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This very straightforward and right to the point blog is written by Katrina McQuarrie.
In describing herself and her blog, Katrina writes: “My purpose with this site is twofold:
• I want to help you improve your genealogy skills beyond the usual beginner’s tips plastered all over the internet.
• I want to show young people and other non-nerds that genealogy is fascinating, not boring, and doesn’t require a degree in Ancient High Nerdery.
If I’ve accomplished either of the above when you visit this site, I’m happy….
“I grew up with the genealogy bug. Both my parents, especially my father, were always into genealogy. I remember nights spent at the Family History Centre with a roll of census microfilm and a list of names given to me by my parents when I was not more than 10 or 12. My task, of course, was to search for the names and call my parents over if I found anything.
This hobby only grew when my father presented me with a 9 generation fan chart of my direct ancestors, which promptly replaced my treasured Backstreet Boys poster on the back of my door. As time progressed, of course, I gained a teenager’s keen awareness of group belonging. Pretty soon I noticed I was the only person at the conferences who didn’t have grey hair. The youngest person in the archives who wasn’t working there (and the archivists were still old enough to be my mother).
And lo, I thought unto myself, the situation did suck. A few years later, having taken a couple years of medieval history in university, I knew that people and places long gone were, in fact, Very Very Cool. The only problem was making other people understand that. Even other genealogists often made their hobby sound dry and tedious, and my revelation of a shared interest often resulted only in the inquiry of “so how far back have you gone?”
So, the decision to take a break from university was a natural springboard to start working my husband’s genealogy. His mother’s side is already being covered by an uncle, so this gives me the luxury of focusing solely on his paternal line. It’s been an interesting two years, and some of the how-to articles I write stem directly from the triumphs, and difficulties, I’ve had with this branch of the tree.
As part of my attempt to fund my continued education, I started this site in late September 2009. The growth has been amazing and unexpected; the genealogy community has been nothing but welcoming and supportive. I love you guys. *wipes tears from eyes*”
Katrina writes exceptionally well. And her posts are quite informative. Her writing style is a pleasure to read!
I highly encourage everyone to visit Kick Ass Genealogy. You won’t walk away disappointed.
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