GOW 1...........

You may call me the Grumpy Old Woman, people.

I am turning into one fast, and so are most of my friends who happen to be my sort of age. It is the source of great mirth at times for us all, though. I mean - take the age of all the reporters - the "experts" on TV. Give me strength. And when did policemen become policemen at 12? Or that is the way it seems. And who decided that school holidays were a good idea? I went shopping last week and it was like negotiating a fairground....... all those little ones tearing around at knee height. And we all know my knees are sensitive souls, don't we. Not to mention the bigger ones, some of whom I happened to have taught. They were pushing prams. I will say nothing. Memo to self: Avoid shops during school holidays.

Sigh. Yes, I do remember being a young Mum. And I also remember being young and knowing all the answers to global problems. I think I remember my parents rolling their eyes a lot at that stage. I also remember how we were going to fix the world.

Well, didn't we do well.

Music - another source of grumpiness. The hearing may not be what it once was, but good grief, does the music HAVE TO BE SO LOUD?????? If I am in control of the volume, however, I can have it as loud as I want. The same goes for the TV volume but this is why I qualify for the Society of Grumpy Old Women, you see. I make the rules to suit me. Oh the power.

And did you know that apparently one can buy a thingy into which one puts nappy wipes so they can be heated??? WHAT??? Exactly how far are they taking the "make your baby into a super wimp" idea? In my day, pure luxury was a squirt of baby lotion onto cottonwool. They survived to tell the tale. Their rear ends were soft too.

Ah yes, the good old days.

And speaking of babies and toddlers, there seems to be a tendency to treat the lot with kidgloves, and ask instead of tell. Please do this, that or the next thing, darling. (Insert sugary sweet voice.) Darling completely ignores all requests, and yet the firm instruction and expectation of obedience never seems to follow. Hmmm. (And no, young Mums who are close to me, I am not speaking of you here.... I have had a morning with little ones unrelated in any way, which launched another GOW chat with the older friends I happened to be with too. You may relax.)

Rules. Boundaries. Groan. This could move to an "I used to teach" post, and that can wait until I feel ready to inform Mr Gove of my view of how education needs to change and how the kids I happened to encounter seemed to have no idea that they are actually supposed to follow rules. Rules? What are they?

The price of petrol - I remember when it was 30 something p a litre. The price of bread. The price of just about everything on earth. See? Don't I do well at the GOW thing? I am so proud.

Have you ever watched any police reality shows? Does anyone remember when "yes sir" was a standard answer to a policeman? Not today. Policemen are more likely to get an earful of verbal abuse coupled with a screech about rights of the human variety.

Health and safety.

You know those little badges with numbers on which you get for birthdays? They all used to have pins on the back. To my knowledge, not one of my children ever managed to insert the pin into their bodies. I am sure I would have heard if they had. Now, they have little plastic clips which do not seem to stay on very well. And on a more serious note, there was the horrendous incident here in the UK a few years ago where 2 policemen watched a little boy drown, because they were forbidden to enter the water on H&S grounds. I still shudder when I think of that. Risk assessments for everything. Even climbing a ladder at work. One with 3 steps.

We are drowning under layers of legislation intended to wrap the nation in cottonwool and protect everyone from everything. Life isn't like that. No failure allowed because little egos may be dented. No competition, because there are losers in competitions. Aiyaiyai. And sterile environments which lower our resistance to absolutely everything. Allergies are on the increase. And that could well be because kids never come into contact with germs.

When my oldest was a baby, I sterilised everything known to man. And he was constantly developing infections. By the time #3 appeared, I was beyond worrying about germs. His dummy (pacifier) was picked up dusted off and plonked back in the mouth. He is as tough as nails, and never got sick. One of the ladies I was walking with this morning told of how her father-in-law, who was a GP, put her baby on the not pristine carpet on its stomach, to her horror, years ago. He apparently grinned at her dismay, and told her - that, my dear, is as good as a vaccination. Point well taken. Her child survived.

By now, I am sure your eyes are glazing over. I am not at all surprised. I do believe that this will become a series here at RCR. Consider this Episode 1.

