Monday 30 September 2019

The Lament Of The Past

Lamenting is the past is something people do for example when I was catching the bus the other day into town and don't even get me started on bus journeys ! There was a gentleman lamenting about eh past


"When I was younger all this was fields "


He continued on with "Don't you wish you could go back to the past ?"


And the lady he was having the conversation with said "You mean when you had to chisel of the ice of the window in the bathroom or go to the toilet at the bottom of the garden !"

To which he replied "You had a garden ?! you were lucky , we just had a strip concrete "


( It did very much sound like a Monty Python sketch "


"Wouldn't it be nice he said to go back to the past but with modern plumping " he said


It is both the good times and the bad that we hang to those times with perhaps something in those bad times that made it all the more bearable in order to survive.I myself didn't have the easiest of childhoods especially when my parents divorced and there wasn't much food in the house and I had at times had to eat the cats coley! But I loved my cat who was called Boots and that is what made those very tough and tumultuous times easier to get through.


Cats are very useful like that and my current cat is a great sort of comfort to me now when I have been through stressful times of late.

Thursday 26 September 2019

The Glory Of The Rose

Though you're weary and faded

Your glory isn't gone

The colour of your beauty survives

It falls like an autumn

Your head once held high tilts a little now

Summer days just a memory when the gently breeze thrilled you

You surpassed them all

Surviving the elements

You are the Queen of all you survey 

Thursday 19 September 2019

Charred Sweetcorn , mushroom, chard, courgette noodle thingy

Thanks to my neighbour giving me some goodies from his allotment for mowing the grass verge outside his house.It was easier than I thought to actually get the corn off the cob and I shall be doing it more often. So all these enabled me to do a noddle thingy.


Ingredients 

Sweetcorn

Mushrooms 

Chopped chard

Chopped courgette 

Prawns 

Sweet chilli sauce 

Noddles ( for quickness I used ready to go noddles ) 

Method 

Heat the oil it the wok then add a couple tablespoons of brown sugar let it go caramel ish . Then go onto to stir fry the mushrooms , peppers and Sweetcorn for 3 mins until they start to blister. Stir in some curry paste then add the prawns ,chard , courgette and mushroom stir fry for a few minutes then add the ready made noodles and heat through / serve immediately 





Helping your parents to be financially prepared for retirement and beyond







Helping your parents to be financially prepared for retirement and beyond



#AD

 

Seeing your parents getting older and needing help can be tough, especially because you may have always seen them as the ones who looked after you and made sure that you were okay. 

But chances are, at some stage, you are going to have to give some extra care and assistance to ensuring that your parents are safe, protected and financially stable. 

If your parents are at the age when they are beginning to consider retirement, or perhaps they have just retired, then it might be worth sitting down with them to go over a few topics that could really help them in the future.

Here are a few ways that you could help them out…  

Talk openly about money 

It might not be an easy topic to venture into for many of us,but having an informal chat with your mum or dad about their finances could help them to consider certain things that they might not have thought about previously. 

Chatting about different savings solutions, pension plans and monthly budgeting options could open their eyes to opportunities they might not have even been aware of. There are so many financial apps available that make budgeting and money management much easier nowadays, so spend a bit of time helping your parents find the best apps to suit them and give them a handy demo of how to use them. 

Make sure they are living in the right place 

Your parents may have been living in the same family home for many years, with spare rooms (just in case you ever needed to move back home!), but now’s the time to assess whether their home is right for their current and future needs. 

If their home is in the middle of nowhere, might it be better for them to re-locate to a town centre where they can walk out to stock up on groceries without needing the car? Do they really need a four-bed house, or could they move into a modern two-bed apartment, which would be easier to upkeep and much cheaper to own? 

Assess their monthly outgoings and subscriptions 

Just like many of us, your parents may have ongoing monthly payments leaving their account that they set up many moons ago. But occasionally, it’s a good idea to sit down with them and work out if all their outgoings are still necessary. 

