From Paper To People

Latest Episodes:

Get Out of Your Head! May 18, 2019

Show notes

No, seriously, get out of your head, Whenever you hit a brick wall, a Jeffrey, a Jeffreytina, one of Ancestry's infamous hang-ups, someone who's a 125cM match on AncestryDNA but who won't build a tree (but asks YOU to do it for him/her), or the documents start swimming before your eyes, it's time to STEP AWAY FROM THE COMPUTER and get out of your head and into your body. Or, at least, get into a different part of your head. This episode discusses some of the ways that I step back in order to get straight, and the rules I've set for myself in order to stay sane on a day-to-day basis while trying to get healthy, record a podcast, run a bunch of Facebook groups, manage my Twitter, manage a new newsletter, Patreon, my Facebook page and, of course, my Ancestry and AncestryDNA while starting The Reparational Genealogy Project. You may not need the rules that I need, but it's good to talk about solutions when we spend so much time talking about the problems of burnout, 18-hour rabbit holes, too much coffee and jet lag from conference travel. Listen, and see if any of the solutions I suggest make sense for you.

Please rate and review the podcast on your podcast provider, at https://apple.co/2MLZW4H, at facebook.com/AncestorsAliveGenealogy, or at Thumbtack.com.

Hire me for American genealogical research, teaching, and forensic genealogy at ancestorsalivegenealogy.com. Only $50/hr, with a free consultation!

If you want to be on the podcast from ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD using the Zoom platform and a good mic and earphones (how about that Family Cookbook series??), you can contact me at https://bit.ly/2Kxb6rm.

Stop by the website at ancestorsalivegenealogy.com, IG @ancestorsalivegenealogy and Twitter @ancestorsalive

Sponsor the podcast at patreon.com/AncestorsAlive for super-fantastic rewards, including SWAG for different levels of sponsorship.

Subscribe to the YouTube channel at https://bit.ly/2lmhYha and the newsletter at paper.li/AncestorsAlive/1557599531.

Check out my Zazzle shop at zazzle.com/store/fppppodcast for the aforementioned swag.

An Interview with Melanie McComb Apr 25, 2019

Show notes

While I truly enjoy meeting my ancestors, I have learned that the greatest joy in genealogy and family history work is the live people I meet and get to know. Melanie McComb is one of those people. I met her first on Twitter, and she taught me by example how to encounter and engage in the world of Genie Twitter. I took on her ways, and now I'm more comfortable there than in any other online platform! I've also found hundreds of friends there, and I feel comfortable asking and answering questions in threads and one-on-one.

Melanie has, in one short year, gone from speaking as an independent genealogist, working on her own tree, to a full-time genealogist at the New England Historic Genealogy Society and American Ancestors. In this interview, she talks about the process of getting from point A to point B, the changes in her life as a result, and the work she does now. I hope you enjoy the interview.

Please rate and review the podcast on your podcast provider, at https://apple.co/2MLZW4H, at facebook.com/AncestorsAliveGenealogy, or at Thumbtack.com.

Hire me for American genealogical research, teaching, and forensic genealogy at ancestorsalivegenealogy.com. Only $50/hr, with a free consultation!

Stop by the website at ancestorsalivegenealogy.com, IG @ancestorsalivegenealogy and Twitter @ancestorsalive

Sponsor the podcast at patreon.com/AncestorsAlive for super-fantastic rewards, including SWAG for different levels of sponsorship.

Subscribe to the YouTube channel at https://bit.ly/2lmhYha and the newsletter at paper.li/AncestorsAlive/1557599531.

Check out my Zazzle shop at zazzle.com/store/fppppodcast for the aforementioned swag.

The Family Cookbook - Peanut Butter Muffins from U of Hawaii Mar 17, 2019

Show notes

Did you ever take Home Economics in school? In the 1950s, only girls and women did, all the way through college. My mother ended up taking Home Economics at the University of Hawaii because she was trying to figure out what she wanted to do. She ended up leaving college, becoming a stewardess, meeting my dad, and having a family. But first, she learned this recipe in class. Enjoy the first Family Cookbook episode of 2019 and have some muffins soon.

