I’ve made the decision to stop blogging for a while. I only get online about once a week if I’m lucky and life is getting busier with the house renovations. I won’t have an online connection for about a month either.

Everything is fine and dandy, but real-life, so to speak, is taking over.

Have a great summer! I’ll see you in September, complete with pics of the finished house

I’ll keep in touch either through your blog or email…

take care,

Di

xxx

We had a good weekend at the caravan with lots of walking, thinking and enjoying. A relaxing time was had by all! Sometimes, that’s all it takes. Just being grounded for a little while.

A good friend, who thought I needed this, was right on the button.

Thank you!

Oh, the Places You’ll Go!

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You’re on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.

You’ll look up and down streets. Look ‘em over with care.
About some you will say, “I don’t choose to go there.”
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you’re too smart to go down any not-so-good street.

And you may not find any
you’ll want to go down.
In that case, of course,
you’ll head straight out of town.

It’s opener there
in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen
and frequently do
to people as brainy
and footsy as you.

And when things start to happen,
don’t worry. Don’t stew.
Just go right along.
You’ll start happening too.

OH!
THE PLACES YOU’LL GO!

You’ll be on your way up!
You’ll be seeing great sights!
You’ll join the high fliers
who soar to high heights.

You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have the speed.
You’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly, you’ll be the best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don’ t
Because, sometimes, you won’t.

I’m sorry to say so
but, sadly, it’s true
and Hang-ups
can happen to you.

You can get all hung up
in a prickle-ly perch.
And your gang will fly on.
You’ll be left in a Lurch.

You’ll come down from the Lurch
with an unpleasant bump.
And the chances are, then,
that you’ll be in a Slump.

And when you’re in a Slump,
you’re not in for much fun.
Un-slumping yourself
is not easily done.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.
Some windows are lighted. But mostly they’re darked.
A place you could sprain both you elbow and chin!
Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?
How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And IF you go in, should you turn left or right…
or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?
Or go around back and sneak in from behind?
Simple it’s not, I’m afraid you will find,
for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused
that you’ll start in to race
down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace
and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space,
headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.
The Waiting Place…

…for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or waiting around for a Yes or a No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite
or waiting for wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night
or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
or a sting of pearls, or a pair of pants
or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.
Everyone is just waiting.

NO!
That’s not for you!

Somehow you’ll escape
all that waiting and staying.
You’ll find the bright places
where Boom Bands are playing.

With banner flip-flapping,
once more you’ll ride high!
Ready for anything under the sky.
Ready because you’re that kind of a guy!

Oh, the places you’ll go! There is fun to be done!
There are points to be scored. there are games to be won.
And the magical things you can do with that ball
will make you the winning-est winner of all.
Fame! You’ll be famous as famous can be,
with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.

Except when they don’t.
Because, sometimes, they won’t.

I’m afraid that some times
you’ll play lonely games too.
Games you can’t win
’cause you’ll play against you.

All Alone!
Whether you like it or not,
Alone will be something
you’ll be quite a lot.

And when you’re alone, there’s a very good chance
you’ll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.
There are some, down the road between hither and yon,
that can scare you so much you won’t want to go on.

But on you will go
though the weather be foul
On you will go
though your enemies prowl
On you will go
though the Hakken-Kraks howl
Onward up many
a frightening creek,
though your arms may get sore
and your sneakers may leak.

On and on you will hike
and I know you’ll hike far
and face up to your problems
whatever they are.

You’ll get mixed up, of course,
as you already know.
You’ll get mixed up
with many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life’s
a Great Balancing Act.
Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3 / 4 percent guaranteed.)

KID, YOU’LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!

So…
be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O’Shea,
you’re off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So…get on your way!

*Dr Suess*

Well, taking a break all round really. I won’t be around for a while and don’t want friends and blogging pals to worry.

I had a pretty traumatic weekend and I did post what happened but deleted it a couple of hours later.

