Blessed rain

The fires are still burning but it is raining and rain during fire is a blessing for sure. We are definitely making up for the lack of snow cover in Ontario with all of this rain. So far no fires mentioned in this province - BC, AB and MB are under fire threat and in a big way. Fires do always burn in Canada in the forests - lightning strikes do cause some of these fires and perhaps most at this time - a little early for camping. 

Good work on gardening yesterday. The main garden is all weeded and almost covered with fresh black earth. I will go out soon and weed the side garden so that is ready for the 1st of June (last possible frost day is 1st of June in the Farmer's Almanac). The bedding plants will wait for chance of frost to pass but the seeds and bulbs can go into the ground mid week, next week. The world looks lush out the window green and bright. 

No other work done although I did write my thoughts on the world down in my post whilst I waited for the dentist appointment time. I am now wearing a night guard to protect my teeth - I clench them when I sleep apparently. Tried it and it is interesting. I will get used to it probably in a week or so. 

Latin lessons next, breakfast already eaten. I am enjoying the Latin. 

The Americans have completed the pier and deck to move supplies into Gaza. The first trucks are rolling. People will be fed. Israel is at court explaining why they have to eliminate Hamas - I think it is a non-brainer as you can not have people living next to you who constantly threaten your life. Hamas doesn't belong there really; they just found this willing area and they moved in. A desert island would be better for them and they can sit around and talk about their evil Nazi ways to each other. Really no one likes nazism that has any sense. 

On to the day. COVID shot today. 

Another day of gardening

Sun today  but the air quality is at 53 and no precipitation for at least two days. Canada is on fire once again although the forest fires did not go out during the winter months this past winter which is unusual; not enough snow to dampen them. Today clearing the back of the garden of weeds getting ready for fresh earth there as well and clearing out weeds from inside the raspberry patch. May marches onward towards planting days and this is always the busiest month of the year outside. I find it funny to see me out there for hours clearing the land of weeds so that the planting can take place. I have been doing that since 2011 every spring. Not liking gardening doesn't mean I do not garden though. I do agree with my husband; you shouldn't have land if you are not going to use it; maintain it. It is a struggle though as my writing calls to me to come back and work on it!

Heard from my cousin again (half third cousin two times removed) and perhaps one day will hear if the picture of my great grandparents has survived. There was a house fire apparently. I know what the picture looks like and it would be interesting to see a copy but I do not have to own the original; originals are not my thing. But I am curious about Ellen (Taylor) Buller. My grandmother talked about her mother quite a bit actually and I would share that information with this cousin for whom she is a 3x great grandmother (my great grandmother). There is so much known detail about Ellen but her parents remains a likelihood rather than an absolute for sure without a matching DNA on one of the lines of her siblings. This Ellen placed into this particular family where she appears to belong had six siblings (one likely brother Frank died at ten years of age). I did hear from a descendant of one of the other likely siblings in this family who said he was related but there is this part of me that really does like to see DNA results. Oh well, the advent of this ability did bring me into genealogy really along with my cousin needing his Pincombe Profile so it is unlikely I will ever change in that regard.

But that was the extent of my looking at genealogy; it is on the back burner for probably a couple of months although will dip in and out likely when there is time. 

Horrifying news that Prime Minister Fico of Slovakia has been shot. What sadness there can be in the world. I can feel the sadness as the world grips with terrorist monsters who try to legitimize their actions when they are really just terrorism - that is how wars begin with terrorist acts. Why oh why can this sickness not disappear from our world; this hatred for no reason except generations of desire and greed for something that was never yours in the first place. 

Nearly breakfast time and then Latin; the order changes somewhat in the spring with gardening duty. So far the two transplanted hosta  have survived and will water them again today just to help them along. I did free all of the hostas from the surrounding wild flowers. I should have done that earlier but just did not get it done. I did make a stab at it last week but not enough for sure. Now they are clear although still more to do. The wild flowers are tough and hardy as they snake through the land. The dandelions have bloomed and will soon die down but we left a big patch of them in the middle of the front of the yard for the bees to pollinate and they have been busy out there for sure. 

On to the day. 

As I wait for my dental appointment I am thinking about China and why it would side with Russia with regard to the terrorist war that Russia wages against Ukraine. Is it about owning the world? Does anyone really own the world? No, it is populated by a whole lot of people formed into countries mostly of their choosing and owning all of us is just slavery on the part of aggressive countries. Slavery never really goes well in the long run. There are so many examples. Why can we not have peace? The Americans in particular funded both China and Russia during World War II to help them fight off nazism. But yet Russia and China both hate America and blame it for whatever they can think of at the moment. So why is that? Is it just jealousy that America is successful and a world leader in trade and they jealously and covetously want that? Probably, desire for money is basically the root of all evil; it is like a drug and they want all of it. Too bad really as the world could be a lovely place but for aggression by Terrorist Russia against Ukraine and Terrorist Hamas in Gaza against Israel. Being able to defend yourself doesn't change the actual happening. China remains an enigma in all of this though I do have to admit. One goes from thinking China is interested in having a world at peace and not necessarily all communist to questioning curiosity. Their brand of communism is somewhat different in that there is people control on the city level type of thing it would appear. But yet they do have a military that is militaristic. When one considers that the most important item on our agenda is Climate Change though it is strange to see any country going out of their way to abuse another country in any way and that includes Nazi Russia against Ukraine and Nazi Hamas in Gaza against Israel. For I think they truly are copying Hitler with their abuse of people and complete disregard for any normalcy in our world that isn't controlled by them. Small scale right now but the desire for greater control is ever present in their actions. Does one include China in that? We wait and watch. At the moment China has more of the look of Franco as he too listened to Hitler and his adherents but never really moved to assist with the torture that Hitler released on the world in 1939 in particular. In this case the torture has been released by Nazi Russia and Nazi Hamas. Both attempt to justify their actions by lies with their adherents trying to create support around the world (more in the case of Nazi Hamas with the camp-ins here, marching on our streets celebrating Hamas after 7 October last certainly indicates adherents in our country disgusting though it is).

I do find it interesting that Homo neaderthalensis died out because of Climate Change but lucky for us Homo sapiens we were able to manage in that time of change. But probably we were unified and working together to survive the ravages of the Ice Age at that time (also climate change). Anything that isn't the normal climate is Climate Change. Now Nazi Russia and Nazis Hamas in Gaza are challenging the world order and trying to take what is not theirs inflicting enormous hardships on people. Nazi Hamas is responsible for all the deaths in Gaza and Israel; all the hardships in Gaza and Israel as they continue to bomb Israel and fight the Israeli army in Gaza (the Isrealis want their hostages back whether they are alive or dead) inflicting even more deaths on the Palestinians. If you see that differently it is because you do not see that Israel, the country brutally attacked, has a right to defend themselves against the enemy Nazi Hamas. Hamas has said they will continue committing barbaric acts against Israel presumably until the last Nazi Hamas is dead in Gaza. Hezbollah has every intention it would appear of continuing to fight against Israel as well but they are a different kettle of fish and the people of Lebanon are less willing to lie down and die for Hezbollah it would appear. The facts are pretty clear unless you are vegetating on the news reels which show the at the moment horror which was totally created by Nazi Hamas to gain your support - I do find it abhorrent that Nazi Hamas does this to influence people and those people allow it to happen.

