Genetics

Its a long story that I won't go into now as it takes forever to tell. But surfies to say I don't know the origin of my paternal grandfather, though I do have a clue to his surname. I'll go into that another day.So with the curiosity of a cat, which is one of my characteristics I decided to have my DNA tested. I then discovered that as my father and mother were deceased that I'd need DNA from myself to go down the maternal line and DNA from the nearest male member of my family, which was my nephew John and he readily agreed. My son wasn't an option as that would give his fathers genetics.

My father was born in Dorset and my mother in Northern Ireland. My mothers family are well documented. As my cousin Frances has researched our family history to way back when on my maternal fathers side. So I am aware that he has plummy descendence.

A short introduction to my Grandfather John (mum's dad). His name was John Mc Cambridge and was married to Susan j Mc Dermott, back in granddad Johns history was another John Mc Cambridge, who was a poet and was born in 1794 - 1882, anyway claim to fame is that through research we are descendence on his side Sir Daniel Mc Cambridge Dixon, who's son Sir Thomas Dixon and his 2nd wife gave birth to Herbert Dixon - Lord Glentoran. Anyway I digress, because thats not what I wanted to tell you about anyway.

The up shot is I contacted Oxfordancestors, who explore your genetic roots www.oxfordancestors.com and they sent me the relevant test tubes and large cotton swabs. I swabbed my inside cheek in my mouth and my nephew did the same. The samples were sent off and my fathers side, from my nephew John sample DNA turned out to have Celtic roots. So obviously I thought, hey I have Irish and Scots in my mothers side, so I must be Celtic there too. No, I was flabbergasted, infact my flabber has never been the same. It seems my DNA  sequence is a direct maternal deccendant of Jasmine. One of the seven Daughters of Eve.  The area that was once Persia. The genetic certificate was done by Bryan Sykes MA PhD DSc, who's the Professor of Human Genetics, University of Oxford, so definitely cosha and my mDNA code is 069 126 145 172 261 for those in the know where DNA concerned.

The Seven Daughter of Eve are Ursula, Xenia Katrine, Helena, Tara, Velda and little ole me Jasmine. I feel quite exotic now

Paintings my own, not very good..but trying to fine my own style

Memories

Its said that as you get older, you remember more of the past than whats happening day to day.That's been very true for me lately.

Going and browsing in Charity Shops (thrift shops) was once seen as beneath some people, but has now become a shopping experience for everyone. They normally are laid out quite stylishly with programmes like the House Doctor and similar giving out tips and they have taken them onboard.  Most have new and donated goods for sale and there is always the chance of picking up a little gem for pennies. It's a sort of hunt, never knowing what your going to bag.

My recent memory recall and it was vivid, coming from nowhere, was remembering Fareham High Street, when there was a white walled alley between the Nat West Bank and I think a public toilet and remembered the brightly coloured red/white barber pole at the very end of it.  Then the Flower shop next to it with gun metal coloured, beaten buckets outside, holding daffs and other bright flowers for sale,  a joined to that was a shabby bric a brac shop, with all manner of things piled high and low and a squeeze to get in and out, like a kind of mini maze. It was a fore running of the Charity shop and I as a child would love to pick up the various coloured glasses, books, scraggy teddies and pull on my mothers coat tails asking her to buy them. Normal the answer was "If you want sweets or an ice-cream, then no". But sometimes I for went the pleasure of goodies for a concrete item, something that I could take home and look at. Normally some chipped animal ornament that I could use pretending I owned a pet shop or plastic pots that my imagination ran wild with ...lol Children had simple pleasures then, no PS2's and Wii's.

I still have more fun seeking out my clothes from the charity rails, buying pictures, ornaments and all manner of things. Luckily my best friend Anne supports me in saving a penny or two and with what I save means travel and I do so love experiencing places and meeting people I might never have, if I stayed at home and bought my wardrobe from fashionista's.

Also I red hat, thats a past time for ladies over 50, based on the Jenny Joseph poem and many of our purple and red outfits come from what Anne and I call our special boutiques.

 Above photo is from a 60's weekend recently, very hippy old chicks!

