Merry Christmas

Here we are it's Christmas!
I love Christmas and always will.
A winter festival whether it be Christmas or any other is a great idea as it literally lights up the winter and gives everyone a cause for celebration.
It is a time of year when people think of friends, family, people and animals and try in some small way to do nice things for them.
I will start cooking dinner soon. I have been out walking Ollie and the sun has been trying to come out.
I like the fact that people go out of their way to say Happy Christmas and they may well be the same people who don't usually say anything as you walk past. Christmas is a hopeful and thoughtful time. It makes me think of everyone who is having fun with their friends and families and it makes me think of those who are not.
I hope people that are having a difficult time this Christmas find a way to make their lives more pleasurable in the future and that they enjoy next Christmas far more.
I think Christmas and New Year's Eve serve as markers for us to measure progress when we are trying to achieve goals and dreams. I love this time of the year!

Christmas Eve

I love Christmas Eve. Children all over the land are almost too excited to go to sleep while their parents wait for them to finally nod off. In the morning (usually at silly o'clock) the children burst into their parents rooms covered in chocolate from all the chocolate coins and on a sugar mouse rush.
This part of Christmas is magic and I believe it is a reminder to adults that the world is a wonderful place where magical things happen and dreams really do come true if you believe in them enough.

Christmas TV

It is fascinating what people choose to watch as Christmas approaches. As I write this something by Raymond Briggs is on TV. At this time of year celebrities start skating and dancing, Soaps become all dramatic and the News actually finds something cute or sweet to comment on ( sometimes)
We watch old films we have seen hundreds of times and repeats of our favourite shows.
I like the fact we all try to surround ourselves with familiar Musicals and Comedies etc.
 It is the one time of year where lots of family and friends are gathered together and we all need to find things to watch that we are all happy with after we have eaten one two many mince pies and drunk one glass of mulled wine too many.
As Raymond Brigg's Santa just said:
'Happy Bloomin' Christmans to you an' all!'

Perfect day

I woke up this morning in my caravan. It was cosy in  the caravan last night listening to the wind howling and the rain pelting down. Graham, Ollie and I returned to Canterbury and met up for lunch with Jack. We went to a lovely India restaurant in Canterbury and had a buffet to celebrate my birthday. We also managed to take Ollie out to the fields for a while and by this time the sun had come out and the sky was perfectly blue.
When we returned home Jack gave me the present he and Clarrie had bought me. It was a coffee maker and so I made us all really lovely Costa coffee.
After Graham went home I had a long hot bath and soon I will be watching a film with Jack and enjoying a glass or two of cold cider.
You don't need lots of money to enjoy a perfect day you just need time with those who care about you.
I am very touched by all the gifts, cards and good wishes I have received too. My sister Liz has sent me some beautiful, colourful bunting saying Cathy's caravan which I shall proudly display in my beautiful little caravan.
I am a very lucky person indeed.

Solstice

Today is the shortest day with the longest night. My Mum's birthday was today and mine is tomorrow. My Gran (Mum's Mum) has her birthday on the summer Solstice. I have always liked this as in a way it links us three together.
It is good having a birthday around this time of year as everyone else is celebrating Christmas so they are generally in a good mood!
I am looking forward to spending time in my caravan today with Graham and Ollie The Wally.

Mum

It is my Mum's birthday tomorrow. It is a special day for me as it is a day when I think of Mum and the unique individual person she was.
A letter arrived today. It was from a school friend of hers that I met once when I was little.
It was great to read about her memories of Mum and the fun they had when they were kids.

I was in a church today with the students from school. They took part in a service especially for them and they sang Silent Night. there is something special about that song. It really gets to me.
I am not a regular church goer and I don't follow any one particular religion but I do appreciate the wonder and awe of our universe and the amazing things that happen when you least expect them to. Life is an adventure filled with twists and turns and above all life is precious.
We all sang together in the church and I must say it made me feel quite emotional.
The Solstice approaches. The shortest day and the longest night.
This time is a time for reflection and thinking about family.
I love this time of year and I love my family.

What an incredible few months!

I am so glad that I took the plunge and decided to call a halt on my old life and tried something new. I feel like I have taken the first few steps of an exciting journey where everything looks unfamiliar but interesting. I have so much to learn and make a lot of mistakes but there are people around willing and ready to support me and I am slowly but surely making progress.
I am learning about things that I previously knew nothing about and am seeing things in a different way.
I did wonder what it would be like when both my beautiful children moved out and part of me dreaded it.
Now that they have gone- I do miss them but I am so proud that they are spreading their wings and flying and it is great to meet up with them and catch up with what has been going on in their lives and while they are away I am able to focus on building a secure future where I will be able to support them both when they need help as well as support myself completely.
I am very excited and optimistic about what the next year will bring and am appreciative of all the wonderful opportunities that have come my way this year.

the term winds down

It is almost the end of the term and children and teachers across the land are starting to see an end in sight and are really starting to look forward to the Christmas break.
I love Christmas so long as it doesn't become a trial for people spending too much money and trying too hard to make it 'the best year ever.'
Personally I like to keep it simple.
I love looking at the cards and little gifts I have been given and take pleasure from other people enjoying their gifts but most of all I like the time to spend with the people I care about.
It doesn't matter if I can't meet up with people on 25th December itself. I find the whole season special and enjoyable and so I am happy if I can spend time meeting up with friends and family over the Christmas period.
I really like going out for a walk with Ollie on Christmas day. Most people are extra friendly on Christmas day and say 'hello' as we walk past.

making the most of odd moments!

