Blog

To register for an event or for more information, click the link for any event. All times are Pacific Time.
Questions? Email [email protected]

Now is the time holiday cards start rolling in for some of us.  Maybe you have a special holder that you use to display them throughout the month.  Maybe you string them along a wall.  But what do you do with them after?

I use them for genealogy and for photos.  A card from my second cousin announcing in the holiday letter the marriage of her granddaughter, Gwen, in July, is some fodder for my genealogy.  The holiday letter from Cindy that says how glad her children all got together for Thanksgiving and includes a photo, now provides more recent photos than the Preschool pictures I last received.

Look for hints in your cards and, while you are at it, include some genealogy in your own cards or letters.  What fun things have you found this year? Have you heard any new historical stories (i.e. gossip about the great, great grandma that you share?

Helpful Links
Events: https://www.californiaancestors.org/events-and-education/
Special Interest Groups: https://www.californiaancestors.org/special-interest-groups-for-members/
Calendar view: https://www.californiaancestors.org/cgs_calendar/
Tips & Talk: Oakland FamilySearch Center Family History Classes: https://www.familysearch.org/en/centers/oakland_california/classes

To register for an event or for more information, click the link for any event. All times are Pacific Time.
Questions? Email [email protected]

For some of us, this year marks the end of our old traditions.  Our spouses are gone, or our children are grown, or it’s just plain time to do something differently.  For me, this is one of those years.  From the time my son was born until last Christmas, I did Christmas Advent Activities from December 1, leading up to Christmas.  Initially, I had paper bags filled with foam crafts or activities.  Then we graduated to take-out boxes with slips of paper and then to a wall calendar with activities listed.  Last year, with the family grown, I only managed 12 days of Christmas, and even that was hard to fit in with our different schedules, so this year is even more challenging.  If we happen to be all together, we will do some fun things, like driving around and looking at the lights.  However, nothing is scheduled, and no tickets to anything have been purchased.

It’s a bit hard for me.  For two decades, I’ve planned from October to December to fill in each day with something special.  This year, I did nothing, and I keep feeling as if I’m on my toes, ready to jump when someone says, Where are our Advent Activities?, even though we’ve discussed it.  I admit to cheating a bit and having some animal tracking bracelets on hand to dole out when we need a pick-me-up, as well as some holiday-themed LEGO sets for a night when we may want to work on them together.  And even though annual holiday pjs are ready for Christmas Eve, I still feel like I’m not sure how to navigate a December without our holiday time every day.

If you are facing this same feeling this year, for whatever reason, please know that there are others who feel it too.  I plan to think of each December as a month to explore new things from now on.  This year, I’m experimenting with journaling, and so my December will be filled with notebooks and pens.  What new things will you try this year?

And if you are struggling this December, please reach out.  If you don’t have family or friends you feel comfortable talking to, there are numbers to call (988), and your CGS family is here for you as well.  You are not alone.

Helpful Links
Events: https://www.californiaancestors.org/events-and-education/
Special Interest Groups: https://www.californiaancestors.org/special-interest-groups-for-members/
Calendar view: https://www.californiaancestors.org/cgs_calendar/

Tips & Talk: Oakland FamilySearch Center Family History Classes: https://www.familysearch.org/en/centers/oakland_california/classes

To register for an event or for more information, click the link for any event. All times are Pacific Time.
Questions? Email [email protected]

To register for an event or for more information, click the link for any event. All times are Pacific Time.
Questions? Email [email protected]

I’m writing this on Sunday, November 23, 2025, as I send my 19-year-old son off to the store on his own to gather the ingredients for his Special Holiday Dip.  He grabs my car keys and heads out the door and I’m so thankful that he’s growing up and is such an amazing human.  As my thankfulness turns to worry over him driving a mile and a half to the store on his own, I decided to instead think about all the things I’m grateful for this year.  And one of those is all of you.  Thank you for trusting  me this year with the CGS blog.  Thank you for reading.  Thank you for all the thank yous!  Sometimes doing more of something you love (writing) makes you actually do EVEN more of it, and that has been true this year.  I’ve filled 12 notebooks of writing so far– some genealogy, some not.  Last year, there were 3.  With the 133 blog posts I’ve written this year, I’ve increased my own writing by 400%.  So thank you all.  Very much.

Now to make this more genealogy related, this year as you make your special dish for Thanksgiving (or pick out the napkins, if that is your role), tell a story about that tradition.  My son’s story is that one year when he was 6 his mom (me!) was sharing special recipes for Christmas with family and he wanted to be included for his Special Dip he’d made for each holiday.  We wrote up the recipe together and took some pictures and put it into the cookbook pamphlet we created.

Will’s Special Dip

Take one whole thing of sour cream. Add soup mix. Mix it up. Let it soak. Sprinkle stuff on it to make it pretty. Then you have a good delicious meal with some chips.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Helpful Links
Events: https://www.californiaancestors.org/events-and-education/
Special Interest Groups: https://www.californiaancestors.org/special-interest-groups-for-members/
Calendar view: https://www.californiaancestors.org/cgs_calendar/

Tips & Talk: Oakland FamilySearch Center Family History Classes: https://www.familysearch.org/en/centers/oakland_california/classes

Texas State Genealogical Society (TxSGS) Writing Award Winner!

Congratulations to ECGS member, Lisa S. Gorrell, on her award winning blog, , honored with this year’s TxSGS Writing Awards. Lisa is a certified genealogist living in California, and we are so grateful that she discovered her Texas roots. Through detailed research and engaging storytelling, Lisa provides readers insightful research methodology while preserving the legacy of her ancestors. Her site includes a search function, but some surnames about which she has written are: Buford, Coor, Davey, Gleeson, Gorrell, Hork, Hutson, Johnston, Jones, Lancaster, Loveless, Lundquist, Morris, Nilsen, Rushing, Selman, Sievert, Sullivan, Tierney, & Wollenweber. Please check out her blog. Lisa says “Every day is a good day if there is genealogy in it.” Great job, Lisa!

Helpful Links
Events: https://www.californiaancestors.org/events-and-education/
Special Interest Groups: https://www.californiaancestors.org/special-interest-groups-for-members/
Calendar view: https://www.californiaancestors.org/cgs_calendar/

Tips & Talk: Oakland FamilySearch Center Family History Classes: https://www.familysearch.org/en/centers/oakland_california/classes