Thanks

I found out something quite special this week and to the one person that knows about it I want to say  "I wrote this before I knew." To everyone else I say "wait a while and I will share with you too."

I thrive on acknowledgement.  I can do anything but I need someone to notice I've done it once in a while.

I do a lot of stuff in the background, a lot of Assistant Guiders do.  It's a bit like being the wife, you put the washing in, the ironing happens, food appears in the fridge.  No one really notices, in fact you'd probably have to be dead for a few weeks for the family to realise these things had ceased to happen.  I reckon a lot of Guiding is the same.

Sometimes it feels like a thankless drudge and you wonder why you bother.

And one of the big problems is most Guiders are in the same boat and we can't go around patting each other on the back all the while.  If nothing else we'd all get sore backs but mainly it would start to feel like empty words.

I try thank my WiseOwl Guider in Charge at Brownies as often as I can by giving her badges whenever I find a novel one, by always trying to respond to her requests for ideas or help and generally trying to 'do' when needed.  She in return will offer me cake and an ear when it is needed, and her life is already fully to brimming so it's a big give.

I don't think I thank the Guider In Charge at Senior Section at all and yet she worked hard to arrange our Wellies and Wristbands trip in the summer and numerous camps all year.  I should make more of an effort.

I worked my socks off for JailBreak, and I don't know what I expected back in return, except lots of self feel good but I felt thoroughly flat at the end of it all, in fact I still don't actually know how many points the team scored.  But then something happened.  The County Commissioner sent me a a thank you card. She didn't have to, I don't know how she found the time to do it but I keep having a sneaky peek at it and it makes me feel so valued. 

And then something else happened...

Whilst away at Wellies and Wristbands we met the Chief Guide, in fact the Rangers had their photo taken with her and she gave us all a Chief Guide badge.   A great honour.  And then one of our Rangers accidentally flushed her badge down the loo....don't ask...there is a lengthy and justifiable story but just don't ask!  I wrote to CHQ when we were back to ask if there was a way I could buy one to replace it and an amazing thing happened, I got a response from both the Chief Guide and the Chief Executive. Both of them personally cared enough to send a new badge.  Which was duly presented to the Loo Ranger!

I felt valued.  I felt worthy of a response from very busy people that probably have many more important things to deal with.  It was a thanks to take me another mile.

I was asked this week to contribute to a thank you gift for a Guider.  Initially I wondered whether it was necessary.  I don't feel good about that gut reaction.  Giving thanks often feels better than getting thanks.  Of course I joined in.  But the initial reaction set me thinking a lot about 'thanks'.

Acknowledgement matters.

Sometimes you wonder whether what you do makes a difference to the world. After all, we are a small speck in a huge machine but we all have some value to add. 

I don't say thank you enough.

Read more...

A cheeky trip to London

Cog's school decided they weren't teaching them today, no not the strike, that's next week. This was for 'target setting' - bless.  Anyhoo, we took the opportunity to do the tourist thing without the crowds and slipped down to London.

Kensington Palace was fantastic, Cog was free.  I was £16.50.  It was really interesting to walk around.  The current temporary display is the Queen's, Princess Margaret's and Diana's dresses.

I was surprised that my favourites were the Queen's.  Stunning.  She has/had such a tiny waist.

Victoria's dresses were also so very small.

I am always amazed that I am allowed to walk in rooms where Kings and Queens have trod.  To stand by the grand fireplaces, to look out of the same windows. Quite incredible.

As always our luck was in, it was quiet and we were 'accosted' by in character and costume grandiose people who asked if we were gamblers and could we play cards.

Cog and I ended up gambling away our houses and estates in a game of commerce.  Great fun.

The large 3d hanging that made you feel like you were stood inside the Crystal Palace fascinated me.

After we'd eaten in the cafe at the palace we went over to the Horse Guards Cavalry museum.  £6 for an adult and Cog was free again as I had a voucher with my train card.

It's fairly small but very interesting, we stood for ages looking at the real horses in the stables through a glass wall and catching brief glimpses of the soldiers.

