Important things I need to do

1. To tell the people that are important to me, that I love them and respect their views
2. To stop worrying about the small things in life
3. To try and fix the big problems in my life (the one's that I can do something about anyway)
4. To stop looking backwards into the past, it is done with... End of
5. To be true to me, my beliefs
6. To stop judging other people by my standards
7. To not let other people make my decisions for me
8. To not drift through life without purpose and meaning
9. To read the books I have before I buy any more new ones
10. To remember what I love about living in this country

I am sure there are more, what about you.. what is important to you?

It's a sure and certain thing...

Easter is coming, a bank holiday in the UK and while we have had beautiful weather of late, giving rise to the fact that Spring is about to burst forth, we are about to be inundated with a depression called Melli (heading in from East of Iceland) who is coming to give us a breath of Winter back again with some snow, sleet, hail and rain to name but a few of her joys and delights.

I am looking forward to the holiday, because I have been so busy of late but also it is the start of my holidays I am now not going to be working again until 7th April and I will be away for one of those weeks in the county of Cornwall; St Minver to be precise. I am hoping to visit the Eden Project something I attempted to do unsuccessfully 5 1/2 years ago with my father and I am going to be going for both of us as he sadly passed away before getting an opportunity to see it for himself.

Not so much of a pilgrimage as the sense of completion of something left unfinished..

Have a happy Easter, celebrate with friends and family but most of all enjoy.

St Patrick's Day

To all of you who have Irish blood in you, Happy St Patrick's Day...

To Dad, Happy 77th Birthday; I will have a drink in your memory tonight and be thinking of you, wishing you were still here to share it with me.

Wisdom

I remember this well, applies today as much as it did when I first heard it; not that anyone will necessarily listen, young or old, but that is their perogative as it was mine.

Ladies and gentlemen of the class of '97:

Wear sunscreen.

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine.

Don't worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4 p.m. on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Sing.

Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss.

Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself.

Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch.

Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't.
Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees. You'll miss them when they're gone.

Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else's.

Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.

Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.

Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.

Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings. They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft. Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out.
Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen.

Mary Schmich

Thoughts

Thinking of friendship, Thinking of you
Sometimes, amidst the hustle and bustle of the modern world,
it's good just to sit quietly
and think about the people in our lives
who make a real difference -
the people who lift us up when we are down,
who cheer us on when we need encouragement
and who offer their friendship unconditionally.

Today I sat quietly and thought of you..

Wednesday

Anyone else finding today really hard going, and have no idea why? Read on :

Courtesy of Wikipedia
Wednesday is the third day of the week in most western countries and the fourth day of the week in the Christian calendar, between Tuesday and Thursday. The name comes from the Middle English Wednes dei, which is from Old EnglishWēdnes dæg, meaning the day of the Germanic god Woden (Wodan) who was a god of the Anglo-Saxons in England until about the 7th century. Wēdnes dæg is like the Old Norse Oðinsdagr ("Odin's day"), which is an early translation of the Latin dies Mercurii ("Mercury's day"), though Mercury (the messenger of the gods) and Woden (the king of the Germanic gods) are not equivalent in most regards.

According to the Hebrew Bible, Wednesday is the day when the Sun and Moon were created.

An English language idiom for Wednesday is "hump day", a reference to making it through to the middle of the work week as getting "over the hump."

So there you are, even if you feel fine you have put in the majority of work for the week. Makes you wonder if statistically more crimes/accidents occur by Wednesday - if anyone knows perhaps they might care to comment.

Next week you will know why you don't feel as bright on a Wednesday morning but by the evening you will be able to look forward to the anticipation of the weekend and a chance to relax and chill out before it all starts again next week.

Scribblings from my notebook

Something I wrote a while back, for the writing group I belong to... a very tortured storyline followed on from this for the character I write about and I wanted to capture it before it gets lost on the ether of time; hence it is posted here.

