My 102-year-old cousin died last week. She was the sort of old person I aspire to be. At 97, she decided her walk-up apartment and cooking and cleaning for herself was getting to be a bit much, and moved herself into care, marbles intact. I knew her quite well in her retirement, but I never… Continue reading Writing Obituaries
Category: Genealogy
New Digs
Welcome to my website. I’ve left some of my very old blog posts here for continuity, but all the non-blog information on these pages is current and up-to-date. As I release this website, I’m heading into a year I hope will be filled with new adventures, even if Covid forces us all to stay home… Continue reading New Digs
Longevity #52Ancestors
I’m finally up-to-date with the 52 Ancestors prompts. Woohoo! I’ll celebrate this minor success while it lasts. 🙂 This week’s topic is longevity. I happen to a lot of longevity to celebrate in my family.  My very first understanding of the concept of being “old” when I was a kid came from growing up with… Continue reading Longevity #52Ancestors
Favourite Photo #52Ancestors
There are so many family photos I love, but for this exercise I picked this one, which I love so much I included it on my home page. It’s Christmas 1958, and the picture features the amazing women of my family: my great grandmother, seated, holds my mum’s first cousin, born just a few weeks… Continue reading Favourite Photo #52Ancestors
The #52Ancestors Challenge
With school and life, working on my own ancestry has taken a back seat. To stay connected with it through this busy year, I’ve decided to give Amy Johnson Crow’s #52Ancestors challenge a go. I doubt I’ll keep up, especially since I’m starting late, but I’ll try to do at least some of the posts.… Continue reading The #52Ancestors Challenge
Scotland’s People Centre
During my recent trip to Scotland, I got to spend 3 1/2 days researching at the Scotland’s People Centre/Register House. For those of us researching Scottish roots, this place is invaluable. Scotland’s vital record keeping is among the world’s best. Lots of what’s available at Scotland’s People in person is also available online through their… Continue reading Scotland’s People Centre
Falkland
Falkland is one of my favourite places in Fife. It’s a gorgeous little village, for one thing, and the people in it are lovely. Every single local Ive ever met there has started friendly conversations, and they’re genuinely kind and helpful. On this trip, I returned to Falkland for an afternoon in hopes of tracking… Continue reading Falkland
Hello from Scotland
By this time of night, my body still reminds me that it started the wake-up process at 4am thanks to minor lingering jet lag, so this will just be a fly-by post. After a couple of nights in Dunfermline and days driving all over East and West Lothian, I’m now settled into Edinburgh for a… Continue reading Hello from Scotland
Ancestry DNA Experience
A few weeks ago, I received the results of my Ancestry DNA test. The experience of using the test and sending it in was pretty straightforward. Prepare to spit a lot if you’re going to do one; the amount of saliva required was more than I expected and it took awhile for me to collect… Continue reading Ancestry DNA Experience
Scotland Photos
A few people have been asking me to see photos of my trip to Scotland in May. I flew to Edinburgh, and from there worked my way up to Elgin, where I met up with my parents, who were touring around, too, to spend several days touring all the family history areas of the country… Continue reading Scotland Photos