Genealogy is more than old records and family trees. It is data analysis, source evaluation, AI-assisted consistency checking, historical research, and the careful work of separating truth from bad data.
Reflections
Personal insights, event recaps, networking experiences, and general musings. This catch-all category captures everything from professional reflections to personal notes, providing a comprehensive view of my journey and thoughts.
2025 was a year of massive, earth-shifting changes, and my body essentially demanded a pause. For me, celebration isn't about bubble baths or forced positivity. It’s about recalibration. It’s about taking a hard look at the baggage you carry, realizing you don't nee...
For years, VintageReveries quietly carried me through job changes, pandemic chaos, and burnout. This fall, I rebuilt the site from the ground up on a new Divi layout, automated my social posts, and started listing again in earnest. With just over 100 active listings, Iâ...
I fell back into my family archives during a rare pause in St. Louis and found the man my grandmother meant: Joseph J. Johnson, killed by Confederate soldiers after voting for Lincoln. It’s a story about privilege as visibility, the courage of ordinary choices, and wh...
After years of chronic stress, I finally finished something early — my St. Louis duplex passed inspection two weeks ahead of schedule. What I expected to feel like an ending turned into something gentler: real rest. This essay reflects on what it means to pause, to re...
Savor the simple pleasures of life and discover how embracing small joys can transform your perspective in ways you never imagined. What's the secret?
Knowing the transformative power of gratitude can unlock new levels of personal growth, but are you ready to explore how deeply it can impact your life?
This April, I walked through two doors — one I had gently outgrown, and one I exited within three days. What looked like the next step revealed itself as a deeper invitation: to listen to my body, trust my clarity, and honor the sacred pause I’m in. This is not a br...
For most of my life, I believed that if someone didn’t understand me, it was my fault. If I could just explain it better, they would get it. That belief followed me from childhood speech therapy into my career — until ChatGPT helped me see the truth. Letting go of t...
As I look back on 2024, I see a year filled with growth, experimentation, and creative discovery. It was a year where I balanced professional achievements with personal passions, explored the potential of AI and open-source technology, and rediscovered the joy of hobbie...