Summary week ending 20th February

[DianaCanada]

Hope everyone is well and a happy Valentine’s Day!
Still very wintry here, no signs of spring, though locally a robin was spotted (North American), they stay well south until late March or so.
Very disheartened with the trucker convoys here.  We used to live in Ottawa and so sad to see what they are doing to the downtown near Parliament Hill…usually open to everyone and low-key security.  The locals are getting fed up.  The border crossing one not terribly far from here (by Canadian standards), very busy most days, that’s cleared up, hopefully they will not return.
The irony is that 85% or so of us have had two jabs and 90% of the truckers.  What is perplexing is that the US is demanding any Canadian going in has to have two jabs too, so obviously they are not going to change their policy.
We have a holiday weekend coming up and I am supposed to travel down to Niagara region to see my children.  Very busy corridor through southern Ontario, there is talk of more road blockades.  I usually take a slower less busy route but my son would have trouble getting through from the Ottawa area, east of Toronto.
Got almost 8.5 hours sleep last night, bliss!

[ThrelfallYorky]

I ended up with a pile of "self seal" Basildon bond envelopes - and of course they simply don't want to stay sealed. After a few friends had commented on open envelopes from me, I use a strip of sellotape, and rub it down most firmly with a burnisher, so no ends sticking up to catch.
TY

[Roobarb]

Candleflame, as I live alone I just assume everything that is posted through my letterbox is for me and I open it without checking. One day a few years ago I opened something that was for someone along the road, I couldn't take it there and apologise for opening it as it was something they would probably be embarrassed about (no, nothing dirty!) and couldn't put it through the letterbox in case they saw me. I decided to glue it as the paper of the envelope was intact but the glue marked the paper! As it had the correct address on it I put it in the Royal Mail postbox for them to redeliver. So it doesn't have to have been for nefarious reasons that your post was opened. 

Diana, I read about the truckers' protests there and that there had been an injunction to stop them honking their horns as it was driving the residents crazy. Not surprising, I'm sure I'd be tearing my hair out if I had to listen to that.
I hope your journey goes well at the weekend.

[DianaCanada]

Candleflame, as I live alone I just assume everything that is posted through my letterbox is for me and I open it without checking. One day a few years ago I opened something that was for someone along the road, I couldn't take it there and apologise for opening it as it was something they would probably be embarrassed about (no, nothing dirty!) and couldn't put it through the letterbox in case they saw me. I decided to glue it as the paper of the envelope was intact but the glue marked the paper! As it had the correct address on it I put it in the Royal Mail postbox for them to redeliver. So it doesn't have to have been for nefarious reasons that your post was opened. 

Diana, I read about the truckers' protests there and that there had been an injunction to stop them honking their horns as it was driving the residents crazy. Not surprising, I'm sure I'd be tearing my hair out if I had to listen to that.
I hope your journey goes well at the weekend.

Thank you, Roobarb!

[Gibel]

Thank you everyone for your good wishes last week. I’m plodding along.

 I do now have a working laptop complete with all my family trees that went missing when my replacement family tree programme was installed. I might actually get some family history done this afternoon after I’ve been out for some shopping.

Yesterday I was at a friend’s mother’s funeral and afterwards people were reminiscing about Valentine’s Day. My father who died many years ago, was born on Valentine’s Day and apparently his mother wanted to call him Valentine. His uncle came home from sea and was horrified with the idea stating (with a naughty word!) that she should think about when he went to school. He told his sister in law to call the baby after him. They did and Dad was always very grateful! Hearing the story as a child complete with the naughty word it stuck in my memory as it was the only time I heard this word used. Many years after Dad died, I met his cousin the son of the uncle who told me the same story complete with the same naughty word! I think it must be true!

[louisa maud]

Oh gosh, what a  story  with  someone to back it up, my in law  grandfather  was  born on 14th  but  not named Valentine, I  expect he was  pleased.

