Purbeck Days

Mayhem ensues...

2011-09-15T15:20:00.000-07:00

I have not taken a photo for today. I am feeling far too mellow to cobble something together.

What you're reading now is being typed under the influence of some heavy-weight opiates, thanks to my continuing back spasms. Strangely, I feel almost as though I'm sitting next to myself. My body feels a bit numb and heavy and all sort of floppy. But my back still hurts. A lot.

It's been a funny old day. It began with my daughter informing me that my son had tried to flush her pyjama bottoms down the toilet. There was no physical way of me being able to sort that out. "OK. Wait for Daddy to come home from his night shift, then he'll get them out for you. No more flushing Jim-Jams down the toilet, please. Apologize to your sister!"

I was quite pleased with myself at breakfast time: I managed to help with toast-buttering and hair-brushing, giving the kids their medications and making drinks. I even started to see to my own breakfast: hot weetabix. I put it in the microwave this morning. As I type this (at 11pm), I have realized that the bowl is still in the microwave, patiently waiting for something to happen...

Later I had an appointment with the GP to get some stronger pain relief. I have measured my progress by comparing my ability to walk. I was walking like a Zombied John Wayne; now I walk like C3P0 has crapped himself.

I look stunningly awful. All of my stomach tone has been reduced to a muffin-top, thanks to the muscles in my back doing all they can to protect the spine from further damage. I can't do anything with my hair; and my face has broken out in spots because I can't lean over the sink to wash my face, properly. Thank God I'm not famous, or my career would be in tatters as a result of photos showing how exceedingly terrible I look, such is our fickle society...

This afternoon was a bit better. My son woke from his nap in a foul mood, and whilst I gingerly hugged him on my lap, trying to cheer him up, he weed all over me. That's a real sign of trust. He felt that relaxed and confident with me that he felt he could just "let go".

Later, my daughter had an almightly meltdown, largely as a result of the week's unusual events. In the middle of the screeching, she suddenly demanded that Daddy painted her bedroom bright red.

I sensed anger issues. We declined that order, which only increased her rage further.

For the next twenty minutes, there was absolute mayhem. In the background, Simon Mayo was playing tracks and talking to us about something I couldn't hear, because one child was screaming about red paint, and the other child wanted some sellotape so that he could hold the sausages in his frying pan in place. Pat was telling the screaming child to calm down. I was trying to not tense up, to avoid the spasms in my back, whilst attempting to make dinner. I was feeling guilty about not having fed us all healthy food so had decided upon roasted butternut squash and pasta, something far beyond my capabilities in my current state, and required a mammoth effort. In the end, the screaming child went into time out to calm down, Pat went to work, my son volunteered to lay the table, and I contacted the GP surgery to ask whether someone could do a home visit as my symptoms were getting suddenly worse. Looking back on it now, I can see why!

The GP did come, for which I was very grateful for - just as the kids were sitting down for dinner. I hobbled upstairs with her, instructing my children to sit nicely at the table and eat. Whilst I was being examined, my daughter was giving me regular updates: "Mum! Mum? MU-UMM? MUM!! He poured his drink into his bowl and now it's overflowing and it's gone all over the table and onto the floor! MUM! Are you listening to me?!" I sighed. "OK. Thanks for letting me know". "Mum? MUM! MU-UMM? We don't want anymore, can we watch TV?" "Yes". There really are days for picking battles. Today is not one of them...

And now, the kids are asleep, I'm feeling the side-effects of Tramadol, still feeling pain in my back, and reflecting on how mayhem can be amusing, especially whilst under the influence. I've just watched the last episode of Torchwood, but didn't understand any of it.

I can see how people become addicted to opiates, as they are slightly marvelous, but they are also hard work. I can't be like this all the time, it's just too weird. On another occasion where I had severe back pain, I had the misfortune of watching an episode of Dad's Army having taken a Tramadol tablet. It made me laugh. Hard. Tears were streaming down my face, before I realized that I was laughing at a programme I've never liked. Then the tears were of sadness, for realizing that things were that bad.

I have one thing to be grateful for, though: I still have a sense of humour. I've certainly needed it, today!

Laughing gas - but I'm not laughing...

2011-09-13T04:00:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, I was playing with my children up at Putlake Farm, in the softplay area. We were playing "It".

As you do.

Suddenly, as I was crawling about, I felt a big twinge and spasm in my lower back.

"errr...hahaha..ermmm, kids...I'm going down to the bottom, er, um...nowOooooWWwww!"

As I looked around me, feeling the muscles clamp tight around my spine, I tried not to panic. I thought. How the bloody hell was I going to get down - I was on the 2nd level? I looked at the wavy slide. No. No. I can't do that. I looked at the padded steps. No. No. I can't do that. I looked at the wiggly tube that would take me down a level. Nope. Oh God. I'm stuck! I'm stuck here! My kids were happily continuing the game and had run off. I decided that the padded steps was the only way to do it, so I edged towards them, then slid down on my stomach until I got to the bottom, and was able to stand upright.

"Arrggghhhhhh!!!"

"Oh dear!" I said. I inwardly congratulated myself for not swearing in front of all the sweet little children. "I um...appear to have hurt myself. A bit. Um...ooohh, this hurts!" A mum heard me and helped me to put my shoes on and tie my laces.

This was all painfully familiar: I have these episodes where my back just completely seizes up and I can't walk or move properly for several days, the spine twists so that my belly button looks as though it's straining to see what's happening behind me, and my hips go in two different directions. My posture resembles that of a bendy straw. It all started when I had a car accident 14 years ago - someone kindly rammed straight into the back of me whilst I was waiting to do a reverse park during a driving lesson - and since then I've been a regular user to chiropractors, physios, osteopaths and A&E. My spasms have been so bad that in the past I've been stuck on the toilet and Pat had to call the paramedics to get me off; or I've felt pain, blacked out and woke up on the floor to see my daughter lying next to me, asking if I'm OK.

The worst time was at my brother's wedding reception, at the hotel where we were lucky to be staying. I was having 2 hourly baths all through the night to ease the pain, to coincide with the 2 hourly breastfeeding I was doing with my daughter, who was only 4 weeks old at the time. I spent the whole of the reception in barefeet and jeans, trying not to scream whenever I moved, and feeling ridiculously out of place. At one point I had to crawl up the stairs to get to my room so that I could go to the loo - all the while feeling the humiliation while fellow wedding guests watched me - the very strange woman who would take one step at a time before apparently growling and saying, "don't worry, I'm fine!" - before crawling to the next step Another very embarrassing situation with maximum capacity to humiliate me in front of people I'd known for most of my life; and complete strangers.

All of these previous experiences went through my mind, whilst I got the kids to walk to the car, and get into their seats. I managed to get into my seat - and then froze. I could not move. There I was, gripping hold of the steering wheel, saying, "OK, I'm having a bit of trouble, here, kids. I think I might need to get some help." I had no choice but to call for an ambulance. Pat was at work, and there was nobody I knew to take the kids home for me. I phoned him to tell him the good news - that he had the rest of the day off!

Whilst I was waiting, knuckles white as they gripped the steering wheel, I could hear the ambulance sirens. Oooh, great. They're attracting more attention. I thought they were going to send a car as a non urgent case, but no, it was the full-on, bright yellow van, sirens-blaring cavalry.

I was so happy to see them, yet the feeling of humiliation was coming back.
The paramedics were brilliant. They gave me some entonox (gas and air, or laughing gas) which helped and reminded me of all the other times I'd needed it - including when I was in labour with my daughter. The staff at Putlake were brilliant, too - they took the kids back in to play and gave them an ice lolly, to wait until Pat came to pick them up. I went home in the ambulance, feeling very embarrassed and a bit sorry for myself, too.

By 2am, the spasms were getting worse and I couldn't actually lie down, anymore. I phoned the emergency care service, on the advice of the paramedics who'd helped me earlier. The GP I spoke to advised me to have a warm bath whilst I sent Pat on the 40 mile round trip to pick up a diazepam prescription. I explained that he'd been up for 21 hours and, at the time we were talking, it was 3.30 in the morning. By the time he would be back, the kids would be up for the day, and he would have had 3 hours sleep. Her advice was that "...it's possible to go without sleep and function for 48 hours".

Well that's OK then.

In the end a lovely ECP came to see me and gave me the medication I needed, so that by 5am I was able to get back to bed and sleep for a couple of hours. I'm still in lots of pain but I know that this will get better...sometime soon, I hope.
I am very grateful for the emergency and urgent care services, and to Pat, who has helped me do everything as well as look after our children, and go to work on nights. He's a superstar!

Support

2011-09-08T15:32:00.000-07:00

I really like this sculpture. If it is a sculpture. I don't know what else to call it! It looks like pencils falling out of the sky. The windier it is, the faster the sculpture spins around. It stands outside the maternity entrance at Dorset County Hospital, in Dorchester.

Now why was I visiting the maternity department?

Well...

Nope, it's not that!

I went along for an induction day as a volunteer to work on the maternity unit as a breastfeeding counsellor (in training!). I want to gain some experience working with mums in the first few days after giving birth, to support them with initiating and establishing breastfeeding. I hope that myself and Emma, another volunteer breastfeeding counsellor, can help the staff support women to breastfeed. It will be great experience for me and will help me with my training, and support for mums when they come to the breastfeeding group.

I am still breastfeeding my son, who is 2 and a half years old. This week I have reduced him down to one feed per day, and he's accepted it very well, much to my relief! Now for anyone out there grimacing and saying "eugh" or words to that affect, I would like to defend myself.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) states that a mother should exclusively breastfeed until their baby is six months old, and continue to breastfeed until the age of two and beyond.

Breastmilk does not really change much in terms of nutrition and antibodies from when a baby breastfeeds at six months old, so it is still a healthy part of a healthy diet for a toddler.

Breastfeeding for this length of time is reducing my risk of developing osteoporosis, breast or ovarian cancers.

My son may have a higher IQ thanks to the benefits of breastfeeding!

He will have stronger bones as a result of breastfeeding for this long.

And many more positives! I know that there may be some out there reading this who will label me as a breastfeeding nazi. I hate that expression.

