Eavestrough all cleaned and repaired

 The individual who came and fixed my eavestrough that had pulled away and was looking to come down in early April today cleaned out the eavestrough and made repairs that were needed. He did a great job I must say and very quick and efficient. My husband always took great care of the house and could make minor repairs to anything really so I did not know a lot of people who did repair work and cleaning. But the house insurance company (and car) have a company that does pretty much anything that needs fixing around the house. It is a great addition especially for a person like me. My daughters can do a lot but repair and such is too much of their time and my son in law is also very busy. 

Summer has come and soon out kayaking. The parking pass is ready to go in the car making going kayaking really easy - parking passes are great and really the cost quite minimal for the summer as we tend to go most days. I walk and my daughter kayaks and that works very well. I need the walking outside where it is uneven because the floors are all level where I do most of my walking through the winter months. 

Some work on the matches and now down to just  seven to assign to the various data bases and review the trees if there are any. I now have Microsoft 365 as my old version was Microsoft 2016 and I have meant to subscribe for awhile now but I want to use copilot as my AI working on my databases. It really looks just the same Word, Powerpoint, Excel and Access and all the files easily come across from the 2016 version to the 365. I think there will be interesting combinations using AI to work on the great grandparent phasing. For many of the kits I have extracted the matches in common plus I have my set of chromosome charts that shown the known cousins and also the dataset that goes with that. I am ready to begin the Genealogical Charting although will produce it in Legacy and can drag the various lines into the chart as I create it to save on a lot of typing. Although I must admit I continue being able to type at 100 or better words per minute. 

I noted that the tariff on mushrooms is 3% which did surprise me and is kinder to the Americans who buy them for sure. I think it may be unrealistic to think anything particularly will be tariff free under this new idea of how to conduct business between countries being showcased by the United States. A much larger economy which imports from other countries does have quite a sway in controlling trade and the tariffs that they place on incoming goods particularly when they want to regrow industries in their own country (we have been tariffed by pretty much every President in the United States for quite a while for various items particularly though softwood lumber). The same goes for us really as a middle economic unit country in the world although I like the idea of free trade although tend to think of it as buying items that I cannot buy produced in my own country. We also need to get back to making items like toasters (this one I bought is okay but cheap in quality and will not last for a long period). If I pay $60 for a toaster I expect it to last longer but given the fragility of the product that is unlikely although I will try to be gentle with it. But I like toast and eat at least one slice a day or more so it gets used a lot. My vacuum wore out after thirty years so now I am using the washed up Shop Vac as I wait for a vacuum to be made in my country. I am determined on that issue. It sounds like a rocket taking off but I will keep using it as it will probably last forever; it is a very basic construction with no bells and whistles. Long life is likely its way and will probably outlive me! It is made to do hard work and pick up just about anything. We simply do not make enough small engine/motor items in this country as all of these industries were either out competed or bought out by American companies who then took the production of these items offshore from their own workers crippling their own economy and  making just a few people rich instead of benefiting their own people. 

Do rich people think of countries anymore though or do they only think of themselves as an independent unit running around the world in private airplanes polluting the air and creating havoc in airports with their demands to land when and where they want. No ideas on that particularly other than they should pay huge landing fees and rental fees for storing their airplanes. They are in the way of transportation for the many and should consider that when they use an airport. The many is more important than the few although AI is endangering that principle. They also should pay huge taxes as they cause us to have more policing and more airports and more security and the list is endless. As the economy produces less money for people in countries there will be less spent obviously and eventually people will stop traveling and stop spending but making more items themselves and repairing more items themselves. What goes around comes around eventually for those who have caused this havoc in our world by going offshore with production because they did not want to pay their workmen/workwomen a living wage. But wanted more and more for themselves. The world is no longer a kind place with some countries creating terrorists that they fling on the world everywhere and why - they think it supports some sort of a religious statement.  They are the most dangerous people in the world really or the people who are tribalists like the present Russian hierarchy who believe that they can take over anything that has a Russian living in it (they could just go back to Russia if they are so determined to be Russian)! We will see how the tides flow in the years to come; I may not but the young will. My father used to say that tribalism would destroy our world faster than anything. 

