March has been an extra busy month for me. I am temporarily house sitting for a friend while I search for an affordable apartment in my area. Affordable is a tough search. All this means I have moved out of my current apartment after another dramatic rent increase. Some of my belongings came with me to the house sitting stint and most went into storage. Whew.
I notified clients of my sudden change in address and all that was involved and begged them for patience. I didn’t notify readers of some sparse blog postings, so this is my explanation.
All this while in the midst of preparing handouts and PowerPoint slides for upcoming genealogy presentations. Even bigger was the completion of the syllabus material for the GRIP Genealogy Institute course “Digging Deeper: Records, Tools, and Skills.” My sections are completed and I am happy with the results. The four instructors teaching in the course did a fantastic job with their syllabus sections.
How could I pack, store, donate, and sell some furniture during all this? Then donate many books to the Minnesota Genealogical Society (painful part of downsizing)? Mainly it has been with the help of my daughter Katie and her daughter Kendall. Kendall spent much of her spring break from the university helping me. They kept going like Energizer bunnies! My son Jim and grandson Nate also put in some time helping. Friends kept me going with silliness and advice.
I am blessed to have a great family. We even took a break for a baby shower. My second great grandson is due in June. His mother, oldest granddaughter Kaylene, is obviously unable to help. Oldest grandson Ryan had just left the state for training in a new job. Just a few family changes!
© 2026, Paula Stuart-Warren. All rights reserved.
Thank you for sharing — and for demonstrating that strong Midwestern resilience. Donating several of your books — while somewhat painful for you — will allow others to expand their knowledge. And shout out to your family and friends. I appreciate them, and especially you.
I was on the committee that developed this library and want to see it keep going. Sharing and access was one of the reasons for the library. Thank you for the nice comment.