Ties That Bind

Understanding our family history can help us better understand ourselves and our mental health. I recently had the privilege of interviewing my friend and client Clifton Fuller. With decades of experience helping people navigate mental health challenges, and a deep … Continue reading →

Hello again. I know it’s been a while and I have exciting news. I finally made it back to the UK and got to meet Gordon Macdonald, 9th of Boisdale and his 2 sons. I am using the title “9th … Continue reading →

How can I explain what a terrible 3 years this has been for me? Starting in 2020. I mean….everyone, had bad years since then right? Well mine included back surgery, complications, a hole in my right retina which surgery could … Continue reading →

It’s been quite a while since I’ve posted here. It’s been a journey for me in so many ways. I’m still actively researching and I’m now the genealogist for Clan Donald of Canada. I’m attending their AGM in 2 weeks … Continue reading →

*This is my first attempt at writing a short story (or a beginning chapter) on one of our ancestors. Please be kind! With the mist barely risen from the sea, and the sound of the waves hitting the pebbles … Continue reading →

I HAVE A GREAT STORY Should I write it? I still remember when the book ROOTS came out, and how it was a massive hit which was then made into a movie. It was the first time, that I … Continue reading →

First experience with racism in my life! Last summer we had the amazing pleasure of having 7 relatives from Italy come and surprise my mother for her 80th birthday. They included my aunt, her daughter and son-in-law, her granddaughter … Continue reading →

Today I was looking at my collection of old family photographs when it dawned on me that I should see if some of the houses in the photos are still standing. The above photo has been in my possession for … Continue reading →

I’m sorry I’ve been away from my blog for awhile. It’s been tough trying to maintain my household, 2 part time jobs (that I need because my genealogy work isn’t paying the bills) and surviving the job of being mom … Continue reading →

Our adopted sons are SO different than us! Ok, so we’re at that phase in our life when we have a 16 and 20 year old son. That, in itself, is a tough time! Our boys are adopted. They … Continue reading →

Private Client Work-Good and Bad For many years, the only kind of genealogical work I wanted to do was private client work. That’s where I’m hired by an individual to research a specific question they have about their family history, … Continue reading →

Aspects of Genealogy You can make money working as a family historian or a professional genealogist. There are many different ways to earn some money doing what you love. Granted, from my experience, there are not a lot of genealogists … Continue reading →

It’s been 32 years! 1984….that can’t be true! Wow, how does this happen? How do decades go by and children grow up and yet we still feel the same? My interest in genealogy began shorty before we married. … Continue reading →

About 4 years ago I made an amazing discovery. I was researching my husband’s family tree and I found out that he was descended from “the” branch of Clanranald that is currently holding the Chieftainship. That, on his paternal side, … Continue reading →

When you hear a family story told, remember to write it down. Family stories are very important for many reasons. It keeps family history alive. Most people were illiterate in the distant past. There were no cell phones, cameras, computers or … Continue reading →

So jealous, but happy for them too. Every year my sister and I, or my sister and I and my mother, travel back to Italy to visit relatives. My mother is 81 and her older sister is 83. This year … Continue reading →

Just watched the movie Brooklyn. I’m first generation Canadian. My father emigrated from Italy in 1951 at the age of 17 all by himself. That, in itself, amazes me. My mother emigrated, from Italy, at 21 years old in 1957. … Continue reading →

ZILTCH, ZERO, ZIP….NO Z SURNAMES I’m sure I’m not the only one during this challenge that has no Z surnames. I must confess I do have one- but it’s a person who married into our family in the 1600s in … Continue reading →

Yes, we have no Y names either…. YIN YANG This, my 2nd last post in the A-Z Challenge is going to be about YIN YANG. (and it’s never Yin AND Yang, by the way, as the words are supposed … Continue reading →

No V Surname either! So let’s talk about taking a vacation. Yes, a vacation! Who hasn’t dreamed of travelling to their ancestral home? For me it was Italy and the fact that I still have relatives who live there. Since … Continue reading →