I have new great-grandparents

John Cardwell and Maria Atkinson have suddenly appeared in my life...my past life that is. Well, not really in my lifetime, but back in my paternal grandmother's lifetime. Emma Cardwell, my father's mother, was born in Hamilton, Ontario, on August 26, 1884, and she was the daughter of John and Maria Cardwell. This is really important because I am writing a family history and did not know this information, until this week. This information was suddenly provided by Dr. Marilyn Nagy of Goodyear, Arizona. Like me, Marilyn Nagy is a great-grandchild of John Cardwell and his wife, Maria. Somehow she tracked-down my father's surviving, half-sister, June Rodgers, who now lives in Norval, Ontario, near Georgetown. I've written a letter to Dr. Nagy, asking for information, and am eagerly awaiting a reply. Goodyear is about halfway between Phoenix and the Sonoran Desert National Monument in Arizona. It was sunny and about 16 degrees celsius there this week. Hmmm...maybe a visit to the good doctor is in order.
This week's haiku was actually written a couple of months ago, on the occasion of my 65th birthday. Both daughters and their hubbies took credit, but I think HJP might have been the real ghostwriter.

Jupa turns six-five
Grandkids look with wonderment

Could be just the beard

Jupa is short for Grandpa Jupiter. Neither of the ankle-biters can say Jupa yet, but I'm sure it's on the tips of their tongues. Why Grandpa Jupiter? Barry is such a wussy name. As Grandpa Jupiter, I can rant and roar and throw thunderbolts. Grandkids do need proper role models,

n'est ce pas? Speaking of grandkids, here's the latest photo (right) of grandson Will Bailey, who is now nine months old. Will's next-door-neighbours just returned from a vacation in China. Upon their return they presented Will with a gift, with which he could celebrate Chinese New Years. I have dubbed him 'The Little Emperor'.

Linda and I saw 'The Queen', starring Helen Mirren, this week. Unlike Queen Elizabeth, who is portrayed in the movie, as lacking of heart and acting badly, Helen Mirren couldn't act badly if she tried. My favourite Helen Mirren performance, apart from that of Inspector Jane Tennison in Prime Suspect, is her turn as the wife in Peter Greenaway's 'The Cook The Thief His Wife & Her Lover", the black comedy filmed in 1989. A warning about this film: it features cannibalism, frontal nudity, cruel violence and was rated R originally. Oh, and the cinematography is a masterpiece. So Helen Mirren has now played Elizabeths I and II on film. How many actresses can make that claim? Helen Mirren, by the way, is one of those women who proves that real sexiness has nothing to do with appearance.

Please comment if you wish.