Looking forward to high speed rail actually as that will eliminate this need for huge airports for internal transport of people in their own country. Plus you can hook a few cars on the back and provide rapid delivery of items - a train car can carry tons of material compared to an airplane. 

On the other hand AI will free up people to do work that isn't being done now because of lack of workers. The trades are desperate for tradesmen. The individual who worked on my eavestrough is very knowledgeable on his craft and that is important. The finished product lovely and will last because he took the pains to do all the steps that need doing in order to produce a good finished product. I appreciate that attention to one's particular craft. Trades offer such a variety of experience and talent and the use of one's abilities to create wonderful items and always improving on what has been. There is lots of space in the trades for innovation and creation of new and better items. Really I see that as a purpose for our members of parliament whom we pay huge amounts of money to get out with the youth in their community and encourage them to find work that is needed and you may find your heart's desire is fulfilled by that find. The economy is now glutted with university graduates and it is time to look at the trades for a good future and a healthier one. Sitting in front of a computer for eight hours a day is unhealthy and unimaginative. All of the interesting work of creating methods of working on a computer have been done although there are always improvements I grant you that but 95% of the people who work on computers have no idea of how it functions or how to create new and useful programs. 

Cleaning day and will soon begin the main floor is next and I think I will do the same as yesterday and do the bathroom first and scrub those floors and then vacuum the main floor and then dust. That should see me done around 1ish. I just had my breakfast as I was late today so no rush on that. 

First Solitaire puzzles to waken up the thinking part of the brain.  

 

 

Bishop Peter Coffin

The Dean at Christ Church Cathedral when I first returned to the Anglican Church full time was the now past Bishop Peter Coffin of the Ottawa Diocese. His Ascension Day sermon at Church yesterday was very like his sermons of the past - very instructive and as always the delivery was excellent. It was interesting thirty years later to see him once again in the pulpit. Music, as always, was lovely at Church. As one moves through the seasons of the Church Year we relive once again the glory of God and His gifts to the world. Thank you God. 

Yesterday I brought the number of matches still to be done down to eleven. A slow process as I work through trees looking at the match. All of these matches are somewhat strong and can be placed into the grandparent line rather readily. 

Heavy rain today but the effect is amazing as always. The trees are bursting into leaf before your eyes. The miracle of spring has come once again in full force as the ground gives up its beauty to the surrounding world. We are blessed to live in such a world but our care for it must be always in our minds as we move forward balancing the needs of nature with the needs of people. I believe that the Prime Minister has found that soft spot of benefit for nature and benefit for the people as we move forward in pursuit of making ourselves tariff proof. 

Today is cleaning day and it is the top floor and I shall begin soon. First Solitaire Puzzles to do.  

Interesting editorial in the National Post

 Another very interesting editorial in the National Post yesterday. I read it after I wrote my blog yesterday but did consider writing this  but it was a busy day. I agree with Conrad Black a great deal of the time. Sometimes I do not. 

I think the Governor General position in Canada serves a useful purpose. It means the Prime Minister doesn't have to involve his office in the task of being the chief arm of the Crown in Canada which I think is still an important part of our existence because of the Treaties which were signed particularly during the latter part of the 1800s. The object of the Fathers of Confederation was to seal Canada as a unit from sea to sea to sea. The protection of this huge land mass was very much on their minds and the realization that the First Nations would prefer that status but the potential of it being undermined was very large and could crop up at different times and for different reasons in the future. 

