Hello #AncestryHour, it's been quite a bit since I've been able to make one of these. I've finally made some headway on my Rusyns great-grandparents! And confirmed a suspected sister of my great-grandfather. I had DNA matches to a group of her descendants, but no confirmation of their relationship.

#genchat (forgot to tag)

#genchat Hoping this summer to go to some cemeteries back east. I need to figure out which of the 2 daughters who disappear from records is the one whose grave my 2x ggrandfather was buying flowers for when he had the accident that killed him and broke up his family. He died clutching the flowers.

#Genealogy Husband and I had lunch today with one of his coworkers and her husband. Her husband was adopted, and I found his birth parents for him, so we were talking about our family histories. I was telling the story of how my husband's 2x great-grandfather was murdered. 1/

#Genealogy I've been working as a search angel for a 77 year-old adoptee off and on for 4 years. So many issues, between false information being given, no close and very few 2nd cousin DNA matches, birth father being 1st generation in U.S., trying to read documents in languages I don't know 1/

The kid has a history essay he needs to write on a Greek god. He picked Poseidon. Makes total sense, my kid is a fish. Loves to swim. Told him he comes by it honestly, his 2x great-grandmother was a child performer who would swim with her hands and feet tied behind her back. #Genealogy 1/

Working an adoptee case and realized that literally everyone has three kids listed under someone who cannot possibly be their mother (she's their stepmother). "Mom" is on the 1920 Census single in her parents' home in VA, not married with at least one child in southern GA. 1/

the fundamental disconnect between the manosphere and reality is that they are incapable of understanding that this is - according to every woman I’ve ever met - the sexiest thing a man has ever done

Yep. NEVER have lilies in your home if you have cats.

Go @booker.senate.gov go. Glad to see the Dems stepping up. And while Booker is doing the heavy lifting here, these long, meandering questions from his Dem colleages meant to give him a break have been coordinated. Well done. 👏👏👏

Why yes, I am the type of parent who wakes their kid up at midnight, wraps them in a blanket and takes them outside so they can see the totality of the lunar eclipse.

The replies to this are top notch.

Just called my senators. Sadly, neither of their mailboxes were full at the D.C. offices (though neither picked up the phone either). Folks, I get it. It's hard not to get discouraged. It's hard to stay engaged in this dumpster fire of a country right now. But if not now, we may not be able to later

Kudos to @keating.house.gov for calling out this asshat for his childish misgendering of @mcbride.house.gov. More of this, @housedemocrats.bsky.social @senatedemocrats.bsky.social stand up, push back, or I fear our democracy will not survive this administration.

You can tell @yahoonews.com is using AI, check out the photo captions on this article about the Oscars, i.e. "Four celebrities pose with awards; two wear elegant gowns, one strapless and another with dramatic sleeves. Two wear formal suits" www.yahoo.com/entertainmen...

My first BIRLS request, they just sent me the DVD with the file about a week ago, but my (technically 2nd, though placed at the same time) request, they jus sent me a letter acknowledging they received it and will work on it on a first come/first served basis. I wonder why the difference? #genealogy

Just received my first set of military records (607 pages!) thanks to @reclaimtherecords.org work. It's mostly medical records, but does give some info on his time as a POW. I now know he was captured during the Battle of the Bulge and what Stalag's he was held prisoner in. Excited to get more info

We need to fear the consequences of inaction more than the consequences of action.

Sraars gets it. Look, just ONE of us can't do this. But if hundreds of us... THOUSANDS OF US call, they get worried. Each of us is a spider in their house. One or two spiders? Okay. But THOUSANDS OF SPIDERS? They freak out. JOIN US, FELLOW SPIDERS. CALL YOUR REPS. LET'S FREAK 'EM OUT. reps.fyi

I've been showing the kid Doctor Who. This weekend we started watching Thirteen (Jodie Whittaker). It seems especially appropriate that the next episode up to watch tonight was the Rosa Parks episode. Andra Day's "Rise Up" plays over the end credits: www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNKu...

