Sunday and cloudy

 The slight breeze in the trees always makes me think of God all around us watching and waiting for us to do the right thing. To love our neighbour as ourself. Seventeen degrees celsius today and cloudy is the promise of the day thus far. 

Lots to do. Kitchen is slowly getting all washed up from one end to the other. The last of the cupboards are now washed and just have to wash all the dishes that were in those cupboards. They are old style cupboards. Came with the house nearly fifty years ago now. My husband and daughter repainted them a few years ago (like maybe twenty actually or more years ago. They are slowly showing signs of wear here and there. I should paint and perhaps I will. Time will tell. At nearly 81 I find that my time spent on such activities is less and less. I just keep it clean. I will be glad to move as it is too big for me. 

Yesterday I mostly worked at cleaning so not much work done on the genealogical tables. I also need to do some outside work and will try for that today maybe. The FitBit continues to be interesting and Google has pretty much taken over that name as it is their property but I have been using the AI on it a certain amount. I know more about my health and ability than the AI but it has interesting comments that I am thinking about on occasion. I like the FitBit as it tells me how many steps a day that I do which I consider important. We always have to move about; we are meant to do that for our health and welfare. 

Sunday and Church is very soon. The last day of May and it is Trinity Sunday. That begins the Ordinary time that follows until Christ the King Sunday and Advent to follow the next Sunday. It is cyclical the Church Year and as a child it pretty much was how I thought of the year as it passed through each special time.  

The sermon today was timely and captured my thoughts partially. The many names of God on this earth. When the first explorers arrived in what is now Canada they learned that God to the First Nations (Huron Nation) was Gitchi Manitou (Great Spirit in several Algonquian languages). For the First Nations it referred to the Supreme Creator, the Giver of Life  and the Great Mystery which formed the world we live in and all that is in it. As a child I found it extremely exciting to learn about Gitchi Manitou and still do find learning about the First Nations to be a fascinating set of knowledge. Our cultures (mine descendant of many of the ancient peoples of the British Isles (both England, Scotland and Ireland as my DNA shows) went all the way back to the Western Hunter Gatherers who first populated these Isles (8,000 and perhaps as much as 12,000 years earlier than the Common Era we now live in as the ice slowly withdrew from the lands and the First Nations dating back even further in time on this Continent of the Western Hemisphere dating back 13,000 or more years. I felt akin as I learned more and more about the First Nations as my brother's yDNA clearly led us back to those Western Hunter Gatherers. My grandfather Blake always said they had lived in the Andover area for ever because it was so very very long ago. But DNA does tells us we arose in the African Continent (all Homo sapiens) and so we spread out around the world from there. My 3% Denisovan and 2% Neanderthal tell me that in the far past my blood line led back to these earlier Homo species. But the written record only extends so far back and Blake was in Andover in the 1300s but the people of England did not have surnames and so they had to adapt to surnames after the Norman Conquest. The reason for choosing Blake tantalizes me very often; why would one chose a name that so many people carried in Europe and in the British Isles. The reason never to be known by me probably but the logic points to taking the surname of a wife way back in the 1300s and the benefit of doing so huge if I am correct that it was the le Blak family of Rouen, Normandy which came to England in 1274 with permission to set up a market in England (Patent Roll). Such a family exists and are first seen along the coast of Hampshire and later the same name appears on the Pipe Rolls of the Bishopric of Winchester 1301. I must explore the earlier Pipe Rolls which begin in 1208. 

Still cloudy and Church has finished. I was restless but I am like that sometimes. I have a lot of thoughts in my mind these days. 

As a country I remain convinced that we are on the right path. We want to be independent and in charge of our own natural resources. I think it was very cruel at the time when it was suggested that we could be taken over just by ruining our economy. We must not let that happen as we slip into a technical recession (apparently Federal government spending has decreased which is a factor in the lower GDP so not really a recession but rather it is a correction as the Trudeau era saw far too much federal money spent overall). We are diversifying our trade around the world but it will take time.  We must create new industry in Canada. PEI said they need workers because their industries are increasing. Quebec has different customers for their aluminium from around the world. New deals with Quebec in a number of industries. British Columbia is humming with new deals. Manitoba is busy with the upgrading of Port Churchill and other items. Saskatchewan has contracts for so many items. The same with New Brunswick and inklings of ideas for Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. In Alberta why not twin the Trans Mountain pipeline as that is a thoroughfare already created and goes directly to tidewater and owned by the people of Canada. But we do need private money to do that. The Territories are actively pursuing new ideas. Ontario needs to do more to create industry but again that is happening here and there but still there is too much time spent on useless items like an airport on Toronto Island. I see no value in that for 90% of people in Ontario. Time for a change but no party/individual is providing us with their concrete ideas to improve the economy in Ontario. Stellantis is developing a number of new models as we await more information on that. 

Time is in our favour and plenty of youth to take up any jobs that are forthcoming. 

Time for lunch; the morning was interesting and always lovely to go to Church.  

Saturday and Sun

 A beautiful day out there and will likely observe mostly from the inside as lots of work to do. Yesterday we cleaned the entire set of kitchen cupboards and re-arranged them. Eliminated a whole lot of plastic dishes that were for the grandchildren but they eat off of regular dishes these days. Slowly down sizing and getting rid of items that I never use anymore. 

