I just returned from a wonderful time speaking at the Ark-La-Tex Genealogical Association‘s annual seminar. What a fantastic and friendly group of folks to work with!

Since Shreveport isn’t that far away, my husband and I drove, seeing some of eastern Texas that we haven’t had a chance to explore yet. Of course, our drive there, on Friday, was met with all kinds of road construction, which made me a little anxious. I don’t mind delays AFTER an event, but before, it makes me nervous. But, we made it!

A few of the society members took us out to a nice Chinese restaurant where we had great food, fun conversation, and waited out a thunderstorm that gave the electricity a few flickers. As luck would have it, when we were finished eating, the storm was over. Our host, Jim, took us on a little drive around the city showing off a few of the local spots such as the Riverboat Casinos, old downtown courthouse area, the Music Auditorium, and other attractions. It was a fun evening.

Saturday, I had the pleasure of presenting four lectures:

• Using Lists to Find Proof
• Canadian Migration Patterns
• Using Church Records to Identify Ancestral Origins
• From Deeds to Dirt: Using Maps to Analyze Your Research

Everyone was very attentive, had a lot of thoughtful questions, and were just so positive all throughout. I received some nice feedback in my email today:

“The seminar presentation was wonderful!  Each session was packed with so much information.  I personally liked the way you gave a little background, sometimes historically, of each topic.  The handout was excellent, also.” –Glenda Bernard, President

“You did a great job!  Your lectures were thoroughly prepared and you did a superb job communicating a wealth of information to our group and the many visitors we had. You made all aspects of our seminar a huge success!   We thoroughly enjoyed your visit.” — Jim Johnson, seminar coordinator

Also in attendance was a man who writes a blog called Prune Picker; his post reviewing the seminar, with some fun photos can be read here. I had a lovely experience with this group and hope I will cross paths with them again someday.

After the seminar, and after a brief rest, my husband and I found some delicious “Louisiana food” for dinner, followed by some ice cream. And then I slept very well Saturday night! On our drive home, we took a different route and enjoyed driving through three different National Forests along the way.

If your society is looking for a seminar speaker, I’d love to hear from you. I’m booking the 2018 and 2019 season now.