Gardening today

Another gardening day today and probably for quite a few days. Must get the weeds pulled and then the fresh garden earth on the beds. Will look lovely I am sure. 

The month of May is one half through now and it has moved quickly. We looked at bedding plants yesterday and do need to buy them very soon. I think though that the large garden will be three rows of sunflowers and then lettuces/spinach three rows and two rows of green onions. Not much grows under the Black Walnut tree. Then the tomatoes and peppers off to the far side and back of the house. Cucumbers and herbs in two other spots. Then at the back of the garden carrots and beans. Sounds good and the work is ahead of us for sure. 

Moved two hosta plants yesterday and will see if they transplant well. Otherwise might buy two hosta plants. But their prior location was not very handy. Will move the rest of the earth to the front today and that will be finished. The lawn has filled in not too badly along the road edge. Need to weed the bricks along the side of the laneway. Never a dull moment for sure. Hard to believe I do not actually like gardening. That was always Edward's thing but I used to help him when he asked me. 

No work on the books I do not think today but that isn't surprising given that it is summer and more time outside than in.  

Breakfast and then latin and then outside into the fresh clean air for the moment - smoke is on the horizon apparently. The air quality is at 48 this morning and was just high 20s yesterday. 

Gardening beckons

I think the next two weeks will be mostly dedicated to getting the yard ready for the summer including planting of the garden. Although I may get a little done on extraction from Find My Past it will not be my primary work for the next four weeks. Busy times ahead and all that lovely exercise! Although gardening is not something that I really enjoy it is very healthy work. 

Had an interesting email from someone my husband knew in Paris, Ontario. They share the same surname and Edward has attempted through the fifty plus years that he did genealogy to link them but no success. One Kipp family located to the Niagara area and appear to be Quaker. There was a Henry Kipp in Northeast Town who was also Quaker but putting together information on this area in New York is very difficult. A lot of material was lost during the Revolution. However, he mentioned that he had found interesting material in the Dutch Reformed Church records so left it with him to let my daughter know (via me) what he had located. I created the Kip-Kipp Family Newsletter to publish the last sections of Edward's work and to carry on reporting on the Kip-Kipp yDNA study at FT DNA. There are a number of Kip-Kipp families in the United States and Canada but they are not all descendant of the Kip family of New Amsterdam/Amsterdam. New Amsterdam now being New York City.  It would be nice to find others continuing to work on these southwestern Ontario Kipp families. Their arrival in the area ranged from the 1770s to the 1800s. Edward collected a lot of material on his own lines coming down from Isaac Kipp and Hannah (Mead) Kipp. But also he collected material on the Tillsonburg Kipp family. One of the testers at FT DNA in the study is from the Tillsonburg Kipp family. 

The next newsletter will be the Pincombe-Pinkham Newsletter on the 1st of June although I will start creating that this next week. 

Raining today so will don my rainwear and go out and weed unless it is thunder and lightning. Weeding is good in the rain for sure! We need to move a couple of hosta plants that are being crowded out in the front garden by the globe cedar. Also need to trim that. Edward had that down pat and used an electric wand to do that. Not sure I am going to wield that but we will see. It did do a good job for sure and much quicker than clippers. 

Again the ominous sounds of war preparation as Russia continues to attack the innocent people of Ukraine. Prayers for Ukraine. Everyone who suspected Stalin of being an aggressor against the countries around Russia were so right in 1940 when the Hitler-Stalin pact was created dividing Poland in half between them. I had forgotten that pledge was only for ten years that they would not attack each other but then Hitler could never be trusted. Although I have always had much sympathy for the Russian people with all their losses during World War II and their valiant stand against Hitler (with all that aid from the allies - United States in particular but also England and the Commonwealth) Russia did stand by and watch as Hitler decimated Poland and then moved in to take the half promised by the pact. But we did believe that lie that Russia was just getting ready to have to fight Germany (it was convenient to do so for sure). The world was in turmoil though and any ally was better than an enemy!

Israel is committed to freeing their hostages and prayers for them for sure. The inhumane conditions under which they have lived these seven months is horrendous and not mentioned enough in the General Assembly of the United Nations or the news outlets. Hamas brought all of this down on the heads of the Palestinians and Hamas is responsible for every death on both sides. The Israelis though are good at hunting out cowards - they were very efficient eliminating all of the Nazis possible after the Second World War. NO  one wants to see Palestinians die especially the children (why could the people here in North America not bring thousands of them here) - Hamas does not care they are just news fodder and so they hide amongst them to increase the possibility of the death of Palestinians not engaged in conflict. I do wonder what the reaction of any other country would have been if the 7th October last brutal barbaric attack had been on their country?  No one thinks it will happen to them and yet it was the second such attack - Russia's attack on Ukraine was as well and continues. Ukraine continues to fight back but they are outnumbered 4 to 1.

I am opposed to sit-ins/camp-ins though especially on our publicly supported university campuses (love it when the police remove them). Blocking people from using these facilities should be illegal. The encampments are destroying the property and it will cost real money to repair them. Write letters, have interviews but camping on publicly supported university property should be illegal. There should be a curfew on protests from dusk to dawn; nothing at night. The Charter of Rights and Freedoms is so right that we are a God loving country but it should not support these ridiculous protests that inconvenience people beyond their being on the sidewalks (opposite whatever is going on) with their signs. Flags larger than 30 cm x 30 cm should not be permitted unless they are flags of Canada and we have a lot including the First Nations flags, the provincial and territorial flags and the national flag. I read what you have to say; I just do not agree with you and that is what the Charter of Rights and Freedoms is about - the right to differ.  Hamas is the problem and they continue to be the problem; Hamas needs to get out of Gaza. They have had twenty years to aid the Palestinians; they have not. They only feather their own nest. The Palestinians are human beings and after three generations in one place they should have a successful prosperous country (the land is rich to grow crops) not a country still totally dependent on the hands outs in particular food from the United Nations which is the product of the labour of people around the world. All this death though is very saddening.

Time for exercise and breakfast. Latin next and then the work of the day begins.