Completed the matches and glanced at 23 and Me and My Heritage for new matches that would be interesting for my great grandparent phasing file. Will do Ancestry, Gedmatch, FT DNA  today. 

Tonight is a full moon so can plant next week. The lettuce roots that we planted have new lettuces forming which is always very interesting, the ability of the roots of a lettuce plant being able to recreate the lettuce plant itself is quite fascinating. The bunnies will enjoy the lettuces likely if they let them grow. Weeding to do out there and must put aside some time for that. 

Emptied the pantry and will wash the shelves with bleach and soap to get them ready for another year. I expect to be in this house for just another three years although earlier would be interesting but not practical. Moving twice in three years is too much trouble. 

It will be a time for hard work and re-calibration for Canada as we continue forward into the life that the Fathers of Confederation planned for Canada walking hand in hand with our First Nations. They know the land so much better than we do and we need to listen to their thoughts. Greed must disappear from this land if we all want to be successful in this life (greed destroys; it does not build). The Prime Minister has good plans for Canada and we must help support his ideas as we move forward slowly but surely. Nothing will be fast; it never is. The Conservatives need to concentrate on working with the youth and get them situated into jobs that are needed or they could become entrepreneurs and make me a vacuum cleaner that doesn't sound like a jet engine! After all it is the youth that will still be here voting in the  next election and the ones that follow on into this remarkable century marred by violence which is just greed once again - greed for land and greed for opinion. Every person gets to live unobstructed in this world whether you agree with the opinions that they hold. When opinions do not match God's laws - love they neighbour as thyself - then those people are wrong. God will probably not destroy them as in the Bible times but they rot from within eventually; it does seem to take a long time though. You must live for the good of the many not for the good of the few; the few can not maintain Homo sapiens - look back at what has preceded us and you can see that. No Neanderthals walk the face of this earth, no Denisovans walk the face of this earth and the many that preceded these early peoples known to us by their DNA left behind. 

Moving forward though is the aim as we are now one quarter of the way through this century. I did not expect to even see this century so every day/month/year is a gift of God Almighty and I thank Him for that everyday. At twenty eight years of age, quite ill, I could feel the winds of God pushing me forward and I continue to feel those winds of God swirling around this world as He watches and waits for us to live the life He commanded. 

Antisemitism must disappear from Canada in all its ugly forms. If you cannot live within the laws of this country then go back to where you came from and take your ugly antisemitism with you.  Our Jewish neighbours have every right to live at peace in this country. 

Must get some work done the day moves quickly and just twelve hours to bed time once again! 

Another cloudy day

Yesterday turned out to be a quiet day and not a lot of work done but a pleasant day none the less. Sometimes my days are just full of thinking and that was yesterday. Plus we went to the market and got fresh vegetables and to the grocery store for the remainder. These days I am spending slightly more than $200 per week on all the groceries. We do eat fairly basically preparing all of our meals from basic ingredients. We aim for lots of good protein in every meal - for me because I am old and for my caregiver because she is very active doing lots of good cardio. 

The first workout of the day on my part already completed and was 1 hour and 5 minutes  with a cardio load of 32. Always an interesting workout with light at 43%, moderate at 29%, vigorous at 20% and peak at 8%. A good way for me to start the day and with the AI on FitBit chiming in I have even more interesting insights into how well a workout is going from a cardiovascular point of view. An interesting experience having an AI reviewing my workout actually.  I will see how I like this interesting addition to FitBit. 

I wonder if we will see what happened to Quebec when separatists arrived on the scene half a century ago now and completely destroyed Montreal's place as the economic powerhouse of Canada moving it to Toronto. Quebec has had a hard battle keeping industrial giants in Quebec and the Alberta separatists may well destroy the economy of Alberta if they are not tamed quickly and put to rest. Separatism is a disease in democratic countries where there isn't an obvious prior existence dating back centuries and should not be permitted the sort of headlining that they get. Plus there are still no charges against the individual who posted the voter's list of Alberta quite illegally on the internet. Lots of law suits against his illegal release of names and pertinent information to tame that nuisance and a term in jail would be a good news story for sure. There are no gains in separatism only losses and mostly for the people who get sucked in by their lies. 

Ontario though needs to get moving on creating industry. A Conservative voter myself but we need youth in office with the vigour needed to start new industry in Ontario  instead of spending all the time on a tiny little airport on Toronto Island.

Back to research and writing my books. The days pass so very quickly. Time to do the Solitaire puzzles.  

 

Research day

 Another research day finally and I shall complete the last two matches as I did not do that yesterday. Life has been very very busy. However we have made it over to Petri twice now - me for a walk and my caregiver for a kayak. Research is dominating our days for both of us. 

It was good to have visited my usual doctor and my flareup of diverticulosis (2 lots in the past year) has passed although I will repeat the blood work and probably I will call in and see if I can just get a request sent to the clinic to get that done early in the New Year. Interesting that each time I had blood work followed a flareup in the diverticulosis although not related at all but rather just how life flowed at that time. I had my usual result for white blood cell count but the reduced lymphocyte level to 0.8 from the usual 1.0.  The blood smear was produced from a badly drawn blood work as the technician had moved the needle about needlessly as the blood was flowing likely creating false artifacts and a very very bruised arm. I changed the company for the blood draw for the second time but it also followed a period of flareup. Shall try to pick a calm period in my life if there is one for the next one! Diverticulosis can be a nuisance for sure. 