Please rate and review the podcast on your podcast provider, at https://apple.co/2MLZW4H, at facebook.com/AncestorsAliveGenealogy, or at Thumbtack.com.

Hire me for American genealogical research, teaching, and forensic genealogy at ancestorsalivegenealogy.com. Only $50/hr, with a free consultation!

Stop by the website at ancestorsalivegenealogy.com, IG @ancestorsalivegenealogy and Twitter @ancestorsalive

Sponsor the podcast at patreon.com/AncestorsAlive for super-fantastic rewards, including SWAG for different levels of sponsorship.

a at https://bit.ly/2lmhYha and the newsletter at paper.li/AncestorsAlive/1557599531.

Check out my Zazzle shop at zazzle.com/store/fppppodcast for the aforementioned swag.

An Interview with Kenyatta Berry Jan 29, 2019

Show notes

If you are a fan of PBS' Genealogy Roadshow, you know who Kenyatta Berry is. If you are on Genie Twitter, you know who Kenyatta Berry is. If you have been to, or seen talks from, SLIG or RootsTech, you know who Kenyatta Berry is. And if you're one of the many people who've bought The Family Tree Toolkit, you know who Kenyatta Berry is. But if you don't, this interview is a great chance to get to know her - she's an author, a researcher, a speaker, and a TV host. She's also very funny and candid. Listen and enjoy as she discusses her relationship with FTDNA, her writing process, her ongoing book tour, and whether or not Genealogy Roadshow will be returning for another season on PBS in the United States (you can watch it with subscription on Amazon Prime, or for $1.99 USD per episode on YouTube, iTunes and Google Play, as well). SPOILER ALERT: in this episode, audience participation is required!!!

Please rate and review the podcast on your podcast provider, at https://apple.co/2MLZW4H, at facebook.com/AncestorsAliveGenealogy, or at Thumbtack.com.

Hire me for American genealogical research, teaching, and forensic genealogy at ancestorsalivegenealogy.com. Only $50/hr, with a free consultation!

Stop by the website at ancestorsalivegenealogy.com, IG @ancestorsalivegenealogy and Twitter @ancestorsalive

Sponsor the podcast at patreon.com/AncestorsAlive for super-fantastic rewards, including SWAG for different levels of sponsorship.

Subscribe to the YouTube channel at https://bit.ly/2lmhYha and the newsletter at paper.li/AncestorsAlive/1557599531.

Check out my Zazzle shop at zazzle.com/store/fppppodcast for the aforementioned swag.

A Family Horror Story Jan 15, 2019

Show notes

Wow, was this weekend big! Correcting one set of errors about my grand-aunt led me to find an absolutely horrific story about her, her husband, and her children. I'm telling it to you in all its gory glory, ruminating a bit on how my great-grandparents were responsible for parts of it, and drawing what genealogical lessons and morals I can from it and passing those on to you. Honestly, it's the worst story I've ever run across in my tree, involving orphan's asylums, mental hospitals, untimely and tragic and violent deaths, and lives unfulfilled, while parallel lives went on undisturbed, comfortable, and full of success. The whole story made me stop and think about what little I knew about part of my mother's family, and confirmed some suspicions that had been handed down to me about my great-grandmother. Tune in for this one.

Please rate and review the podcast on your podcast provider, at https://apple.co/2MLZW4H, at facebook.com/AncestorsAliveGenealogy, or at Thumbtack.com.

Hire me for American genealogical research, teaching, and forensic genealogy at ancestorsalivegenealogy.com. Only $50/hr, with a free consultation!

Stop by the website at ancestorsalivegenealogy.com, IG @ancestorsalivegenealogy and Twitter @ancestorsalive

Sponsor the podcast at patreon.com/AncestorsAlive for super-fantastic rewards, including SWAG for different levels of sponsorship.

Subscribe to the YouTube channel at https://bit.ly/2lmhYha and the newsletter at paper.li/AncestorsAlive/1557599531.

