Friday, May 23, 2025

Cleaned out the dead wood in the raspberry patch

A busy day yesterday and I cleaned out the dead wood in the raspberry patch, quite of a bit of it anyway. It was a very severe winter because of the lack of snow cover during the early really cold period. Too bad but they are coming along. I also cleared away some of the weeds as we are going to plant that garden area full of sunflowers as I did find it amusing watching the squirrels collect the heads and take them away. Plus the birds come to peck at the seeds so is very interesting when I do look out the window which is probably not often enough!

I did not achieve the Cardio level selected for me yesterday but that is okay will work at it today. I never had a numerical readout before on the FitBit so am finding it interesting. I think it bases it suggestion on what I have done the day before and if it is cleaning then the cardio level is way above the suggested but once I am not cleaning the cardio level is not going to be as high for sure. Interesting though as an addition to looking at exercise. 

I heard from one of my 2x great grandmother's twin sister's descendants on Ancestry. That was nice as one doesn't actually expect to hear from people who are second cousin or greater as my cousin explained to me in England when I was visiting that second cousins tend to not be that close (we do correspond a little but the time flies so quickly and I am not a faithful correspondent). I should write her again and must make note to do that. It was her brother and I who had corresponded for probably twenty years by the time that my husband and I finally made it to England. I had been there about seven years earlier with my oldest daughter but we just toured London; I was definitely not interested in genealogy in 2001 and really knowing that Ivan lived in Dorset I was not making a trip there which I did tell him in my letter. He had suggested we could meet in London and go to Greenwich but we just didn't get that worked out so I promised I would come again as he wanted to meet me. I said come to Canada but that wasn't in his radar flying all the way to Canada. So it was fun spending a couple of days with him especially as he passed away sadly about two years later when we were coming back once again to spend time in London before going on our European trip to France, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, and back to France and home. We had thought we might make that trip to Greenwich that he had talked about so my husband and I did do that trip and it was fascinating. I actually do not have any first cousins so second cousins seem quite close to me! But I am glad that she mentioned that.

 So today I have just five matches left from FT DNA to work on and then moving to Gedmatch and then Living DNA and a quick look back at My Heritage and will make sure to keep that one up to date. 

Still cool here for late May and I hope the rain is gone by the time the King and Queen come for the Opening of Parliament. I am quite excited that he is coming although will watch it on television as there will be masses of people downtown. It is an ancient line in truth that sits upon the throne of the United Kingdom. They have returned that earlier bloodline to the throne with the marriage of Charles and Diana and their son William heir to the throne. Exciting really for the people of the United Kingdom and for us since he remains King of Canada as well. I realize that French Canadian descendants feel less attached to this King but I always think of the Norman Conquest of England by the French; that was life way back then and it is now and it is pleasant to have this continuing Head of State I think but then I am only descendant of British lines going back hundreds of years although I do have Huguenot ancestry (French) from the 1400s that came to England in the Somerset area. 

Teatime finished, solitaire games played and about to settle into working on the matches. Perhaps a bit of exercise first and it will be rowing today.

 

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