Innovator Showdown Semi-Finalists

This year will be the first year I will have the opportunity to see the Innovator Showdown at RootsTech.  I am actually very excited about it.  The concept has intrigued me and I think it will be interesting to see what these amazing people have come up with!

The 12 semi-finalist were announced last week, and there appears to be some real innovation going on there.  These companies are competing for a $100,000 prize.  I wish them all lots and lots of luck!

Check out the finalists:

·         AncestorCloud

·         Famicity

·         GenSoup

·         JRNL

·         Kindex™

·         Legacy Scribes

·         Scribbitt

·         Studio

·         TapGenes

·         The Family History Guide

·         The History Project

·         Twile

Post at America's Footprints

My next blog post is up at America's Footprints on sharing traditions during visits with families.  Here is a preview of the post.

Many people, the world over, partake in various celebrations this time of year. They may be religious or secular celebrations but the common theme to them is love and family.

Even if there is no snow for you in December and even if New Year's will be on a sandy beach instead of in the snow, you will more than likely share this time of year in some way with people who are close to you.

Growing up my family had many traditions from who sat where to passing over the carving duties to the next oldest in line. I always find myself reminiscing back to those past gatherings, thinking about those who are now no longer with us, and smiling.

To read the full article check it out on their blog.

Roots Tech Friday Keynote Announcment

Love Taza Couple to Inspire RootsTech 2016 Attendees

For Immediate Release

SALT LAKE CITY, December 15, 2015—Organizers of RootsTech, the largest family history conference in the world, are pleased to welcome popular lifestyle bloggers Josh and Naomi Davis (of the Love Taza), as keynote speakers in the general session on Friday, February 5, 2016, during RootsTech 2016.

Millions of Internet viewers know Naomi as Taza as they follow her blogLove Taza, which celebrates the joy and purpose she and her husband, Josh, share as they raise their three small children in New York City. She started the website shortly after marrying Josh in 2007 in New York City while she finished her BFA (bachelor of fine arts) degree at the Juilliard School. She shares photos and stories of her life as a newlywed with her family out West.

Since 2007, Love Taza has become more than an online diary—it is a digital destination where millions around the world connect and find a feeling of inspiration and a guide for finding joy in everyday life. Naomi shares details of her life in New York City with her husband and children celebrating family, home, travel, food, and, most importantly, the simple joys of life. With Josh’s help, the two have transformed her website into a global business with a massive, engaged audience.

Josh and Naomi will share their business journey at RootsTech 2016, a global family history event where people of all ages learn to discover, share, and celebrate their family connections across generations through technology. RootsTech has something for everyone regardless of experience in family history or skill level in technology.

Reserve your seat for RootsTech 2016 to find inspiration from the Davises as part of a four-star lineup of keynote speakers, get involved in the special events, and learn from the experts the how-tos of family history, family stories, and more. Join us for all the events on February 3–6 at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, or choose your day to join the excitement. Register early for a discount, or pay at the door.

For more information and to register for RootsTech 2016, go to rootstech.org.  To register to attend RootsTech 2016 click here.

2016 Legacy Family Tree Webinar Series

I am excited to be one of the speakers next year for Legacy Family Tree Webinars.  In January, I will be talking about Virginia research and then in July on Heraldry for Genealogists.  You can see the full line-up of courses for 2016 here.

Press Release:

Millennia Corporation and FamilyTreeWebinars.com are pleased to announce that registration is now open for its 2016 Legacy Family Tree Webinar Series. Choose from 62 classes from genealogy's leading educators on topics ranging from genealogy technology, to DNA, to in-depth research methodologies.

And not to name-drop, but our series will welcome for the first time genealogy celebrities like Cyndi Ingle of cyndislist.com and John Philip Colletta of genealogyjohn.com, major genealogy organizations like FindMyPast, FamilySearch, MyHeritage, and New England Historic Genealogical Society; and will explore for the first time countries such as Poland and France. Also learn about DNA, software, lineage societies, the Freedmen's Bureau, FANs, "dirty pictures", BillionGraves, Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and so much more.

Sign up (it's FREE!) for one or for all of them today and you will receive a reminder email both one day and one hour prior to the live event.

Happy belated anniversary… to me

Ah, the holidays.  Lots of food.  Lots of friends.  And for my house, lots of germs.  Which means I was in no shape to post my annual Anniversary blog post on the 28^th.  Yikes!

That is right, last Saturday the 28^th was this blog's 4^th anniversary.  I got sick before I finished the scheduled post.  Then, I got sick again!  Yay me….

Once again it was an amazing year in researching my family.  Lots of DNA results and meeting with new family members all over the country.  I traveled quite a bit and wrote even more.  It was so much fun to share everything with you all and to hear from you as well.  Thank you for continuing on the ride with me!

Which means, it is on to the next year.  I honestly am not sure where this next year will take me.  To be honest, I hope I am able to carve out more time for my own research and to knock down a few of my own family brick walls.  There are a number of them that I am quite close on.  I can feel it in my bones!

So, I hope your December is a great one.  End the year strong, get ready for new beginnings, and I promise to keep entertaining you!  