The reason is this: our society has been dominated by labels. Formula manufacturers are far more guilty of strong, bullying (and illegal) tactics (look up Ne$tle boycott for more information) that aim to predetermine how a mother feeds her baby than a breastfeeding woman, with the sole aim of making money out of them. They don't really care about the increased risk of obesity, and diabetes that will result in babies being formula-fed. They're not really that concerned about the environmental impacts of formula milk manufacturing, and they certainly aren't interested in the financial burdens associated with formula feeding.

Don't misunderstand me, though - a mother has a right to choose how they feed their baby. I am not ever going to judge a woman, no matter how they feed their child. Breastfeeding is difficult to get used to and can take a few weeks to get going with it properly - but that's why it's so important that they are supported and know where to go for the right help if they're having problems. I also understand that some women just aren't interested in breastfeeding at all. That's fine for them and I respect their decision.

What is wrong is the way in which formula manufacturers take advantage of women who haven't had the right information about feeding their baby, or where a mother hasn't had enough support or encouragement to breastfeed (and most women can feed their baby, as long as problems are identified early enough and they are helped through it by experts and support from their peers, friends and family).

What is wrong is the way in which I and other mums who choose to breastfeed beyond what someone considers to be an "acceptable" amount of time, are labelled as weird or disgusting, when if we really think about it, if it weren't for the invention of formula milk in 1873, we'd all be breastfed for longer periods of time and nobody would think anything of it!

Surfin' Swanage

2011-09-07T04:25:00.000-07:00

It's not often that surfing can be added to the list of sea-related activities, in Swanage. Today there were a few eager folk making the most of the opportunity. Despite the high winds and drizzle, there they were, ready to catch the next wave that came. Some managed to stand up for a bit - but let's face it, it's not Bondi, is it?! Kimmeridge would probably have been a far better place to go to surf, but to be fair, there were some waves, there were some boards, and there were some men prepared to give it a go, so why not? Brrrrrrr.

I do like a bit of spontaneity. I imagine the guys in these photos probably had other plans for today, but they dropped them in favour of some fresh air, sea and rain and to feel they made the most of the opportunity given to them. I am beginning to live more in a spontaneous mode. It's one of the perks of not being regimented to work hours or shift patterns. There are days when I don't have any plans at all, beyond dropping my daughter off at school. I walk out of the school gates, and think about what to do. It's a liberating experience, albeit slightly unnerving, as I sometimes wander aimlessly through town until I think of something interesting to do! Occasionally it involves cake in some form; frequent trips to the supermarket to get stuff I forgot to buy the day before/earlier; getting the house straight, painting with my son or playing with lego, or going to the park. All these and more. What an exciting life I lead!!
The most spontaneous thing I ever did was to enter into a marathon. I just did it. I decided one day that I would find a charity to sponsor (Quest4Change), and enter to run. I didn't think that hard about it. Running a marathon was a childhood ambition, and one that I never thought I'd achieve, but when I came to the application page, I thought it might be fun to do. And a good way to keep fit. I did the Brighton marathon earlier this year. The training was the exact opposite of spontaneous, though, and required meticulous planning, a huge amount of discipline, and some cake. I made a fabulous friend in Claire, my running partner and co-Brighton marathon completer, and I couldn't have done it without her. I look back at our training runs with happy memories...the leg pain, the cold, the hills, the dog-crap pavement-dodging, and the mud; the sweets to get us to Old Harry, the chats we'd have and the feeling of achievement at the end of each run, and ultimately, of course, at the end of our Marathon run. All this from a spontaneous moment at my laptop.
It is possible to achieve anything in life. Sometimes, it might feel like climbing the most difficult of hills to get to the top, but once the struggle to climb is over, the view is breathtaking, the sense of achievement is fullfilling, and the desire to continue on to the next adventure continues. Sometimes, it may mean stepping into a cold, stormy sea, but once in the water, the waves start appearing, and it becomes a matter of time, patience and perseverence to ride the crest and feel the buzz of elation, accomplishment and satisfaction that a goal has been achieved.
I firmly believe in stepping out of my own comfort zone, to push further and to explore what I am capable of. Living in the moment, taking on acts of spontaneity, being prepared to see where I am taken is increasingly how I am viewing life - within reason of course...jumping on the next plane to Australia and backpacking for a year is not reasonable, although something I plan to do later on -once I get over the fear of flying - and I plan to be spontaneous more frequently. I AM grateful, thankful and lucky to be where I am in my life at this moment. I don't know where my next spontaneity will take me but I'm happy to find out!

Camping

2011-09-03T15:26:00.000-07:00

We've been camping in the New Forest, for a couple of days, along with our friends Claire and Tom, and their 2 year-old girl.

This was our first camping trip as a family. The last time Pat and I went camping was about eight years ago, back when we would sleep through the night without having cold little hands and toes and excited squeaky voices to drive us out of our sleeping bags. We would go for walks and cycle rides, take long lunches in the pubs, go to the beach and attempt body-boarding/surfing before returning for a BBQ and a few drinks with friends. We had a 3-man pop up tent, a limited supply of camping equipment, and lots of time on our hands.

Oh, how different things are when camping with children!

We made the decision to sleep seperately, so that we could each be with one of the kids, in case of night wakings and confusion about where we are, leading to waking up the rest of the campsite.

At some point, last night, I woke up because I really needed to go to the toilet. Instead of getting up, I decided that I'd try to hold on, because I didn't want to walk all the way over to the toilet block. I also didn't want to wake up my son.

Unfortunately, I couldn't get back to sleep, and I couldn't ignore the need to go. My brain teased me by suggesting different scenarios about how to creep out of the tent without waking my son, and which tree would act as an accomplice to my deed. It was still very dark, so I knew I had a long wait.

Eventually, I couldn't wait any longer. I s..l..o..w..l..y sat upright, found my torch and inched my way to the zip of my pod. He was still asleep. Until I pulled the zipper and suddenly he was awake, sharp as a pin, and wondering why Mummy was in plank position halfway across the tent floor. So he started to whimper. In a loud whisper, I called Pat, both to detach my son from my leg, and to help me find the zipper to the tent entrance. At this point, my daughter woke up and started crying because she was confused and worried about why her brother was crying. In the meantime, I staggered out of the tent, torch in hand, and feeling very desperate, I made it to my pre-planned tree, did what I needed to do, all the while aware of the fact that I had woken my family, and my family were now waking up several other camping families. It was also at this point that I realised my torch was a beacon to moths, midges and also allowed anybody who did happen to see what all the noise was about, to see me crouching by a tree next to a tent with two crying children and the father speaking in theatrical whsipers about "Mummy just needed to go for a wee, she'll be back in a minute - look, she's just by that tree there - can you hear her?"

Bloody hell!

All this, at 3.45am. I should have just used the potty.

The thing about camping, is that it doesn't have any surprises. Would anyone really be shocked to be woken up by other people's children, when sleeping inside a piece of nylon, in the woods, during a period of good weather in the summer holidays?

No.

On the other hand, how would you feel if you awoke to see a horse nuzzling your noodle bags?

Yesterday, whilst we were out, a couple of opportunistic horses decided to raid Claire and Tom's tent. Quite formidable, considering it was completely zipped up. The horses have learned how to unzip tents, enter and inspect before inviting their gangs to join in the fun. In this case, they changed their minds when they saw the marmite ricecakes and Upsy Daisy books.

Now if they'd broken into our tent, they would have found wine, mayonaise, and crayons: Party Time!

We've had a great time exploring the campsite, cycling across Balmer lawn, playing at the stream, and being headbutted by a hornet. Yes, really.

We really did have a lovely time. The kids enjoyed themselves, particularly the cycling and strangely, the washing-up. I guess it is exciting when you have to carry your dirty dishes across the road to a communal washing area, instead of just putting it on the worktop for your parents to deal with!

Thank you Claire and Tom for a lovely weekend!

Put A Fork In It!

2011-08-30T15:48:00.000-07:00

Recently I joined my friend, Sacha's allotment plot. I am enjoying it, although I'm clueless about allotment keeping, and I'm learning as we go along. It's been a few weeks since I got up there, but today we went up to measure up the beds for some wood to put around them. It probably has a fancy gardeners terminology but I will call it "wooding up", a term I have used in the past for all things related to planks of wood, or anything to do with sanding.
Pat was required to help measure for the wooding up, but as I had bought a cheap tape measure, it wasn't long enough, as it only went up to 9ft long. It was clearly a girls' tape measure. I have been nagged and lectured about buying tools. I once bought a cheap set of screwdrivers, just for keeping under the kitchen sink, for moments when varying loud and annoying toys ran out of battery power. Pat keeps his toolbox somewhere I can't generally find it, and so having my own tools to hand seemed fine to me. But each time I pointed Pat in the direction of the cupboard under the kitchen sink to use a screwdriver, he would wince. Eventually, I convinced him that they were perfectly adequate for the job in hand. He suspiciously scanned the item, started to use it...and promptly bent it. "You broke my screwdriver!" I accused. "That's because they're made of cheese!" came the reply. "well I've used that screwdriver lots of times, and never had any problems. It's never done that before!" and so it went on. So when I bought a cheap tape measure for me to use when I needed to measure something important, like windows, to measure up for curtains, I felt I had contributed to the face of womanhood. I had a tape measure. And I know how to use it. Yaaay! Today that tape measure let me down, because it just couldn't quite measure up!
I have a bad record with tools, it seems. The fork that Pat is brandishing has just been re-fashioned, having become a victim of my usage. Admittedly, it was Sacha who bought it, but it was me who bent it. One of the prongs was at a 45' angle to the others, after a particularly unforgiving session of weeding, where it struck a stubborn thistle bush. Pat fixed it, and he looked so good holding it, I thought it was only fair that he tried it out, to make sure it worked properly. Half an hour later, and he'd dug over a bed. Although he complained about it, I think he enjoyed it, really - otherwise he wouldn't have finished the job, would he?!

