Last day of August

 Reading Nehemiah and Nehemiah is Governor and the peoples who have returned from captivity in Persia (Babylon) have worked hard to restore the temple area in Jerusalem. The numbers of people is overwhelming when you think about it. Thousands of people have returned from captivity. I completed to the end of Chapter 9 and a new Covenant has been signed between God and the people of Israel. The amount of history in all these words is amazing. We know so much about these lands where modern Israel now is located and the lands around this area. The people are known by their various groupings who are not part of Israel. Fascinating really as reading the Bible when I was much younger I did not think about all of these parts in the same way. God the Creator tried to live on earth with us; He no longer lives with us after He sent Jesus His son to show us the way; to create the Christian faith to support all the teachings that Jesus brought with Him to mankind over two thousand years ago. Slowly we are reaching towards the times of the New Testament but still quite a bit of reading to do. We will go back and forth in time as we reach the Psalms and the Proverbs. These two Old Testament books are perhaps the most familiar over all to me because we do read a Psalm every week in Church and the Proverbs we see in our daily life in writings. 

Prayers continuing for the souls of those who have died in the floods in Nepal and Tibet. Prayers for the rescue of the thousands still trapped in the mud (buildings buried in the deep mud). Some people experienced in tunnel rescues have left from Canada to go to Nepal and Tibet to help. The rescuers must be exhausted from all of this searching. So many lost. 

Windows opened to let in the fresh air and cool the house down before the temperature rises. I turned the air conditioning off a week ago. I find it very cold especially when it is dehumidifying although I do keep it at 25 degrees celsius.  

Diversification of our trade is at the top of our list of things to do and will continue until we have increased our trade between the provinces (where ever is the BC peanut butter?), breaking down those trade barriers, and increase our trading with the rest of the world. It is our prime thought along with all the new projects that are in mind. Our military projects took the first concern and are starting to come to fruition so time now to work on civilian projects. It is something we should have been doing these past fourty years but now we are at it and that is the important part. Our youth are certainly up to the challenge. 

Today is cleaning day and I am back on schedule and will do the main floor today as it will be quite a bit of extra work with washing of all the floors. Actually the dogs were quite good and I wiped their feet outside on the muddy days and inside when it was just dusty and a bit damp but not muddy. They were good and I am sure they are thrilled to be back with the cats as they have missed them. There are four animals and a lot of fish - 2 dogs and 2 cats. They are all good friends. 

With the matches all done (although I see My Heritage has sent me email with some new ones that I will check out) I started into the phasing of my great grandparents. I will avoid adding anything new unless it is incremental adding in details that needed more support. 

So working on the books, the photo albums and the phasing of the grandparents (Edwards)/great grandparents (mine) will be my focus over the next few months. Lots of working time ahead of me and winter soon to come which is my best working time for sure. 

I am looking forward to moving in three years or so as this house, small though that it actually is, is much too large for me. Would love to move sooner but at 81 I am too old for too many changes all at once if I can avoid it. I know that moving in three years or so is something that is going to happen but trying to do that several times is just not practical. 

I must admit listening to Jason Kenny discussing the current situation I could wish that he would contemplate going back into the Conservative Party federally. He is cooler headed and controlled in how he discusses topics.  I do not entirely agree with him on the tariff business. The intent is to protect our home industries with the current retroactive tariff to come into force in another week and I think is best centered on that idea - I agree with the Premiers of Alberta and Saskatchewan on these points. But he is an excellent speaker with a lot of background in federal politics and a good listener.  

Solitaire puzzles to do.  

The Truth will set you Free

The Church service at Christ Church did  not come online today so I went to Church at Flackwell Heath, Buckinghamshire in Oxford Diocese.  Wonderful singing with several of my favourite songs but the theme running through the prayers and the sermon was "The truth will set you free." I simply love that expression. It is beautiful. My roots are deep in the Church of England, called Anglican in Canada primarily. I would say my grandfather's Blake line were reluctant to be no longer Roman Catholic but accepted that they had to be Church of England because Queen Elizabeth was their valid Queen so they believed and so they practised. But there was a lot of catholicism in my grandfather. The priest who taught them at school was likely very High Church as it is called when one is more Catholic than Protestant. 

My first day without the dogs. I woke up first always and waited for them to arouse at their own pace which was generally about one hour after I woke up which meant I had my exercises all done and was ready for the onslaught of opening the door of the bedroom where they were sleeping. It was a quick hello and down the stairs and running around to enjoy the new day in this house. They missed their family but they enjoyed their time with me. They quickly forget that I have said no (generally in a loud voice) and come over for a hug and then back to playing and sleeping. Dogs sleep a lot. 

When I was young we had a dog and he was my strongest companion - Normie recognized that I did not see well and would track me about as a toddler bringing me back from my wandering by tugging at my dress and pulling me along (I apparently never got off the property!). I have no memory of Normie as he was put down when I was just three years of age - the shock to my system must have been enormous. I looked for him for ages (so it was said) but he was gone and then we moved and everything that I knew well was gone and perhaps that was when the memory of Normie also disappeared. I do not remember the feel of his fur or riding on his back (I was the only one he allowed to do that) or the lick of his tongue. He was a full sized Collie and greatly loved by the family. He was a very tame dog and extremely good with children but a child came to play at our house (my age apparently so one does wonder why a two to three year old is wandering about a neighbourhood alone going to houses) and she apparently hit me which was a mistake. The dog did not actually hurt her but he pinched her and left a tiny mark apparently but Normie was put down; my parents (with five children) did not want to have a dog that was untrustworthy - sad really. 

What does that have to do with truth will set you free? Absolutely nothing but for some reason a few things came back to me as I listened to the Sermon. Talking about leaving everything and following Jesus was also the theme and probably the one that I was supposed to be hearing. It reminded me of leaving London when my husband took a job in Ottawa and I followed him. We had two vehicles and literally he drove one and I followed him in the other with our not yet one year old. We were also taking her away from everything she knew especially her grandparents who loved her dearly. Now I am one of seven and at this point in time my parents had three grandchildren (12, 8 and 7) and she ended up being the only baby for another eight years when my youngest was born. So she was the center of any party or any event in the family. She was alive by the grace of God because my first pregnancy was a miscarriage at four months - a sad event in my life and I still miss that child but now with God I am sure wrapped tightly in His arms. I changed jobs so that I was not on my feet and was blessed with my daughter just a couple of years later. Another miscarriage when my daughter was two and it was a result of me simply being not strong enough to carry a baby at this point. I did wonder if I ever would carry another child.  Then a surprise just when I was going back to do my Masters but I chose staying home and proofreading/copyediting for first the government and then private printers when my job was cut from the Public Service by the Conservative government for whom I had voted but I was unemployed for about one day I think! It didn't alter my voting habits.

My husband was a very distinct person with a very distinct personality and my eldest grandson is his walking image - he looks like him; he has many of his characteristics and habits and sometimes he says things which was exactly the way Edward used to say it. Sadly he was only eight when his grandfather died and it was a sad day for everyone but especially I think for my eldest grandson as they were just getting to that point of sharing thoughts and ideas. Edward would have been a perfect grandfather for his grandsons and it is sad, to me still, that life did not support his continuing but he will always be alive in our minds. My youngest grandson still talks about his grandpa Edward asking me questions about when he was born, things he did as he too remembers his grandpa very well. So the truth that was coming through my mind was the regret I still feel deep in my soul that their grandpa Edward isn't still here with them. I still have all of his school work that he saved (myself I threw it all out when I got married!). I hated school although I absolutely love learning. If I could have learned online I would have been so overjoyed to be honest. Going to Church online, although it is not the concept that Jesus designed, is also a wonderful event in my life. 

Must get my running in. I am slowly working my way back up to thirty minutes a day with a twenty minute walk. Whenever I am ill I take it backwards even halfway or more so that I do not put undue strain on a system that buckled so many years ago in my late 20s. I just think it is wise to take it easy as you work your way back into an exercise routine. 

Prayers for the souls of all those who died in the glacial flooding in Nepal and Tibet and prayers that many more will be rescued. Back to watching the news again for a bit. Not that I am uninterested but I can do nothing about the events of the world except live through them like everybody else.  

 

Matches completed

Matches all completed and moving on to the genealogical tables although I have quite a bit of work to do now on the phasing of my great grandparents as well. The project to work on Edward's grandparents is still in the beginning stages and I will work on that gradually. Although I would like very much to move I still have far too much material. Edward's boxes still number 30 Banker Boxes and finding time to do everything seems to be very difficult. I want to do a proper job of managing Edward's paperwork. He did give me a lot of instructions for some of it but not all. So I am winging it quite a bit although his cousins have been very helpful. He was just into so many of his lines and acquired so much material. 

The Archives at Chilliwack are still on my mind as I told them I would send them the newsletters that I have written and I still need to do that. 

 I need to pull all of Edward's niece's pictures and get them into a package in the next month or so. But fourty binders is still a lot of pictures. So I need to organize that as I move through them. Then I am also writing two books for my parent's families (Blake and Pincombe). I think this winter though I am organized enough that I can accomplish even more than last year. I can see that the three years that I will probably still remain here might let me accomplish all of this work. I would dearly love to move but it is impractical. 

I am really happy when the children are back in school as I am more comfortable with driving to the store. I can go slowly and the streets are all 40 km per hour which is great. I think I will give up wearing my one pair of sunglasses driving though as they seem to be darker than my other pair; I do have a pair that are brighter. I really never found it a problem until the other day. However, everything worked out but one wants to be so careful.

Very very few people come to the door now which really suits me; none is even better unless they are my relatives. I just go to the window and suggest they put their flyer into the mailbox or just shake my head to say I am not coming to the door. I think I will put my note on the door that I am busy working. I do not buy anything at the door and really can not help anyone. There are other people around me who are home and much younger than I am. Funny to finally be too old rather than too young as I was so many years of my life.

