(Scene from Isle of Man...one of my latest ancestral discoveries)

Dear Reader:

Yesterday I heard from Ancestry telling me that they had the latest updates on my personal genealogy. I was so excited when I got it. Overall the big picture resembled rather closely the earlier findings… but more specific ‘area origins’ within the countries came to light.

For example…I still have 9% Scandinavian blood in me…but this time they narrowed it down to Norway. How lovely…I loved Denmark when I taught there for a week…would like to return one day and now visit Norway. This whimsical painting of the Winter Solstice marking the beginning of more light by a Norwegian fairy… lured me to it.

Here are my latest stats from my past…My roots crossing into Belgium, England, Ireland, Northern Ireland and Wales….I discovered that my roots also extend to the channel islands outside England and the greatest discovery of all…Isle of Man! (Located in the Irish Sea between Ireland and England…just south of Scotland)

Ferries run from Dublin to Isle of Man and when I pulled pictures of the island I felt a strange affinity to it..but on a more practical note…hummm….Tommy and Kaitlyn…since y’all fly in and out of Dublin and this is where you can take the ferry that crosses the Irish Sea to get to Isle of Man…wouldn’t you like to go over and spend a night or two on this enchanting little island? Boo Boo’s ancestors are there and who knows where they have been passed down?

At the top of the highest summit (Snow mountain)…you can see Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England…and also some of the channel islands off the coast of England.

Just keep this latest revelation  in mind next summer when you are planning your Dingle excursion to Ireland! 🙂 🙂 🙂

***Interesting tidbit about the Isle of Man-Home of the Bee Gee’s!

The Bee Gees’ family home on the Isle of Man is set to get a plaque.

The property in St Catherine’s Drive will be recognized with a plaque and the ‘Childhood Home of the Bee Gees’ will be added to the street sign.

It was home to all three Gibb brothers before the family moved to Manchester in the 1950s.

The Gibb brothers were born in the Isle of Man but later moved to Keppel Road in Chorlton before emigrating to Australia in 1958.

St Catherine’s Drive is also the title of an album, recorded by the late Robin Gibb, due to be released later this year.

The Bee Gees went on to become the fifth biggest-selling pop act of all time, producing 28 albums and shifting 110 million records in a career that spanned four decades.

Barry Gibb is the last surviving Gibb brother.

Maurice Gibb died aged 53 after suffering a heart attack during intestinal surgery at a hospital in Miami and Robin died in May last year after a prolonged struggle with cancer.

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Happiness arrived yesterday…the sun finally returned…later than hoped and predicted this week but finally here…I was so excited I took a picture of the first rays of sunshine in days hitting the sofa in the Happy Room…half in shadows, half in light. It stayed like that until after lunch when the full sun finally emerged! Hallelujah!

So until tomorrow…As the days grow darker…let us copy our animal friends’ habits around us…as well as…our garden flowers and bushes…it is time to rest and store up energy for spring…humans, too, need to continue blooming within the soul…but leave all the constant busyness alone and take the nearing winter solstice as a sign to live in the shadows with more time to rest and contemplate new life when it re-emerges with the light.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

The grandchildren’s maple trees are turning such beautiful colors…the chilly weather has definitely hastened the process.

Susan Cadwell reminded me that I have  another health o’meter besides Big Red…Pink Cactus. I gave this cactus to Susan for her birthday nearly twenty years ago…she has cut and divided it several times over the years and yet here it is…still full of blooms…it loves Susan but not me…I can’t keep cacti alive for some reason. I certainly gave it to the right person!

A Big Shout-Out to Kaitlyn, my lovely daughter-in-law, who is celebrating her birthday today! There are lots of exciting changes happening for Tommy and Kaitlyn these days….a new year that holds lots of promise and opportunities! Have a great year Kaitlyn!