Salamander

2011-08-18T16:27:00.000-07:00

Boy have we had some rain, today! It's been incredible. So much for hanging out the washing on the line, or going to the park. Even walking from the door to the car was enough to soak us to the skin. I've read reports of two weeks' worth of rainfall in half an hour, today. Bournemouth had flash flooding and roads were blocked. I had a day with my daughter, today. She wanted to go to the new Sunshine Ceramics shop, so off we went. By the time we got there I needed to wring out my jeans, and the windows of the shop had already steamed up.
We chose a salamander each, and decorated them. I was able to sit and enjoy the time we had together, and create something, too. The salamander reminded me of my trip to Baracelona seven years ago, where I went for my last girls' break away before I fell pregnant. We visited the Gaudi park with the mosaic salamanders. Even though it was really busy, I felt at peace in that park. It was beautiful. It had something special about it. Or perhaps it was just the thrill of being away, seeing something new, and having great fun with my friends! I think there was a part of me that knew it was to be my last holiday before we started a family. I'd love to go back and show the kids, and Pat what an amazing place Barcelona is - especially the bits away from the touristy areas.
Today, I had a girly day of a different kind - and it was lovely to spend time with my daughter, having fun together and chatting away. It would have been nice if the weather hadn't been so rubbish, though!

Making music

2011-08-18T16:11:00.000-07:00

My kids love music. They love to listen, to play, and to sing. I have always enjoyed music, and dabbled with instruments, but never really mastered one. I can blow into a flute, and play a few notes, even play a tune if I follow some sheet music (after practicing for several days and getting on everyone's nerves). Playing the piano is another matter. I had a thing for the piano for as far back as I can remember. At every opportunity, I would stand or sit at a piano and try to come out with a tune. However I was about 14 before I was able to have some lessons, but I was restricted by the fact that I didn't have a piano to practice on! I would snatch time at school by using the music room pianos during lunch breaks, and play if there were no other students using one, but even when I did get to a piano, I felt self-conscious about the notes I played and tried to play quietly enough that nobody would hear. By the time it got around to a lesson again, I hadn't progressed any further from the week before. I can't imagine how much of a frustration I must have been to my piano teacher!

It didn't stop her trying to boost me (or humiliate me, as she had unitentionally managed to do, on several occasions) by entering me into her periodic concerts, showcasing her pupils' talent and progress. I had started having lessons within a few weeks of one of these shows, which, on this occasion,was held up at the church in Kingston. She taught me how to play the opening bars of Crockets theme: quavers, as I recall, with notes an octave apart, lasting for about 12 bars. I can't remember for sure - I've blocked a lot of the detail out. Being 14 and shy, I was nervous and feeling sick at the thought of playing in front of so many people. At the church, a boy of about 8 or 9 preceded me with some piece of music, probably Bach or something impressive, and been given a rapturous applause. I went to the piano, sat down, and positioned my awkward fingers on the keys. I played my 12 bars, and then stopped. There was stony silence. I looked up to the teacher, who stood there smiling at the audience, and then at me. Those few seconds dragged for an eternity before someone realised that I had finished, and began a polite clap, which was followed by a lethargic patter of applause. I wanted to crawl into the inside of the piano and hide, but instead I stood up and scurried back to my seat, feeling angry and embarrassed. The audience were expecting me to launch into the main theme of the song, but as I had only had a couple of lessons I hadn't learnt that bit, by then, and that was why I stopped. Those listening had no idea! It didn't stop me from learning, though, and I successfully managed to go on to grade 8.

...Actually that bit is a lie...

But I do still play, although I never did learn the rest of the song, and actually I never want to hear Crocket's theme ever again! Now we do have a piano that we're looking afterfor my sister-in-law and her family. I am planning to have some piano lessons with a music teacher I loved to learn with at school, but never seem to have time for. Maybe I will, one day. My kids have no fear or embarrassment over music, they both become engrossed in their playing, and it's lovely to hear their creativity, too. Having said that, I've hidden the symbols and the tambourine from them, to avoid early enthusiastic wake-up calls!

Quiet Time

2011-08-16T15:13:00.000-07:00

My Son is poorly. He has been awake half the night, and so were we. He just couldn't settle, and so I have been feeling like doing nothing, today. But that wasn't possible. I was reminded by my daughter's incredulity at my not having planned or provided an endless stream of entertainment for her benefit for today, that I am in fact here to make sure that she has a Good Summer Holiday. I tried reasoning with her. "You can go and do something by yourself, you know. Why don't you draw? Read? Play with your toys? Listen to your talking books? Do some writing?" Each suggestion was met with a squeal and a cross face. OK, I thought. It's going to be A Long Day. In the end, we went to the post office, and then ran a few errands in town before going back home because my son was asleep and I needed to sit down for 5 minutes' rest. My daughter was good, actually. She played on her games console and then tried to teach me how to play one of the games.
I arranged for the two of them to lie on the sofa, watching a bit of CBeebies whilst I made some lunch, allowing them a bit of chilling out time together.
I asked my daughter to look after her little brother and make sure that he was OK. They gave eachother a big hug, a kiss, then snuggled down on the sofa to watch Something Special. Then we watched Shrek. I don't feel guilty anymore when I use TV for chilling out time, although I used to. We do so much other stuff, including a very healthy dose of running about in fresh air and sunshine, that to have a half day on the sofa for poorly and tired time is just what's needed, once in a while! I know I did well today, because by 8pm I could still hold a conversation, see straight, and felt fairly human and intact. There have been days when I'm so tired I see the world in a parental haze!

Everything Stops For Tea!

2011-08-15T15:38:00.000-07:00

I am soooo English. I didn't realise HOW English I was until we started hosting foreign students. Tea, I have discovered, is a way of life for us, and without it - even if you don't even like or drink the stuff - we'd have a hole in our being. In the mornings, I have to flick the kettle on and pour water onto a teabag before I can even begin to think about getting breakfast sorted for the kids. If I haven't got a brew going by the time I am ready to sit at the table, there's something afoot. I realised my English-ness when I asked one of our students if she would "...like a cup of tea...?" It was the way I pronounced the word, "Tea" - said "Teee", I felt almost embarrassed to have heard it said that way, as I'd never noticed before! Needless to say, most of my offers of "Teee" have been turned down in favour of coffee.
OK, I have to admit that for the past 3 years, I haven't had caffeinated tea, preferring rooibus, chamomile, or good old decaff teabags to my old favourite Yorkshire Tea (strong, splash of milk, no sugar), but I began getting frequent migraines when I was pregnant with my son so cut out caffeine which helped a bit. And I don't drink cow's milk anymore, either: my son developed a cow's milk protein allergy when he was 3 months old and as I was breastfeeding him I cut out dairy to help ease his symptoms. Now I can't stand cows milk, cream or yoghurt, and I feel a whole lot better for it, too.
This, you might think, is not English. Rooibus tea with soya milk? What are you thinking?! But it's the ceremony of tea-making, the act of drinking it, and the passion we have for positioning our routines around the drink that makes it a way of life in England. If there are problems to be shared, decisions to be made, revelations to absorb, a gossip or a catch-up, tea is the ever-present, loyal companion. I even remember my St John's ambulance teacher telling me that a "strong cup of tea with two sugars" was a good remedy for shock. As an 11 year-old I had to take her word for it!

Pat hates tea. I think it goes back to his childhood in West London, where he would go to his Indian friend's houses and there would be a pan of tea on the hob, left all day: a teabag, spoonful of sugar and a dash of milk added frequently throughout the day so that the mix would become progressively more stewed as the day went on. On entering the house, he would be expected to take a drink of the tea whether he wanted to or not! I've tried to convert him, but he's a strict coffee man, nowadays...
Today I went to Holmes For Gardens with the kids for a bit of fruit-picking. We stopped in the cafe to give the kids some lunch, but as I wasn't feeling that hungry, I had a cup of tea, instead. I couldn't help but give a little "ahhhhh!" after a sip or two, mostly as I appreciated a chance to have a few minutes' rest before carrying on! As the saying goes, "everything stops for tea"!

Making a reappearance

2011-08-14T13:41:00.000-07:00

Well, this is all very familiar...it's been a while and I'd almost forgotten how to use this site!

A number of friends have been asking me if I was going to take this up again, but I'd resisted because I've been rather busy. I've been busy with the kids, the house, hosting foreign language students (which has been a lot of fun!), running and training for a marathon to raise money for Quest4Change - I raised over £1000 for the Villa Maria school in Peru by taking part and completing the Brighton marathon in April. This is one of my proudest achievements and I am planning on taking it further by forging some links between the Villa Maria preschool, and one of the preschools in Swanage.
I am also studying to become a breastfeeding counsellor; and I am embarking on a new business venture which I will write about more when I have got to grips with it all! So to add a photographic blog on top of all this would have required nothing less than superhuman strength on my part to keep on top of everything! Having said that, I do find myself thinking, of an evening, how I should get back into the blogging world again and write about stuff. So here I go again - I don't think I'll manage a daily blog, and I definitely won't be able to provide good quality pics as I can't keep carrying my big camera around with me every day - my little boy is too active and too big for me to cart my DSLR around with me all the time - but I will hopefully write something interesting and occasionally raise a chortle out of you if possilbe! Above all, please enjoy, and come back!

My vegetarian friends may want to ignore this bit - my apologies to you!

I love cooking. I find it very good for working out problems, mulling over decisions, thinking about life in general - it's an almost meditative process for me at times (though bunging some frozen chips in the oven doesn't have the same effect), and one of the best things about cooking for me is listening to a bit of radio 4. Pat can't bear it, but I love it! For me, it's a chance to get a bit of "me time" as I go into my own little world whilst chopping, stirring, mixing or whisking.

Today I made a roast leg of lamb. I have learned how to make gravy, mostly through trial and error (lots of errors, some of which were traumatic for all involved). For me, one of the best things about making gravy is that it's the calm in the middle of the mayhem when cooking a roast. There's a relatively calm bit at the beginning when the meat is prepared and put in the oven, and the vegetables are peeled and chopped; then there is the mad bit where the timings have to be perfect or the whole thing goes badly wrong: but there is the calmness of gravy. My gravy-making involves me stirring and adding the starch water from the potatoes a splash at a time. As I stare at the bubbling liquid and absent-mindedly stir, I become contemplative, reflective. Some of my better ideas have been borne out of making gravy. In some way I view the making of gravy to be a little bit like life: all around there is chaos but to make the gravy is to have a piece of time with which to mull and plan the next step, a chance to be in touch with my Self and to feel the hunger, the desire to continue on my way in life.