I was driving home from the school where I worked today and I had leaflets in my pocket for one of my businesses. I delivered the leaflets before returning home and it really didn't feel like a chore.
I am enjoying making my own decisions so much it gives me lots of extra energy and every little thing I do to promote my businesses so people know what services I provide is a step in the right direction.
I feel very optimistic about the future knowing that I can work a little on my Plan B every day!

gingerbread

I made gingerbread biscuits with lots of children today at the school I am currently working at.
They all loved cooking and the results were very edible and nice to look at. Tomorrow we ice them.
What a brilliant thing to be doing with so many children. They were all engrossed in what they were doing, they were all cooperating and they were all enjoying themselves.
This is being done for Friendship Week where the whole school makes and does helpful and kind things for people. What a brilliant idea!

making a difference

Tiny things make a difference. Every tiny step you take in the right direction moves you closer to achieving your dreams.
Some people are in a dark place right now and have little or no room left in their thoughts to dream. This is an unpleasant but not a hopeless place to be. There will be a tiny spark of hope lodged away somewhere  and it can be ignited into a small flame which can rapidly develop into a hot fire! I believe this to be true for everyone.
You can be the match to relight that fire for them.
When life gets tough and people feel saturated in gloom they need help, understanding and support to revive their hope and optimism. They don't need someone to do everything for them or to tell them what to do or what their dreams or goals should be.
Deep down inside they know what their hopes and dreams are. All they need is someone to care and to give them a little bit of their time to listen to them with no strings attached.
I think that is all any of us really need to help us to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and carry on along our life path.
You don't know who you touch every day as you go about living your own life. Just a tiny act of kindness to one person can really make all the difference to them. In turn once they are back on track they will be in a position to help someone. I think this is how the World works and it is wonderful.

the difference

The difference one person can make. My son missed a bus connection as his first bus was delayed and yet most of the people he asked for help/information at the station were less than helpful and were pretty rude. One woman was friendly and kind and made sure he was able to catch the next bus.  That one person made a bad situation better.
A friend of mine was at the hospital awaiting important scan results which didn't arrive. The consultant took full responsibility and apologised which made things more bearable for my friend.
When I think back over the last few days, weeks and years these people stand out over and over again. They often appear at times when you are feeling sad, lost or vulnerable and they somehow manage to offer hope and understanding. Even if they can't take away the root cause of your fears they are somehow able to help you hang on in there and give you strength.
Some of these people are our friends and family but many are complete strangers who go out of their way to help you.
To all those guardian angels out there- you are the unsung hero's that help us all to enjoy our lives more and cope with our challenges and I would like to say thank-you!

family

I am excited as my son is back from uni for a couple of weeks. I pick him up fro the bus station in a few minutes time!
I just had a chat with my daughter on the phone. She finished uni for the term next week and I will be seeing her soon too.
Ollie the Wally is going to come with me to pick up my son. He will be overjoyed to see him as he hasn't seen him since September and he is a fiercely loyal little critter and sees Jack as one of the pack.
Happy days, it is the weekend and there is a nice bottle of wine chilling in the kitchen. :)

Christmas wishes

Do you make a Christmas wish as you stir the Christmas pudding/cake when you make it?
If you have never done this I recommend you do. It is lovely making your own cake/pudding and tradition has it that as you stir the mixture before cooking you make a wish and don't tell anyone then see if your wish comes true.
I love doing this as it makes you really focus and think what your one wish for the year ahead would be.
Now I am waiting to see if my wish comes true!

opportunities

I am looking forward to going to a New Year Event run by the company I work for.
It is likely to be an exciting and inspiring day if the recent training I have received is anything to go by.  When I  started out with this business I was just looking to make a few extra pounds a week. Little did I know how exciting and rewarding it can be to work in this way.
There are so many interesting people out there who are only too willing to share their knowledge and take time to encourage and support others.
I can't wait to see how my business will progress in 2014.