I did finally listen to some of the televised information on the trade talks. I am so in favour of diversifying our trade but that doesn't mean that I am against some sort of a trade deal with the United States. It means a lot to many many States and it means a lot to our Provinces and Territories. But we have proven ourselves through this past century and need to just work on what we can do. I marvel at the bravery of the Canadians throughout 1939 to early 1942 when we were all alone on the North Atlantic going back and forth day after day ferrying food and supplies to the British Isles and bringing back the children to protect them from the war. It was a hard life I think and cost us a great deal of money; I entered it just after the war so grew up in the shadow of that great contribution that Canada made and we continue to do what we can do to support our allies in the protection of our lands and oceans. Our country borders on three oceans with the longest oceanic coastline in the world. 

I do want the shovels in the ground for the pipeline to the west coast sooner rather than later. The eastern pipeline to Ontario and Quebec is needed as well but time will tell. I wonder sometimes about mining the oil in Venezuela after that last earthquake (that seems to be on people's mind with the latest announcement). Sometimes the land will yield up its goodness other times it fights back. Hard to say; I am not an expert. Canada, the land of my birth, my upbringing and my adulthood and I do love Canada very much. When I have given up my time freely particularly in the service of God  I am happy to do so. But God does not make huge demands on us just two - love God with all our heart, soul, strength and mind and love (respect really is the meaning I think) our neighbour as ourself. Then peace can be there for the entire world and that Utopia so many seek will be here on earth as we await the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. I do not seek Utopia but rather my quiet life where I can just write to my heart's content. 

Reading Nehemiah and all of his work on the restoration of the Temple in Jerusalem. This has been a fascinating trip through time reading the Bible in my old age. I am quite exhausted from the summer and look forward to a quiet fall. I am not one to seek medical aid particularly because the psychiatrist did tell me what I had to do to stay well. I will be doing that over the next month or so as I recuperate from a summer full. 

Woke up with a headache as my mind is too active at the moment. Need to take it easy for a bit and recuperate. Off to bed again and to sleep. 

Solitaire puzzles in the morning when I awake. Thank you God for all that you do. 

Dear Father hear and bless Thy beasts and singing birds.  And guard with tenderness small things that have no words. Bless my grandparents, my parents, my siblings and my husband who have proceeded me in this life. Bless all those that I love and all who dwell in Your lands and protect them from the evil of the world. In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Goodnight once again.  

  

 

 

Ezra and the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem

 Canada continued its heroic trips back and forth across the North Atlantic which had begun in earnest in 1939 and continued into 1942 ferrying food and materials to the British Isles and returning with shiploads of children to protect them from war. It was a difficult couple of years but our maritime forces exceeded any expectations on what could be done in such precarious times. Not that such times are on us again but the need for such hard concentrated work lies ahead of us. It is an exciting time in our history that is for sure as we diversify our trade and start new products for delivery to the world. 

Completed the reading of Ezra yesterday and moving on to Nehemiah today. The Israeli people have returned to their homeland from captivity in Persia (Babylon) and Assyria. The rebuilding of the temple is underway. God is in their hearts and minds as they work to regain what was lost to them. 

Just two matches left to do and back to rephasing the great grandparents and continuing with the generational charts of the Blake family at Andover and the Pincombe family at North Molton. 

The dogs and I spent a little time outside yesterday and they will soon be going home. I am in need of a week of rest and relaxation which will include cleaning my house. Last night just eleven degrees celsius and up to fifteen degrees celsius now at 9:30 a.m. Fall is coming and with it the change in the colours of the leaves which has begun slightly here and there. I need to take down the bird feeder as I do not feed birds; letting them take what they want from the fruit and seeds in the yard. They are very industrious birds but it is fun to watch them come to the feeder that is for sure. The cardinals have never left us all these years coming back year in and year out. One generation after another. This year's generation's young is a female cardinal and mostly it has been male cardinals from this pair over the last few years. 

  Solitaire puzzles are next.  

I am always thinking about my driving. I have decided when my reactions do not seem to be quick enough to me then it is time to stop. The other day I was headed to the grocery store which involves a couple of streets. I was making my turn onto the street that takes me there and suddenly a motor bike appeared and as I was in the way I finished my turn but it does tell  me that watching is the most important thing. A motor cycle going by on the street outside reminded me of that as I was sitting with the dogs. 

 

Canada stood alone in 1939 and 1940 on the North Atlantic

Canada is a strong country. In 1939 and 1940 our convoys crisscrossed the Atlantic Ocean daily carrying food and supplies to the British Isles constantly being attacked and tracked by the enemy. We did not quaver; we forged ahead and that is what being Canadian is all about. We can do it. I remember the late 40s and early 50s of the 1900s very clearly. Our soldiers (I lived in a military city as London, Ontario's biggest employer was the Canadian military at Wolsley Barracks) stood tall and always ready for whatever was handed to them. We never really lost that; it just got seconded by the needs of the many as Canada grew through the 1980s and 1990s. But we are back, our military is growing rapidly and our equipment is topping it up all over. We will defend North America along with our neighbours to the south and our friends in Europe/British Isles. A large number of countries have an Arctic coastline. 

I am finding the Book of Ezra very very interesting. We are now approaching the prophecies of the prophets and the promise of a Messiah. That along with the return to Jerusalem make the readings very significant. It is amazing that it is the King of Persia, he said that God told him to do it, who sends the Israelites back to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem. It is just 500 years now before the birth of Jesus Christ. I know I have read the Book of Ezra before but it has been a very long time. Yesterday I read the first five chapters and today I am reading the remaining five chapters. The next book is Nehemiah. I always feel privileged to read these ancient writings and thankful to the Jewish people for their gift to the world of all these writings. We are now into the time of the great libraries that I talked about before. Knowledge is now being stored up and passed around to the scholars of the known world. But the value of the Bible stretching so far back in time must never be overlooked. 

Worked on the matches and still a few to do and I will work away at that today once again. Yesterday I vacuumed both floors and it does look good. I will scrub the bathrooms today and do the dusting next week when I clean again. I need to clean all of the floors although the dogs have been very good and I clean their feet at the door. But the younger dog has thick curls that do not shed but do hold vast amounts of water. 

I am starting to think about all of the new projects coming to Canada in the next months as we continue to diversify our trade around the world. It is very exciting time for Canada. The loss, if it happens, of the three big American car makers will be quickly filled by others and I must say having driven in Dodge cars for all my life they will be truly missed. The hit to their bottom line (the three American car makers) will be huge as we buy a lot of American corporate vehicles in Canada made in Canada. But you can sense the burgeoning of new car companies coming to Canada to build cars with Canadian materials  and no more worries on our part that they have just come to try and have a back door into the United States. We have lots of room for car factories (including home grown) and lots of workers and purchasers. 

An interesting aside the French call the channel of water to their north La Manche and the British call it The English Channel. 

Looking out my window I remember last spring when the City truck came along and cleared away the built up salt and mud along the kerb. As usual that big black truck was out there and now I have this pool of water there because it is landlocked. I am not strong enough to move that anymore but it is a place for mosquitoes to breed. One must notice what is happening in the world around them as it took them quite a while to clean the street. When I looked out the window one time the man in the city truck pointed at the black truck and made a motion for me to move it. I nodded my head no, and pointed across the road. We all pay our taxes. I once asked his wife to move the truck but apparently she can not drive it. That is really serious as it could be an emergency and that truck had to be moved so one shouldn't own something one cannot move! Of course someone else might move it!

So still matches to do and I will work at that and also scrubbing the two bathrooms and that will be the cleaning for this week. Next week is a thorough cleaning including scrubbing all the wooden floors. I am ready for the challenge; all better. God will not call me home this time I guess. 

Thank you God for another beautiful day in Your world. A bit cloudy but other wise a lovely late summer day.  

 

 

Moving on as September approaches

 September is always lovely as we move towards fall with winter coming. A wondrous moment to leave summer behind; summer is not my favourite season. There really isn't anything that I love about summer - cold air conditioning is one of my big dislikes and yet I do have that because it keeps the air fresh. I like to swim but you can swim all year round. I love to walk but I can do that inside my house all year round although a walk outside is always very nice. 

Some work accomplished yesterday and about eight matches left to do. Found two new matches in the database I am working on at the moment. The one especially exciting as it filled in this tiny length that was more or less vacant. 

The dogs are missing their family even if I am family. They have been with me for a while but surprisingly quiet and good. But they are getting older. A quick rebuke and they quiet down if something outside alarms them. 

Ezra reading begins today and the Babylonian Captivity is ending. King Cyrus of Persia has decreed that they return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple to God, the God of the Israeli people. The ten chapters begin with this decree around 540 BCE (before the common era). Again the God of Creation (God of the Israeli people) demonstrates His faithfulness in bringing His people home from exile to the lands that He promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Israel). He has spoken through the Persian King Cyrus the Great. 

I put off my cleaning earlier this week but will vacuum the top floor today as one of the dogs sheds heavily and it is time; one can not really go for more than a week without vacuuming! My schedule is all awry but time will fix that and I am a person who can tolerate such changes. 

Time for a piece of banana bread (my concoction) and a glass of milk. I will return to my blog shortly.  

Dogs out for two runs and then breakfast. I have to send them out singly because the older dog has to walk but if out with the younger dog she runs and that is bad for her leg. Dogs get old too. She has been a wonderful dog. A perfect companion to the family for sure. The younger dog is very spirited and has grown up on a huge lot so my lot in comparison is small. Used to being a long way back from the road and here she is up close. So hard for her but the older one manages it well. 

Supposed to rain and I decided to let them have two good outings before that starts. Clouding again so perhaps it will begin sooner. 

