Lawns all cut

The lawns are all cut once again and that was a huge amount of work yesterday. July tends to be dry and hot so not a lot of growing for a few weeks perhaps time will tell. Some weeding but still more to do there. Everything done that I wanted to accomplish except for sweeping the front porch and patio and weeding the patio bricks. Perhaps I will accomplish that next week along with other weeding. The hostas though are really effective in keeping the weeds down. Not being a gardener by nature all of this is new knowledge that I probably did not really want to acquire very badly! Moving is always bright and fresh in my mind and one of these days that will happen all in its own time. 

Some work on the matches but not very much perhaps a little more today. This last sibling will be more work because I have left a number of the likely endogamy in abeyance waiting to make a decision on whether to include all of that information in the database or not. What do I gain from doing that as I have some good matches in the Knight/Arnold/Butt/Ellis lines? That is really the purpose in all of that to collect data that I do not have and reinforce what I do but if what I have is adequate then the reinforcement just seems like extraneous work. 

Another warm day although just 15 degrees celsius at 7:00 a.m. The house was cool last evening and I do not think the air conditioning came on at all yesterday although the dehumidifier does as it is humid a bit. Humidity is new to this area to last decade or so but it was very humid some days in southwestern Ontario when I was a child. 

Lots of discussion on the forward movement of our national energy project and looking forward to new work being done there. Canada is a huge country and our population is supporting that forward growth for sure with 85% of the people voting for this forward motion setting us up as a powerhouse by the end of this century. When one is nearly 80 though I guess my thoughts tend to be shorter term although not actually; it is fun to think about what this world will be like at 2100. It has so much potential to be a wonderful welcoming place but always ready to defend itself against aggression. I wonder some days how the Rohingyas are doing.  Their struggle has been long and silent in many ways but much more traumatic than anywhere else in the world except perhaps Ukraine. They have led an honest upright life not trying to take away from anyone just living their lives as best as they are able. They have accepted an unfair loss of their lands and moving on to just have a better life. They would be good candidates to live in Canada really more so than people who hate. Haters we do not need. 

The Prime Minister continues to be calm and collected in his dealings with both the provinces and externally. I think that calmness is good for Canada and yet he is forceful in protecting us. The increase in expenditure for the military is long awaited and will stand us in good stead and it is a great employer of people as well. 

Drinking tea and solitaire games are next. Then yoga and breakfast. I will decide today on the one section of the Blake Newsletter - whether I leave it in or remove it. One of the new Y-700 tests is a perfect match with another in the East Anglia data and the country report has one an American and one from the UK. It remains still not enough data really to make a strong statement but it is interesting because the Blake family of East Anglia was said to be the ancestral line of Blake that went to the American colonies and settled in Hampton, New Hampshire around 1650.  There is another Y-700 test in that set of data as well but it does not match. However, I do believe there are a couple of distinct Blake lines in the Norfolk/Suffolk/London area in the 1300s which may account for the difference. Genealogy is interesting but sometimes one must be slower rather than quicker expressing any concrete ideas on lineage but recording the data is very important. 

A huge shopping day

Yesterday was a huge shopping day although I started off the day picking raspberries mid morning. Not too many yet but they are coming along nicely. The birds have eaten about 50% of the red currants which they love it would appear along with the gooseberries. I should pick them but really watching them enjoy eating the little red and purple berries is much more fun as these are pretty seedy berries and mostly just good for making juice for various dishes or making jellies which I do not eat. Although I made hundreds of jars of jam (and perhaps even more) through the years I do not have a sweet tooth and it was my husband mostly who ate all that sugar so when I went back to work outside the home in 1994 I stopped making jams and jellies for the most part as it wasn't actually good for him to have all that sugar as he was by then in his early 50s. I didn't tell him that I just said I wasn't a martyr and could not maintain that sort of life style when I worked full time! 

But off to the market for the newest vegetables in our area (these outdoor markets are wonderful that the farmers set up around the city) and then picking up some items at a specialty food store that I am fond of (namely frozen Canadian blueberries) but a few other goodies and then to the grocery store where I had a huge load to buy this week. By the time I reach the grocery store I am a bit tired; my nearly 80 years are showing. When I am on my own then I spread out any trips but my daughter drives me and has a busy schedule with her research and so I just fit into the pattern. Plus I just shop occasionally on my own for sure; I am not a shopper. Then out to buy some other items once all the food was stored away that were perishable. Our shopping all accomplished we had a lovely meal of fresh meatballs (made by our hands), a lovely potato salad also made by us and fresh asparagus (likely the last meal of that locally). Along with fresh vegetables on the side it was a perfect meal. 

