WDYTYA 2

Who Do You Think You Are (WDYTYA) recently began its second season.  This show is based on a British version of the same general idea which is to follow a celebrity on their genealogical journey.  Of course, these celebrities have every high powered archivist, historian and genealogist standing on their heads to locate those rare pieces of paper to track their family history.  They also have the resources to travel pretty much at will so the show makes the research process look SO EASY. 

Rosie O'Donnell was the most recent celebrity to take this journey.  Naturally I was even more interested than usual because the reviews indicated her Irish ancestry so I watched with special interest.  I have seen all the episodes of both seasons of this program but Rosie's episode struck me as the best of them all to date.  She seemed so genuine with honest (non celebrity) reactions to the history she found about her family and seemed to honestly gain a greater connection and understanding of her history.  She seemed to place herself in the context of the bigger picture--that Rosie lost her mother at an early age was her tragedy but her lineage suffered through each their own tragedies in order to get to the place she is today.  I was very moved by the episode.

WDYTYA (if DWTS can do it, then so can this show) is a hard sell to people.  I'm constantly asking "Did you see it?" and getting the rolled eye response.  This show has greater appeal than the celebrity angle.  Kathleen told me recently that she and Nick caught the Rosie episode and enjoyed the show.  Every episode seems to speak to greater historical themes so I think everyone can find something to enjoy in it.  Friday nights 8 PM.

I recently presented a program to the Rotary and I called it Who Do You Think You Are.  I focused on the easiest free ways people can usually find some family history documents or facts.  One of them is to search Google images.  Try searching Google images for "dalpiaz" and you'll find Brian, Tom, porn star Matt Dalpiaz AND you'll find a picture of your brother James in a Yankees hat.  My tag line for that presentation is that you should be prepared to find out that you may not know who you think you are as well as you thought!  James in a Yankee hat is a good example. 

Happy Valentine's Day

My memories of Valentine's Day mostly consist of the smell of that glue/paste stuff used in elementary classrooms; the distinct smell of construction paper (red, white and pink); and the sweet smell of those candy message hearts.  There were class lists, boxes of valentines to sort through so that your best friend got just the right Scooby Doo character.  There were stubby nosed scissors and paper doilies spread all over the table.  And if you were very lucky, you got to dip your hands in red paint to make your Mom her Valentine.

This Valentine's Day, I'll be sorting through papers all over the desk to make sure the IRS gets just the right numbers.  I'll use highlighters, paper clips, a calculator and a stapler.  There will be only the smell of hot coffee.  There's a special box of income tax papers not unlike those boxed Valentines you'd use in elementary school.  And if I'm very lucky, there will be some special numbers in the REFUND box.  Taxes can't be filed  until Valentine's Day this year due to new tax laws enacted very late. Figures it would be a Monday.


Some people complain that Valentine's Day is one of those Hallmark manufactured holidays when people need to "show" their love and make the day special.  It's going to be a special day this year, all right.  Other people complain that the whole income tax system in the United States is something like those childhood handmade valentines held together with old dry paste:  crumbly and stinky.  I don't really have a strong opinion about that one way or the other.  I'm just happy to have a sanctioned opportunity to say "I love you".

Bentivoglio anyone?

I'm cautiously optimistic that I've uncovered a new Italian family name for you!  I was seeking some ideas for this week's blog post and kind of stumbled on a great new website for Trentino births .  This discovery, in conjunction with an Odorizzi online family tree, led me to your great grandmother Barbara Odorizzi's birth record.  This record lists Gioseffa Barbera Anna Odorizzi born to Francesco and Teresa (maiden name Bentivoglio) in Tassullo Jan 6 1874.  This birth date matches the funeral card information I found at your parents' house so I feel fairly certain this reflects accurate information about her.

Further searching uncovered other children born to Francesco and Teresa in Tassullo: Augusta Dorotea (1865); Angelica Maria (1866); Davide Gulielmo (1869); Luigi Antonio (1876); Marco Francesco (1878); Carmelina Teresa Maria (1881); Assunta Rosa Maria (1884); and Giuditta Gioseffa (1887).  Teresa was a busy woman.  Aren't these cool names for anyone's family tree??

I continued my searching and found a Maria Teresa Bentivoglio born to Luigi and Dorotea (maiden name Zanini) Oct 13 1843 in Tassullo.  I'm far less certain about this new surname for your tree, but I'll keep checking! 

A big, big day for research.  Why, was there something else going on today? (Go Packers)