Cleaning Day once again

Cleaning Day once again and it will be the basement. The daily routine of life is perhaps the most interesting and one goes through so many different stages  in life from babyhood which no one remembers to toddler again  no memory to preschool which has some memories and then school forever it seems but soon done and, in my case marriage at 20, all those adventures after we bought a car into the natural world around us. Although I always  had an interest in the natural world Edward had always been restricted because he did not have a car as a child and so mostly in his own home town of Princeton, Ontario. For me somewhat broader although restricted to Ontario except my first trip to the United States in Grade Eight on our graduation trip to the Henry Ford Museum and Greenwich Village. All those plants that Edward and I saw and I shall get that organized to rescan the original slides to *.tif as some of them were fabulous to see - Indian Pipe perhaps one of the most interesting finds although the lady slipper always ranks up there amongst others. It was a whole new world to Edward but my mother had always pointed out the beauty of nature to us as she lived on a farm as a child with all that land to enjoy. Our first child when I was 28 (Edward was 31) but his joy was huge looking at that perfect child with the bright blue eyes exactly like his looking back at him. I remember that so very well as he was not there for the birth. Then moving away from everything I knew to Ottawa at 29 was both an adventure and really tested my ability to manage driving since I depended so  much on landmarks (unable to read those tiny road signs!). And the story goes on and on but in the same place with just us until we were joined by our second one eight years later (eight years one month and two days to be exact). By then the days were settled into a routine and I was busy marking at that time but soon back to proofreading and copyediting and my eldest in school. And now I am 78.5 years of age and I have meandered through life looking about and noticing lots and lots of details as that is my way - to absorb all those details. Still in the same house we bought back in 1978. It is pretty much the same although Edward added details that made it his own. He was content too although he and the girls had gone off looking at new houses years earlier but did not find quite the one they wanted. 

The day wears on and I must get the robot running on the rug in the basement. Breakfast too and my first Latin lesson of the day. 

God bless the world and help us to see that your words to us through Moses give us the best path to existence - love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and love your neighbour as yourself. On to the day. 

One of my mysteries resurfaced today with the comment that the people of New Guinea carry 5% Denisovan DNA - however did our family acquire 3% Denisovan DNA is something I have not yet solved although suspect it comes from my ancient maternal line H11 which wintered in Ukraina and came to now Scotland in the British Isles probably 8,000 plus years ago. Amazing really and this was a very interesting article and has made me late today reading it.

Weighing in on working at home

I had not really thought to weigh in on this subject but having worked at home for the better part of 1.5 decades I do have an opinion actually. When I took on the job of proofreading in my thirties and in some cases editing and proofreading, the plan was for me to work at home coming in three mornings a week for a brief time to pick up my work and deliver my work. Modern computer technology has rendered that type of coming in to be unnecessary although it is always good to have face to face comments so I think coming in would still be the best option personally. When I replaced the permanent proofreader I did start to come in every morning until noon and worked at home in the afternoon. My lunch break was the trip home every day. That still fulfilled my personal preference of being with my children up until they went to school and then being there when they returned from school. I think the government has a right to expect people to be in their office with their colleagues every day personally but three times a week is really a gift to people and they should see it as such and grab it and run back to work with it. The new employees who work full time in the office  have a right to that teaching aspect of the job received from "older" employees so that they can quickly learn the ropes as they are the future (do not deprive youth of this valuable lesson). The Pandemic was an eye opener for all of us but we can quickly return to the style of living that preceded it because that is the best way. Not all jobs lend themselves to working at home and the government shouldn't be subsidizing such work types when they really belong in the collegial environment of a workplace. As the generation behind me (the baby boomers - I do not really count because I was born two weeks after VJ day and I skipped a grade putting me right in with the War Babies so to speak) ages and ceases to exist, that huge block of people will no longer dominate the scene and the medical care will return to a normal level without all those aging people requiring a vast amount of care. That will change the dynamics of the working world back more or less to what existed when I was young and most people were young. The working world will expand once again so to speak to dominate industry and production and the dynamics will be so different to what exists presently. So back to work in the office unless your job was already mostly at home before the pandemic and three days a week is a gift really as it should be five! When I did stay home I went to school one day every week and helped in the classroom of my child with whatever task although with my youngest daughter that ended up being computers since they were a new item, teachers not yet really familiar with them and I had already been involved with computers for about a decade in my working career prior to children. The schools are important and parents can serve a useful purpose in them as unpaid labour to keep those costs down if they are working at home (I just made up the time in the evening proofreading!). Certainly my time spent doing remedial English reading with French Immersion students was time well spent (it was interesting though that in my little class of twelve students only two were girls).

Efficiency is the most important item in government, Brian Mulroney was right about that. Tax payer money is being used and the government should be as careful as it can be. We work hard for our money and it must be well spent. Increase the GST back up to 7% or 10% and keep the income tax level itself low. That is taxing the rich efficiently. There are enough safeguards in the GST to keep it from inflicting pain on people with lower wages.  Probably one needs to look at the leveling of GST and see whether or not that percentage can be increased on items like alcohol and cigarettes and other luxury items. If you legalize drugs then put a substantial GST (like 40%) on that as well (and yes I know that encourages black market but go after the dealers, confiscate their drugs (test them to be sure they are not tainted) and sell them, helps to pay off the national debt!). One can see the benefits to living in Canada and they are huge. We are so much better off than other countries. 

So I need the Conservatives to prove that they are Brian Mulroney conservatives interested in good efficient government. I do not want to see them supporting radical right wingers at any time (it is better if hard-line conservatives remain hidden in the wood work (their extreme views do not serve a useful purpose in a democratic society) and definitely not camping out in downtown Ottawa). Do not expect to be in power more than one term because you are always going to do the hard things; reduce waste in government and that generally puts you out of power but the efficiency stays because the Liberals know very well that things like the GST have benefited Canada enormously. 

Sunday once again and I must get my mind back into Sunday; one does struggle on occasion to remember this is the Lord's Day. Church on YouTube and yesterday I watched the next lecture in the series and we are discussing Jerusalem. I need to read Judges, 1st and 2nd Kings (and perhaps nip into Jeremiah and Ezekiel when watching the lecture the second time through). Absolutely fascinating this series The Untold Story of the Kingdom of Judah from Tel Aviv University on YouTube. I always knew the story but this in depth look with the Bible, archaeological findings and the extant historical documents is an eyeopener. The days move by quickly and sometimes I do lose track of time and the date!

God be with the world as we move forward in time - the distances between countries has shrunk enormously but the chasm in political differences is huge with so many terrorists greedily trying to suck up power but primarily for the money it gives them they have no desire to make the world a better place for the bulk of the population only themselves and their adherents. 

Six degrees celsius and rain promised this evening

Another good day of gardening (mostly weeding although I let dandelions continue to flower for the bees to pollinate) and some work on the census for Pincombe. It is moving along smoothly though as I have done some of this work earlier I just have to make sure I didn't miss anything. Today has other plans so probably no work today. Good rest for the eyes. 

Calgary police did a marvelous job of clearing the university campus there and apparently some of the people were trespassing as they were not students. I do love to see the police in action in such cases where they are needed to clear an area. If Hamas cared about the Palestinian people they would have a functioning society after twenty years with businesses and capability of producing all of their own food. Gaza is plentiful; Bombing another country is always going to bring retribution  - they are also ignorant of history and have no humanity as far as the world can see. Taking children, women, old people hostage and keeping them imprisoned for months many underground; how sinful; how satanic. Hamas is definitely the problem. They need to leave (as well as the Islamic Jihadists).

