Search Results for: blog what is the history of your house

Travel to a Hands-On History Lesson

Looking to take a trip of a lifetime? Then, consider jetting off to see history in the making at the 57th Presidential inauguration. Washington, D.C. is buzzing with excitement as it gets set to host Inauguration 2013.  On Monday, January 21st, President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden will be sworn in and officially begin their second term in office Surprisingly, there are still some hotel rooms available for visitors traveling to D.C. for the big event.  Of course, not all of them come with price tags fit for frugal travelers.  In fact, some Presidential inauguration travel packages are … Continue reading →

How to Talk to Your Kids about the Economic Crisis

“How can I talk to my kids about the economic crisis?” It is a common question that most parents face today. As prices on consumable goods rise, from food and gas to the cable bill, and families feel themselves pinched, even the youngest children are starting to notice that things around them are changing. Neighbors and friends may be moving away, favorite stores and restaurants may be closing, and everyone seems to have to sacrifice something they enjoy just to get through this time. Parents should see this time in our history as a teaching moment, but the lessons should … Continue reading →

Is There A Black Sheep In Your Family History?

Is there a black sheep ancestor somewhere in your family tree? If so, you are probably curious about some of the stories that have been handed down over the years. How much truth is there in what you have heard, and how much has been embellished or covered over? Perhaps your family prefers to let sleeping ghosts lie – until you discover interesting details while conducting what you thought was a routine check of the census records. Researching or discovering a black sheep ancestor can be fascinating, yet it can be very difficult for you and for your family. When … Continue reading →

Add Some Halloween Flavor to Your Genealogy

Genealogy is the study of your family. A great way to understand more about your ancestors is to learn more about the history of the places that they lived. October and November are excellent months to add some Halloween flavor to your genealogy research. On October 19, and October 20, 2012, the Pensacola Lighthouse, which is located in Pensacola, Florida, will hold Haunted Lighthouse Tours. They will take place from 6:00 at night until 9:00 at night. Reservations are required. Admission will cost adults $5.00 and children $3.00. The tour is not recommended for young children. The Pensacola Lighthouse has … Continue reading →

Genealogy and Family History Conferences for Fall

Genealogy conferences, and family history conferences, can be exciting to attend. Instead of watching a webinar while you sit at home, you get to travel and to meet with other genealogists. The FamilySearch blog has a short list of upcoming genealogy and family history conferences that are happening this Fall. I’ve added in a few additional ones. The AAHGS, which stands for the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society, is having their 33rd AAHGS Conference on October 4, 2012, through October 7, 2012. It will take place in the Embassy Suites Airport Hotel in Greensboro, North Carolina. The theme is “Our … Continue reading →

Where Were Your Ancestors In 1940?

There are always interesting things to be found on the Ancestry.com blog. Today’s find is a really neat collection of infographics. An infographic is just what the name implies, a pictorial representation of information. The set of infographics that I found on the Ancestry.com blog includes one for each state in the United States, with pictures that show what was going on there around the time that the 1940 census was taken. The infographic which is pictured with this blog post depicts the state of Massachusetts, where I was born. Apparently, there was a lot going on there in 1940, … Continue reading →

Did Your Ancestors Work for the Royal Family?

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It has been said that many genealogists decide to work on their family trees because they want to find out if they are related to someone from a royal family. The UK version of the FindMyPast website now has records of the people who were employed by the British royal family. It isn’t the same as discovering that you are related to a King or Queen, but could still provide you with some interesting stories from your family history. There are a lot of fascinating things that can be found if you take the time to look closely at the … Continue reading →

My Unconventional Valentine’s History

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, but as you might be able to guess, Jon and I don’t really do anything for Valentine’s Day. The holiday does mean one thing: candy hearts. The weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day are the only time of the year I can find them. Their close companion Necco Wafers just aren’t the same. So I suppose one might say Jon gets me a Valentine’s Day present, because he usually buys me candy hearts. However, even this practice has two exceptions that probably exclude it as a Valentine’s celebration. First: Jon usually brings home … Continue reading →

Did a Pandemic Affect Your Family?

When the weather gets cold, people begin to prepare themselves for flu season. They get flu shots and stock the medicine cabinet with the items that they may need if the illness visits their home. Every year, or every couple of years, there is talk of specific strains of the flu like Swine Flu or Bird Flu that are worse than the usual, garden variety influenza that can leave you miserable for a few days. These strains are more dangerous and can even be deadly. This is not a new thing, though. Throughout time disease pandemics have caused quite astonishing … Continue reading →

On This Day in History: January 16 – January 20

Looking for fun ways to spice up your homeschooling plans for this week? Here are some ideas taken from history. January 16 – in 2003, the space shuttle Columbia was launched on its final mission, and ended up exploding on reentry. Talk about space and the solar system, then take paper grocery sacks and cut a face hole in the front. Put it over your child’s head like a space suit. On the inside of the sack, they can draw a speaker and a microphone so they can stay in touch with the “controllers” on “Earth.” Then tell them to … Continue reading →