Cleaning to begin soon. Doing solitaire puzzles.  

It truly is amazing to still be on God's earth; I never expected to live this long to be honest. I was dreadfully ill at the end of my 20s. But the psychiatrist laid it on the line for me that I had to rest. That every time I did not rest I would become ill. Initially I did not even test that out and rested whenever my infant did but gradually I did push myself a little but too much and I paid for it with exhaustion, a return of the headaches and fainting. So back to resting once again. My eldest at two would sit beside me whilst I rested and read her books (she read so young) or make pictures but always stay close as she knew that I would get upset if I couldn't see her. Now she is again my caregiver although mostly a long way away as I tell her that works for me and just live your life. Although I can still get the tiredness and headache the fainting is no longer part of daily living thank goodness. It is a long long time since I fainted. 

King Cyrus of Persia

The end of the Babylonian Captivity was created by King Cyrus of Persia (Babylon was now known as Persia). King Cyrus of Persia stated: The Lord, the God of heaven had given me all the kingdoms of the earth and He has charged me to build Him a house at Jerusalem in Judah. Hence he told the descendants of the people of Judah that they were now permitted to go to Jerusalem and rebuild the house of the Lord, the God of Israel. God once again fulfilled the promise he told to Jeremiah that His people would return to the land He had promised to their forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Israel (Jacob). My next readings will be the first chapters of Ezra. 

The dogs have kept me very busy but I am stronger once again. Still not watching the news very much but I do belong to the idea that Canada must rebuild her lost industries due to free trade (our industries were bought out/out competed and simply disappeared due to American companies buying them out during Free Trade and now we buy all those products from the United States although those companies took their production off shore to Asia and have crippled their own economy). Having free trade should really work it has worked well in Europe between all the countries there (both large and small). They do not lose their home industries. It is the lure of money that is really the problem; we need to follow the lure of God to create the best country that we can and not follow the money but rather know that the money will eventually come as we become stronger and stronger diversifying our trade around the world and then the complaint that we sell too much to the United States will disappear as our trade diversifies around the world (we have actually decreased the amount by more than 10%). We have so much to sell; so many industries to create in this modern world and we have the youth of our nation to help bring all of those industries to fruition. We continue with the impression that the present President wishes to destroy our economy and force us to become a 51st state but the only way that Canada would ever be part of such a union would be as thirteen new states all with their own two senators and representation by population. We would not wish to be second class Americans. But we like being Canadians and a good friend is worth far more than that in reality. We have been a good friend all of these years. When one is out numbered by 8.5 to 1 as the United States has far more people than Canada then the methods of dealing with such odds are to simply create agreements that permit us to exist as we are. Obviously the United States will always have more people and more buying power but we have a union that has stood the test of time which is a very reliable country to have next to anyone and we must continue knocking down any trade barriers between the provinces/territories as we move forward in our ambitious move to diversify our trade to make our neighbours happier since the President and his advisers feel that we ship too much south. The only purpose of the September 8th retaliatory tariffs is to protect our native industry and allow it to burgeon and grow and not be swept away by the tide of 8.5 to 1.  I love my American cousins and want to see them prosper but Canada is my home and we need to make it the best possible following the ideas of the Fathers of Confederation and grow Canada to be the strong country it has been and always will be. 

Another beautiful day in God's world; thank you God for all this lovely weather that you have sent to us. Hopefully the smoke coming up from the United States wildfires into British Columbia will soon pass and clean air will be there for everyone both sides of the border.  

God bless the world and all who live in it. The satanists (Russia's war mongers and Iran's war mongers) amongst us need to be gone from this world since they have no interest in an enduring peace around the world to give those who love peace a place to live.

I see the campaign begins once again to try and get me to sell my house and probably everybody around me in order to buy up this land and create higher density housing. The train will soon be running and the incentive to create even more housing closer to the train will intensify likely. I am going to sell but not today. I am not in a rush probably three years unless God calls me home sooner; one can not tell that. A child's wading pool close to me in another property on the street full of stale water that is breeding mosquitoes doesn't alter that thought actually. It is an interesting experiment and brings out the scientist hidden way deep inside of me contemplating what is growing there actually. When I thought I might have had West Nile Virus it was that wading pool that gave me the idea. It is tempting to throw 500 millitres of bleach into it but not actually practical (as it might eat out the pool although the stagnant water might do that as well).  I will just enjoy the experiment until the cold weather destroys it. I wonder if anyone would actually leave that pool sitting there in their backyard all winter. Seems somewhat weird. I was initially concerned that the small children a couple of doors away would also catch West Nile Virus from the mosquitoes breeding there when I had that thought. But that thought has passed. I am 81 after all. 

Continuing reading 2 Chronicles

 The years pass by quickly in the Book of 2 Chronicles as the names of the Kings of Judah and Israel fly by in the readings. The Kings of Judah are more likely to follow God's rules but not always. Good times and bad prevail throughout the readings. 

Busy day yesterday as we filled the shed with the summer things. Just the lawn mower left out and gardening implements.  I am going to try and do one hour per day outside once the dogs go back home. That would have everything cleaned up for winter. I am feeling somewhat stronger once again. The summer always drains me somewhat. 

No work on the matches. It was a busy day to generally do some items around the house and yard. All completed. 

Today is another day of work if possible. I will see as the dogs tend to keep me distracted from accomplishing very much. A sort of holiday for this workaholic who otherwise would spend a lot of time on the book writing. I wonder when the last mail delivery to the house will be as I am keen on putting my note on the door to halt the bell ringing as it disturbs my concentration when I am working. When I proofread at home all day years ago I did keep a note on the door for quite a bit of the day. They were busy times although I always helped at my girl's schools one day a week until I went back to onsite work. 

Still staying away from the news for the most part. Sadly when I bought my cookies that I have eaten all my life (one package, now made in the United States although originally Canadian made - the company moved there) the cookies were too sweet and I couldn't eat them. Strange after two years without to notice such a difference. So  one package only and most of it got recycled. Interesting though for that to happen. 

Must get some work done now; time is a-wasting as they say. Less than a dozen matches to place although probably should check for new ones one last time before proceeding to the next part of the project. 

Solitaire puzzles completed. 

 

On to the work week

 Church yesterday was very nice. The Sermon was most interesting and the music really great. There were a lot of people at Church actually. I was online as usual.

Not much done yesterday but I am improving in my energy levels. The dogs kept me busy all day with their in and outs. It was rainy so in and out when it was sunny for a bit. They are still loving their backyard although will be glad when their family picks them up. It is a sort of vacation for them to come. 

Today I shall pick up a few threads of my work and hold my cleaning a couple of days as the dogs will leave me soon. They have had a very busy time. 

Reading 2 Chronicles and up to Chapter 25 now. The continuing recitation of the history of Judah primarily (the line of David) but more detail than the earlier passages in the Bible. Fascinating to read actually and must have been for the Babylonian captives as their eyes turned back towards their homeland. 

A couple of correspondence lines with cousins of my husband sorting out some of their research is top of the line today. Still searching for the Allen material and maybe this week it will emerge. 

Weather today is partly cloudy with some sun. It is 15 degrees celsius and not a really warm day today with a high of 21 and possibility of rain. Pretty normal day for the last days of August. School goes back in a week tomorrow. 

Maybe work on the matches today as the headache is gone; I do tend to baby my eyes - habit from the past as they seem much stronger and especially I can actually see without glasses. 

Solitaire puzzles next. 

Thank you God for another beautiful day in Your world.  Fascinating article on MSN by Rob Waugh: Archaeologists find ancient Roman city that holds strongest physical evidence supporting the Bible . 

Finally remembered to put ice cubes on the orchids (they were Edward's plants and the three of them are still on occasion blooming). That is amazing really as I do not have a green thumb although I am keeping them for my daughter and she and her dad did gardening together through the years. 

 

 

 

Sunday and Twelfth Sunday after Trinity

 Rainy today and has begun. Luckily the dogs were out before the rain and will watch for a break for going out later. The days have moved very fast as it is nearly two weeks since they came to stay with me. They have been good for the most part except for the smaller dog barking. The older dog used to tell her off but doesn't any more as she is older and feels the need of this dog's protection perhaps. Hard to say. 

Busy day yesterday with grocery shopping for a few items. Other than that though it was a quiet day. My daughter didn't kayak yesterday because the parking lot is always much too full on the weekends. We have a parking pass but that doesn't guarantee you a spot. She loves to kayak but it works during the week better. 

I wonder why there are so many cars going the wrong way on a street - weird really. When she came back from Petri two days ago someone was driving right towards her in her lane (two lane road) so she leaned on the horn and they finally moved back into their lane - are they on drugs or drunk or just unfit to drive? What is the matter with people these days? It is truly ignorant to break the rules of the road on busy streets especially for more than the time it takes to pass something. When you have to pass you do that carefully. I seldom drive and mostly to the grocery store when the children are in school and the streets are less busy. I feel confident driving and will continue for a while yet perhaps; I made certain decisions in my mind with regard to driving. When I no longer feel that my reaction time is quick enough then it is time for me to stop. I can take a taxi or a bus if I need to go somewhere.  

A little thinking on the research yesterday but not a great deal of work. My headache has more or less dissipated now. It was a long lasting migraine; I have not had one for a while actually. Few of them since I had the cataract surgery which was another surprise of those surgeries on my two eyes. Having this sight now after so many years of putting my glasses on first thing continues to truly amaze me. The depth of vision is a remarkable gift of Almighty God to us and it is amazing that it finally shows up in my eyes at this late age. Amusing really. It took a while for me not to just gaze and gaze at things whilst I appreciated the fineness of God's finished product with so many things. Even a bee pollinating a flower catches my eyes. 

