Are You a Family History Junkie?

Borrowed.

Several sources have reported that genealogy has now replaced stamp collecting as the No. 1 hobby in the United States. If you are spending lots of time working on your family history and still don't think of yourself as an "addicted genealogist" here's a little test:

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1. Do you always brake for libraries?

Yep! But we also brake for cemeteries, historical societies, museums, and tourist information offices. Do you?

2. If you were locked in that library overnight, would you notice?

Probably not, unless they turned the lights out on us. Hubbin would have to have his trusty sidekick though and that's his laptop.

3. Do you hyperventilate when you see an old cemetery not yet explored?

When hubbin and I were courting, we went parking in cemeteries and we weren't necking, either! We were too busy taking notes! LOL!

4. Would you rather browse in that cemetery than in a shopping mall?

Not necessarily -- I like junking in garage sales, thrift stores, flea markets and hobby/craft stores. I have found historical treasures at the three above places that's been donated to our local genealogy library and transcribed for genealogy newsletter publication.

5. Do you think every home should have a microfilm reader?

I don't know where I would put a microfilm reader in my cottage. Lack of space and lack of purchasing power puts a crimp in that idea.

6. Is your closet carefully stacked with notebooks, books and journals while your clothes are stuffed under the bed?

Nope, the closet holds clothes, although there is a small metal drawer cabinet of maps on David's side of the closet which he obtained from raiding old National Geographic magazines at garage sales. Right now, most of our genealogy books are stacked on my walker seat between a stuffed bookcase and the TV. Library books are stacked on top of a TV tray, waiting to be either read or taken back to the library.

7. Does all your correspondence begin, "Dear Cousin?"

Some of my correspondence or emails begin with "Dear Cousin," but not all. I also have friends, some who share my passion for history and some who share my passion for crafts and card-making.

8. Are you more interested in what happened in 1693 than what happened in 1993?

Not necessarily. I try to keep up with current events as I'm making history of my own too! Hopefully, some day I'll be great-grandma to a descendant and maybe they will be interested in my American history as well. To see what happened the year you were born, click here.

9. If you can find Harrietsham, Hawkhurst, Kent on a map of England--but can't find Chicago on a map of the United States--you know that you are an addicted genealogist.
Well, I'm sorry, that's really sad. Maybe that's the difference between the quizzer above and me. I can find Chicago on the map -- probably because I'm a former homeschool mom. We had a huge laminated map of the world nailed to our laundry room wall for many years and I have a well-used US atlas parked next to my computer that gets referred to a lot.
Take it from me. Even though we don't "pass" all the questions above, I can tell you we are addicted family researchers. Both of us have compiled info on our dead relatives since high school and love history, even handing down that love of history to our son! He said one time he would rather go to a flea market than a museum, because you get to purchase a piece of history to bring home! We have this blog, I have a history blog that I write short biographies of interesting people from Missouri and Kansas history for it, I like crafts from grandma's day, my hubbin belongs to both the Miller County, MO. historical society and the MO. Genealogy society and I am the current secretary for the Rush Reunion, so we've got it BAD, BAD, BAD! *wink*