EASTER SUNDAY

I just had a little cynical laugh to myself, seeing the ads that were being generated by Google, all religious. There's me thinking it was as a direct response to my blog yesterday, then I realized its Easter Sunday. Just seemed a contradiction of what I had been writing about. It seems to edit your ads, you have to be on Premium status. As the credit crunch has pinched us all, including me, thats not an option at the moment. I deem that as a luxury item to take up in the future, if I get back into the world of being a regular blogger. But then the ads forwarded onto UCEF and all was right in my world, as saving children is right in anyones language..

Yesterday my thoughts were slightly disgruntled. Its the enigma I find the more I discover others beliefs and their take on the world and its events.

Questions - seeking answers in no particular order

1. Although Jesus is often depicted as fair skinned, would he not have been black or a shade of brown considering the climate/area in which he was born?

2. At 33 how likely would it be for him not to have been married and had children?

3. As Joseph was a carpenter, would that be equivalent to being middle class today?

4. The bible is written down from word of mouth, an interpretation of those that continued the story of Jesus. So can it  be totally factional. There is scope for chinese whispers perhaps, the exaggeration or even visa versa of certain scripts? Maybe those writing them down might have had their own agenda? Definitely contradictions "love thy neighbour" and "Eye for an eye". God forgives all, yet there is a heaven and hell?

5. It was a mans world when the bible was first written, so  is there a male slant also on interpretations, down grading any female roles?

6. Mary Magdalene was in recent years said not to have been a prostitute by the Catholic Church? Why did they say she was, was it because she had a more significant role with Jesus?

7. Dead sea scrolls, is Jesus's/God's house within us all, not confined to a building, like a church? Is it not just a gathering where people come together? A field, a barn, a beach, why a church.

8. It bugs me about the ceremonies, set out forms of masses. Where everyone conforms, you could hear a pin drop as the priest/father goes through the mass and everyone says or reads the responses. Would a gathering of like minded people who believe in god not just sit around and talk and show joy, rather than robotically go through the motions of set out prayers. Doesn't seem much difference from being a witch or warlock and doing a spell. Who designed or thought out what had to be said. Now that in the bible isn't written down is it? Does it say you will say three "Hail Mary's" here and two "Our fathers" there. Many a time I had to go into the confessional box and would come out having had to say 6 of one and two of another prayers as penance, the priest being the judge and jury then for God?

9. Power....thats what most upper management in the religious profession seem to seek, its a buiness after all? They own vast amounts of realistate, shares, you name it. They weald power, like other tycoons in the material world. If they didn't, what do you think would happen then?

10. Dates, was Jesus born on the 25th December?. Did he die in April? I thought the Christmas date was because it was a Pagan celebration and the christians took over and used it to center their faith?

My beliefs todate and are changing all the time, having been brought up in the Roman Catholic faith. I once believed that history was history, cut and dry facts, until you realize that other countries have their interpretation of events that are totally alien from yours. What you have been indoctrinated to believe by what you have been taught, what you have been given to read and what your told as you grow up are your *Facts* until you are able to have access to different beliefs and facts and then you have to decide what you believe. Jesus started out in the Far East, how different our *fact's* are even of each other continent then and what they are today. Definitely gives me food for thought.

 Who's right, who's wrong. There are people who believe there wasn't a holocaust, but we know it happened As there is actual evidence to back this up. Ie Camps empty, but still in existence that can be visited, camp survivors etc.

1. I believe in good and evil, everyone having a measure of each to some degree or another.

2. I strive to be as good a human being as I can and believe in what goes around comes around. Positive thought attracting positivity and Negative thoughts attracting negativity. That doesn't unfortunately mean that bad things don't happen to good people.

3.  I can change myself. Though I know there are limits, so yes I can change who I am to some degree, but not entirely. I can't go from me now and be the Queen of England. I cannot change others, but by changing myself it may impact on them.

4. I love without necessarily wanting or needing it to be returned. It great when it is.

5. I'm noticing what is around me, taking in what I've previously taken for granted. Whys that, because I'm getting older and more likely to die at some point. It's a time in ones life when you wake up and *Smell the Rose's" for real. Now thats fantastic, because some people die before they realize that.

6. I believe in *angels*, I believe they are with me and look out for me and everyone has one Thats my faith, as faith doesn't always need proof. It's within me that I believe and thats where my spiritual being is.