Mami. October 29, 1949 - April 21, 2006 

In Memory of Robert and Norma Hoy & Judy

焼き芋～☆

how is this legal???!!! roasting sweet potatoes over an open fire... while driving down the street!!!!

Thank you.....

Yes we are technoly challaged at our house, but it does not keep us from buying the toys even if we don't know how to play with them. So yes we have been taking pictures of Gibran, we just don't know how to get them from the camera to the computer.

Just wanted to take this (oh my god I have a free moment) to finally send a Thank you note for the furby and the kamona's(sp?). Gibran really liked the furby alot. Ok and the moment is over gotta go, Hope all are well.

As Always,

Mary

asahi lanterns

asahi lanterns
Originally uploaded by selenahoy.

Multicolored lanterns at an udon restaurant in the Shin-sekai area of Osaka. Meant to be a new world at the time of building, now it's run down and seedy and gaudy and wonderful all at once.

Happy Anniversary to Masahisa & Minori who were married April 9, 194_. Picture taken in Bologna, Italy in 1951. 

huh? Results in on momma, me, and selena...

Your mtDNA results identify you as a member of haplogroup D. This haplogroup is the final destination of a genetic journey that began some 150,000 years ago with an ancient mtDNA haplogroup called L3.

Haplogroup L3 occurs only in Africa, but on that continent its derivatives are found nearly everywhere. L3's subclades are most prevalent in East Africa.

This ancient lineage reflects an early divergence from humanity's common genetic coalescence point.

"Mitochondrial Eve," the common ancestor of all living humans, was born in Africa some 150,000 years ago. All existing MtDNA diversity began with Eve and it remains greatest, and subsequently oldest, in Africa.

Y chromosome polymorphisms on the male line of descent also point to an African origin for all humans, but our male common ancestor, "Adam," lived only about 60,000 years ago.

MtDNA and the Y chromosome are independent parts of our genetic makeup and each tells a different tale of successive genetic mutations over the eons. That is why their approximate coalescence points are different. Yet while the dates vary, both paths point emphatically to a surprisingly recent African origin for all humans.

The oldest known fossil remains of anatomically modern humans were found in Ethiopia's Omo River Valley. The skeletons, known as Omo I and Omo II, have been dated to about 195,000 years ago.

Although haplogroup L3 does not appear outside of Africa it is an important part of the human migrations from that continent to the rest of the world.

A single person of the L3 lineage gave rise to the M and N haplogroups some 80,000 years ago.

All Eurasian mtDNA lineages are subsequently descended from these two groups.

The African Ice Age was characterized by drought rather than by cold. But about 50,000 years ago a period of warmer temperatures and moist climate made even parts of the arid Sahara habitable. The climatic shift likely spurred hunter-gatherer migrations into a steppe-like Sahara—and beyond.

This "Saharan Gateway" led humans out of Africa to the Middle East. The route they took is uncertain. They may have traveled north down the Nile to the Mediterranean coast and the Sinai. Alternatively, they may have crossed what was then a land bridge connecting the Bab al Mandab to Arabia, after which they either skirted the then-lush, verdant eastern coast of the Red Sea or headed east along the Gulf of Aden towards the Arabian Sea.

When the climate again turned arid, expanding Saharan sands slammed the Saharan Gateway shut. The desert was at its driest between 20,000 and 40,000 years ago, and during this period Middle East migrants became isolated from Africa.

From their new Middle East location, however, they would go on to populate much of the world.

M is a macro-haplogroup whose various sub groups are found in Eastern Eurasia, East Asia (M7, M8), America (C, D), and the Indian subcontinent—though not in Europe.

The M lineage arose from the African haplogroup defined by L3. With haplogroup N, this lineage traces the first human migrations out of Africa.

Haplogroup M ancestors were part of a great coastal migration that took place some 50,000 years ago. Hunter-gatherers skilled at seaside living wandered along the coasts of the southern Arabian Peninsula, India, Sri Lanka, and Southeast Asia.

This ancient southern coastline was drowned by rising sea levels at the end of the last ice age. The rising waters also swallowed most archaeological traces of these early coastal-dwelling peoples.

Yet in places their physical footprint endures. Some of the fast-moving migrants reached and populated distant Australia soon after leaving Africa. Australian archaeological evidence, such as rock art, confirms their presence as early as 40,000 or perhaps even 60,000 years ago.

Haplogroup M is a broad group comprised of many as-yet undefined branches. Learning more about such lineages will add further clarity to the big picture of human genetic diversity, and is a primary goal of the Genographic Project.

Haplogroup D descended from this M lineage.

Native Americans belong to one of five different haplogroups. D is one of those lineages. This line of descent is also common in Northeast Asia and particularly in Siberia.

The geographic distribution of haplogroup D lends genetic evidence to the most commonly held theory of American settlement.

