Looking ahead to new adventures

Photo by Patrick Jones. Gellert Baths, Budapest. 7 Dec 2019.

Liberty Bridge, Budapest

Photo by Patrick Jones. Budapest, 7 Dec 2019.

Palms in Istanbul

Photo by Patrick Jones. Besiktas, Istanbul, 12 Dec 2019.

Palm trees outside the front of the Istanbul office. This photo was taken at the end of my multi-country European trip in December.

Merry Christmas

Photo by Patrick Jones. Moscow, 3 Dec 2018.

2019 in Review

Photos by Patrick Jones. My Instagram BestNine for 2019.

It's my blog tradition to do an end-of-year post, looking at travels and memorable moments for the period since 1 January. Last year's top nine images from my Instagram were an interesting mix, and I'm once again sharing this year's selections. The top left image is from Los Angeles International Airport in January, top middle is from my surfing lesson at Sidi Kaouki Beach in Morocco, and the top right is a mural from Pow Wow Japan in Kobe. Middle left and middle right are both photos from Pow Wow Hawaii (taken in 2018 but shared on Instagram in 2019), while the middle photo is from Echo Park in Los Angeles (also taken in 2018 but shared on Instagram in 2019). The bottom left is from Muros Tabacalera in Madrid, bottom middle is from a sunrise run in Stockholm, and bottom right is from Kobe, Japan.

Looking Back

January began with an around-the-world trip, starting in Los Angeles, then Singapore, Dubai, Brussels, Iceland and back to Virginia. But in between those locations, I also saw the Belgian countryside near the border with Luxembourg and visited the World War II Memorial at Bastogne.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Singapore, 13 Jan 2019.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Dinant, Belgium. 19 Jan 2019.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Rounding out an around-the-world. 20 Jan 2019.

February featured a return trip to Dubai for a conference and a bonus day excursion to the Louvre Abu Dhabi.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Louvre Abu Dhabi. 22 Feb 2019.

In March I had another stop in Los Angeles, on my way to meetings in Japan and a memorable birthday weekend. Bullet trains, amazing food, running, hiking, temples. A trip I'll never forget.

Photo by Patrick Jones. LAX Theme Building. 4 Mar 2019.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Shinkansen in Japan. 14 Mar 2019.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Book district in Tokyo. 15 Mar 2019.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Fushimi Inari Shrine, Kyoto. 17 Mar 2019.

In April I went to Sweden, Finland, Russia, Iceland. At the end of the month we made a visit to old friends in Chicago while Allison had a conference.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Vasa Museum, Stockholm. 4 Apr 2019.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Stockholm Metro, 6 Apr 2019.

Photo by Patrick Jones. 25th anniversary .RU, Moscow. 8 Apr 2019.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Sólfar, Reykjavik, IS. 10 Apr 2019.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Mural by Eduardo Kobra. Chicago. 24 Apr 2019.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Mirror Mirror, Alexandria, VA. 25 Apr 2019.

For May I was in Thailand for meetings, and then Evansville, Indiana for Allison's Memaw's 90th birthday.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Wat Arun at night. 12 May 2019.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Above Hong Kong, 14 May 2019.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Hayride at the family farm in Indiana. 25 May 2019.

In June I was in Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Morocco. I took a surfing lesson for the first time.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Riga Central Market. 4 June 2019.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Nicholas Copernicus' house. Torun, PL.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Kaunas, Lithuania. 6 June 2019.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Marrakech Medina. 20 June 2019.

For July I was in Miami & Uruguay. We also caught a Dodgers-Nats epic baseball game.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Murals at Wynwood, Miami. 14 July 2019.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Casa de Internet, Montevideo, UY. 15 July 2019.

During the summer we took an amazing two week family vacation to Portugal and Spain. The family loved Lisbon, the Algarve, Sevilla and Madrid. While in the Algarve, Sophia and I took surfing lessons while Silas enjoyed boogie boarding at the beach.

Photo by A. Jones. Sintra, PT. 22 Aug 2019.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Algarve, PT. 23 Aug 2019.

In September, I had more meetings in Los Angeles, and managed to try stand-up paddleboarding in Malibu. Allison coached Silas' Little League baseball team during the Fall Baseball season. My Frequent Traveling Mom visited the Grand Canyon with her sisters.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Allison coaching Silas. 14 Sept 2019.

October brought on a visit to the Brussels office for a training, and then a long weekend in Paris. Frequent Traveling Mom took a trip to France.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Olivier Rameau mural in Brussels.

With my cousin Annie in Paris, 10 Oct 2019.

In November I was in Montreal for end of the year meetings.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Montreal. 6 Nov 2019.

December featured a multi-country swing through Europe, where I visited the Brussels office, Budapest, Bucharest and Istanbul. I've posted more regularly on my Instagram.

It is nice to have a couple of weeks home, as 2020 will pick up with my annual January trip to LA and a visit to Singapore. February already has planned stops in the Netherlands, Estonia and Ireland.

Family history postings have been generally slower this year. I've taken on new responsibilities with my day job, and this hasn't left a lot of time for research. I still have quite a bit of old photos to go through. I've also been connecting through Ancestry and over email with some distant cousins, assisting them answer questions about their family history.

I might have a couple more posts in me for 2019, perhaps more to follow before the end of the year.

Christmas Palms

Source: LA Times, Robert Gauthier.

Festive Lights & Scottish Flags in Old Town

Photo by Patrick Jones. Old Town Alexandria. 19 Dec 2019.

Christmas at Carrillo School

Source: Arizona Historical Society. Carrillo School, Tucson. 20 Dec 1941.

I'd like to think my Granny and her siblings are in this photo, taken at her elementary school in December 1941.

