* when examining family pictures, take time to smell the roses...

Spend a few extra minutes examining your family pictures. Look closer at the background details (location, buildings, furniture, etc). You might discover new details leading you to solve a mystery or better understand the significance of a picture. In the case of this flowery picture, it was a mystery! A label on the back gave me some clues, but for the longest time I couldn't make a connection with anyone in my tree. The back of the picture tells me this is Alice and Frank Robinson, they lived in Livingston NJ, and they were cousins of my great grandfather Wentworth Middleton. After months away from looking at this picture I randomly realized I had all of the information right in front of me!

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* Learn genealogy research tips with these free genealogy webinars

Who doesn't love a freebie? There are some great free learning opportunities on tap this week. Webinars are an awesome way to learn new tips and tools. These virtual educational sessions are great for new genealogy researchers and experienced genealogists alike! There are quite a few interesting FREE webinars going on this week. If you can't make the live session, I would still register! Many presentations will be archived after the live presentation and a link to view the recorded webinar will be emailed to all registered participants. Free Webinars this week May 16- May 22, 2011

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* finding a death record gives new meaning to my birthday

Birthdays have always been a big deal to me. "I'm the birthday girl" worked wonders during the few days surrounding the anniversary of my birth. This self centered view of "my day" was forever changed when I learned I was born on the day my gggg grandmother died in 1853. That's right- today is my birthday! Thanks for all the wonderful birthday wishes- who ordered the delightful afternoon sunshine after the rain?? Thank youuu! My gggg grandmother Harriett Potts Wright died on April 28, 1853 in Bordentown, Burlington County, New Jersey. I was born April 28! What are the chances....

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* ancestry.com webinar: finding your irish ancestors

Do you have Irish Ancestors? Want to learn more? In honor of St. Patrick's Day, Ancestry.com hosted a free webinar "Finding your Irish Ancestors in America and Ireland". I have quite a few Irish ancestors and I've been looking forward to this webinar. What I learned from the webinar....

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