 One hopes that graduation ceremonies in Canada will not be spoiled the way Christmas was by the Palestinians. If they loved Canada and respected Canada all of this would end now, today. They are just using our streets and public areas to support the terrorist organization known as Hamas. 

I think we should have voted no in the General Assembly of the United Nations (abstention doesn't really do it for me) although I do overall believe in the logic of the two state solution when Gaza is ready. They want to be able to establish themselves in a profitable way very quickly and Hamas does not provide that ability. Thus far Hamas, in twenty years, has done nothing to aid their development as an independent country. The Israeli know this land very well and its potentials and they would help them. They have been helping them in their hospitals to better medical care for quite a while and would do the same in business I rather suspect. All Hamas cares about is genocide of the Jewish people; disgusting really. Free the hostages now and unconditionally. Get out of Gaza Hamas. Stop attacking Israel with bombs and putting the Palestinian people in danger. 

The day begins and soon teatime and Latin. 

 

 

A day of relaxation and the Sun went behind clouds quite nicely half way through the day

Yesterday turned into a day of relaxation as I kept my eyes away from the brightness which gradually disappeared as the day passed. I didn't do any work at all; a very lazy day. However, I did do my weight lifting, running, walking and yoga/calisthenics. I can not imagine a day without exercise although I apparently have to take it easy after the cataract surgery, not lifting anything even moderately heavy, not running and probably a few other things but I can walk and I will do lots of walking just not fast.

I did revisit my blog a few times as I contemplated the world. Then I just thought about God and His place in the universe. Watching the "Secrets of the Neanderthals" on Netflix I found it interesting the references to religion in that the Neanderthals buried their dead and in a fixed place over a period of time. Interesting really and the work on the teeth was especially interesting as I always thought they were predominantly meat eaters but it appears they also ate vegetable matter. The reconstruction of a face was amazing as the differences these days between Homo sapiens and Homo neanderthalensis  are becoming less pronounced as more research is done. The Neanderthals lived for 400,000 years but the demise (about 40,000 years ago) has been attributed to climate change and their inability to adapt which is quite fascinating. Perhaps already there was an effect of inbreeding though which also decreased their numbers since they did mate with Homo sapiens. It is interesting to contemplate that God was there during all of that and learned greatly about the species Homo. I find all of this so very intriguing. The God in our world has changed from the God who walked with the early peoples and tried to lead them down a path that would produce a good life for them. He is ever watching. 

Interesting really to have lived these 78.5 years and seen how knowledge updates itself even in my own lifetime. My grandfather especially used to mention that. How much life had changed since he was born in 1875 and this was the early 1950s so a similar age to mine when he was talking to me. He loved to talk and I was a listener. I am surprised sometimes at how I remember but from a very young age I have had an incredible memory. I find I mostly think of my grandparents and their thoughts in these days because I spent a lot of time actually with them whereas my parents aged nearly 1000 km away from me and I did not see them that often in the last seven years or less (my father died in 1998) of their lives. I was working fulltime outside of the home by then and with two children teenage and adult my time was rapidly used up. Edward became very busy with work and genealogy from 1995 on (I think the loss of his brother in 1996 and his mother in 2000 were true struggles for him). Traveling for work was generally to conferences in the United States (we went with him to learn all about the places he went to and the land we covered to get there; fascinating education for children) and genealogy conferences and other activities in Ontario as well as the northern United States where his ancestors had lived until the late 1790s and up until the 1820s.  The time to go to my home city just didn't materialize very often. However, I do have my slightly more than 25 years of letters from my mother which fill a few gaps but I was always surprised when we were back that what she wrote and what she was doing did not always tell the whole story. So you miss a lot if you move away from family. I rarely saw them anymore but they were also very busy with their families. I do share all my genealogy work with them and the DNA work that I do on our results. Having so many results is quite fascinating in terms of who you match and how much you match them and does really make it easier to work your way back in time. Plus having all the companies covered with at least two and sometimes as many as four with five of us being involved provides an enormous amount of data of no value to anyone except us! Although people often write to ask how they relate so I do try to answer those emails but the tree is online and mostly people just read it off the tree as I see it reproduced here and there.

Today I plan to do some extractions from Find My Past. Hopefully work outside a bit as it is going to be rainy and so not sunny which would be perfect. One really nice part of rain and lots of it; the ease with which you can weed. So much better. 

On to the day, teatime and Latin.,

Working day

 The day started out very well and I extracted more material from Find My Past. The census will be a long haul but definitely the best place to be at this stage. My exercise kept apace as well. With a break in the rain I went out and moved some more fresh soil to the front garden bed and cleaned up along the side of the fence although will do a better job when the rain stops but  no rush on that. 

I succumbed to a migraine early afternoon which changed the process somewhat and I listened to some quiet music for a while. The bright sun perhaps although I was wearing my sunglasses and a hat and it didn't last very long however I do have trouble with the sun in the spring - it is just so bright. 

Latin is going well and I am into a new section Unit 13. Although I started Latin to aid me in my reading of old documents it has actually taken on a life as I talk to myself in Latin now. I may try to start reading books in Latin one of these days in my spare time! I also want to start putting in more time on French speaking but I am early with that as I had not planned to start until September. So far I have not learned any new vocabulary which is a good sign for my memory. 

Perhaps finished soon and the hostages will be free and the Palestinians enjoying life without Hamas (that would be wonderful if they could have a state but there is much to do to build a country and if Hamas is not gone then what will change?). Surely there are enough Palestinians (not part of Hamas) who could form a representative government and are not greedy dictators looking after themselves or their like only. 

I watched the Victory Parade in Moscow and once again the world thanks the Russian people for their great sacrifices in helping to defeat the nazis (but all the allies suffered for sure as well but the Russian losses were great and the western part of their country a shambles). But if there is one thing that we are learning - nazism isn't attached to a country; it is a narrow minded corruption of a group of people by a madman that eventually by coercion (greed plays a huge role at the start) and extreme measures forces a people to do things that they would not do normally. Combine that with lies about the so-called enemy and you are looking at a potential World War. It can happen to any country and any people and is always a gradual process - the dictator always comes as a friend to the people that he corrupts but ends up destroying their lives (except for Hamas (I do not think they were ever friendly) once they were elected they attacked the people of Palestine and broke their will). The dictator makes up so many stories to justify whatever they do and when you are cut off from the rest of the world you make mistakes. 

That is why we have the United Nations for talking. To prevent dictators from destroying the lives of millions of people. Free the hostages today Hamas, unconditionally and leave Gaza (even if you are Palestinian by birth you do not respect your people and should leave so they have a better chance in life). Leave Ukraine Russia you have no right to their land. 

