Black Friday extravaganza

The genealogy industry is going crazy today.  Anything you have been thinking about is on sale at great prices.  The best summary is here:  https://mailchi.mp/abundantgenealogy.com/blackfriday-2018-promo1?e=cb7c45b1c4 .  And something is listed here, go to their individual website.

All DNA tests are on sale.  FTDNA is only $39 for the Family Finder autosomal test.  This is best for older people and nyone who wants to save their sample for future testing for Y and mitochondrial testing.  And if you have been thinking about the Living DNA test (best for England and surrounding areas), buy it now through their partnership with Find My Past and get 14-days free access to Find My Past.

Look through your memberships.  What is expiring?  Many will tack a renewal on to your existing subscriptions.

Legacy Family Tree Webinars is my favorite is half price at $25 for their annual subscription including renewals.

About Ancestry subscriptions...Genies' friend Anna says:

Well this is a deal of a lifetime.

It starts tonight November 21,  at 11 pm.(9 pm our time)  And runs for about 5 or 6 days only.

World Membership for a year = $149.

That’s ½ price - an incredible savings.

Call them up and ask for a gift subscription and give it to yourself.  1-800-514-4645

You have to activate it within 3 months.  So if you have to renew soon, this is the plan to have.

The only extra step is to activate it when they send an email to you.   I think that’s just a click through.

My plan runs out on November 24^th so I was calling this morning to renew and the person there told me about it.

Thought you may want to know.

Happy Thanksgiving.  Easy on the gravy…  haha, not advice I’m taking..

Happy shopping!

Missing your black jacket?

We found someone's black jacket after the meeting yesterday.  Ask at the library desk.

Meeting and more

Genies meeting Monday, tomorrow.  1:00 at the Ferndale Library.

This is the last meeting to get help transferring your raw DNA data to MyHeritage before December 1 if you want to be grandfathered into free access to their current and future DNA tools.  There are some drawbacks like unwanted emails but the future is bright there.  After December 1 the transfer will be free but there will be new pricing to use their DNA tools.  What can you lose?

Sylvia attended the Unlock the Past seminar in Seattle in September.  One of the threads was about Irish Genealogy and the speaker Maurice Gleeson just happens to be one of her DNA matches.  (Lucky match!)  With Maurice’s permission she is sharing his slides with us.  Handouts will be available at the meeting.

Sylvia passed this fun article on to us too.  “Interesting! The field of sperm donation seems to have opened a Pandora's Box. Imagine finding out you have  at least 24 kids out there! At least a mother KNOWS exactly how many children she created! Surprise, surprise, Dad!  Sylvia”

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/sperm-donor-dad-when-strangers-shared-dna-become-family-n937366

If you are interested in a DNA work session, let me know.  Also I can schedule a Getting Started session for newcomers or refresher.  Contact me to schedule in December or January. 

MOST IMPORTANT

Upcoming Genies Meetings

Monday, December 17

Friday, January 18

Friday, February 15

Got that?  Two Friday meetings because the 3^rd Mondays are holidays.  Mark your calendars.

FOR YOUR READING ENJOYMENT:

We have in our midst a blogger and clever poet.  Linda Q. Lambert’s most recent post is here:  https://lindaqlambert.com/2018/10/17/postcard-digi-stalker-pt-1/  and tucked away near the bottom is this gem. 

I own it/A digi-stalker/a Googling people gawker/a LinkedIn and Facebook talker/discovering in the public locker/a punk rocker, a sweet talker/ a paster caulker, a d. trump mocker/or a Steller Jay squawker/ limericking sleepwalker/ and today, a wrensong walker.

After you read her most recent blogpost, go over to her home page where you will see striking pictures accented in her signature purple.  Scrolling down you will find her FOLLOW button on the lower right.  Then you can be alerted when Part 2 is available and her other occasional postings.

Lastly, you will not believe this list of historical and genealogical fiction.  A local Washington speaker and blogger Claudia Breland passed this on to us but the author of the list is Julie Tarr.  http://genealogy.julietarr.com/blog/genealogical-fiction/  Peggy, we’re thinking of you.

November Potpourri

I’m just back from a cool and foggy trip to Oregon.  Just like here, right?  No special seminars through the holidays but lots of people buying DNA kits and testing their relatives at holiday dinners. Our Genie meetings continue straight through Christmas but some others take a month or two off.

In my last post Cheryl and I offered a DNA work group on Friday, November 9.  I hope I didn’t scare you away.  We still have openings and would like to know if you want to come. 

Whatcom Genealogical Society has a unique topic on Monday, November 12.  Guests

Elizabeth Joffrion from WWU Center for Pacific Northwest Studies and Jannette Gomes from the Washington State Archives will give a presentation on what is available for genealogists at their facilities.  The meeting is at 2:00 at the Elks Lodge at 710 Samish Way.

On Monday, November 19 at our Ferndale Genies meeting we will continue with our conversational format, talking and working on whatever interests you. 

Bargains, bargains, bargains.  The holiday DNA discounted prices have already begun.  Some as much as half price.  Best source continually updated is https://dnabargains.com/dna-day-sales/ and partner site http://www.genealogybargains.com for all things genealogy.  Host Thomas MacEntee keeps updated on published deals and also negotiates special prices only found on his sites.  Also gives away short reports filled with tips.  You can sign up for emails there.

Over at The DNA Geek blog she has a nice summary of current prices and dates of the DNA sales plus a prediction of prices and deals through the holidays based on past experience.  https://thednageek.com/23andme-november-sale/.  Remember: Past performance is not an indicator of future outcomes.

MyHeritage is on fire.  I am not changing my recommendation to start testing with AncestryDNA, but I have to tell you that MyHeritage is on fire.  This weekend they hosted their own conference in Oslo with American and European speakers.  They announced their development plans and they are coming forward as a very innovative player in the DNA field.  They announced a partnership that will enable them to take DNA off old family envelopes and stamps.  We have never heard this before.  Also “theory of family relativity” where they will scan their “big tree” and offer multiple theories about where a match fits into your tree.  In the future they will offer “ancestor DNA reconstruction” which involves building a DNA kit for your ancestor.   A good place to see details about the announcements is on Roberta Estes’ blog https://dna-explained.com/.  She is there on the ground.

Note:  A reminder that transferring your raw DNA to MyHeritage must be done this month if you want to be grandfathered into free access to their current and future DNA tools.  There are some drawbacks like unwanted emails but the future is bright there.  You can get help at the Genies meeting and it must be done before December 1.

Free access to military records on Ancestry.com for Veterans Day.  Go to https://www.ancestry.com/cs/honor.  Don’t be misled where it says “free until Monday”.  At the bottom it says free until November 12.

If you want a good cry, don’t miss Long Lost Family on TLC and here:  https://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/long-lost-family/.  I watched Episode 2 recently.  OMG!  A young male adoptee found his family but then discovered that his mom had been adopted too and they didn’t know about her.  What a reunion that turned out to be!  And the other story with it was just as emotional.

I am really enjoying our talks at the Genies meetings.  I hope to see you there soon.