Search Results for: blog what to do with the skeletons in the closet

Does Justin Bieber Have a Baby, Baby, Baby?

Well teen throb Justin Bieber is back in the news again but this time it isn’t about his latest album or his romance with Selena Gomez. He is now being sued after claims were made that he fathered a child with now 20-year-old, Mariah Yeater. Yes, the pop star who sings, “Baby” may actually have his own baby, baby baby… The accusations stem from an alleged encounter they had on October 25, 2010 after he had performed at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Yeater was 19 at the time and claims that she was his “first.” And that from … Continue reading →

What to Do With the Skeletons in the Closet

Genealogy research uncovers a lot of information about a person’s family. Not every piece of family history is going to be positive and pleasant to discover. What do you do with the skeletons that you find hiding in the back of the closet? Everyone who decides to take up the hobby of genealogy has an interest in learning more about their family. There are people who are certain that they are related to someone famous, and are hoping to prove this in their genealogy research. Others search for interesting family stories to pass down to younger members of the family. … Continue reading →

Closet Shelving: It’s Time!

Can you find what you are looking for whenever you open the door to your dreaded closets? If your house is anything like mine, even the skeletons in there are cluttered, and it’s time to wake up, smell the coffee and be counted (or something like that). Read on for some tips, if you dare. Designing Your Closet Shelving This step should be done before you go out and buy supplies and will save you time and money if you do so. Like all journeys, closet shelving begins with a single step and in this case, it involves making a … Continue reading →

The Genealogy of Giants (Pumpkins, That Is)

Every plant species has a genealogy of its own, and pumpkins are no exception. There are many types of pumpkins and pumpkin-like gourds that we can see everywhere around this time of year. Some are varied shades of orange, some are white, some are carved, and some are decorated with paint or other embellishments. Oh, and some are big. Really, really big. Hundreds and hundreds of pounds of big. Whenever I see one of these giant pumpkins at a fair or other place, I am simply in awe of its size and cannot help but wonder how it got so … Continue reading →

Witch Hunts Past and Present

Inspired by learning more about the Salem Witch Trials, I decided to take a look at other locations and times in history where witch hunts took place. There were very early witch hunts in ancient times, but I do not know of anyone who has been able to trace his or her ancestry back to, say, Rome in 170 B.C.. In the Late Middle Ages, the Roman Catholic Inquisition sponsored a few witch hunts, but things really began to heat up around 1484, when two Inquisitors published Malleus Maleficarum, an infamous treatise on witches. The publication of Malleus Maleficarum kicked … Continue reading →

Oops, Our Bad – The Tragedy of the Salem Witch Trials

It’s October, and people are thinking about all things Halloween. Since I am from Massachusetts, I think that it is a good time to talk about a place that I visited a long time ago when I was a Girl Scout – Salem. People from all over the world come to Salem, Massachusetts to learn more about the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. The Witch Trials undoubtedly played a large part of the lives of all that were living in New England during that time. My ancestors were still in other countries at that time, but other people are able … Continue reading →

Genealogy and Family Ghost Stories

Occasionally, your genealogy research will reveal a “skeleton” in the family closet. Sometimes, if you are lucky, your genealogy research can uncover a family ghost story. It is things like these that make genealogy so interesting! Part of the fun in documenting a family ghost story is discovering clues of it’s veracity. Just make sure you are recording it the right way. It is not unheard of for a family to hide, or to stop talking about, a family member that caused a scandal. Perhaps a baby was born “out of wedlock”, or maybe an ancestor suffered from a mental … Continue reading →

Thicker than Water (2005)

“Thicker than Water” was originally a made-for-television movie produced by Hallmark. Natalie (Melissa Gilbert) is a leading lawyer in a high-powered firm. Her father is a judge, and a long tradition of honor and respectability runs in their family. When her father passes away, Natalie doesn’t expect skeletons to come tumbling out of the closet, but they do. He left a box full of letters and pictures from his first wife, a wife Natalie didn’t know he’d had. To make matters worse, her name was Maggie May and she was a rodeo queen. Natalie’s not sure what to do with … Continue reading →

Tangled Roots – G. G. Vandagriff

“Tangled Roots” is the third genealogical mystery by LDS author G.G. Vandagriff. When we last saw Alex Campbell, she and her business partner, Briggie, had been to Oxford to solve a question of lineage. While there, Alex began to develop feelings for one of the players in the case, a handsome man named Charles who ended up being a distant cousin. Upon her return to the States, Alex realized that her old friend Daniel was interested in her as well, causing feelings of confusion. As we go into “Tangled Roots,” we see that RootSearch Inc. has been hired to do … Continue reading →

Cankered Roots – G. G. Vandagriff

“Cankered Roots” is an LDS mystery novel centered around genealogy. Alex Campbell is a widow. Her husband, Stewart, was killed three years ago in a terrorist attack, and if it hadn’t been for his distant relative, Brighamina Poulson, coming to her home in Scotland on a genealogical dig, Alex might still be living in darkness, trying to cope. Briggie, as Alex came to know her, didn’t believe in grieving, but in rejoicing. She introduced Alex to the gospel, taught her about Christ, and brought her back to the United States. Briggie gave Alex a new reason to live as together, … Continue reading →