Are we just naive thinking that all people are capable of gathering up the reins and forming a government. I do not think so; it is violence that prevents that. Perhaps the first steps are clumsy and difficult but the United Nations is there to help along the way. But just going back to the status quo of sending in 500 or now 600 trucks a day to Gaza (for Hamas to fleece and turn into bombs) doesn't really help the people of Gaza move beyond subsistence to a flourishing wealthy country  like the one that they are beside. No sense coveting that land  (the rights of the Israeli people to their land is well proven and documented), no sense being jealous of the wealth of that country, get to work and create your own country. But we could help by getting rid of Hamas; by not supporting people to dominate the scene like the encampments at the university are trying to do. How many Hamas operatives are in our country just waiting for the chance to interfere in our democracy by using the tenets of democracy; they are only ever after money in the long run although they will give all these platitudes about caring for this or that. But the God of the Jews, the Christians and the Muslims is the same God and His words ring true century after century; love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and love your neighbour as yourself. When that happens we have peace and prosperity.

Wouldn't that be lovely; it would be like Utopia if the rest of the dictators of the world copied Franco and returned to the people their government and country. What is gained by the status quo for the people of Palestine? Hamas and the other terrorist groups are just leeches sucking out the lifeblood of these people. But then one might say what is gained by war - nothing; it is dreadful the cost in human lives and property is enormous. Then you have the leeches who come in and benefit whilst people recover. That is why we have the United Nations to help with such things; to get people on their feet and running their country. But the status quo in Gaza does not work for the people of Gaza just for the leeches - Hamas and their sycophants. 

The status quo is an invitation to much worse I rather think but perhaps anything is at the moment. People have to decide on what they will tolerate and what they will not and a lot of people may suffer. Certainly brute force always seems to come to the surface in our world looking back through history. But this time it may destroy us completely. Who gains? Ignorance by brutal people will be the downfall perhaps and one thinks of the British as they stood alone (with the Commonwealth supporting them) that year of 1940-41 and fought and did not give up. They were a tough people. And here we are once again with brutal dictators dictating to us themselves and through their sycophants. How sad.

Headache improved today but will take it easy on the eyes and stay out of the sunlight!

Breakfast soon, latin completed and tea time enjoyed. 

Another week of cleaning accomplished

 My week of cleaning was accomplished and now on to the rest of the week. Yesterday, whilst I was cleaning, the door bell rang and I looked out the window to see a young man kneeling in front of my English Primrose. I was going to just ignore it but decided to answer it. He was trying to sell bug packages (i.e. bug prevention) but I said no. He wanted to know what I would do with bugs and I said I just killed them in the house and let them live outside. He decided to move on which was good as my cleaning needed to be finished. I guess it is good training for these young people to go door to door but I never buy anything at the door. 

Perhaps today I will get back to Pincombe. I have a number of pictures that have come to me from a Pincumbe family that traveled to Devon area which are interesting. There was a record for a John in 1433 which was very interesting and will have to have a look at that. He would be a little older than I thought in 1486 but still a possibility or perhaps the father of the John Pencombe at North Molton on the Lay Subsidy of 1524-7. Will work away at that and get the pictures sorted around. I may not put many pictures in the book as they make it quite large. We will see. 

Other than that the day is early but I am up and have done the hardest solitaire game thus far; will finish up the other four they are easier. But I do like a mental challenge first thing in the morning. 

I hope to watch the first lecture in the main section of this series The Untold History of the Kingdom of Judah. Coming to the thought that the Promised Land was in fact the land that the family of Joseph left during the famine 400 years earlier was a powerful thought and it makes sense. Of course Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery which was how Joseph got to Egypt. Sometimes coincidence just doesn't do it and that is when I really see God in our world for sure. But He mostly stays hidden to us as he watches us and wonders, no doubt, why we do not obey His commandments to love our neighbour as ourself. Bringing back the bones of Jacob to lie in his own soil would certainly have been Jacob's desire I rather think. As my grandfather aged I think he wished he was back in England but by then he was in his late 70s and so many dead after the war although his oldest brother was still alive as he outlived Samuel with Samuel outliving the next oldest brother. Interesting families for sure. Grandpa lived a wonderful life I think. He loved all his grandchildren and with just his son as his only child the five of us were a gift to him I guess; my youngest sister was born a couple of months before he passed away and my youngest brother two years later. But my youngest brother is so like my grandfather. That same kind helpful person with his own grandchildren. 

Congratulations to the Liberal government bringing back the six children in the detention camp in Syria; children should not be in a war zone - they can not help what their parents do and it is not their fault and they shouldn't be punished. Hopefully the stain of ISIS is not on them yet. Terrorists are the scum of the earth.

Teatime and Latin. I am up early but that is my genes apparently; I am an early riser. I also would not mind if Canada Post only delivers my mail twice a week; that would work for me. Mail delivery can be handy but it doesn't need to be every day and most of what I get is advertisement anyway.

Hostage and cease fire Deal

Hamas has agreed to a revised Cease-Fire Deal which they might as well have dictated given the terms (perhaps they did, they are terrorists after all). One  notes that Hamas fired off 12 rockets the other day hitting the gate through which the food trucks pass for Gaza. Rather ignorant of them but not surprising. Why not all the hostages released right up front and unconditionally; that was what the International Court of Justice said? The new pier and dock are in place and food should soon come into Gaza by that method.  I was a little surprised that Egypt and Qatar would make revisions to the deal after Israel had gone home considering that Hamas had fired off 12 rockets at Kerem Shalom Crossing rendering it unusable at that time. I think targeted hits on the area of Rafah that is clear now of Palestinians would help to eliminate the Hamas fighters in Rafah. I am very disappointed that the Palestinians in North America did not bring thousands of those little children here to protect them. No one minds 2 to 8 or even 10 years olds and really with the huge mosques in North America they could have easily housed them and taken care of them, educated them  Or they could bring them into their homes, you can pack like a dozen children into a nice sized bedroom with bunkbeds. We took in children from England during World War II.

 The Palestinian people could move ahead in their lives and work on creating a country. Hamas has no interest in doing so these past twenty years. Hamas just want to commit genocide against the Jewish people according to their actions on the 7th October last and their declaration of why they exist. It is cruel and improper to punish Israel and reward Hamas. It should not be a crime to be able to defend yourself.

I am not in favour of 600 trucks a day being sent to Gaza by the United Nations unless of course they are carrying seeds, plants and gardening tools. We should be done with feeding Gaza. They can grow their own food. That way they can afford to buy their own fuel and other items by selling their food - a lot of people live in the Middle East who would buy from them - Egypt and Turkey and Qatar for sure I would think. 

Hamas is the problem. A reinforced Hamas that gets away with sending 12 rockets at the Kerem Shalom Crossing is not acceptable. It was a slap in the face to give them such a cease fire (changed from the one that Israel saw) after they bombed Kerem Shalom. Hamas have to be prevented from being reinforced hence the 600 trucks should not happen. Just what is absolutely necessary should go in after inspection and the new pier can provide 2 million meals a day just have to get that going. And the seeds will grow quickly this is a warm climate there!