I couldn't resist an opportunity to dress up.

This was quite incredible.  A soldier shot by a sniper in the first world war had the good fortune that the bullet went through his cigarette case, bible and half way through his French dictionary before getting no further.

From Westminster, we wandered down the north bank for a change and then caught a clipper down to the Tower.

It's lovely to see the iconic skyline.

The new ....

...and the old.


A lovely stop at my favourite Perkin Reveller for tea and scones before heading back to St Pancras.

We met HWMBO for the journey home, he hadn't had half so much fun stuck in the office.

Read more...

Microdiscectomy L5-S1 complete recovery (?)

MRI number 5 has come and gone, so time for an update.

A quick precis of how we got here (the links to all my posts about it are here):

June 2011 very stiff and sore back after a Guide Camp. Visited an osteopath weekly with little relief. Carried on running and circuit training despite advice to rest.

August 2011 unable to walk following either a circuit class, a visit to the osteopath or carrying a lot of milk for yet another Guide Camp, or all three! Excruciating painful sciatica.

September 2011 MRI scan showed herniated L5/S1 and had a root block under x-ray which gave some relief. Stopped all training and running.

Late October 2011 - started running again, also moved heavy furniture. Sciatica returned.

Late November 2011 - In massive pain I think caused by lifting a Christmas tree, another MRI showed re herniation. Epidural a week later. No relief.

Late December 2011 - unable to drive or sit at all, constant leg pain at night. Pain so bad in mornings it was like the worst cramp I have ever experienced with no relief for hours. Another MRI about this time confirmed I needed surgery.

Early Feb 2012 microdiscectomy with no complications.

Late March 2012 reherniation falling a stupid bending movement, surgeon said he didn't think it was, I disagreed.

July 2012 another reherniation confirmed by an MRI but also showing that there really wasn't much material left to leak out and there was no scar tissue.

July 2013 after a year of struggling on I had another MRI to see why I am still in pain.

And the answer.......

There is no reason, I am completely fixed he said.  Hoorah!  So why am I still in bloody pain?!

Seriously, the MRI shows absolutely no leakage at all.  After having seen this herniation 5 times now, I can honestly say it was not there.  There was some scar tissue though.  Where did that come from?  There wasn't any in July 2012, 6 months after my operation. So it has formed only in the past year.  How strange. 

Anyway, he told me to go home happy, that I was fixed and he said there was no reason to worry about my back and what I do now, just keep fit.

I asked him what I was supposed to do with the pain and he still smiled and nodded and said 'nothing I can do, surgery isn't needed, you can go'.  So I asked him if perhaps a root block might help.  He said possibly and I could have one if I wanted one.  Now, I'm not the doctor here, he is but if I hadn't have mentioned it he would have just discharged me.  But he happily put me on the waiting list for a root block.  He said it might take the pain away for a while, forever or not at all.

Last time it did nothing but I had a massive herniation then, whereas this time I guess I have scar tissue irritating the nerve.

So in terms of L5/S1 herniation I am fixed.

In terms of sciaticia I think I have a new journey to embark on.

So here beginneth my sciaticia journey to a pain free life.  I'll keep you updated with how it goes.

Read more...

I knew Tara would want these

 This week's Gallery is 'Face'.

I'm guessing that most people are used to food photos happening these days. 

But it takes a blogger to go the extra mile on holiday and see the happy face.

and monster face.  And know that at some point the gallery will require them!

There's nothing better than pointing your face to the sun when it's suffered the longest winter ever.

Peas in a pod I think (except one was been picked a considerably longer time ago!)

 

 

Read more...

Playing The Game - Inclusion

The Chief Guide said 'If it's not fun, it's not Guiding'.  I didn't know until recently that she said it, I've been saying it for many years.  Brownies don't go to a night to be shouted at, or do book work they get plenty enough of that at school.  Much the same as Rangers don't deserve to be spoken down to or mocked, but that is a separate post to be written.

