Dolls to Nicaragua

If you've a mind, you might like to mosey on over to CraftHope.com.

It's a site about a web-based project encouraging people to make items for disadvantaged and children. The current project is about making rag dolls for children who live in an orphanage in Nicaragua.

I made this oneAl the dolls had to have brown skin, brown eyes and black or brown hair so that they resemble the children who will 'adopt' them. I didn't have any brown material to hand so I dyed some calico with coffee and vanilla. She's got black wool hair from some boucle wool I had over so I made them into a pony tail which looks kind of dread-locky. She's not perfect but Craft Hope isn't looking for perfection --- just simple items made with love.. In the past they've needed clothes.

I think it's a lovely idea and even though I had to send the doll to the US for shipping off to Nicaragua it only cost £2.50

If you've time and a needle and thread go and take a look.

Life's little trials and tribulations

It's been an eventful few days and I feel like I am being tested and coached through life's little hurdles.

The first event relates to TDS (The Dental Saga). For a couple of weeks, one of the teeth that needs removing has been grumbling away and giving me real 'gip' with pain not only in that tooth but into my sinuses and jaw. You'll remember that last month I received the news that my dentist said she could not deal with all my medical issues and was going to refer me to hospital...so I was trying to stall the tooth problem with Ibuprofen and homeopathic remedies.

Last Wednesday I could stand it no longer. I had managed to struggle to my son's school to see him in the Summer Term play and in the midst of Act Two my tooth decided to launch into a real attack to the point where I felt physically sick --bastard tooth ! I was pretty wiped out by the whole experience but after a lot more Ibuprofen I got through another day of waiting and hoping the whole thing would go away. Stupid Cusp ! Got worse and I was forced to confront the issue so that late Thursday afternoon I found myself phoning the dentist and asking for an emergency appointment. Friday afternoon was the appointed hour.

I knew that Conscious Sedation was not going to be an option because
a) I am unable to comply with the two hour fasting rule and
b) that treatment option needs to be pre-planned...so I was just going to have to tough it out.

Cue sleepless Thursday night and much resting Friday morning.

Friday afternoon came and off we went --my partner driving us there because I knew I would need to be driven home. This isn't any old tooth ---it's a nice big fat lower 7 (the one before the wisdom). Very scared and brave Cusp enters room and (to spare you the gory details) emerges rather wobbly 30 minutes later 'sans' tooth.

I am now rather sore and a bit bruised but also rather proud of myself. Unfortunately at some point I shall have to go through the same process twice more but at least I have managed to get to the dentist and have the offending item removed. It can only be good for my general health and I am resting as much as possible in order to try and stave off any ill effects.

The second event is more about the flow of life's river really and the trials and test that confront you once you have children. Today my youngest (who is nearly 11) left for 5 days to go on a school trip to the far north-east coast.


She will be hundreds of miles away (further than France ..as one helpful teacher pointed out) and not back until Friday evening. She is nervous but incredibly excited and looking forward to what will be a fantastic break after all the hard work of the past months for the dreaded SATS which she took last week. I have been anticipating and dreading it for weeks. I have not been really able to think about it without tears coming to my eyes.

has been away before...sleep overs and even for 3 days when she was Year 4 (two years ago) but not so far. She is at a point in her little life where she is on the cusp (!) between childhood and teenage years but in many ways she is still a little girl and she is my baby. It breaks my heart to put her in the care of strangers for five days and let her,what seems, so far away --especially when we have been specifically told not to contact the children unless it is an absolute emergency because to do so only increases the risk of them getting homesick. This is sensible stuff and I know this is another step in letting her go into the big wide world. She must go and I must let her spread her wings and face all the joys and tribulations of living her own life. In years to come there will be a trip further away, University, making her own home, finding a partner......and this is part of the process.

I know she'll find it hard at times and I am reminded of myself at almost exactly the same age going on a school trip to Scandinavia on a ship for 10 days. No mobiles, no letters, no phone calls in 1967....we got on the ship at Tilbury and were gone. As a parent now I can see how hard it must have been for my parents and grandmother to let me go. They were going through what I must go through now.

I can still see them waving me off...smiling and then probably getting back for a good old weep in the Austin as it made its way home. I wrote about that trip once before. I remember the hard bits, the homesickness, the homesickness of other children and feeling so, so far way from home bobbing about on the North Sea in April and seeing seals and dolphins and fjords and the lovely Norwegian people.......so warm and friendly. I remember it all in such detail and despite the difficulties I remember all the good bits too and that's how it will be for my daughter...a lesson in how to survive and be alone, being independent, enjoying self-reliance and savouring the good times.

She'd better send me a postcard , God love her !! ;0)

Eurovision: Apres Toi ~ Vicki Leandros

As it's Eurovision weekend I thought I'd post up a song from 1972 sung by wonderful Vicki Leandros.

Just shows how the the quality of the songs has deteriorated over the years. Last night I was up at 2 a.m. and came across the semi final of this year's spectacle in Moscow. Never have I seen such a load of old codswallop (well I have but only on Eurovision over the past 15 years or so). It seems they now try to make up for the lack of songwriting quality by wearing funny costumes and having acrobats twirling round or skaters skating or strange oversized props.