Church later this morning and looking forward to that as usual. The dogs generally watch with me and listen to me when I sing the hymns. They have been mostly good all their time here except for the younger one barking out the window. 

Perhaps work on the matches later today. It is cooler now in the mornings as we are coming into late August and soon fall will come. The birds are flocking as they prepare to migrate to their winter homes. Busy keeping their young active in the air flying to prepare them for that huge trip. It is amazing watching the birds on the feeder all these years. The same birds come back every years and we imagine they are the same family as before. They just land and build their nests and then feed at the feeder which we moved to the front yard to keep food out of the back yard is helpful to keep away wandering wild animals. The three yearling raccoons have not returned that I have seen since I blew the whistle. The whistle does terrify them but they are safer in the woods rather than in my yard where the hawks can get them. They are still pretty small not that much bigger than a small cat. 

Solitaire puzzles are next. Thank you God for this beautiful earth which you gave to us. 

An exhausting week

 This has been an exhausting week. I will never book a dentist appointment again when I am looking after the dogs. It wasn't their fault at all; entirely me and my nervous disorder (uncharacterized and I just never got around to working on that and probably never will). Seeing myself in my grandson has been an eye opener for sure. As his speech improves I can remember that when I was his age. So perhaps it is part of the Autism Spectrum who knows and at 81 it probably doesn't really matter. I seldom have conversations with people; I seldom work with people and my time not spent working on my research is spent with my family. My nerves though are somewhat frayed and need a nice rest and that is happening. I shall continue spending the month of September renewing my nerves and doing my research I find that very relaxing. Although I suggested a dental appointment between 8 Sep and 22 Sep to fill the tiny cavity. I have not heard back so will not contact them again until after September. I keep thinking if I had driven myself to the dentist then discovering the change in the setup of wearing indoor shoes I could have just popped out to the car and got my shoe bag and all would have been solved (except I really was quite tired but cancelling two years in a row would have been dreadful and I wasn't infectious) but it is just part of a block away and did consider going back home to get my bag actually. I was quite tired though and the migraine was settled in somewhat. Anyway water under the bridge and I will take care of that tooth soon enough. Although it might be exciting to think of never having to go to a dentist again the reality is that your own teeth are really better and I do know that as an adult. Although my grandmother certainly never complained about her false teeth but she was a realist and I suspect I am also! Plus I do pay for the dental plan so might as well use it! Some years I actually do use everything that I pay into it but mostly not. But I might one day.

So no research done yet. The dogs have been fed and had a run. They are sleeping it off. They weight around 50 pounds and around 65 pounds each so taking them for a walk is not something I would contemplate at any time. One at a time I could manage. They are such good dogs although the one is a barker but she lives in the country with a woods behind her and is just not used to city noises and people. The older dog rarely barks which is great. But they are good sleepers; in bed at 9 and up at 8 and very well rested. I never hear anything from them in the night. Well they do move around a bit. I did sleep in the same room with them for a couple of nights to help them with the change but I disturb them and so I slept elsewhere but close by.  

My Bible Readings have suffered this week but I will go into 2 Chronicles soon and read a couple of chapters. I did think this might happen and it has. These two books are really repeating the stories of the Kingdom of Israel and the Kingdom of Judah that have already been discussed in earlier chapters but are a wonderful recitation of those times and were apparently written for the Jewish people in exile in Babylon (and I think Assyria not sure about that). Babylon is Iraq these days - interesting when one looks back in history.  I used to think it was Iran but did a quick check on that and within the modern country of Iraq is the original location of Babylon. 

Research today hopefully working on the last block of matches and then back to phasing my great grandparents. This has truly been a rather fascinating path that I entered into around 2005. My mother was into family research and started asking me about DNA in the late 1990s. She was interested in the identification of family lines. I explained yDNA, atDNA and mtDNA to her but really yDNA and mtDNA were the only two that were in the news so to speak at this time. I did tell her that eventually atDNA would become mainstream and that was the way to really identify cousin matches. I did promise her that I would investigate this and our last visit together we talked about yDNA and I was a bit slow contacting my uncle in that regard (her brother) but it was in his thoughts. It just didn't happen. He was 89 and lived in Toronto; I lived in Ottawa and was working full time. My interest in genealogy about zilch but I always listened to both of them and can recall our conversations on the topic. They both found it fascinating that they could test to relate to people. I was very interested in DNA as a child when the first papers were released on the helical shape of DNA in 1953 in the April issue of Nature and that it carries genetic information. I was pretty young but it is surprising how some topics can catch a child's interest. This was 1951-2 when the experiments were done and one mustn't forget the work of Rosalind Franklin and her student Raymond Gosling capturing the x-ray diffraction image of the helical shape of DNA along with the work of James Watson and Francis Crick on the actual structure of DNA in Cambridge, England. 

Already time for my first 250 steps at 9 a.m. My readings and then solitaire puzzles.  

Internet up again

Rogers was attacked again by vandals. It is an excellent Internet Provider and they are back up earlier than they predicted. 

 

I got very distracted for a couple of days but mind is back in place once again and hopefully I accomplish a little research the next couple of days. 

 

I really like both my dentist and my doctor (mind you I do not actually know them and perhaps a better term would be respect) and they are both very hard working. I just get upset easily by items probably due to my 81 years of age.  Fortunately I seldom go anywhere which works well for me. Just adding in some rules to aid me along this path I am on.

internet down

Internet down all day. Probably up later today. Surprisingly most of my writing is for the books and does not need the internet

Chatted with my other daughter

 The conclusion is that I had a bad headache and wasn't sleeping well; Ottawa Public Health hasn't recorded any West Nile Virus as of August 2026. I was using this mouth appliance that the dentist prescribed but had to stop because of headaches. I meant to ask her about that and forgot (often happens since I reached the age of 81). Since I have given up the appliance it doesn't really matter. I think I was grinding my teeth for a bit; the earlier dentist noticed it as well. But I seem to have given up grinding my teeth apparently; no one mentioned it. So I guess the appliance worked but has become an archaic symbol of my past. I wonder when all my teeth will fall out. Probably doesn't happen quickly; too bad. I still think these false teeth are a great idea and they look nice. 

My daughter says to go to the doctor if I do not get better soon but I am actually improving nicely.  

My daughter told me that there are tests to distinguish all of these viruses that one can acquire but we do not test for them because the test kits are too expensive for us to afford them all across the country. Even in the ER it is not possible to afford these test kits which would be so very helpful there. In her ER they see more than 18 thousand people a year but they do not get money even for a CT scanner. That seems to be some what limiting when their ER never closes. 

We need to get this economy going so that we can afford all of these items.  

It is at such moments in time that I contemplate if I actually do have autism

 My only real memory that could allude to such a diagnosis stretches back far into the past when I was five years of age and in kindergarten and the school asked that I be tested for my hearing (the teachers apparently thought I could not hear their instructions) but the reality was I did not want to play musical chairs, I did not like sitting on the floor and singing, I came to school to learn. I did love to read and there was in the one corner of that room a whole lot of books so I was slightly disobedient so that I would be put into that corner but they did catch on). My mother and I went to somewhere on the bus (my father ran his own company and I was the fourth child) and I was tested using tuning forks I still remember that. Lovely man that tested my hearing (I still remember him but no idea what his specialty was (he was a doctor of something)); talked to me for a while and then said to my mother she is very quick to learn but puzzles it all out on her own in her mind. I will let the school know she is a quick learner and her hearing is affected by that and needs more challenges not fun so my mother said. So did that make me Autistic? No idea on that but as I watch my youngest grandchild grow up he reminds me of myself; my speech difficulties and my tendency to run everything that I was doing - to be in control. Certainly many of my teachers appreciated that tendency as they could always count on an answer. In those days there was just one class of each age group pretty much and some split classes; I tended to go into the split being in the lower part like 2/3 and 3/4 and then not going to 4 at all but being promoted to Grade 5 and it continued that way until Grade 8. I was just twelve years of age when I went to High School. 

My classmates were years older than me it always felt like. I had already decided that I would take bookkeeping and typing in Grade 9 instead of Latin but none the less the Guidance Teachers insisted on talking to me about that from day one nearly but I persisted and stayed in that class. I did not want to wash baby bottles to go to University as my sister had. I wanted a real job that didn't involve that and so it happened and so I went to University where I was also too young. One can be too young and now I am 81 and it is fascinating but do I actually have autism. No ideas on that but I relish my own time although I love being with my children etc. But I can also be alone writing my books. 

I must let the dogs out; they got upset because a cat came on their porch. They did so well until the cat came on the porch and then they lost it. So they have been  penalized just a little by not being able to look out the window. But a good run will make them feel better. The neighbour's cat is tough and can withstand the barking of caged dogs!

In again, my headache is keeping me from doing any real work on my research day but the dogs are interesting always and they will not always be here (dogs do not last as long as humans) whereas my research will be. Contemplating when I might move and it will be sooner hopefully but probably three or four years. Too bad really. Imagine living in the same house for 50 years or more and I lived 17 years in my last family home and three years in the one before that which I can only vaguely recall. That means for ten years Edward and I lived in other houses. The last 1.5 years was the house that we bought in London area and it was lovely and I hated leaving it behind because my first child came home to that house. We rented for 6 years before buying the house and then rented here for a couple of years. It was visiting some friends in Orleans from Western University that we saw these Carriage Homes and I loved them. Perfect for life without close family; no real entertainment area but lots of family room. Edward did think about moving a few years later up on the hill but he loved this yard and so we stayed and we are still here but he would hate this yard as I can not keep it up the way that he did. 