The potential of each region in Canada was largely understood by these foresighted individuals who brought together the four colonies in 1867 and it was no mean feat for sure. Bringing Lower and Upper Canada together was a difficult and huge step. Concessions were made to make it possible and New Brunswick and Nova Scotia were more similar in terms of history and language to Upper Canada but that has changed through the years I must say having traveled a good deal in the Maritimes and Quebec through my many years of traveling with my husband as he searched for his roots was an eye opener. You could watch the march of the French language into Ontario into New Brunswick at a fairly rapid pace since my childhood and indeed all across Canada - it is a good thing in my humble opinion.

Indeed I babysat for a family in my early teens two doors up and that family was from Quebec (transferred by the bank that he worked for in Quebec to London, Ontario) and those children all spoke French but soon learned English. I think they went back to Quebec ultimately but it was possibly the aim to create a more bilingual bank system capable of managing customers from Ontario or the Maritimes or the west as well.

 So I think the Governor General is a necessity in our country (and has been although I would not have chosen some of the Governor Generals who were chosen but we have had some really excellent Governor Generals). At this time and in this place I think the latest choice of our Governor General to be is an excellent one. My only other choice would have been a member of the First Nations because the connection between the Crown and the First Nations is the very basis of our existence as a country from sea to sea to sea. At this moment the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition are both from Alberta in their upbringing with the Prime Minister having experience from Eastern Canada as well as a very world experience in his lifetime of work thus far. So having this French speaking Governor General from Quebec with all of her knowledge of the law (her world knowledge of law particularly apt and is an enormous gift at this time to the people of Canada) is ideal and it was a good choice in my humble opinion. 

But other than that I found his editorial to be timely and lots of good advice. Our view should be outward once again as it was in my childhood - following the Second World War we took in many many people from Europe and particularly Eastern Europe. These people brought us lots of skills and ideas that have helped to make Canada the worldly nation that it is. (As an aside, antisemitism has to disappear from Canada as it is just simply wrong. It hurts us as a people and disturbs our national image of being an accepting people (those causing the events against the Jewish people here in particular take note; if you can not live in our country by our rules then find another home). Our Jewish population has a right to live here without threat and prejudice.) 

Now we just have to get our resources to that world and regain that level of independence that we had when I was a child in the 1940s and 1950s. Becoming a North American market was an interesting idea but we were always getting tariffs slapped on us by earlier presidents as well. We need to diversify our trade and take it to the world where it is wanted and needed. Conrad Black is very right about that. 

A good research day with only fifteen new matches to file away. Today is another beautiful day in God's world and it is Sunday. The sun is shining beautifully and it is already sixteen degrees celsius. A good working in the garden day but first Church and that is soon online. 

 

Busy day not too much done on the matches

 My day yesterday ended up being incredibly busy with little work on the matches as I still have 19 to do. Perhaps today will lead to more matches being accomplished. 

Some time was spent working on a health project that I am involved with which is quite interesting. It involved recall of what I had eaten and all the exercise of which I had partaken the day earlier. The FitBit makes this task quite straightforward actually as it records absolutely everything that I do during a day and a night. I think it is an excellent study and I am happy to be part of it. 

The huge numbers of Baby Boomers (I am actually part of the Quiet Generation born between the end of the Second World War and the beginning of the Baby Boomer generation) have an enormous amount of health information which will benefit the world hugely in the years to come. As a baseline they were born during a period when plastic just wasn't there really in any degree but gradually introduced during their young childhood. Huge changes occurred in how schooling was done as well during this period of the Baby Boomers as the push to go to university dominated over the trades which is an enormous problem now. Health care for all Canadians was introduced during the time period that Baby Boomers existed with no free health care at the beginning and towards the end of the Baby Boomer period free health care was introduced so one gets an interesting picture of the effects of all these happenings examining the health of Baby Boomers in particular because they are such a huge group of people. 

Since I skipped grade four I moved ahead into the group of children born during the war and so the Baby Boomers were two grades behind me  mostly and one observed the effects of this huge group on the schools, on the housing market and on the types of items that were produced and sold due to the effect of this huge child market on the system. 

