Waffling and DNA

Dear family, friends and followers.

How are you doing?

How are you coping right now?

It looks like parts of our beautiful country are in lockdown because of Covid-19, because of the high numbers of infection and are in tier 3, or others are now going into tier 2. We are still at medium risk we are, but with Coventry going into tier 2, it is creeping closer to us. It feels a bit like Déjà vu, and I feel like we have been in lockdown forever, because we have stayed in our bubble since this all kicked off. I really feel for anyone who is struggling, with losing their business, home and for those who feel this is affecting their mental health. I sit and watch the news and it makes me so angry, because a lot of this could be avoided if people just did the right thing and follow the rules and guidelines. The reason people are losing their jobs etc is because of those people who refuse to do what is right. I am not political at all, and I know that there are things that can always be improved on. But this purely comes down to the fact there are some who are just not following the rules and they are the ones to blame for the infection continuing to climb again and therefore the rest of us are struggling. If a loved one loses their life to this virus, it is the fault of those who continually flout the rules. If someone's business goes to the wall, it is the fault of those who continually flout the rules. If someone loses their home, because they cannot pay their mortgage, it is the fault of those who flout the rules. The Government have given out so much help to businesses and anyone in difficulty, but they cannot help literally everyone. If only it was possible to give money to everyone, but nothing is 100%. In a perfect world none of this would be happening. It is going to be a difficult Christmas for so many. I personally cancel Christmas etc, so we can all save out money, but then again businesses would suffer, which is a knock on situation as with most things in life there is always a consequence. 

Like so many, we have done everything that has been asked of us and I sincerely hope that we all go into a New Year and there is better news. I would like to think we will be able to go cruising next year. I know many of our boating friends have been cruising this year, we decided that for us it was not safe enough and that is why we came home. We all make our decisions and have to decide what is right for us. I just get annoyed when there are those who are saying, "I am alright Jack sod you". We all have to consider others around us. It is about looking after each other.

Anyway, having got that off my chest, I have kept myself busy of late with doing more to our family trees. It is amazing what you find out. Who would have thought that some of my ancestors came from Denmark and we had distant relatives who walked the plains of Utah back in the day. I would if they were alive today, what they would think of what is going on now? Joining Ancestry has been such a good idea and we are considering doing a DNA test on hubby, to see if we can sort out a family mystery.

The story goes, Keith's great-grandmother Mary Ann Eliza South was in service to a family named Middleton, when the son of the family, we think was Alfred decided to have his wicked way and he got her pregnant. So at the age of 18 in 1874 she gave birth to Keith's Grand-father Alfred James. 

A year after he was born in the Union Workhouse, Pope's Lane, Colchester, Essex, Mary married Alfred Lodge, he was prepared to take Alfred James on as his own son. The only other information we know about Mr Middleton is that he was possibly in the Royal Hussars. It has been so difficult to find out any information on Mr Middleton, so we can fill in the blanks, this is where a DNA test may help, because it will prove whether Keith is a true Lodge or is a Middleton. 

Have you done the DNA test or are using Ancestry?

I am fascinated by family history and all it entails and have already met online a couple of cousins.

The clocks go back this weekend, so we are allowed an extra hour in bed. I know for a fact we will just be awake earlier, because that is how we roll. The nights will be darker earlier, which I am not fond of at all and we slide towards the end of a year, which has been absolutely incredible in so many ways. 

With the weekend knocking on the door and the weather set to be stormy, I can see me sitting down and doing more to the family tree. I will have the TV on and set to a films channel.

May your weekend bring you sunshine and laughter.

Thank you for popping by and reading my waffle.

Pop back soon xxxx

 

Time to get busy.

 

Dear family, friends and followers.

At the moment we are all going through such an uncertain time. I like most are doing the right things to keep safe and well. I have been a little sedentary of late, what with mum dying and other things happening in my life. I have been going for my morning walks, which were much needed. I have also been spending a lot of time working on my family tree. I decided that in order to get the answers I was looking for, I needed to join Ancestry, and get their help especially with Keith's side of the family, which has a bit of mystery about it. Joining Ancestry, has meant I have been sitting glued to my laptop for hours on end, researching the family and finding out some interesting things, which I will tell you about over the coming days and weeks.

This morning, I decided that it was time to get out and work on the hedge at the back of our garden. The hedge was allowed to overgrow and the centre of the hedge was full of dead wood. When we moved onto the mooring, we just tidied it up, with the view to give it a good going over and that time has come.

Our hedge is over 70ft long, so it is going to take me a while. I have begun to cut the hedge back by about a foot and now I am stripping out the dead wood. My hope is that next Spring, there will be new growth and the hedge will fill out again. I also want to drop the height of the hedge down a bit as well, because it is too tall for me to trim the top. I want to take it down by at least a foot once I have finished stripping it out. A bit job, but I hope well worth it. Being out in the fresh air, has given me a lot of satisfaction and it is where I am happiest. 