I am on a roll........

I have decided it is Spring........

I have spent the day changing things. As soon as I got home from church, I started on the switch over. The house is now (almost) in its Spring mode. Gone are the reds and browns of Winter, and now we have green with a touch of yellow in the lounge and the full range of spring colours in the kitchen/family room. The bathrooms are done too. And all the reds - the towels, cloths, blankets, etc are drying as I speak, ready to be packed away till December. We just need a little Spring-like weather round here now, and all would be good.

I would post photos, but I just sat down, you see, and I do believe it will take a miracle to get me up again in the near future. They can wait till tomorrow. Actually, I haven't taken any photos yet. But I will. And anyway, I still have one lot of bunting to do. I made it all and then didn't like the first one - the colour of the binding was not right, so I am making another one. And in the process have wrecked my pinking shears. They really don't last forever, do they.......

There is a big box of Easter things waiting till we are nearer Easter to put out and to decorate the Easter tree. I do not need another Easter or Spring thing for the rest of my life. I have enough for a few houses. I can see it all from where I am sitting.

Yesterday, because the weather was foul, I levered myself onto the deck in my sewing room and tried to sort out the seasons up there in boxes. Well. You have NO IDEA. At one stage, I was buried. There is not a lot of room to manoeuvre up there. By the time I slid down the ladder, I was ready for bed.

However, I had a 60th birthday party to go to. There were many calls to and from friends, discussing the dress for the party, because the suggestion was 50's style. Hmmmm. I decided to forget that part, and wear the first thing that I could find that was complete. As in all on the same hanger. My cupboard is very small, you see, and I reckon the last time I bought anything glamorous was about 10 years ago and heaven knows when last I wore any of it. Everything is still lovely and will not date, and most of it mixes and matches, but it is all silky and wearing silky stuff is like setting fire to my leg, so any of the options would be uncomfortable.

But we got there in the end. I found something vaguely suitable to wear and the party was great and we all had a wonderful time - I caught up with all my friends, and the food and music were both superb. Sue, the birthday girl, wore the most stunning 50's dress - red with black polka dots, and many petticoats! Just beautiful. One requires a waist to wear such creations. I have forgotten what a waist is. It is on the list for this year. Rediscover the waist. Sigh. And we will not discuss the deliciousness of the cupcakes. (The chocolate ones.......)(See above reference to the quest to re-discover the waist.)(Hopeless.)

I have just been trying to sharpen pinking shears by cutting fine sandpaper. I do not think it is working and the mess.... Time to retire to the sofa. If I can get up.

PS: I wonder how The King's Speech will do at the Oscars - it deserves to win the lot.

The Student Volunteer Army.......

Students, young people, often come in for a lot of flak from the older generation, don't they. And then there is technology - it is a wonderful thing. I love it. I use it. I can communicate with the world.

But Christchurch has moved my appreciation of it, and the young people who have always had it in their lives, to a whole new level. Put the students and the technology together, and you have a powerful combination.

Did you know that there is an army of over 18,000 students out there in the city? Highly organised, and all through the Internet. Their appeal for volunteers went viral, and they have this amazing band of students on the streets, responding to the needs of people all over the city. They are digging gardens, cleaning streets, taking food and water to people who can't get to depots, dealing with liquefaction, which is something I had never heard of. Have you?

The Student Volunteer Army is highly organised and has the full support of the Civil Defence department and the powers that be in Christchurch, and if you are on Facebook, you can check out their page - AC Student Volunteer Army. People throughout the city can text them, using a code "help me" and list their needs, or do so on their Facebook page, and a team of students will be dispatched to help, armed with their spades.

Amazing.

I am totally blown away by their willingness to get in there, to do the dirty work, to help and to make a difference to so many people in their city.

And it doesn't stop there.

The students in Dunedin saw a need, and stepped into another gap. Communicating via the Internet, they volunteered to provide lunches for the Student Army. They wanted to help. So today, they are organising over 10,000 lunches. Their website Keep them going is up and they are asking for people to provide food for the volunteers. They have also got companies providing the transport of the lunches, farmers providing fresh fruit.....all through the Internet. Wonderful.

