FHF

It's Family History Month in the United States, and we are reflecting on our travels to genealogy conferences, to in particular - Southern California and Family Roots Conferences. Let me share some of the highs and lows of traveling, so when you prepare for your next conference later this year or next, you'll find ways to mitigate the issues, if necessary. Flying for me is very difficult because of my battle with motion sickness.  Tips for Flying If You Battle Motion Sickness:  I have battled motion sickness while flying  for many years. I also have issues when I'm not the driver of a vehicle. Andy once treated me to a personal airplane flight. I lost my lunch on the landing, and there were no barf bags. It's not pretty. Since that embarrassing trip and a follow-up when I traveled with my daughter to my cousin's graduation, I've attempted to discover ways to combat motion sickness without taking a medicine that makes me loopy.  Here's my unscientific discove...

With 15 percent of Americans listening to podcasts on a weekly basis for entertainment and enlightenment, this platform is attracting the attention of entrepreneurial individuals and groups to start creating new podcast channels. A number of new channels are genealogy focus. With two powerhouse podcasts available for genealogy and a few second tear channels, is it worth your time to try something new? Andy and I do listen to podcasts on a regular basis, with Andy listening more than me because of his regular trips to his full-time engineering job. My trip to my full-time job means living my bedroom. In any case, I prefer podcasts about homeschool encouragement, politics, and social media marketing. Notice what we don't see me listening to often - genealogy podcasts.  For myself, I don't have enough time for lengthy genealogy podcasts. Additionally, I am a "Show Me" learner when it comes to genealogy. When I attempt to comprehend genetic triangulation or reading and an...

It's Family History Month in the United States and as I pause to catch my breath, thanks in part of leg surgery, I'm reflecting on the conferences as triggered by Crista Cowan, the Barefoot Genealogist's Instagram Tip of the Day for 9 October. One conference has been dubbed the  fun conference , so when Andy and I were accepted to present we were thrilled to go and explore. The Southern California Genealogical Society  was celebrating 49 years and it's set in Burbank, California at the beginning of summer. The question I'll focus on is, "Did Jamboree live up theo the hype?" Writing Your Family History!! I was thrilled to be on the same teaching slate a Lisa Alzo, Crista Cowan, Maureen Taylor, and Rhonda Lauritzen for a full day devoted to writing family histories. Writing sessions are not on conference schedules often enough .  Writing makes you a better researcher and research makes you a better writer.  Kudos for Jamboree having a full day of writing cl...

Devon Noel Lee presenting to the  Alexander Love Chapter of the Daughters of the America Revolution in Houston, Texas in January 2018. February, the shortest month of the year but one of the busiest for the Family History Fanatics. Understanding DNA Basics - Andrew Lee Clayton Library Friends  10 February 2018 10:30 AM (CST) DNA is all the rage. But what is it that makes this such a great record? And what is it that makes it a poor record? Understanding more about DNA can help you to know when to look to this amazing record for answers and when looking at DNA is counter-productive. Learn about some of the science behind DNA, how it is passed on to each generation and how that relates to the genealogy problems we face. Simple examples (using LEGO) will be given to help you understand this complex subject. You’ll finish this class knowing why DNA works the way it does as a genealogical record and have some extra tools to help answer your own DNA questions. A Recipe for Writing ...