The Medical Centre

 The Medical Centre was new when we moved here and later doubled in size and when I went there yesterday to get my Blood work done I was shocked to see how run down it is. I haven't been there for a year and it has really changed. The parking lot was not full and inside it just felt old - amazing really as it is just fifty years old but it has had a lot of business through the years with primarily doctors, dentists and other health agencies available on site. Hardly anyone there when I arrived; somewhat late as I had booked in online but forgot my requisition so had to go back for it and then go to the Health Centre. However soon in and done fairly quickly but I can tell I am aging as I popped right up and started collecting my jacket and other items but already the individual that took my blood was back with a patient for that room. I must move quicker I guess but I had taken the moment to put my jacket on. All done though by 9:33 and back home before 10:00 and had my breakfast by 10:30. 

Continued setting up my computer yesterday and I am now ready to begin working on the matches once again. The new computer is fast but the other one was also. My main reason for upgrading was Windows 11 - my old machine would not upgrade from Windows 10 and it was seven years old (between seven and nine, I have basically forgotten that although I could look it up).  That machine is a workhorse though and is now attached to the printer scanner station which is also remote and accessed through bluetooth but now has an actual computer attached to it so will be very useful as I work my way through Edward's collections of images for various projects. His website will be maintained for a long period and so the information that he has collected through the years will be available to anyone wishing to have it. The 40 binders are on my mind and I need to downsize them so that they too will remain a central part of his gifts to  his family through the years. He was a thorough cautious hard working person with interesting aims in life and his 78 years were well lived I do believe. He was a person who did his own thing and I always respected that probably because I liked to do my own thing which was mostly reclusive although I did come out of the wood work on occasion! He did give me lots of my own time which I appreciated and he did what he wanted to do although I must admit that some of the items he followed he was led to rather than it being a strong interest that attracted him. That was certainly the Ontario Genealogical Society now Ontario Ancestors but when Gordon Riddle asked him to come to the meetings with him he went more out of support for this "cousin" who was a medical doctor and Edward knew the strains attached to that profession so he thought it would be nice if he did do that. We had considered the OGS when we lived in London but Astronomy was a much stronger interest and genealogy endeavours there most consisted of taking the materials that we acquired from farm auctions in his home area to Ed Phelps I think he was in the library at the University in London. A number of interesting items emerged as Edward sought and found information on his Kipp lines when we were first married. However Edward loved the OGS meetings and it pretty much took over his spare time as the years passed (and eventually some of mine when he persuaded me to do items for his Gene-O-Rama and such). In retirement OGS and FLAC became his main items of interest although we did a lot of hiking in the Adirondacks with the group that he belonged to there. Plus I did always help him when we went to the many repositories in the United States looking for ancestral information on his lines. But I digress from the computer which will aid me now in getting more work done on his items that he acquired through the years. 

Another busy day today and the air is quite good; we will see how that transpires. Had a lovely walk at Petrie last evening. Gradually the air is clearing here for a bit but summers have been plagued with wildfire smoke. 

A new tariff today 35% up from 25% and the blame was initially placed on our Prime Minister supporting the two state solution (Israel/Gaza) although he is also supporting Hamas being locked out of power in Gaza, disarmed, the hostages being released, an international force managing Gaza until the mandatory elections are held in 2026 and that was the proposal put forward in the United Nations by Saudi Arabia and France along with a number of other nations including Canada. Apparently though the reason is fentanyl after all; life flows for sure. I like the way that the Prime Minister is handling the trade negotiations. We are not in a rush, our provincial barriers are all coming down and we see more products from across Canada now and will buy them in preference passing up on Florida oranges and the like sadly as I do enjoy them. But our peaches, apricots, cherries are on the market now and apples will soon be ripe and enjoyed as always. Then in the winter we will have canned fruit, frozen fruit, dried fruit and always apples. We are actually the largest buyers of American exports in the world so it must be affecting the producers in the United States and the Governors of the 38 States for whom we are their largest customer do come up to try to persuade us to give in and just do whatever is wanted (but we must continue to diversify our exports and buy Canadian produce since it is tariffed going to the United States if any of it does). We lost so much to free trade these last fourty plus years that we can not afford to lose anymore of our industries especially Supply Management as it supports our hard working farmers who have maintained family farms for many years to give us fresh local food. The only prepared food we bought yesterday was crackers made in Quebec (four boxes of them as they were on special with good dates). We mostly buy all basic ingredients and make everything ourselves. It is a fun time when we are not on our computers doing our research. 

My thoughts - Release the hostages Hamas; Hamas get out of Gaza; you do nothing for these people and are responsible for all the deaths and tragedy in Gaza since you invaded Israel in your barbaric attack that murdered babies, young children, older children, women, men, old women, old men on the 7th October 2023. You are satanic and do not belong in any society that respects the existence of people. Live in Iran they will like you.  

 The day beckons; solitaire games are completed and the weekly solitaire games as well. I play spider for the weekly game - love that game. Drinking tea and will begin the work day shortly (amazing how much my retired activities resemble my working days of eight hours a day).