DNA and Me the fourth AND FINAL part

The latest and supposedly greatest event in the study of  family history or genealogy is the advent of DNA testing. How cool, it seemed to be able to tell where in the world your ancient ancestors came from. I already, a few years back, had traced my family back quite a few generations on all my lines. There was so much excitement about DNA in the genealogy groups I attended and my brother also expressed an interest. I thought then, why not? There were a few surprises but a little internet sleuthing showed me the possibilities. Besides it was a fun game. I blogged about it.

     DNA and Me part 1 - my haplogroups
     DNA and Me part 2 - inherited traits
     DNA and Me part 3 - my autosomal breakdown

I initially tested through 23 and Me. My Heritage had the free offer to upload results from other companies such as 23 and Me to see if there were matches in their database. I hopped on since I had heard that My Heritage had more European participants and my heritage was exclusively Northern European. I just received my autosomal results from My Heritage. Here is the comparison of the two companies results and mind you these results came from the same DNA in the same spit tube.

Me part Indigenous Amazon?

I DON'T THINK SO

It was a fun game but I think I'm finished with this DNA stuff. I can see the use for those of us Americans descended from slaves who cannot trace their roots beyond a couple of generations. I think for the adopted also. Or just those whose families have been in the Americas so long they have no clue from where they originated.  A genealogist with a law degree, The Legal Genealogist Judy G. Russell, JD, CG, CGL (not sure what all the letters stand for but I'm impressed) is a lecturer, educator and writer who wrote clearly about the limitations of DNA testing today. Read her article HERE.

Sometime soon I am sure the science will have advanced so much they will be able to tell lots from my DNA. But for now I am content to know....we are all cousins, cousins of the same mother who originated in Africa long long ago. 

What am I? I am 100% American.

 My ancestry? I take my grandmothers at their word.

          Love you both,    

Happy Fourth of July!

Happy Fourth of July!

Make no mistake about it. I love my country. Mark Twain said this over 100 years ago and I could not say it better or agree more.

"A man can be a Christian or a patriot, but he can't legally be a Christian and a patriot -- except in the usual way: one of the two with the mouth, the other with the heart. 

The spirit of Christianity proclaims the brotherhood of the race and the meaning of that strong word has not been left to guesswork, but made tremendously definite -- the Christian must forgive his brother man all crimes he can imagine and commit, and all insults he can conceive and utter- forgive these injuries how many times? -- seventy times seven -- another way of saying there shall be no limit to this forgiveness. That is the spirit and the law of Christianity. 

Well -- Patriotism has its laws. And it also is a perfectly definite one, there are not vaguenesses about it. It commands that the brother over the border shall be sharply watched and brought to book every time he does us a hurt or offends us with an insult. Word it as softly as you please, the spirit of patriotism is the spirit of the dog and wolf. The moment there is a misunderstanding about a boundary line or a hamper of fish or some other squalid matter, see patriotism rise, and hear him split the universe with is war-whoop. The spirit of patriotism being in its nature jealous and selfish, is just in man's line, it comes natural to him -- he can live up to all its requirements to the letter; but the spirit of Christianity is not in its entirety possible to him.

The prayers concealed in what I have been saying is, not that patriotism should cease and not that the talk about universal brotherhood should cease, but that the incongruous firm be dissolved and each limb of it be required to transact business by itself, for the future."
                                                           - Mark Twain's Notebook

Swedish Midsummer. What is it?

SWEDISH MIDSUMMER CELEBRATION 101

"A Swedish Midsummer is 'endless' summer with sun,fun, great food, flowers, dancing and joy ... a piece of Swedish culture to be proud of."       ---- NORDSTJERNAN June 29, 2017

click on↓

SWEDISH MIDSUMMER 101

an article by Nordstjernan with links to recipes, celebrations in America etc.

Father's Day

Old as she was she still missed her Daddy sometimes.

                                                                       - Gloria Naylor

Happy Father's Day! Miss you Dad!