chance, also, to begin work on the Eppingen data.

This morning I looked for the Eppingen book--and it was not on the shelf!  After a bit of panic I decided to check to see if the Access Services people who are in charge of taking care of the books might have noticed that the binding needed repair. That was the case, and the elder in charge said that I could use the book today because it would not be picked up for repair until at least Monday.  So I got busy with my iPad taking pictures of the relevant entries.  Now I am in the process of getting the families connected properly. It appears that most of the individuals already are in Family Tree--they just are in there rather piecemeal.  At the least I can get them properly connected, and I hope there will be some temple work to do also.

Once my shift was over I was especially glad that this morning I was able to get wheat soaked and parboiled for the week ahead, and some kidney beans cooked.  I was very tired once I got home, and enjoyed adding some veggies and bouillon to some of the beans, and mixing some wheat with a can of clams [an impulse buy at the dollar store a few days ago] to make a quick supper.  

Tomorrow is the Sabbath--I hope all enjoy rest and a spiritual feast.