Good to see that the trade agreement is moving along and plans to sign it on Friday. I am not really keeping up with it. The machinations around trade agreements are many and so many people to keep happy. Liquor back on the shelves does not affect me; I never buy any; I do not drink other than the occasional glass of wine at my children's homes on special days.  I do think the Prime Minister is doing an excellent job although I did vote Conservative as I normally do. Minister LeBlanc has been fabulous through all of this; he has never once lost that smile on his face. He is such a perfect pick for this job. I do give ex-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau high marks for buying and then building the pipeline even if I do disagree on  all the new charges against the government he created. My own party needs to shape up and get a platform - whining is just boring. Get out there and help the young get jobs what else are you doing this summer? A three month paid vacation is ridiculous. I am not surprised to see disagreement but Prime Minister Carney is a conservative and head of the liberal party and he is winning. So get in line and support all these projects as much as you can. Canada needs to grow to be that country that the Fathers of Confederation dreamed and created - they did all that hard work of keeping Canada together and growing it at the same time. They didn't do it by whining. Sure they disagreed but when the work needed to be done they were in there doing it. 

 

A weird three days

 I woke up Monday with a headache and since I am prone to migraines I just thought it was that but I certainly felt well otherwise. I had a dental appointment and last year I had flu and had to cancel which I thought was wise because that is infectious to other people. But then when I rebooked I didn't get the checkup by the dentist as the dentist was away. So I thought I better go to the dentist appointment in spite of the headache. I really wasn't solid on my feet but I am also 81 so just went. I guess I could have just booked a checkup last year after the dentist wasn't there; no idea on that whether that can happen if you do not have a cleaning. A mystery for sure but not a problem. No one made the suggestion and I never thought about it. Being 80 has its drawbacks. 

Dentist visit on Monday all accomplished and back home again (one small filling) and I slept for an hour and the dogs slept on the floor by the couch where I slept. They are such sweet hearts. Then over the next day or so I had the headache and slept on and off. I had heard that West Nile Virus was around in the area so I looked it up and that was what it said, exhaustion and headache.  But fortunately West Nile Virus is not passed from human to human only mosquitoes to human. 

Then last night three raccoons appeared  in the front yard (three yearlings I would say) and I blew my whistle once again and they all went up the tree. The bird feeder is in the tree so then they tried to get into that but the birds empty it in the day so nothing in it. Strange to see but they weren't young of the year and probably their first year on their own. Thought about calling to see if the city picks them up but it was evening. The dogs finally scared them away barking at them through the window. 

Hoping that waking up this middle of the night doesn't mean the West Nile Virus is back; we will see. Back to bed at 4:00 a.m.

Must add to this when I do my Bible readings.  Up again and read my Bible Readings but only accomplished one chapter. My mind wandered too  much and I like to take in what I am reading. Thank you God for all the wonders of the earth and sky. We are blessed as a people to receive so much from You. In return you only ask that we love you with all our heart, mind, soul and strength and love our neighbour as ourself. 

I am looking forward to my quiet time once again to work on my books. Perhaps the Postal boxes will be ready soon as I can then put a note on my door asking people to not disturb me because I am writing thank you. 

The air conditioner technician came yesterday and made a couple of repairs (superficial) as the air conditioner is working perfectly. This is a new service I think for Enercare and like the electrician that they sent, this technician was also excellent. My oldest daughter and I have now lived in this house for 48 years and four months (Edward for just under 43 years). We were not the first to live on the street; the five Carriage Homes before us coming into the street were all occupied and we bought this one and the Gosselin family bought the next later in the year. They only just sold their house last year. A lovely family and they actually had seven children same as were in my family so I was used to a lot of children in the area right next door for sure. I started to work not long after we moved here (marking papers initially for the professor that I was going to do my Masters with actually but a little surprise changed that, then proofreading and copyediting for NRC first and then for local printers since I was part of the first group of people fired by Prime Minister Mulroney as he downsized the government). I got another job right away continuing proofreading and copyediting at home for the most part (and I also did the volunteer secretary at Edward's United Church (in 1979 (the fall) which he volunteered me to do that until they finally hired someone (they did offer me the job but I declined as I was already working 40 hours a week and needed less work not more)).  

I suppose if I do not feel better by the end of the week I should make a doctor's appointment although like the dentist I also hate going to doctors. Lovely people and nothing to do with them; I just find it exhausting to go to those appointments. Maybe all of my teeth will fall out and as far as doctors are concerned I appear to be reasonably healthy and do not require care beyond the one year visit and blood work. One appointment a year would work as I could get over that and not have to do it again for another year! I am definitely good for not heavy use of the medical profession. 

Still tired today and the headache is still there so I shall have a nap now that the dogs are fed and had two runs so ready for a nap as well. 

West Nile Virus

 I think I had West Nile Virus; I felt exhausted for two days and a headache but not sick or anything. I just thought I had overdone it. But I think in retrospect I had West Nile Virus. There are a lot of mosquitoes in our back yard this year. West Nile Virus is not transmissible from human to human. But the winter is coming; how I love the winter my most favourite season of all the year. 

The water is higher everywhere this year and particularly at Petrie. Nice for kayaking and I am sure the animals are appreciating the higher water and the swimmers as the higher the water the likely the cleaner it will be as it doesn't collect in small pools and breed mosquitoes. 

No new matches yesterday; I was still recovering but feel absolutely fine today. Fortunately West Nile Virus does not pass from human to human but I never had it before although I have noted the mention that West Nile Virus is here in the area this summer. 

Today cleaning the main floor and I am having a maintenance check on our air conditioner plus I shall learn about new air conditioners as this one is 32 years old which was a surprise. I do not want to change it going into the winter but will contemplate that for the spring. It is running perfectly although I do not use it until I have to turn it on when my daughter is here to keep the air free of pollutants in the house. Then I run it all summer (wearing a heavy jacket in the house although we keep it at 25 degrees celsius and it mostly dehumidifies as opposed to running for a long time for just cooling). It mostly only ever turns on to dehumidify. The house is small and it is a good sized air conditioner for 1400 square feet. I find it too cold actually. We actually had air conditioning in our house when I was a child in the 50s. My father installed it  as it was being installed in businesses by his company then and he thought it would be interesting to try it out in our house. 

Good news as President Trump and Prime Minister Carney have come to a tentative agreement to be completed in three days. Then the work of CUSMA discussions to come. The Prime Minister has been very busy. Although not a Liberal voter in general (my one mistake of voting for Justin Trudeau has long ago been rectified). But I have to admit that Prime Minister Carney has done a great job with our trade diversifying it around the world which is good for our economy. The Churchill Falls plans are excellent and also a project supported by the Prime Minister. 

Today I have to complete the dusting upstairs as I simply was too tired to do it yesterday. I slept on and off all day but did accomplish scrubbing the upstairs bathroom, vacuuming both floors actually although will do the main floor again today just to catch anything I missed so will be quick. Then finish off the cleaning of the main floor and done for another week. Back to research tomorrow. 

Rainy today so the dogs will be mostly inside. They miss their family. I am family but they love them so very much. 

Solitaire puzzles next.  

Thinking of costs

 I have not thought about it for a while because Edward being ill was expensive and he was in the hospital a number of times and once for four weeks. But myself I only go to a doctor once a year and the optometrist I have changed to every 16 months and usually one set of blood tests per year. So in total I pay a huge amount for my medical insurance and really do not use very much but one never knows for sure and the system has to support itself. It is interesting how our medical system works really. We have OHIP in Ontario and I  have medical insurance I pay for and then I also pay income tax which includes a medical tax in Ontario based on the amount you earn so that helps to support OHIP with transfer payments coming back from the Federal government to the provinces. Then my private medical insurance gets paid out to the members who use it (including me like my $24 return for a retinal scan which was 90%). I could have bought new glasses but passed on that this time as these glasses suit me and I only use them when I am on a computer. I carry a magnifying glass so that I can read the best buy dates on the groceries hence didn't bother going from 2x to 2.25x.  It is co-operative our medical care; not sure one would really call it socialist. After all if we do not need the care then the insurance is just paid by me to make sure that if I ever did then it would be covered without putting a strain on my children. So I do like our medical system. But then I am not waiting for any surgeries or care; Edward certainly received care when he needed it but it is more specialized items that one ends up waiting for due to availability of surgical suites/surgeons/etc. The ERs are busy for sure but they were when I was younger actually even as a child. I cut my leg when I was about six years of age and had to go into the ER on a weekend which included a holiday in the summer. I can remember waiting for quite a while for the stitches; triage stopped the bleeding but no room for the stitching for a bit. To save a trip back to that busy ER my godmother who was a nurse took the stitches out. I think medicine is much smoother now in terms of necessary visits. Luckily for me I seldom go anywhere so do not appear to catch anything and I get my Flu Shot and COVID shot (2x) every year. Again there is a cost to these shots and it is covered by OHIP which comes out of my taxes. The one extra I carry is international medical insurance although I have virtually no interest in travel but it is set up just in case I need to do that. Edward loved traveling and I discovered after traveling so much that I really didn't care for it and seldom go anywhere. 

Visit to the dentist

 Generally I only go to a dentist every nine months unless I need a tooth repaired. I was last there nine months ago. When I arrived the welcome person was missing. I saw that the indoor slippers were back but could not see where to put my shoes if I took them off.  Just at that moment one of the people who works at the dentist's office came in  to the welcome area so I asked but she said not a problem to keep them on. During and after COVID I always brought a bag for my shoes so that they were sorted but I didn't have a bag. I settled for keeping them. There weren't any outdoor shoes sitting around and all the rooms were busy. As I waited for my turn (I was about five minutes early), I again contemplated how as a child I thought my grandmother was so lucky to have false teeth and hoped I would soon as well as I hate going to the dentist. But I still have 27 of the 28 (4 wisdom teeth removed) so must do the dentist thing every nine months. Checkup went well, cleaning went well. One tiny cavity on one of the capped teeth (just below the cap).  I do not mind freezing as I have neuralgia in my jaws and the process sometimes sets that off. But all in all it went well although took one hour instead of half of an hour as they were short one person. The dogs were impatient when I arrived back an hour and a bit later; wondered where I was. The trials and tribulations of being 81 I guess. I will bring my shoe bag next time. Maybe my teeth will all fall out and I can have false teeth! I actually pay more each year for my dental insurance then is actually the cost of my usage but one never knows. If I do  not have teeth then more room for people to have their teeth fixed at the dentist!