They may still want to pay for Sky Sports  especially now that they may be spending a bit more time at home  but perhaps they no longer need their landline (in favour of a mobile only)their work-related magazine subscription or their monthly Oyster travel pass. Sit down with the last three months’ worth of bank statements and highlight payments that might no longer be relevant. 

 

 

Don’t let them fall for scams 

It’s a sad truth, but many fraudsters and con artists prey on the elderly, who they deem as being vulnerable and more likely to fall for their lies and scams. Therefore, it’s your job to be there for advice and to ensure that this doesn’t happen to your parents. 

Warn your parents about bogus callers and tell them never to give away any financial or personal details over the phone.Also advise them about unsolicited emails from organisations that appear to be their bank or insurance provider, but who turn out to be scandalous thievesPerhaps suggest that if they see an interesting deal or email offer that they send it over to you first to research and inspect, so that you can investigate whether it’s genuine or not. 

 

However healthy, happy and in-control your parents may seem at present, there is no harm in helping them to plan for an even happier and healthier retirement. Now is the time to step in and offer your best assistance. 

 

 

Wednesday 18 September 2019

Slowness of Life

Slowness in life isn't a bad thing it really isn't and I like being slow it enables me to breathe and see everything in  detail.I do amazing things and they aren't always documented I don't always say , they are secret without being secret it is just part of my fabric of life.

I wake up and let my mind pull itself together after it has scattered itself to the four corners of the world during the night and it knits itself back together.

I take my day slowly doing what I need to do and sometimes it is thinking about what I need to do , that is how I work , it is like putting on show but without having a script and that is life it isn't scripted.

My slowness is a kindness to myself while others are beaming year to ear or stressing over how much they've packed into their day or will have to I take it slow.And my slowness of how I go about my day is part of me part of my character and part of my being.

And no one but no one tells me how to be I simply won't allow it , it is my slowness my being my world.Being autistic sometimes throws up its problems it is like in social situations you have a forcefield that won't let others include you and that is hard but the slowness of life helps you recover from those tricky times in life.And I do get on with those tricky situations in life.


I am happy in my slow and slow in my happy.

My speech therapist sees that stutter though mild has impacted me hugely and how I describe myself is a protection to myself and I have to say speech therapy has helped me greatly in my slowness where ironically I rush in my speech to get what I have to say out he way.I think this is so I can get back to the slowness of life and just wanting to be one with the world on my terms.


People don't expect me to be autistic I do get you never would have guessed , I mean I am not Paddington Bear where I have a label attached explaining who I am.I strive to be how I am what I am each and every day.I admire myself and also punish myself at times I am my own critic at the best of times but I am trying not to do this.


My slowness is brilliant it fits me just like a well fitting bobble hat and I like it , I don't work now I did so for many years in the fast based world of being a teaching assistant and some of that was as a special needs teaching assistant. I have tried here and there to volunteer at places but let me tell you trying to actually get people to take notice of you trying to help is an issue.


People make promises to me and they say yes we will meet up but life gets up in the way and they don't go for that walk with me and don't have the coffee , it is a promise in the win and the more sure of a promise is at the best of times to myself.It is a slow resilience to protecting myself and resilience is good though sometimes it is a sudden resilience out of the blue.


I breathe slowly.

I let the day unfurl I wait and watch while I wash up at the kitchen sink I don't take stock of the time and a leaf fulls.


I like the slowness of life.


Cat My Life And The Amazon Box

In a cat eat cat world there are those who prefer the hipster way of life with their cat pates and cat soups and their ambient temperature mineral waters , I was once parry to this world of opulence and proclivity towards this finer side of life.I slept in the very best of cat bunk beds , I slept in a modernist cat stool cave thing , the sort of thing that Batman would get for his cat if Batman had a cat but who it to say that he doesn't have a cat.But I am a cat whose form at function can not be pinned down by the needs.Us cats and box go together like tea and cake ,thunder and lighting, the world know knows we love a good box it is what the internet what was built for.


