Ancestral Findings

AncestralFindings.com
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These brief historical and informational snippets about genealogy and history should encourage and help you advance your family tree.

  1. 5h ago

    Whatever Happened to You're Welcome? | AF-1324

    I say "thank you." Someone answers, "No problem." The exchange is over in a second, but lately I've been thinking about those two words. Whatever happened to "you're welcome"? My curiosity about the history of "no problem" began with that small question. At a restaurant, I'm thanking someone for bringing something to the table or helping with an order. I know that person is doing a job. I also appreciate the service. "You're welcome" seems to receive that appreciation directly. "No problem" leaves me wondering why a problem entered the conversation. I was saying thank you. Was I supposed to think I had been a bother? That was my first reaction. Then I wanted to understand what the person saying it might mean. Before long, a question about restaurant manners had led me to an old letter, a linguist's research, a hotel employee, and something I hadn't expected to be thinking about: the language we pass down in our families... Podcast Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/history-of-no-problem/ Ancestral Findings Podcast: https://ancestralfindings.com/podcast This Week's Free Genealogy Lookups: https://ancestralfindings.com/lookups Genealogy Giveaway: https://ancestralfindings.com/giveawayan

  2. 6h ago ·  Bonus

    You Might Enjoy These Relationship Tips from a Divorce Lawyer: The School of Greatness

    Introducing A Divorce Lawyer on the Small Things That End Marriages | James Sexton from The School of Greatness. Follow the show: The School of Greatness A marriage can end over a bag of granola, a full year before anyone says the word divorce. James Sexton, a divorce lawyer for over two decades, sat down with Lewis and told the story of a client whose husband always quietly restocked her favorite granola. One day the bag ran out and he never noticed. She knew right then that it was over. He calls marriage a technology that fails about 53% of the time, and says most couples put more thought into the wedding cake than into what they are signing. In his book If You're in My Office, It's Already Too Late: A Divorce Lawyer's Guide to Staying Together, he shares what works: send the hard email while the hurt is still small, and get a prenup even when you feel certain. He also explains why infidelity usually starts with lost connection long before anyone cheats. The line I keep repeating to people: the opposite of love is indifference. And he still believes in marriage. He compares it to the lottery, where the prize is so good that it is worth buying a ticket. You will finish this one wanting to do some small, kind thing for your partner tonight without asking for credit. If you care about relationships and honest communication, you will probably start a conversation you have been putting off. How to Stay in Love If You're In My Office, It's Already Too Late: A Divorce Lawyer's Guide to Staying Together James on Instagram James on YouTube Better Call Sexton Podcast In this episode, you’ll: Rethink the prenup as a conversation about caring for each other, not a bet against your marriageUnderstand the Go Without or Go Elsewhere dynamic behind infidelity, and why sharing desires openly protects your connectionDiscover why James Sexton treats marriage as a technology, with trade-offs to understand before you sign upLearn the Hit Send Now habit for voicing what bothers you while it's still small enough to fixSee how small, unaddressed disconnections erode a relationship long before anyone calls a divorce lawyerGet the Yours, Mine and Ours approach to money, so financial stress stops turning into resentmentFor more information go to https://lewishowes.com/1991 More SOG episodes we think you’ll love! Get More From Lewis! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or any of its media entities. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the creators and guests. For any concerns, please reach out to team@podroll.fm.

    You Might Enjoy These Relationship Tips from a Divorce Lawyer: The School of Greatness

  3. 1d ago

    When Was the Last Time You Thanked Your Genealogy Librarian? | AF-1323

    I was thinking recently about all the libraries I have visited over the years while doing genealogy research. Some had large genealogy departments. Others had a small genealogy or local history room tucked away somewhere, with a few shelves of books, family histories, cemetery records, old newspapers, and whatever else they had managed to collect. Sometimes it wasn't even a room. It might have been a few shelves along one wall... Podcast Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/when-was-the-last-time-you-thanked-your-genealogy-librarian/ Ancestral Findings Podcast: https://ancestralfindings.com/podcast This Week's Free Genealogy Lookups: https://ancestralfindings.com/lookups Genealogy Giveaway: https://ancestralfindings.com/giveawayan

    When Was the Last Time You Thanked Your Genealogy Librarian? | AF-1323

  4. Oct 2

    What My German Research Changed About the Way I Do Genealogy | AF-1322

    German genealogy changed the way I research. I didn't plan on changing anything. At first, I was simply trying to follow another branch of my family tree, but I soon found that some of the habits that worked well for me in American records wouldn't get me very far. A name, an approximate birth year, and a record saying someone came from Germany still weren't enough information to know where to look next... Podcast Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/german-genealogy-research-lessons/ Ancestral Findings Podcast: https://ancestralfindings.com/podcast This Week's Free Genealogy Lookups: https://ancestralfindings.com/lookups Genealogy Giveaway: https://ancestralfindings.com/giveaway