Christchurch is a devastated city. Over a third of the buildings in the city centre will have to be demolished. The city has a really difficult time ahead. More than 200 people are still missing, and 123 have been confirmed dead as I write. It is a sad sad time for the people trying to put their lives back together. Imagine a city centre being off limits for several months. TVNZ has excellent live update coverage. The only way it can be rebuilt is with the entire community working together, and these young people are a credit to their university, country, city, their parents and themselves. I am SO proud of them all, so impressed and so encouraged by them. Every one of them.

With their use of Twitter and Facebook, and with their huge knowledge of the Social Media phenomenon, they are in a position to spread the word at incredible speed and meet a need. This is a shining example of the Computer Generation in the best of ways. Armed with their smart phone, laptops, energy, and spades, they are making a huge difference. We can all learn from them.

In recent weeks, this new method of communication creating change has been transforming the world, you know - the use of Social Media in the Tunisian, Egyptian, and Libyan revolutions is well documented. President Obama brought technology into the political world during his presidential campaign, but here - it is moving on to amazing levels.

There are of course, times when it is used for diabolical means too, but I don't want to talk about that right now. I want to celebrate the good. The students in Christchurch deserve all the cheers today. Just wonderful.

(This is the second time I have written this - or a variation of it. Blogger decided to eat it, and then sign me out. I ws less than thrilled. But I really wanted to tell you about these amazing kids, so started from the beginning. Again. )

The end of another week approaches.....

It is nearly time for me to change the house to its Spring colours. So I am making some Spring bunting for the kitchen, and it is taking a while. That is because I can't sit and sew for long, which is highly irritating. But it will get done. Hopefully before Summer arrives. And the seasons all have capitals because they are important. They mean an end to the cold wetness, and I cannot wait. I want to get into the garden to plant things. I have plans.

So another week barrels to an end. Yesterday's sun has disappeared, and instead we have the wetness yet again. Isn't it amazing how much more productive we get when the sun shines? It energises people. Well, it energises me. Unfortunately I expended a little too much energy yesterday, what with all the "have you got a saw/screwdriver/sandpaper/drill/vacuum" etc etc etc. The end result was worth it, but there is always a price to pay.

The sparkling dishes make up for a great deal.

I need to stop discussing my dirty dishes.

I had a long chat with a friend today, who learned recently that she has been made redundant. We talked of opportunities, not misery. Plans, not hopelessness. Trust, not worry. Leaps of faith. I will forever be thankful that I was born with an optimistic approach to the challenges life has a tendency to throw at me, you know. My friend has a similar approach to life, and I know she will be fine.

I am working on awareness - being aware of the tiny things around me during my days. Opening my eyes. It is not quite as simple or easy as it sounds, but I refuse to get caught on a treadmill of just existing, and not really living. It is not about deliberately deciding to do something interesting so you have plenty to notice. No, it is about noticing things in the mundane. Like the sparkling dishes. (I need to STOP talking about sparkling dishes......) The way the sun shines on a photograph. The rows of threads, the way the tulips in the vase bend. My eyes glance over these things without taking note usually. They are not out of place and so don't stand out to me, and yet, if I do take note, they ARE special. Beautiful.

And at the same time, I am still caught up in the NZ earthquake disaster. The devastation of a city and the pain of its people. The troubles in Libya and consequences for us all. The revolt of the people in the Middle East. My mind considers the potential catastrophic rise in fuel prices, and an unstable world. And to be frank, there are times when just looking at the tulips slows down the racing thoughts. Thank heavens. Now there is talk of using all manner of methods to retain/regain control by Pres Gaddafi - things like germ warfare. And my heart shudders.

I put petrol in my car today. It was a quarter full when I got to the petrol station, and it cost me £52.00 ($83.70) to fill up. That means that it will cost nearly £70.00 ($112.67) a tank. And that is today. Tomorrow it will be more. The day after that, more again. And again.....

So many things to keep us awake at night.