Today

I had a brilliant day today. Everyone in the school I was working at went to the cinema to see 'Frozen.' It was a lovely film. I then got home and received a very encouraging phone call regarding one of my businesses.
I am amazed at how helpful and supportive people are.
I am so pleased I took the decision to stop doing what I was doing and start working to build my future.

training and support

Trying something new can be scary. It takes you out of your comfort zone and the skills you have learnt in the past and rely upon aren't necessary needed or even helpful in your new role. This means that you have to start from scratch knowing very little and gradually take baby steps forward.
I am just starting out and have been very lucky to receive on-going excellent training and support in both my businesses and I am finding that with skilled people rooting for me and supporting me along the way I am slowly progressing.
This has all been very good for my personal development as I have had to learn so many new things  and I am beginning to see the World in a new way.
Every day I am amazed by the new discoveries I make and I am learning a lot more about myself and other people.
There really is no gong back now it is onwards and upwards!

the importance of friends

One of the things that I have managed to do since taking the decision to work for myself has been that I have seen a lot more of my friends. I got into a bit of a rut before and told myself I didn't have time to see friends very often but I now realise how important friendships are and how much richer your life is if you make time to see people. I have met up with people this year that I haven't seen for years and I have vowed not to leave things so long in future.
I saw Jenni and Sarah today. I have known them for about 22 years and have managed to stay in touch all this time. We have a lot in common as we all brought kids up and lived in the same town. We go back a long way and so when we get together now we share a lot of history. Sarah's grandchild came to visit today. This had quite an effect on me. We had three generations of the same family under the same roof.
Friends and family are very special and I feel very grateful for the amazing people I have in my life!

Greenwich park makes me smile!

I have just spent the day with Graham and Ollie the Wally. I know I keep saying this but I can't describe just how much I love my visits to Greenwich with them. The park was lovely today. There were lots of dogs and families out enjoying the mild weather. The recent cold snap has caused the trees to shed more dead leaves and Ollie loves jumping about in them. The market was busy and the stalls sold beautiful hand made gifts and we had Ethiopian veggie food and vegan cakes which we have every time we visit. The food we buy there is absolutely delicious.
We sat by the Thames to eat our food and Ollie met a beautiful terrier called Diva who seemed very keen on him, she virtually threw herself at him! Later in the park Ollie met Bella a tiny 7 month old Jack Russell. Next to her Ollie was a giant which meant that as they ran about he could easily roll her over with a tap from his paw. The two of them were hilarious!
What a lovely day!

spreading the word

If there was a really good product and you believed in it, how would you go about letting other people know about it?
People don't really like being phoned or having people knock at their door and many don't really like TV adverts or junk mail so I was wondering how people like to find out about new things so they are able to buy services that are right for them.

the festive season

A lot of people have decorated their homes and have everything wrapped up ready for Christmas. I will be bringing my tree inside at the weekend and will be putting up my Christmas lights.
I have made the cake and pudding and will be icing the cake on Saturday. My children are both visiting over the holiday period which will be wonderful.
I am keeping everything low key this year as I do every year. I love Christmas because it means spending time with loved ones. I don't sign up to buying expensive gifts and don't think I would even if I was rich as I don't believe that spending is what Christmas should be about. Sometimes people lose sight of what is really important in life.

self portraits

The kids at the school I taught at today produced their own self portraits and spent time looking at the self portraits of famous artists. I was thinking what a good exercise producing self portraits is- it tells us a lot about how we see ourselves. Self portraits are difficult for many maybe because we don't spend that much time looking at ourselves. If you are asked to draw your friend many  people are less intimidated by this as they see their friend often and know what they look like.
When children are very young they are less embarrassed about drawing themselves. Growing up can make people very self conscious and worried about how other people see them.

Welcoming in December

I think this year has been pretty tough for many people and as a result they are determined to enjoy Christmas. On Facebook there is a flurry of Christmas tree buying and decorating and people are starting to make plans for the festive period.
In schools the silly season has officially started where the younger children in particular go bananas!
In one school Christmas cakes have been baked my the children for older people living in Care Homes. I think that is absolutely lovely.
I am looking forward to seeing family including my children.
Happy days!

November you have been brilliant!

The spell has well and truly broken. This November has been lovely. I will no longer dread this month. I have met up with lots of friends, some I haven't seen for years! I have been to The West Country to see my beautiful children who are both doing well at university.
People have gone out of their way to help me, support me and guide me.
I have learnt new things, had new experiences and been treated to meals out.
Today I have been out on the fields with Ollie. The sun was shining and it was remarkably warm.
What more could I want?

the weekend

It isn't too cold for November. I am meeting friends on Saturday and Sunday and am really looking forward to taking Ollie out on a nice long walkies.
happy Friday evening everyone. I am off to read a book!

taking the plunge

I think people get rather beaten down by life and sometimes think there are few or no options open to them. So many people seem unhappy in their job and wish their week away to get to the weekend. I promised myself earlier this year that I was not going to be one of those people. There always are options and choices but sometimes when you are tired and stressed those choices are hard to see.
It is scary making the decision to jump off the merry-go-round not fully knowing what will happen if you do but earlier this year I took my courage in both hands and jumped!
Did I hurt myself?
No
Has the world fallen apart?
No
Did I get rich quick?
No
But what I have done is started to see that there is another way.
People do not need to work for 40 plus years doing a job they would rather not be doing and count down the days until they can retire and then try and live on a tiny pension.
There really is another way.
Doing things differently means you have to learn right from the beginning again. many of the things  you thought you knew has to be re-learnt and you have to approach things with new eyes but this can is fun and not daunting.
The exciting thing is there are people ready and willing to help you to succeed and they are delighted to encourage you and comment on your success.
I have to pinch myself to believe the life that I am living now.
I feel full or energy and ready to face each new challenge! It will take time to reach all my goals but now I know exactly what I want from life and every day I move onwards and upwards!

