Bloody British Weather

Afternoon all, just a quick pop in to let you know where I am at. First of all, yes I know I had said that I was going to try and do daily blogs but hey ho, I also knew that was never going to happen! I do have a good excuse though. We were away. No internet access.

Do you know, it's actually a funny thing about internet access. We went away in February and were staying at Wareham Forest. It is a rural area in Dorset, but that said it is also just a few miles from a very busy, urban, tourist area.

On our van Tallulah, we had between us, 2 smart phones. 2 Ipads, a very expensive Snooper GPS unit, all singing and dancing with internet, plus our own MI-Fi hotspot. Could we get on the internet? Not on your Nelly. Could we get a phone signal? Absolutely no chance. Somehow, I thought things were better than that nowadays. Obviously not.

Anyway, we were away with no internet. As some of you know we should still be away. We had planned to be way until Eater Monday. We were going to travel the North Norfolk coast and then go to Verity's for Easter.

We managed just one night. We went on Monday to Brancaster and had quite a nice day despite it being very cold.  A few photos:

Things started to go wrong around dinner time when we visited 2 dog friendly pubs where we thought we could have a nice meal out. What we hadn't thought about was that “dog friendly” means the world and his wife are there complete with their family of dogs! This is therefore not going to work for us as Beanie is nervous of other dogs. So it was a long walk in the wind and rain back to the van for pasties and beans.

Earlier in the day Simon had attempted to put up our Drive Away awning, despite the wind! He has only ever tested it once before, last summer when we purchased it. Of course by now he has forgotten how to do it and has lost the instructions. He did get it up but it didn't actually look quite right. The wind did not help and in fact it proved impossible to attach to the van mostly because of the wind. I kept telling him it was way too windy, but men always know best until the wife proves to be right!

So, we went to bed. It wasn't pleasant and the wind was picking up more and more and the rain was torrential. After about a quarter of an hour I got up. It was bloody scary. The wind was rocking the van quite violently and actually making me feel sick. Imagine being on a boat in really rough sea or on a plane with the worst turbulence ever. You have some idea.

Long story short, I spent the night sitting in the drivers seat with my feet propped on the seats opposite, trying to console Beanie who wasn’t entirely happy with this new experience. Simon of course stayed in the bed although he didn’t sleep much.

After a very long night where I was checking my watch about every 20 minutes, just longing for dawn to come, Simon finally got up. I was able to inform him that our lovely new awning which we have yet to use was now lying in a tangled, muddy mess on the ground. I watched it gradually go down over the course of the night. Nothing I could do. I have no idea at the moment if it is salvageable or not. It is currently in a heap in the back of the van waiting for a dry, non windy day so we can get it out in the garden and survey the damage.

With rain and strong winds forecast to go on until today we decided that after just one night it was best to head for home. I could barely move. A night spent sitting upright had made me very stiff and set off my lower back pain again. Just when I thought I had got rid of it. I also had the beginnings of a migraine almost certainly due to the stress of it all.

And so we are at home. Feeling pretty fed up. We had been looking forward so much to our first, longer foray. Right now, I am seriously considering if “motor-homing” is really for me. Something always seems to go tits up. (For my Merikan friends, who may not know that expression; it means gone wrong!).

JILLY

Would a knitted pompom make you feel safe?

 I am beginning to think that the world is going totally barmy. I have just been reading a news article entitled "The science behind police attempts to regain communities".  Apparently in Leicester the police have resorted to guerrilla knitting to rid people of their disproportionate fear of crime. They say crime is not as rife as we think andI hanging their knitted decorations in the trees will make people feel safer!  

Think I'm joking?  I kid you not. This is real.

They have attached hundreds of knitted pompoms to trees and lamp posts in Bede Park and Great Central Way, Leicester. They are hoping that this will encourage people to use the two areas of Leicester - but opinion appears split as to whether it will make any difference!!

Apparently Criminologists at De Montfort University say making the area look cosier will make it feel safer, but residents in Leicester appear unconvinced.

I have seen and heard it all now.  I simply cannot believe that attaching a knitted bauble to a tree would make anyone feel safe.  It doesn't do it for me. What are your thoughts?   What do my Merikan friends think?  Hey, I have an idea....... hand in all your guns, hang pompoms in the trees;  you will not need your gun ever again! 