No work on the matches but maybe today. Dogs kept me very busy yesterday and it was clean the basement day. All completed.  

Reading 2 Chronicles and again a recitation of the history of the Kings of Israel/Judah. Mind seems busy and only read four chapters. 

Today cleaning the top floor and my daughter has done half of it which is great. The dogs are still asleep. Two more days and my father would be 122; he did live to be 94.5 years of age. 

Solitaire puzzles to do.  Weird phone numbers again; I do wish these people trying to scam you would get a job and stay off of my phone! I do read my text when I recognize it otherwise I seldom answer the phone. 

My working time is coming as we reach far into August. Must book my appointment with the dentist for repair and I have noted on the wall calendar to take my shoe bag. Back to the old life style.  

 

 

Dogs and how they relate

 The dogs did make friends with the dog two doors up last time but with the dogs going out singly they haven't played as they did before with races up and down the yard.  do not see the dog out in the yard that often these days but then I am not out there very often either. 

Off to Church yesterday and an interesting sermon that picked up on one of the readings talking about dogs of all things. This individual is a religious scholar and brings in quite interesting comments using the readings. 

Continuing to read 2 Chronicles and the history of the people of Israel continues as a review of the past. 

More work on the matches and I have twelve left to do. Probably it will take these three cleaning days to complete that project. Today is cleaning the top floor and should be interesting. 

Solitaire puzzles to do.  

Lovely pictures of the birds at the feeder with our window camera.  

2 Chronicles and Solomon

 The recitation of the history continues and Solomon is now King and he builds the temple to the Lord God. The flow is very much of a story line keeping people interested as they listen or read but primarily this is probably being read to the people of Israel to remind them of their history. It is the grandchildren or great grandchildren of the Israelis who were carried off to Assyria or Babylon and life has not been easy for them in captivity.

Yesterday was a busy day with the dogs going in and out. They love the yard but I do not let the younger one stay out if she barks. There is a sort of normal setting here with dogs in various yards and having newcomers in is always upsetting for this sort of standard neighbourhood give and take where the dogs are concerned so I try to fit into it as fast as possible. The older dog does not bark which is handy but she is a really big dog and if seen can over excite some of the dogs. But she does her careful walks around the yard to strengthen her leg before surgery. She is doing a great job but sometimes forgets and runs a little. But I can see that the leg is strengthening even daily. She will be ready for her surgery in a couple of weeks with lots of muscle tissue well exercised to help her get back up on her feet quickly. 

Continued with the matches and there are now  sixteen left to enter into the databases. Filling in those tiny little nitches that needed just a supporting match or a match where there was some portion not covered earlier. Amazing really DNA and how it fits one into the picture of Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens is the most successful  of the Homo genus thus far. One wonders if we are starting to undergo a new phase of Homo sapiens not a distinct species but rather a change in the modern human. Have we yet reached the limits from this species as the length of life declines; not really recovering from the effects of COVID-19 on human life span. What sorts of development could we see that we could conclude is an update on Homo sapiens or an emerging species? 

Church today and online in just under two hours. The services in July were quite lovely; it was nice to see the Dean back (retired Bishop of Ontario after being our Dean). He has a special edge with sermons that I always appreciated when he was Dean. They are very didactic and well done. You find your interest never wavers from beginning to end. He preached in a way that I find very informative without being patronizing. His tone of speaking is soothing rather than jarring. He remains one of my favourite people giving sermons. It is nice to see him well in his retirement. 

The priest who helped me with setting up my husband's funeral is the main priest for the month of August. I find his sermons to be most informative as well although I still prefer strictly religious sermons without reference to the present times but rather reminding us of the history of the Church which goes so far back in the time of Homo sapiens. The Bible reveals so much to us it is writings. Now part way into 2 Chronicles one can feel the rhythm of the passage of time from ancient ancient happenings namely the formation of the earth to the time of Solomon where I am now reading the recitation of the history of his reign as King of Israel. 

Solitaire puzzles to do.  

Something I missed as a young child right through adulthood and now I am seeing it

1 Chronicles is describing in the last chapters the perfect society in King David's kingdom where individuals are placed in their skill slot sort of and create all that is needed for a beautiful life; a Utopia. I do not know a great deal about a  kibbutz but it strikes me that this is the perfect life where everyone works together and creates the world that God wanted us to have at this time. He was first trying to show us how to live in a way that benefited everyone in the world. But first and primarily we needed to love only God the Creator not all these strange gods that people created mostly because of their greedy desires. Interesting that I would see this in my old age; I never did as a child. It is the perfect life. A Utopia on earth was the idea but moving away from all those rules of the Torah to meld with modern technology and industry. Perhaps one of these days I will see an explanation of all of that written up. Myself I prefer modern technology and all that industry can produce but living within the laws that God sent to us when He sent Jesus, His only Son to be with us for that short time over two thousand years ago (the Christian faith is born from that happening). It is all a mystery and I do believe that some happenings are God's work. God the Creator is part of so many societal stories particularly in the Western Hemisphere where I live but also in the Eastern Hemisphere. We always think of the Eastern Hemisphere as the ancient world but gradually we are discovering that the Western Hemisphere also has an ancient past not yet fully opened to us through archaeological digs. The time moves on though and more and more discoveries are revealed to us. At 81 my time on earth ahead of me is short compared to the time I have already spent. Thank you God for all these memories of Your goodness giving me strength during the times that were not so very pleasant. Doing God's work is always good and the requirements so tiny - love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and love your neighbour as yourself. 

 

 

 

The luxury of time on your own

I do love the huge luxury of time on my own because I did not have it for such a very huge part of my life. As a child I was the middle child of seven children although moving to the attic gave me a certain amount of quiet and time on my own. Then I married at 20 (I was going to take a job in criminology with the RCMP in Regina but Edward persuaded me to marry him instead). No regrets on marrying; we had fantastic times together especially in the Northern woods of Ontario. It was beautiful. Then raising our children together was wonderful. But Edward was a people person and I definitely not but somehow we managed to compromise all of that and I would go places that he wanted to be at as a member of this and that and that worked; I just didn't get involved in all the projects except when he needed my help or volunteered me. Now I love being with my children but then I can not get any work done so the compromise works well. I work a lot and then have breaks and that is fun. It is the change between having everyone and not having anyone that I adjust to in between but it doesn't take long actually although I love their company. But at 81 I no longer want to spend time with people that I am not related to; that is just it.  

Continuing to read 1 Chronicles and I am into the last set of chapters of the book this morning. I find myself running over in my mind my father's thoughts on tribalism. Tribalism and what is it; it gives many people a sense of belonging of which perhaps they feel a need. It gives people a purpose but what is tribalism really; a thought that everyone in a group is related and shares common ancestry for a long time. In reality there are not that many people so intertwined these days; most countries have experienced the ebb and flow of populations around the world and few are of the exact same groups of people who once dominated the areas now occupied. Being European isn't really tribalism and especially not purely Caucasian as Europe is a mixture (a huge group of all kinds of different people; over 743,630,003 of them); even being from England/British Isles as I am ancestrally speaking (my father was born in England and my mother in Canada) and probably 95% of my ancestry or more way back in time since I must reach back into the 1500s for my Huguenot (French) ancestry (Question/Cuestion, Millet) and the 1400s for my Scot (British Isles) ancestry (Routledge (many lines), Tweddle, Storye, Armstrong,  Robson, Bushby) doesn't make me 100% from even the British Isles. The population of the world is constantly moving from one place to another seeking a better life for their family. The world is indeed a stronger place for being able to manage this ebb and flow of people. Why do people flee their country of birth; weather change I think is the biggest driver - their lands are dried up and they cannot grow food. I think it comes down to that or the other driver is war. Why do we have war? People are greedy and want what someone else has. That is what we have to move past more than anything. I am thinking now on my father's thoughts about tribalism being the biggest problem in the world. I think it is greed really. 

When the United Nations was formed in 1945 it had an aim; to bring peace to the world and to let people be heard. We must give more power to the General Assembly to control actions that cause war but first the realization of the source of the problem needs to be understood; the action that caused the reaction - Russia invading a country they called Nazi and then the threat of nuclear war if anyone interferes is just such an ignorant action, Iran creating and backing armed militants like Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis to try to destroy Israel is another such ignorant action; it is a coercive manipulative tactic trying to take over something that does not belong to them. You just have to  pile on the sanctions until they stop. There is  enough nuclear power to blow the world into pieces and there is no return from that. That is called Armageddon and it is in the Bible. The Bible is a fascinating book with its history of time and predictions of time to come. The word of God was given to us - Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and love your neighbour as yourself. That is how we survived what looked like Armageddon during the Second World War.  

Down to twenty two matches to enter into my databases. I did not think I would accomplish this much with all the coming and going in my household. The dogs keep me very busy. The one is a barker so I am constantly on alert when she is outside but the other doesn't normally bark. She is older now though and needs to not run whilst her leg continues to heal.  

Solitaire games to do. Another research day and it is a beautiful day. Out several times already with the dogs, singly most times although Zoey was too fast for me first thing. I am getting old.  