Some 25,000 to 30,000 years ago an ancient "land bridge" called Beringia connected Asia and Alaska. Beringia centers the long-held theory that the first Americans entered the continent from Siberia in pursuit of plentiful herds of reindeer, musk ox, and mammoth.

Beringia was a significant landmass (some 620 miles or 1000 kilometers across) that was exposed when ice age sea levels were some 300 feet (90 meters) lower than at present.

As the climate warmed, rising seas gradually inundated Beringia—isolating North Americans in their new continent.

Yet 10,000 to 25,000 years ago vast reaches of glacial ice blocked human passage out of Alaska and the Laurentide and Cordilleran sheets covered most of Canada and the northern U.S. Somehow, early migrants surmounted this daunting obstacle and lived south of the ice sheets by about 11,500 years ago.

One theory suggests that they did so via an ice-free corridor along the eastern flank of the Rocky Mountains. Another suggests a Pacific coast route. Small coastal pockets of non-glaciated land might have allowed migrants to leapfrog down the coast to a point south of the great ice sheets, from which they gradually spread inland along coastal river valleys.

Whatever their route around the ice, these early explorers began a line of descent that would spread across the Americas.

Gibran

Gibran or Gibby was born January 5, 2002, @ 29 weeks. he suffered from many breathing as well as gastric difficulties. He has been mechanically ventilated since birth until recently. for about a year he has only needed the Vent at night or when he was really, really sick. About a month ago Gibran graduated from needing a ventilator at all. He now only requires some extra Oxygen. usually about 1-2 Liters or 24-28%. We breathe 21%. He takes the same respiratory medications as someone with asthma, only, not quite as frequently. He had surgery 2 years ago for acid reflux. The sugery is called Nissen Surgery and he is now fine. He still has a gastic feeding tube at this time because he still has not mastered eating and drinking yet, but will with both his environmental changes as well as therapy changes. Right now he's still afraid to swallow because he only knows what it felt like before to eat, and needless to say doesn't want that pain. He will lick food, he likes the salt or the sweet, and he drinks water, and brushes his teeth, but is really afraid to swallow food. Gibran has made great strides in the last year, but especially in the last few months. He is now walking more, talking more, potty training, and off the vent. He also now goes to preschool. He is a little delayed, but expected to be on track by the time he starts kindergarten. Since Christmas he has gained 10lbs and grown 3 inches. He's a big boy for his age he weighs about 47lbs and is about 43inches tall. Gibran will mostly likely, (not definately) always require extra Oxygen, but other than that we are hoping will suffer no more difficulties than say someone with severe asthma. For awhile Gibrans parents were involved even though, they didn't come much to see him. Since I met him in August of 2004, his Mom has only come once to see him and that was when we told her we were having a party for his 3rd birthday, she came with his siblings to the facility where Gibran lived. Gibran got very sick that February and had to go to an Acute hospital. He almost died. His Mother went to the Hospital on the day she was told he might die, and was there for about 15 minutes and said she was gonna get a burger and be right back and never returned. Not knowing whether he lived or died. As well that night same story with Dad, he showed up hung out for about and hour, had a fight with his girlfriend and left. never knowing or inquiring what happened to Gibran. Eventually the state stepped in filed abandonment charges. Sooo... Gibran starts doing better, doesn't really require living in a hospital, can go into foster care, and I don't want to see that happen, he is very attached to me and I to him. So I file to become his Legal Guardian, and On March 23, become just that. In 60 days (instead of the normal 120) We can begin the adoption proceedings to Change his name to Hoy. It takes about another year for this to happen usually. So hopefully by the time he starts kindergarten we will be all set. He loves Nemo, and Kitty Cats, Is a Tall Boy wears 5T or 6, Even his shoe size has gone up by 2 sizes since Christmas, he now wears a size 10 shoe. We have alot to work on, but thank goodness we have alot of help. the state provides home heath nursing care for when I'm at work. And when I'm sleeping too. we haven't started with them yet but are gonna meet a few this week to see who we like. They also supply all his medical needs, from the Oxygen to doctor visits, to perscriptions. I just have to supply love and a sense of security. And the standard things that any Southern California Kid requires, Annual Passes to Disney... Ha Ha. Anyway thats pretty much the Story, Gibran is really enjoying living here and Kathy is enjoying him alot more than she thought she would. So we have our hands full here, but its just great. So I'm gonna try and send a picture again, but I don't know if its gonna work.

Take care all,
as always,
love mary

The Oregon Garden, Silverton, Oregon

It was cold and windy....

Cherry Blossom

Euphorbia

Lunatic

The 80 acre Oregon Garden uses treated wastewater from the City of Silverton to irrigate its plants.

Left: Petting a bronzed Carmen.





Bottom: Janis and a 400 year old Oak tree.