Turns out, my people have been in America a loooooong ass time, and not even remotely in the blue-blood kind of way.

Same. Mostly farmers. Both my father and mother's sides pre-date the revolutionary war.

When I started Ancestry, I thought my grandfathers family were recent German immigrants. They are English and Scottish and have been here since the 1600s. They were just poor and lived in the Germantown/Dutchtown section of the city, so my mom assumed! My grandmothers history was exactly what I thought, except it gets a little hard to trace because there is a Cornelia Bourbeau and a Cordelia Bourbeau in the same town. Cornelia was nicknamed Nellie. Cordelias daughter and mother were Helen, nicknamed Nellie. I am a relative of Cordelia.

Yup, my ancestors were poor Cajun farmers a long way back. I don't think France would take me. Or Canada.

David, SAME. Mississippi, Oklahoma and Ohio. There were a few farmers, but mostly the wood trades and soldiering. I still have some beautiful lathed pieces from my paternal grandfather who was a Mason (so, multi-wood gavels) and an electrician in the Navy known for winning shipboard track an field events. That is 100% the most interesting fact about my family on either side. I guess it is a failing of the US education system, but I never even considered that my family could have been here prior to the revolutionary war.

I don't think France would take me. Or Canada.

Dana, you just never know! It's worth inquiring.

This is true. France seems to continually change their requirements. I believe in my case it would be much easier to claim my French citizenship now than it was when I first did it.

Keep in mind that a lot of developed countries are having a population decline as people choose to not have kids or have them much later, or have fewer kids. So lots of places will probably be looking for some people to bolster the tax base.

My mother traced a branch of my family back to before the Revolutionary War and we are still amazed by that because all the family stories are about the immigrants. The part of the family that was presumed to have immigrated more than 4-5 generations back was said to be Scots, Grandma even claimed a tartan, but mom has found no evidence of that, just a 17th century English sea captain and most of his descendants leaving very little record of any kind. I like to think I have inherited that flair for anonymity and obscurity.

High School Newsflash: A boy has made Matilda a Spotify playlist for her birthday.

I mean, it's not as much work as a mixed tape but the impulse sure seems similar.

One reason we had a big dinner for Emmett's birthday this year is that Matilda jettisoned us from birthday party duties this year, preferring to get together with her friends and roam and whatnot. So my total contribution (aside from presents) will be to hand her a $50 bill and tell her to treat all her friends to ice cream.

But that's tomorrow.

The new-to-you sister thing is so exciting, Sophia!

We've discovered that if we buy a certain amount of property in Greece we can get a Greek passport, and then EU citizenship. Considering JZ's family over there it's viable and tempting.

Heck, even without family, that would be great. I loved my trip to Greece.

My most recently immigrated ancestors are from Finland, but I’m one generation past where it would be easy to repatriate. Which is a shame, as I love cold weather and socialism.

A boy has made Matilda a Spotify playlist for her birthday.

Sweet!

My ancestors, and some living relatives are in Ireland. DH's father was Canadian so that would be easy enough. Still hoping that the political situation here improves rather than devolving into civil war.

Had luncheon with my childhood friends today. Hadn't seen one in 60 years. The only reason I stay with the Evil FB is for those connections.