CANADIAN REGION: What are you doing in MaY 2018

Oh, my! No, bedroom slippers are not exactly sturdy footwear.

Take care of yourself KJ.  We love your write-ups but prefer that you stay safe and do not have to report accidents. Love your positive attitude.

Oh, dear.... Glad you're okay, Kelejan!

Glad you're okay now, Kel. I did a face-plant in the garden last year, so I know how bad it feels in the days after. NO FUN! 

Country Naturals, I avoid doing face plants, just keep to elbows.  I am fine now and I will make sure I keep that way. Just a nasty scab on my elbow that I have to make sure I don't knock it off and have to start healing again. My back has stopped its nasty twinges so I have been able to mow the lawns and do a little more weeding etc. 

The temperature has been high these past few days, except for a sudden downpour on Thursday that had the streets running like rivers. That occurred while I out to lunch with  the seniors, but luckily I did not have to catch a bus home  but had a ride home straight to my door. The interesting thing about the ride, was that it was given to me and my new friend Mabel, by Nora who is an avid flower gardener, and she gave us an hour's ride around our most affluent neighbourhood, pointing out all the beautiful trees and shrubs and well maintained lawns and all the different houses. then taking me home, she even went around the little block that I walk the dog, and pointed out certain flowers, including some roses that my friend Persis has growing on her wall. This was when all the rain was falling and I must say it gave a kind of magical atmosphere to the ride. Also being a long time resident she was able to tell me who used to live in some of the houses and I was able to bring her up to date on some of the new inhabitants.

I have almost finished my little planter area that I made to shut off the car port area so as to give me a little sitting space when the weather is hot, and also to do a little potting of plants and sifting of compost when it is raining. It also means I can see passersby and call out to then if I feel like it.  

Much needed rain forecast late tomorrow so I will make another effort to get the garden tidied up.  More things still need planting in place so it will give them a good boost when the rain arrives.  Saturday my friend Diane and I collected our two bags of free compost; but to tell you the truth, it is not half as good as mine but will be useful.

The peas , lettuce and others seeds are sprouting so I have to keep up with the watering.  Still a great swathe of couch grass and creeping buttercup to see to and which are just loving all the wood chips etc that have been laid down over the last four years.  I think I will have to lay paper over them  plus wood chips and start again.

I think the wood chips I laid under the old cherry trees is making the tree look a lot happier.  I am looking forward to seeing if the cherries do better this year.

Off Topic: I have been trying to trace my paternal ancestry for a long time and have located a cousin and a half-brother still living.  The cousin is so happy that she found me, but we will have to see if the brother is as happy.  This is due to Ancestry.com.

I just love reading your posts. How nice to find your relatives.

sanderson wrote:I just love reading your posts.  How nice to find your relatives.

Couldn't agree more.

By the way KJ, I recently discovered through Facebook another part of my family in the UK. I have been an only child all my life and I just found out that I have two half-sisters (one deceased) and three half-brothers. I am in almost daily contact with one brother and my surviving sister.

trolleydriver wrote:

sanderson wrote:I just love reading your posts.  How nice to find your relatives.

Couldn't agree more.

By the way KJ, I recently discovered through Facebook another part of my family in the UK. I have been an only child all my life and I just found out that I have two half-sisters (one deceased) and three half-brothers. I am in almost daily contact with one brother and my surviving sister.

This Ancestry stuff has certainly made a lot of difference to peoples' lives and I am sure that many people are finding relatives they never knew they had.  I knew for many years that I had paternal relatives but there was no way to prove that I belonged until this DNA testing came along.  I just could not imagine this happening 60 years ago.

Did Ancestry notify you of possible relations. I still haven't sent in my sample.

sanderson wrote:Did Ancestry notify you of possible relations.  I still haven't sent in my sample.  

Yes, about three times so far.  the first time I had about 164 third/fourth cousins, the second time increased to nearly 300, and I contacted and found a third  cousin and we have yet to work out the precise relationship as her mother, whose ancestry she was tracing, died last Christmas.  This last last time I got a first cousin and we immediately found out the relationship.  The third cousin is getting back in after her mother died and also found that we had the same person, one as her third and as a first cousin for me.

Perhaps we ought to have a separate thread for this, sanderson as it is Off Topic and not exactly related to SFG. I should not be hi-jacking the Canadian thread.

Okay, no more Ancestry. Back to general Canadian events.

Yesterday I managed to clear my patch of four blueberry bushes by hacking down all the growth around them, watering, laying paper then compost then partially decompose wood chips that had be lying around near my compost pile.

The blueberry bushes had been overtaken by couch grass and creeping buttercup.  I must admit the buttercups looked glorious and I was sad that they had to go.

Later today I must attack another patch in the same way.  Last year everything got behind for several reasons, but I feel I am back on track once more. 

I still have half that pile of wood chips to clear from the driveway before things take root there.   I am feeling much better now from that fall I had 11 days ago but still a little twinge in my back when I overdo it.  Yes, I will take care, my friends.

Kelejan, so glad to hear you are doing well!  And sounds like the garden is happening!