Either that, or I need to get out more...!

The 365th Day

2010-05-22T17:29:00.000-07:00

Day 365

22 May 2010

It has been a beautiful sunny day, today. Not a cloud in the sky. I knew it was going to be a busy day in the town, because at 10am today there was a steady procession of cars heading into the town. Weekenders, locals, day-trippers. People paving the streets. A trickle of people in and out of the various shops. The aromas of coffee, mixed with seaweed, and chips and vinegar. A town alive with comforting familiarity, the vibrancy of a sea-side town that makes my heart sing and my soul dance to the constant, but subtle changes during the year. So much goes on in this small town, and yet it remains as it has been for as long as I can remember.

Swanage is a unique town. It has a life all of its own. It has survived deep scars from the Second World War, snowstorms, floods, the infamous 1987 hurricane, recessions, to name but a few threats over the years. It was the first example of recycling, thanks to George Burt; it is one of the most popular towns to come to visit on a school trip, and most people I knew before I moved back here knew the town either because of this, or because they have holidayed here. I have never met anyone who has said they disliked the town, but I have met many who have said they wished they could live here. It is a big playground for children; an ideal opportunity for improving fitness (being that it is so hilly), and for exploring either in the waters, on the hills, or in the boutique shops. The children here are delivered a superb standard of education, with a beautiful, idyllic backdrop with which to learn and develop. Don't think that I'm blind to the negative things in this town, but do believe me when I say that I know that life isn't all beach trips after school, or fetes and carnivals, festivals and fireworks. But I don't think that I'd rather be anywhere else in the world than right here with my family, and my friends, in the town I love...and never thought I'd return to, all those years ago as I left for university, when I vowed never to come back here!

Thank you to everyone who has read this blog over the year. I have enjoyed doing it, and I know that some of the photos haven't always been my best, but it's been tricky at times to combine two children with everyday life, work, home, social and the odd curveball into the equation. I intend to post here periodically, but am a bit relieved not to have to come up with something to photograph every day!

Victorian Swanage continues over the weekend.

My daughter offered to make me my breakfast, this morning, for the first time. So cute!

Coffee?

2010-05-22T16:59:00.000-07:00

Day 364

21 May 2010

I did some photography work for The Purbeck Deli, today. Here is a sample, showing some lovely coffee beans. I love the aroma of coffee, but I'm not a great fan of the drink. I am a decaf soya latte girl (because I really know how to enjoy myself...), but if I drink caffeinated coffee I get jumpy and restless. Once I had an espresso and I needed to go and lie down for a bit, because I got dizzy and started having palpitations!

Victorian Swanage

2010-05-22T16:54:00.000-07:00

Day 363

20 May 2010

Swanage is celebrating the Victorian era, this week, as a tribute to the 125th anniversary of the departure of the first steam train to leave Swanage railway station. Children from St.Mary's first school dressed in Victorian clothes and got to ride on the train. Bill Trite, mayor of Swanage, was also there to join in the fun.

Choo! Choo!

You can probably tell that I prefer photographing people, rather than trains.

Bikers

2010-05-22T16:42:00.000-07:00

Day 362

19 May 2010

I went down to the quay, this evening, for a wander, and saw these motorcyclists chatting by monkey beach. I love hearing the noise of the bikes coming in and out of the town. It reminds me of my pillion days where we'd take a trip down to Swanage and mooch about, take it all in, then head back home again. I was always bloody uncomfortable on the back of the bike, as the seats aren't really designed with comfort in mind; gripping on for dear life gave me arm-ache; and I'd often fall asleep on the back of the bike. Once I woke up as we came to a halt on the M3 services. I don't know how I didn't fall off...must have been my husband's smooth riding that soothed me into a slumber!

This sculpture is on the quayside and I often use her as a landmark when I'm on a run!

Sailing

2010-05-22T16:31:00.000-07:00

Day 361

18 May 2010

Swanage Bay was peppered with learner sailors, tonight, so I took some photos of them. Here is one of them. It looks like fun!

Monday Pub Lunch in the Sun

2010-05-17T13:03:00.000-07:00

Day 360

17 May 2010

The weather has turned into the most beautiful day, today. I went for a run this morning, the first in a couple of weeks, and I felt so much better for it. I wish I had the time to do it every day!

At lunchtime we met some friends at the Square and Compass for a pint of ale and a pasty. We sat in the sun and enjoyed ourselves. Bliss!

Unwelcome

2010-05-16T15:32:00.000-07:00

Day 359

16 May 2010

Swanage has a considerable number of second homes. People from other parts of the country who like to come on holiday here, have bought up a significant number of properties. Building contractors have bought up land in the area, and built "luxury apartments" to sell at inflated prices. I went out for a walk today and as I walked past one of these big buildings, I saw that there were only 5 cars parked in the private car park for the 20 or 30 flats. Either there were some remarkably conscientious, green people who don't need transportation living there, or the flats were empty because the owners were at their normal residence, somewhere else.

There is bad feeling about second home owners. These people are partly responsible (as is the popular public opinion) who raise the property prices beyond realistic and attainable for the average would-be property owner in the area. There are a lot of flats and "luxury" (what is so luxurious about them, I wonder?) homes which are built and aimed at the more affluent individual, and very little land devoted to affordable, realistically-priced homes for local people.

One could argue, on the other hand, that the second-home owners help to keep Swanage alive. Trades and businesses in the area benefit from weekenders and families coming down throughout the year, which is a different town to the one I grew up in, 20 years ago, where the town hibernated in Winter and many shops would shut in October and not open again until after Easter. Events like the Blues Festivals, folk festival and the Jazz festival also bring in great numbers of visitors which keep the B&B's, restaurants, and touristy shops busy and the second homes rented out.

Purbeck District Council have developed a core strategy aimed at maintaining and improving the area and looking at the issue of affordable housing. This is a welcome option (apart from those who don't want to see Purbeck land being used to build housing on - in my opinion an unrealistic idealogy in today's society), because this will bring in younger people with professional and vocational qualifications which will serve the community in many ways, and allow Purbeck to increase in vibrancy and opportunity. If these people aren't encouraged into the area (and there are many families who would love to live around here for a better quality of life and better work-life balance), then the town will suffer in the future. One thing that it is considered certain would affect the town deeply is the Purbeck Review of schools.

Tomorrow the Community Overview Committee (COC) meet at County Hall in Dorchester, to hear the views of headteachers, governors, parents, politicians and the public, with regards to the Purbeck Schools' Review. It is hoped that at the very least, DCC will carry out and Economic Impact Assessment in Swanage in order to find out how the town will fare if it lost all secondary education. People must realise that it is not just those with children who will be affected. If education in Purbeck was reshuffled the way Dorset County Council want it, families would not want to live here, and the area would be in danger of becoming a second-home haven. Or it could be set back those 20 years to the way it was.

Swan Lake

2010-05-16T14:55:00.000-07:00

Day 358

15 May 2010

I took my daughter to see Swan Lake at The Mowlem, this afternoon.

She was captivated by the ballet production from start to finish, and on the way home, she practised the movements she'd seen on the stage. Perfect motivation for her! We really enjoyed the production by the Vienna Festival Ballet. They gave a beautiful performance. My daughter gave me her interpretation, but especially liked watching Prince Siegfried dancing in his birthday suit! Oh, the things children say...!!

Nothing To Show

2010-05-16T14:48:00.000-07:00

Day 357
14 May 2010

Again, due to personal circumstances, I wasn't able to take photos, today. It's been a very hard week!

Pegs and pebbles: The Minds of Children

2010-05-16T14:45:00.000-07:00

Day 356

13 May 2010

This is how my children think: A bucket filled with pebbles, collected from the beach, and then some pegs put on the top of them. Why? Who knows?! But I like the fact that they think differently.

Broken...

2010-05-16T14:37:00.000-07:00

Day 355

12 May 2010

...but can it be repaired?

Another photo which I'm very unhappy with, but which, due to personal circumstances, has meant that I haven't been able to get out and about with the camera.

A Bad Day

2010-05-16T14:32:00.000-07:00

Day 354

11 May 2010

I didn't manage a photo for today, because there has been a lot going on and family takes priority. I'm annoyed about this, but I can't do anything about it!

Bluebells

2010-05-16T14:29:00.000-07:00

Day 353

10 May 2010

It's been a tricky day, for me, today. I've been very pushed for time. There are bluebells everywhere, at the moment, and they look gorgeous amongst the greens and around the trees, and this photo doesn't really do this plant justice.

I'm Not Really A Train Person...

2010-05-16T14:26:00.000-07:00

Day 352

09 May 2010

It was the diesel weekend on the Swanage Railway.

That's about as much as I can explain, because I don't know any more than that! But there were a lot of enthusiasts snapping away happily at this train.

Pirate Birthday Party Treasure Hunt

2010-05-08T13:47:00.000-07:00

Day 351

08 May 2010

Today we went to a 5th birthday party. It was brilliant fun for the kids, as they found clues to where each treasure box lay in various parts of Durlston. They really got into it, becoming eagerly competitive with eachother, ignoring the fact that they each got the same thing and that there was no overall winner!
We had a great day, thankyou Cat and Jim!

DING! DING! Round Two?

2010-05-07T12:47:00.000-07:00

Day 350

07 May 2010

Well, here we are, then. Dorset South is suddenly a grubby blue. Sorry, Jim!

Gordon Brown is desperately yet defiantly offering to share the booty; Cameron is the schoolboy trying to reach the sweetshop counter to get the prized lollipop out of the jar; and Clegg is suddenly the most popular boy in the playground that all the other kids want him to be friends with.

What will happen, next?

