Encouragement for genealogical pack rats

The old saying, "You can't see the forest for the trees," has meaning when it comes to the little things in everyday life that we all take so much for granted. Who would think to look for genealogy clues among our parents or grandparents canceld checks? Most times those would just be seen as so much clutter and tossed along with old candy wrappers. In Vicki Boartfield's article, "A Valuable Hidden Resource: a Cancelled Check from 1957," the check was found early on and held onto for good reason. But it does remind us that "home sources" contain rich information, and that we may want to dig a little deeper and be more mindful of what we discard.