the packing has begun ...

fingers crossed everything fits!

I'm a member of the mtDNA haplogroup J1a* club!

So, probably a couple months ago now, I worked up the proper amount of spit to FedEx to the folks at www.23andMe.com so they could tell me what kind of mutt I am. I got an e-mail the other day that my results were in.

It's a fascinating test really - it tells you a certain amount of the migratory history of your ancestors (only mitochondrial DNA in my case since I'm lacking that pesky Y chromosome), but it also includes this entire section of what your genetic propensity is for certain diseases. To my utter shock (and great joy), I am, apparently, no more likely to get Parkinson's Disease, Colon, Breast, or Ovarian Cancer, Type 2 Diabetes, or have a heart attack than the average bear (despite the fact that all these things claimed the life of, or are currently suffered by, close relatives of mine). I do have higher chances of some other things ... but at least I'm not doomed in the ways I thought I was, LOL ;)

Yeah, I know nothing is perfect - and this is certainly not capable of predicting the future - but I do enjoy seeing that I'm not at any higher risk than anyone else for things I thought for sure I would get someday.

My dad has ordered a kit for himself, and my mom is thinking of ordering one for her brother - in which case we will have ALL the bases covered (and possibly finally find out if there actually is any truth to certain family stories which have yet to be supported by genealogy).

But for now, what I know is:

Haplogroup J originated about 45,000 years ago on the Arabian Peninsula not long after modern humans expanded out of Africa and onto the Eurasian continent. About 7,000 years ago the expansion of farming carried daughter lineages of J, including J1 (J1 originated in the Near East about 38,000 years ago. Its history is closely associated with the development of agriculture in the Fertile Crescent and its expansion north and west into Europe.), into Europe. Today the haplogroup extends as far west as Britain and as far east as Central Asia. Haplogroup J1 arrived in Britain around the time Stonehenge was built. The Vikings also carried J1 from Britain back to Norway and Iceland, creating a pocket of Scandinavian J1. J is now the second most common European haplogroup, behind H.

Since my earliest known mtDNA ancestor would be my g-g-g-great grandmother Margaret Collins (born somewhere in Ireland in abt. 1818), this all makes perfect sense :)

Can hardly wait to see what my dad gets!

Spring is springing (slowly)!

While our neighbors down the street have thick tufts of daffodils in full bloom already (planted in a sunny spot), our shady little bulb bed is only beginning to do something. So far I can make out some of our mini daffodils, a couple of crocuses, a few Irises, and some greenery that I believe to be the precursor of tulips. It's not much to look at yet (as evidenced by these pics), but I'm still crossing my fingers for an explosion of color :)

Attention!

Just making the request that anyone who wants a postcard from Dublin, Paris (if I can figure out how to buy and mail something in French), and possibly London (only there for a day trip. but will try anyway) ... and if you're not someone to whom I sent a Christmas card last year (or if you've moved since then) ... please e-mail me your (current) address within the next week or so. Thanks :)

a couple days late

Things have been slightly hectic around here lately (errands, dr.'s appointments, plumbing issues) so I never got around to making my St. Patrick's shamrock cookies (might still get to it in the next couple days, but also might not). Anyway, we're having our 'traditional' St. Paddy's dinner (or at least the traditional American version of the meal) a couple days late -

Corned Beef, Cabbage, and Potatoes:

Yes, I know this is not ACTUALLY really Irish (I believe it to be of New England derivation), but my Grandma Ahl used to make this frequently (my mom and I both grew up on it), though NEVER on St. Paddy's Day (my grandma is from Mass., and loves to make a good boiled dinner, but has never been fond of anything Irish ... her people actually wore orange on St. Patrick's! She insisted I do the same as a child (the political implications of which I did not understand until I was older), but since peer pressure required the wearing o' the green to keep from getting pinched, I always tried to wear both .. though if I could get away with just the green I would - I hate orange). However, it's always at this time of year that the stores flood with this particular cut of meat, so we always have it for St. Patrick's - just don't tell my grandma about it, LOL ;)

if blogthings says so ....