Election Day

2010-05-07T12:37:00.000-07:00

Day 349

06 May 2010

We went to the polls, today, and cast our votes. I don't want Richard Grosvenor Plunkett-Erlne-Erle (I'm just an ordinary Dorset man with a mansion and a 7,000 acres garden, yah?) Drax to win the Dorset South seat. He isn't of the ordinary world. He doesn't have a clue what real life is all about. He certainly has no idea about the Purbeck community, mostly because he never comes here (until last week when his billboard land rover turned up in the town and he went on a meet and greet in the street), so why on earth would anyone want him in our seat? Conversely, Jim Knight has made many visits to Swanage, has actively campaigned on issues in the town, and been listening to the residents. Ros Kayes has also been involved and active in the schools campaigns, and other issues in Purbeck.

I am writing this retrospectively, so really this isn't a "live" blog submission. But it is how I felt yesterday, and even more so how I feel today.

Grumph...

Freedom of Choice

2010-05-05T15:19:00.000-07:00

Day 348

05 May 2010

This is not my original choice of image, but it was all I was able to do, today, due to some setbacks from yesterday. All is fine again, now, but it's been a tricky day!

What I intended to depict was the freedom we have to vote without fear of corruption or loss of life, without being bullied into voting for a dictatorship Government, and with the right to freedom of choice. Think about Countries where democracy is a dream, and where dictatorship dominates over the individual.

Previous generations of men and women have fought to give us our freedom.

Please vote tomorrow.

Sun Rise

2010-05-05T15:01:00.000-07:00

Day 347

04 May 2010

Today I was up at the crack of sparrows. I took this photo - very quickly - on my way out of Swanage. Without going into detail, I had to be in Southampton by 7.30 this morning. It was a challenging day, filled with promise. All went well.

Choo-Choo!

2010-05-03T14:36:00.000-07:00

Day 346

03 May 2010

There was a chilly Easterly (so I was told) wind today, so the hats and warm coats made a re-appearance. We went up to "tokenworld", as our friend's little boy nicknamed it, and the kids had a ride on the train. It's been a relaxing bank holiday.

Dangling the carrot

2010-05-03T14:27:00.000-07:00

Day 345

02 May 2010

The house needed a tidy-up. There were toys everywhere. It was decided that dressing up was a good way of getting the job done. It worked! I make no excuses for this poor photo, though - it's terrible!

Saxon-Viking battle

2010-05-03T14:22:00.000-07:00

Day 344

01 May 2010

We went to Corfe castle to watch the battle re-enactment taking place. There was a village scene within The Keep; and there was an exciting atmosphere. There were arrows and stones being thrown. A chance for grown men to behave like kids!

chocolate pots

2010-05-03T14:15:00.000-07:00

Day 343

30 April 2010

We had friends over for dinner, this evening. We did a course each. Starters were lovely spinach and feta parcels woth houmous and pitta; followed by baked cod; and my contribution was a Jamie oliver recipe for chocolate pots. We all ate very well, the food was delicious!

beach

2010-05-03T14:10:00.000-07:00

Day 342

29 April 2010

After school we went to the beach with some friends. The weather had been overcast all day but brightened up when we got to the beach!

chocolate face

2010-05-03T14:07:00.000-07:00

Day 341

28 April 2010

My son had a soya chocolate yoghurt, today. He really enjoyed it. as you can see!

flora

2010-05-03T14:04:00.000-07:00

Day 340

27 April 2010

I was pushed for time, today, but this flower caught my eye so I thought I'd take a picture of it.

recyling?

2010-05-03T14:01:00.000-07:00

Day 339

26 April 2010

I took this today as I passed a bin by the beach. I am frustrated by our recycling. I want more for recycling and less for landfill, but our council does not take plastics or food/veg for composting. At the moment we give our compostable stuff yo our neighbours who have an allotment, but what I'd like to see is our compostable material collected by the council and then resold at a good price back to the locals to use on their allotment/flowerbeds, Why can this not happen, when in lots of other boroughs it does?

Sunday

2010-05-03T13:53:00.000-07:00

Day 338

25 April 2010

Last night our friends came to stay. It was wonderful to see them and catch up with them after a very long time of having not seen them.They left at lunchtime, and a little (too late) later I took the kids to check out the classic car rally. By the time we got there, all that was left was a mini mog, a broken down jag, and an Anglia. I was pushed for time so I hurriedly snapped at the mog before heading home.

Wedding Job

2010-05-03T13:45:00.000-07:00

Day 337

24 April 2010

I had a photography job, today, photographing a wedding. It was a beautiful ceremony, and beautiful weather. The party was gorgeous, too. I did some formal shots, but most of them were informal, reportage-style. Just my thing!

Now I have a lot of photos to go through. It'll be fun!

St George's Day

2010-04-23T10:27:00.001-07:00

Day 336

23 April 2010

I chopped a lovely rosy red apple up, to form the England flag. Clearly I have far too much time on my hands!

Happy St. George's Day!

Job

2010-04-23T10:25:00.000-07:00

Day 335

22 April 2010

I was asked to take some photos of Vernon Lodge, which is a family-friendly B&B in Swanage. It was fun to head around the house and take pictures, and it's a lovely home.

Flora

2010-04-23T10:20:00.000-07:00

Day 334

21 April 2010

I've been busy, today, so I haven't had time to think of photography.

This is partly down to the fact that I've been distributing petitions to various shops in the town. The petition asks people to sign if they agree that Dorset County Council should halt their plans to change the education system from a three-tier, to a two-tier system, forcing closure of the middle schools in Purbeck. Many people in Purbeck are against the option to change to two-tier, because there is a lack of funding available to provide an acceptable standard of education. There are also concerns that the council failed to carry out an Economic Impact Assessment, which will provide information on how Swanage would be affected if the middle school was to close. If you're interested in finding out more, visit http://www.educationswanage.co.uk/.

If you see the petition whilst you're out and about, and agree with the above, please sign it!

Market Day

2010-04-20T15:08:00.000-07:00

Day 333

20 April 2010

It was market day, today. I walked around to see what was on offer, for the first time this season. I bought a few books for the kids. I am often amazed by the standards of young children's storybooks, because they are so beautifully written and illustrated. I frequently read to my children with a similar enthralled suspense to theirs. We recently discovered the thrill of reading Pippi Longstocking, which still holds its own despite being written 60-something years ago by a Swedish author; but the Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe left my daughter enchanted, much like myself, who hadn't read it for years, let alone watched the film. Reading was always a pleasure for me as a child, and I'd spend countless hours curled up with a book, engrossed in another world. Nowadays, at the moment, children's literature is all I do read, but I will get back to those evenings of being curled up with a good book. I can't wait!

Hazy

2010-04-19T13:44:00.000-07:00

Day 332

19 April 2010

Today there was a definite haze in the air. Dust had settled on cars, and there was little breeze. It was a beautiful sunny day, again, but in comparison to the weekend, when there had been bright blue skies, today was almost foggy, at times. I am assuming that it's all because of the Icelandic volcano ash that's drifting this way. Later in the day it got hazier still, and I wonder how long it will be before it clears.

Run, Run, Run!

2010-04-19T13:18:00.001-07:00

Day 331

18 April 2010

Today I entered a fun run to raise money for one of the local pre-schools. It was a 5K run around Durlston and back to the school. It was hot, sunny, and...fun. There were around 25 of us running, including some serious Purbeck Runners. The run was a few hills, a few fields, and back again.

As a runner on hard ground, usually under cover of darkness so that nobody can see how daft I look, and when it's generally cool (or almost freezing), I found it a slight challenge. I was also up 5 times in the night with my son, who, for whatever reason, doesn't really want to sleep at the moment, but is partial to a 2 hourly feeding regime. I also had to get up at 6.30 so that my poor husband could go to bed for a couple of hours, having finished a night shift. I haven't been able to train for the run because of illness and so, after running once in 2 weeks, I went on this hot, hilly, grassy run, and came back at around 31 ish minutes, in 14th place. Not bad!

My friend Catherine made it through as the First Lady, which, if I'd been able to keep up with her all the way around, I'd have been just behind!

All in all it was a great, well organised event and a lot of fun to do. What made it all even more worthwhile were my kids, who came running up to me at the end and gave me a big kiss!And big thanks to my other half, who stayed up all day instead of going to bed to get some sleep before going to work.

Blues

2010-04-19T13:11:00.000-07:00

Day 330

17 April 2010

Another beautiful, clear and warm day. The town was busy with last-minute Easter break-ers, and a lot of opportunistic gulls.

At lunchtime all the chippies were full, and the aroma of chips and vinegar were overpowering, and very tempting. But we resisted!

I've only just realised that there are a lot of blues, in these two images. I get drawn to various colours now and then, and blue definitely appears to be the order of the day. A beautiful, bright, zingy blue.

Silver Balloon

2010-04-16T14:03:00.000-07:00

Day 329

16 April 2010

Having had a fairly sleepless night, I gave up trying sleep at 5.30 and got up, along with my fidgety and restless son, who immediately perked up as soon as he saw me buttering the first slice of malt loaf. He was shortly followed by my daughter, who was as chipper as a chippery thing, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, and ready for fun and games. I was bleary-eyed and grumpy, and even the radio was a source of irritation.

A while later, and I decided to get out into the fresh air, and enjoy the sunrise. A surprising number of people were out and about, including an elderly gentleman who was watching the tide coming in from the comfort of his car. There were a few dog walkers on the downs; and the refuse collectors were out in force. I noticed this silver helium balloon being gently co-erced up the shore on monkey beach, and felt it was right for a photo for today. It stayed put long enough for me to take its photograph, before drifting away with the tide.

By the time I'd got back to the house, I felt much, much better. But a bit more sleep would have been nice!

Between the Cracks in the Wall

2010-04-16T13:39:00.000-07:00

Day 328

15 April 2010

The plumes of smoke, ash and gas that are being swept from Iceland over northern Europe and the UK has bought the air industry to a halt. People are stranded at various airports, many of whom are unable to get back, and unsure of how long it will be before things return to normality, again. Iceland is on the brink of a geographical disaster.