Pleased  you  have  your family tree sorted  out  Gibel, I  need to replace  my family tree programme  but to old in the tooth to  consider one that is to different, mine  was  bought as  a  present in  1995, "why  would  I  be  bought such  a  present"  I  thought, I am  so  pleased  they  did,  not  sure  how  long  it will work  with  windows 7

Take  care

LM

[Caw1]

 Drat… nearly at the end and I lost it all 😩😩

Good to hear others are doing some family history… I’ve been knee deep in it for a few days now with some success which of course makes you do more!
Yesterday I found one of my Mums cousin who she used to communicate with over the years but had sadly lost touch and wasn’t sure why… well of course she’d passed away! I knew I had the  right person despite being called by her middle name.. husbands last name, town they lived in and being a nurse at Whipps Criss hospital! I was so excited I rushed into the living room to tell Mum…
I’ve found your cousin Mary Lancaster….the room was quiet and my OH was looking at me very strangely…
Are you ok.. he said
Yes, just got over excited… (Mums been gone 11 years now!)
Daft idiot!!

Gibel I loved your tale of the potential name for your father and as he grew up he must have been eternally grateful his Uncle and persuaded your grandmother to call him something else! A lovely story to dine out in though..

Valentine’s Day is not really celebrated in our house… to commercial and flowers are ridiculously expensive… I’ve been informed!
Last year though as we were all in lock down feeling cheesed off we had a meal delivered by a couple in the village who have a catering company… we had a delicious meal so we decided to the same this year…
My father was buried on this date so it always has a tinge of sadness for me… but we raised our glasses to remember him while we sat in candle light, dressed up, music in the background and enjoyed our meal…
Where’s my bunch of red roses then I said jokingly at which point my OH got up went into the garage and came back with a beautiful orchid… 😳😊 I was gobsmacked.. and speechless…what a lovely chap he is knew there was a good reason I’d married him!

Diana - hope your trip goes smoothly to visit your children… the situation in Ottawa is getting plenty of media attention here… my nephew and a cousin live in the city don’t know how they’re getting on..

Love the stories of envelopes… well done Roobarb for secretly getting your neighbours letter back in the post!

Over the past couple of months we’ve had letters from Insurance companies  addressed to someone using our address!

The first two I returned to sender… the third one my OH called the insurance company to tell them… it appears it’s quite common to do that and if they’re stopped or need proof then it’s in the post! All sorted they’d realised it was a scam.. OH opened the letter  at their request.

We’ll blow me down if the cheeky chap had another go with a different Insurance company… OH phoned their fraud dept and it’s now been red flagged to all insurance companies… the  cheek of people!

Well it another dull day here today… off for coffee this morning to see our other friend who sadly has terminal cancer and now not tge strength to go out and about…

Take care all

Caroline

[candleflame]

Caroline I had to smile when you said about getting excited about your mums cousin. I found out how my mums mum said cousins were related ( it was a long way back in the tree with a stepdad involved which was why it wasn't obvious ) . I told my husband I'd unraveled it and he said your mum would have loved to have known that wouldn't she. He's right. I started doing the basic trees and labelling of photos as a teenager as my mum was interested and she was the holder of all old stuff in the family . She would have loved where I've got to now, and mostly now from the comfort of my own home. I'm just trying to get all the things I've found into mini biographies for my family ( probably mainly for my younger daughter as she's the most interested. )

[louisa maud]

Having been sorting out documents I came across a court case of a well respected relation of mine well his parents were, known as god fearing people, not so him, born about 1881 ish,  but this chap must have been the naughtiest boy!, his parents must have been appalled as he spent time in prison, 1911, I met him when I was 16 at my grandmothers funeral, 1958 and I can see him now, my mother couldn't have known about the tricks he got up to, he was with is brother who I imagine had taken him under his wing, isn't it strange that 1 child out of 9 or so could be the villain in the family, will see if I can trace him on 1921 to see what he was up to then, .

LM