Conversations with my grandson

When my 7-year-old grandson asked me, “Who would I be if you hadn’t ‘dopted Mummy?” I murmured “Mmm,” and said, “That’s a good question.” “Well Jana,” he insisted, “Who would I be? Would I still be me?  Would the lady who ‘dopted Mummy be my grandma?  I wouldn’t want that.  Would I have cousins in…

Ireland: The Spectacular Northwest

Carrowmore cemetery: a passage tomb within a stone circle Prehistory, history and mythology; glorious mountains and gentle rolling hills; literature and art, Ireland’s northwest has it all. I went there searching for lost relatives and found a place that would have grabbed my heart, whether or not it had little Irish blood flowing through it.…

Wind energy 101

St. Mary Magdalene Church, with Te Apiti wind farm in the background, Ashhurst New Zealand  photo credit: Albie Brown Wind is a renewable energy. It produces no air or water pollution.  Wind turbines capture the energy generated by wind and convert it into electricity.  The blades of the turbine are rotated by the wind which…