Husband's DNA

Charlie's DNA results came in (via email) last night. Some of it is really surprising to both of us.

84% Great Britain
6% Europe West
3% Ireland/Scotland/Wales
1% Scandinavia
1% Europe South (Italy and Greece)
>1% Caucasus
2% Ivory Coast/Ghana
>1% European Jewish
>1% Asia Central (the 'Stans)

He has Native American ancestors (one of them was named Corn Tassel) and I'm wondering if maybe the Caucasus and Asia Central are actually Native. I read that sometimes Native American shows up as Middle Eastern in DNA tests.

The Ivory Coast/Ghana and Jewish are the most surprising. I've yet to find ancestors from Africa or Jewish ancestors. I'm also surprised by the 84% Great Britain. I think I'm 5% or 6% Great Britain. And while he's 6% Europe West, I'm 78% Europe West.

I'm going to do some more digging and see if I can't find Charlie's African and Jewish ancestors. That could take awhile.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This past Saturday was the bridal shower for Kelly's best friend Rene. It was at the church. We got her and the groom-to-be a set of Pioneer Woman mixing bowls and bamboo cooking utensils. I want to get a gift to bring to the wedding as well. The wedding is this Thursday evening.

After the shower was over, Kelly and I vacuumed the church sanctuary. Then we came home, got Charlie (Sean was at my mom's), ate supper at Brixx Pizza, and did a little shopping. Kelly got another gift for Rene and her soon to be husband, and I think she got a couple things for herself, but I can't remember what.

I got up Sunday morning not feeling well (headache and sore throat), but took my shower and started getting ready for church. I was still feeling bad when I was about to do my hair, so I ended up staying home from church. :-/ Charlie wasn't feeling well either (diverticulitis) and Kelly said she didn't get enough sleep, so they stayed home, too. Sean went to church with my mom.

Other than feeling very nauseated yesterday (which thankfully went away after an hour or so), I've felt fine. So glad the headache and sore throat wasn't anything serious. No time for sickness and I really don't want to miss the wedding.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
~*~Nocturnal Queen~*~
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Weather, School, and Dresses

The new year started off much colder than what's normal for North Carolina. Highs in the 20s and 30s, lows in the single digits and teens. I only left my house when absolutely necessary, which thankfully wasn't often.

Then on the 17th, it finally snowed. Not that I wanted it to snow, but a lot of people were saying that if it's going to be this cold, it should snow. We got about 8-9 inches at my house.

Since then, it's warmed up quite a bit. We've had a couple days of highs in the mid to upper 60s. It's been really nice. Too bad the ground is too wet now from the melting snow to be able to go to the park. Our shoes would be covered in mud. :-/

Temperatures should be in the 50s and 60s all week. They're calling for rain tonight (it's currently 1:22 AM) and in the morning, so that's just going to add to the mud situation unfortunately. It's also supposed to be really windy. I'm glad it's not going to be cold like it was a week ago with those winds. The windchill would be awful.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The last time I posted about Sean and school, I thought he'd have a couple days each week where he'd be in classes until around 5:00 in the evening, but his two long days (Tuesdays and Thursdays) are only until about 2:30/3:00. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays are quite short - he's usually done by about 10:45/11:00 AM. He also has work he has to do online after he gets home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After checking every store we could think of in Greensboro and multiple searches online, Kelly and I finally just went to David's Bridal to get a bridesmaid dress. I had checked online a couple weeks before and saw that it looked like they had the color the bride (Kelly's best friend Rene) wanted. Kelly tried on a few and this is the one she chose. Rene loves it.

They were having a big sale. Only paid about $54 after tax.

We went shopping last Friday or Saturday (12th or 13th) and got shoes - light gray Vans. And then got a sweater to wear over it (for modesty) this past Saturday. Rene was with us for both shopping trips.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I had told Charlie that I couldn't really think of anything I wanted for Christmas. Then I had told him that I could just go shopping for a dress. I love dresses and can't remember the last time I bought one. So when we went shopping Saturday evening, I finally looked for one. I had seen several on Dillard's website that I wanted to look at in their store, but I couldn't find them. I ended up getting this one instead:

The dress is Ellen Tracy. $118.