Check out my Zazzle shop at zazzle.com/store/fppppodcast for the aforementioned swag.

Using Genie Twitter to Build Community Jan 08, 2019

Show notes

Happy New Year, and welcome to Season 2! I meet so many people who have no idea about that which should not be a well-kept secret: Twitter is fantastic for genealogists! If you do the right things in the right ways (yes, of COURSE I'll teach you those), you can build a community for yourself in the genealogy section of Twitter. People are funny, kind, helpful, and they will not only help you, they'll give you the opportunity to help them with their research. Strap in and come for a ride with me - Twitter can be a wonderful place! #DontBeAJeffrey

Please rate and review the podcast on your podcast provider, at https://apple.co/2MLZW4H, at facebook.com/AncestorsAliveGenealogy, or at Thumbtack.com.

Hire me for American genealogical research, teaching, and forensic genealogy at ancestorsalivegenealogy.com. Only $50/hr, with a free consultation!

Stop by the website at ancestorsalivegenealogy.com, IG @ancestorsalivegenealogy and Twitter @ancestorsalive

Sponsor the podcast at patreon.com/AncestorsAlive for super-fantastic rewards, including SWAG for different levels of sponsorship.

Subscribe to the YouTube channel at https://bit.ly/2lmhYha and the newsletter at paper.li/AncestorsAlive/1557599531.

Check out my Zazzle shop at zazzle.com/store/fppppodcast for the aforementioned swag.

Cookies of Christmas Past Dec 22, 2018

Show notes

In Western culture, what's the most important Christmas food? The Christmas cookie! There are entire baking competition TV series about the creation and decoration of Christmas cookies. There are entire family traditions about families baking and distributing Christmas cookies. There are secret recipes, national recipes, traditional recipes. In fact, it's become kind-of an obsession in the United States. I'm reaching back to the late 19th- and early 20th-century for cookie recipes (along with one cruller recipe and a few candy recipes) to give you a feel for how Americans fed their guests with sweet holiday treats. Some of the recipes are actually European, but they hold on fiercely here in the States. And to other countries, I give my apologies - I used newspapers.com with broad keywords, but I couldn't find cookies in the Canadian and British newspapers that came up. Lots of cakes and puddings, but no cakes that were actually cookies. I promise that I will do an episode based on your newspapers in 2019! Keep it sweet, my pumpkins, however you spend the next few weeks. 2019 is going to be better.

Please rate and review the podcast on your podcast provider, at https://apple.co/2MLZW4H, at facebook.com/AncestorsAliveGenealogy, or at Thumbtack.com.

Hire me for American genealogical research, teaching, and forensic genealogy at ancestorsalivegenealogy.com. Only $50/hr, with a free consultation!

Stop by the website at ancestorsalivegenealogy.com, IG @ancestorsalivegenealogy and Twitter @ancestorsalive

Sponsor the podcast at patreon.com/AncestorsAlive for super-fantastic rewards, including SWAG for different levels of sponsorship.

Subscribe to the YouTube channel at https://bit.ly/2lmhYha and the newsletter at paper.li/AncestorsAlive/1557599531.

Check out my Zazzle shop at zazzle.com/store/fppppodcast for the aforementioned swag.

The Genie News - Podcast Edition Dec 09, 2018

Show notes

Time for a quick episode of The Genie News, to keep you apprised of a week of good things and some things you might not have known. Listen to the end for the best news of all! The podcast is now on iHeartRADIO - you can catch it on ALL SORTS of devices using the app, or catch it online at goo.gl/YuLTe8. I give a complete breakdown of all the goodies you can get for giving at all available levels at Patreon (yes, including SWAG). We talk for a moment about the Facebook group, the future, and then, THE BEST NEWS OF ALL! but I won't give it away here - that would be telling. Listen in!

Please rate and review the podcast on your podcast provider, at https://apple.co/2MLZW4H, at facebook.com/AncestorsAliveGenealogy, or at Thumbtack.com.

Hire me for American genealogical research, teaching, and forensic genealogy at ancestorsalivegenealogy.com. Only $50/hr, with a free consultation!