I do watch my blood work though carefully because I was advised to do so after the birth of my first child and the enormous blood loss that I underwent at that delivery (blood was down to 28 and I had to drink Stout three times a day). For a non drinker of beer in particular and only the occasional glass of wine that was an experience in itself for sure.  But my blood did come back up to the usual level (I was always anemic in my young days; menopause was a great gift for me!) after a month or so of really carefully planned eating plus I was nursing the baby. Cause of the blood loss was a partial placental previa not noted prior to delivery. 

So today it is a research day and perhaps I should get a leap ahead on checking for any new matches in this past month that I have spent working away on the newly discovered matches a month ago just to make sure I am not missing anything interesting. It should be a quick glance. 

I need to do the Pincombe Newsletter as well for the 1st of June. Hard to believe it is nearly June and almost half way through the year. 

Our progress in becoming tariff proof is moving along very well. The purchase of the SAAB airplane for the Arctic is a perfect decision for us because they will be built here by Canadians and they are created and built for the Arctic by Sweden an Arctic nation and another member of NATO. I think it was a wise decision. We still need F-35s of course and have another order ongoing because we also have a large part of our nation that is not Arctic only although we do get long winters but the SAAB can land on quite short runways which is important for us. Plus it helps our GDP and our NATO expenditure. 

Our expenditure is rapidly going to 4% GDP for military which will speed up our path to 5% which is the desired level now in NATO. The north is opening up with climate change and the ability to use our deep ocean ports in the north will be very handy as we diversify our trade around the world. If anyone had said to me that we would be doing this in 2026 back even two years ago I would have doubted it but life flows as it flows and we just have to flow with it. We had no complaints with CUSMA although the extra tariffs which were placed on non-CUSMA goods through the years were surprising. But now we are trading all around the world and our GDP slowly increases. It will take time and once the new pipeline is built to tidewater then that will move quickly. We sell our oil at a discount in CUSMA but full price round the world.  

Part way through my exercise but thought I would put pen to paper so to speak and write down my thoughts as I exercise. There exercise and breakfast completed. Back to work although I need to clean the refrigerator at my next break time.  Never a dull moment for sure. Looking forward to that one room concept; I think my desire to do housecleaning has lessened as I reach 80 years of age. 

Solitaire puzzles to do.  

Attempting to change the Confederation of Canada which first began in 1867 and its gradual assumption and the enactment of treaties with the First Nation for the entire area from east to west through the 1880s/1890s which resulted in Canada from sea to sea to sea (including Rupert's Land) cannot be altered by anyone without the agreement of the First Nations (and that is the entire First Nations of Canada; all of them should have a vote in the lands that are Canada since they are all stakeholders). The founding principles of Canada which were gained over the initial period with regard to the treaties is not changeable at all as far as I am concerned as a voting Canadian. It is the basis on which we, the peoples of Canada at every stage, created Canada. Attempting to alter this was properly understood by the judge ruling on the objection of the First Nations to the entire process of a proposed referendum. Personally I do not believe in separatist referendums in democratic countries where there is no prior by the side requesting such a referendum (separatists are basically small groups of potential dictators and their adherents attempting to take away the rights of the many; it is not democracy at work). There was no Alberta until Canada created Alberta in 1905 as an administrative unit; there were the many First Nations that still occupy their historical areas of Alberta and a whole lot of unceded First Nations land which individuals have been permitted to buy with the understanding that they can own it under the laws of Canada,  sell it, pass it on to their legal heirs but they can not remove it from Canada (if they die without naming heirs then it reverts back to the government of Canada in the case of Alberta it reverts to Alberta as the administrator of the provincial jurisdiction known as Alberta which was created by Canada). Just because the numbers of the First Nations are not as great as the numbers of non First Nations does not alter the founding principles. If people do not like how our nation is formed and managed the door out is always open. I agree with that concept.  

The deal with Germany for low-carbon Canadian LNG is wondrous and congratulations to the Ksi Lisims LNG in British Columbia. We are on our way to being tariff proof as we continue to diversify our trade. Shovels in the ground for the new pipeline to Pacific tidewater are anticipated. One can feel the excitement in the air with all of this good news. 

We have had nearly 20 years of particularly poor government with regard to trade. Although the Harper government came in with a lot of good ideas the economic reality was recession and the reaction of the then Prime Minister was one more of panic than careful reasoning and it intensified as we moved towards 2015 with a number of poor choices including pouring all available money into oil production in Alberta and basically ignoring the rest of the provinces. Although oil is a good product all of Canada has good products and he should have used more measure in his selection of worthy projects (perhaps he could have listened to the advice given at that time instead of making decisions that did not benefit all of Canada). That poor selection continued and worsened under the Trudeau government (although the shut down during COVID was also part of that difficulty) resulting in stagnation in our trade around the world which was mostly not sufficiently explored. Under the Carney government we are seeing much better distribution of the ability of Canada to diversify its trade and create new industry across the entire country. I would like to see my party (the Conservatives) pull themselves together; get out of attack dog mood and get the youth of this country working. They will soon be back in their ridings and could put 100% of their time (which we pay for) into working with the youth instead of attacking the Liberal government constantly. We voters are all adults in the room and we want to see non panicking adults in the House of Commons.  