    What My German Research Changed About the Way I Do Genealogy | AF-1322

  5. Oct 1

    Why Do Some Ancestors Feel Closer Than Others? | AF-1321

    A photograph can change things quickly. Until then, I may know a person only through census entries, deeds, handwritten records, or a name on a family tree. Then I see a face. I notice the eyes, the clothes, the way someone is standing, or the expression the camera happened to catch. I still don't know what that person was thinking, but now there's a face attached to everything I've been finding. A family story can do something similar. It doesn't have to be dramatic. Maybe someone remembered the way an ancestor laughed, what she liked to cook, the chair he always sat in, or a saying everybody associated with him. Details like those rarely appear in official records, yet one small memory can make a person easier to imagine than a folder full of documents... Podcast Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/why-do-some-ancestors-feel-closer-than-others/ Ancestral Findings Podcast: https://ancestralfindings.com/podcast This Week's Free Genealogy Lookups: https://ancestralfindings.com/lookups Genealogy Giveaway: https://ancestralfindings.com/giveaway

    Why Do Some Ancestors Feel Closer Than Others? | AF-1321

  6. Sep 28

    Would My Ancestors Recognize the Story I Wrote About Them? | AF-1320

    I deleted a sentence the other day because I realized I had gone farther than the records allowed. The sentence fit nicely with the story I was putting together, and based on everything I knew about the family, it even sounded reasonable. But when I looked at it again, I realized I was telling the reader what that person felt when I had no record that actually said it. That is surprisingly easy to do when we write about people who can no longer correct us. We collect enough records to know where an ancestor lived, what kind of work he did, who he married, how many children he had, and perhaps something about the problems the family faced. Then we start connecting those facts into a life story. Somewhere along the way, it can become tempting to explain why someone made a decision or what that person must have been thinking... Podcast Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/writing-ancestor-stories/ Ancestral Findings Podcast: https://ancestralfindings.com/podcast This Week's Free Genealogy Lookups: https://ancestralfindings.com/lookups Genealogy Giveaway: https://ancestralfindings.com/giveaway

    Would My Ancestors Recognize the Story I Wrote About Them? | AF-1320

  7. Sep 23

    The Real Goondocks: The History of Astoria, Oregon, Behind The Goonies | AF-1319

    I have always enjoyed The Goonies. It has everything I want in a fun adventure movie: an old treasure map, secret passages, booby traps, criminals, a pirate ship, and a group of kids who decide that the best response to a hopeless situation is to go looking for One-Eyed Willie's treasure. I have seen it enough times that there are no surprises left, but that has never stopped me from enjoying it. Part of the reason is the adventure, but another part is the setting. The town at the beginning of the movie looks as though old stories ought to be hiding there. That town is Astoria, Oregon. The filmmakers arrived in 1984 and stayed only a few weeks, but Astoria had already been collecting stories for generations. Its history spans Native communities and fur traders, fishermen, immigrants, fires, shipping, and one of the most famous movie houses in America. That makes Astoria worth exploring even if the Fratelli family never shows up... Podcast Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/astoria-oregon-goonies-history/ Ancestral Findings Podcast: https://ancestralfindings.com/podcast This Week's Free Genealogy Lookups: https://ancestralfindings.com/lookups Genealogy Giveaway: https://ancestralfindings.com/giveaway

    The Real Goondocks: The History of Astoria, Oregon, Behind The Goonies | AF-1319

  8. Sep 19

    Free Book Giveaway: Mason: A Man with No Beginning by Timothy Mulgrew | AF-1318

    It is time for another Ancestral Findings free book giveaway. This month, I am giving away a copy of Mason: A Man with No Beginning by Timothy Mulgrew. This true family story combines genealogy, World War II history, immigration, family secrets, old records, DNA research, and a decades-long search to understand a man's beginnings. The giveaway is open now and ends at midnight on September 30, 2026... https://ancestralfindings.com/mason-a-man-with-no-beginning-giveaway/ Ancestral Findings Podcast: https://ancestralfindings.com/podcast This Week's Free Genealogy Lookups: https://ancestralfindings.com/lookups Genealogy Giveaway: https://ancestralfindings.com/giveaway

    Free Book Giveaway: Mason: A Man with No Beginning by Timothy Mulgrew | AF-1318
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These brief historical and informational snippets about genealogy and history should encourage and help you advance your family tree.

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  • Creator
    AncestralFindings.com
  • Years Active
    2014 - 2026
  • Episodes
    1.4K
  • Rating
    Clean
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    Ancestral Findings

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