Second cleaning day completed

 A busy day yesterday cleaning the main floor and gardening. Today it is going to rain so no gardening but the top floor is going to be cleaned. I will start in an hour or so. 

No work on the matches yesterday; the day simply flew by and was hardly more than fifty metres from the house. The City cleaned the streets yesterday I think it was and the big truck was as usual sitting in front of my house so my street part is not cleaned. I really do find this excessive parking in front of my house to be somewhat unfair to put it mildly. He treats it like his laneway and when the truck needs to be moved and he isn't there then one is stuck with that. I have had a number of incidences where I am asked to move my truck and I say it isn't mine it belongs to that house over there. I  have seen them knock on the door and get no answer. They should have to pay more taxes for using up this spot. 

The orchid is about to bloom. Unfortunately I took it out in the cold two months ago and it lost five of those blooms to be but two survived and are slowly getting ready to open. These were Edward's favourite flowers and this non-green thumb person has managed to keep them alive this long. They are actually doing very well as we re-potted them in March with fresh special violet earth.  

I am now down to 22 matches to do which means I accomplished more than I realized the other day. It will be good to have that complete and I do aim to have them all done before the first of the month as that is going to be the day that I check the matches. I am hoping that I can maintain that sort of organization to keep up with any new matches. 

 I watched the television coverage of the individual said to be responsible for the data breach in Alberta of voter's personal information. Why do people do that - aside from being illegal it is an incredibly ignorant thing to do to release people's personal information (having lived through that); one wonders if he is born in Canada or is he an immigrant now citizen (as a first generation Canadian on my father's side and fourth generation Canadian on my mother's side I do tend to look at people that way). The crucial part perhaps one wonders who is paying him as he isn't known it would appear in terms of being wealthy?  They need deep pockets to buy Alberta - if Greenland is worth 30 trillion dollars then Alberta where the valuables are easier to extract is worth at least the same or more simply because everything is easier to extract but the one problem I suppose is that it is landlocked although one can fly out of there. Greenland is roughly 3x larger than Alberta but the ability to operate in Alberta certainly much easier than Greenland. But Greenland does have external water access. But still I would think one is looking at 30 trillion minimum and likely higher considering all of the raw materials in Alberta. I would question living in such a country that somebody bought as their attitude would be rather dictatorial I would suggest. Mind you the ability to buy Alberta is pretty low (thirty trillion dollars is a lot of money) as the First Nations would also have to be consulted. It is called Free Enterprise (we, Canada bought it) - a facet of that very democracy being called upon and we bought it with 100% respect for the treaties with the First Nations and those guaranteed rights to the First Nations in those treaties. 

 In the meantime the vibes for the new pipeline are becoming stronger one might say. Shovels in the ground is what I want to see. That Pierre Polievere makes no attempt to get along with the Prime Minister and both are from Alberta this will end up being a Liberal show when the pipeline is getting built. The Conservatives will be lucky to win an election for many years at this rate. The parties worked together to make Canada great in the 1800s (oh sure they had their spats but their attitude was totally to make Canada freestanding and perfect and not dependent on anyone else). 

Go Canada Go. Bring on the Sovereign Wealth Fund and let us get this show on the road. A hint to the Premier of Ontario to get  the Trans Canada Highway widened through the northern part of Ontario. There is more to Ontario than the Greater Toronto Area which on and off includes Niagara and areas close by. Having grown up in southwestern Ontario it appears that the only way to get things done by the Provincial Government is to mention Toronto in some way in the request. I do normally vote Conservative but I do know their shortcomings. 

I am not actually watching the news but the individual who used the personal data of voting Albertans happened to be on when I switched the television on to watch the weather. So I watched that somewhat incredulously considering he has caused so many people a good deal of pain. One could judge his societal payback in terms of the pain he has inflicted I would think; we are a democracy for all the people. Money does go a long way on occasion. 

 Time to do my solitaire puzzles and then cleaning. 

 

 

 

Working on the Matches and cleaning

 Cleaning all accomplished of the basement and it is the main floor today. Routines are nice as they keep you focused I must admit. Just a couple of matches and this was another interesting one that had a huge tree to go with it. I actually wrote to the match in Ancestry which is very unusual for me but I note I have done a little more of that this past couple of months (I have had answers to most of them actually). The Rawlings matches often fill in spots where I do not have a known Rawlings cousin. For the most part the phasing has worked really well and there are no areas that I feel uncomfortable about in terms of choice. Moving back to the great grandparents is a good step as I start to work on the Generational charts. I know that I will not publish anything after 1900 in these charts but that catches the census in the 1800s for anyone using it. 

