Been A While

How quicky time passes.  I cannot believe it has been so long since I updated my journal.

I have been filling my time with other things, things which had been neglected. The computer does tend to take over your life.  So, I will do a journal entry about every week or so in the future provided I have something to write about.

What have I been up to?  Well, believe it or not I went back to the family tree.  Been quite some time since I did anything with that and new information comes online all the time.

I decided to have another search for my paternal Great-Grandfather.  I only had his year of birth and the place.  However, I struck lucky.  I came up with the right name on two different sites giving the same parents.  I was then able to access the old parish register which records his birth and the date fitted exactly with what we know about him and when I saw the Father's occupation was carpet weaver I knew I had the right person.

I was able to trace the Proclamation of Banns for his parents.  After that I was able to search for the births of any further children to this couple.  It transpired that he had three brothers and two of the names tie in with family names so there is no doubt about it.  Definitely him.

I have not been able to find out anything about his brothers, whether they survived to marry, whether they had families of their own but I shall keep looking.

Sadly, I cannot get any farther back.  Registration of marriage only commenced in Scotland in 1855 and his parents married in 1819 so there would be no marriage certificate and hence no name of a father which would take me another generation back.

I put a message out on one of the boards and was contacted by a distant relative on another branch of the family.  My maternal great-grandfather was his fourth great-grandfather so I was able to gather more information on that line.

Apart from that I have been doing a lot of reading.  I did miss my reading.  Mainly biographies and autobiographies and also I have tried to be a bit more active around the house.  I need to more active if I am to have any hope of keeping my blood sugars under control which is something I am aiming for.  Much as I love journals, long-health is more important.

When I have been online I have been playing Canasta with him indoors and we have both enjoyed it so much.

The family have been away on holiday this last week.  Sadly they only had one sunny day but they made the most of it and Nathan and Daniel managed to do a lot of swimming in the pool which they had mainly to themselves.  It was a break away for them and that is the main thing.

Mike has not used the camera so much recently, he is waiting until the trees are in leaf and there are more flowers about but he was able to get this shot which I like very much.

I mentioned long-term health earlier.  Here we are almost at the end of April and May will see my appointments back at the breast unit.  I say appointments but I have received no notification on my mammogram.  I fear I have been lost in the system.  They did say they would contact me but I have  heard nothing and I feel certain that I am supposed to have it before I see my oncologist again.  So I shall have to ring them on Monday morning and find out the situation. Whether they will fit me in quickly or be able to arrange it on the day I see my oncologist I do not know.  It would be so nice if both appointments could be got out of the way on the same day.  Anyway, it is only just over three weeks to go for the oncologist.

Naturally with each day that passes I am getting a little more nervous about it. Silly really, I know that being worried and nervous will change nothing at all but people who have been there will know what I mean.  Not knowing whether I shall get the all clear.  So, my friends, fingers firmly crossed for me please and those of you who believe, please say a prayer for me.

Someone commented on my journal a while back that my guestbook no longer worked.  I checked it out and no, it did not work.  Nothing I could do would fix it so I had to delete it.  That made me quite sad.  I had lots of lovely messages in there and quite a few from friends who are no longer with us.

Anway, I have started a new one (on sidebar) and it is empty apart from a welcome from the site owners.  So if you would like to leave me a message feel free.

I sat in the garden today, actually it got too hot for me but it was nice whilst it lasted.  Tomorrow they forecast rain yet again so it was nice to be outside for a while.

Anyway, it will soon be time for the evening meal so I had best draw this entry to a close now.  I hope life is being kind to you all and that you do understand why I am cutting down.  I know I shall feel easier and happier in myself when those appointments are out of the way (if they go well).  I shall then be out in the garden taking photos for you all once more.

Have a good weekend dear friends and readers.