Sunday, July 19, 2015

In the olden days...

I mentioned earlier this month that I was sending a DNA sample to Ancestry dot com so that I can be included in the database they are creating. With any luck at all, I will be informed that my ancestors were good upstanding citizens.

But...as I work on my family tree I find some disturbing things. I've already found that two of my Scottish ancestors address was 'the poor house' in Glasgow. And one more distant grandfather was executed for treason. Then there are the many poor harried grandmothers of mine that had a dozen children or more. It's no wonder that they usually died before they were 60. As I read the names of these distant relatives I can't help but think of how difficult life had to be in the 1700's or earlier. Just look around you and see if there is anything at all in our modern life that existed in that age. I don't think we could survive if we were suddenly transported back to, let's say, 1711.

On a another note; I'm somewhat surprised at some of the other things that I am finding in my family. As I work my way back in time and without doing  lot of strenuous research. (Ancestry dot com charges you for more than basic research) I find that one branch has lead me back to royalty. (King James of Scotland) Now it seems to me that it is highly improbable that I would be related this way. I fully expected my line to vanish with some poor serf. Then another line has brought me to a cousin of Jane Seymour? How can that be? I wonder if this happens to everyone who tries Ancestry for com and it's a gimmick to lead you on and to spend more money to find out more? Nah...I don't think so. I think I may have made a mistake or two...or four. And someday, when I can no longer move about easily, I will spend the money to do the proper research and that will keep me busy and my mind active.

And yet another note; I was walking around the church parking lot today in my role as 'security' and I wandered down to the fence that separates us from the University. There was nothing of interest down there and as I was turning to leave, I looked up into the sky. What in the world was that small white, round, object floating high in the sky? I studied it for awhile and noted that it wasn't moving very much but it was moving slightly back and forth. I'm sure it was not  flying saucer but I am pretty sure it was a drone. I looked back there in about five minutes and it was gone. That was my first drone sighting. Now I will start looking up more often. Who knows how many drones are up there?

No comments:

Post a Comment