So now, I have tulips in 3 rooms. I split a bunch so I can always see them, and remember the little things. In a world like ours, today at the end of February 2011, we need to remember the small things too. There is still beauty to see.

Oh the excitement!

I have had a WONDERFUL day. I suspect that it may not class as wonderful for you but believe me, I am sitting here grinning. Exhausted and aching, but grinning. The slow cooker is bubbling away with a lamb concoction in it, and I may be crawling to get some food, but hey, it is worth it.......

Remember the free dishwasher my friend Margaret spied on a notice board at her church? Well, today was the day I arranged to get it. So last might, I moved the old one out, cleaned the floor and undid most of the pipes. That meant emptying the cupboard under the sink and we will not discuss the state of it. But then, I couldn't undo the cold water tap. So I called a friend and he arrived and sorted that one. Then another friend came round to load it into my car. It was destined for the tip. I have great friends.

And then I went singing. That was lovely.

So this morning, both the guys who had offered to collect the dishwasher were indisposed, so I popped into the shop to get a big bunch of flowers for the kind people who were giving me the dishwasher, and then collected another friend to help.

Off to the tip, and then on to the other side of town. And then home to do the "quick and simple" connection and start washing dishes.

Yes. Well.

The cold water stopper thingy would not shut, so we had leaky water everywhere, which meant finding the stopcock and switching off the water to the house, and when another friend called to see if it was installed, I said no, bring tools. So there they were, my two valiant friends, masquerading as plumbers. There was a trip to the hardware store involved. I had the jigsaw out to cut out the back panel, followed by resorting to ripping the whole thing out.

I made coffee.

And took photos.

There was much laughter and talk of strange things I have NO NEED to know...... Plumbing is not on the list of things I want to learn.
One friend in the cupboard sorting out water pipes....
Two friends in the cupboards sorting out water pipes.......

I made more coffee.....

They got the dishwasher connected without leaks, and 3/4 of the way into the hole....

And then....

They decided that they would rip out my old microwave and install the newer one.

Of course.

So off came the casing, and it was so dreadfully grubby,I was mortified. I washed it. That took forever, but it got clean in the end, and they measured and repositioned and then remembered that one had to go for a haircut and the other had a daughter arriving for lunch in 15 minutes.

They promised to come back.

So I started trying to restore some order to the chaos. Like putting the dishes in the dishwasher and switching it on. IT WORKS!!!! Oh the joy......

That is what they left me with.

BUT

They did return, and look!

We finally got the dishwasher pushed into place. That took lying on one's stomach and shoving. x2. And the microwave is in place too. The bottom one is a combination oven and the top is a microwave. The bottom one is the newish one. Do not look at the colour of the vents around the top one. Apparently they are white. Well, the bottom ones are now white. Groan.

I was lavish with my praise and thanks, believe me. The guys did a great job, and I am SO thankful. They informed me that it was like Men at Play - sort of meccano for big boys. They also had a ball, I have to say and there was a great deal of laughter.

And look what I found at the shops - Febreze in a New Zealand fragrance. It is lovely, and when I use it, I think of my daughter. And I can see from the photo that I have forgotten to refill the tea lights on the table.

Right. I am off to find something else to pop into the dishwasher. This is so exciting!!!

New Zealand.....

Just to let everyone who has been emailing to ask if Diana is ok know - yes, she is absolutely fine. She was in Christchurch a little while back but is not there now. Her friends are also fine, but the city is battered and bruised and the devastation is awful.

My friend, Linds's son happened to be in Christchurch on business, and missed being in one of the buildings which is rubble now, by minutes. His car was tossed over the road, but he is fine. He saw things he never want to see again. Absolute devastation.

So it has been a high adrenalin sort of day, and I am so so thankful that everyone I know and love is okay. But your prayers for the people of Christchurch and New Zealand would be wonderful. So much loss, grief and shock.

Hey - I just love you all you know - you care. And it means the world to me.

Things change.....

I keep starting posts then abandoning them. This is reaching ridiculous proportions right now, because the longer I stay away from the computer, the harder it becomes to start and finish anything. Discipline, Linds. Discipline.