phone call

The phone rang and it turned out to be my Gran. She is 94 and living in USA. It was so lovely to speak with her. She is doing so well and it is always so lovely to hear from her.
I think she is amazing. She came to UK from India in her early 20's when she married my Grandad. She made her home here. She has had joys and sorrows in her life and has managed to cope with everything life has dealt her. She has been living with my Aunt for a few years now. It is wonderful being able to visit her and see her so well surrounded by family who care about her.
My Gran would do anything for anyone and I have so many happy memories of visiting her as I grew up. Now I am a parent with grown up children of my own Gran continues to cheer me on from the sidelines always telling me how much she loves me and how proud she is of me.
Gran is a really brilliant example of a nurturer. She knows how to make people feel special.
I just had to devote a blog to Gran as she is a real inspiration to me and so many others!

Pizza Tuesday

I am off to eat a Bosco Salad at Pizza Express in Ashford this is all paid for by the company I work for. It is so nice to be thanked and appreciated for what you do and relatively rare these days.
Have you ever had Bosco Salad? It is delicious:
Warm garlic mushrooms,
 baby mozzarella,
 avocado, 
roasted tomatoes, 
spinach, 
rocket,
 balsamic syrup, honey & mustard dressing, 
warm dough sticks
how good is that?

:)

Old friends

One good thing about Social networking sites is that you can find and then meet up with old friends. I am off to see my friend Kate today. I haven't seen her for years. I expect we will have a lot to talk about as we have both had children and had all kinds of experiences since we last met.

It is easy to lose touch with friends. Life is so busy and everything changes so fast. People move towns, get new jobs, meet new people and gradually lose touch with people that they used to know well.

It is important not to live in the past but it can be great to meet up with people from time to time to see how they are getting on and to swap stories!

Goals

Do any of you set goals for yourself? If so do you write them down and share them with people? There is a school of thought that when you write down/share your goals you commit to them more. I have written down my goals and I must admit as soon as I wrote them down they felt achievable.
The mind lodges all kinds of thoughts, some positive, some negative, some clear and some unclear.
If I leave my thoughts to cycle around in my head it is hard to know exactly what I really do want/desire.
Children don't seem to have this problem. They can usually clearly state what they want from life and they don't seem to have any doubt that they can achieve their goals. As we get older we listen to the opinions of others and their view of us influences our own beliefs consciously or subconsciously. Given time it is hard to know where your belief ends and another's begins.
We are like sponges absorbing all information and feedback people give us even if the feedback may not be accurate or helpful.
In the end I believe it is helpful to stop listening to any and all advice and decide for ourselves what makes us happy and what we would like to achieve in life.
In their natural state humans are generous, optimistic and happy and at times in my life when I haven't felt that way I have realised the need to make positive changes in order to achieve harmony and happiness in my life.

Inspiration

There are things and people to inspire me everywhere. I am so grateful to all the people who take time out of their own lives to show me something that will make me feel better, stronger, more positive. They are everywhere. Sometimes buskers sing just the right song that means something to me at exactly the moment I pass them or I read a book, find a picture, watch a film that helps everything click into place.
Life can be tough but there are signposts everywhere pointing out the right path as long as we keep our eyes open and are receptive to all the things around us that can help us to follow our dreams.
Some of the signals don't come from people. It may be something an animal does or even the weather can inspire. Many a time I have driven along in Harold through heavy rain and then the rain eases the sun breaks through and a rainbow appears. It is hard not to be inspired by events like this.
I try to always see life as an adventure and an opportunity to constantly learn new things and I do learn even from the mistakes I make- especially from the mistakes I make!

Exeter and Plymouth

I went to The West Country and while there I went to Plymouth Hoe with Clarrie and Jack. The weather was a bit wild as it was hailing that afternoon but it was beautiful to look at the view. I remember visiting when I was a child. I don't remember having visited Exeter before but I spent yesterday afternoon there. As I walked past the beautiful cathedral I could hear a choir singing a Christmas carol and this really started to ignite the spirit of Christmas in me.
Making the Christmas cake and pudding started my focus  on Christmas a little but walking past that beautiful cathedral and hearing the singing definitely made me feel that Christmas is around the corner and that it can be as pleasant, uplifting and peaceful as we choose it to be.

November

November you have been gentle with me so far. I usually find November a bit of a trial in some ways. I think it has something to do with sad events and anniversaries that have occurred around this time of year in my life and try as I might until recently I used to dread November and sure enough further difficult events appeared at around this time as a kind of self fulfilling prophesy.