It is the latest natural event in the world, amongst the earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, and heatwaves, affecting regions across the planet. People are becoming increasingly worried and anxious about the earth, and how it is coming to an end.

Climate change is a hot topic at the moment. Everywhere we hear about how we should be cutting our CO2 emissions, how we need to find ways of generating energies to continue our way of life. I periodically receive emails about how I should sign petitions to keep the price of petrol down, that the oil companies are being greedy. People seem focused on finding ways of how we need to find a way to keep things the way they are.

It seems that there is an elephant in this big "room of doom", that of the peak oil debate: meaning that we are running out of oil, and yet rather than try to find ways of slowing down our consumption of fossil fuels (which will naturally lower our CO2 emissions), there is this clinging on to what we have, rather than trying to change our ways.

I wonder how much oil is being saved from a no-fly rule, at the moment?

I wonder what the decreased percentage of CO2 emissions will be, over this time?

I wonder how many people will be trying to get back home via other means, and of them, how many are considering a change to their lifestyle?

My belief is that the earth is healing itself. The natural disasters that are occuring world-wide are to try to get the earth back on track, back to how it should be. It's not the end. It's the beginning of a new world. My love and thoughts are with anyone who is suffering anywhere as a result of the earthquakes, floods, storms, and heatwaves, and any natural disasters to come. I ask for comapssion, strength and courage to be given to all who will experience the changes we face. I ask anyone reading this not to scoff or laugh at this, but to really think. Really really think.

Don't face the future with fear of the unknown. Enjoy what you have. Love the fresh air, the drizzle, the light breeze. Feel the warmth of the sun on your skin and experience that moment to its fullest. Love the sight and aromas of the beautiful plants, fruits, and flowers around you. Touch them and feel the coolness of the earth maintaining them. Be thankful for the earth's power to maintain your life with air, water, food and beauty. For, despite everything, the green shoots of new life come through all adversity. Even the flowers that grow between the cracks in the walls push through and live life to the fullest.

Love your world and all of those things that are around you.

Low Tide

2010-04-16T13:09:00.000-07:00

Day 327

14 April 2010

The sun came out, the tide went out, the visitors appeared and hit the beaches. Kids, armed with buckets and spades, were seen all along this stretch of the beach, looking for something interesting. The grown-ups were interested, too, rolling their trouser legs up and taking off their shoes and socks. Allowing their feet to sink into the cold, wet, soft-hard sand.

Fun at the Skate Park

2010-04-13T12:06:00.000-07:00

Day 326

13 April 2010

It's been gorgeous, outside, today. This afternoon we went out for a walk and found ourselves back at the park, where we all messed about in the skate park. Including me, who, I have no shame in admitting, did my best (and succeeded) to run up and down the slopes to get to the top. It was fun! My little girl found it a bit more of a challenge, but she made it in the end. My son was happy to tootle about on his big sister's scooter for a while.

This is Good!

2010-04-12T12:27:00.000-07:00

Day 325

12 April 2010

I now have prints for sale in two places in town. One is Totally Local, which sells work of artists from Swanage and Purbeck; and now the Photographer's Lounge have four of my prints. I am very pleased with myself. I need to get around a few more galleries around the area, but I am too busy at the moment to get this going. One day, and soon, I will make time to do this. At this stage, it's not so much about selling stuff (although obviously that would be nice!), but about being recognised in the area and getting my work out and about. This is another breakthrough for me, and something I hardly dared imagine would be happening, with thirty days of my blog to go before I complete the year of this project.

The print is of a photo I love. It is featured earlier in the blog, and shows children running through a puddle at sunset. It was tweeked a little to bring out the colours, and then the image was turned upside down.

Poorly

2010-04-11T13:02:00.000-07:00

Day 324

11 April 2010

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. I couldn't keep the lurgy away. It hit me with a venegence, last night. It didn't help that my son woke several times through the night, either. Today I have felt a bit better, but not great. This morning we all managed to get out of the house for a bit of fresh air. I've been trying to eat but it's a bit tricky! This is home-made tomato soup, which I made for my husband, yesterday, when he had the bug. I'm sure it tastes lovely!

I'll be fine, tomorrow. Whatever happens, carry on!

Free Cycle

2010-04-11T12:55:00.000-07:00

Day 323

10 April 2010

Not much time, today. My husband has now caught the sickness virus from the kids, so I've been busy, as well as feeling queasy but in denial about it. Whatever happens, carry on!

I saw this bike - which until very recently, belonged to my friends' sons. To leave previously well-loved stuff out for passers by to consider and collect, is a regular event, around here. It's like the Honesty Box policy, where people leave out veggies or fruit or other items, with a box to put in a sum of money. This would never have happened where we lived, before. It's a comfortable reminder that we live in a great part of the world.

Fresh Air

2010-04-09T13:31:00.000-07:00

Day 322

10 April 2010

It was so lovely to feel the sun on my face and the wind in my hair, today. My son was sick all night, so I was up countless times to help him and clean up. He's better today, though, and although I'm tired, it felt good to be out in the fresh air and feel the warmth of the sun. There were a lot of people milling around town, today, and the beach had a look more of summertime, with a large number of people enjoying themselves, Punch and Judy on the sand, and the amusements up on the Rec' open.

Dragon Egg Hunt

2010-04-08T12:57:00.000-07:00

Day 321

08 April 2010

We went to Lulworth Castle, this morning, to go dragon egg hunting with some friends. The kids were kept busy looking for coins or clues, as well as having a try at archery (which was great fun), jumping about on a bouncy castle, watching a play, and looking around the inside of the castle. It has been a beautiful day, and we all had a lot of fun. It's pricey to get into Lulworth castle, but if you go to their website you can download and print a voucher which entitles free entry for one child per paying adult.

There was a procession of the gold and red dragon.

The top of the castle

A snow dragon. Beautifully constructed.

Fabulous clear blue skies.

A baby dragon, with a few piercings!

Big Kids

2010-04-07T13:14:00.000-07:00

Day 320

07 April 2010

We went to the park with our friend, Sophie, and her daughter, with our kids, this afternoon. The park at King George's playing fields has a brilliant selection of climbing frames, swings, and all manner of things to keep kids happy for hours.

But the adults amongst our group couldn't resist joining in, too. This see-saw is fantastic: it spins around, whilst dipping down. It allows the rider to bounce their feet off the ground and gain height again, forcing the other person down. It's such good fun, the kids were begging us to get off so that they could have a go!

Next time you're at a park, have a go, yourself, and indulge your inner child!

Magnificent Magnolia

2010-04-06T15:37:00.000-07:00

Day 319

06 April 2010

Another beautiful day, and another great day, spent with friends. We went for a walk, this evening, and saw that the Magnolia tree I photographed a few weeks ago is now in full bloom.

We also saw this duck with her ducklings in the stream which runs along and below the town. They looked happy and care-free, and very, very cute!

Boggy Field Football

2010-04-06T15:27:00.000-07:00

Day 318

05 April 2010

This afternoon we went to the park and had a kick about. It was cool, sunny, bright and squishy. The field was boggy but it made for a soft landing for our son, and lots of fun for our daughter, who ran about playing happily for a long time.

Easter Sunday

2010-04-06T15:23:00.000-07:00

Day 317

04 April 2010

We traveled on the steam train to Corfe Castle, today. The kids loved it. We went to the Greyhound Inn for lunch. The food is lovely, and the staff were really helpful, even though it was busy. Then we went into the castle for a couple of hours, to mooch about, admire the views, run about with the kids, and watch the many children rolling down the hills by the entrance. All under a wonderful blue sky, with the sun smiling down on us!

"Aaarrgghh!"

2010-04-03T13:58:00.000-07:00

Day 316

03 April 2010

We have friends over to stay for the Easter weekend. We took the kids to the beach, albeit briefly, to stretch their legs and blow the cobwebs away. We all got soaked from the rain and the waves, but the kids were happy!

Sea Tea See

2010-04-02T15:17:00.000-07:00

Day 315

02 April 2010

We went for a walk this afternoon. This morning the rain came down like stair-rods at times, which made it horrible and not at all fun to walk in. This afternoon, however, the sun came out, as did the visitors to the town. It was busy, but lovely to see everybody out enjoying themselves with ice creams, paddling in the sea, and drinking tea!

April Brings the Little Lambs...

2010-04-02T15:10:00.000-07:00

Day 314

01 April 2010

...Skipping by their fleecy Dams

We went up to see my mum, this afternoon, and whilst we were there, we had a look at the sheep and the lambs in the fields.

The lambs are so cute! They were curious and didn't appear to be that wary of humans...yet.

Unlike the grown-ups, who know better.

This lamb is DEFINITELY smiling for the camera. Say Cheese!

Bubble

2010-03-31T12:55:00.000-07:00

Day 313

31 March 2010

I used to love playing with bubbles when I was a child. I'd forgotten that they are a simple playtime, but today I was able to relive a bit of my childhood by blowing bubbles and watching the looks of amazement on the kids' faces!

Comfort Food For a Cold Wet Day

2010-03-31T12:51:00.000-07:00

Day 312

30 March 2010

This was tonight's dinner: roasted butternut squash, sweet potato and garlic, pureed and made into a pasta sauce and added to tomatoes and grated corguette, and diced bacon. Yum!

Daffs

2010-03-29T03:00:00.000-07:00

Day 311

29 March 2010

Are the daffodils all pointing towards the ground because of the weight of the rainfall, or is there a quirk of nature that they do it to protect the stamen of the flower from getting waterlogged?

Why do we need to know that we are genetically around 25% daffodil? Does that mean that the daffodil is genetically around 25% human? In which case, does this mean that the daffodil has a conciousness, and made a concious decision to bend the flower towards the ground to stop it from getting a waterlogged centre?
I don't know. It's Monday morning, I've just been to my daughter's Easter bonnet assembly, and the daffodils caught my eye. I started having these thoughts, as well as the ability to just stand and admire them as they swung about in the wind.

The hours just fly by...

Happy Monday, everyone!

Bonnet

2010-03-28T14:29:00.000-07:00

Day 310

28 March 2010

Today has been a bit of a challenge. I decided to take the kids to church in an attempt to teach that Easter is not just about the eggs and the chocolate, but that it's a religious festival.