I was just thinking how the profile of my blogging friends has changed over the years. So many of my dear friends have slowed down, or stopped for now, and yet, yes, I know, there are new friends to make and get to know too. That is always exciting. But I miss my old friends from the days I started out so tentatively here. I miss their words. Their wisdom. Their lives. Sure, many are on Facebook now, but it is not the same. I may know what they are doing at any one time, but I don't know what they are thinking. And if your Facebook status is anything like mine, it is what I am NOT saying which is the point. Sigh. How to get the balance right.

And another thing - I miss the ordinariness there used to be in the blogging world. Before super organised, streamlined blogs became the norm. Some of my friends have become mega-bloggers and while I am delighted for them, I miss the times when we all seemed to know each other. Blogging was never a business back then. It was simply stories we wanted to tell. Progress, I suspect, is what I will be told. Things evolve. Oh yes, they certainly do.

Sometimes I hesitate to comment because there are already 298746788923900 comments, and what I wanted to say has already been said a thousand times or more. And I wonder if they remember.......

I like being able to tell my stories. I love(d) reading their stories. I loved Becky's Alphabet soup. Barb's Sunday Meanderings. Susie's wonderful photos of California. Chris's hilarious stories of her life and family. Mary's tales from Australia. Shannon. Antique Mommy. Diane from Diane's Place. Jeana. Heather. Jenni. Scribbit. Heidi, Kelli and Pam. Some still write now and then, and that is a total delight when I see them pop up on the reader.

Nostalgic. That is what I am. Not for something that existed decades ago. But for the days before the power-blogging started. Just a short while ago. Maybe some people felt they could not take their blogs to the next level? I don't do levels. Is that necessary? Does it matter? I am happy right here. It is so much less, yet so much more for me. Maybe people are writing books. That is great too and of course I want to read them. They are all moving on with their lives, I know. But I think of them often. And wonder how they are really doing.

But I still miss the simpler days. Them.

Sigh. (Setting the rocking chair in motion and reaching for the coffee)

Maybe I am getting old.

Anyhow.....

Maybe I will have to think of something different. But in the meantime, I am going to play with templates. Time for Spring, I think.

Two!!!

Someone I love very much turned two yesterday. I cannot believe she is two already. But believe me, she loves shops, loves bags and never stops moving. She likes wheels too. Things to get in or on and things to push about.

She loves balloons and climbing. She also loves cooking in her "kitchen". Pouring tea? Got it taped.

Yes, those are little people in the sink. And in the frying pan too, I believe. We may have to work on what is suitable for cooking. And we may also have to either invest in many sets of earplugs or remove the batteries from the stove. And kettle.

One busy busy little girl, who loved her chocolate birthday cake, fed her Auntie and Grauntie noodles she had cooked on her stove - the noisy one - on the TV (which could do with a clean after the feeding episodes) via skype. She has now got a jungle gym/slide thing in the garden and a trike and a little car to sit in and push around, so she is more than thrilled, and once the weather gets a little warmer than freezing, she will be out there. She did get bundled up a few times yesterday to try it all out, but her parents and grandparents were frozen, so the garden play did not last very long.

Another reason to hope Spring is not far away!

Ah, how I love that little girl. She is starting to talk more now. I distinctly heard "shtoopid" when the door of her kitchen came off. Not quite the vocab we were aiming for, but accurate, nonetheless! It was a stupid door to fall off when yanked with considerable force.

The grown-ups celebrated her birthday with a raclette last night, after she fell asleep. She was zonked after her very exciting and busy day. So were the grown-ups too, may I add. If you could bottle the energy a two year old seems to have we would make a fortune.

So I am one very happy Moregranny. I got to "Mum mum" (Come come) and do puzzles, and build duplo and put shoes and bibs on dollies. I got a wrestle (with her Mummy) a little girl into her clothes in the mornings - did I mention she never ever stops wiggling running or moving???

And I loved every minute.

Being a (More)Granny is wonderful.

