Hi Reader,

Tomorrow is 🦃Thanksgiving, which means two things for genealogists: family stories within reach, and Black Friday genealogy deals right around the corner.

Let's tackle both before you dive into turkey and chaos.

📖 CAPTURE FAMILY STORIES TOMORROW

Thanksgiving gatherings are perfect for collecting family stories—but only if you approach it the right way.

Skip the formal interview setup. Skip recording unless someone specifically agrees. Just ask good questions and listen.

Questions that work:

"What's your earliest Thanksgiving memory?"​
This opens the door to childhood stories, family traditions, and details about relatives who aren't around anymore.

"What family traditions have we lost over the years?"​
You'll hear about recipes, rituals, and the "way things used to be done" that reveal so much about your family culture.

"What's the story behind [family item/recipe/tradition]?"​
Pick something specific at the gathering—grandma's pie recipe, the turkey platter everyone uses, why your family always watches a certain movie. Specific questions get specific stories.

"Were there any Thanksgiving disasters you remember?"​
Funny stories are the ones people love telling. And they reveal personality, relationships, and family dynamics in ways serious questions never will.

Pro tip: Have your phone ready only if someone says "Oh, I should tell you about..." and seems willing to share more. Otherwise, just listen and write down notes later. The goal is connection, not documentation.

The stories you hear tomorrow—about burnt turkeys, family arguments, beloved relatives, old traditions—these become the context that brings your genealogy research to life.

🛍️ MY SIMPLE BLACK FRIDAY APPROACH

Here's what I'm not doing this Black Friday: chasing deals, sending you multiple "urgent" emails, or monitoring prices all weekend.

Here's what I am doing: pointing you to the tools I've already curated in my Amazon storefront, and then stepping back so we can all enjoy Thanksgiving.

What you'll find in my storefront:

• Tech organizers for all our genealogy cords and cables
• Photo scanning and preservation essentials
• Books that have earned their spot on my shelf
• Practical tools I actually use

My genealogy shopping guide is still live if you want the complete breakdown: free tools to start with, paid tools that justify their cost, and the expensive mistakes I made so you don't have to.

📝 Read: The Only Genealogy Shopping Guide You Need (From Someone Who's Tried Everything)​

And my Black Friday video published this past Sunday!

🎬 Watch: Black Friday for Genealogists: The Tools I Can't Live Without + How to Shop Smart​

Between the guide, the video, and my curated Amazon storefront, you have everything you need to make smart decisions. Shop at your own pace. No urgency. No FOMO. Just helpful resources when you're ready.

🦃 WHAT'S NEXT

This is my last email before Thanksgiving. I'm stepping back from the Black Friday chaos, and I hope you do too.

If you're looking for deals, check my Amazon storefront and the resources above. Otherwise, enjoy your family, capture some stories, and remember that the best genealogy work sometimes happens around a dinner table—not behind a computer screen.

Happy Thanksgiving,
Lisa
​

Lisa Lisson Genealogy Researcher, Author & Speaker