At a Brownie night I watched our Young Leaders playing 'port and starboard' with the girls.  It was turning into a never ending game and I said to the YLs 'if you get them out if they go wrong or are last then it has a natural ending'.

"But the girls don't like being out, they get bored" said the confident YL.  Only a few nights later I read this in an old book:

"So often in the children's party type game, the smallest or weakest child is 'out' first and then is compelled to sit and watch the stronger or more skillful at play.  The Founder would have none of this.  The whole object of a game, in his scheme, was to bring the weaker players up to scratch, not to show off the few who were already efficient in running or jumping or observing or whatever the game may entail.  So he devised games where the weak player instead of being out received a chalk mark or an armlet while continuing in play; the winner, of course, being the one who ended up scathless.  It sounds so simple, yet who of us has not suffered agonies of self consciousness and boredom in our youth of being first 'out' in musical chairs at a party?  Even in Brownie packs, I am sorry to say, I have sometimes seen the little newcomers sitting miserably round walls, longing for the game to end so they may have another go."

Our clever Young Leader was right.  They are so good at being in tune with what is fun, what the girls actually want to do. 

100 years on and the same principles still stand firm.  It is a totally different world of computer games, TVs, social media, fast excitement and yet the simple needs of the child are still much the same.

They want to play, they want to have fun, they want to keep moving. 

Clever Young Leader.  She's going far.

Read more...

Brownie Residentials - Hard things get easier

Back in 2011 we took a group of Brownies to London for the weekend. I was so stressed before hand I was almost in complete meltdown. But we went and it was great, we even managed to bring them all home again!

To many of you it may seem a minor thing but you have to remember I live in a very small town or large village, depending on how you look at it. Most of these Brownies have never been to London and it's a big thing for them and us.

That weekend away gave me enough confidence to volunteer to be part of a group that took Brownies and Guides to be part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations in London and do the most awesome walk ever. To say that was really quite difficult as a leader would be underplaying it massively but it was worth every bead of stress sweat!

So taking our current 8 oldest Brownies to London this time hardly seemed to phase me at all.  Now, before you pat me on the back, I will point out I don't do the organising, our WiseOwl in charge takes that strain, I'm simply there for the ride (although there may be slightly more to it than that!).

This time we went to Westminster first and showed them Big Ben and the sights there, ate our packed-lunch near the Eye and played in the new (?ish) playground there. We caught a boat down the water to the Tower, saw Tower Bridge lift up (perfect timing) and then went to the Science museum by tube to have fun whilst the undecided weather decided.  We caught a bus to Pizza Hut for our evening meal and then the tube up to Belsize Park to stay at the World Guide Centre, Pax Lodge.

There are only 4 World Centres and it's really a very special thing to visit one.  For me to wake up to this view was a special moment for me.

I'm not sure it's significance really sunk into the Brownies but our Young Leaders were excited by it.  3 of them had already been to Our Chalet earlier in the year.  They were very proud to say they had been to 2 in a year.

Guiding opened doors again, and we went to Downing Street.

We went right into the street, right up to the door, milled around, talked to the policemen lots, took lots of photos.  The police have always been fantastic on these visits and share so much information.  This time he was telling us about a bear pit but the young leaders mainly wanted to know what he thought of One Direction when they came to visit.  He was polite enough to share that information just as nicely.

The public don't normally get to see this view of it.

Or stand here.

The police rang us from Buckingham Palace just before we left Pax to say they were really sorry we couldn't go into the grounds to watch the changing of the guard as we had pre-arranged because of an iron man contest on the Mall and would we mind awfully going to the Mews (for free) instead.  I told you the police were lovely.

The Brownies enjoyed it and I loved the way they walked about listening to all of the audio guide, no messing about, no boredom, they really were interested.

It's a shame they didn't get to go to the Changing of the Guard, and yet again we didn't get to see it fully (last time we went it was wet which isn't half so exciting) so I guess we will have to go back again to have another go with another set of girls in a few years time.

But it is worth it, the effort and the money (yes, we pay for ourselves to go) to see this: two little girls straight from the country, first time in London, hot footing it through Whitehall hand in hand.  Oh the places you will go in the future girls....