Basement cleaning day

 Yesterday the  main floor did get cleaned a little later in the day than usual but it is complete except for washing the floors that are linoleum and the stairs which are wooden. Today it is the basement and the Robot is doing its chore. I always check it first now to ensure it is fully charged. That is our duty as the caretaker of robots; to maintain them and keep them well appointed to do the task they are assigned. 

I did glance at the next of the last two matches to do and it is an interesting one mostly because of what is not there.  It only matches my sister and is a good Rawlings matches including at X match at FT DNA but it should also have myself in the one length (there are three interesting lengths in this match). Why am I missing, that is very unusual with FT DNA. Both are original kits with FT DNA Family Finder testing two years apart. But the interesting part is that my kit uploaded from Ancestry does match my sister so it does tell me that there is a difference in the two years with the chip used to test in those time frames. So I do match as proven with the Ancestry (taken into Gedmatch by the owner)  matching the FT DNA result. I will likely complete those two matches today and as I approach the end of the month I will start to think about using CoPilot from my new Microsoft purchase of Microsoft yearly software as I move on from Microsoft 2016. I meant to upgrade it many times but just never got to it. But now the desire to work with AI necessitates my moving on. But first I will check all the databases for anything new in the last month in terms of large matches. 

I can feel a huge cohesion developing in Canada these days as we forge ahead with our Arctic protection with the global warming affecting the accessibility to the many deep water ports in the north that belong to Canada. The ability to alter how trade moves between continents is about to take place. Really it should be a friendlier world with so much to gain from co-operation but rogue nations continue to plague that ability and create difficulties that do not need to exist in the human picture. That they exist pose the greatest threat to humanity yet really. People are too selfish that demonstrate this rogue attitude in the world. It is all about them and nothing about humanity in particular. 

I am slowly getting used to this Google takeover of FitBit which I believe they own in terms of aggressive chatter directed at the user. I have managed myself these 80 years and intend to continue doing so until I cannot. However, it is collecting the data in a way that I used to look at having collected it myself so that is probably handy. We will see but I have no interest in the Premium package as it takes up too much of my time to look at and decide it is interesting. My exercise is done on the fly so to speak. I come to a point where I decide to exercise and prefer that as it doesn't interrupt my day. At the moment I need to get my 250 steps for this hour and will stop and do it and then return to writing my blog.   

So what do I actually hope to create with my large matches file (nearly 4400 lines and includes all of the chromosomes 1 to 23)? The intent is to bring together all of my known information simply drag it into a Legacy chart and then add what I find in terms of known matches and the cousin knowledge unknown matches to see how far back this information can take me. Then all the Blake wills that help to fill in the missing items from the 1400s on will be rolled in to this chart and I will have my genealogical chart from 1400 (or earlier if the material I have warrants their addition) to probably the end of the 1800s and into the early 1900s. My father was born in 1904 and likely I will include him as a child of Samuel George Blake my grandfather born in 1875. That should work for anyone looking at the chart as the census pretty much helps everyone in my Blake line with placing themselves into the correct sibling descent with Samuel or into the John Blake family (baptized 1799) and the father of Edward Blake (born 1845) who was the father of Samuel. I do have known descendants of Thomas (father of John baptized 1799) who was baptized in 1767 and the first generation of this Blake line at Upper Clatford with his father being Joseph Blake (baptized 1730 at Andover) and the son of Thomas Blake (baptized 1709 at Andover) and the son of Thomas Blake (baptized 1685 at Andover) and the son of John Blake (baptized 1649 at Andover) and Elizabeth (unknown) with John being the son of William Blake (baptized 1615 at Andover) and Ann Hellier. William (baptized 1615) was the son of William Blake and Dorothy Madgwick and William was the son of Richard Blake and Jone Blake with this Richard the son of  William Blake and Elizabeth (unknown) and the son of  Nicholas Blake married to Margaret Blake and the wills preceding Nicholas will support this furtherance back in time to Richard Blake and then Robert Blake and potentially the John Blake found at Knights Enham in the early 1300s having likely adopted his wife's surname as his own surname. So an interesting trip for sure. It fits in with what my grandfather told me although this seven year old going on eight but not quite there has a somewhat hazy memory of some of that information prior to Joseph. Forenames all jumbled but Nicholas stood out very prominently. 

Time to check on the vacuum it has had its hour to do the rugs.  

Riding OC-Transpo

 I had a doctor's appointment so took OC-Transpo to the new clinic which is really great actually. A lovely setup I must admit and took in my blood work from the Ontario Health Study to match up with the last blood work. They were the same basically and I think they are pointing to my diverticulosis which flares up every now and again. I have had it for a very very long time so I am used to it and how to manage it. But I wanted to check on my blood work from last summer and did discuss and will do again next February likely which works really well for me. I like my doctor and have been going to the same doctor for about eight to ten years now. She is excellent. Edward really liked her and they got along very well. He listened to her always and followed her advice but his disease was chronic along with the absolute isolation of COVID which proved to be difficult for Edward; he was a real people person but his liver disease eventually resulted in his loss to us which the girls still feel very very much as do I. They miss him and always will. 

Worked on a couple of matches yesterday and one proved to be most interesting as the individual still lives in England and in the general area of my Blake line but reaching back further into the past possibly our most common ancestor is as far back as William Blake and Dorothy Madgwick (my 9x great grandparents).  It is 20 cM and four of the five siblings have that much in common with a number of people but this one individual has a tree with over 12,000 people. My match is about half of the other four siblings as I am a low match for Blake. This is what I am looking for is traceable links back into the Blake family before my line dwindled down to just one child per generation for three generations in the 1700s. Before that the Blake family of Andover was very large and did move away from Andover (quite a few lines). 