Shouldn't our police force have better things to be doing?  Like fighting crime?   We are constantly hearing about the difficult financial situation and how we are losing police officers because of it. There are not enough officers on the beat and yet East Midlands force seems to think this is the best way to deploy them.  CRAZY!

You can see the full article and more photos here: Leicester police

Thursday 14th March

Just realised that I haven't been here for 2 weeks. I have read blogs from time to time and I have had good intentions but other stuff has got in the way. I know I have said it before but I really do need double the hours in my day.  I am just so busy.  The sewing and Etsy shop is taking up time and also my volunteer work with the dogs is taking more time too. 

So what is new?  Best news ever is that our little, tiny grandson, Jackson has had his feeding tube removed.  Yay! He is now 8 weeks old and weighs 5lb 1oz so he is doing fantastically.  Remember that he still shouldn't even be here for another 2 weeks. 

That reminds me, big congratulations to my friend Pam and her daughter Stephie.  Stephie has just given Pam another grandson.  Little Adam. 

I have a headache today.  It started yesterday and I can't get rid of it.  Hence, I’m doing some blogging rather than anything else. I have the TV on in the bedroom and am just watching “This Morning" and there is this really weird man, David Icke, who thinks the world is a hologram. Apparently we are all being controlled by members of the Royal family!  Weird or what? 

I actually do think that we are controlled by many forces and organisations but the Royal family?  No. Our governments, the church, yes, Royal family, no.  Speaking of the church reminds me of the election of the new Pope. Now there is a controlling organisation if ever there was one.  The Catholic Church. Oh yes, you better believe it.  Did you see all the faithful waiting to learn the name of the new head?  Sheep. Most have no idea who this guy even is but they will revere him anyway. 

Coralie posted on her Facebook page yesterday, "Dare we hope for a slightly more progressive thinking Pope? One who can lead the Catholic Church into the modern world?"  There is no way that will happen.  They are not interested.  They just want to stick with the old ways. They want to stay in control.  

My response was “Dare we hope for someone who will put an end to the sexual abuse that is so rife throughout the Catholic Church?”  Interestingly, Coralie deleted that.   I find that interesting in itself.   Coralie is someone who would normally welcome debate.  Seemingly my opinions are not appropriate for her page.  Hmmm, makes me really wonder.

So, Pope, Francis the first.  He is a very conservative, 76 year old. Is he going to change anything?  Is he heck?  That is why he was voted in.  They will never dare risk anything else.  He is anti-gays, anti-abortion, and anti-euthanasia need I go on?  Interesting that he is also a Jesuit.  Anyone recall from their history lessons how the Jesuits became so powerful at the end of the 18th century that they were suppressed?  Hmmm, power and control. 

OK, my brain is hurting, and I am waffling and not being coherent. I think you have realised by now that I am not impressed.  

For anyone that doesn't know, I was christened at my parent’s local parish church.  (Common C of E).  After my marriage, in a very misguided attempt to be accepted by the outlaws, I was confirmed in the Roman Catholic Church.  Our children grew up in that faith and at primary age they went to a Catholic school.  I have never believed. Simon has never believed. We were both just trying to fit in with his family. It didn't work. Nothing will ever work there, but that is another story.  

Basically as we got older we realised that there was no point in pretending to be something that we are not.  We have not attended church for years and never will again. (Weddings and funerals excepted). Simon believes very strongly that the church is just an organisation that controls the masses for their own purposes. I mostly don't even bother to think about it. If I am anything, then I am probably a sort of Pagan.  But I prefer not to define myself.  I am me and I believe in balance and good and..........oh  my goodness what a lot more drivel.  This is what happens when I have a headache!

I am being driven crazy buy Alfie.  We were all 3 of us on the bed.  Alfie was in Simon’s place at the top of the bed next to me and Loulou was at the bottom by my feet.  I got up to go to the loo and Alfie followed me.  Of course Loulou then saw her opportunity and moved into the prime position.  Alfie is not pleased.  This happens all the time.  I wish he would just realise that I am only going to be 2 minutes and stay where he is. He then tries to get on my lap which doesn't work with my lap top.  I have moved to the chair and he keeps trying to get up here with me. I might shut them both downstairs for a while. I think I need to close the curtains and lie down quietly.   Stupid headache.

At least I managed a blog.