This year I feel different, living in the present and even some forward thinking.
My whole outlook to the month is changing.
I took my dog to the fields at the weekend and looking down into the valley everything looked incredibly beautiful.
Late autumn colours are more subtle than the reds and oranges earlier in the season, subtle browns and greys creep in and make everything look softer.
I hope I continue to feel this way about this time of year for years to come.

blogging

I am very new to blogging. This is strange really as people told me years ago that I would enjoy it but somehow I never got around to it. I used to enjoy the Myspace Literature forum and found my creative outlet there until they made the changes that saw an end to the forums.
Since then I have written for myself, kept a journal etc. but have never thought of writing a public blog. I am now increasingly interested in reading other people's blogs. Have any of you got a blog I could follow? If so please let me know!

Don't look back!

When we are very young most of us have firm ideas about what we want to be and have no awareness of perceived barriers or limitations that prevent us from achieving our ambitions.

As we get older we are given advice from a large number of people. Some of that advice is good and some of it is less helpful. It is good to remember that people have their own motivation for saying what they say and may not always have your best interests at heart.
The difficulty for all of us is to know who to believe when people make criticisms about us whether those criticisms are constructive or otherwise. When we are at school a 'throw away ' comment from a teacher can be taken 'as Gospel' if we admire and respect the person concerned.
A teacher may tell you that you are good at Art and bad at PE and this then becomes true for you because if you believe what that teacher says you will also believe yourself to be good at Art and bad at PE and this is then likely to become a self fulfilling prophecy.

I think that we owe it to ourselves to really work out what makes us happy and then work out how we can achieve that happiness more frequently in our lives. If this means that we need to learn a new skill then naturally we can be scared of taking the risk that if we learn a new skill we may not be good at it but if we never take that risk we will never know.

“Whether you think you can, or you think you can't--you're right.” 
- Henry Ford

This quote is often used so may be seen as 'over-worked' but I think that this is because it is so true. It is a real gem that deserves to be used as often as possible so that everyone can benefit from these wise words.

Climbing Mountains

Have you ever been in a situation when someone snaps at you and it ruins your day?

You can feel like that person has it in for you and was purposefully trying to make you feel bad. I saw this happening to someone recently and as I was an outsider looking into the situation I could clearly see the person that snapped was feeling low and was 'climbing their own personal mountain.'
 They had no idea that their words would have such impact on another person as they were preoccupied with their own difficult situation. As I was not personally involved it was easy for me to see what was happening but this incident got me thinking of the occasions when I have felt people had 'got it in for me' or were 'trying to upset me on purpose' and now I am starting to think that maybe that wasn't the case.

We all have our own personal troubles and hurdles to face and at times these hurdles can seem insurmountable and all encompassing. At these times it is easy to feel that we are insignificant and that what we say cannot possibly really affect anyone else and that everyone else has it easier than we do.
 I think if we do manage to find time and energy to step outside of our personal situation for a little time and gain some perspective it is easier to see how much difference our words make to other people.

I was right about being nice to inanimate objects!

In case I was in any doubt about being nice to inanimate objects and verbally encouraging them to work I have evidence that this is the best course of action:
My printer has been playing up recently and this has been a royal pain. I have patiently fiddled with it, turned it on and off added new cartridges....etc.
In desperation I pleaded with the printer:
" Please work sweet printer," I coaxed.
The printer worked perfectly!
What more can I say?

In praise of Harold

I have probably devoted a blog entry to my car before but I am so glad there is nothing wrong with his windscreen wipers that I will devote another blog to praising his reliability and character! Yesterday I thought they were sticking a bit and started to worry about having to have them replaced which apparently can be expensive and a hassle but today they worked beautifully!
 Yes I know he is a car and therefore an inanimate object (unless I am driving!) but I find he runs like a dream and never lets me down despite being around 20 years old and so I tell him daily how great he is. I am off to Chatham now to see some work colleagues. Come on Harold let's go!
Incidentally I sometimes talk to photocopiers. I find they sometimes work better with a little gentle verbal encouragement!
(OK I admit it I am bonkers!)

Dreams

I have just shared a Facebook post. It says: 'If your dreams don't scare you they aren't big enough.
I agree with this.
I think people get so battered down by the 'trials' of life that they almost forget that as a child they used to have dreams.
What did I want to be when I grew up?
What am I doing now?
I think we would all benefit from considering the following:
If what we are doing is making us happy then that is great but if it isn't we could try and take some time to think about what truly makes us happy and what we would really like to be doing with our lives.

While it may be nice to have nice things and be rich but if we dig deeper into our dream stores I bet our real dreams involve being around loved ones and having time to enjoy the simple things in life.

It is not too late to start following our dreams and be brave enough to 'dream big!'

