connections via DNA - my Canadian cousin

I have embraced the magic of DNA matching wholeheartedly. Magic?! Yes, for those of us who are passionate about re-creating our family trees it is.

Last night, I spent the evening with dozens of my coworkers, saying goodbye to one of our own as she accepted a transfer to another city, following her joy.

Last year, randomly searching a last name in my DNA matches, I stumbled upon the name of a retired coworker. The match was small, I starred it and left it there. I had gifted my mother and brother a DNA kit as our expressions of DNA vary among siblings, and having my mother test helps narrow down maternal/paternal matches.  When their results came in, I went back to my starred match, and both my brother and mother did - my mother being a slightly stronger match.

DNA cousins.

She was there last night, she has a face that could easily fit in with my Irish family, but she knows of none. She has Forrest splashed all over her family tree - and so this is the link we will explore.  I hope some day to tell her where our Forrests meet. I suspect she is a 6th cousin to my mother, just out of reach of my current research, it spurs me on.

I have made connections and messaged with several DNA cousins, most with a stronger link by genetics - but I worked with her for years, despite a generational difference, we were friends at work, and last night, we wore cardigan sweaters that were the exact same shade of royal blue - of dozens of coworkers, past and present, we were the only 2 sporting this colour.

I have a Canadian cousin now, and one that I am blessed enough to call friend.

A bit more DNA magic.

autumnal gratitude

i can be driven to frustration
driven away from it
back to the nature that sits on my doorstep
patiently
gently
reminding me
of love and acceptance
and letting go
this place

this beautiful space
this gentle soul of nature
my neighbour

simple

the stunning views

the changing leaves
the dance of sunbeams

those sunbeams that follow

beams of light that remind me of the spirit of this space
this is a place i can return to

this is where i can feel home
this is where i can find lost joy
this is all in its wordless expression

and fractured pieces of myself draw whole
and i am grateful
i am grateful

baby foods that adults can eat too - red pepper soup

always trying to come up with ideas



2 tbsps butter or olive oil
4 red peppers chopped
1 onion chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
20-24 ounces chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream (optional) - or even coconut milk
pinch of ground black pepper - or to taste
Melt butter over medium heat in a saucepan. Add the red bell pepper, onion and garlic in saute for 8 to 10 minutes, or until tender. Pour in the chicken broth, stirring well, reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Transfer to a blender and puree until smooth, return the liquid to the saucepan over medium low heat. Stir in the heavy cream and the ground black pepper and allow to heat through, about 10 minutes.

st. patrick's day

luck, blessings and love to all

better late than never - callum aodhan

callum arrived 6wks early on easter sunday of 2007 - 8 april

there was no forewarning

there were no complications that would have indicated i'd have him early

there were no red flags, warning signs, premonitions

and there were no answers


he just came early


so at 48cm and 2502g, callum arrived at the general - and obviously my planned home birth did not occur

after a week in the nicu he came home

so now for a first few pics -

birth is easy for no one - this is not a home birth

callum didn't really like the monitors and squirmed a lot, here his heart monitor is flinging off - the tube is a gauvage tube - a feeding tube - callum was born before he had a sucking reflex, and used too much energy trying to eat. pumped breastmilk was fed through the tube in his nose.

callum was born unable to properly regulate his body temperature. here he is in an isolette, set at 35 degrees celsius. once they were finally able to drop it to 29 degrees, and he was able to maintain his temperature he was moved out of the incubator into a normal hospital crib.

this was the day we were told that callum would leave the nicu, no more monitors or tests or invasive tubes and bloodwork. he is a little champ. instead of the predicted 3wks in the nicu, he was out in 1wk - already impressing his parents...