Stop by the website at ancestorsalivegenealogy.com, IG @ancestorsalivegenealogy and Twitter @ancestorsalive

Sponsor the podcast at patreon.com/AncestorsAlive for super-fantastic rewards, including SWAG for different levels of sponsorship.

Subscribe to the YouTube channel at https://bit.ly/2lmhYha and the newsletter at paper.li/AncestorsAlive/1557599531.

Check out my Zazzle shop at zazzle.com/store/fppppodcast for the aforementioned swag.

A Yankee Thanksgiving, 1895 Dec 05, 2018

Show notes

Have you ever wondered what an old-fashioned, 19th-century, British-traditioned Yankee Thanksgiving was like? In the land of the original Pilgrims, did they really eat turkey? This episode draws on recipes from a November, 1895 issue of The Boston Globe and in it we'll explore recipes that go all the way back to the 16th century in England. We'll also learn whether mince pies really contain minced meat, whether there are plums in plum pudding, and we'll see by comparison to a menu from El Paso, Texas in 1908 that there were similarities and marked distinctions between two very different regions of the country by the time a century or so had passed since the United States' first Federal Census. There's also a new section in the podcast this and every episode - The Genie News - and some of that news is about some developments in the Facebook group and its new connection to Patreon support! Enjoy a turkey sandwich as you listen in. PS; THE PODCAST IS NOW ON IHEARTRADIO!!!

Please rate and review the podcast on your podcast provider, at https://apple.co/2MLZW4H, at facebook.com/AncestorsAliveGenealogy, or at Thumbtack.com.

Hire me for American genealogical research, teaching, and forensic genealogy at ancestorsalivegenealogy.com. Only $50/hr, with a free consultation!

Stop by the website at ancestorsalivegenealogy.com, IG @ancestorsalivegenealogy and Twitter @ancestorsalive

Sponsor the podcast at patreon.com/AncestorsAlive for super-fantastic rewards, including SWAG for different levels of sponsorship.

Subscribe to the YouTube channel at https://bit.ly/2lmhYha and the newsletter at paper.li/AncestorsAlive/1557599531.

Check out my Zazzle shop at zazzle.com/store/fppppodcast for the aforementioned swag.

Group Folklore for the Holidays Nov 18, 2018

Show notes

We're talking folklore again, but this time about the hardest gathering challenge of all: you vs. a room full of your family or friends at holiday celebrations. I'll tell you about my first folklore gathering assignment at age 18, which was me vs. an Irish folk band called Dolores Keane and Reel Union. I was recovering from mononucleosis, and they plied me with Guinness until I couldn't see straight. Suffice it to say that you can learn from my mistakes. Then, I'll recommend Nancy Candea and Yoga Impact 501c3 - specifically, her video at goo.gl/oq3z3c, a short and simple pranayama breathing video that I use to relax when I am tense. It's a great preparation for going into a potentially difficult situation, and gathering group folklore is definitely potentially difficult. I'll discuss other preparations you'll need to make for yourself, things you'll want to account for in the group, and things you'll need to let go of because hey, we can't control everything! ALSO, joining my Patreon now means GETTING SWAG!!!! Want a New Year's present delivered to your door? Join by December 15th at $15/month and You. Shall. Receive.

Please rate and review the podcast on your podcast provider, at https://apple.co/2MLZW4H, at facebook.com/AncestorsAliveGenealogy, or at Thumbtack.com.

Hire me for American genealogical research, teaching, and forensic genealogy at ancestorsalivegenealogy.com. Only $50/hr, with a free consultation!

Stop by the website at ancestorsalivegenealogy.com, IG @ancestorsalivegenealogy and Twitter @ancestorsalive

Sponsor the podcast at patreon.com/AncestorsAlive for super-fantastic rewards, including SWAG for different levels of sponsorship.

Subscribe to the YouTube channel at https://bit.ly/2lmhYha and the newsletter at paper.li/AncestorsAlive/1557599531.

Check out my Zazzle shop at zazzle.com/store/fppppodcast for the aforementioned swag.

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