First day of cleaning accomplished and the Introduction completed

In between cleaning times I read the Chapter of Joshua. That was needed to do the lecture entitled "The Untold Story of the Conquest" which marks the end of the Introduction (first six lectures).  I must say as a young child the early chapters of the Old Testament were hard for me to understand or perhaps I didn't want to understand them. But with this lecture now in my mind I have a better understanding of the times than I had previously. Perhaps I needed to look at it through the microscope of science which I have never really done although I do think in terms of God and Science but more general and philosophical until I started working on DNA from a genetic genealogist point of view. This is the only recorded story of a people (the family from which Israel (the nation created by the twelve sons of Jacob) descended had, over time, gradually fallen away from a stern adherence to the laws of God  (the left or the right as Joshua and Moses both described a pattern of not obeying God's laws)). But archaeologically speaking, and the lecture does say this, the actual fact was that these lands (these promised lands) were actually vacant - were these the lands that belonged to Jacob and his twelve sons before they went to Egypt? It was the sons of Jacob who were in Egypt and later slaves there and they had gone there at the time of a famine 400 years earlier where their brother Joseph protected and cared for them. Was the Promised Land the land that God promised to bring his people back to actually the land they had occupied 400 years earlier and for time immemorial? Since the Canaanites were descendant also of Noah, I am curious about that. It is fascinating and I look forward to the next lecture which will be the body of the lecture series having completed the Introduction. Adherence to the Deuteronomic Laws was compulsory to be part of Israel; we see that in the chapters of Deutoronomy and Joshua as mentioned in the lecture. However, living along side of people who were not members of this Community was permitted and did actually happen (they were not all eliminated). Ruth was, after all a Moabite. Plus they were bringing the bones of Jacob back and it would make sense that they return the patriarch of the family to his own land to be interred.

Putting on my DNA hat now; it was perhaps even encouraged to maintain the gene pool so that people marrying into the not closely related community would be an asset (think of Ruth a Moabite) in order to minimize the effect of a smaller and smaller gene pool from just one family line (cousins marrying cousins) albeit there were twelve sons and this was 400 years later. Interesting really. So weighing both the scientific knowledge and the archaeological knowledge with the Bible which was written in the time and place of the events or much closer to them, one can perhaps better understand what the Bible is telling us. Items were much more black and white in these early times and one couldn't move from the Deutoronomic Laws and remain part of the community. The necessity of protecting and increasing the gene pool is also very important for all generations and the continuation of God's creation. Fascinating really. But the most important part of these lectures tells us the story of a family in ancient times; their squabbles, their support for each other but mostly their love for God which sustained them through the generations to the present. There is also that hint that you are only closely related to your first cousin which I found to be the thoughts of my second cousins in England although we both enjoyed meeting each other. My grandfather's (and my father) thoughts that the peoples of the British Isles were descended from one of the Lost Tribes of Israel continues to pop up in my thoughts on occasion. Perhaps it was the ancient Churches of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales that makes me think about that and the ancient ceremonies that they celebrated which gradually gave way to Christianity and then union with the Church of Rome.

Looking forward to the  next lecture for sure but I think I might read a couple of chapters in the Bible to prepare myself for the lecture. We will be looking at Jerusalem. I feel as if there needs to be a slide in there telling you what to do to prepare for each lecture. Although watching them twice works very well also since I am not an Old Testament Biblical scholar by any means.  

I also watched part of the new Neanderthal film on Netflix. Excellent work and will watch again and re-watch for sure. But I also want to watch the B1 lecture in the Untold Story of the Kingdom of Judah. Plus I need to read Judges and perhaps 1st and 2nd Kings Chapters in the Bible. Plus I do need to do some work on my books. Life is very busy. The human brain is always meant to be in learning mode and it is incumbent on each and every one of us to be learning and working. My Latin is progressing well and I find it easier to read the old records these days. 

Teatime and Latin and then the whole day of cleaning and my cleaning week will be complete.

And cleaning begins the week once again

Monday and it is cloudy but it is a cleaning day and the basement is the first order of business. Setting up the robot is a treat really although I could make better use of it than just the basement rug. But that would mean that I would carry it up and down the stairs and I really find the regular vacuum faster to do the wood floors. It doesn't vacuum the stairs so not helpful to do that but I do like that it does such a good job on the basement carpet and I didn't have to do it. 

Yesterday I did watch the next part of the Untold Story of the Kingdom of Judah but the day flew by and I did not watch it the second time so maybe today I will do that. I had a feeling as I watching that I should reread Joshua and perhaps I will do that between bouts of cleaning today and then watch the lecture again. I saw this interesting Youtube video on Pilgrims and the Cathedrals in England. It was mostly in the south and we had gone to a number of the cathedrals in the south including Winchester and so I watched that and it was very well done and a good memory jogger as I had quite enjoyed those times which included being with my cousin Ivan as we had traveled about in our Knight-Blake areas together in 2008. We share our Blake-Knight great grandparents. It was a wonderful treat to spend time with him and mostly he talked (as I tend to be a listener rather than a talker) and I learned all sorts of interesting bits of history although my grandfather being one of the oldest in the family and his grandfather the youngest he had less of the history that I had learned probably because the wife of John Blake (our mutual 2x great grandparents) passed away when he was still quite young and so he did not hear those stories. Interesting really what passes down in a family. 

Other than that it was a good exercise day including running, weight lifting, yoga, walking, calisthenics and all in the confines of my house because it was pouring with rain. I went to Church on You-Tube and it was an interesting service mostly prayer which I rather liked and lots of singing. I do miss the singing for sure and they make it easy putting the words up on the you tube video although I do have the Book of Common Praise (the new Church of England hymn book) which I could use. 

Right now the world could use a lot of prayer, less clutter on the campuses as this is a special time of year when students graduate. The events of 7 October last were barbaric and totally unacceptable. It has been a year since of spoiling by the Palestinians (who cheered Hamas for committing the murderous barbaric acts against the Israeli people and continue to hold more than 100 hostages in inhumane conditions) and their sycophants as they spoiled Christmas, interrupted Easter and continue on their wrecking process which has absolutely no effect on the governing of our institutions or country. What they have to say we will listen but they are wrong; their rendition of history is wrong. Their continued constant whining and over use of the generosity of the world is annoying. Time to grow up, be adults in the room, grow your own food and create industries in that beautiful piece of land that you have in Gaza. Since the kindness of the world is being used to fund Hamas' war on Israel then it is time to shut that down forever. You are making a mess of the university campuses and it will cost a lot of money to repair all of that. Go home, write it all down, blog it but stop cluttering up the streets and common places that belong to everybody; stop ruining everybody's day and make a life for yourselves that doesn't ruin everyone else's life. 2100 signatures by U of T alumni is not very impressive (there are probably that many Palestinians who have graduated, we are a generous people), there are millions of graduates of the U of T. But still we mourn the loss of all those children in Gaza; children do not choose to live in a war zone.