In the morning I worked on the matches and Page 2 is nearly complete and will work on Page 3 today. I am at 210 new matches to work into the database once I get through all of this data collecting. Many of these are significant because they demonstrate the endogamy I knew was there but needed a solid concentration of my British cousins to really see it well. This sibling is more like me with an even number of results from the four grandparent lines rather than a heavy double percentage of Pincombe matches to the other three. I did not inherit nearly as much Pincombe as the rest although this sibling did actually just proportionally they fell different from the others. There are more individual matches to this sibling which I also knew from the other testing companies. But in general we are all good matches with each other and well within the range given for siblings. I am picking up quite a few of the suspicious ones which were mostly endogamy with so many lengths of chromosome between six and twelve centimorgans with many of the samples having one length of six to nine and one of twelve to fifteen along with four to five between four and six centimorgans. This collection of up to 70 centimorgans on occasion could be seen to be Blake but having all five sets together to look at helped to marrow it down to one of the great grandparent lines a little easier. That is the thought with all this new data that I am using all the companies phase our great grandparents in a meaningful proveable way. 

I did pull some weeds as I was picking raspberries and that is something I need to do a little more of to let the flowers have room to flower this year. On the one side no problem the hostas take over most of the ground and the weeds are minimized but on the other the weeds just keep coming back - they are hardy for sure. The lawns need cutting and today looks good for that - sunny but not too warm just 14 degrees celsius at 7 a.m.

I must admit to being a bit impatient to see shovels in the ground for the pipelines and ports and more industry being created here in Canada but it all does take time and our trade is going well between provinces getting that set up. I am looking forward to seeing more foods from the provinces on the shelves in the stores. Canada is a huge country with lots of ability to do well and unleashing it will take a bit of time for sure.  I still think that the American car companies should just incorporate their businesses as Canadian here and break their ties with their American businesses other than the sharing that can exist between compatible industries. That way they will continue to produce cars for sale here in Canada and we do buy a lot of cars. Since our car (Dodge Caravan) has just over 30,000 km in five years I obviously do not represent most of Canadians but in our younger days we generally put 15,000 to 20,000 km per year on our car. But I scarcely drive it on my own just the grocery store and to the garage to change the tires twice a year and have the usual oil changes and the like done to it. But there are a lot of young people in Canada and it is really a rite of passage here to get your driver's license at 18 now (used to be 16 for a permanent license but times have changed and one does need to ensure that one thoughts are always on careful driving on the roads) and then buy a car and still live at home and go to school. The laneways are full of cars for every house. But it is the choice of the American manufacturers for sure; the Auto Pact has cost particularly Ontario taxpayers a lot of money these past sixty plus years and even if they leave it will continue to cost us money because of promises made. We do tend to be a punishing lot Canadians and will not generally purchase foreign cars but only cars made in Canada with Canadian materials. At 41 million we are a large market  to lose for sure. 

Drinking my lemon ginger tea (one of these days back to green tea but I do not need the caffeine at the moment!) and on to solitaire puzzles. Then yoga and breakfast and the lawns! 

I did complete the Blake Newsletter but still debating the small writeup on the new Big Y-700 results in the East Anglia group. I will probably release it early next week.  

Some research, some shopping

A busy day that saw some research accomplished and some shopping accomplished. I am looking for a new desktop computer as Windows 10 draws it last breaths. I want basically what I have now but with Windows 11 and we toured about looking at various computers. I have a couple of months to decide. I do not need a new monitor nor do I need any of the other attachments as I bought a new keyboard (this is the third one now since the original that came with the computer. We will see what comes with them these days given that my tablet came without a power pack to fit into a socket! I will be even more questioning this time than the last. 

So onto the second page of matches with the fifth sibling and a little work on the Blake Newsletter. Still not completed but soon hopefully and perhaps today it is going to rain. Raspberries to pick as well and the sunflowers are doing well; that is the only item that we planted this year. There is just too much shadow in the back yard to have a good garden. 

Discussing the books in our coffee break I am still in the midst of Blake and Pincombe and will be for another two to three years I anticipate (I am coming up on one year in January although I did pretty much set it aside until now when I am beginning the generational tables coming down. The starting point for Blake is fairly easy although I would be exciting to start in the 1300s it will likely be the 1500s. The starting point for Pincombe not so easy as I need to make a decision on whether to write up the Pencombe family in Herefordshire as known to me and then this likely family of Pencombe coming with John Lord Zouch to North Molton in 1486 (perhaps as an accompaniment chosen by the King I am suspecting rather than as a loyal retainer). Given that John Pencombe received land at North Molton one is tempted to think that the King was the one who was involved in that rather than John Lord Zouch who was attainted. It does give a different sort of look to John Pencombe than I had formerly. 

Tea drank, solitaire puzzles to do and then breakfast but first yoga.  

Happy July 4th to my American cousins.  

Canada Strong

 It was beautiful to watch Canada Strong on the Hill yesterday. The young people came out in droves in both the capacity of audience and the show leaders. The Prime Minister is dearly loved by the populace; he just fits into the scene so perfectly. It was very pleasant to have the Duke of Edinburgh at our Canada Day as well - a beautiful touch for sure and he brought good wishes from the King. The King is lucky with his support from these two siblings - Princess Anne and Prince Edward. They do him great service and especially here in Canada yesterday. Thank you to the King for sure. The Governor General did a magnificent task in her capacity as well and much appreciated. 

