I'm somewhat twisted - but I assure you the mystery solved

My public confession: there is a certain individual whom I have continually (clearing throat)...harassed? about the fact that her...I mean, their family is so close. They are super tight...nothing separates them. In fact, they like to keep everything within the family, including jeans/genes. I mean, why change your last name when you can just keep the one you already have? It also makes joint family reunions less complicated...everyone knows one another and you don't have to worry about certain families being left out, because they'll hear about the event from one cousin or another.

Well. In one of my classes last semester, I had to write a paper on my Family of Origin. If you remember, I'm fully differentiated now. But in the research process I made this small discovery. My dad gave me this newspaper clipping from the late 1800's which was an interview with one of my great, great, great, great, (I think I have enough...either way she was fabulous) grandmother. Her name was Marie Bidne...both before and after she got married. (Awkward...). She gave a disclaimer in the article that he wasn't an immediate relation but I will note that there was no explanation of how he was related. I don't know about you, but I haven't met a huge number of Bidne's in North America...but the ones that I do know about we can usually trace how we are related (a little more complicated than playing the Mennonite game but we can do it nonetheless!!).

Anyway - I just thought I should put that out there. Not as an encouragement for, but as an acknowledgment of sorts... I think some might know what I mean... :)