Mural at La Cosecha

Photo by Patrick Jones. Mural by Mariela Ajras. DC, 20 Dec 2019.

Outside the old door

Photo by Patrick Jones. Bucharest, Romania. 11 Dec 2019.

Arriving in Brussels

Photo by Patrick Jones. Train at Brussels Airport Station, 6 Oct 2019.

I'm about to kick off another extended trip through Europe. Here's a photo from my last hop through Europe in October 2019. This is from the Brussels Airport Station, while waiting on my train to the office.

Updated AncestryDNA results

AncestryDNA Update, 14 November 2019

Ancestry has released another update to their reference population for AncestryDNA. They are now using over 40,000 reference samples, up from 13,000 in August 2018. I'm a little disappointed in my results. While my percentage of England, Wales & Northwestern Europe has dropped to 68%, my Native American (Indigenous Americas - Mexico) has dropped from 5% to 4% and I still don't see Spain. Germanic Europe is now 4% and Nigeria has changed to Cameroon, Congo and Southern Bantu peoples. France dropped to 3% and Sweden has disappeared again for me.

My sister's results changed a little too. Her England, Wales & Northwestern Europe is now higher than mine (72%), but her Ireland & Scotland is lower (17%). She still has higher Native American than I do, and she has 2% Spain & 1% Portugal.

My Mom's results had some exciting changes. Her percentage of England, Wales & Northwestern Europe dropped from 58% England to 46%. Her Ireland & Scotland remained essentially the same, along with her Native American (now Indigenous Americas - Mexico). Her Spain went back up to 9%. Now she also has 1% Indigenous Americas - Yucatan. This is really cool to see we might be part Mayan. Her Sardinia & Basque both remained at 1%.

AncestryDNA results for B.J. 14 Nov 2019.

In comparison with her sisters, one Aunt's percentages changed to show Indigenous Americas - Mexico 11%, Indigenous Americas - North 1%, Indigenous Americas - Andes 1%. Her Spain also went back to 11%. The other sister also had some fascinating new results. Her Spain is up to 12%, Indigenous Americas- Mexico 12%, and now she has Northern Africa at 2%, Norway at 1%, Sardinia 1%, Basque 1% & Indigenous Americas - North 1%.

Dad's results changed too. His percentages for England, Wales and Northwestern Europe dropped from 87% to 69%, while his percentages of Ireland and Scotland went up to 26%. Sweden now shows up at 3% along with 2% Germanic Europe.

It is interesting to compare my results now with the update from 2013 and the initial results in 2012.

Welcoming back basketball

Photo by Patrick Jones. Hoyas home tip off, 9 Nov 2019.

It's been a long wait, but basketball is back in action. On Saturday, we went to the season tip off for the Georgetown Hoyas in DC. One of the best deals in local sports is the Georgetown Kids Club, which is open to all kids in 8th grade & under. For $15 per child, you get four tickets to four mens basketball games (!), free admission to regular season games on campus for sports other than mens basketball, special invitation to clinics and other events, plus a few other bonus items. We've been going for the past few years and the games are always fun. Plus you get lower bowl seating and unlimited popcorn.

Last night I caught the end of Allison's UE Purple Aces upsetting #1 Kentucky at Rupp Arena, my Hoosiers won, Butler basketball won, and the Pacers won. It was a good night for Indiana basketball teams.

Back from Montreal

Photo by Patrick Jones. Notre Dame Basilica, Montreal.

I spent the first week of November in Montreal for my Annual General Meeting. This was my first visit to Quebec, I found Montreal to be a lovely city. I was not able to see much outside of the convention centre, but I did manage to have some amazing lamb poutine. Montreal is an easy flight from DCA, less than two hours, and worth a visit again when it is warmer.

View from the Loire Valley

Photo by B. Jones. Castle in Loire Valley, 25 Oct 2019.

A photo from my Frequent Traveling Mom, who is currently on vacation in France. The shot above was taken on a day trip in the Loire Valley.

Paddling at Malibu

Me on a paddleboard at Malibu, 19 Sep 2019

Amid my meetings and travels since mid-September, I've neglected posting some photos from my standup paddleboard experience while I was in LA. I went through Airbnb & booked an afternoon with Hana Paddle Boards. This was my first ocean paddleboarding, and after doing surfing sessions in Morocco and Portugal earlier this year, I have to say I'm more of a fan of paddleboarding.

I like the idea of surfing, but I just don't have the balance or skills to really enjoy it. Paddleboarding on the other hand is significantly easier, and made for a really enjoyable afternoon at Surfrider Beach.

Another shot of me on a paddleboard, Malibu. 19 Sep 2019.

Shooting the pier.

I'm already looking into paddling experiences for January while I'm in Singapore and March while in Mexico for spring meetings.

Revisiting Elizabeth

My 2nd-great-grandmother

In the same photo album which contained the likely wedding or engagement photo of my great-grandparents Alvin and Lois, also had next to it the photo above. I believe this is a photo of my 2nd-great-grandmother Elizabeth Hayden Matthews, Lois' mother, with Lois the infant in the photo. If this correct, I'd place the date around 1902. The young boy would be Grandma Lois' older brother Thomas. Elizabeth would be about 32 in the photo. She looks pretty great for having 8(!) children at the time this photo was taken, with another probably on the way. Her son George was born in April 1903 and she had 12 children in total by 1912.

Alvin and Lois

My great-grandparents, likely 1919.

Back in July 2012, I posted the photo above in a longer writing about my great-grandmother, Elizabeth Lois Whitley. While going through a set of photos now belonging to my Mom, I found a duplicate of the photo above, which lists Lois on the back. I'm now certain the man in the picture is my great-grandfather, Alvin Read. The photo is likely dated from February 1919, when they were married. This would have been a month before her 18th birthday.