Canada was a very aggressive country in the 1950s but merging itself into a North American market with trade deals took the edge off of that aggressiveness but the current Prime Minister has brought it back especially with references to our Founding Fathers of Confederation and the earlier heroes of Canada prior to Confederation. 

Whining about affordability (which is a huge problem I realize that) doesn't put food on the table - we need to get the youth working and then affordability problems disappear. Looking forward to the pipeline although I do realize there is a lot of consulting to do on all of that but the playing field has been leveled to make it possible. All of  the projects brought forward are great news for Canada. The Sovereign Wealth Fund is such a good idea and looking forward to more information. Go Canada Go. 

I think if all the members of parliament get out into their constituencies and work with the youth to help them to move on from their stagnated positions in terms of jobs and career goals that would be a good use of their time this summer. Whining doesn't help; it simply doesn't give them a leg up to move forward into well paying jobs that will exist particularly in the trades. 

 Today work on the matches for sure although plans are afoot to do some closet cleaning. I used to take my entire house apart and clean it when I was home (even when I was proofreading it made a good break from sitting hours on end to clean a closet). But at 80 the incentive to do that has to be driven somewhat by others. 

Time for breakfast, tea all drank and calisthenics completed more than an hour ago and I must do my solitaire puzzles.  

 

 

Good try

 Managed two matches yesterday and the rest of the day was spent shopping. My least favourite item to do for sure. However the two matches were interesting and now there are 20 although still a bit to finish off on the second match. 

But the success was a new pair of shoes that actually fit me well and are walk-able immediately although they are a good leather and will need some breakin. The last pair I bought seemed alright but were dreadful once I wore them any distance. They are a good dress shoe and will keep them as such. This new pair (more of an Oxford without ties but a button clasp. So many of our companies ceased to exist due to competition. Lovely piece of leather which will clean well and are polishable. With our dollar low that should help our manufacturing to return to Canada as we are very competitive.  Another piece of equipment wore out and it was the toaster which we replaced but every toaster in the store was ultimately made in China although a number of them carried an American manufacturer's name. I do not know if we make any small appliances these days and it would certainly be a good market item to explore for anyone wanting to set up in business in Canada. There could be lots of improvement in items like toasters to make them more efficient and better at the simple task of toasting bread! 

The hostas are all freed from their weeds and growing nicely. The rain of the last couple of days has made a big difference. The grass is growing but I like to leave the dandelions to grow for a bit and the bees can work them. A good first crop for the bees.

Other than that the day passed quickly running to and fro collecting up various items settling into the summer pattern of walking at the beach, doing research and doing the dreaded gardening. 

The Prime Minister has everything at hand and it appears we have news coming on the pipeline today. The United States has put a tariff on mushrooms coming from Canada into the United States. That is sad for people who like mushrooms and buy them exported from Canada into the United States. Gradually our store shelves are changing here as we make trade deals around the world. It will still be a summer somewhat strained by trade talks but amazingly Canada is slowly coming back into its own and standing alone on the world stage. Fortress North America is rapidly taking shape in the Arctic and indeed North America as the need to be ready for whatever becomes paramount in our minds. 

I still think the only Senate Reform that is needed is increasing the presence of the Territories in the Senate by making them a region with 24 Senators and divide them up as normal perhaps six for the Yukon and nine each for the North West Territories and Nunavut and all of these territories will be a huge part of the new industries to come in Canada. The Senate in Canada is a place of sober thought and discussion with relation to the different areas of Canada and the senators are appointed from distinct areas within these provinces with specific skill sets in their expertise; final decisions on bills are always made in the House of Commons giving us our democratic process as all members are elected that sit in the House. But the Senate has made great additions to bills over time especially as individual members have their finger on the pulse of their area and can provide input that might be missed by members of parliament at least that is the principle. 

More research today and a stay at home day and perhaps if the rain doesn't materialize some more gardening. 

Time for solitaire puzzles.