My Swiss ancestors were mostly dark haired folks (although they still enjoyed their beer). Looking photos of them (unfortunately I don’t have any to hand), it’s pretty clear that I carry their genes front and center.

That row of smiilng blonde swiss maidens with the tray of beer bear little familial resemblance. Maybe you were adopted, phi.

That would be pretty disorienting. I’ve never had something like with a family member, but something similar happened with a friend from long ago and it took me quite a while to get used to it.

Our family has both the large smiling and the hard-bitten scowling types. Luckily we have more of the former around at the moment, but there’s a photograph of distant (late 1800’s) relatives of ours in the Historical Village in New Glarus, Wisconsin, of (believe it or now) Mr. and Mrs. Hilarious Wilde, and they look anything but. Classic scowling farmer portrait and always worth taking guests to see.

Every time I see the name Bernice Johnson with a picture of that large smiling woman it is startling. My recently deceased grandmother’s name was Bernice Johnson and she was a hard-biten, scowling, tiny woman. The contrast is disorienting.

I miss her dearly.