On the way we saw a procession from the church, carrying palm fronds and singing as they walked along the road.

I had forgotten that the Palm Sunday service is longer than usual, but to their credit, the kids stayed quiet and good for most of it. If you want to teach your kids how to sit still and be quiet, take them to church. It's a kill or cure situation!

This afternoon we made an Easter bonnet for school, which I found particularly challenging, because trying to supervise a 5 year old, doing the tricky bits, and instructing on what to do next proved...interesting, especially whilst trying to keep a 14 month-old interested in other things without getting restless or clingy. It was a tense hour! But the hat looks good: three chicks hiding out in the grass, with three ladybirds crawling around the dew drops (silver glitter). She did a mighty fine job!

Activity afternoon

2010-03-27T13:18:00.000-07:00

Day 309

27 March 2010

This afternoon I took my daughter to the Rainbows activity afternoon. There were all sorts of activities going on. They had all been doing various things all day, but we missed this morning because we were elsewhere.

The cakes were delicious!

Love and Light

2010-03-26T15:30:00.000-07:00

Day 308

26 March 2010

The sun shone through this glass heart, this afternoon, creating tiny rainbows around the room. It sparkled as it hung in front of the window, acting as a gentle pendulum in the afternoon breeze.

Kimmeridge

2010-03-26T15:19:00.000-07:00

Day 307

25 March 2010

We went for a walk at Kimmeridge, this morning.

The newly-restored Clavell Tower, which has accomodation (and apparently a long waiting list), and which was moved from the cliff edge to stop it from tumbling into the sea.

It's a good walk to the top. Very good for the quads and the heart!

I'm glad I was wearing Wellies, for this!

There was heavy rainfall, last night. The waterfall was impressive.

Splash!

2010-03-24T15:13:00.000-07:00

Day 306

24 March 2010

I saw this as a good photo opportunity, this evening. The wind-up diver toy has been placed on two tea-light holders, which look like the splashes of the butterfly stroke he's doing!

Rainbow Food

2010-03-24T15:05:00.000-07:00

Day 305

23 March 2010

My daughter tried out Rainbows, today. She loved it, and will be going back. I dropped her off, went home to try to find something to make for dinner, and then headed out to pick her up, again. I really try to provide a range of colour in our meals, and we nickname our healthy food as rainbow food, in the hope that it will sound intriguing enough to eat it. On the whole, this tact generally works, even if it's to eat a pre-agreed number of dinosaur mouthfuls.

This one pot wonder is a mix of salmon (responsibly sourced), carrot and coriander soup, passata, oregano, parsely, tomatoes and sugar snap peas. Tasted good with some Tabasco dotted over it.

Lost Love

2010-03-24T14:59:00.000-07:00

Day 304

22 March 2010

I saw this teddy bear, lying on the A-board of a pub. It had started to rain, but the teddy was still dry, and clean. I hope that its owner was reunited with him, especially knowing how precious toys are to some children, and how they are completely bereft without them!

Wet Feet

2010-03-21T13:45:00.000-07:00

Day 303

21 March 2010

This afternoon we went for a stroll along the beach, mostly to get rid of the mischievious streak my daughter woke up with, today. My son got out of the buggy and had a walk, too, and got his feet wet at the water's edge.

Unfortunately I forgot to check the camera before taking this photo - which is why it's so bleached!

Run!

I like seeing leaves from trees that not in close proximity to the beach. It reminds me that the world is not linear and that nature can wander, or drift, into areas it wouln't necessarily be expected.

Make a Wish!

2010-03-21T13:37:00.000-07:00

Day 302

20 March 2010

We went to my daughter's friend's 5th birthday party, today. The past five years have whizzed by. The girls have shared so many precious days, together. They are both very strong, confident girls who look after eachother and love eachother, and are very cute together! I hope they will grow up to remain good, strong friends, and will continue to share many more happy times.

70's museum

2010-03-19T14:42:00.000-07:00

Day 301

19th March 2010

The school are doing a project on the 1970's and 1980's. The children were asked to bring in some objects harking back to these times. There is now a museum, which was great fun to look at, laugh about, and remember.

Although I think these objects hark back to an earlier time...!

I remember this, though!

Belated Birthday Tea

2010-03-18T15:38:00.000-07:00

Day 300

18th March, 2010

We had two schoolfriends back for a belated birthday tea, this afternoon. We did some arts and crafts, then made pizza. I think they all enjoyed themselves!

This photo is the best of the bunch. The shutterspeed on all of them was too slow; the children had odd expressions or were moving and therefore blurred. I am having an off-day!

NCT afternoon

2010-03-17T14:39:00.000-07:00

Day 299

07 March 2010

Wednesdays are a really busy day, for me. I feel that I only pause for breath after the kids are in bed! It was the National Childbirth Trust (NCT) afternoon, today, and it was fairly busy. There was a mix of babies, and toddlers, up to pre-school age. It's a good place to come along and meet other parents, and we regularly have social evenings for the grown-ups, as well as the football team for the men. The NCT is alive and kicking in Swanage!

Mucking About

2010-03-16T03:53:00.000-07:00

Day 298

16 March 2010

I've modified today's photo (just in case you haven't noticed). There is actually a beautifully blue sky, the sun is shining, and there is a fresh, uplifting air. I took a few deep lung-fulls whilst walking along the seafront, while my son toddled along, blowing raspberries to himself and giggling away. Such cheap entertainment! My daughter was well enough to go to school today, so she merrily scootered her way there, this morning. It feels that all is well in my world.

I was trying to fiddle about with the image in photoshop, thinking about adding lots of colour and vibrancy. I couldn't really do it. I don't know enough about fiddling with photos to create the zing that is seen in various landscape works, but at any rate, I sort of like the final result, here, if only because it is left to the viewer's imagination to decide what colour the sky and the sea are. All images are a matter of personal interpretation: you decide what the picture shows!

Well that's my excuse, anyway!

A Birthday

2010-03-15T14:55:00.000-07:00

Day 297

15 March 2010

At just before 5 am, my daughter woke with a migraine. She joined my son, who had been crying nearly the whole night through because he had a temperature and felt lousy. All on my daughter's birthday. I was willing her to feel better, I thought it so unfair for her to be poorly on her special day.

But it wasn't to be. She woke again at 8, and still felt terrible. She didn't want any of her schoolfriends to "catch" her migraine, so felt it was right not to go in to school.

By lunchtime, she was much better, but by that point it was too late to go in. Despite everything, she said she has enjoyed her birthday, and so that was good enough for me!

Mother's Day

2010-03-14T13:48:00.000-07:00

Day 296

14 March 2010

I have had a lovely day, today. I have been given chocolates, flowers, and a handmade card from my daughter. I've been taken out for lunch, and spent some time with both my mother, and my mother-in-law.

My children have been gorgeous, as always, and I have enjoyed sitting back and watching them, today. The best gifts I have had from them have been the spontaneous hugs and kisses I've received, the gentle hand in mine, the giggle and the smile, the whispering of, "happy mother's day, Mummy" several times during the day, the look of love from my son.

I think that perhaps mother's day isn't just about pampering and spending money on gifts for them, but more about the mother reflecting on the time they have had as a parent, nurturing their child and helping to grow into the beautiful people they are. To me, it's also about how we nurture ourselves, how we allow ourselves to reflect, to smile at ourselves, to feel grateful and be shown gratitude. Share that gratitude, that love, and remind yourself daily how lucky you are to be a mother, to be the child, and to have the unending love from within to give and to receive.

Happy Mother's Day!

Hundreds Ride Out

2010-03-14T04:46:00.000-07:00

Day 295

13 March 2010

There were hundreds of old and new Lambrettas, vespas, and other scooters out and about in Swanage, today. They lined the lower end of the high street and the quay. A lot of them were parked on double yellows, but there was no sign of a ticket man anywhere...

The group were staying in a caravan park in Sandford. Apparently they usually go to Poole Quay each year, but chose Swanage, this year, instead. Come back next year, I enjoyed walking around and looking at the bikes!

Guitar

2010-03-12T13:28:00.000-08:00

Day 294

12 March 2010

My husband is off to the pub. Not just to drink, but to play, too. He's doing a few numbers with his other Other Half. The last gig he did was over Christmas. He still winces when he recounts how he played an F minor instead of an F sharp during Dancing in The Moonlight. Well, I suppose he won't make that mistake, again! I'm sure he and Paul will be great. I wish I could go and watch!

More Cake

2010-03-11T14:31:00.000-08:00

Day 293

11 March 2010

I decorated the birthday cake, today. It took ages, but it has come out OK...not sure about the whole easter bonnet type of thing, but I hope that by the time it's got a few mini eggs around the brim it will look a bit better. I'm dubious about the brim, actually. It wasn't so much sponge, more like biscuit. But hey ho...

This is my favourite photo, because it looks as though the ladybird on the right is poking its tongue out at its friend. Or just about to lick a leaf.

My concientious young critic liked the ladybirds, but wasn't so sure about the slug across the star...
Poking holes in the icing, to make it look like a straw hat type thing.

At the beginning, there was doubt. In the end, though, I feel fairly happy with the result. The butterfly is a bit of a let down, though!

Parky

2010-03-10T14:04:00.000-08:00

Day 292

10 March 2010

We went to Poole, today. It's been beautiful, and although it's been cold, the sun has been able to cut through the cold and provide some comfort on my face. I love to take a long, deep breath, so that I feel energised. Today I did just that, and it felt wonderful.
We went to Poole Park, this afternoon. There were a few windsurfers out on the water, engaged in a lesson, and looking as though they were doing well. The Canada geese were milling about amongst the opportunistic seagulls, and there was the sound of happy little voices coming from the swings.
What a beautiful day!

A Cake Is Born

2010-03-09T09:01:00.000-08:00

Day 291

09 March 2010

I've been making birthday cake this afternoon. It all started yesterday, when I decided I'd have a go at doing a pirate treasure chest, but I couldn't find any gold coins for the inside of the chest. All I could see was a lot of Easter-based confectionary.

