The Human Plight

Coastguard searching the coastline

    It's that time of year when people plan ahead for their summer vacation and many will choose to go on a cruise. Whether sailing the Med, Atlantic, Caribbean, or the Far East, it will most probably set the holidaymaker back in excess of £1,000.00/US$1542.00 per person.

    Whatever the discerning traveller could wish for is on board these liners, palatial cabins, steward service, wide choice of restaurants, bars and leisure facilities, including a promise by the tour companies that you'll have the luxurious holiday of a lifetime.

      Before you think you're reading a travel item please read on.

     Far away from this style of ocean travel, are the refugees who take to the sea to escape from war torn countries and who pay human traffickers to transport them in overcrowded, inhumane conditions to European shores. In the last week alone, in excess of 1500 people have been rescued by coastguards in the Canaries and Italy.

    For instance, on New Years Eve when we were celebrating the end of our year, a wooden patera arrived in the Canaries with 41 Africans on board, 32 men, 4 women and 5 children. This was the 16th vessel to arrive on these shores in 2014, but there are no statistics telling us the numbers of arriving unseen, or who lost their lives on the perilous journey.

    The Italian authorities also had to rescue 1300 such refugees in the last week, after finding two freighters, adrift in rough seas, with no crew, fuel for the displaced travellers onward journey, and. little, or no food, or water. A new year has opened it's door to us, but unfortunately the human plight for many has not ended.

#HumanTraffickingAwarenessMonth

http://www.thea21campaign.org/

http://hopeforjustice.org/
 

     

At the End of the Rainbow

    Yeah, it's that time of year again when we start on a new page in our lives. When the bells chimed, millions of us made wishes and  promises, with the best intentions. It was no use me making a New Year resolution that involved any restrictive process, because I knew I would fall at the first hurdle. Meaning, going on a diet was definitely ruled out.

     In one of my last posts I told you that I had lost a little weight, I can now share with you that there were no faddy diets involved, only exercise. Nothing too strenuous, getting off my butt and going for a brisk walk seems to be what started the process off.
 

    However, I want to start 2015 the way I mean to go on and that is on a positive. It's not easy as we never know what's around the corner and I'm hoping I can keep smiling by doing a little, or a lot in certain cases, of what I enjoy.
 

    Which includes, writing, reading, walking and spending time in my home overseas; all of which fill me with happiness. Therefore, you could say that my resolution is to remain happy throughout 2015, no matter what.  

    Would finding a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow make me happy? I thought it might until I heard a clergyman on the radio this morning, telling listeners to never forget that happiness comes from within us. So, when my positivity starts to wane, which I have a sneaky feeling it will on the odd occasion, I'm going to think of the preachers profound words and keep doing the things that will cultivate that happiness from within.

    I hope your New Year gives you lots to smile about.

• #DayOfPositivity

The Trip

    The trip has been long, my temper is fraught.

However, as daylight fades my determination has not.

When I open the door, the smell of the soup on the table warms my soul.

The sight of my loved ones, the hugs and the heartfelt love, makes my life whole.

It's so good to be home to bring in the New Year,

surrounding myself with those I hold dear.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

All the best for 2015.

Bursting at the Seams

    The last couple of days I've been recovering from total over indulgence and I take some satisfaction from knowing that I'm not alone. I had lost weight over the last few weeks, however the jeans are pinching my waist once more. I'm so bloated if I was pricked with a pin I'd probably reach the moon with no help from NASA.

    What hasn't helped is that I've been in couch potato mode, not good after turkey and mince pies. But, what has been great is that I've had time to enjoy some great books and watch fantastic old movies such as, White Christmas, Wonderful Life and The Bishop's Wife. All feel good films that make me reach for the Kleenex box every time.

    Next time I blog it will be 2015, before then I'm sure I'll break out the tissues again. ALL the BEST.

The Cruel Sea

 

    The oceans that surround us are a beauty to behold, they nurture life, however they also conceal secrets of the past, revealing them with more than a little reluctance.

    We use descriptives of these vast expanses of water in the same way we do that of human emotion's and behaviour. Calm, serene, angry, and  tranquil, are all adjectives that can be applied to both. Another which is commonly used is, cruel.

    Ten years ago the sea was particularly cruel, when the Indian Ocean tsunami, engulfed areas of Indonesia and Asia, today lots of us will take a minute from our festive schedule's to think about the lives that ended, or changed that day.

As the Sun Sets

 

    Education is something I feel passionate about, because I believe it can cure many ills in this world. Therefore to see another school being targeted by extremists in the last week, I find heartbreaking.

    I'm talking about the 141 fatalities, 132 children and 9 teachers that were massacred in an army school, in Peshawar, Pakistan; a place where parents sent their children to be educated, safely.

    Back in April this year we were faced with the sickening event in Chibok, Nigeria when 276 female students were kidnapped from their school and in places such as Syria, Afghanistan, schools are continually targeted.

    As the sun sets on this year, we can only pray that governments will find a way to stop this and that children can be educated without their parents having to worry as to whether they will ever see them again, after dropping them off at school.

Stocking Filler

    Earlier this year my mother passed away and I know when I meet up with the rest of my family on the 25th of December our memories of her will come flooding back. Our Christmas's were always special, even if there were no iPads, laptops, or designer clothes waiting for us when we got up.

   Our Christmas stockings overflowed with fruit, candy, all inexpensive items but nevertheless gifts left by Santa. Amongst my small bundle of wrapped gifts left below the tree, there were always books, pens, pencils and a blank journal, everything a budding writer desired.

    The gift of a blank journal continued each year until her last Christmas and the blank pages are now ready for another year of muse.