TUESDAY CHAT

The week began very well for us.  It was daughter's birthday Wednesday and I'd asked her if she would like us to take her out for lunch.  She had replied she would love to come and visit but not go to an hotel or cafe.  That was fine with us so Phil went and fetched take away Chinese which we all enjoyed very much.  K has been busy at work, has her own health issues and a family about whom she worries a lot.  It was wonderful to have her with us for about 5 hours and we could just chat about anything that came to mind.  We don't see her as much as we like and we accept that in this busy, busy world.  I, in turn, worry about her as I think she is in need of a restful holiday.  She and her hubby are off to New Jersey end of September to visit their #3 daughter and her partner. I am hoping a change will be good for them both and they will come home feeling they can face the world once again.  No, we didn't have a cake as K didn't want one but I thought this would make the page look prettier.

Now...did I tell you I'd sent away a saliva sample to have my DNA ethnicity checked?  It came back last week.  I had anticipated most of it but not all. It turned out I have 32% Great Britain; 31% Ireland (where on earth that comes from I don't know); 18% Scandinavia (I expected that as my two great-grandparents on my mother's side were from Denmark); 15% West Europe (which also makes sense to me).  There was a possibility of 2% Iberian Peninsula which could be right depending on how far back it goes, and 1% Finland/Northwest Russia which could also fit in perhaps with the Scandinavian part.  They explain the last two tiny results as probably not absolutely positive.

I know my maternal great-great-grandparents emigrated from Scotland in the 1800s and I wonder if perhaps their ancestors came across from Ireland.  GG-granddad was a shepherd and took up land where Werribee now stands when he arrived in Victoria.  Poor man died of gunshot wounds as he had accidentally shot himself as he climbed through a fence on his property.

I have a grandfather who supposedly was born in Bath, England in 1800 and he emigrated first to Tasmania and then to Werribee via Sydney.  He was well known and in fact named the town Wyndham after a commanding officer he knew in the British army and who he admired greatly.  After his death the town was renamed Werribee but the surrounding area is still known as Wyndham Vale.

I also know my birth father was born in London and my ancestors on his side seem to be very much from the south of England.  I have traced that family back to the 1600s and also the female side too which seems very much belonging to the south of England.

Phil has not decided he would like to have his DNA checked as he has a reasonably rare blood group (B) and see if he can find where that comes from.   I've traced much of his family tree and they seem very English but one never knows what happened centuries ago.

The rest of the week has been very quiet. We had some rain but badly need more but I wish the damned weeds didn't pop up after the first good shower.   They really do grow so well at our place...wish we could sell them.

Tomorrow I visit my endocrinologist and am waiting for my blood test results to arrive.  Hopefully they will be in my mail box today before I go see him.  I always like to know in advance what they are so I am prepared if he is not happy.  My blood glucose has been a bit up and down of late and I've been changing the amount of insulin I inject at night.  Personally I think it depends on how bad my arthritis is as they say stress can cause your BG to rise (as well as your blood pressure apparently).  Maybe I should make a note of when the aches are at their worst and compare it with BG readings?  No, too much thinking about self all the time is not a good idea so I think I'll just go with the flow, as long as the flow is not too high!

I hope the coming week treats all of you with kindness....keep well and keep happy.