Well on to the day before I get started on Russia. One tires of the abusive dictators of this world and wishes that they would all be gone. They create all the sadness in this world. The children would have a much happier life. Listening to the little ones on the TV running around in the tent area in Rafah the other day was a testament to that. It was quiet, no bombs dropping. Release the hostages now Hamas. Stop wasting the goodness of the world. 

Teatime and latin soon enough.

Good work day

 I was outside for about five minutes yesterday (definitely not an outside person unless I am running or kayaking (and gardening in my old age)). Overall it was a successful working day and I am into the census. Actually I have a couple of other Pincombe lines that are extensive besides my own and will drag them in once I have improved their footnoting ability. Because I match these lines with autosomal DNA I have their trees. The matches are not huge as they are fifth cousins or more but where we match is the important part as I have a list of chromosome lengths that appear to be Pincombe through the ages. 

I did watch the television a little as I wanted to complete The Story of Moses on Netflix. This has been a particularly good series. I did not watch the entire 6th lecture  for The Untold Story of the Kingdom of Judah and may do that today. This is Sunday and I tend not to work on Sunday and so could watch it twice easily. The beginning was very interesting as the Bible does say that the inhabitants of Canaan were defeated totally by Israel but historically the area that the Israeli people moved into was mostly unoccupied and the Canaanite settlements remained for the most part. That was very interesting. But this series has emphasized that the Bible was the story of a family (the family of Israel as it came to be called) and families can remember differently on occasion as compared to the actual historical record. The Canaanites, from a Biblical viewpoint, were the descendants of Noah through his grandson Ham. Although Noah was said to have walked and talked with God some of his descendant lines had moved away from God and worshiped idols. The Bible is a fascinating read and one of these days I will read it again from beginning to end. It has been a few years since I did that. This lecture series reminds me again that we, as humans, have much that makes us alike rather than different. 

The University student encampments are demanding divestment of investments in Israel. Personally I wish they would sit down and read the history and maybe then they will understand the actual truth. I would love to see the university students help the Rohingyas. Their cause is so fragile and needs so much support. 500 trucks a day into Gaza; one does wonder what was in those trucks and interesting the amount of armaments in Gaza that Hamas smuggled in (how much food other items did they sell!). Cease-fire, release all the hostages and then the rebuilding can begin. But this time there needs to be farms created; industries created. Universities can come later when the land is productive and supporting the population and no longer a people dependent on the United Nations. Perhaps Jordan or Qatar could set up and manage Muslim schools where the children learn skills and true history etc. That hard earned money from people around the world needs to go to people like the Rohingyas. 

It would be nice if the students here would stop making a mess of the campuses (these universities are publicly funded and we will have to pay to have them repaired) so that convocation can be the wonderful event it is meant to be in student's lives and not spoiled by a few. Write it down; we will read what you have to say about Gaza but we will also read and do know the actual true history. Sadness and tears for the dead children of Gaza; they were not combatants. They surely did not wish to be in a war zone. There was a short blip on the news yesterday where the children were running and playing in Rafah around the tents; they were laughing - laughter is wonderful to hear. Too bad they are not here where they could live a normal life and be safe until the country is rebuilt and they can go back home to their families. All they need is a DNA test if they are just 2 to 8 years of age and there are hundreds of thousands of them.

As usual Hamas has no interest in peace; they have destroyed one of the crossings in Israel (Kerem Shalom) through which food has entered while Hamas leaders are in Egypt pretending to be interested in peace. Hamas' demand; Israel get out of Gaza. The demand of the world should be that Hamas get out of Gaza (Hamas costs the world too much money). Hamas is greedy and has no interest in the Palestinian people; just money for Hamas and trying to commit genocide against the Jewish people. Hamas should be put on a treeless island in the middle of the ocean and food dropped to them regularly (and occasional new clothes).

Sunday, God's day and Church online once again - St Jude on the Hill, Hampstead Garden Suburb (of London). A modern Church consecrated 7 May 1911. The Vicar's son in 1940 Michael Rennie died of exhaustion as he rescued a number of evacuee children from the ship "the City of Benares" (torpedoed on its way to Canada in 1940). War is always cruel (Hamas caused this war) and should be avoided; that is why we created the United Nations. We didn't create it to support people who should be able to grow their own food and build their own industries. Time for change for sure - Hamas obviously does not know how to run a country since there has not been any progress in Gaza since they arrived (no food grown, no industry created); indeed Hamas has taken Gaza into a war with another country purely for greed (primarily for Hamas!).

Tea time and Latin to begin the day.

A few challenges

I have finally settled into a methodology and I will extract the census for Pincomb/Pincombe/Pencomb/Pencombe/Pyncomb/Pyncombe/Pinkham and that is in process. I was resistant initially to going for that right away but it is probably a good method. It is the way that I worked on the Siderfin family but I know more about Pincombe but when I really contemplate it I know more about my Pincombe line coming down from John Pincombe and Mary Charly. I moved that entire family line from my family legacy file to the One-Name Pencombe family that I created a few months ago. I know that is has been verified from Robert (second youngest son of this couple) down to my stopping point which is my mother. She will appear in the book and the cut-off will be primarily anyone on the 1911 census although she was born a little later than that. If I know a birth up to 1920 then I will enter it otherwise not. I will maintain the 100 year rule that we use here in Canada. 

So my task today is census and I have already worked on the first name and will continue doing that. It is going smoothly as the census generally does. I think I found it intriguing to work through mysteries and got distracted by that but this is more efficient. 

Looks like rain and next week I hope to finish the garden bed at the front putting in fresh soil as I can see all the plants up now pretty much except for the hosta but if it is a warm rain today that will be up as well. I did not remove the old vegetation it will sit under the fresh earth and rot to feed the plant. That appears to be the principle of regenerative gardening and I like it actually. I do have to weed although those beds are not too weedy in actual fact. 

Other than that I must make some more chocolate muffins as my date squares have all been eaten and enjoyed greatly. I do like date squares. I should make a tray of them as I think they probably freeze since I can not eat an entire tray that quickly. Will think about doing that. It is sort of  fun to start my day with tea and a sweet cake one might say especially chocolate. I must eat all my chocolate by noon or it will wake me up early - all that caffeine. 

Nearly time to lift weights so back to the census. Already the fourth of May, the month will pass quickly. 

Teatime and Latin done long ago now.

Another lackidasical day

I thought a lot yesterday and watched the 5th lecture again in The Untold Story of the Kingdom of Judah. It is a fascinating lecture series and I will move forward to the 6th lecture I think today. It just wasn't a working day but perhaps today I will spend some time working on the Find My Past records for the Pencombe family. 

I also need to get out and do some yard work. I would like to complete the front garden bed this next week. Then the back yard which is a huge task but we should accomplish it all in two weeks I think including the planting. Time will tell. 

Other than that I am somewhat glued to the television as  we wait on Hamas to do the right thing; accept the cease fire and release all the hostages as they should have been more than three months ago and the International Court of Justice said unconditionally. The world is saddened at the loss of all that young life in Gaza - it is disturbing to see that happen. Children do not cause wars but they suffer the most. 