Then when we went to H&M, I got this one:

About $40, but I think it might be on sale now.

I wore that one to church this past Sunday with a black shrug. I got compliments on it from my mom, my husband, and a few friends. :-) The white dress is more of a spring/summer dress, so I won't wear that one until at least March.



~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
~*~Nocturnal Queen~*~
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

2017 Meme

1. What did you do in 2017 that you’d never done before?

Drove one of my kids to college. Though it's a local college and he's staying at home, so none of the tears that would come if he went away for college, thank God.

2. Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I don't make new year's resolutions.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

No.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

Yes. My sweet cat Sam. We had to have him put to sleep on January 2nd. Broke my heart.

5. What countries did you visit?

None. :-/

6. What would you like to have in 2018 that you lacked in 2017?

A bigger home so that I can have a room just for my library. And a death-free year in my home and family.

7. What date from 2017 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

January 2rd. The day Sam died.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Nothing comes to mind.

9. What was your biggest failure?

Not reading my Bible enough.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

No.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

Books and food.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

None that I can think of.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

Some have appalled me, but I won't go into it here. No one I'm related to.

14. Where did most of your money go?

Bills and groceries.

15. What did you get really excited about?

Nothing comes to mind.

16. What song(s) will always remind you of 2017?

Breakthrough by Eddie James, Changed by Geoffrey Golden, Glory to the Lamb by Geoffrey Golden, Here as in Heaven, I Give You Glory by Jonathan Nelson, Mirror by Savannah McKee.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

i. Happier or sadder?

Happier. This time last year I was still grieving the loss of my sweet Sam.

ii. richer or poorer?

Same.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Pray, read my Bible, travel.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Nothing comes to mind.

20. How will you be spending Christmas?

I spent it with my husband and my kids. My mom worked that day in the place of a co-worker with 4-year-old twins.

21. How many one-night stands?

Yuck! None.

22. What was your favorite TV program?

There's a list in the right margin of my blog. Scroll down. :-)

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

I don't hate anyone.

24. What was the best book you read?

Nine-way tie: The Fever series.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?

Geoffrey Golden and Jonathan Nelson.

26. What did you want and get?

Books and just a few items of clothing.

27. What was your favorite film of this year?

 Wonder Woman.

28. What did you do on your birthday?

Nothing. My daughter Kelly's birthday is the day after mine, so we focus on her.

29. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2017?

Classic, feminine, lady-like in the spring and summer. Still feminine, but with some leather (vest, jackets), denim, and biker-type boots in the fall and winter.

30. What kept you sane?

Prayer and faith in God.

31. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Tom Hiddleston, Aneurin Barnard, Orlando Bloom, Jude Law.

32. What political issue stirred you the most?

None really. I'm not into politics. Though I do vote.

33. Who did you miss?

My sweet Sammy.

34. Who was the best new person you met?

I didn't meet anyone new that I can recall.

35. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2017.

You could lose someone (human or pet) you love without warning, so cherish the time you get to spend with them.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
~*~Nocturnal Queen~*~
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Books and Movies of 2017

These are the books I read in 2017, from favorite to least favorite.

1.The Fever Series by Karen Marie Moning - Darkfever, Bloodfever, Faefever, Dreamfever, Shadowfever, Iced, Burned, Feverborn, and Feversong.
10. Scythe by Neal Shusterman
11. Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran
12. Undertow by Michael Buckley
13. Raging Sea by Michael Buckley
14. Heart of the Storm by Michael Buckley
15. From Sand and Ash by Amy Harmon
16. The Girl at the Center of the World by Austin Aslan
17. The Last One by Alexandra Oliva
18. The Uninvited by Cat Winters
19. The Summer Queen by Elizabeth Chadwick
20. The Race for Paris by Meg Waite Clayton
21. An Undisturbed Peace by Mary Glickman


I read the Fever Series very quickly, one right after another. They all just kind of blend, so I can't rank them individually. I would've preferred there being less sex (less graphic anyway), but other than that I loved these books! Book ten, High Voltage, comes out in March. Can't wait to read it!