Unremarkable......

It is cold here again. It seems that winter is in no hurry to depart. Wet too. grey. The kind of weather no-one likes.

I had a list of things to do today, and while I seem to have been moving all day, somehow half of it remains undone. Sigh. I did learn about cross crawling this morning though. A friend is helping me with some exercises. Not crawling on the ground - but doing the kind of thing soldiers do when they march. You know - opposite arms and legs moving.

Well.

I used to be able to do this without thinking, but we are trying to retrain the brain. You would roll with mirth if you could see me. SO frustrating when you get out of sync. And I do. Frequently. Things like "midline" and "crossing it" have become a challenge. But I am working on it.

The strangest thing happens when I try these sort of exercises, you know. Every nerve in my body starts prickling. That is the only way I can describe it. Like pins and needles only sharper. As if the wretched things are trying to stop me. They are confused. So I "soldier on" with the prickles. Then the hair starts standing on end.

Oh well. I will win in the end.

On to more mundane things. I have wrapped up Missy's presents for her 2nd birthday. Two years old. She is a real little girl now. Not a baby any more. And strong willed too. (She says with a grin - remembering 3 strong willed children she had to deal with in years gone by!) But so cute and so gorgeous. Not that I am biased or anything. I do love my granddaughter.

And after a short trip to the supermarket with the classy coffee shop, (yes, I stopped for coffee and a bite to eat) (and patted the laptops) Glynis popped in for a visit. That was lovely. And I have just spent the past 2 hours on the phone discussing my slow-as-a-doped-snail internet speed with my broadband supplier and its arch rival. It may be time for a change.

So my day has been unremarkable. I forgot to wash my hair. I also forgot to start the washing machine. I did not vacuum the appalling carpets. Nor did I clean the floor in the kitchen. I did not get any more photos scanned. I did finish a small sewing project. I did eat a couple of chocolates. I did drink copious amounts of coffee.

Good things and unimportant things. The bits that make up our lives, and give it colour. Perhaps my day can be called soft jade. Not bright and not dark. Neutral. Sort of. Hmmm. Colours. I wonder if I can make a rainbow in a week. Colouring days. Now that is an interesting thought to be pondered.

Maybe tomorrow.

Right now, I am going to go and watch CSI and forget the list. It too can wait for another day.

Old photos.......

I have been sorting through boxes of photos today. Not the ones already in the computer - those range from 2003 onwards, it seems. But the rest. From before I was born till today.

That means a mountain of photos. I have a huge box sorted into years, so we have made a start. But I should try to scan the lot and have them in folders on an external hard drive at the very least. But it takes time, people. Believe me. Loads of time. Maybe a decade or 2. I have been doing this all day and have only scanned in about 200 so far.

The hilarious part is looking at me. Well, at photos of me. Long hair. Short hair. Very short hair. Wild hair. Smooth hair. Then there is the size. From size 8 (very very tiny) to size *!$$*&!. (Not very very tiny. At all. ) We will ignore any measurements at this point. From unfortunate floral leggings (pink) to white trousers to glamorous black dresses and classy numbers (from the size 8 days). And Mummy Gear in between. Baggy sweaters. Long floaty skirts. Tshirts. Long cardigans. Concealing stuff. You know - to hide the post pregnancy extra weight which one is still trying to get rid of 22 years later. Some of us were not meant to be sylphs.

Groan. I am trying to get them in a separate folder and I will do a post of the Changing Me. However, I have to say, I think I look younger now than I did back when I was hmmmm ....about 42. Well, some time ago. And the shoes. Oh heavens. The shoes had some strange periods too. So did coats. There are some seriously weird coats in my past.

I also discovered that one of my favourite tops seems to appear in the 2002 folder. Right. That was a good investment then. But it is 9 years old. I think maybe I had better check to see if my attachment to it needs to be severed. I may be blind to its shortcomings.

Hair. Clothes. Inches. Shoes.

But you know what? There were an whole load of photos of smiles, laughter, hugs and cuddles. Grins and amusement, and happiness.

And me standing on ostrich eggs too.