Looking back a year ago

So far things are slow, there's no way around it. When I look back to this time last year, I was in a similar position, trying a new tool (Ancestry's Networks) with the Irish in LaSalle population who may be connected to my 3rd-great-grandmother Bridget.

I'm not really any further now, but am trying a new tool, where I am making a bit more progress. I am running into a known barrier where I need more testers in places other than on Ancestry so I can continue with chromosome mapping. Let's see if testing on 23andme generates some new results. I may have those by the end of April.

DNA Day Sales

FamilyTreeDNA is currently running several sales ahead of DNA Day through the end of April. Other than RootsTech deals, this tends to be their largest sale of the season. If you're interested in the mtDNA test, and you should be if interested in learning more about the maternal line, the FamilyFinder + mtDNA bundle saves $70. Other bundles paired with YDNA tests save even more. 

Waiting

A running list of things I'm awaiting right now:

• Sophia's mtDNA results, descending from Dorothea Sophia Gagelmann. Due any day now...
• mtDNA results for cousin Joe (maybe May?)
• Big Y results for cousin Garry (maybe June/July)
• the mail for a possible package from the LaSalle church archives (any day now)
• 23andme results for me (sent today), now that I'm fishing in all the DNA ponds (maybe at the end of the month?)

These are just what I'm actively waiting on, I'm not including "wish list" items (Big Y match to myself). 

In bloom

 

Photo by Patrick Jones. Alexandria, 3 Apr 2026.

Spring time among the vines

 

Ideogram. Bodega Campuzano.

An imagined scene above from the fictional Bodega Campuzano winery in Cantabria, Spain, and an actual Spanish winery below in the springtime from the lovely Finca Villacreces in Ribera del Duero.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Finca Villacreces. 16 May 2017.