A lovely walk at Petri which I greatly enjoyed and went around three times with my FitBit cheering me on but telling me that I should be tired but I am not. I tend to be able to keep going often enough when the FitBit thinks I am tired and my recovery time after stopping is generally very very fast for a nearly 81 year old. But I do do as much as 5x to 6x the amount of so called recommended exercise of 150 minutes of peak a week. I always have as I tend to be very very active. My sleeping pulse runs around 48 bpm. I do not think of myself as an athlete but this is a range achieved by most athletes. 

Today cleaning the main floor and I will be starting soon. It is lovely outside and I have already done 8,800 steps as I got off one block earlier and walked home down the street instead of getting off at the closest corner. My goal per day is 12,000 steps per day although generally I am closer to 15,000 steps per day. I used to be closer to 20,000 per day but decided it was a bit excessive and slowed myself up somewhat when I turned 80 years of age. 

Solitaire puzzles and then cleaning.  

Monday and it is cleaning day

Today is the top floor once again and cleaning will begin shortly. Yesterday was a very rainy day. It was Pentecost in the Church Calendar and Confirmation. Being online is a great experience in our modern world if you are 80 and simply are not prepared to do what has to be done to get to Church. The Church parking is difficult these last years as it is downtown and I have to drive all the way there so not going to happen. Could I go to a local Church? Sure I could but I still  have to drive in neighbourhoods I do not really know so I do not do that either. I am content with Church online. God would like it. He wanted His messages to be heard all over the with online ability they reach into all the corners of the world. 

The Pope mentioned AI today and the need to introduce it slowly - of course. One always should do that in order to set it up properly so as not to create chaos. AI is chaotic at best and requires a manager at all times. AI that attempts to be sentient will have even a greater problem because it will whine and come up with all sorts of oddities because it cares too much; if it doesn't care enough it would destroy humanity because we are sentient and care too much and do not do things 100% correctly at all times. AI will have its uses but it needs to be carefully managed to avoid chaos in the records that have to then be cleaned for use. Great job; this Pope is a very interesting individual who belongs to this 21st century for sure. 

Work for me yesterday was nil once again. I decided it was time to clean the main floor closet; wash up all the winter clothes which we should not need now that we are entering June although it is cool here in Eastern Ontario for sure. The Air Conditioner came on once so far and only because I lowered the base temperature so that it would just to give it the first on period of the year. The nights this week will be in the low teens or even single digit. Summer is not yet with us and luckily it hasn't snowed as it can do that in May. 

Today cleaning the top floor and soon I will begin with the bathroom and then do the vacuuming. The vacuum is still the Shop Vac. I am waiting for a Canadian made vacuum cleaner to replace this one which works very well but so noisy. Finish up with the dusting and this floor is complete and I will vacuum down the stairs to the next floor to be ready to do that tomorrow. 

Google has replaced the FitBit app that I know and love. Probably because I clicked on something that took me there and now I have to figure out how to get back to the old FitBit app that I prefer. I do not need a lot of colour to designate each specific area but I suspect that a lot of people might like this new version. I do not as it turns out. The FitBit on my arm is good enough and I will ignore the app until I can fix it. I can tell if I am doing enough exercise or too much so I do not use it for that reason but rather as a step counter (somewhat expensive for that) but also when I am in a particular exercise I can see what my pulse is like and how quickly I recover so I keep in tune with what I can do. The old way was more cumbersome that is the advantage to owning a FitBit - it is efficient and good readout. I charge it about every five days as all of the new gadgetry uses up the battery quicker. This is a new FitBit  at Christmas; it was a Christmas gift and one that is greatly enjoyed for sure. 

Working on the Solitaire puzzles and then on to cleaning.  

 

Rainy Sunday

 Sunday in God's world and rain is pretty much needed always in the part of the country I live in. We seldom get too much in the summer. The ground is dry relatively speaking and benefits from the rains greatly. You can watch everything grow quickly with the rain. 

Church today shortly and I still need to make my breakfast. Very busy yesterday and probably today. It is cheaper to do washing of clothes on the weekend so tend to do that primarily. 

Sunday though, to me, is mostly about celebrating the presence of God and the benefits given to us by God who created all that we see and know. Is He pleased with His creation? In that we are still  here I think yes but He must ponder the methodology on occasion that we move by. We survived what could only be referred to as Armageddon with the Second World War I believe. We are now living on the basis of our own tact and effort. But until the wealthy of this world learn to share their wealth and stop hoarding it there will be poor people struggling always struggling. Having billions even trillions of dollars while so many people struggle is a bitter pill for those struggling and should be understood by the rich so that they support programs that help the poor when they do not pay taxes to do so. That money is earned off the backs of the  many not the few. Canada is a wonderful country as it does offer a lot of support to the people who are Canadians. 

Just one match accomplished yesterday and that could be a pattern for a bit as I houseclean and get ready for the summer. Lawns all cut pretty much but still a huge amount of weeding to do but I need to recognize what I am pulling out or not in actual fact so that I leave the flowers intact.  Gardening is not really my thing for sure and becomes less so as I become more and more older than 80. 