....these residential trips really are spring boards for confidence for all of us, young and old.

Read more...

Can I pay for that with cash?

I stumbled across a youtube clip where an Australian tries to pay a fine, in 5 cent coins. I started to read around the comments where lots of people were saying it's legal tender, so I looked up 'Legal Tender' it turns out it isn't.

In fact you probably can't pay for 'that' in coins and given the rate of inflation unless the legislation is changed to reflect it we'll be struggling to pay for much at all in coins soon.

In the UK it is covered by the Coinage Act 1971 and the  Currency Act 1983

"Subject to any provision made by proclamation under section 3 of this Act, coins of cupronickel, silver or bronze shall be legal tender as follows:
(a)coins of cupronickel or silver of denominations of more than 10 pence, for payment of any amount not exceeding £10;
(b)coins of cupronickel or silver of denominations of not more than 10 pence, for payment of any amount not exceeding £5;
(c)coins of bronze, for payment of any amount not exceeding 20 pence"

But you can spend your £1, £2 and £5 as you like:

"(1)Gold coins shall be legal tender for payment of any amount, but shall not be legal tender if their weight has become less than that specified in Schedule 1 to this Act, or in the proclamation under which they are made, as the least current weight."


The Australians are more controlling about it.  No surprise there, if you think our government systems are 'jobsworth' you really should try to deal with theirs.

They have the Currency Act 1965 with minor amendments 1980 and 1981:

"16 Legal tender

(1) A tender of payment of money is a legal tender if it is made in coins that are made and issued under this Act and are of current weight:

(a) in the case of coins of the denomination of Five cents, Ten cents, Twenty cents or Fifty cents or coins of 2 or more of those denominations—for payment of an amount not exceeding $5 but for no greater amount;

(b) in the case of coins of the denomination of One cent or Two cents or coins of both of those denominations—for payment of an amount not exceeding 20 cents but for no greater amount;

(c) in the case of coins of a denomination greater than Fifty cents but less than Ten dollars—for payment of an amount not exceeding 10 times the face value of a coin of the denomination concerned but for no greater amount;

(d) in the case of coins of the denomination of Ten dollars—for payment of an amount not exceeding $100 but for no greater amount; and

(e) in the case of coins of another denomination—for payment of any amount."

 

So for $1 coins you can only spend $10 and $20 in $2 coins. 

 

Have you seen the price of food there recently?! $10 isn't going very far.

 

 

I think the guy in the clip has a fairly bad attitude but who hasn't felt like that when trying to deal with officialdom on receipt of a parking ticket often received we feel unfairly.

Have a look and see what you think.  But don't go trying to pay for so much as a screwball with more than 20p worth of tuppences or you might also find yourself having a similar conversation with the hokey pokey man.

             

Read more...

Easy Brownie Evening

First night back at Brownies and whilst so many other units seem to be sweating over the best way to teach the girls the importance of the new promise we decided to go for a gentler ease in.

I've said it many times before, we are so lucky where we live, we can just let nature take the strain.

Although health and safety sense dictated that when testing a bridge we let Brown Owl take the strain first!

There's nothing better than listening to the light happy chatter of the girls as we just enjoy each other's company. 

Getting out and about together is a great way to vary the program, talking about nature, learning to climb styles safely, close gates properly, how to walk through fields with animals in, how to be sensible by the water, talking about the fish and animals that live in the water, about why swimming in the canal isn't a clever idea. 

There's no lecture just chit chat, the best way to learn.

And a chance to let off some steam running through the fields.

Enjoying a lovely evening together and reforming the bonds from before the summer's break.

The girls form bonds across the age groups, something that doesn't happen naturally in primary school, it helps them with the transfer to the next school group as they have friends in the higher years.  This is not just true for Primary to High School transfer for the Brownies and Guides, it has helped Cog this year with her transfer to Senior School, she has been able to ask questions of her Senior Section peers already at her new school.

Guiding creates bonds, I think walks across the fields helps seal them.