The Reality of Me
Leave me alone, lost in my life
without meaning, caught up
entangled in threads of deceit
Drifting alone, Needing no-one
wanting no-one to be close
Because it causes pain
It makes me alive, and that's not the reality of me
I exist, I don't live
Yet I breathe.
Not wanting this, not daring to try
Paying the price of a past that is then, now and yet to be
Never free of the things I have done
of what I have become
The person that is me.

The Great Storm

The entire weekend news was dominated by the advent of 'The Great Storm' about to land upon our shores this morning in the wee small hours. At first it was amusing, because of the novelty of the reporting; you never really get this sort of reporting of the weather conditions except once in a blue moon.

Later it became annoying because it seemed to be generating fears about the strength of the winds and the possible damage.. it almost seemed appropriate to have a warning such as 'viewers of a delicate disposition should avoid listening to this broadcast in case adverse health effects are experienced'.

I wonder how many people, like me, worried needlessly about where they lived as we weren't hugely impacted by the storms unlike those in the South-West of the country where people have had to leave their homes and take shelter from the worst of the weather; to those people I can only offer my sympathies for their plight and hope that they are not going to be away from their homes and families for too long.

Abigail Paige

Welcome to the world, Abigail Paige MacAvoy-Sorochen born March 1st at 8:36am 7 pounds 7.5 ounces and 20 inches long a welcome sister for Grace and second daughter to Kim and Jim.

Couldn't be prouder of you guys.. congratulations and hope to see you over in the UK sometime with all the family.

A gift

I got sent the following post from a friend, as usual I read it quickly and then when I finished it I couldn't stop thinking about it... life is too short to take it too seriously, we walk this way but once so stop worrying over the big problems you can't fix and work on what is important but most of all - Don't Panic and always know where your towel is +

Age, I have decided, is a gift.

I am now, probably for the first time in my life, the person I have always wanted to be. Oh, not my body! I sometime despair over my body, the wrinkles, the baggy eyes, and the sagging butt.And often I am taken aback by that old person that lives in my mirror (who looks like my mother!), but I don't agonize over those things for long.I would never trade my amazing friends, my wonderful life, my loving family for less gray hair or a flatter belly.

As I've aged, I've become more kind to myself, and less critical of myself. I've become my own friend.I don't chide myself for eating that extra cookie, or for not making my bed, or for buying that silly cement gecko that I didn't need, but looks so avante garde on my patio. I am entitled to a treat, to be messy, to be extravagant.

I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon; before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging. Whose business is it if I choose to read or play on the computer until 4 AM and sleep until noon?I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 60 & 70's, and if I, at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love ... I will.

I will walk the beach in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging body, and will dive into the waves with abandon if I choose to, despite the pitying glances from the jet set.They, too, will get old.

I know I am sometimes forgetful. But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten. And I eventually remember the important things.Sure, over the years my heart has been broken. How can your heart not break when you lose a loved one, or when a child suffers, or even when somebody's beloved pet gets hit by a car? But broken hearts are what give us strength and understanding and compassion. A heart never broken is pristine and sterile and will never know the joy of being imperfect.

I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turning gray, and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves on my face. So many have never laughed, and so many have died before their hair could turn silver.

As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about what other people think. I don't question myself anymore. I've even earned the right to be wrong.So, to answer your question, I like being old. It has set me free. I like the person I have become. I am not going to live forever, but while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been, or worrying about what will be. And I shall eat dessert every single day. (If I feel like it)

May our friendship never come apart especially when it's straight from the heart and may you always have a rainbow of smiles on your face and in your heart.

+ A nod to Douglas Adams - Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy

Personal DNA

This was uncannily true of me, fill out a questionnaire on the following site : Personal DNA takes about 20-30 mins to answer everything and it will return what your personal attributes are. These are mine and it certainly rings true across the board in every way.