I was at the allotment on Saturday and had a very pleasant day all in all. Everyone went home around tea-time and I was on my own as I often am - and other lottie owners do the same - and some yobs broke in and threatened me. Told me if I didn’t do anything they wouldn’t harm me. They’d leave me alone. I was already on the phone to the police, told them I was on my own and had no way out to get to safety. Despite the fact I was on my mobile to the police didn’t deter them. They left in the end after I had put my phone on speaker phone to prove it. They shrugged and left. No one turned up to help. No car, no police, no nothing, despite the fact I’m only a few hundred yards from a police station.

Anyway, I knew I had to get off there as soon as I could just in case they came back. John was due to pick me up so I ran. I was just turning off the street when he turned up. I became hysterical at this point. I’d got off the phone with the unhelpful WPC by this point with her giving me a log number and an 0845 number to call  if happened again?!

Anyway, until this afternoon, I’ve been trying to make sense of it. John has made huge complaint and the other lottie owners have got together and bombarded the council to get a meeting -imminently. The houses surrounding the plots have been empty for some time and we’ve been open to the looters, thieves and vandals. The council have been asked - after much vandalism just lately - to be proactive and move us to our new site now, instead of later. They haven’t listened. But they will today!

The police have been on the phone to me today and have issued us lottie owners, who are women, with personal alarms. They have a meeting tomorrow to discuss this very thing.

At the moment, I don’t want to go back. I thought I was safe there. My haven from the stresses of life and other goings on. Much community stuff going on, lots of socialising, giving of time and energy and such friendly people you could wish to meet!

Anyway, I’m feeling much better than I was this morning and just trying to strike off a few must-do things, so I’ll take a break for a while and I’ve deactivated my facebook account temporarily. But I will be back.

We’ve booked the caravan to go away soon so I need to focus on the packing, life in general and just get my head around what’s happened.

The support has been tremendous with phone calls, messages of support and ringing up the council and the police, on my behalf.

Writing it down really helps. Thank you for listening. And I’ll see you very soon…

22nd April, as most people (especially in the blogging world), were aware, was Earth Day. Yesterday -and beyond - we were supposed to think about how we treat Mother Earth. We celebrated it with planting lots of seeds and such for the allotment and the garden as we chatted about what Earth Day means to us. We also chatted about last year’s flooding and knowing that the chances of it happening again are very high.

We didn’t focus on the downside however, just talking about how we can contribute and help in anyway we can. Always.

As we are still in Downshifting Week, and life is becoming less cluttered and stressed, I decided to try something new and different. I’ve always wanted to learn Italian. I love the way language flows - and the passion! So, I’ve signed up for lessons. Initially, I’m learning via a podcast for now. Joe and I have been talking about learning to play the drums together. So that’s next

As part of my downshifting for this week I am walking the dog. My labrador, Alfie, has plenty of exercise now he’s over a year old, but these walks are part of his on going training too. The walks will continue and not just for this week. John takes Alfie for long walks and I take him on short walks to the shops. He has plenty of exercise around here and in the garden. The real issue is I need the exercise. Good, steady walking. It will build up my stamina and make me less prone to injury. In the summer months, this is much easier as we visit the caravan often and take many walks as a family.

I rise at 7:00 am every morning, apart from maybe the odd weekend. It is rare though. I usually feed all the animals, make myself a cuppa, write in my journal and get the boys up. Then my day really starts.

Both my younger sisters have been badgering me to join the gym. I refused…I wavered…I refused again and then I began to consider it. I was sent a guest invitation to visit for the day and use the gym’s facilities. I don’t drive so that creates a getting-there-and-back situation in time to pick Harry up from nursery. I could go in the evenings, but the mere thought of going at peak times, at a higher cost, just isn’t an option for me.

John takes the boys to school and I usually work in the mornings. Then, of course, Harry is with me for the rest of the day when we do all of our usual daily activities. I am trying to make the most of him before he starts school in September, *wail* so I try to do things that we both like - together. So, you see, visiting the gym isn’t something that’s at the top of my list. Yes, I could find the time if I wanted to. But, I don’t want to. I love nature and would much rather be outdoors. However, I need to exercise more. Going the allotment twice a week - more often in summer - just isn’t enough. The cost of a gym membership causes me to feel flushed. A bit like Whoopi Goldberg, in the movie Ghost, aka Oda Mae Brown, as she’s forced to hand over that cheque for millions of $$, to a couple nuns on the sidewalk?

