The Kindred Curator

April’s focus is simple, but it matters deeply to me. Pull Up a Chair is about sitting with the people who are still here—and making space for their stories before it’s too late. This month isn’t about formal interviews or perfectly recorded oral histories. It’s about conversation. The kind that happens when you slow down, ask one good question, and let it unfold. I’m focusing on short, intentional conversations—about 15 to 20 minutes—with multiple relatives. Some of these happen in…

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For a long time, I focused almost entirely on direct ancestors. Parents. Grandparents. Great-grandparents. If someone wasn’t in my direct line, I told myself I didn’t have time to chase them. And then siblings started breaking my brick walls. Over and over again. That’s why March’s focus is Siblings First. This month is about stepping sideways in the family tree and building out sibling groups—not as extra work, but as a smarter way to understand the whole family unit. When…

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February has always been about women for me—but not in a grand, sweeping way. In a quieter, more personal way. When I think about why Her Story matters so much, I think about my great-great-grandmother, Amelia VonPhul Bird. She’s my favorite. If I could sit down with any ancestor for a conversation, it would be her. I don’t need dramatic stories or perfect timelines—I just want to know what her days felt like. What she carried. What made her her….

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January always feels like a quiet reset for me. Not a dramatic overhaul—just a chance to take stock, clear a little space, and set myself up for the year ahead. Why January Starts with a Spreadsheet For my family history work, that reset almost always starts with a spreadsheet. I genuinely love spreadsheets. I love the order they bring to my research, the way they let me see everything at once, and the calm that comes from knowing I can…

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My 2026 Monthly Family History Challenges One of the questions I hear most often is, “Where do I even start?” And honestly? I’ve asked myself that same question more times than I can count. Family history often feels bigger than we expect—full of unfinished threads and quiet pressure to do more. I created these monthly challenges to slow that feeling down. They’re not a checklist, but a rhythm: one small focus each month, taken at an unhurried pace. I built…

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