You Are Intense and Courageous

When You Are Comfortable: You are bold and dramatic. You have confidence in yourself, and that's enough to get you through anything. People see you as capable and goal oriented. You have your eye on the prize, and others admire that about you. When You Are At Your Best: You are a shy, quiet person. Underneath your shell, you are compassionate and giving. People find you to be friendly and welcoming. Your home is a place of comfort to them. When You Are in a Social Setting: You are enthusiastic and flexible. You are open-minded. You prefer to learn from others... not judge them. People see you as kind and cooperative. You are very supportive when friends are down on their luck.

What Do Your Initials Say About You?

(spotted on, and 'borrowed' from Mtn. Laurel's blog :)

Doggie DNA part 2:

So we got Scooter's DNA results today. While we are certain that he is largely Australian Cattle Dog we wanted to know what else he is. When we first got him we thought he was a Rottweiler (not that that was what we were looking for - Scooter was being given away outside the local Safeway store and my dad couldn't resist his incredible cuteness), but he just never grew enough - he has Rottie coloring, but not the height/girth, or jowls. Apparently the lab doesn't yet test for Australian Cattle Dogs, so the results do not reflect any of his 'dingo' heritage ... but the rest of it seems fairly plausible (except for that fact that they're all such large dogs and Scooter is smaller than Cali - though he weighs more than she does - he's a very solidly built little guy.). So according to the lab - Scooter is:

37-75% Rottweiler
20-36% Mastiff
10-19% Great Pyrenees
10-19% Weimaraner

We think he must be the lower percentage on all these - leaving a 23% Australian Cattle Dog element. He's a little larger than a Cattle Dog should be, but much smaller than a Rott should be.

Doggie DNA (part 1)

We got Princess and her puppy Cali in July 1999 (we had Rex, a lab mix, at that time). They were 'rescues' from the Lewis-Upshur Animal Shelter (Princess had been on local tv as the "Adopt-a-Pet' - brought into the shelter with four puppies). We knew she was part Boxer (and therefore so is Cali), but only part - Princess really looks very little like a Boxer (white with brown patches and overly long ears are NOT classic Boxer features). So we decided to give our beasties the Maury Show "Who's your daddy?" cheek swabbing treatment. And sent off drool-laden cotton swabs a couple weeks ago to have them analyzed.

Today we got our envelopes for Princess and Cali (hopefully Scooter's will come tomorrow), and the results are ...

Princess:
37-74% Boxer
20-36% Basset Hound
less than 10% Irish Setter

(she has a MUCH bigger brown patch on her other side)

As far as I'm concerned, this explains EVERYTHING (from her coloring and her longer ears, to her very sweet and mild disposition and giant feet - even for a boxer)!

But Cali is the real shocker:
37-74% Boxer
10-19% Pomeranian
10-19% Scottish Terrier

Looking at Cali she's almost completely Boxer (mostly brindle, classic (unaltered) Boxer ears, white stripe down her nose, etc.), obviously .... but she is a lot smaller, and slightly shorter, than her Mama, and she really doesn't have any jowls to speak of. She also has the most distinctive skinny tail that comes up over her back and curls down to one side. We've never known where her tail is from - even the Vet once commented that he wondered where she'd gotten 'that tail' (Princess doesn't have one at all - NATURALLY 'docked' - we call her 'wiggle-spigot' sometimes). But after getting these results and looking at some pics online - it's the exact shape of a Pom's tail (just much less hairy). Cali also has several traits (obsessively tracking small animals and digging like a lunatic) which her mother does NOT display at all, which seem to be in line with Scottish Terriers - who were apparently originally bred to catch badgers (I can totally see Cali doing that sort of work).

But while I could believe a Boxer and a Basset Hound (and a dash of Irish Setter) could mix ... I'm having a hard time picturing the 'mixing' (shall we say?) of a Boxer and some little Pom/Scottie mix - talk about an odd couple! It makes sense on many levels .. and yet I'm still left scratching my head. Hmmm ...