Ever since I first started hearing about DNA testing for genealogy purposes, I have wanted to get my DNA tested. I’ve been researching my family’s genealogy for decades, and I’ve written several popular blog posts about genealogy.
I was ecstatic when my husband surprised me with an Ancestry DNA test as a surprise gift. You won’t believe how quick and easy it is to find out about your genetic genealogy history through Ancestry.com’s…
Families that learn languages together have more opportunities to attend cultural events and travel worldwide. It can be a fun process to learn other languages together.
Not only does this open up education opportunities abroad, but it also helps your children develop an understanding for other cultures. Plus, you’re never too old to learn a second language.
Contrary to popular belief, grown-ups can learn second and even third languages later in life.…
You may think that you are just too old to learn a second language. However, if English is your primary language, you should easily be able to grasp Spanish and French, as they are very similar to English. You’ll find it easier to learn a new language if it’s somewhat similar to your first language.
You can find classes at institutions such as cursosdeinglesmanchester.es…
I enjoy watching TV shows about genealogy, such as “Finding Your Roots” on PBS. One of the many things that fascinates me about genealogy research is the variety of reasons that our ancestors came to this country.
Wouldn’t it have been terrifying to set out on a long boat trip, leaving behind all of your friends and relatives, probably forever? What could make a person want to do something so drastic?…
When I was a kid, we couldn’t get cable TV out in the country where my family lived. We watched the few over-the-air channels available to us out of Pittsburgh, Johnstown and Altoona, PA. Cartoons were only broadcast on Saturday mornings, and interspersed among our favorite cartoons were short educational cartoons from Schoolhouse Rock.
I didn’t realize it at the time (and probably most other kids didn’t, either), but we were learning a whole lot about a bunch of topics.…
This is part two of a two-part post regarding things you might find disturbing about researching your family’s genealogy. As mentioned in part 1 of this series, life wasn’t easy for your ancestors, and humans weren’t always kind to one another. Many people died young, even if they survived infancy and childhood.
Here’s part 2 of my list of 10 disturbing things about researching your family’s genealogy.…
I’ve been tracing my family’s history for decades. It’s an enthralling, fascinating hobby, but genealogy isn’t all moonlight and roses. As mentioned in my post about genealogy myths, our ancestors probably didn’t lead simple, idyllic lives. There were no “good old days.”
People were treated poorly because of the color of their skin, their country of origin or their religion.…
Despite the Christmas holiday, my family has been feeling gloomy. Our beloved elderly cat, Mimi, went downhill quickly and passed away in the early hours of December 24.
As a lifelong cat lover, I’ve known many cats. Mimi was the last survivor of three cats my husband and I adopted right after we bought our first home in early 1999. All three were wonderful pets whom we mourned deeply.…
I recently read a magazine article about the things that used to regularly kill people, and it’s something I’ve often pondered during my genealogy research.
When you think about why the life expectancy of humans has increased dramatically over the past century, what comes to mind? Better treatment for cancer and heart attacks? Overall better medical care of the diseases of old age?…
Genealogy-themed TV shows make it all look so easy! I don’t watch a whole lot of TV, but some of my favorite shows are “Finding Your Roots,” “Who Do You Think You Are?” and “Genealogy Roadshow.” However, part of me cringes at how simple genealogy research seems on TV, where professional genealogists cram months worth of intensive investigation into a TV-sized nugget of time.…