Then I thought, "I know, I'll make an Easter Bonnet birthday cake!"

Last night I made the shape of the bonnet, and this afternoon, I made the brim. That's the easy bit, done...

The icing and decorating bit will be interesting!

Ever feel as though you've bitten off a little bit more than you can chew?!

Light and Green

2010-03-08T13:30:00.000-08:00

Day 290

08 March 2010

This afternoon, I went for a walk. As I walked alongside the train station, the late afternoon sun was shining on the roofs of the carriages. I felt the barest warmth of the sun on my face, but it was almost imperceivable against the bracing wind.

The photo above annoys me because I didn't notice the lens flare when I took it!
I liked the different shades of green, here.

There She Goes!

2010-03-07T12:49:00.000-08:00

Day 289

07 March 2010

We all decided that, after dropping lots of hints, followed by a chat, it was time the stabilisers were removed from my daughter's bike. We explained, demonstrated, procrastinated, anticipated, and finally, carried out her first attempt to ride without them. We set down rules: 1.Don't be scared; 2.Be brave; 3.KEEP PEDALING! 4.Have fun. Oh, and finally: 5.Don't worry about falling off.

Although she seemed very pleased with herself, and rightly so, she asked for the stabilisers to be screwed back on again at the end. It took a lot of persuasion, discussion and a reward at the end of the week if she continued to practice without them every day, before she agreed that they would not be replaced.
I am very proud of her, clever little thing!

Busking; Fabulous Fezheads!

2010-03-07T12:42:00.000-08:00

Day 288

06 March 2010

The blues festival continues, today, with several acts in the afternoon, and a good line up in town for the evening. This busker was outside the White Swan, helping to get some donations for the organisation of the event.

At the East Bar we found the Fabulous Fezheads, who were very entertaining!

Blues festival starts here!

2010-03-07T12:30:00.000-08:00

Day 287

05 March 2010

I was once again pressured for time this evening, but I did get out briefly to check out some of the acts that were kicking off the Blues Festival weekend. This is one of the Robin Bibi Band, who played at Bar se7en.

This is the tenth Swanage blues festival, which was started by Steve Darrington. The festivals bring in lots of trade for the B &B's, hotels, shops and pubs for the town, at times of the year when it's quieter in Swanage. Steve organises the festivals, which run in March and October, as well as playing keyboard in the various venues around town. To find out more about the Swanage Blues Festival, go to www.swanage-blues.org

Cleansing

2010-03-07T12:21:00.000-08:00

Day 286

04 March 2010

This man was standing at the edge of the surf, waiting for the waves to come up to his boots. He waited for the water to subside, and then used some seaweed to clean around the edges of the boots, before heading back to the water for a rinse-off. I have no idea why he was doing this. Anybody?
I love watching the waves around by the quay and the Mowlem. When the waves hit the wall, they fall backwards into the middle where they meet the next wave coming in. The result looks like the effect of stirring your hand around in a soapy washing-up bowl. It also reminds me of the power of the sea, and how awesome it is to stand on the corner by the parade and feel the breeze, and hear the mighty roar.
And then retreat to the warmth for a cuppa!

Scooter Gang

2010-03-03T12:41:00.000-08:00

Day 285

03 March 2010

I've been madly dashing about here, there, and everywhere, today. So the fact that this is a fairly uninspiring photo isn't much of a surprise, but the scooters at the pres-school group I went to this morning briefly got my attention! I had no other opportunities today to take photos of anything else. Ah well!

Long Way Out

2010-03-02T13:59:00.000-08:00

Day 284

02 March 2010

As with yesterday, we went for a walk along the beach today after school. The tide was a long way out, so we were able to make the most of the vast expanse of sand...until a tumble resulted in a soaking wet set of clothes, freezing cold hands, and suddenly things were no longer as exciting as they had been at the start...oh well!

The First Day of Spring

2010-03-01T14:46:00.000-08:00

Day 283

01 March 2010

This morning, the sun was shining, there was a fresh taste in the air, the sky was blue, and the birds seemed to have turned up the volume. On our walk to school, we looked around us to see what signs of Spring we could see.
These photos were taken this afternoon, when we had more time. After school, we walked along the seafront and met our friends. We enjoyed a cuppa from Lisa's camper van and ate chocolate brownies, whilst watching the kids play on the beach. There are spring tides, today, so the tide was a long way out, a millpond reflecting the blue skies. It's so lovely to be able to go to the beach after school, I feel so grateful to be in this position.

This scene made me laugh: the gull sat on the telescope for ages, hoping that the man would offer a chip. After a while, the gull took to shouting at the man, but his pleas for "gizzuz a chip?" went unheard. At least it was polite enough to ask, rather than just take!

Doctor in the House?

2010-02-28T14:11:00.000-08:00

Day 282

28 February 2010

My daughter has tonsilitis. She's had it for the past five days. Yesterday her tonsils resembled two large strawberries. Last night she couldn't swallow, and this morning she couldn't even drink a sip of water without feeling pain in her throat, and her tonsils were looking worse than ever.

Swanage has a small cottage hospital. Today there were no doctors on duty for the town (a town with a population of over 10,000). When I spoke to the out of hours service, they were expecting me to somehow get to Poole hospital, 20 miles away. I don't have a car, today, and so they told me to get the bus (an hour and 50 minute journey with a poorly child and a baby, on my own, with another 10 minute walk in the rain once we got to Poole). Alternatively, they suggested that someone else lend me their car, let alone find two suitable car seats to use. The caller didn't seem to appreciate that Swanage is a rural area. I felt like I was being somehow difficult and annoying, and the person on the phone eventually, reluctantly agreed to send a doctor to see my daughter, although he clearly was not happy to be doing this.

When the doctor visited, he was fine about coming out to see us, and didn't see it as an issue. Great! And it was a justified visit, because she needed more than a bit of calpol to treat her.

I don't understand why there should be an issue with doctors coming to see a patient in a rural area, especially if there are difficulties visiting a clinic. Would the caller I spoke to have made such a fuss if the patient was incapacitated at home? I doubt it. I do know that there are people who expect, or demand, home visits by GP's when they are more than capable of getting out of the house, but when a call is coming from an area where there isn't even GP cover for a moderately-sized population, shouldn't there be a little give and take?

Swanage really needs a walk-in-centre, at the very least, to solve these problems. Anyone?!

Busy B

2010-02-28T14:00:00.000-08:00

Day 281

26 February 2010

My daughter is becoming keen on the idea of learning to play an instrument. She's talked about the piano, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, and recorder.

Today I showed her how to play a tune on the recorder. Well, it was more about tone and rhythm than melody. It was the first tune I learned to play, from the recorder book I still have, since I started learning at the age of eight. She played it back to me almost perfectly, including the right way to produce the rhythm.

When I was a child, I loved to play with any musical instrument I could get my hands on. I put this enthusiasm largely down to my music teacher at St.Georges school, a brilliant teacher called Val Greenleaves. She inspired me to learn recorder, treble recorder, flute, and yearn for piano lessons. She taught me to read music, and she had unending patience for all of the squeaky, tuneless recorder-playing she must have encountered with us over the years! She was one of the teachers in my childhood who had a hugely positive impact on my education.

The enthusiasm has never left me, but the time to sit and practice, obviously has. I still want to learn to play the piano, the harp, the bassoon, the cello, the violin...perhaps not in this lifetime, but it's good to have ambition!

Marvellous Magnolia

2010-02-26T13:03:00.000-08:00

Day 280

26 February 2010

At least, I think it is Magnolia. It looks like it, to me. I love the magnolia tree, when it is in full bloom it looks beautiful. Today I noticed the buds on this tree at the old vicarage in the town, and although there was iron fencing in the way, I wanted to climb over it and go and touch the buds. Obviously, though, I didn't! The first signs of Spring are all around us. Even though it was very cold, today, the sun was shining and the birds were chatting away to eachother. Gorgeous!

Foggy

2010-02-25T13:39:00.000-08:00

Day 279

25 February 2010

I went up to Worth Matravers today, to see my mum. The village is a fair bit above sea-level (I don't know how high, though), and so it's like driving into the sky, when coming from Swanage. It was really foggy and rainy, so I only had a short amount of time to snatch a photo opportunity, and here it is. Whilst I took this photo my feet were getting wet and sunken into mud, the rain was dripping into the back of my coat, and the camera was not liking it much, either! The tractor looks like it's huddling up against the barbed-wire fence for some sort of comfort against the elements, in the hope that it will not suffer the effects of the weather.

A lemony cake

2010-02-24T12:48:00.000-08:00

Day 278

24 February 2010

It's my mother in-law's birthday this week. I made a cake for her, which had the taste of oranges, lemons, vanilla and mixed spice. It tasted good. I think.

There is a little bit left, if you want to try some!

Little Hands

2010-02-23T14:27:00.001-08:00

Day 277

23 February 2010

I have been putting together a lesson plan for a six-week course in baby sign language, today. I have offered to run it at the children's centre, after a few people were asking for someone who could do baby signing. I went on a baby signing course for parents, with a well-known franchise after I'd had my daughter, and I have been using it again with my son. It is amazing how effective baby signing is. I know that baby signing is regarded by critics as nothing more than a fashionable way to extort money from parents eager to produce a baby with superIQ. However, there is evidence that baby signing encourages earlier language development than babies who don't sign. And that it reduces frustration for parent and baby by improving communication.

I agree with the latter (obviously). My daughter was able to have a "chat" with me from around 8 months old, by pointing out and signing things around her, as well as being able to tell me she wanted a drink or a banana. She was talking really well by the time she got to 18 months old, and we haven't looked back since. My son is doing really well, too. At the age of 13 months old, he is able to warn me that my drink is hot; that the oven is hot when I've got stuff cooking in it; that the monkey in Dear Zoo is eating a banana; and that the light bulb above the dining table was flickering on and off.

So although it is not a replacement to language, it gives insight into what a baby is aware of around them, and how it's possible to have a conversation with them!

I will be starting the sessions within the next couple of months, and I won't be making any profit out of it, but it will be fun to teach!