 

A new ancient ancestor

 Interesting work being done mentioned in a study published in Science. Unlike Neanderthal and Denisovan this particular "ghost" ancestor appears in both African and non-African populations which takes the date of entry of this particular genus into the evolution of Homo sapiens further back prior to the time that modern humans spread into Europe and Asia. Unlike Denisovan which can be up to 5% of genetic inheritance although in Europeans closer to 3% or less or Neanderthal which tends to be in the 2% or less in modern humans of European descent, this earlier ancestor makes up about 0.5 to 1% of the Homo sapiens genome today for all carriers. The timeline then is at least 800,000 years ago as opposed to Neanderthal about 50,000 years ago as a European event and Denisovan also about 50,000 years ago but more of an Asian/Oceania event. The science is picking up all of these ideas with the test for my brother showing 2% Neanderthal and 3% Denisovan with ancient ancestry in the British Isles but that area was under a kilometre of ice until 12,000 years ago but the yDNA tells us that this was a group that wintered in the Balkans coming north early and probably crossing via Doggerland to the now British Isles 8,000 to 12,000 years ago. This was something that rather intrigued my brother who consented to have his samples done (I paid for it all but convinced him that I should do that by saying I would publish it although I was just wanting to save him any costs). I suppose in a way I have published it to a certain extent and far more in the Blake book. 

Dogs up early as was I and breakfast is all done and they are just waiting for the ground to dry up a little and their breakfast to be settled before a good run again outside. Walk for the older dog as she is still strengthening your leg. 

Continuing to read 1 Chronicles and the history of the people of Israel continues to be reviewed by the authors of this particular book of the Bible. David especially receives a great deal of study in these chapters. David spent some time preparing for the House of the Lord to be built (Solomon his son would build it the Lord said). Taking my time somewhat although a lot of it is the chronological descent of the various families. There is always this temptation to make tables but I am not sure that was the actual plan for people reading the text but rather to record the names as Israeli names for future naming of children. A thought on my part as forenames were very important in families through the generations and given very often for a reason. 

Yesterday a little more work on the matches with just thirty left to do. Once they are done then I move back to phasing the great grandparents and continuing to create the genealogical tree of the Blake family at Andover. Here and there in the records and in the literature I do get some help with that. 

Myself I am just moving along day by day doing the work that I would like to accomplish and thankful to God for all that He has given to us as a people of the world. We need to follow God's words in our daily lives and the world is a better place when we do. Love God with all our heart, soul, strength and mind and love our neighbour as ourself. 

Out twice already with the dogs and it is another beautiful day in God's world. We are blessed to have such a beautiful planet to live on. 

Solitaire puzzles are next. I must get to the Kipp newsletter and perhaps today is that day and then I can send them all off to the Chilliwack Archives. They are available to Kipp family members on FT DNA who are in the Kipp family study there. They were not something Edward ever planned or wanted to do. He preferred just to share his work in his blog. But I decided blogs can disappear and that I would put that work into newsletters that he had spent hours on and communicated with other researchers in The Netherlands and Germany to have their opinions as well. I always find when the dogs are with me I love the time with them and the work has more trouble getting accomplished. I also need to write a letter to my sister as I am trying to keep up a weekly letter to her.  

Well sort of, still working on that change is as good as a rest

 A bit tired today and will try for a nap in a couple of hours. Being 81 is hard work and need to prioritize the necessities for a couple of weeks. This is a fine adjustment period for me and I just have to work my way through it. 

Yesterday more work on the matches and down to just  thirty five to do. They are all interesting and that slows me down just a little bit. I chose most of them because they were unique as I have a lot of matches already. Some of them are fairly large for a person without first cousins and not too many second cousins but six siblings!

I did continue my reading of 1 Chronicles and I am up to Chapter 18. I can see that my time  is not quite so plentiful these days but I will always try to read at least one chapter. Before I started on this quest I was reading the Daily Bible Readings and so at least a chapter a day will fulfill that piece of my life. I am always grateful for the Israeli scholars who were the initial keepers of the word and this passage of so much historical material is a gift to mankind. God is in all the pages as one reads chapter after chapter. The Creator God who desired that all mankind would know Him and love Him as He loves us. Another beautiful day in God's world although last night the thunderstorm was something else. The older dog opened the curtains so that she could watch. I thought she was frightened at first but not actually she was curious about all the lights as was the younger dog. The younger dog has had a very lucky older sister who cuddled her close as an infant and guided her to the adult dog she has now become. God's words in the Bible always remind me that we were asked to take care of the world and all that is in it. Dominion over simply, to me, means being responsible for all the creatures of the world, all the plant life and take the best possible care of the world. 

Today all the cleaning has been accomplished for the week and generally this is my slow day whilst I relax and enjoy the clean house for a couple of days or maybe just one since the dogs are here although I do follow them about and pick up after them. They are very loving dogs to people they know and I am comfortable around them. 

Time to do my Bible Readings before I start my day of work. 

Solitaire puzzles to do. The dogs will soon be asking me to let them out for a bit. Mostly they are indoor dogs or porch dogs although they love a good run.  

A change is as good as a rest

 This old idiom has stood the test of time - A change is as good as a rest. It just takes a little time to get used to the change and at 81 it will probably be a number of days. The dogs have joined me whilst their home is being worked on so to speak - a few changes here and there. It will be fun for me and I already have enjoyed it but I do not get as much work done for sure. They are always in motion which also tends to be true of me. We quickly get used to each other every time that they come. They just want to be loved and that works well as I do love them very much. 

Certainly when my daughter arrives home each time to do her research time and be my live in caregiver instead of my far away caregiver I slip into that role very quickly; seldom takes more than a few minutes. Finally the person is here that will take me hither and yon to pick up items that I only buy a few times a year and help me with paperwork just to make sure that yes I did understand everything that is being changed. Life is always changing - insurance companies update their policies and all such and the like. The City is making changes and they involve my at least knowing that they are. Each time as my daughter's return to her in place work starts to be on my horizon then I must admit I do feel that change and it is not too long before she will retire and return full time but until then I must manage my life although my other daughter is here but she is very very busy as well so I always prepare myself for that change when it comes. The dogs will be with me which is wonderful; they are good for my nerves and we enjoy each other's company. But I can not get much work done when they are as compared to when my daughter is here. 

My daughter has hundreds and hundreds of students (perhaps even more no ideas on that) who have gone through her Metadata classes, Data Science classes, Relational databases, etc, Methodology in research classes that are working all over the United States now over the last nearly twenty years. Many of them write to ask her for references and others keep her up to date on how they are doing. Technology is so very important in every field now but especially in Libraries. It is important for Librarians to know all about the new tools and especially Artificial Intelligence because the youth wants to know all that and often enough libraries even in the smallest places are where they go to ask. Very important for librarians to be knowledgeable on computers and all the skills that come with computers. Lots of librarians come back and do courses in these new advanced studies so that they are able to help the younger students who come into their libraries with the newer methodologies (certifications are possible which doesn't hurt in one's job for sure).  I would have loved to have her here always close by but that was not to be; jobs were not available or in most cases Americans actually got the jobs here and when she was offered a job by an American University she took it and off she went. Her aim was to teach them all the skills that she knew from her years of education, she also worked in industry giving her that special edge I think of having been employed in that workforce (it was actually an American company here) that would eventually hire her students. It is her teaching that is most important to her and one of her research projects has developed out of the need for more technology in the field and she is an expert in that work. The research is primarily with former students and she is helping them to become resourceful and efficient scientists as she is. 

But I digress and my reading of 1 Chronicles continues. This renewal of the earlier Bible chapters was timely for the Israeli people, who had been forcefully and cruelly carried off to Assyria and Babylon far from their homes in Israel and Judah, reinforcing the stories handed down to them from their ancestors; clarifying those stories for them. 

I realized when I was looking for an email from one of my cousins in the United States that it really is a long time since I have corresponded with any of them actually. I see their comments on Facebook sometimes but I have not written to very many although have received emails from them occasionally. 

Must get some more work done. I have corresponded now with the Chilliwack Archives concerning this present issue of the Kipp Newsletter and will try to get that done today. I want the people on that list (Kipp yDNA group) to know that this material is available at that archive although it will take them awhile I am sure to get it into a Fonds for easy access. Such work takes a lot of time especially when it is the research of someone else. 

One item I think is true though; we need to rebuild lost industries (bought out by American companies and they took it offshore to Asia) by creating them again with lots of updates (there are so many industries gone from Canada that were here when I was a child). The youthful mind can come up with all sorts of new and interesting ways to create products (I still need that Canadian made vacuum cleaner!). This time we must always support them and help to keep them from being out competed and/or selling them to American companies. I love the United States but Canada is also meant to be a strong nation and the United States will always have a strong friendly partner sharing this huge border with them. We are meant to be great friends. We have been for a very long time.  

Solitaire puzzles to do and it is cleaning day and today is the basement.  

King Saul and King David remembered

Continuing to read 1 Chronicles and the genealogies of the families continues. This reminder to the exiled Israelis was timely to remind them of who they were and what had happened to them as time has passed and the children and grandchildren of the Israelis carried off to Assyria and Babylon have been born. The great libraries I mentioned a couple of days ago are now flourishing and the stories of so many of the peoples of the world are now written down but still the Bible with its reach far back into the beginnings is a story that resonates through the ages telling of God's love for mankind. The genealogies continue but now the text tells the stories of some of these families including King Saul. That Saul died because he was unfaithful to God is also mentioned. The important items of the history of Israel that the people needed to know to move forward as children of their loving God. Then the story of King David is again written down in 1 Chronicles. 

Cleaning all accomplished yesterday and today is the main floor. I also managed to get through another set of matches so just thirty eight matches left to put into the databases. Many of these matches are filling tiny holes where no one matched in particular lines. I have very few gaps overall but these matches have come along and they have filled some of them. I like all of the databases but I do have favourites for particular items and as it turns out each of the databases has a particular item that I find most useful which is interesting. 

