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Have a great day!
Juliana

Don't Rely Solely on Indexes
When looking at online or even microfiche birth death and marriage indexes be aware that just because your info isn't listed there doesn't mean the information isn't there. I have looked at indexes for several ancestors and not found them but when I contacted the county records keeper, there were certificates on file; they just weren't listed in the index.

Nancy McCoy

Storing Photo Information in Word
One way I like to keep track of who is who in my old photos is to import the photo into a blank Word document and add all of the names, where I got the photo from, and the "original" file name of the photo. I then save the Word document with a name very similar to the file name of the original photo. A printout of the photo in Word goes into my working file. It is also an easy way to send the photo to someone else with all of the backup information intact. I find that most people can open a Word file, regardless of whether they operate on a Mac platform or PC.

Bill Clayton
Surrey, B.C.

Family Tree Cookbook
I'm trying something new and thought I would share it. I'm working on a Family Tree Cookbook. I'm asking all of my family members for new and old recipes, especially recipes that their grandparents and parents might have used. I will use these recipes to compile a cookbook for the grandchildren and great-grandchildren down the line.

Thank you,
Pat

Laptop Backpacks
You mentioned lugging your laptop through three airports. My son is leaving for college and is taking a laptop, as it is required for his engineering program. I found a Computer Backpack by Samsonite. It is called Ballistic Tech. It has a padded compartment for the laptop, a main compartment with file divider for books and papers, and a third zippered section for organizational things, such as small notepads, pens, calculators, etc. The shoulder straps are padded for comfort as well, and it also has a handle for carrying alongside. Their website is http://www.samsonite.com .

I thought fellow genealogists might like to put something like this on their Christmas list. I am!

Barbara Murray