Let’s be clear: the whole thing is a con. TikTok could’ve kept the app rolling on Sunday but by shutting down & mentioning Trump, he gets to be the savior. One of many examples of companies & billionaires bowing down. It’s BS. But it’s also the reality. Let’s not give Trump anymore opportunities 👍🏾

Squeeee! I love giraffes!

A single image from a film that immediately makes you hear a song from the soundtrack playing in your head.

And...clearly I'm old. The reporter has zero idea who he is talking to (there's a second clip where he's clearly told in his earpiece who Steve is, and then he tries to play it off like he finally recognizes him.)

Good advice. We're really, really good at finding people, and because we always document our work, we always have the receipts. I've tracked folks down and created family trees starting with nothing more than a username. 🤷‍♀️

On the last day of 2024, still out here fighting the good fight of dispelling the myth that names were changed at Ellis Island. #Genealogy

We had our 79 year old neighbor over for Thanksgiving and I learned she is the last of her immediate family left. She expressed the idea of wanting to reconnect with cousins, so I’ve been doing her tree to track them down. She’s joining us for Christmas dinner, I’ll share what I’ve found.

One of my immediate thoughts about HBO not renewing Sesame Street is that we live in a moment where being kind is an inherently political act.

#Genealogy folks, how would you cite information obtained from a FB direct message in a research report? Same format as if it was an email? When trying to establish if my great-grandmother was adopted, I had some messages via FB with one of her sister's granddaughters that I want to cite.

Oohhh, I wonder if my husband’s great-grandmother is in this? As a child actress she was in a few Harry Carey/John Ford films.

Had a blast at Universal last night! Pics of humans all have the kid in them, so you’ll just have to imagine us there. 😃

My mom told me yesterday that one of our neighbors (who I knew all my life) passed away, and my mom casually says, "She was a Howe." (my grandma's family). My mom didn't think they were closely related. Did a quick search, and she was my gram's 1st cousin. Literally never knew until now. #genealogy

I'll have to find the link, but I read a behind the scenes on this, and apparently Holland was bummed he couldn't also wear heels, but they thought it was too much of a risk with the stage being wet.

I think the enduring appeal of this is the same reason I never really thought Hugh Jackman was all that until I saw him sing, "Whose that pretty girl in the mirror now, who me?" There is something so sexy about a man so comfortable in his own self.

Just showed the kid the “Heaven Sent” episode of Doctor Who. Impressed with how much he was able to figure out. I joke he’s got a strong sense of story structure because I binged “The Wire” while nursing him as a baby. 🤣

My husband just left to go to Costco. On Black Friday. I just want you all to know that, despite his inability to close a cabinet or drawer in the kitchen, overall, he was a good man. I'm gonna miss him. 🤣

Bluesky, you know what to do

Newspapers and pencil and paper. Sometimes I need to write things out (especially trees) when I’m trying to work out how DNA matches fit. And, of course, newspapers are a treasure trove. Especially all those social articles which often give relationships between people.

My mom’s older half-brother, Charles William “Billy” Miles, who died at the age of four months, five days from pneumonia.

My husband is a direct descendant of Mary Bliss Parsons, who was acquitted of being a witch, and of the Bridgman family, who were her accusers.

One downside as a woman having a child later in life that no one warns you about is going through menopause while there are still so many snacks in the house!

Best: Leonard Nimoy. I was working as an assistant to Chuck Lorre when they sent me to Nimoy's house to have him sign a prop for an episode. Coincidentally, on my birthday. He was lovely. At the end, I told him how much I love Trek, and that it was my birthday, and he wished me a Happy Birthday. 😁

Crashed at 9:30 last night, so of course I woke up at 4:30 a.m. this morning. It’s going to be a long day.

When you can remember the entire home address of the international pen pal you had in elementary school but can't remember what you walked into the kitchen for. 🤦‍♀️ (Also, because of that, I found said pen pal online yesterday!)