Collection Day once again and I have one bag of weeds, two containers of recyclables and one garbage can. It feels like a waste to use a white garbage bag in the kitchen which is never full and a green bag to put it out to the street in the garbage can. The green bag is too big to keep in the house although I am considering it because it does seem like a waste to put a white bag into a green bag. Perhaps changes will come to rectify that particular circumstance. 

Just 16 degrees celsius today and the cooling trend has arrived. The birds are starting to flock as they prepare to migrate south and the training of the newly born this summer has begun. The animal and bird life are so methodical and such good parents as they tenderly guide their youth towards adulthood. One exasperated crow was trying to get the young birds into the air again having brought them down from the nest to the ground and finally the bird just ran at them and up they went soaring about. Perhaps they were teasing the adult bird. Hard to tell. 

My work is cut out for me the next few months as I return to downsizing the photo books. It is a huge task with over 40 large binders and that is just the photos from the beginnings of the lives of my husband and I to 2001 (we married in 1966 when Edward was 23 and I was 20). I was very young and Edward more of an adult and we spent the next eight years traveling about following the line of Edward's families as he sought answers about them primarily in the North Eastern United States but also Ontario and Quebec. But we also spent many many weeks with our canoe in the northern Ontario woods following the creeks and rivers as we enjoyed all that nature abounds in in Northern Ontario. It is a fantastic place to be although now it is many many years since we were there. Children arrived and campgrounds with lots of children items like swings and slides and wading pools became our life for a while but back to the woods again as they grew and they too love the outdoors. Now I am old, 81 is old, and have given my kayak to my grandchildren to enjoy and I just walk on the beach and enjoy the fresh air in the summer. 

Time for solitaire puzzles. I  must write the Kipp newsletter today mentioning the items that have gone to Chilliwack Archives for the Kipp family. I also need to write the H11 newsletter although with the new setup that FT DNA has introduced my breaking these lines down further is past tense; they have done a wonderful job but I will check the literature and see if there is anything new to report.  

Reading 1 Chronicles

Very slow reading the genealogies of the families of Israel and Judah in 1 Chronicles. Having such data is amazing really in family lines back to Before the Common Era. As I work on preparing my genealogical charts for the Blake family at Andover, I do marvel over this exceptional set of chapters. Coming down from Joseph who lived at Andover and moved to Upper Clatford is not difficult but going back one has to be very cautious putting together the Blake family at Andover and the areas around Andover. Coming down from the two sons of Jone Blake (widow) at Enham is also a major task although I have the work of Charlou Dolan to assist me in that regard. For the most part we are in agreement but we do have discrepancies between our charts. I am using the wills to keep me on the lines but also the land records. There is more available now then there was even a decade ago. 

Yesterday very busy working on AI with a project; mostly I was watching and learning as my daughter was putting together some work that she needed. The four research projects have kept her very busy this summer and prevented her from teaching metadata which did sadden her as she enjoys teaching. But she needs to rest in the summer as she is free to do her research at that time and give her some time to recharge and back into the fall term once again with two full classes. I am looking forward to her sabbatical which she is starting to plan now. She works very hard all the year really so I like it when she can get out kayaking and just skimming along enjoying the beavers and bird life for an hour or so daily. It is good for her. 

 For me I have a couple of items to resolve and will continue with that today whilst I am cleaning. It is the top floor today and I shall start closer to noon. I can spend the morning working on the matches. 

The day or two of smoke is long ago now and any new smoke is coming out of the far west and not as heavy as that day or two was here in the east. It is rare to have it actually still but that could change as the world continues to heat up without any attempts to trap the carbon which causes the heating. The carbon trapping done here to offset the carbon production from oil fields is effective. Plus we have increased the amount of forest management that we were doing because of the increased risk of wildfire with all the heat and electrical storms. 

One third of the way through August and the days are shorter and the nights are going to start to cool off as there is a cold front moving down from the north. Fall is coming and with it the polar vortex with all that lovely snow. I do love the snow. 

The Houthis continue their trouble making in the Red Sea. Why Iran founded and supports Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis is really a travesty against the world. They ask for a release of the sanctions being levied against them but because of Iran's violence against countries in the Middle East (and they shot down a civilian aircraft headed for Canada) they have shown no effort to curtail and eliminate Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis. These terror groups have to be gone; they are ignorant people who do not know how to live in this world and belong on an island somewhere that they can do no harm. Personally I am ambivalent about the Hormuz Strait opening again especially if the countries that used to use it can find alternative methods of shipping. Then it will be just Iran that can not ship oil and that would be a good thing as they only use the money for evil purposes whilst their people starve. 

 Another beautiful day in God's world although it is cloudy but even through the clouds the birds fly, the flowers bloom and the sky is inviting. Thank you God for this day in your world. 

 

The descendant of David

 King Jehoiachin of Judah, David's descendant, was released from prison in Babylon by King Evilmerodach at the beginning of his reign. He was kind to the King of Judah and placed him above the other kings who were with him in Babylon. God's promise continued to be fulfilled that a descendant of David would continue to live even in the Babylonian Exile when the people of Judah were forced to move to Mesopotamia in the Babylonian Empire from Judah. Some of the Israelis remained in Judah on the farms and were not forced to move and they remain to this day. Moving on to 1 Chronicles and I have a wall chart of the ancestors of Jesus on his mother's side. 

Genealogy was not my thing at all through most of my life. It was my cousin (my great grandmother's father Robert Gray had a brother James Gray and this cousin George De Kay was descendant of this line) who wrote to me (he first wrote to my younger sister who declined the offer and suggested me) and asked me to do a Pincombe Profile. It was a surprise and initially I said I really did not have the training to do that but after a couple of emails he persuaded me to take it on. So I did my usual when I know nothing and I took 42 courses from the National Institute for Genealogical Studies which was at St Michaels College, University of Toronto at that time. The item for the book was due in mid to late 2005 and this was spring of 2003 so I had my work cut out for me and I was also still working. However my husband had been doing genealogy for most of his life and I did help him at repositories when he asked me to do so. So I had a little introduction to that although my husband was looking for his colonial American ancestors (and he did find thousands of them as it turned out but he knew that they were early colonial with lots of surprises as it turned out for him). I needed English research from distinct counties in England namely in the case of the Pincombe family from Devon and Somerset and my great grandmother Grace (Gray) Pincombe's family was from the East Riding of Yorkshire. Grace was my first Canadian born ancestor and surprisingly her first cousin was Sir John Carling (which I did always know as a child). George had already produced a book on the Carling Routledge Gray families of London Township. Grace's mother was Mary Elizabeth Ann Routledge and her sister Margaret Routledge had married Thomas Carling. The Routledge family were my first immigrants to Canada in the fall of 1818  coming from Bewcastle, Cumberland, England. Sir John was very involved in politics both before, during and after Confederation. But I digress from my Bible Readings today and will now return to the 1st chapter of 1 Chronicles. 

These books were written for the people of Israel to remember who they were whilst they were away from their lands in Israel living in captivity in Assyria and Babylon. It will be the time of the prophets and we will start to hear about the Messiah to come. The desire to return to Israel (their known home through thousands of years of history) was always in their blood and one can understand that desire especially when one knows the entire history of the Israeli people. It always amazed me as a child that their history had been so lovingly preserved in the Bible. 

My grandfather used to talk about his Blake family having lived in the Andover area for ever; indeed Grandpa and one of his younger brothers were the first of Edward (my great grandfather) Blake's children to leave England and both came to Canada although another brother went to Africa a little later but my knowledge of him is weak as I can not remember my grandfather mentioning him that often. Grandpa talked about his oldest brother who had remained in England and all his sisters. He did write back and forth to them and I have some of those letters. I corresponded with a descendant of Grandpa's youngest brother William namely Ivan Kent who has since passed away. I went to England (my second trip and Edward's first) and spent about half a week with Ivan and we traveled about with his wife to the Andover area and to Barnstaple in Devon and area. He wanted to visit the Atlantic once again and I spent time in Bishops Nympton where the Pincombe family lived from whom my mother was descended. 

 Sunday today and it is a beautiful day following the rain yesterday although still somewhat cloudy. I will go to church in another hour online. God's day is always beautiful and contemplating the luxury of living in this beautiful world for eighty one years crosses my mind every day pretty much. I was born into peace as World War II was over and peace was coming to the world. It was a fragile peace but the wisdom of the Allies was to create the United Nations so that we would have a place in which to argue the events of the world and so we survived the Cold War. This public forum has stood us well through my entire life. I will say that the founding nations more than did their part in bringing together the nations of the world and helping many nations to come back from the absolute horror of the Second World War. It is good to see that these Allies have stayed together bringing in many many other nations over time. There are few areas of the world that are not represented well at the United Nations. No one wins in a war; everyone is a loser because lives are lost; money is used up quickly to provide war materials and the threat of war that annihilates the entire world hangs over us on a daily basis. Living underground for twenty years does not even come close to letting Mother Nature heal the world after a nuclear war. Perhaps one hundred years but providing for so much time underground does not really sound like a reasonable alternative. Peace is the better alternative. We had peace; we should return to it and make the punishment even harder for those who break the peace. Sanctions to absolutely cripple their ability to make war. The Houthis have bombed an oil company in Saudi Arabia - what foolishness. Why do they do that - why did Iran create such monsters to live amongst normal people namely Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis. Iran needs to change this situation (they created it) and quickly to give the world back its peace. Russia needs to get out of all of Ukraine as it existed prior to 2014 to ease that murderous rampage on the part of Russia against Ukraine. 

Today more work on the matches and gradually the number is decreasing. All of the databases have been adjusted with the newest matches that I have been through. There are still fifty five matches to sort into the various databases and then back to the work at hand which is producing the genealogical chart for Blake and phasing the great grandparents. My work never seems to be done but constantly leads on to a new idea. 

Solitaire puzzles to do.