Some discussion on boys not being as comfortable in school as girls. When I worked as a volunteer with the children at my youngest child's school I was helping them learn to use computers. They had only enough computers for three children to work at each of the machines (back in the later part of the 1980s. I suppose from the outside looking in; it perhaps appeared chaotic. But I had them working away in groups of three that they chose and the tendency at this lower level in grade school was for the girls to cluster quietly sitting in front of the computer and sharing the mouse. The boys were much more active, still three at each computer, but they were up and down and louder but still accomplishing the same work that I was assigning to them. They are more restless boys I think and perhaps standing up every half hour in class and doing some sort of exercises at the desk would be helpful. I think it is a lot to ask children to sit for hours working. It isn't even healthy. But I no longer help at school so I do not know what is happening now. 

Perhaps this week I will get back to my Latin as the time has flown by these past couple of months. I want to finish off all the matches and then move to the wills and the genealogical table for the Blake book. I also want to do a little work on Pincombe so that I am ready for the Newsletter at the 1st of June. 

Yesterday we did gardening for a good hour and cleared away more of the weeds particularly around the hostas which are starting to come through in the areas that tend to be cooler. There is still a lot of work to do. I think the elderberry bushes may be done as they are still not budding. Perhaps remove them and just put some bulbs in that circle. Another thought would be to put the roots of the lettuces that we buy in there to regrow and the bunnies can eat that lettuce. I must mention that; it is a good idea. I already have one started in the house. 

I am pleased to see that tetanus shots can now be received at the pharmacy as I waited for simply hours last time that I needed one at the urgent care clinic. I seldom see a doctor other than the once a year that I generally go. That should be soon; must make an appointment and take my blood results from the Ontario Health Study with me as they match the results from last summer which confirms my thoughts on my medical condition. At eighty it is reasonably good; I get a lot of exercise of a beneficial nature (meaning I have a good amount of peak activity during each day of the week as well as strenuous activity along with moderate and light). It is good to have a reasonable amount of each level during each day. Mostly I do not eat any red meat (perhaps once every couple of weeks when my daughter is here) and then only a small amount. I tend to eat chicken and fish as they are my favourites. I have now moved back to skim milk all the time with the occasional 1% cottage cheese but always 0% Greek Yoghurt. I have small amounts of butter so still have some milk fat just not too much. It is nice to start to have fresh vegetables as I tend to use mostly stored vegetable (purchased) from the late fall until this time of the year with some fresh - lettuce and tomatoes primarily with the occasional pepper. Now that we have green houses locally I often have these fresh from the green house in the winter. I do not buy prepared food very often - perhaps a dark chocolate bar on occasion or granola by a new company in Quebec which is very good with absolutely no additives (all food product). Making everything from scratch gets me away from my computer which is very healthy especially baking any cakes (mine is always banana bread made with a mix of 100% whole wheat and all purpose flour in equal portions). It tastes really good, I butter it but I do not have a sweet tooth. 

Wanting to learn more about the Sovereign Wealth Fund proposed by the Prime Minister and his Cabinet. It is such an excellent idea and I like the idea of it being a long-term type of setup as it will benefit people in their retirement in the future. I need to understand how one passes this type of fund to one's descendants. The tax implications and all of that sort of information but it will take time to put it into place in terms of that type of usage but getting it going sooner rather than later is a good plan. I do like the idea that individual Canadian Pension Plans could also be part of that in order to reduce the amount that the government is setting aside from the budget to start the plan (namely 25B) (perhaps our huge grocery chains could also consider becoming involved with their profits benefiting from supporting Canada initially and then collecting the rewards of that trust). It would be nice if we could have this starter amount consist of some portion of existing Pension Plans (and businesses that would not be in conflict of interest) that are available for such investment. The quicker we are; the quicker the shovels are into the ground and we are on our way building the fortunes for the children of the future in Canada. I do not see this as something baby boomers will necessarily profit from (more of a gift to the future of our descendants) but rather it is a gift from us to the future. But it will  probably start to produce returns in the near future but not right away. It is a good place to set money that you do not use at the moment and plan to be a profitable investment.