Love every day of the week!

http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20131108190956-36792-do-you-love-both-sunday-and-monday

 I have just read an interesting article. It was about the feelings people have about Monday's in comparison to their Sundays and it got me thinking.
It is a sad fact that many people dread Mondays and this is mainly because they dread the thought of the first day of the working week.
In reality Monday is one of seven days in a week and it is a real shame that it brings about such feelings of dread in so many.
If people really hate 1/7 of their life so much surely they owe it to themselves to figure out a way to do something different on a  Monday to help them to enjoy their day a lot more.
In life we do sometimes have to take risks and risk failure to bring about change.

Recently I took the decision to change my life and learn new skills so that my future will be more secure and enjoyable.

I feel very optimistic about the future since I took the decision to work for myself.
I am enjoying working in schools on a supply basis where the students and staff are appreciative of my efforts and when I get home I have enough energy left to work on my businesses.
I enjoy Mondays now as much as every other day and I am so thankful for the wonderful people who are offering me support and encouragement in my new ventures.

Irony

It was most amusing driving home in Harold my car today as the Radio One news was reporting on Dizzy Rascall tweeting that Radio One don't play his sings enough due to the language of the lyrics but he claims they are not so picky with artists from the USA.
 Straight after the news they had the '10 minute takeover' and have a guess what was picked first at random?

You guessed it. Dizzy Rascall 'Bonkers!'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISy0Hl0SBfg

P.S. I must just write a few words in praise of Harold. He may be old but he is so reliable and the best car ever!!!

Nursing Homes

My daughter showed me an incredible video of a nursing home in USA where the proprietor realised that nursing homes don't have to be depressing they can be joy filled places and he proceeded to bring rescue dogs/cats/rabbits etc to live with the residents in the home he runs. Additionally when a local children's nursery ran out of space they were able to build a separate building on the grounds of the nursing home and the children and seniors spend quality time together. It is a joy to watch the residents and how happy they are. I think this could be the way forward!

http://youtu.be/ZKRMd-r2dN8

First World War -Hand written Wills

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/world-war-one/10272188/First-World-War-hand-written-wills-give-new-insight-on-our-war-heroes.html
Being an Estate Planner I am naturally interested in any articles about Wills but this one really got me thinking.
In the First World War soldier wrote their last will by hand and hoped that their wishes would be respected.
In reality many of these letters were never seen by their loved ones.
I find it incredibly sad and moving that these soldiers so many miles away from those they loved had their loved ones in their thoughts and at times when they realised their lives were at risk they wrote down their wishes with the intention of ensuring the security of those they loved.

The Pursuit of Happyness

Today's blog is dedicated to this film.
Have you seen it?
If not I thoroughly recommend that you do.
A friend recommended it to me and I ordered it cheaply via Amazon. having watched it I have ordered a second hand copy of the book as it turns out to be based on a true story.
I won't tell you what happens if you don't already know as I wouldn't want to spoil it but let's just say that it serves as a reminder to never give up even when things get unbelievably tough and to always believe in yourself and follow your dreams!

Yesterday was fun!

Yesterday I took Ollie on extra walkies. I then drove to my caravan and spent time there before dropping by to visit my old work colleagues at the homes and then onto meeting Paul and Christabel for coffee. Following this I went to Christabel's for something to eat and while I was there the heavens must have opened as when we went to my car the roads were flooded with water spurting out of the drains!
The weird thing was I was almost completely unaware that it had been raining as it may have been drizzling as we went into the house but we did not hear a heavy downfall while we were in the house.

I am fascinated and impressed by the extremes of weather we have in UK. I know we moan about it but I wouldn't swap it. When the sun comes out after a long period of dullness it is just so wonderful and when it is raining and the sun brakes out for a second and you see a rainbow that is just one of the most miraculous sites you can see!

The next day

There is something very peaceful about the day after Halloween. I took Ollie out for a walk and he had a big run in the park chasing all the seagulls and basically that was it- not a lot going on at all. It is a little drizzly today but not too bad and as we walked back to the house I was thinking how quiet everything was. There is some evidence of the parties last night, pumpkin lanterns still in the windows and some houses decorated with broomsticks and plastic bats.
I am off to see some friends this afternoon which is a lovely way to round off the day.
In my previous life I would be up to my neck planning work for the school term ahead. It is going to take some time to adapt to this but I am glad that I have left the stressful aspects of teaching behind.

Follow Your Dreams

Follow Your Dreams by cathee-1 featuring home wall decor

Home wall decor
orientalfurniture.com

Bird Wanna Whistle White Mountain Polyester Fleece Throw Blanket Size:...
wayfair.com

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween! by cathee-1 featuring halloween home decor

Halloween home decor
amazon.com

Skull home accessory
arhaus.com

vision board

One of the things I decided to do when I took the decision to work from myself was to learn new things. Thanks to the 'Creative Courage' workshop I have learnt how to work on graphics using a computer, while there is work to be done I am excited at the prospect of learning something new!

Halloween

It is a special night to many and a commercial rip off to others. Love it or hate it Halloween is here.
I love pumpkin lanterns and was particularly impressed when I went to visit The Armish in Pennsylvania as they have the most beautiful autumn displays outside their houses.
There are lots of good and many bad films inspired by Halloween too! I think we like to be spooked and many people love the excuse to bake nice things, have parties and dress up.
One year I dressed as the Medusa with loads of snake plaits in my hair. I scared the living daylights out of the kids when they turned up at the house trick or treating!

cake!