Blogging for M.E. Awareness Day: Just keeping in Touch

Hello my dear,

You've been so busy lately. Searching everywhere for something.

I'm not sure what it is you're hoping to find but I doubt you'll find it anyway. Sorry I don't have any clues for your search. Still, I am sorry that all your efforts have kept us apart. I enjoy our little conversations:it's really not the same when you pretend to only pay me scant attention.
After all you know I'm never very far away.

I like to keep in touch and I'm always here

should you find the need to talk

feel my prescence

the touch of my hand.


You and I have been through so much together.

****************

Do you remember when we first met ?

You were only 18: your whole life before you.
You thought a few days, even weeks off school might be quite nice: a chance to duck the pressure of 'A' levels and the relentless monotony of school.

Bet you never thought we'd form such a close bond and I'd still be around when you're in your fifties.

Of course, the irony is that whilst you continue to age, I never grow old really.
You grow older and less strong. I remain vigorous and able to maintain my grip.

****************

I want you to know that despite what other people might say I really do enjoy watching you go out.
You go ! I'm not stopping you.
I'm only just around the corner anyway and you know I'll be here at home when you get back.
I wouldn't want you to be lonely
Just so long as you tell me where you're going,
how long you think you'll be,
who you'll be with.

I wouldn't want to lose you, now would I ?

We wouldn't want to lose each other.

I'd be lost without you and you wouldn't know where to start without me after so long.

****************


Oh, by the way, I noticed that you've been taking those tablets again.

Who sold you those then ? ...................that person in the health shop ?

I don't think we should trust her.

She's very nice...well meaning, but honestly she'll only come between us.

I don't think she likes me. Can't think why.........


__________________
No.
I've decided.
I don't want you to see her anymore.
She's trouble

.........and that doctor who told you to rest up in the day: resting will do you no good.
You should just plough on with whatever it is you want to do.

***************

What's that ?

But you get so tired........exhausted ?
Your muscles get all achey and you can't think straight ?
You feel all confused and foggy ?

You're imagining it.

It's all in your head.

You're neurotic.

The trouble with you is you're weak; don't know your own mind

That's what I mean when I tell you to rely on me.
I can be strong when you are weak. I'll be your rock.


****************


I do know better, really I do ...for all the right reasons.
I know what you need better than you do yourself.
You know you can rely on me...even when other people have let you down
Haven't I always been there for you ?
I keep my promises.

Look what happens when you've tried to go it alone, when you've listened to all those experts, all those people who say they can help you: you're lost.
You need to pay attention to me.
Even when you think I've done something to you or for you that's bad (as you see it)
it's only because I love you,
because of this strong bond we've developed over all these years.

****************

If you'd only stay close by none of this trouble would happen.
You're always trying to give me the slip.

Don't think I don't know, don't see what you're up to. You want to get away from me.
I've told you before we're good for each other. We need to stay close.

I was made for you.
We were made for each other...hand in glove.
Together forever.

Don't disappoint me by trying to escape.
I've given you everything you have.
That's why I feel so hurt when you want to see other people,
do other things,
spend proper time with your family.


It's only because I love you...you do see that don't you ?


Don't go off again looking for something better.
It's not out there anyway.
Those other people are charlatans set on breaking us up.

Better to stay here with me.
We know each other so well.

All that stuff outside....not a patch on what we've got.
Stay here and I'll never leave you.
Nobody knows you like I do.

*****************


What's that they say ?

'Better the devil you know.'

Well I'm not exactly a devil am I?


You know who I am.....just myself...just ME

If you haven't read the post below please do.
Yet another person with M.E. has been sectioned under the Mental Health Act.
I cannot tell you how much this angers and saddens me.

Brain Nicholson: another person with M.E. sectioned under the Mental Health Act

As we are about to go into ME Awareness Week you might like to be aware and spare a thought for poor Brian Nicholson who has been sectioned under the mental health act for delusional illness beliefs in relation to ME.

Brian also has POTS and it seems that, having failed to gain proper medical help and treatment, he was effectively abandoned by medical professionals. Brian then tried to help himself by upping his intake of water (which is partly helpful for people with POTS). It was then thought that the amount of water he was drinking was dangerously high and warranted a diagnosis of abnormal illness belief and subsequently sectioning under the Mental Health Act

What an appalling state of affairs. Pray to God he doesn't end up like poor Sophia Mirza

If you want to know more about Brian, support him and let him know you are thinking of him visit the Support group at Facebook


Sometimes the psychiatric profession have a lot to answer for with their imperious manner and delusional belief in complete and infallibele judgement.

Awful or not ?: Tina Charles - I Love To Love (1976)

Part of me thinks I really should regard this as awful old schlock because it's so repetitive and because of Tina's hard voice but I still love it for all the memories of warm summers and nearly falling off my platforms when I was going out on the town in the 70s.

Happy Times and a happy song