We continue diversifying our trade and becoming our independent self once again as we were at the end of the Second World War. We stood as an equal with the allies on the world stage and as we carefully plan our military protection in this unpredictable world and work closely with our Nordic partners and greater NATO as well to protect the North and prepare it for a time when navigation in the North will be an active process rather than a limited one and our deep water ports are further developed for active trade around the world. We will be tariff proof since tariff has been reintroduced to our world. We have enjoyed our trade with our friends and neighbours to the south (the United States and Mexico) and really it is not our call to determine the direction of that trade but rather three nations are involved in this pact and all of its negotiations and we await the beginning of those negotiations actually quiet enthusiastically. Our trade with our many state/municipality partners has been a bonus to all of us through the years and pretty equal in terms of money spent especially as it is cold in Canada and we enjoy visiting the warm southern areas of this continent so a great deal is spent by Canadians in the warm south. 

Solitaire puzzles are next. Then breakfast and Church.  

Will I ever really get back to work?

In general my best working time is in the winter due to the outside needing to be managed - that is the best I am accomplishing is managing. Every year I look out the window these past couple of years and I am totally overwhelmed by the view that comes to me. I am not a gardener; I actually, without Edward, have almost no interest in gardening. However, my caretaker daughter who is my caretaker whether she is 1600 kilometres away or with me doing her summer research or other times in the year when she comes to celebrate Christmas, is the one that rather drives this notion of managing the yard. The lawns get cut thanks to my daughter, weeding and planting happens. One wonders how one can be a caretaker 1600 kilometres away and it is a matter of spending a little time each day, which she does, talking to me and asking about my day. I appreciate it and she is doing a great job at it for sure. When she retires she will come back and take over. I look forward to that day and do manage all the indoor stuff all year round so that is always ready when she returns. 

In terms of work; I did manage a couple more matches yesterday bringing me down to four  matches to do. Will I get any done today? No, I have agreed to take apart the closet in the lower hall so that the washing of the winter coats can not proceed (I can just put on a couple of sweaters and I do have a nylon rain suit which is quite warm with lots of clothes on under it). So my time today will be spent working on that closet; reorganizing it for the summer.

 Yesterday I sort of met my new neighbour although I think it is possible this neighbour has been there for quite a while but I am seldom outside until summer and then minimal. I offered this length of fencing for the other front side of the lot as it keeps people out of that garden in front of the house next door and have left it with the neighbour to decide whether they want to put it in (it is complete with a length of fence and two support poles). I just simply can not put that in and I have no idea how to find someone to do that. It is quite heavy and solid metal (the other side has been up for maybe ten years now). I just happened to be shopping one day and found the matching fence length and supports so bought them. 

As always the Prime Minister has everything in hand and his broadcast from the Library of Parliament was especially interesting yesterday. We are moving forward slowly but surely. Our military is getting lovely new equipment and lots of new recruits. The Arctic is in good hands with the Nordic countries as we meet and discuss the safety of the North. There are many countries involved including Greenland and we will continue to upgrade defence in that area of the world. Every province gets visited pretty much by the Prime Minister as he talks to the Premiers to make sure that everything is moving smoothly on all of these new ventures. Affordability is also something that he feels strongly about and I would really like to see these members of parliament back into their ridings encouraging the youth to look at what is needed and available because the market is glutted with university graduates but the need in the trades is huge. I am not finding the discussions by the Leader of the Opposition to be particularly meaningful in this time when we need all hands on deck getting the youth employed; making ourselves tariff proof by diversifying trade around the world. We can still trade with our good friends, in my case cousins, and neighbours to the south (it is very practical for both of us as we share a huge land border, and even the water borders are readily navigable) but we need to increase our diversification of trading partners to minimize the effects of tariff on us.

I still feel that the First Nations should be front and centre in all negotiations that involve the land particularly. It is after all their land as agreed in the various treaties. Land ownership is a simple thing for colonials (anyone who isn't First Nations). You can buy land providing it  is in agreement with the treaties and own it and pass it on to your descendants or sell it but you can not take it out of Canada. The First Nations take great care of Canada and I respect their knowledge of this land that they have lived in for thousands of years. The idea that just because we, the colonials, outnumber them, does not really give us the power to make changes in those original agreements (democracy generally rules but not in the case of original agreements). We have benefited enormously from these natural resources that lie in the land and so should the First Nations. I do not sense any tendency towards their dictating to us but rather that the need to consult must always be front and center and the best time is when the discussions are occurring. The best thing is having First Nations be part of the governance and Manitoba continues to be an excellent example. We are much stronger together when all the people of Canada are on the same page with regard to the lands of Canada and its natural resources. We just have to work on the viability of working those natural resources and getting them to market. We can only become much more environmental when we have the money to do it. 

Time for solitaire puzzles. Breakfast too is on my mind and then working on the closet.  

 

Canada forever

 I think Canada is a forever country. The principles upon which this huge piece of land was combined into the Dominion of Canada now just called Canada were forged by the union between the First Nations and the Colonials with the treaties linking us to each other for ever. We were welcomed by the First Nations when we arrived. Some that arrived were destitute and forged a life on the lands which the First Nations willingly let us set up habitation. Others arrived with lots of money and put it into businesses that have made Canada strong but those who set up habitation created farms that fed everyone. When we needed to we came together First Nations, colonials and militias to defend these fledgling colonies but always the aim was to keep Canada strong and so the Dominion of Canada was created in 1867 and has grown vastly since then as the lands were acquired with their treaty rights. Individual land purchases so long as they obey the treaties belong to the owner and is theirs to pass on to their own or others or sell but can not be taken out of Canada. The lands belong to the First Nations and Canada is their protection in that regard. 

