I was born and raised in Caldwell, Idaho.  A nerdy kid, I loved nothing better than to read…constantly. I still love to read but manage to intersperse this passion with other interests. Like collecting cookbooks.  I’m over 800 now, but I hasten to point out that I count each one separately, even if they are little leaflets, so that’s much better.  Right?

Another of my passions, er, addictions, of course, is genealogy. I would hang on every word as my grandparents told me stories of their lives during the 20s and 30s, but it was not until I was about 14 that I stumbled upon genealogy as something concrete and structured.  That was when I found a family history one of my cousins had put together as an anniversary present for his grandparents.  I was fascinated by what he had uncovered and the stories he had detailed; a number of years later I was able to contact him directly and use his work as the starting point for my own research.  The rest, as they say, is history.

Speaking of history, I eventually left Idaho; I obtained both a BA and an MA in Medieval Studies and am now living in Waynesboro, Virginia.  In addition to all the aforementioned addictions, I also play country and old-time music in a band with my brother and some friends.  Our band name, naturally, has a genealogical theme.  The Corn Hog Association was a Depression-era government relief program where my maternal grandmother worked.

Oh yes, and did I mention the piebald brindle dachshund?