But why do that when I have everything at my disposal? Fresh air, long walks, power walking if I wish. Along with even more strenuous runs around my local field. I took Alfie out this morning before this part of the world was experiencing their REM sleep. I noticed the bird song, the trees, the glistening rooftops in the rain and the huge expanse of the sky. I did it slowly and surely and soaked in every single moment. I didn’t realise there was so much pleasure in listening and noticing Mother Nature’s beauty that surrounds me - every single moment. Right here, right now…

Yes, I do walk the dog. Yes, I do walk everywhere. Just not in this fashion. I am either going from A to B, or I have to get over with as quickly as possible in order to get on with my day. Just crazy.

I was tired initially, when I first started out. When I got home, I felt refreshed and invigorated. Alfie was happy too, so that was added bonus. I walked my other dog, Reeve, on my own before my children were born, but it all got lost in the busy-ness of life. I’ve always enjoyed walking anyway but it became more of a necessity, rather than a pleasure.

Walking, for walking’s sake. With or without a dog. To be in the moment and enjoy the experience. All part of the downshifting for me and my family. Less expense, more beauty, better exercise and absolutely good for me. All part of what nature intended for all of us. Children do this naturally and need no instruction to enjoy everything around them. Just like nature intended.

Today, is the first day of InterNational Downshifting Week.

The general idea is to take a look at our lives and see where we can make some changes. To slow down the pace of life, take stock and think a little about the impact on our lives, others and the environment. To stop, and take in how we are doing, working and making choices with our shopping and eating habits. I think most people are aware and already making some changes to their lives. Here are some simple and easy to achieve ideas.

A lot of people are already downshifting without realising it. If you prefer to buy second-hand where you can, you are already downshifting. If you cook mostly fresh food and buy locally, you are already making changes. It all matters, however small that change is.

Ironically, we’ve stepped up a gear in our downshifting as a family and on my own personal level. I was downshifting years ago without realising it. I’ve composted for years, I shopped in charity shops and ate very little meat , and much more. Everyone thought I was bonkers. It’s becoming more mainstream as time goes by. And I’m delighted!

So, what is downshifting? The intention of downshifting isn’t to drop out of society but to just make things simpler, stress less and take the pace of our lives down a notch.

So, what can be done? Taking an active part in our lives; to reduce debt, consumption, think before we shop, recycle where we can, walk instead of driving short distances, dedicate half a day whereby we do absolutely nothing, but spend time with the people we love, grow our own food (even in the smallest of places), watch our waste consumption, our energy consumption, using fresh, local food and even more important, cook together as family. Here’s a link to a previous post whereby Tracey Smith explains how easy it is to do.

There’s a feeling of satisfaction about being more self-reliant. Our food bill has been cut drastically without really intending it, we use the car less and I’ve found ingenious ways to use recycled items like I never would have believed. When we renovate our house we are making great changes to reduce our consumption of energy, so lowering our bills. We will also be keeping chickens too. But it doesn’t have to be that drastic (although it isn’t hard to do). It’s fascinating journey and I highly recommend it. Since National Downshifting Week 2007, we started off small and now it’s become such a habit. It’s all so enjoyable that I couldn’t do it any other way. To intentionally slow down benefits everyone. We don’t have to move from the city, buy that small-holding. And besides, not everyone wants to. These two are proof of that.

The rewards: We save money, help the planet, show our children how to be self-reliant and that money isn’t the ultimate reward. We are relearning life skills, relying on our own resources, spending more time together the process. We’re also finding talents we didn’t know we had! My son is showing a real talent for construction and design, I’m realising that I’m so resourceful and have such an imagination! And it goes on.

Have a happy Downshifting Week! And I would love to know how you get on.

I had to stand still this week. I injured myself (an old recurring injury) and couldn’t walk more than pottering around the house for a limited amount of time. I exercised too hard, did too much too soon, and down I went.

