.CREATE YOUR LEGACY

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Are your Passwords strong enough?

By Hazel Thornton | March 28, 2023 |

    If you’re still using the LastPass password manager after their system was hacked, you’re not alone. I am too. For now. And if you’ve recently switched, or have never used a password manager, THIS ARTICLE IS FOR YOU, TOO!        

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How NOT to save your photos or donate books

By Hazel Thornton | March 26, 2023 |

Have you ever hidden anything in a book? Maybe used a photo as a bookmark? I don’t recommend it as a way to save your photos! Here’s why: I volunteer weekly for my local Friends of the Library. We price and sort donated books for our monthly used book sales (at which I also run…

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Selecting a Family Tree Template

By Hazel Thornton | February 19, 2023 |

Family tree templates can come in handy even if you’re not a genealogist. For example, many of the professional photo managers I know use them to help with organizing photos by family and by date. They also come in handy for medical, historical, relationship, inheritance, and land ownership purposes. Some saga-writing authors even use them…

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The holidays are for sharing family photos and stories

By Hazel Thornton | November 21, 2022 |

When do “the holidays” begin and end for you? For me, they start with Thanksgiving and end on January 1st. Halloween serves as a heads-up: The holidays are coming! No matter what holidays you celebrate, if you are lucky enough to have a family that enjoys getting together (in person or virtually), it’s the perfect…

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The Burial Plot Thickens: A Find a Grave Mystery

By Hazel Thornton | October 31, 2022 |

From time to time I accept requests through Find a Grave from people who do not live locally and who would like a volunteer to go take a photo of their relative‘s resting place for them. A few years ago I got a request for Pietro Domenici at Mount Calvary Cemetery here in Albuquerque. I…

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About the Photomyne scanning app

By Hazel Thornton | September 12, 2022 |

Let’s start with the fact that I am an emeritus (retired) member of The Photo Managers who never specialized in photo scanning. But the more popular it becomes, the more confused I see people getting. So, I’m hoping to clear things up a bit. Instead of becoming a crackerjack photo manager like some of my…

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How and when to find a common ancestor

By Hazel Thornton | August 28, 2022 |

  I finally did it! Did what? I figured out my relationship to Henry Clay, the 19th century American statesman. How? By finding our common ancestor.

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DNA tests: The gift that keeps on giving

By Hazel Thornton | May 23, 2022 |

Have you had your DNA tested? How often do you revisit your results? (This post is for people who have tested, or who want to test, their DNA for genealogy purposes. It’s not for those who don’t want to, or who are more interested in DNA for health purposes or traits.)

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How to Declutter Your Digital Photos

By Hazel Thornton | May 16, 2022 |

Decluttering is a prominent theme in my book, What’s a Photo Without the Story? How to Create Your Family Legacy. Decluttering, downsizing, and telling the stories of your favorite photos and prized possessions, will allow you to leave a legacy, not a burden, when you die. But what about right now? Can you easily find…

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Gifts I Got from Mom

By Hazel Thornton | May 7, 2022 |

I grew up in a family of six, with my parents, three younger brothers, and few relatives. Certainly none who lived nearby. My parents did not share family stories or photos. Not really. We enjoyed slide shows of our own family vacations, but nothing historical. I guess they were too busy working and raising us…

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