Free guide to DNA testing (for a few days only)

Dec12

Richard Hill is a very fine writer. I could not put down the story of his search for his biological parents, Finding Family: My Search for Roots and the Secrets in My DNA, which reads like a mystery novel.

He has put together an e-book, Guide to DNA Testing: How to Identify Ancestors, Confirm Relationships, and Measure Ethnic Ancestry through DNA Testing, available from Amazon, which is a very simple guide to personal DNA testing. Normally $.99, it is free through 12/16.

It will help you choose which test to take and why. It is only about 30 pages. It is not comprehensive but it does answer your basic questions. It is meant for those totally new to DNA testing not for the experienced. Although if you have tested, but still have many questions, they may be answered by this book.

This may also make a nice gift for relatives who are thinking of doing DNA testing.

Continue reading →

My Garden was on Today’s Tour

Dec6

The Lakeside Historic Society Christmas Home Tour was today, Saturday, from 10 am to 2 pm and our home was part of it. You would have seen my garden plus a peek at the house via my sun porch.

View from the sun porch

Bert and Marie Wilkas designed the house and hired a builder to draw up the plans and start construction in 1957. It was completed in 1958. The original address was Route 1, Box 317. It is a one story wood home in the style known as san diego modern in the 50s – extensive use of natural materials, wood, and large glass windows (actually french doors) on the view side.

Marie Wilkas had her real estate office in this house – Eucalyptus Hills Realty. Many of the Eucalyptus Hills properties were sold from that office. We still have her sign.

The rest of this post is a the detailed description of my garden and I am still adding photos. Continue reading →

Cyber Monday Sales for DNA and Genealogy

Nov30

Cyber Monday used to be the day for online sales but most started last Thursday or Friday however I admit that I was too busy with family to pay much attention.

Ancestry’s sales will finish at midnight EST tomorrow, the end of Cyber Monday and they include 20% off AncestryDNA ($79). 11/28-12/1

Family Tree DNA has sales and mystery gifts until the end of December, see Roberta Estes’ post for more details: http://dna-explained.com/2014/11/25/family-tree-dna-holiday-sale-including-mystery-rewards-starts-now/

and Family Tree Magazine has all kinds of holiday sales, with an additional discount that is ending Cyber Monday: http://www.shopfamilytree.com/cyber-monday-deals

Genetic Genealogy Humor from Esto

Nov24

Thanks again to Esto Frigus for permission to use his wonderful cartoons! Click on the comic strip to go to his blog and rate it.

DNA matching changes at Ancestry.com

Nov21

All my favorite bloggers have posted good articles about the changes in the Ancestry.com DNA pages. I have put a list of them at the end of this post.

The improvement in Ancestry’s DNA matching has greatly reduced the total number of matches, which ran into the thousands for many of us. The theory is that their new algorithm has gotten rid of those matches that were unlikely to share a common ancestor in the genealogical time frame. I am hopeful. And the new DNA home page for a person is much nicer looking and more informative as you can see below.

Looking at how my brother with one Jewish grandparent has fared, all his 4^th cousin Jewish matches (dozens of those) are gone. This is probably correct. The few that I have been in contact with are not recently related.