But, sometimes, things happen for a reason. I needed to slow down, get acquainted with just sitting, taking in the day, picking up my favourite books, listening to some slow, mellow music and just chill. I had no option and it worked. I soon came to realise that I’ve been running around at full speed and it was bound to happen sooner or later.

Sometimes we all need it…just sometimes.

We’ve had interesting week and I’m officially cabin-fevered and failing to articulate myself properly, so here’s a visual taste instead.

We visited the Streetlife museum last weekend (before my injury), and had a great time with the kids. The Army visited all weekend, so there was lots to see and do.

I’ve always loved this. Joe loves Star Wars and because we’re on the journey of watching what we put in our shopping trolley, me and the boys often watch it.

Enjoy!

Quite literally! Where does the time go? One minute I’m celebrating my birthday in late March, and then, I’m remembering my Mam’s birthday on 3rd April,  celebrating my sister’s on 4th April, and the boys are on their Easter break from school.

Amongst the Easter activities, celebrating and remembering, I got lost in it all. Too lost to post. We’ve been gathering momentum on the allotment; starting the frame for the polytunnel, planting, planning, digging and swamped by seedlings, potatoes being chitted (sprouting ready for planting) and keeping the boys occupied.

The house has been a hub of activity with family and friends, spending time at the allotment sitting around the table, junk modelling, den making, visits to the park, swimming and visiting friends, baking, cooking and chatting together.

As for my Go Greener Challenge; we’ve put some changes in place:

• I accept no more plastic bags and always take my own along to the shops
• we put a brick in the toilet cistern to cut down on the amount of water flushed
• we shop consciously - we don’t buy food with unneccesary packaging and buy local where we can
• I needed a new table so I got one from freecycle instead of buying new
• we make sure that we use leftover food to make up new recipes and our food bill is much lower We find that we seem to be enjoying our meals more
• planting seeds to grow our own food
• turning down the heating and putting on an extra layer of clothing - we haven’t noticed the difference
• I reuse any packaging, etc wherever I can - using toilet roll inners for planting seeds, lids for plant pot trays, plastic food bags for mini greenhouses and much more.
• Made my own washing detergent and it only cost 26p to make a full tub which should last about a month - no more wash powder and softener which cuts down on cost, chemicals and packaging.
• I also use lemons, vinegar, borax and essential oils for cleaning rather than chemically based sprays.
• no more using the dryer
• taking more showers instead having a bath

I’m finding it fun and easy to do and it creates the feel good factor too.

Hopefully, over the coming week I can post some good links to find the info and support which have helped me be greener.

Have a fun weekend!

Hmm, yes, it’s that time again. Another birthday, another year. I had a lovely lie-in and was woken up with cards, presents, a cuppa and my boys singing ”Happy Birthday to you!’

It happened. I am now officially 44 years old. And the remarkable thing is, I don’t feel a day over 45!

 

For all our birthdays I like to do ‘themes’ and mine this year was The Mad Cow’s Tea Party. Five female family members and me made up the number of Mad Cow’s in our family. I arranged a tea party, complete with the best china, a cake, some titchy sandwiches, some home-made pizza (at someone’s request), cookies, a drizzle lemon bun each, butterfly buns, chocolate covered strawberries and some bubbly to celebrate.

 

We had so much fun, with girly-talk, *real* cups of tea and much eating of the home-made delights. There was still yet lots more opening of cards and presents

A surprise was in store for me after the tea party. My niece had turned up with a complete pamper kit for us all. We donned dressing gowns, face packs (homemade of course!), socked our feet in foot spas, enjoyed pedicures and manicures and some relaxing music. To complete the fabulous day I was already having, we decided to celebrate with glass of champagne.

The hubbies had taken the boys out on a fun-time and they arrived back home full of boy-ness so it was time to blow out the candles and cut the cake.

 

 Every year I say that this year is the best birthday ever. Yes, I said it this year too! I adore my birthday gifts and cards. But I adored the time I spent with everyone I love much, much more.

Until next year…