It’s a Grand Life

Diving Into The Gene Pool

Recently, my hairdresser and I were talking about our children and my grandchildren. She asked if my girls had hair as dark as mine and if any of them had my hazel eyes. I was shocked that she noticed the color of my eyes since most everyone referred to my eyes as brown. It took me back to when I was expecting wondering what my children would be blessed with?

When my eldest daughter was born, she had light brown hair and, like all newborns, she had dark blue eyes. As the months went by, her hair got lighter and her eyes bluer. Never did I imagine I would have a blond, blue eyed child. When we were out together, invariably someone would stop to comment on my precious girl. Many times, it started with “where did she get her beautiful…” and then the person would stop without finishing the question. I would smile and answer, “from her dad.” The reason they wouldn’t finish asking was in case she wasn’t mine. For, with her blond hair and bright blue eyes, she looked nothing like me with my dark brown hair and brown (hazel) eyes.

I was amazed that my dominant genes hadn’t taken over, but apparently, my husband’s genes were stronger. In looking at my family, I realized that even though I had dark hair and eyes, I carried a recessive blue eye gene from my mother, and a blond hair gene from my father. So, what were the odds this would be the case with my other children?

Three and a half years after our first daughter was born, our second baby girl came along. The old wives’ tale of having heartburn during pregnancy meant the baby would have a head full of hair, proved true in my case. Little miss number two was born with a head full of jet black hair. Her eyes hovered for months as dark blue before deciding they wanted to be brown. So, my dominant genes took over, but only in hair and eye color. She, like our first, favored her dad in looks.

I started thinking about my sister. As a child, she got the blond hair my dad had as a child and his dark brown eyes. Her first daughter had light brown hair and brown eyes. Four years later her second daughter (yes, we were a family of females) was born with blond hair and blue eyes. So, it was recessive genes for the win again.

A few months shy of another three years passed, and our third daughter was born. Where would the gene wheel land with her? Well, it was back to blond hair and blue eyes and, like her sisters, she favored her dad – good thing he is handsome.

Many years passed before grandchildren started appearing on the scene. It was obvious that our eldest daughter’s children would all have lighter hair and blue eyes as that were not only her genes, but her husband’s as well. Our middle daughter’s husband has blue eyes and had lighter hair as a child. Whose genes would take over? Their daughter has light brown hair and brown eyes, but their son has blond hair and blue eyes. Our youngest daughter’s husband has brown hair and eyes – once again, whose genes will be front and center? In their case, both their daughter and son got their dad’s coloring. Well, with the exception that their son got his Gigi’s brown (hazel) eyes.

The impromptu conversation with my hairdresser has piqued my interest in looking back through my family’s history. My maternal grandmother loved genealogy and left detailed notes that went back centuries. Maybe it’s time to learn more. I wonder if any of my ancestors had hazel eyes?

iHeart

18th Annual Food Day at the Fair Benefits Crisis Control Ministry Free Fair Admission for Donating Non-Perishable Food Items

For the 18th year, the Carolina Classic Fair has partnered with Crisis Control Ministry to hold a community food drive sponsored by Pinnacle Financial Partners. All day on Wednesday, October 5th, Crisis Control volunteers will be present at all gates to accept food donations and hand out fair tickets. Fair attendees who donate five non-perishable food items will receive one free ticket to the fair for that day only. Suggested items are canned fruit, rice, dried or canned beans, pasta, and anything else that is shelf stable and not in glass jars. There is no limit on the number of free tickets attendees may receive.

All donations will stock Crisis Control’s food pantries with nonperishable food items for over four months. Crisis Control Ministry’s client choice food pantries in Winston-Salem and Kernersville provide a two-week supply of groceries to almost 300 families a month.

“We are so excited to be able to host the food drive at the fair again this year,” said Margaret Elliott, Executive Director of Crisis Control Ministry. “In 2019, we collected over 70,000 items of food from over 13,000 fair attendees. We’re hoping that people will come out to the fair this year so we can achieve similar numbers and provide muchneeded food to neighbors in our community who are hungry.”

The Carolina Classic Fair will take place September 30th through October 9th, 2022, from 11 a.m. – 11 p.m. daily with the exception of Saturdays, from 9 a.m. - 11 p.m. at the Winston- Salem Fairgrounds. To learn more, visit www.carolinaclassicfair.com.

About Crisis Control Ministry

Now in its 49th year and with offices in Winston-Salem and Kernersville, Crisis Control Ministry’s mission is to assist people in crisis to meet essential life needs and to become self-sufficient. As one of the largest emergency assistance providers in Forsyth County, Crisis Control Ministry provides short-term emergency services including mortgage and rent payments, utility bill payments, food assistance, and prescription medication assistance to residents of Forsyth and Stokes Counties. For additional information, go to its website at www.crisiscontrol.org.