Gene genie

I couldn't resist this fountain even though I just bought a little fountain for the front porch

My friend's shade gardens

Zingermans seems to be expanding

I was thinking about buying this clock. Full price! Spoon is a pendulum.

Maya and Tessa walking together in Shanna's neighborhood

baby patty pan squash only an inch across. Three days later, it is three inches across

This has been the week of genes. Steve and I uploaded our raw DNA into a medical genetic database (only $5) and out spewed pages and pages of data linking our genes to various medical conditions. Another DNA testing service was ordered by the FDA recently to stop providing medical interpretations to laymen in fear that seeing so many bad genes might lead one to kill oneself or at least get sterilized. It is only a matter of time before this service is shut down too but I believe people have the right to know what's in their genes. It will take me forever to go through the whole thing and I've been very busy.

For my appearance, I am probably tall, fair skinned, sunburn easily (not really), have blue eyes, straight hair. I have genes for scoliosis (don't have it) cleft palate (I don't have it but a cousin had it), various autoimmune diseases, some bad cancer genes, peanut allergies (don't have them but grandkids do), am lactose tolerant,  have strong bones (yep)high HDL (that's true) tendency towards diabetes and gout (have neither). I have no gene for male pattern baldness but Steve does. Oh and I have the fat gene.

There are genes coding for the cytochromes in the liver responsible for metabolizing drugs. Most of mine are normal. Back when I was working for a drug company, it was developing an antinflammatory drug that was supposed to more effective and safer than aspirin and the other NSAIDs. It was for the most part. But there existed a very small subset of the population who lacked a cytochrome to deal with it and this info wasn't stamped on their forehead. For them, it led to dangerous toxicity. They had to abandon the drug.

It said I probably lack empathy. Hmm..well I think I feel others ' pain. I allegedly have a large hippocampus, better to remember things. The list goes on and on.

Steve's results seemed a lot more positive. He has none of the negative genes associated with being Jewish. He has long living genes and a low chance of getting Alzheimer's (unlike me who is at risk for Parkinson's Disease to boot).

And we got the genetic results of our  sixth grand child. No chromosomal abnormalities. Yay. Yep they did find out the sex but that will be a secret to the blogging world for now.

We decided it would be interesting to figure out Maya's genetic background, which for now is mainly based on hearsay. So all she needed to do is spit about a half teaspoon into a vial. Easy-peasy, right? What an ordeal! It took almost an hour of trying to get her to spit.

She finally got to sleep over at her cousin's. An event she has been begging for  months for. Every 5 minutes Can we go to Shanna's now?  How about now?It seemed to go well.

I went treasure hunting today at a resale shop with my friend who is finally feeling much better and more energetic from her stem cell transplant. And then on to a tasty lunch at Kerrytown. She was able to digest lobster bisque; me bi bim bop from providers across from each other. Later to her house to admire all her gardens that she isn't to touch due to her compromised immune system but she can point and order from behind her mask. And she had enough energy to bake an excellent coconut mango cheesecake. Later I visited yet another friend.

The weather has been beautiful but the rain keeps missing us. Soon it will be hot and dry again. Please let it rain.