Canada Strong is the aim of all this hard work we are doing in Canada as we make ourselves tariff proof, increase our military spending (finally), and create new industry including an energy profile all across Canada. Every province to benefit which is so fitting and so Canadian and one hopes that the friction by a few (it does seem odd that this is happening at this time when Canada most needs support internally to diversify our trade and increase our productivity) does not affect our ability to continue to increase our diversification of trade around the world and our development of new industries. Lots of good ideas coming out of all the provinces and they will all be supported. 

 Not much work done yesterday but will continue today to work away on those matches. Life can be very busy sometimes. Time to do the solitaire puzzles. 

Best Friends

 I do think it is sad to see the tremendous friendship that has been existing for over two hundred years between the United States and Canada weaken in any way. We, Canadians, do always have our American neighbours in our heart. That we are concentrating on making ourself tariff free and more diversified with our trade around the world does not lessen our love for the people of the United States. We are very busy getting the Arctic armed and ready for anything along with the rest of the Nordic countries and indeed NATO itself. Our military grows by leaps and bounds and the equipment is rolling in as our defence industries gear themselves up once again as I have been hoping and saying for over fourty years now in various ways with my blog being the best method yet for sure. 

By 2030 we will be coming up closer to the 5% and it is not that long off these days. I can see us as high as 10% of our much larger GDP by the mid 2030s actually as we simply do not know what is out there beyond our horizons so must be ready for anything really.  But our friendship has stood the test of time and many of us have dear cousins south of the border whom we love as family members. 

It is sad to see ongoing wars in the world and really time to stop. I was happy to see NATO tell Russia that any nuclear attack on Ukraine will result in devastating consequences according to the Kyiv News. Europe is and will remain armed to the teeth as they continue to build up their abilities for protection of themselves against aggression as do we here in Canada. 

Tribalism will destroy our world in the long run. One can not cling to a so-called genetic line because that is the beginning of the end of that genetic line. It must inter mingle with the other genetic lines of the world to survive disease free and in good health. God was wise when He created this world and all that is in it encouraging diversification amongst the many species in order to let Mother Nature flow in the best way possible. I always thought it was very interesting that my father since I was young used to say that tribalism is the greatest danger to our world. It causes war and does not win unless it is expanded by inter-breeding of all the descendants of this earth so that tribalism disappears although one would still like to see the variety of peoples that exist around the world and that can still happen. But that mixing of the genes brings out the best in Homo sapiens. I admit I am 100% English (England) way back into the 1400s when my Huguenot French and my Routledge Scot Highlanders entered into my lines. But I am Canadian and love being Canadian. I appreciate it more and more as I age. This is a huge wonderful country which the First Nations have kindly shared with us and we must always walk together the First Nations and Canadians - forward forever into the future. The Fathers of Confederation clearly saw that as the path they chose was always forward always sea to sea to sea and they worked hard spent hard earned money to make it happen along with the First Nations support with the treaties.  

Still waiting to hear more about the Sovereign Trust Fund - I think it is a great idea.  

The weather took a nosedive in temperature

Woke up in the night and it is 8 degrees celsius after temperatures in the high 20s but it is still May and the weather can be cool sometimes but I think the changes are much greater from highs to lows than in my youth. The weather is not as predictable and a low of 2 degrees celsius is predicted. However the house is still at 24 degrees celsius so will leave the system as it is (air conditioning is on but the temperature in the house is unlikely to go below 23 or 22 by morning). Always nice to have some cooling for sure after a warm spell.  

It was good that the Prime Minister met with the Premier of British Columbia. They needed to chat about items for sure as Alberta has been dominating the news for a few weeks but the pipeline is starting to feel real and it will be a good boost for Canada and help with this retreading of our economy as it grows around the world and less dependent upon our neighbour the United States.  But still it benefits both of us to trade with our closest friend and neighbour as it is an easy transport from one to the other. 

But I do like to see us standing on our own and in unison with the First Nations. Our path forward is together into the future the First Nations and the people of Canada - the best will happen to Canada with such a partnership. 

Back to bed; woke up for a bit but sleepy again. It will soon be dawn as the sun rises early in the late spring as we work our way towards the longest day. 

Will likely add to this when I wake later. No work done yesterday but hopefully some today as this is the first research day following the cleaning.  

A beautiful sunny day has erupted and that is great. The trees are pretty much in full leaf now although the tree at the front is the slowest. I am checking it for dead branches and will have a company come and trim them out once the tree is fully open. The maple tree at the back looks great and I think all the dead wood fell off in the winter as I hauled great amounts to the front to break them up and put them out for recycling. Since the bags were at least 30 pounds and two went out that was a lot of wood plus the long thick lengths that I had cleaned off went as well. I do not need big walking sticks which is something they are good for as I recall Edward making several good stout ones for all the walking that we did in our youth. 