Travel is always the big cost I think for older people.  At 80 I am not going to travel outside the country particularly not for any fear reason but rather I have been on so many trips I am just not interested in doing that. Keeping to some one else's schedule is no longer appealing to me at all. Sitting on a bus for hours not appealing. Flying for hours not appealing although I do love flying. Being in strange hotels and with strangers not appealing. So I am following what is best for me in my old age as the days ahead of me will be full of my writing year after year. Putting money into the Sovereign Wealth Fund is a very appealing idea I think. 

The dog two doors up is so happy that I am out in the yard again; he likes routine. He had a long chat with me and for sure asking when my daughter's dogs are coming again. They had so much fun a year ago running races up and down the yard.  He was unhappy I think with the neighbour in the middle as a day or so ago four strangers were clearing up the gardens and cutting the lawn upsetting his daily routine of just wandering about his yard guarding it as such dogs do. That was a conversation with just a little whine to it. He is a big dog like my daughter's dogs. 

Tea drank and time to do the solitaire puzzles. 

Mother's Day

 A lovely Mother's Day yesterday with a lunch and dinner I didn't prepare. We also went for a nearly 6 km walk around the neighbourhood which I greatly enjoyed. I have not walked on some of those paths since I used to run with my youngest over by the creek. It has certainly filled in and the trees are huge now. What a great way to spend mother's day. I never thought about being a mother in my youth; I did have other plans. So my daughters continue to amaze me as they are busy in their chosen careers - very very busy. 

The day simply flew by but I did attend Church online and the new Bishop of the Ottawa Diocese was officiating at Holy Communion. Having grown up in Huron Diocese there are a number of differences between the two in terms of services which probably do not exist today as I have not been at Church in London, Ontario for many many years - probably the funerals of my parents were the last time that I was at an Anglican Church in London when I think back. I did go a couple of times with my mother as well before she passed away.  

Not one match accomplished yesterday.  I will do some today but it is basement cleaning day and soon time to start the robot at its task. There are a number from Living DNA in this next few that I am looking at. Quite a few Blake, Buller, Pincombe and Rawlings as many many of those cousins remained in England. Most can be put into these four grandparent lines readily. 

Solitaire puzzles are next.  

Continuing on the matches

Worked yesterday on the matches and also did yard work. It was an efficient working day. I shall write my cousin as well today in the west. I keep meaning to do so but the Knight book is a very long way off although there will be mention of the Knight family in the Blake book because Maria Jane Knight was her great grand aunt as well as my great grandmother.  

The matches (I completed five) were fairly straightforward but only two could be restricted to the great grandparent line. I will continue to work on that today although Church will be in just over an hour so not as much as yesterday.

I have managed to clear away all the weeds and wild spring flowers from the emerging plants so we will see how that goes. But it is good to have the front done. I still need to rake the lawn although I generally wait until the dandelions are finished so that the bees can work them. 

Not paying much attention to the news for the most part. Occasionally read the editorials in the National Post when they catch my eye. The Prime Minister and his Cabinet are very very busy from the news that I do watch. I like the concept of Fortress North America (borrowing that familiar phrase from the Second World War). I still remember references to Fortress North America in my young years. Here in Canada before the United States came into the war, we helped to protect American neutrality by pushing planes over the border in the west that had been purchased by the war front in the British Isles and then flying them to England (many women pilots flew those planes to England during the war from Canada (as well as male but they were needed at the front for the most part)). When the Americans came into the war the term Fortress North America was coined. That it would also suit trade discussions is an interesting concept which was mentioned by the Prime Minister at the Conference in Toronto. 

Toronto is an important city in Ontario (the capital of the province) which we all know in Ontario but also it has the ability to hold large conferences with individuals from all over the world with a huge airport for those arriving and leaving including in this case Past-President Obama from the United States.  This was a meeting of CAP Action (Center for American Progress Action Fund) named the Global Progress Action Summit. Also attending was the former US Secretary of Transportation Peter Buttigieg as well as many people from around the world. 

Church in a bit and then some more outside work unless it rains. What to do next? I expect I need to start working down the sides and we want to move some of the rich earth from the central garden as it is now full of roots from the Black Walnut tree and mostly useless in terms of growing anything. We need to especially build up the areas where the new fence was put in as that pretty much destroyed the gardens for that length on both sides.  We also need to free the plants as they are coming through. The hosta still not showing at the top but probably not enough sun and warmth in the morning as they are up further down in the gardens at the back.