You are an Experiencer
Your inquisitive nature, imagination, and hands-on practicality make you an EXPERIENCER.
Although you have an active imagination, you also concern yourself with the functional elements of things.
You are willing to experiment to find things that work the most efficiently.
Getting stuck in certain habits is boring to you—you'd rather find new experiences.
Accordingly, experiences are more important to you than objects—you'd rather spend your money and energy on events and adventures than on material things.
You like to contemplate a lot of options before making a decision, and you're willing and able to consider a lot of different angles to problems.
You're open to suggestions, and often rely on others to assess the merit of those suggestions.
You have an ability to see the big picture—not just how things are, but how they could be—in a variety of situations.
You're not one to force your positions on a group, and you tend to be fair in evaluating different options.
You're not afraid to let your emotions guide you, and you're generally considerate of others' feelings as well.
Never one to be found in chic boutiques or trendy clothing stores, you take an extremely practical approach to getting dressed.
If you want to be different:
Have faith that your imagination and practicality will complement each other, and lead to good decisions on your part.
Take the initiative in seeking things out—don't wait for them to come to you.

You are Generous
Your awareness of those around you, along with your nuanced perceptions of the world at large, makes you the GENEROUS person that you are.
You value time to yourself and understand how rich your private world can be—you know that you don't have to go wild to have a good time.
You are excited and energized by ideas and often enjoy things more through observation than through experience.
This tendency gives you an appreciation for different perspectives and opinions about the world.
Being as aware of others as you are doesn't mean you find it easy to trust them immediately—this is something that happens more slowly for you.
Despite this, you are aware of the complexities of many situations and are reluctant to pass judgments on others.
Although you have fewer friendships than some people, those that you have are meaningful and are important to you.
You value spending time alone—it is while reflecting on the world around you that you often learn something new about yourself or begin to understand something that's been bothering you.
If you want to be different:
Given how attuned you are to others' thoughts and feelings, you might find that trusting people more is a way to broaden your perspective even further.
While you know how much can be learned from observing the world around you, remember that much of life can be lived by experiencing it, not just by understanding it.

7 Random Things

I wrote this post on 5th January 2008 over at Tom Reynolds Random Acts of Reality.

1. Single, never been married, never likely to get married. just not my thing I guess
2. Fell down a tree onto a barbed wire fence, age 6 have the scars to prove it.
3. Lived in Malaya from age 7 to 11 and can remember the start of their then national anthem.
4. Lived in Germany from 11-15 years where i broke my wrist trying to jump an iron bar, on wet grass with plimsolls on... so not a good idea as it hurt a bit.
5. At age 22 I wanted to have a litter of puppies rather than a baby (haven't changed my mind)
6. Despite having left formal education at 16, I enjoy learning new skills and got my degree at age 42 with the OU. So perhaps the meaning of life isn't too far wrong :-)
7. Learnt to ride a motorbike and pass advanced test in 3 months... still my proudest moment.

Knew I should never have posted the #1 item... 'cos my world got flipped around within days of writing that set of random things but in such a good way.

To be continued

Weather

Why is it in England the weather dominates the conversation, from the gale force winds of last week to the snow of today it seems to overpower any other topic?

It's a safe bet that everyone of us has had that conversation about the 'Great Storm' {with a nod to the Vicar of Dibley writers here} I am referring to the Michael Fish never to be forgotten non-hurricane which decimated the trees in the South of England in October 1987; he will never fail to be reminded of that faux pas and yet forecasting was not as accurate then as today's technology.

And have you noticed it's all negative, spring is too early, the rain is too heavy or not enough of it, the seasons are all topsy turvy with the flowers blooming too early or the trees hanging on to their leaves too late? Must be global warming, must be a reason.... and so the conversation goes..

..but you rarely see a good news day for weather, yet it is there for all to see : the joys of the sun warm after a cold snap, the days are getting longer (and dare I say it warmer), the ground is starting to warm through and the plants are daring to start budding new growth the great wakening is starting anew. The sunrises are earlier, and prettier if you care to open the curtains to look and see, the birds are singing their hearts out for their partners and the earth is slowly waking up after her long winter hibernation.

Be glad today, that even in the last throws of winter, spring is making her presence felt and be happy today and tomorrow