 I liked the world of The Last One once it got through the reality TV competition part and more into the post-apocalyptic survival part, but I didn't like the main character much.

The Uninvited wasn't bad, but felt dark and depressing and lonely. Which I reckon makes sense (not just because of the flu epidemic) once you find out what's really going on.

The Summer Queen and The Race for Paris had good parts, but also really slow and boring parts. If I could've gotten through them quicker I'd have been able to read at least a couple more books last year.

I didn't like An Undisturbed Peace. (I gave it 2 stars at GoodReads.) It's been almost a year since I read it though, so I can't remember why I didn't like it. lol

My first book of 2018 (actually started a week or two before the end of 2017) is O Pioneers! by Willa Cather.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I saw 32 movies for the first time in 2017. Here are my top 10.

1. Wonder Woman
2. Star Wars: The Last Jedi
3. Deepwater Horizon
4. Thor: Ragnarok
5. Arrival
6. Hidden Figures
7. Hacksaw Ridge
8. The Finest Hours
9. The Way Back
10. Dunkirk

Honorable Mentions: Moana and Lion.

These were okay: The Magnificent Seven (new version), I Saw the Light, Passengers, Beauty and the Beast (live action; I much prefer the animated one), Fury, The Shallows, Suite Francaise, The Siege of Jadotville, The Zookeeper's Wife, Everything Everything, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.

Meh: Fences, La La Land, Kong: Skull Island, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, Beautiful Creatures, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, The Dark Tower, War for the Planet of the Apes.

Boring: Loving.


 Movies I'm looking forward to seeing in 2018:

Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, Solo: A Star Wars Story, The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, and Mary Queen of Scots.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
~*~Nocturnal Queen~*~
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  

Happy New Year!

Happy 2018!!

I'm mostly going to take it as it comes. I do plan on reading the Bible through this year. I've started a few times before, but never read the whole thing. I've read most of it though. Those begats can really slow you down. lol Some books in the Bible I've read multiple times. It's mostly the minor prophets I haven't read all of and most of Isaiah and Jeremiah. My church is doing a read-through together, so I've joined in.

It'd be nice to get our house sold and buy a new (to us) house. I say that most years and we've yet to put our house back on the market. Maybe someday. We still want a bigger place in the country. It's just the hassle of trying to sell (and keep the house looking nice for house hunters) that we dread. Charlie's been doing some repairs lately. If he keeps that up and we get everything done that needs to be done, then maybe we can put the house on the market by spring or summer. We're really bad about procrastinating though. :-/

As for what we did on New Year's Eve, Sean and I went to church at our regular Sunday service time (11:00 AM). Mom was there, too. Kelly wasn't feeling well and Charlie stayed home with her. Our church did communion (always makes me cry) and I brought a couple communion juice/cracker cups home for Charlie and Kelly.

I was on Facebook when it turned midnight. Missed the ball drop. :-/ But I kissed Charlie a couple minutes after midnight and told my family "Happy New Year" (including our pets lol) before telling my friends and family on Facebook.

Charlie's off work today and will hopefully get the hall bath done. He scraped the popcorn off the ceiling a few days ago (it was coming off in a couple small places) and has been doing some patching, sanding, and painting. He did our master bath several months ago. Our closet needs to be done next. A bad leak during a heavy rain storm caused a large area of the popcorn to peel away/fall off a few years ago and that hasn't been fixed yet. Mostly because it's going to be such a pain to take everything out of the closet. There's so much in it.

I reckon that's it for now. I'll do my annual books and movies of the year soon.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
~*~Nocturnal Queen~*~
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~