There is security in a box and I am pretty sure that given he state of British politics that soon enough my own human pet will climb into a box very very soon.How needs Disneyland when you have a box it is your very own theme park , I mean I can't get to Disneyland anyway though there is a huge mouse to eat I hear.


Human pet orders a fancy bed then I will sleep in the box it came in , the human can if they wish store items in the bed I simply won't sleep in and I am doing my bit for helping with saving the planet by recycling the box so it is a win win really I think.




Friday 13 September 2019

Bonkers Wedding Gifts

I’ve researching my families ancestry and it’s fascinating it is throwing up all manner of strange and weird things.Amongest this is a a wedding gift to my Great Grandparents on my dads side.The bonkers wedding gift in 1897 was a tortoise and this is the very tortoise that I knew in my grandparents garden in Ramsgate Kent.Now I knew the tortoise as George which I think came from my Great Grandma s maiden name of George.It would seem that the tortoises real name was Billy and lived to the great old age of 120 dying in 2011.No one expects to find information about a tortoise on their family tree but there you have it, I do on mine !

George the tortoise



I expect in 1897 a tortoise was a very exotic gift and no one would dream of doing that nowadays as tortoises need quite specialist care.I have seen through searching on the internet that people have had tortoises as ring beaters I have no idea if George the tortoise was a ring bearer at a Victorian wedding.I have seen people in the news have cats and dogs as a ring bearer even a bird of prey but never would I have though of someone having a tortoise that is one slow walk towards the alter !

Wednesday 11 September 2019

Twice Baked Cornbeef Hash With Smashed Garlic Cheese Potato Crush

It’s a lazy day here and it’s a scramble in the cupboard s and the battle with a tin of Cornbeef .I still wish I didn’t have to battle in these modern times with a tin of Cornbeef!


Ingredients 

Tin of Cornbeef 

Smashed potatoes 

Garlic powder to suit 

Grated cheese 

Chopped carrot s

Peas 

A cup of stock


Method 


Smash up the Cornbeef add in peas and carrots 

Add in a cup of stock bake in oven for 20 minutes on 200 c

In the meantime cook some potatoes add in butter garlic and grated cheese .Mix with Cornbeef and whack back in oven for about 40 minutes on 200c





Tuesday 10 September 2019

Halloween Activities to Do with the Whole Family

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Halloween Activities to Do with the Whole Family




Halloween is just around the corner. The celebration is a great opportunity to get kids and parents together to collaborate on spooky activities and creative projects. Over the years, hundreds of these activities have been devised, so you’ll have no shortage of inspiration when it comes to your household’s Halloween celebrations. Probably the best-known activity for kids at this time of year is trick-or-treating – but this is falling out of fashion, thanks to concerned parents and annoyed residents who don’t want to have to keep a massive bag of sweets by the door. So what are the alternatives?

Costumes

Halloween just wouldn’t be Halloween if we didn’t dress up for the occasion. Grown-up costumes tend to be increasingly grim and gory, and informed by villains from film and television. Kid’s costumes aren’t quite as grisly, but they’re still a great opportunity to dress up as a favourite character from the world of cinema (or literature). If you’re willing to pay for it, you might find a brilliant costume online, but it’s usually more fun to make your own. Older children can help out with the design and the ideas, and parents can pitch in with any sewing. 

Pumpkin-Carving

Here’s another chance to get creative with the most famous of all Halloween decorations: the carved pumpkin. You needn’t limit yourself to the traditional grinning face, here: modern jack-o-lanterns can carry just about any image or message you like – provided that you can carve it into the vegetable. If you get a few kids sitting side-by-side on a suitable bench, you can set up a neat little pumpkin production-line.

Other home-made Halloween decorations, like slime, stringy-cobwebs and fake blood, can be just as fun to make. Just make sure that you supervise your children’s efforts, as you don’t want them to come up with anything that will stain your walls or carpet.

