Wow! Thanks so much to Randy Seaver for selecting me for the Genea-Speak Award, given for “excellence in writing, speaking, and the promoting of good genealogical practices.” As you’ll read in Randy’s posting (please do read it because he has all the details you might be curious about), he’s an awardee himself, having been selected by Thomas McEntee, who was in turn selected by texican wife on the Mountain Genealogists blog.

Randy not only kindly selected me; he paired me with Pat Richley-Erickson, better known as DearMYRTLE! That’s some seriously good company!

Now it’s my turn to pick another pair of awardees, so here goes.  I have to pick The Genealogue (http://www.genealogue.com/) because no one makes me laugh the way Chris Dunham does.  His writing is always witty, but also deceptively educational, and having had the opportunity to work with him on a professional basis a few times, I can also tell you that he’s one heck of a researcher.  Chris knows his stuff inside and out, but reminds us all not to take ourselves too seriously.

I’m also selecting Blaine Bettinger, also known as the Genetic Genealogist (http://www.thegeneticgenealogist.com/). This choice reflects my pro-DNA perspective, but also Blaine’s ability to write about a topic that intimidates many in a way that makes it easy to absorb. His free eBook, “I Have The Results of My Genetic Genealogy Test, Now What?”, should be required reading, and I will be first in line to buy any other books he chooses to write. And BTW, if you haven’t heard, he’s also recently become the editor of the Journal of Genetic Genealogy.

So thanks again to Randy for this unexpected acknowledgment and the chance to recognize a pair of my favorites as well!