Good for the girls of all ages and good for the leaders too.  Team building.  Well planned Brown Owl.

Read more...

More Maize Maze

It's that time of year again, much like the back to school photos, the annual local maze visit is another passage of time marker.

So more for my benefit than yours,  I think, here is the growth (or shrinkage as I'm in reverse order) of Cog.

If you want to know more about how a maize maze works then go have a look at last years post where I gave all the tips you need for a fun day out..

 2013

The owner recognises us each year now and during our chat she was saying this is the best crop in a long time.

2012


Dreadful crop year. But the sunflowers meant it was still well worth seeing.

















2011

Seems pretty tall to me, but maybe it's about the size and number of the maize itself, not just the height of the plant.

2010

The height was there but the plants were rather lame

2009

2008

Again not too bad a height.

2007

Looks like another bad year.

2005

It's almost like a growth chart!

. 

Read more...

il pleut

I burn. My skin sees sun, it goes red. My feet burn the worst. It hurts. It doesn't matter how much cream I use, I burn. Fact.

 In the UK it's not a problem!  In Australia no one cares much about how you avoid the sun, everyone just seems to understand that it's a good thing. I'm no stranger to walking around under an umbrella there. Lots of Asians with sensitive skin do it and so do I.

So in Greece, I decided to avoid the sun,  but it's hard in areas designed for sun worshippers and it has a habit of moving around...look at the crack of sun inching towards my feet.

The only decent answer is ye old faithful, the brolly. The sun worshippers around found it hilarious "Il pleut, il pleut" they shouted amongst themselves as they laughed at me.  

Oh ha, bloody ha.  Presumably they thought I couldn't speak French.  They'd assumed I was English.  I have no idea why.  Did I not just blend in?!

I tried, honest I did, to put the brolly down sometimes.  But I had to live under a huge cowboy hat then.

I thought maybe India had the answer for a while and tried a scarf, usually pulled up over my head too.  This actually was much better than a hat and kept the sun off lovely.


But mainly I'm happy under an umbrella.

Yes, you may cry 'il pleut' but at least J'ai bien dormi without any sun burn oh manger du fromage singes de rachat.

Read more...

The UK's Most Empowering Charity

There has been a bit of bad press recently about the promise change.  The press have particularly hooked into anything that implies Guiding has dropped God and church halls throwing hissy fits because Guide units meet in them.  I find this particularly irritating when previously they were complaining that we all vowed allegence to an invisible sky fairy.  Do you ever feel you couldn't win with the DailyFail unless you were using it as toilet paper?

Anyhoo, just to clarify ...

"Spiritual development is one of the six aspects of development of girls and young women that Girlguiding focuses on, alongside the social, emotional, moral, intellectual and physical aspects. Spirituality is open and accessible to everyone. It is concerned with the inner life and its meaning and purpose, and with making sense of the world around us. Spiritual development is an independent journey that continues throughout our lives.
Within the guiding programme we define spiritual development as making your own spiritual choices, respecting the spiritual choices of others and achieving inner peace."

I think my God is in there, I think the Church Hall wardens would see that too if we could get clear communication without the media trying to stir up a storm in teacup.

I like the way Guiding is going right now.  The numbers are continuing to grow.  The activities available at a national level are ever increasing.  Events like the Big Gig and Wellies and Wristbands are organised nationally but each region has organised events.  This makes it easier for leaders with little time or without appropriate licenses to give their units opportunities.

Money can be a problem with many of these events. They tend to be expensive but it is relatively speaking, I think they still come in cheaper than if you tried to do these things independently. All the same it ultimately means fund raising, which is hard work, or parents paying out and in so many areas this is a big ask.

There are small things like the accounts packs make accounts easier, online training, download areas, online manuals.

Yes the system we use to access them is flaky in terms of reliability. Yes, getting to grips with some of the new forms can be hard.  In some ways the higher visibility of the program, the manuals, the handbook, the qualifications means that many things feel less flexible but that's not necessarily a bad thing.  Common sense must prevail at all times I think and remembering we are in it for the girl's development.  The high visibility of the program, and the ever growing resources enabling that, is working for me.

