……over the edge

 

I am sitting here listening and watching a man wearing a green spacesuit spraying a grey concoction at the walls of the Council block opposite. Isn’t it amazing how politicians, bureaucrats and even past local representatives (neighbours) think the colour of the brickwork is of far more importance than the immediate safety of the wiring, the hygiene of the waste disposal, the security of the vulnerable who live here let alone the energy wastefulness of these pre second world war red brick housing estates dotted around London?

They were built as a final solution to the East End slums, a campaign begun by charitable souls with lots of money and influence who realised that healthy and happier workers made better products, back in the 19th century. Now here we are making 70 year old apartment blocks, or flats as we call them here in Britain, look pretty, before even fixing the draughts from windows and doors for the elderly and the ill, on a very windy hillside!

I hope not too much is being cut from budgets as the contractor stutters along? Windows are what people always asked for because of the lack of insulation here and apparently as original carpenters would have faced, each hole in the wall is so different that each thermal glass window is having to be tailored to fit somewhere in Europe and delivered to site! We are so looking forward to being warm Councillor! The compressor is starting up again and the spaceman is back I will stop complaining about progress and "Regeneration" now because I cannot hear myself think, besides I should be grateful shouldn’t I?

…..its as if we have come to a waterhole to drink, but are frozen in contemplation when we see the image of ourselves created by the comments of others.

I have blogged this because it was not only humorous but SO true!

‘Forget about measuring a person’s success through their good deeds or parenting skills; according to a survey this week, most people gauge another person by the kind of work they do.  The poll, which asked more than 1,000 people how they rated a person’s achievements, revealed that after the job, house, neighbourhood and friends were all rated as good indicators of success.

Asked what job they thought carried most kudos, "entrepreneur" came out top; "accountant" came bottom. However, psychologists say that thinking of success in these terms may be bad for us. They say that a preoccupation with the achievements of yourself and others can adversely affect your emotional health.

So, forget about the neighbour’s new promotion or your brother-in-law’s spanking new Porsche and start enjoying your life.’

found in Body & Soul section!

I visited Witchy Woman’s space today and was inspired by what she had written: Sunshine and Christmas, interesting polarisation with such literate expression! Sorry about that I sort of challenged myself to write a sentence with long words in it. Anyhow, I introduced myself and told Witchy Woman I liked reading her ‘ramblings’ and that I thought that culture was the answer to the question floating in the background of her blog today.

The reason the majority of people in northern Europe lost their skin pigment was lack of sun, so while reading the opening of her blog I was wondering ‘have we been depressed for thousands of years, at least back to the last couple of Ice Ages!’ Then she lightened her mood with the thought of Christmas. Yes it is coming, I must admit with the arrival of the UNICEF catalogues I had thought of presents, but the real reason I wanted to comment there was that gifts are not necessarily appreciated.

Is that because we take Christmas for granted? It is a cultural and religious assembly of the tribe, once a year, your tribe may even include friends in this period, but after trying so hard to get the right, useful, functional presents for my dear friends and family for over 20 years, two years back, I received virtually nothing.

No I don’t give to receive! But this was noticeable, so the following year I had an idea, I gave all the card and present money to UNICEF, who sent cards to a list of normal present receivers I provided. (Don’t worry still got stuff for my nephews and friends kids).

Come January, not a word, English politeness prevails. So, as it is alright with them I am going to do the same this year and just buy mum a Harrods hamper online deal. Yes, I was surprised that they were in my price range so an aunt and mom now have beautiful wicker flower stands. The gathering might be the next thing to tackle I am wondering about blowing all my savings on a winter cruise, I am sure they won’t miss me.

 I hope Witchy Woman has a wonderful Christmas, I was licking my lips at the thought of her Christmas cake and all the things we buy for December, I must find out this year the details of the local folklore of this festival before the Romans arrived, tied it in with one of their festivals and then finally a Christian Emperor told his empire we will celebrate the birth of his prophet, savior, Lord as you prefer.

Thank you Witchy Woman, you have inspired my blog, almost completely written in your comment dialogue window and looking around, it is a nice place to be inspired, so I do hope she will be a friend of mine.

Merry Christmas and a happy new year.

Witchy Woman’s space

  A mother trying to gain some support from a Government Department briefed to only give up money as a very last resort, who has a disabled son!

Quote

Here we go again! not happy! every disabled child counts?….

 

…..Ironic really that the morning after yesterdays post concerning Every Disabled Child Counts I get the results of the DLA claim for Kyle because of his epilepsy…and guess what? They said no!!! shouldn’t come as a surprise really considering what I’ve been through with them already with my Autistic son. But what did astound me was how quick they were to say no..two days thats all it took…which means they never even contacted his GP or specialist! 

They are renowned for saying no when they think you’ll just go away…one of the reasons people don’t claim this benefit is coz they don’t think they will get it in the first place. Apparently it is ok for my son to go out unsupervised, despite the unpredictable nature of his seizures and the fact that having one when he is on his own may end up being fatal….

 

I’ve already been on the phone to them to listen to their "decision makers" reasons as to why not, and it all boils down to the infrequency of the attacks…despite the fact there is a point of law which contradicts their reasoning…so the next step is a reconsideration of the claim in which I have to submit these points of law…"Moran vs The Secretary of State for social services as reported in R(A)1/88"

I’m not a bleedin lawyer but I haven’t half had to learn some stuff to get us through…which I should not have to be doing, got enough on my plate as it is.

If the reconsideration fails, which I am fully expecting then its back to the appeal tribunal….give me strength, or alternatively just SHOOT ME..

"A lot of bloggers seem to be just moaning so my finger has hovered over the delete key several times recently" – I have just read that on a ‘space’ and yes we do unload here but there is plenty of mirth and cleverness to balance that! and classically the funniest stuff comes from the seemingly most troubled. There was also a childish tone of "I am leaving!", and I don’t think the blog world will be missing much quite frankly, besides this person was missing the point; this is not a place for competitiveness, super creativity, we are simply reading each others daily, weekly, monthly, journals, (most learning about website design in the process). There are very few V.I.P.’s here, just everyday people writing about everyday things.

And that is a blog’s primary function, not to be necessarily "cool" or "well done" it is about the little incidents in life, you want more then go and surf political, Hollywood, specialist websites, get your kicks elsewhere. We are just a bunch of people chatting while waiting at a bus stop, and then the buses all come at once……. 

"a warm hug in a jug"

told you I would find it, now all we have to do is find out if Batchelors ever made and sold (like the nodding insurance dog) any legless hairy torso that jumps on you and gives you a big hug,

So this link should take you straight to the ad

http://www.visit4info.com/details.cfm?adid=13685&type=coolad&startrow=31

I wanted to get it on the blog but gotta subscribe AND pay for it!!!

In the process of searching I discovered these things at Aroma Home Hot Hugs – Cuddly Kingdom, no I don’t get commission!!! I never realized how technically advanced hugging was, you bung these in a microwave and these furry things are warm and even smell nice, I am thinking touch and texture?

Link to Aroma Home Hot Hugs – Cuddly Kingdom

But, although the other excellences of the drama besides this dramatic probability, as unity of interest, with distinctness and subordination of the characters, and appropriateness of style, are all, so far as they tend to increase the inward excitement, means towards accomplishing the chief end, that of producing and supporting this willing illusion

Source: The Tempest Essay at Absolute Shakespeare

"………..skinny, socially privileged, white people like to draw this neat little circle; everyone inside the circle is normal, everyone outside the circle should be beaten, broken and reset so they can be brought inside the circle. Failing that they should be institutionalised or worse, pitied".