DNA Day Recap - SCGS Jamboree 2014

Wow!  What a great start to SCGS Jamboree.  This is the second year for a DNA day.  I attended last year but didn’t understand very much.  Since then I did my DNA tests, both mitochondrial and autosomal.  I had my results.  I just didn’t know what to do with them.  Well, now at least I know where to start.

The session I watched with CeCe Moore explained DNA mapping to help discover your ancestors.  Now I know why I want to have my mother and sister tested. 

Diahan Southard gave case studies for Y-DNA, mtDNA and atDNA.; those were very interesting, although I need to find some more people connected to me before I can use some of the techniques.

Lunch was fun.  A friend from Mesa who flew in for the DNA day was at the table.  And, then across from me was a woman I was sure I knew.  But I just assumed it was from Jamboree sometime in the past.  Well, Ellen was from Maryland, and we had met originally at GRIP.  And we’re going to be in the same DNA class next month.  What fun!!

With the keynote session beginning at 8 am and the last speaker session ending at 6 p.m. with a one-hour open discussion period for an hour after that, it was a long, but stimulating day.

Thank you Southern California Genealogical Society, SCGS, and the International Society of Genetic Genealogy, ISOGG, for cohosting this event and providing such a wonderful educational opportunity.

California: Here I Come (2 Weeks Until Jamboree 2014)

Two weeks from today - I'll be in California.  Last week I talked about the process of actually getting there.  Well, there is a lot of work to do here first.

I have printed off new "business" cards, to share with new friends.  And I put surnames on the back.  Hopefully, I'll run into some cousins and we can work together on some of these problems.  Son and daughter-in-law know that we'll be arriving in Anza on Tuesday, the 2nd, but that Walt will drive me to Burbank on Wednesday.  But then, after Jamboree, we'll have more time to visit and watch the last week of youth baseball. 

I still need to do all of the usual things like stopping the newspaper, scheduling the mail vacation hold, etc.  BUT, more importantly in my mind right now, is getting up to speed on my DNA stuff.  And, oh, do I need help!!!

Last year I attended the DNA day.  I was overwhelmed.  Well, this year I'm a little better prepared.  I've sent in all of the DNA tests and received some of the results.  But I'm very confused about what they are and what to do with them.  So, I'm getting them ready.

I bought or borrowed many of the books regarding DNA that were on last years SCGS Jamboree DNA Day syllabus, and I've been reading them.  Some are fairly straightforward.  Some are still very much over-my-head.  I'm also fortunate to be going to GRIP and I am in the DNA Course there.  So, I have the recommended books for GRIP and I'm trying to read them.  Again, some are fairly easy and entertaining; some are a real challenge.  Anyway, I'm preparing and I know I have two weeks to read/skim them, write down questions, get my DNA numbers organized so that I can, hopefully, understand how to make comparisons before the end of Thursday, June 5.

As I said, there is a lot of work to do here before I leave, but most of it is my preparation for DNA day.  I hope to see you there.  And perhaps we'll find out that we're cousins. 

5 June - I have a date with DNA

On June 5 I will be in Burbank, California, for a day of DNA education.  This "Family History and DNA: Genetic Genealogy in 2014" is part of the SCGS Jamboree conference. 

For a year or two I really didn't think much about DNA.  I didn't think it applied to me, or could help me with my genealogy research as the families I'm most interested in had daughters of daughters, with no sons in the lines.  Then I started thinking about the changes during the past 3 years, including the 1940 census, and realized that genealogy is not a static study, but a dynamic one. 

Last year I also attended the DNA day.  It was great, I think, but oh, was I a novice!  Well, I still am.  However, I'm going to be more prepared this year.  I now recognize some of the speakers.  I ordered some of the books from last year's resources list. I intend to start reading them (soon, I hope).  And I'm reading blogs, and I'm ordering the DNA test kits.  Hopefully I'll have some numbers before June so that I can get some advice on understanding them, if I haven't figured it out before then.

So....Do you have a date with DNA?  If yes, I look forward to seeing you in Burbank in June.  Because I know I can learn and understand this.  It's just going to take some time (AND effort).  But like The Little Engine That Could, I think I can, I think I can, I think I can, I thought I could.....