I was happy to sit at home and watch it all on the television. I will always remember my grandfather watching the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. He was so intent; full of information about the service as the hours passed and he never left that set really nor did I for the most part although just seven years of age I could tell by the way my grandfather was so glued to that TV that this was a momentous happening in our world and so it was. Elizabeth II became one of the most celebrated women in the world and loved by many. 

Canada Strong and with our population now at 41 million we will succeed and support our population and this huge landmass preserving it for the future as well as the present so that all the world may benefit from the goodness of Canada. The bombing of the fireworks carried on well past ten o'clock last night but we had a lot to celebrate as we have made it through these past six months together and supportive of each other. The few with their separation ideas are just that a few; Canada needs all of her people to be the great nation she is to become. When the Founders of Confederation bought Rupert's Land with Canadian taxpayer money it was for a purpose; to unite all of the royal colonies now provinces of the new Canada (Turtle Island) and to provide a link to British Columbia far off on the Pacific Coast and we did it and for a young nation to build the railroad coast to coast we did well. Thank you to the Founders and all those hard working people who actually did the work on the railroad that made it so. 

Yesterday matching for the fifth sibling and then the task will be complete; just have to maintain it by checking in on matches regularly. I like the setup on Living DNA and the ease with which you can move between siblings in matches. I like the ability to quickly copy all of the data into my spreadsheet but others also do have that ability. And of course with my 100% British inheritance of DNA having so many UK testers is really great. The endogamy that I knew existed is very clear there with a number of people matching in the over 50 cM range with so many little pieces all of them looking like Knight/Arnold/Butt/Ellis or Routledge/Routledge and there are some Blake in there that are interesting for sure. But that endogamy is a long way back although there are a couple of stubborn chromosomes that make their way through the generations. 

The Blake Newsletter still in the writing process; yesterday didn't seem like a day to do that and so will return to it today along with extraction of matches. Cleaning all accomplished for another week. Back to walking and kayaking. A lovely summer and July is probably going to be a very warm month. 

Tea drank, solitaire puzzles completed and breakfast is next but first yoga.  

 

Happy Canada Day

Happy Canada day, land of my birth and the home in my heart, I will always love Canada to the depth of my soul. The daily Bible Reading again caught my thoughts first thing this morning. The reading from  Colossians 3: 1-17 but the part that most remains with me after reading:

Each one of you is part of the body of Christ, and you were chosen to live together in peace. So let the peace that comes from Christ control your thoughts. And be grateful. Let the message about Christ completely fill your lives, while you use all your wisdom to teach and instruct each other. With thankful hearts, sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. Whatever you say or do should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, as you give thanks to God the Father because of him.

These words were written two thousand years ago in a world that was different and yet so very alike our own. The words were directed at a small group of people in actual fact but read by the millions as the years have passed. Greed and Hate still dominate in this world and must be gone for us to have peace. As the centuries have passed the Christian religion developed in some areas of the world; in other areas it was Islam and still others different ideas dominated but always with the love of the Creator in mind it does appear as we read the ancient signs left by peoples and the stories passed down in the different areas of the world. 

 To Canada, land of the free and our desire is that it always should be. The land of the First Peoples and we are grateful to them for accepting us to live in the lands of their forebearers. May we ever live together loving the country of Canada (Turtle Island to the First Peoples) and forever embrace their love of the land and take it to ourselves - to protect and nurture this land the Creator has given to us.  The land is what is important; we must care for it and cultivate it and protect it. 

Yesterday cleaning of the top floor completed and today it is the main floor and the basement. Like the birds in the air we clean the space around us to make living easier and simpler.  

 I completed the fourth siblings matching extracting and started into the fifth sibling's matches. No surprises as we continue to have as our best match outside of our family circle a young man in New Zealand. His large match is a result of endogamy in the Knight lines that we both carry as we share Ellis Knight and his wife Eleanor (Knight) Knight (my 3x great grandparents) and John Blake and his wife Ann (Farmer) Blake (my 2x great grandparents). The path is an interesting one for sure but it is his shared matches that point the way it would appear. His wife first wrote to me more than ten years ago now but the actual individual that is the father of this young man remains as likely rather than absolute. Life can be strange. With my father an only child ( these matches are on the paternal side) and my grandfather coming to Canada in 1913 with his wife and my father and none of them ever returning to England the relationship had to be sought elsewhere and endogamy rules the waves one might say. Where it occurs surprises in length follow. 

So today more cleaning and more extracting as I work my way towards the project of re-phasing my grandparents using this new data from Living DNA along with the file of Known matches with 2nd, 3rd and fourth cousins although principally 2nd and 3rd cousins. I do know there are a couple of inconsistencies that I keep track of to perhaps solve with this new set of data. Time will tell.

 I look forward to shovels in the ground to build pipelines and ports to deliver the oil to the world, our industries bought up/closed by free trade once again developing and flourishing. We are a different country from the 1960s when the Auto Pact was first signed and then in the 1980s when Free Trade began; we are nearly twice as large and we are like a new country on this day of our birth as the Dominion of Canada now stretching from Atlantic Ocean to Pacific Ocean to the Arctic Ocean surrounded on all three sides by the oceans of the world. God Bless Canada. Forever free.