I don't know if it is something to do with the economic climate but everyone seems to have become obsessed with eating/making cake!
Graham and I love going to Greenwich market where they make the most delicious vegan cakes that ar all glittery and swirly and we always end up buying a box of 4 to share.
many of my friends secretly wish they could give up their current job and run a tea rooms making their own delicious cakes and then the is the Great British Bake-off that so may people watched.
Which sort of cake is your favourite?
I just remembered I have some carrot cake in the fridge so I off to eat some now!!!!

The lull after the storm....

It is almost completely silent as I sit here with my lovely pal Ollie T Wally and type this.
I can't hear children or dogs or wind or anything really apart from my keyboard being tapped by my fingers.
The storm was wild and quite exhilarating really and now the silence is relaxing and peaceful. It gives me the chance to gather my thoughts and plan out my day.
As I glimpse out of the curtains I can see the sun shining through.
I think today is going to be a good day.

weather

It is amazing how the weather affects us all. I secretly like the fact that one aspect of nature can still impact so greatly on us humans. I am not saying I am happy to hear about people with damage to their houses and power cuts etc but I love the fact that we still have to hope for a sunny day etc. and that there are no guarantees for what the weather will be like any particular day.
The UK weather is particularly unpredictable and that is part of its charm!

I love aspects of every type of weather.
When camping in the New Forest one summer the rain was pouring down and Graham, Ollie and I were sheltering in the van thinking when will the rain ever stop?' when we glanced out of the window we noticed a group of deer gathering around the van.
As the rain keeps people away the wildlife gets bolder and you are lucky enough to witness magical sights!
A sunrise or sunset over the hills is one of the most beautiful images I can think of.
Sun and rain producing a rainbow as you are stuck in a traffic jam brings you a little hope, crisp snow making everything look like a winter wonderland, howling gales with trees thrashing about scattering leaves,
eerie mist rising over the cliffs....all beautiful and all uncontrollable.

Gratitude

Now that I have time and space in my life to think I realise I have so much to be grateful for.
This weekend I am spending time with my Dad and Step Mum and that is really nice.
I am seeing my kids later next month and they are both happy and settled in their new lives and in February Clarrie and I are off to see the Lion King! Now this isn't something I would do left to myself but my daughter loves musicals and Christmas and things that inspire and glitter and I can't help getting caught up in her enthusiasm and then that leads me to thinking how incredible artists, musicians and performers are. They work so hard and offer us things that cheer and resonate with us and above all else I admire the fact that they have the courage to follow their dreams.
There is something incredibly reassuring to me when I see people working through tough times, climbing over barriers to follow what they know deep inside them is their true path.
Life is a gift we are given and for however long we are given this gift it is up to us to make the very most of it!
As I sit in my little house I realise how far I have come on my own personal journey and I am starting to see clearly what I want to achieve in life.
As I look out of the window the sun is still shining down and that is something to smile about!

Today I realised

Today I realised we spend our lives searching for things and really what we need surrounds us all the time!
I love my little house although sometimes the responsibility of paying the bills etc scares me. I adore my caravan it is a place where I can sit quiet, think and be myself.
I have a wonderful family and great friends and today is the weekend!
I took the dog for a walk this morning and the grass was very green, the sun very shiny and the dog very bouncy. It was all pretty glorious and pretty simple really.
Ain't life grand?

In praise of George.

George the cat is basically very cool. He hasn't been dealt the best hand (or paw) in life starting off with needing to be re-homed and then moving in with me where Ollie the Wally tries his best to terrorise him on a daily basis. Luckily we have a system in the house and with the help of a very tall stair gate both critters have their own domains and largely are kept apart but despite all the hassle in his life George is basically a lovely chap.
He has a very loud purr and loves his tummy tickled- you would never believe under that chilled out fluffy exterior lurks the heart of a killer! George has successfully dragged a rabbit into the house through the cat flap, taken it upstairs and devoured it under my daughter's bed!!!!!!!!!
George loves Clarrie like no other and is soon to be re-united with her as he will be going to live in The West Country with her soon. I think life for him will become more relaxed at that point but in the mean time I just want to record how much I admire that boy, he is incredible!

in praise of Ollie The wally

Now I know he can't read and he certainly isn't aware of my blog but this entry is dedicated to my rascal of a Jack-Russell x whippet.
 Ever since I brought home the little bundle of naughtiness has made my life all the richer.

The excitement that exudes from him when I get home, all the bouncing and licking and then the hysterical joy at being taken out for extra walkies because I now get home from work early- is a real pleasure to watch.
He has two favourite fields- One is a 'sniff and pee' field where he does noting but pee up the hedges and sniff the handiwork of others and then there's the race around like a maniac field where he basically pretends to be a mini greyhound.
Where would I be without the wally- he is my pal!

