Hey, family of mine. I decided to try and put some of our family history in a single, over-designed spot. This one. I am going to convert the genealogy information collected about 15 years ago into some readable posts that we can share together. Heck, you might even want to add some stuff here as well. I will figure out how to do that later. For now, let me build the blog and see where it takes us.
Taking something as multi-dimensional as a family genealogy and making it accessible in this format feels like it will be a little tricky. I have to add the basic tree outline in someway that is dynamic. I need to add little write-ups about our family. I might have a musing or two on some of the less noble branches of our family. How will it fit in here?
Since this is a free blog, it has a pretty conventional format. I write (someone writes) and the information flows sequentially. One way to not make a long running train of thought document is to create separate pages and use what are called "widgets" - sort of mini-apps - to spread the information around. I think I will keep a main page (this one) running with updates of process (maybe this is the last one, who knows?) and then have branching pages and links where the information wanders.
One thing that makes this worthwhile for me is that I like to read your comments. At the end of a post you are given the opportunity to give a comment on the post. We could do extensive threads about certain topics, or you could just say hi!, or you could challenge some assumption. But please use the comments so this blog can become robust and a family record. I would also like this place to become a repository of stories - what it was like growing up in Houston, or Hot Springs, or Oregon, or Mexico. What we remember from snippets of the past - didn't Dad used to mention a third cousin who was on trial for homicide (this is a fake example!)? What was San Angelo like? I know Suzanne and I shot some video of Donald Albright a year or so ago; we need to put that on here, too.
Finally, I am going to start with the Albrights - those denizens on the earth today that are directly descended from Otis Powers Albright, Jr. I will include in this inaugural run an email to those that I know that this would all be relevant to.
One thing to keep in mind - the "Albrights" are just one thin slice of our heritage. There are Powells and Clevelands and so forth - all of whom contributed equally to our little DNA stew. It is just that the Albrechts from 1742 Pennsylvania have a name we share today, so we think of them as the first. But there might be a surprise or two lurking in our files (I know I found one a while back). So . . . once more, into the breach!