The whole organisation has a modern feel, it has movement.

I like the Chief Guide we currently have, I like the Chief Executive and I like where they are leading us at the moment.  And I feel like they are listening to us and our needs.

I like the fact that Guides have interest badges again.   I didn't like the change to the cards, I like that someone has listened to that general feeling that we wanted badges back but the new badges are new and vibrant looking.

I may just be post camp, start of new term loved up.  Ask me again by Christmas and I'll be moaning about the girl's not turning up, the paper work or GO but I know I won't be moaning about the program.

But for now it's enough to know we are the UK's most empowering Charity!

Read more...

What would your child do?

This is too important not to share whether you've seen it before or not




I watched it nodding away thinking it wouldn't have happened to Cog, she wouldn't have been that daft. But as I watched with sinking heart, I saw the 11 year old go off with him towards the trees and I thought of Opemipo Jaji. 





I sat and watched it with Cog and it started a conversation about Jamie Bulger and she sat and watched a dispatches program about the case.  I think that she is of an age now where I feel I can share these things with her and not scare the nellies out of her.

There is a fine line between teaching your children the importance of stranger danger and scaring them witless.  There is a great benefit in the confidence and skills they gain from some independence and not constant helicopter parenting.

Besides if your child was going to be approached, abducted, abused is it far more likely to be by someone they know already.  Think April Jones who knew Mark Bridger.  Or poor Holly and Jessica killed by the school caretaker, a very familiar face to them. 

It isn't enough to talk to your children about 'stranger danger' like the mother in the clip. It means nothing to a child.  You need to talk about the rules of what they can and can't do.  Watch the little girl in the video say to the question "did you go off with him?" "No, he asked me to look for his doggy".  She still doesn't get it.

You need to have clear rules "you cannot leave this area without telling me first, do you understand? What do you understand?"  Get them to say it back to you to be sure they have it. 

I know it's hard for tiddlers, I know you need to have eyes in the back of your head.  Jamie Bulger was enough for me, I used a wrist strap in busy places for years.  In one episode at Heathrow I was so glad I did and it made it very worthwhile.

But for the older ones, they still need reminding of the rules and regularly.  Time and time again I hear myself saying to Cog "walk the long way, don't go down the alleys", "don't walk up that lane unless there is more than 2 of you", "don't come home across the fields", "Don't go near the edge of the platform", "Don't get in a car if the driver has been drinking no matter how rude you think it looks"

Isn't it the same for the 7-11s? "don't go to the park alone", "leave together", "do not go into any houses, even a friends house, without first asking for my permission, not even to go to the toilet", "don't change your plans without telling me", "wear a watch", "be home by .....".....it's no use just sending them out on a "remember stranger danger" call. 

I think if someone is really determined to abduct then they are probably going to succeed in the end.  Luckily, those people are few and far between. But the likes of Roy Whiting do exist.

It's a fine line, not wrapping your kids in cotton wool and not throwing them to the wolves.

And as they grow older it gets harder not easier.

My final words to Cog this evening on the subject were "take care not to get abducted, at your age you'll end up chained to a radiator in Romania having a miserable time being abused until you die"

So much for not scaring the nellies off her!  Still, she might think before going to help someone look for their dog in the park.....

......and yes that was irony, when is a person with a lost dog genuine?

I said to Cog "what would you do if a bloke asked you to help look for his dog?" and we both looked at each other and we both knew we would probably help. If I was out over the fields and someone asked me for help, but it lead me away from my path, would I? 

It's a hard call isn't it.

Read more...

Where the water stops

It was a beautiful evening, the reflections in the water meant I couldn't tell where the water stopped and the greenery started.

 

 The farmers are bringing in the crops











Which means my lovely flat running paths are again....

...being turned into ankle breaking risks.

Not quite so much fun.

It'll soon be trodden flat again by walkers but in the meantime it's a tricky ballet dance down the hill!














There's still a bit of summer left to hang onto though

Read more...