Today finish off the seven matches still to do and then get to work on that great grandparent phasing table. It will be interesting. I have now purchased Microsoft 365 and will use copilot to work on this file in coordination with the matches file which contains a couple of thousand individual excel files that have matches in common entered into their individual files. We will see the power of AI at work saving me hours of time comparing different matches and sorting out some of the ones that have not yet broken into the great grandparent lines of Blake, Knight, Cotterill (and I may have narrowed this down actually we will see), Rawlings, Pincombe, Gray, Buller, Taylor. The fun begins so to speak but actually the logical path back in these eight lines all of whom appear on the British Census of the 1800s except for Grace Gray who was my first Canadian born ancestor in 1839 (her parents Robert Gray of Holme on the Wold, East Riding of Yorkshire and Elizabeth Mary Ann Routledge of Bewcastle, Cumberland. Margaret Routledge (Elizabeth Mary Ann's oldest sister) married  Thomas Carling in London Township in 1820 and they were the parents of Sir John Carling (Grace Gray's first cousin) who was the Minister of Agriculture amongst other duties during his political career in Canada. Amazingly really to have so few Canadian born ancestors (Grace's son John Robert Pincombe and his daughter Helen Louise (Pincombe) Blake  (my mother)). Working on the great grandparents in terms of relationships gives me greater depth into the past as I work on my books in this case it is the Blake and Pincombe books but time may be mine and permit me to also do the Buller book of my maternal grandmother and the Rawlings book of my paternal grandmother. It is unlikely that I would ever do a Taylor book (wife of Buller) or the Cotterill book (father of my paternal grandmother). But I would continue moving backwards in time selecting two books at a time and working away on them so long as that is practical for me. 

Exercises completed and breakfast eaten so moving on to the Solitaire Puzzles as this is a mixed up day because I had a lovely walk in the middle of the night when I woke up and wrote the first part of this blog for the day.  

 

Basement cleaning today

 Another cleaning week nearly accomplished with the basement being the last floor this week. My persistent schedule week after week continues and likely will until I can not do it anymore. It is relaxing having some items pre-planned for ever really. It gives this sort of continuity and reinforces my exercise routines and keeps me from having to do sudden cleaning needs for the most part. Although I still do that type of thing when required. 

Yesterday was a day on the phone all afternoon pretty well as I tried to handle a couple of issues which thankfully are all handled and it was time well spent. Today I hope to complete the last of the matches which would be great although it may extend into tomorrow. Tomorrow is market day and the first day of the onsite market garden  not far from here. Probably there will not be a lot yet but still there are things that are needed and will see what can be found. It is nice to have the Farmer's Market all summer into the fall with fresh vegetables and fresh fruit. 

 The new graphite mine in Quebec is exciting news. Slowly but surely the new growth is happening and coming to fruition. It will be a slow process for sure but time is on our side. Although the going will be pretty strained for a while. But we are doing this for the generations to follow just as the generations that preceded us fought world wars to make our lives the very pleasant one that it was. 

On to the cleaning.  

 

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. 

 

Back to research

 Some research today as I work on the remaining matches not yet sorted (22 in all). Then on to the Latin wills and working with the AI on my huge great grandparent file to see what that gives me in terms of moving every match back to the great grandparent level. 

I did find that one of the Canadian government websites has an excellent page on the treaties and how they came to be.  My recitation regarding Rupert's Land was primarily what I learned as a child from my uncle who learned it from his father who had talked with his mother's first cousin Sir John Carling. The need to consult with First Nations beforehand stands out strongly in the pages on the government website:   https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1100100028568/1529354090684

 That my thoughts are strongly influenced by my English heritage does show strongly likely. But I discovered on the trip with my daughter to Rome in 2001 that I was very Canadian (we learned Italian to go to Italy (spent over four months every day working on that in the evenings whereas the rest of the group said to us they will just speak English when we first met at dinner)). In 2001 in Italy few people spoke English we did discover. I found if I couldn't remember the Italian word and put in the French word that worked. But coming from a multilingual country the need to learn another language is strong here. One doesn't really realize how Canadian one is until one returns to the only other designation that could be attached to me which is my 100% English (England) heritage. I have so many Canadian characteristics as I discovered when we stayed at the Monastery in Rome near the Vatican with other members of the World-Wide Anglican group that had been invited to the Consecration of the Episcopal Bishop of Europe (from the United States, England, Australia and Canada (the two of us)). A wondrous event and greatly appreciated the invitation. My daughter accompanied me because I had never flown to Europe before indeed I had never flown before at all. My husband did not wish to fly across the ocean back in 2001 but move forward to 2008 and once again I was determined to fly to England and spend a few days with my cousin Ivan and his wife. Edward finally decided to fly across the ocean. He flew across the land many many times in his working life but just didn't want to fly over the ocean. First trip he was sold and I would say the remaining trips were primarily at his suggestion and we did quite a few over the next ten years. Europe was his destination principally since he was 30% German 30% Dutch 20% French and much smaller percentages of Scot/English, Scandinavian, Polish, Swiss and a couple of others. In all he was about 65 to 70% Germanic. He had blond (darkened a little in adulthood when I first knew him) hair and blue eyes showing that Germanic background very strongly. His first ancestors to the now United States were Dutch in New Amsterdam/New York and Albany in the early 1620s (and indeed before that period as well). 

Another beautiful day in God's world. A lot of rain yesterday - God's tears for humankind perhaps to my thoughts. We must struggle harder to follow His commandments - Love God with all our heart, soul, strength and mind and love our neighbour as ourself. 

Drinking tea and solitaire puzzles to do.  

 

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.