One of the matches was quite interesting as it is in an area that was without matches. This area now covered is all Buller and all from Living DNA and people living in the United Kingdom. Since just one line predominates in England (all of my line coming down from Edwin Denner Buller is in Canada or the United States) so I know that these strong matches are from the Edwin Withers and Sarah (Welch) Withers family which was very large and found all around the world including the United Kingdom. I know there are a number of them as there are at least 25 in common in that match. So that has cleared up that mystery as we all descend from great great great grandparents -  William Welch and Sarah (Welch) Cheatle, Christopher Buller and Mary (Beard) Buller with Sarah (Welch) Withers and Ann (Welch) Buller being twin sisters. 

Time for breakfast. I am late today. Solitaire Puzzles still to do.  

I do not in general use social media

 When I want to look at something I go to the source. I guess it is my scientific training perhaps but I do not like social media and do not use it particularly. Because the Senate can only really delay items and eventually does just follow the wishes of the House of Commons, I do not really think about how many senators each province has. That was brought to my attention by the National Post article on we do not know enough about Alberta and their complaints. I did read through the designated seats for each province and BC and Alberta both have 6 along with Saskatchewan and Manitoba also having 6 each. Quebec is guaranteed a particular number of seats (same number as Ontario) and that is 24 with Ontario also having 24 (one notes the difference between population in those two provinces at 9+ million for Quebec and 16+ million for Ontario). It would appear that this number is determined by the Canadian Constitution which I assume is the one from 1982. So Saskatchewan and Manitoba with much smaller populations have the same number of seats as BC and Alberta. The remaining provinces New Brunswick and Nova Scotia 10 seats each, Prince Edward Island 4 sets (this adds up to 24 as well interestingly so is probably a regional representation of 24) and Newfoundland and Labrador 6 seats, Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut 1 seat each. The distribution is based on region rather than population. 

Since the impact of the Senate is to proofread the bill before it goes to law and note any discrepancies with existing laws and likely with the thoughts of individual regions I think they do a great job. I do not go to Senate meetings so no ideas on that. I believe by the original constitution that Quebec must always have the same number of Senate seats as Ontario, the Maritimes in 1867 consisted only of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick although Prince Edward Island did go to the meetings and their total is also 24 except I have no idea what they did between the time that NS and NB came in (1867) and PEI waited until 1873. Would have to research that. If I want actual facts I generally do not use social media. So would Alberta prefer to take seats away from Saskatchewan and Manitoba and take them themselves; I realize the system is not by population but rather based on region and then split them up equally in that region. Ontario has willingly opened up the purse strings to help every province since Confederation until we were a have not province during the Harper government when all the money was funneled to Alberta for the oil industry. I do not think that that was wrong as the ability to use the resources of Alberta worked very well for Canada and that was the intention of the Founding Fathers (this was after all a very strongly English (British) centralized system at its onset). That all the provinces would contribute what they could for the good of Canada. I have never really had an opinion on any other province particularly but this is an eye opener actually. I think what many people do not realize is the attitude of most of the province of Ontario towards Toronto which gets everything and the rest of the province waits forever for roads for schools for medical setups. The only reason they improve the roads for the most part is to make it easier to get to Toronto.  So Alberta is not alone in your desire to be heard. The capital city of the country, Ottawa, did not have a four lane road coming into the city for years and years until finally 417 was built and Highway 16 finally widened coming up from the 401. Possibly the answer lies in Senate Reform but I think the idea of region is good as there are regional considerations by geography. I think the Territories are under represented and should have 24 senators in total like the other regions; they are the  north and that is vast. That would really help with all the work we need to do in the north for sure. We need eyes on everything really and that is one huge area. The First Nations could provide most of that representation if that works out for them as they are poorly represented in the Senate (there are only 12 generally although changes occur). 

Gerrymandering in Canada is generally not accepted as any changes are only created by federal independent non political commissions. That needs more research on my part if I want to know more.  

That was an interesting article and I shall try harder to learn more about Western Canada. I shall write my cousin as she has lived there all her life.  I have never been west of Winnipeg, Manitoba in Canada sorry to say but my daughter and I might take the train from Edmonton to Vancouver and then the other way to Prince George. Both will be fantastic.