Family

    Because my parents knew very little about their families, other than those immediate, I traced back my family tree a number of years ago. I don't know what I expected to reveal, however I'm sure their was a little writers licence running wild in my imagination.

    I decided to do all the leg work myself and got a few surprises along the way, especially when I found out my great, great-grandfather was a ventriloquist.

    However, once I thought about it, what had I gained by the exercise? Other than satisfying my curiosity;
knowing my ancestors names and some background didn't actually change who I am today. The people in my life that I can truly call family aren't necessarily all  blood relatives; it's the love that we share that to me makes us family and gives me a sense of belonging.

P.S Afraid there were no pictures of the ventriloquist uncovered in my search!

Love Reveals Itself

It was one of those things that started with a crush.

Nothing in particular I wanted to rush.

On the 14th, there were no cards adorned with cupid.

That kind of thing I thought was stupid.

It was on the realisation that you were now my best friend, lover and soul mate, 

that gave me the clue.

Revealing to me, that I had fallen in love with you.

Zero Tolerance = Every Day

 

    We know that at present, children in some parts of the world are getting a pretty raw deal. However, there is one threat that girls need to be protected from in every country and that is FGM (Female Genital Mutilation).

    FGM is where partial, or all of the external female genitalia is removed, in most cases by a non-medical practitioner and  in a non-sterile environment. No, there are no sterile instruments, or anaesthetic involved and the scalpels are replaced by scissors, razors and broken glass.

    130 million women and girls have been mutilated in this way, in 29 countries in Africa and the Middle-East, with a further 30 million of under 15 year olds still at risk. In the UK and USA we can't bury our heads in the sand and pretend it doesn't happen on our soil, because in the UK, 103,000, are known to have undergone FGM; with a further, 20,000, classed as being at risk. In the USA, 1/2 million are also said to be at risk, even although this practise as in the UK, is illegal.

    By 2050 it is estimated that if we do not stamp this barbaric practise out, a further 63 million girls worldwide will have had to go through this ordeal. On the 6th February 2015 it was, International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, but the zero tolerance has to be every day.

If We Knew Then What We Know Now

 

    I can't imagine what it would be like not to be able to hear waves washing over the pebbled shore, birds celebrating the dawning of another day with their chorus, all my family and friends voices, or being able to listen to Paola Nutini and Ed Sheeran albums. However there are millions of us worldwide whose hearing is impaired in some way, or another.

    Because I had a family member who suffered from prelingual deafness because of an accident as a young child, the progress being made in proshetic hearing, I find fascinating. With things such as ABI (Auditory Brainstem Implants), or cochlear implants, my uncles life would have been a whole lot different.

    Born in post war years his schooling was limited, due to financial restrictions at that time; even being able to communicate with other members of his family was on occasions rather frustrating for all involved and especially for him.

    He was able to communicate happiness and sadness by facial expressions, but as this disability happened before he had developed any kind of vocabulary,  he spent the whole of his 48 years unable to verbally communicate. Had ABI been available, learning sign language would have been at least within his reach.

    What prompted me to write this post? A video I saw on Yahoo.com, https://uk.screen.yahoo.com/editor-picks/amazing-moment-deaf-teen-hears-090500370.html of a teenager hearing her fathers voice for the very first time after receiving ABI. A new world awaits her and certainly for others like her. For more information on deafness, or hearing impairment, hearinglink.org

 

Over and Over

The day has begun,

and the bell on the alarm clock has rung.


I rub my eyes and get out of bed.

The reflection I see in the mirror resembles

something more associated with the living dead.


I have to muster every last bit of my bodily power,

to take me into the shower.


As the water trickles over me,

my mind moves forward and all I can think of,

is my breakfast cup of tea.


The day has begun,

and the bell on the alarm has rung.


I rub my eyes and ...................


Happy Groundhog Day!

Bitterness can turn to Sweet.

   The last two weeks have been rather eventful, well eventful for me anyway, as life usually moves on in dodge along mode. Some fantastic things have occurred, whilst one little nasty incident left a rather bitter taste in my mouth.

    I'll tell you about the nasty bit first; there's no other way of putting it other than a guy and a woman attempted to steal the contents of my handbag. However, I caught him just as he had taken my mobile and whether it was an adrenalin rush, or a moment of madness , that made me tackle him I have no idea, but I did manage to grab it back from him.

    The commotion that I caused meant that they decided to flee before the police arrived and no real harm was done, other than his bruised ego and butt that my partner kicked.  The actual mobile is worthless and the lipstick that was the only other thing in my bag, wasn't his shade, so he picked the wrong girl.

    Staying positive, was my New Year's resolution, and since that day all the nice things that have happened have outweighed this occurrence.

    Starting with me being asked to be a speaker at a local Burns Supper. My speech, ' To the Immortal Memory,' went down well and I met lots of lovely new people, which is an author's delight.

    Secondly, after running into old friends a couple of weeks ago, I was asked to go along to a charity bingo afternoon a couple of days later and while I left empty handed I had a great day out. It was mostly females that went to the bingo, and most of the male partners and friends decided to retire to a local bar where we all met up later.

    Once we gathered together, the wine flowed and one of the men had made some tasty food, which included sausage rolls, and corned beef pie to share amongst us. Superb fun was had by all and the bitter taste has now been replaced by sweet.

    Sorry no pictures today I didn't have one that fitted the bill, most wanted posters, headed Bandito, are rather hard to come by.


#bitter
#sweet
#humor

Slangevar

 
    Being given the opportunity to learn to read is a gift every child should recieve. Even back in 1759, the father of Robert Burns, the poet, saw the importance of education and whilst the family were poor, William Burnes had his son schooled at home.

The byre inside Burns Cottage

 
    Heavy farm work lead to Burns having poor health and without this education he would not have been able to make a living and we would not  have the pleasure of  his poems and songs.

Burns Cottage 'The Auld Clay Biggin'

    Slangevar Burns!

Slangevar