Ancestral food for the holidays

The holiday season is upon us here in the states.  Thanksgiving is this week and then there are all the holidays that fall between now and January for the countless religions found here.  One thing that always strikes me during this time, and makes me especially proud and thankful, are the service members who give up their time with their families.

After I left for college my mom would volunteer for holiday duty.  It was just her and dad, no kids at home, and even if I did show up for a visit my experience was not ruined because she pulled call at the hospital.  I got it.  She did what she did so those other doctors could have time at home with their children and make memories.

Last Thursday I gave a lecture to the Fairfax Genealogical Society on using naval records for genealogical use, particularly those from the Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC).  In the course of my research for the lecture I found a little gem tucked away in their digital archives.  Menus from the 20^th century of holiday and special occasion meals that were served on ships or bases.  I was in heaven for a few hours as I read through what there sailors and other personnel ate on those days so many years ago.

I love looking at the social history and this, the food, can be one of the biggest social history finds!  What our ancestors ate was nothing like what we eat today.  Something they considered staples we avoid like the plague.  Below are a few of the "Menus From Ship to Shore" I found that I thought were particularly interesting.  I hope you do too!

U.S.S. Kentucky, 1907

Thanksgiving Dinner

Oyester Soup, Crackers

Roast Turkey, Giblet Gravy

Oyster Dressing, Cranberry Sauce

Celery

Sliced Smithfield Ham

Mashed Potatoes, Sweet Corn

Green Peas, Mince Pies

Ice Cream, Fruit Cake

Apples, Bananas, Grapes

Coffee

Mixed Nuts, Raisins

Cigars, Cigarettes

Cider

U.S.S. Arizona  29 November 1917

Thanksgiving Dinner

Oyster Cocktail

Soups:  Cream of Chicken, Tomato

Relishes: Celery, Sweet Pickles

Entrees: Spiced Virginia Ham, Candied Sweet Potatoes, Caper Sauce

Roasts: Princess Anne Turkey, Giblet Gravy, Oyster Dressing, Baked New Potatoes, Asparagus Tips, Cranberry Sauce

Salads: Combination Fruit, Mayonnaise

Desserts: Mince Pie, Pumpkin Pie, Oranges, Apples, Bananas, Assorted Nuts

Coffee

Cocoa

U.S.S. Case, Navy Yard, Philadephia, PA, 1929

Thanksgiving Dinner

Roast Vermont Turkey

Sweet Pickles, Fancy Celery

Cream of Celery Soup

Giblet Gravy, Oyster Dressing

Cranberry Sauce, Creamed Pes

Candied Sweet Potatoes, Mashed Potatoes

Mince Pie

Erick Ice Cream, Cake

Mixed Nuts

Oranges, Apples

Grapes

Cigars, Cigarettes

Demi Tasse

U.S.S. Craven, 24 November 1938

Thanksgiving Day

Stuffed Olives, Sweet Pickles, Sweet Relish

Cream of Tomato Soup

Crackers

Roast Tom Turkey, Sage Dressing

Giblet Gravy, Cranberry Sauce

Candied Sweet Potatoes, Mashed Potatoes

Creamed Peas, Buttered Asparagus

Lettuce Tomato Salad

Ice Cream, Fruit Cake

Cigarettes, Mixed Nuts, Cigars

Coffee

U.S.S Iowa, 25 November 1943

Thanksgiving Dinner

Citrus Fruit Coctail [sic] Maraschino

Hearts of Kalamazoo Celery, Pimento Stuffed Olives

California Ripe Olives

Essence of Tomato Bouillon, Lemon

Saltines

Jellied Fruit Mold

French Dressing

Roast Young Vermont Turkey

Cranberry Jelly, Piquant Dressing

Giblet Gravy

Snowflake Potatoes, Mashed Sweet Potatoes

New Peas in Butter

Hot Cheese Biscuits

Old Fashioned Mince Pies

Coffee

Naval Air Station Norfolk, 27 November 1958

Thanksgiving Dinner

Chilled Tomato Coup

Turkey Gumbo Soup, Backed Spiced Ham

Whole Cranberry Sauce, Hawaiian Pineapple Sauce

Apple and Rasin Bread Dressing

Country Syle Giblet Gravy

Snow White Potatoes, Candied Sweet Potatoes

Buttered Golden Grain Corn, Tender Asparagus Tips

Individual Salad Selections

Assorted Olives, Sweet Mixed Pickles

Raw Salad Bar

Hot Parker House Rolls, Butter Chips

Pumpkin Pie, Fruit Cake, Glazed Mincemeat Pie

Chilled Fresh Fruits

Assorted Mixed Nuts

Hard Candy

Cigarettes, Cigars

Hot Coffee, Fresh Milk, Chocolate Milk

2016 Ohio Genealogical Society Conference

I will be speaking at the 2016 OGS Conference on April 28-30 in Mason, Ohio.  It looks like it will be a lot of fun and the conference program is jammed packed with many great speakers.

Book early for a great weekend at Great Wolf Lodge and I hope that I see you there!