Well Andy - You could send it all to me and I'll organize it for you and send it back neatly boxed ??? Oh yeah - AFTER I've copied all the Blankenship docs for The Blankenship Collection LOL ... Seriously, I know the feeling. Here's how I have mine - I use colored folders, red, blue, green, yellow, orange and purple, for each family surname. RED - military records GREEN - land records BLUE - birth records and death records and newspaper obits YELLOW - probate or other litigation records PURPLE - marriage records ORANGE - census records I also have several manila folders for each surname for emails and photographs or other misc. For instance, for BLANKENSHIP I have: Misc Blankenship Documents - newspaper clippings, etc Photographs 1700s 1800s 1900s ALABAMA MISSOURI NORTHERN BLANKENSHIPS WEST VIRGINIA BLANKENSHIPS As I find a subject I might need a separate folder for I make it. The colored folders make filing those todbits away - it's keeping up with the filing that isn't always easy as I'll often print out 500 pages a week - I have to FORCE myself into getting them filed. Then I pull out a folder when I can and go through it entering any information as need be. I have a LOT of BLANKENSHIP records especially who reference people not in my database (yet) and so I have made a "book" in my Family Tree Program for these records - for instance, a "chapter" for Blankenship Obits ... Once I have entered the information into my FTM program, I dump the paper. A lot of time I'll just draw a line diagonally across it and put it in my recycle box and use the backs for printing out other emails - just make sure you mark what's been entered. This method sort of developed over the last several years as I've worked on the Blankenship Collection - of course, I NEVER throw away pictures, copies of military, land, litigation, birth, Bible, death, records etc. Those stay in their little colored files - for now anyhow ... Hope this helps and gives you at least an idea of how to get organized. Kay

Kay, I am so impressed! I think I will try that. Janet ----- Original Message ----- From: <BKAYMEL@aol.com> To: <BLANKENSHIP-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, February 08, 2003 4:27 PM Subject: Re: [BLANKENSHIP] Reuben Blankenship of Alabama > Well Andy - > > You could send it all to me and I'll organize it for you and send it back > neatly boxed ??? Oh yeah - AFTER I've copied all the Blankenship docs for > The Blankenship Collection LOL ... > > Seriously, I know the feeling. Here's how I have mine - I use colored > folders, red, blue, green, yellow, orange and purple, for each family > surname. > > RED - military records > GREEN - land records > BLUE - birth records and death records and newspaper obits > YELLOW - probate or other litigation records > PURPLE - marriage records > ORANGE - census records > > I also have several manila folders for each surname for emails and > photographs or other misc. For instance, for BLANKENSHIP I have: > > Misc Blankenship Documents - newspaper clippings, etc > Photographs > 1700s > 1800s > 1900s > ALABAMA > MISSOURI > NORTHERN BLANKENSHIPS > WEST VIRGINIA BLANKENSHIPS > > As I find a subject I might need a separate folder for I make it. The > colored folders make filing those todbits away - it's keeping up with the > filing that isn't always easy as I'll often print out 500 pages a week - I > have to FORCE myself into getting them filed. Then I pull out a folder when > I can and go through it entering any information as need be. I have a LOT of > BLANKENSHIP records especially who reference people not in my database (yet) > and so I have made a "book" in my Family Tree Program for these records - for > instance, a "chapter" for Blankenship Obits ... > > Once I have entered the information into my FTM program, I dump the paper. A > lot of time I'll just draw a line diagonally across it and put it in my > recycle box and use the backs for printing out other emails - just make sure > you mark what's been entered. > > This method sort of developed over the last several years as I've worked on > the Blankenship Collection - of course, I NEVER throw away pictures, copies > of military, land, litigation, birth, Bible, death, records etc. Those stay > in their little colored files - for now anyhow ... > > Hope this helps and gives you at least an idea of how to get organized. > > Kay > > > ==== BLANKENSHIP Mailing List ==== > Please remember to post your family information putting the SURNAME in all caps and using dates and places. The more information you provide, the easier it is for someone to make a connection. >

Thanks, I'll try to take all this to heart but am afraid I'm a hopeless case wihen it comes to organization of my genealogy. Now I have my stamp, coin, and currency collections all in perfect order. Something is wrong with this picture. Andy > Well Andy - > > You could send it all to me and I'll organize it for you and send it back > neatly boxed ??? Oh yeah - AFTER I've copied all the Blankenship docs for > The Blankenship Collection LOL ... > > Seriously, I know the feeling. Here's how I have mine - I use colored > folders, red, blue, green, yellow, orange and purple, for each family > surname. > > RED - military records > GREEN - land records > BLUE - birth records and death records and newspaper obits > YELLOW - probate or other litigation records > PURPLE - marriage records > ORANGE - census records > > I also have several manila folders for each surname for emails and > photographs or other misc. For instance, for BLANKENSHIP I have: > > Misc Blankenship Documents - newspaper clippings, etc > Photographs > 1700s > 1800s > 1900s > ALABAMA > MISSOURI > NORTHERN BLANKENSHIPS > WEST VIRGINIA BLANKENSHIPS > > As I find a subject I might need a separate folder for I make it. The > colored folders make filing those todbits away - it's keeping up with the > filing that isn't always easy as I'll often print out 500 pages a week - I > have to FORCE myself into getting them filed. Then I pull out a folder when > I can and go through it entering any information as need be. I have a LOT of > BLANKENSHIP records especially who reference people not in my database (yet) > and so I have made a "book" in my Family Tree Program for these records - for > instance, a "chapter" for Blankenship Obits ... > > Once I have entered the information into my FTM program, I dump the paper. A > lot of time I'll just draw a line diagonally across it and put it in my > recycle box and use the backs for printing out other emails - just make sure > you mark what's been entered. > > This method sort of developed over the last several years as I've worked on > the Blankenship Collection - of course, I NEVER throw away pictures, copies > of military, land, litigation, birth, Bible, death, records etc. Those stay > in their little colored files - for now anyhow ... > > Hope this helps and gives you at least an idea of how to get organized. > > Kay > > > ==== BLANKENSHIP Mailing List ==== > Please remember to post your family information putting the SURNAME in all caps and using dates and places. The more information you provide, the easier it is for someone to make a connection. >