Thank you for popping by. xx

UK Summer Vacation ( Staycation ) on a Narrow Boat..Pt7. Frm 12 Sep til...

My brother's last day of his canal holiday.

UK Summer Vacation ( Staycation ) on a Narrow Boat..Pt6. Frm 12 Sep til ...

A 35yrs in the making Reunion....2020..... Tim & Joanne.

A very special weekend for me and my brother and one which Mum would have been so pleased to have seen.

An amazing weekend.

 

Dear family, friends and followers.

I am doing my best to climb down off cloud Nine, but after the weekend I have just had it will be very difficult. Most of us know that Storm Alex came in on Friday, bringing us copious amounts of water. I reckoned that the angels had had enough showers for the rest of this century, with the amount of rain we had. The rain however did not stop the excitement and fun to come on Friday, with the arrival of my brother Tim and his wife Melba.

Tim and Melba drove up from the south in the lashing rain. They came across two lots of accidents and a caravan on fire, so their journey was not without incident. Having got themselves settled they came and met us and we all walked to The Cape of Good Hope pub, where we were booked in, because of Covid-19, I had to book a table and we had to wear a mask until we were seated at our table. If at anytime we left the table, we had to put our masks back on. They supplied each table with hand sanitiser and you could either order on their app or someone would take your order and they were all masked up. Having been seated at our table, and our order taken, we had one heck of a lot of catching up to do, because Tim and I had not seen each other for 35 years, yes I did say 35 years. It is a long and sometime very painful tale and I will not bore you, except to say family issues. Anyway we have been in touch with other for years on Facebook and then with the death of our wonderful Mum, it spurred us into action and a meeting was arranged. We both say it my Mum's last act of love for us, to make sure we got back together. We had a wonderful evening, of chatter, laughter, beer and a fantastic meal. After two hours we had to leave to allow the next customers in who had booked our table, because the table and surrounding area had to be sanitised before they could sit down. Back onboard the boat, we carried on the chatter until gone 10pm, Tim and Melba then went back to their hotel for the night.

Saturday the plan was to take a walk around Warwick and the sights, but as you will see from the photographs it was extremely soggy, but we did not let this stop us. We donned our coats, picked up the umbrella's and off we went.

We wandered around the market, whilst Keith picked up his glasses from the Optician and then headed off to get a coffee at Coffee #1. We then thought we would take a walk down to the bridge over the River Avon which gives you a great view of Warwick Castle. 

By this time the rain was lashing down and the motorists were playing a game of soak the pedestrian. I can honestly say we were well and truly soaked and so decided to call it a day and head home. Tim and Melba went back to their hotel to dry out and change and we sorted ourselves out on the boat. I was wet from head to foot, mainly due to motorists splashing me. Later in the afternoon, Tim and Melba came back to the boat, where we enjoyed an amazing Thai takeaway from our favourite restaurant Totally Thai.

We even opened a bottle of Champagne and gave a toast to Mum. It was a bottle of champagne bought for her 82nd birthday, but she could not drink it as she was in the hospice and very poorly, so we drank it for her. Yet another wonderful day getting to know my brother again and his lovely wife. Tim is Fourteen months younger than me and is over a foot taller than me, which always makes me giggle. It was once again late before they left to get to their hotel.

This morning they came back to the boat for breakfast, because Saturday's breakfast at the Premier Inn was not at all good. I cooked us a full English breakfast with toast and coffee and we were all set up for the day.

It was sod's law that about fifteen minutes before they left us to travel home the rain finally stopped and we were able to take some photographs outside.

So happy to have my brother back in my life and we both know that Mum would be over the moon and then some.

Melba is such a delight and so good for my brother. It is wonderful to have her in my life and I cannot wait to get to know them both more over the coming weeks, months and years. Being estranged from ones family through no fault of your own is just the worst thing and makes you feel as though you are totally worthless. I missed out on so much because of it and I will not let it happen again, even if someone else has other ideas. I am so grateful to have this chance with my brother and his wife, we are going to bring so much joy into each others lives and hopefully at some point they can meet up with my family and we can celebrate again.

Having family issues is something we probably all go through at some point in our lives. It can wreck the love that you had for those you love. If you are going through a similar thing and really wish you could be back in touch with your family. I will say do not leave it too late. Just do it, even if some in your family try to stop you, because one day your loved one will be gone and you will never get that chance again.

Pop back soon xxx

UK Summer Vacation ( Staycation ) on a Narrow Boat..Pt5. Frm 12 Sep til ...

UK Summer Vacation ( Staycation ) on a Narrow Boat..Pt4. Frm 12 Sep til ...