Witch’s Cauldron

Particular mention should go to the witch’s cauldron, which makes a great centrepiece for Halloween parties. If you put another bowl inside the cauldron, you can fill it with an actual drink, and serve a grisly treat to all of your guests. As well as looking the part, this will let you teach the kids (and yourself) some basic chemistry. Just make sure you handle the dry ice yourself, as it can burn the skin if handled directly. Make sure you don’t put any in the drink directly, either, as you don’t want to swallow it!

Cooking

Why stop at your punch? If you want to involve the whole family, then get them to chip in by making some Halloween-inspired treats for the occasion. You can put all of that leftover pumpkin into a few dozen snack-sized pies, for a start. This approach will allow you to skip those mass-produced chocolates, and provide your kids with the skills they need to stay healthy when they need to fend for themselves. What better way to celebrate Halloween could there be?

The Problem With Tea And Cats

It’s been a bit wizard of Oz here with emotional whirlwinds all the place but I’m hoping to come down to Earth now .I think it’s going to take a while for me to settle down and get my sleep back on track not that my sleep pattern has ever been what you call normal.But you know something isn’t quite right when you wake up at 2 am thinking now where did I put that bottle of antibacterial cleaner .Do not fear I’ve not morphed into Mrs Hinch in my sleep.

I’ve cleaned some windows so now I can see clearly ( not song lyrics ) I’m trying out some stardrops white vinegar spray .Dont worry I didn’t clean the windows in my sleep , I actually did that this morning.Actually having some sleep does revitalise you and you take on a new zest for life.



I can now climb any mountains and my mountain is currently my knicker mountain.It is warts and all in this household and also it’s life meeting you full circle when your university son tells you to check his jeans pockets before you do the washing. I continue to issue parent instructions like eat friend and vegetables.

Cats cats cats what would we do without cats our lives would surely be a lot more dull.Here is Jack looking like I’ve just asked him for a massive bank loan.



Ooooh and doesn’t my new lamp match my cat oh so very well and it was a bargain for £6.95 from a charity shop ( the lamp and not the cat )

It’s now time for a cup of tea the only problem is that I just can’t seem to move thus is the problem of tea and cats!

Monday 9 September 2019

Family Days Out In London

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Family Days Out in London
Planning a family day out in London? The capital is a fantastic place to visit with the kids because it is a city that is bursting at the seams with culture, history and entertainment so you are never short for options when planning a trip here. Here are a few of the best places to take the family which will provide for a fun, educational and memorable family experience.
Natural History Museum
The superb Natural History Museum is an absolute must-visit with kids as it provides a fascinating insight into the world’s natural history with some truly breathtaking exhibits. If the kids have a love of animals and anything nature related then they are sure to love this treasured museum which even allows them to come face-to-face with dinosaurs. The museum is free to enter and housed in a magnificent building in the pretty region of South Kensington. There is plenty to see and do in the area and it is easy to reach with a train from Watford Junction to Kensington Olympia.

The Science Museum
Right next door to the Natural History Museum is the equally impressive Science Museum which, fortunately, is also free. There are all kinds of incredible interactive exhibits here which ensures that this museum is as fun as it is educational and highly worth a visit.

Kensington Palace
While you are in the area it is also highly worth visiting Kensington Palace which is the beautiful palace and birthplace of Queen Victoria and home to royals for over 300 years. Now the official residence of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, you can spend time exploring the peaceful grounds and explore the Royal State apartments.





Royal Albert Hall
Also in the area is the legendary performance venue the Royal Albert Hall. This breathtaking Victorian era performance venue hosts all kinds of entertainment so be sure to keep your eyes peeled for what’s on during your trip - be warned, you may need to book in advance!

These are just a few ideas for what a trip to London with the family could involve. London is a special city and somewhere that can be an excellent destination for a trip with the kids because there is so much to see and do in terms of history, culture and entertainment. It is important that you plan your day ahead so that you can maximize time and see as much as possible for a truly special and memorable day for the entire family.