The youth in Canada at the universities have yet to live their lives. They must learn to let history rule their thoughts rather than the events of the moment. There should not be any Palestinians teaching in our schools. Their warped view of history is detrimental to themselves and our youth. The Palestinian attitude, celebrating October 7 (a day of barbarity and butchery against the people of Israel), is totally unacceptable. 

The day awaits and there is, as always, much to do.

May Day and my grandparents

May Day I always especially remember my grandparents. Celebrated in the British Isles and Europe as a major holiday, May Day was also a memory my father would share from his memory of life in Eastleigh, Hampshire where he grew up (he was nine years of age when he came to Canada with his mother, his father had come six months earlier to set up house for them). He would tell us about dancing around the may-pole. It was this lovely day that everyone shared in. It is like a breath of fresh air here as it does tend to mark the end of winter and usher in those warm spring days (albeit we could still have snow!). 

I did manage to get the Kipp Family Newsletter published; that was interesting that I thought it was time for the Pincombe-Pinkham Newsletter (1st of June is the next). But when I brought up the template I realized it was actually not due for another month and so worked on the Kipp Newsletter. It was just two pages as I will only discuss the yDNA results now for the Kip family of New Amsterdam/New York from which my husband descended. I decided not to put out an issue of the H11 Newsletter; I will do two issues this year - one completed already the 1st of February and the next will be the 1st of August. 

I re-watched the fifth introductory you tube video on the Untold Story of the Kingdom of Judah. It is a very heavy educational lecture which looks at the ancient Nation of Israel from the Biblical information, the archaeological information and the written historical information. I will watch it a third time just to make sure I did not miss anything before I move forward to the sixth lesson of the introduction. The Old Testament part of the Bible is really the story of the family that walked and talked with God.  It is a family story and like all family stories the flow is not always uniform and there are different writers but overall the picture is the story that was handed down from generation to generation and is a gift of the Hebrew people to the world. There are none to few other written records that could provide us with so much detail on the very ancient world that our ancestors lived in. But it remains a family story in those early chapters of the Bible. This series is exceptional in its depth and breadth of discussion and I really appreciate that the original lecture series (produced by Dr Lipschits) has been translated from the Hebrew to English by Professor Oded Lipschits of Tel Aviv University in Israel. It will take me quite a while to watch the entire set of lectures but then it does generally take an entire semester or perhaps two to work through all of these lectures. 

Today is a Pencombe-Pinkham research day and I continue extracting information from Find My Past. It will take me several months I expect and I am going slowly as I work my way through each record placing it where I can readily relocate it for linking purposes. I always contemplate whether I should do this on paper but I do have the charts from the earlier study to look at as I am working away. Although I do not agree always with these charts (my own line is incorrect) they are a good start discussing the family. That is more than there was before the two researchers started for sure and each researcher that follows will increase the depth and breadth of the study. Certainly I am sure that others will follow my work, dissect it and make changes/corrections. I thank them for it as that is the purpose of research to refine, improve and correct. 

It is time to think about tea and latin.

Today, the Kipp Newsletter

 Yesterday was totally a cleaning day and I really did not do very much else. I always find two days off from so much reading is good for my eyes. I did watch Question Period and that was really rather strange - I felt like I was watching the European Parliament where tempers do flare at times. It just seemed so unlike the usual in Parliament. I do like pleasant discourse in Parliament for sure but election time is coming and the clock is ticking for sure. Am I influenced by what happens in front of the camera - not overly. I can be irritated but Pierre Poilivere is young and I will give him a little more of a pass than I might otherwise. He can feel power and it is interesting watching that effect on him. I do not like it that he associated with "white" nationalists in a way that looked a bit too chummy perhaps. I would like a clearer statement from him on their (white nationalists) radical views. Surely the population of "white" nationalists is not sufficient to affect the election. I was very much in favour of them being turfed out of Ottawa in what I considered a very considerate and professional process. 

But then I am not in favour of sit-ins of any kind that disrupt. Write it down; publish it but do not congregate in large numbers and insult or threaten those around you. If you have a point to make then make it; I will listen but at 78.5 years I have lived a lot of history now and will weigh everything based on that history not on the moment. Mistakes get made and the best way to solve them is to back off; accept the wrongs that have been committed and then we can move ahead with a discussion on how to solve problems - they are not solved by inconveniencing the world around you. The youth needs to learn that. Especially now when they are totally outnumbered by these adults which is the world which they will enter - we have lived a long history you should listen to us and not people who use the moment to gain influence. The lies that are being circulated are unacceptable; they do not hold up in the light of history. What does hold up is this enormous loss of life in Gaza which was preventable - Hamas remains totally at fault. That the Palestinians even around the world appeared to be aware of this event (the brutal barbaric attack on Israel 7th October last) prior to it happening is unacceptable and the loss of all those children is a pain that the world bears but we do know where to lay all of that responsibility and it is with Hamas and those who support them. The hostages must be released immediately and unconditionally as declared by the International Court of Justice more than three months ago. There is huge sympathy for the people of Gaza but we will not abandon the Jewish peoples both worldwide and within our own country. Hamas continues to threaten the Jewish people constantly (they have not taken back their desire to commit genocide against the Jewish people); the Jewish people have a right to life and property too; they are an ancient people on their own lands. Release all  the hostages Hamas, now!

Actually today is the Kipp Newsletter; I was a month ahead of myself - Pincombe-Pinkham Newsletter is the first of June. So much going on around that I did make that mistake; one must concentrate on what the order is. Not actually sure what I will put into the Kipp Newsletter at this moment in time. It will be just two pages likely but I will see if there is anything new in the y-DNA on the FT DNA site. I have moved forward quite quickly as I have ascertained that my husband published everything  he planned to publish. It has taken me a while to check that. I do want to publish his PhD Thesis in Chemistry and will do that so it is available if anyone wants a copy. I also plan to publish his collection of wild flowers which is extensive as we traveled about in our youth before children. It was something that interested both of us. But I will maintain the yDNA study of the Kip family of New York/Amsterdam into the future now that I have done the Y-700 test on his yDNA. There is a lot to learn these days as more and more information comes forward taking us back in time to look at the evolution of the Kip family from which he descends. 

It is also the publication date for the H11 Newsletter and I will contemplate whether or not I will publish a second issue, third issue and fourth issue for this year's volume. The day is ahead of me whilst I think about that. I will do a second issue in three months time. There are a couple of new members on the site but I do not do that collection until the 1st of February. There isn't any new news on H11 (other than the fact that the war against Ukraine which Russia started and continues probably kills quite a few H11 people). It is a haplogroup found in both countries.

Lots of rain and I think the grass is growing I must go out and have a look. Latin finished, tea drank and breakfast even completed. The day begins in God's world; we should rejoice and be glad in it. Thank you God for the gift of life itself.