Lovely times

I went out last night with other distributors from Utility Warehouse. The company bought is all pizza at Pizza Express to thank us for our efforts. I actually had Bosco Salad which was absolutely lovely and I met a woman called Maria. I have a feeling we will be manning some stalls together as we were definitely on the same wavelength.
Today I did another days supply teaching taking groups of young people over to nearby allotments looking for bugs. Today offered all the fun of teaching with very little of the stress and pressure full time teaching produces in my opinion.
I got home early to an ecstatic welcome from Ollie.
What more can I ask for.
I work the hours I choose, mix with very interesting and supportive people and have time to be a bit more creative than I have had time to be for a while now.
Another plus it is nearly the end of term and I am not tired!!!
:)

Today is looking good!

I am off to see Graham today. This will involve a drive to Essex and I am taking Ollie TW with me for the ride as he absolutely loves being in the car. Graham is going to become a Gold Customer with Utility Warehouse Discount Club and he is likely to save a lot of money by doing this.
I signed up last month and have not looked back.
When I get back to Canterbury I will go into the town centre with my Professional Will Planning stall. This is the last week I will be going to the town centre on a Monday. I booked 4 sessions on a trial basis. They have gone really well so I will definitely book up again in the spring but I figured that people are unlikely to want to stand and talk to me about writing their wills in the freezing cold rain.
I have found a number of possible indoor venues to market both my businesses and I will be trying to book them later this afternoon.
I really enjoy planning out how I am going to approach my businesses and I love spending more time at home.
Ollie TW is also delighted about this as he gets more 'walkies' and gets to spend more time curled up next to me!
This evening I am off to see my friend Jon. I haven't seen him for ages. It will be very good to catch up!

A New Life!

It all began a few months ago. In fact it was probably years ago when I first started to realise that while I enjoyed many aspects of my career at any one time, I was increasingly frustrated at working for other people.
I have worked in many roles. I have worked with adults with challenging behaviour and learning difficulties, children with or without learning difficulties, I have worked for a charity, a private independent company, The Local Authority, you name it really. It has taken me a long time to decide what I want to be 'when I grow up!'

 I have learnt a lot along the way from these different roles and have met many fascinating, unique people but there in the back of my mind was the increasing realisation that I really wanted to work for myself and that is what I have decided to do now.

A few months ago I was driving along in my trusty old car and the idea that I wanted to run my own business drifted into my head.
This idea simply would not go away and so I decided to explore it further.
Initially I thought I would like to run my own bar so when I got home I started to hunt about on The Internet for local bars for sale to see if I could afford to do this.

To cut a long story short I did seriously consider running a bar and even managed to get some friends interested in joining me in the venture. I identified a local bar and met with the owners to discuss how feasible the idea was. I enrolled at the college to receive the necessary licensee training and even bought a caravan on a cliff-top location close to the chosen venue. I figured it would be a good idea to have somewhere close by to go to when I finished all those late shifts. I decided that I was going to follow my dream and nothing was going to stop me.
I do believe if you want something enough and you are prepared to work at it you will eventually achieve what you set out to achieve but sometimes things don't quite turn out the way you initially planned.
Unfortunately the bar idea did not work out but the idea that I was going to work for myself was firmly lodged in my head and I decided that I couldn't look back.

I resigned from my full time teaching job and spent time researching other self-employed opportunities.
In the end I found two fantastic companies and decided to invest my time, effort and energies in them.

The first business I became involved in was Estate Planning.I was able to buy into an Estate Planning Franchise and received excellent training from the company, Professional Will Planning.
They have taught me what I need to know in order to set up as a consultant.
I visit people in their homes anywhere in Kent and take down all the information needed in order for their will to be drawn up.
I really enjoy marketing the business by visiting outdoor and indoor events such as Boot Fairs where I explain the importance of writing a will to potential clients. I also get a lot of job satisfaction from visiting clients in their homes and helping them to record their wishes.

The second business that I have become involved in is The Utility Warehouse Discount Club.
The training and support I have received as been incredible and I really believe the service offers its members significant discounts on their utility bills together with an opportunity to make money themselves.

I have absolutely no regrets about taking the decision to work for myself.
I still enjoy working with children and am doing quite a lot of supply teaching while my businesses become established. Supply Teaching allows you to experience the enjoyment of teaching children without all the stress and long hours involved in a full time teaching career.

My main goal is actually quite simple. I need to earn enough money to pay my bills including the ground rent on my beautiful caravan at the same time as being left with enough time and energy to enjoy my life.
I am inspired by people who have had the courage to follow their dreams and also by the creative thinkers who have invented new things and had the strength to continue when people doubted them they had the presence of mind to think for themselves and work on their own projects without being swayed by doubters.
I am trying to take a leaf out of their book and while it is early days I am finding that I can earn enough to survive and that I am filled with enthusiasm and energy which had been dwindling before I set out on this exciting new path!

                                            'I am going to spread my wings and fly!'