Jim's a blogger i admire

OK, well the trip to Skye he is currently describing will take a few days as he is giving each day its own blog. The fun thing for me is after dialysis i don't remember much of the Friday night, except I was hungry, angry and tired.
The restaurant made me feel like when baby Jesus parents were told there is no room at the inn, and the part Jim left out in kindness, was they took no bookings and offered to let us stand outside while we waited. If you know anything about me at all, you know i am freezing year round. I have no circulation at all. I am a thirty year+ diabetic, and neuropathy doesn't begin to cover it.
Finally the kind restaurant he describes took us in. I had a chicken sandwich that was the best i ever had. I slept the sleep of ten years time that night, and so we woke up way to early to suit the other guests. I think Jim hit the shower at 5:3o am. Trying to be quiet i think we sounded more like bull elephants. i will let him tell you the nice bits of the trip and i will fill in an anecdote here and there. I have puffins as i never got to actually see one. And i bought a million postcards for when i go completely senile. I have been to Skye. I would happily move there forever. No place to dialyze there though, so , Lord bring on that kidney please. 
Blessings.

Not just a man an institution...

I have heard many men referred to as the mayor of main street, and none of them would want the title.It is hard to imagine Camden without Art Rush. Full stop. Just like I always imagined my Dad in his house on Preston Hill forever, I imagined Art Rush wherever a helping hand was needed. I think if the family doesn't want a gathering in the park we need to respect that. I much prefer the idea of turning our porch lights on from 9-11 pm tomorrow night.
Here is the thing, it won't just be in Camden, we have scattered to the four winds and so, my nine to eleven will be about 4-6 pm NY time. Many are across all the time zones, so it is likely his tribute will go on all day and night, and that is fitting.
We never realize how many lives we touch, and sadly, many of us never say what we wish we could say now. I am enjoying all the stories about Art people are posting. I think Art would like that too. And I totally agree with the thought, if you want to honor Art, try to be like him.
Blessings and RIP Mr Rush.

Post cards

Yes I admit it, I am that person. I adore post cards. No one sends them anymore, they just post pictures on facebook, and you can draw your own conclusions. Although I love those as well, nothing beats a card in the mail that has nothing to do with a bill.
It gives me hope, and sets me to dreaming of that day when i also can be on white sandy beaches, and i too can walk barefoot again, with my better half and drink long cool drinks wit umbrellas and fruit. In these pictures, no one is unwell, no one has to dialyze, or struggle with cancer, or struggle with their weight, no one smokes.
I know in my heart everything in life is temporary, and I know heaven has no more tears, or sickness or pain or death.
But just for today, as i mail my cards from Skye, I am transported back to 4 days when we didn't fight over my fluid intake, where i ate what i wanted, or didn't eat if i didn't.
Monday Jim is back to work, and everything will return to normal, but just for today, the postman carries my dreams out to my family, friends and myself.
Have a brilliant day.
Blessings.

4 months on almost

OK the weather may rain tomorrow, but it has been a glorious week, and i don't want all the grass and trees to burn with thirst. We have till Monday before Jim rejoins the rat race. We have had a good time, but now it is time to do some cleaning and preparing for the future.
I am really not a clean-a-holic, but I feel men can sit next to a hoover without making that synapse lapse into using it. Now my brother has OCD and you cant relax in his home, he dusts the chairs when you get up(not really). I got the messy miranda gene. You know , to clean one room you destroy another-that type.
I think i need to get some help in, but every time i threaten JIm makes more empty promises like, "tell me what to do?". For Gods sake pick a room and just start. It is not rocket science, and all the ceilings need painted and all walls washed, etc.
We shall see.
Blessings.

here comes the burn...

Well, hell has not froze over exactly, but i got a bit of sun in Scotland this week. I do not  look the proper orange the models do, but i have enough color to look healthy. I had a burger cooked outside today, and a luscious salad. Ok i had a solero as well. I don't care i have all winter to repent.
I have such a toasty warm feeling sitting outside today, and with my circulation you should know i wear a jacket year round. Not today. There was some sad news to catch up on (we all have kids) but we ourselves are at whatever our peaks can be. I love Gemma and she is very patient with me, and i love Margaret and she forgives me for disliking her beau. I do  not know why, but he frightens me a little, and Margaret deserves to be the free bird i pretend to be so jealous of.
The truth is, I love my hubby, and i love our life. We do bicker a bit, (he is a man, after all), but this weekend especially i was as happy as i know how to be. He is my soul mate, and he is not perfect, just perfect for me.As I have flaws i cannot ask for perfection from him. And by God he stuck around through thick and thin. Big time. My kidneys can really wreck the mood if you know what i mean.
I toss the word i love you around, but i trust Margaret and Jim. That is my highest compliment. No fear in love. Us, One, safe. That was the promise. The promise holds.
Bless you JIm.

I want to be a billionaire so frikkin' bad

This song is on a compilation cd Jim got for his birthday. At first I couldn't make it out, then i thought, that's a terrible song to use that word. Now i sing it all day long. It is true on my human selfish side. I want to be a billionaire so frikkin' bad, have all of the things i never had...I wanna be on the cover of Forbes magazine, standing next to Oprah and the Queen. Every time i close my eyes, i see my name in shining lights--well you get it, and enough said.
If it were part of Gods plan i would have a bajillion dollars. Having been unfaithful with the small amount he entrusted to me, perhaps i should thank God there is not more to account for.
Recently, I received a very disturbing letter from my folks, telling us of how they want their final days carried out, and telling us how they will behave if they die. It is a mature thing to talk about, as my Dad wasn't kind enough to trouble his butt to record anything, but at 59 maybe he still felt he had time to grow old.
My mother is old now, and it is proper to settle these things, but the funny bit is her mother is still alive post age 100. One never knows. Be prepared the boy scouts say.
The world better prepare, for when I'm a billionaire, oh  oh oh yeah.

Still in Skye--hallelujah

Well, as I promised here is the Sunday on Skye nightly report. I just can't believe we are leaving tomorrow. If it weren't for the damn dialysis, I would beg the Longs to rent to us for another day or three. Skye time is slower than the world moves, but that is because i forget we all get the same 24 hours and nothing is gained by rushing them or overbooking them. Jim is off on an adventure, but he has been my almost constant companion this whole holiday, and we are not wired to live in each others shadow. I am tired and want to get a few things packed so that tomorrow i won't feel rushed to leave. Jim is checking out evening cruises, and i don't expect him home for tea. He has a bit of the explorer on him,and I don't want him to ever change that.
We have been privileged to see and do a lot of things many people never see or do or know to dream of. Saturday we had breakfast with a family from Italy, and today we had breakfast with a family from Spain. We went to Dunvegan Castle today as our children live with their mom still on Dunvegan Avenue. It must be a good deal  cause at 18 I was packed and gone. To say i never looked back is an understatement. But that is me, and it was a different time. My parents encouraged us to make our own way in the world, and we just did.
I am too independent and not always to my own benefit, but it is the only way I know how to be.  That is why my knee looks like a puffball now when i fell over a month ago. 
I have been living on seafood; mussels, shrimp,calamari twice(squid), and have managed to avoid pudding altogether, unless you count yesterdays tea and cake for lunch. This was not entirely my fault --this lovely young Czech woman ran a tearoom form her house, but the only food was soup. Jim had something called a choux bun and i had a slice of cake--I even let her pick out  the tea-she went with a full-bodied one and it was lovely and warm.
Well i am sure I am making us both sleepy.I hope your Sunday is as warm and sunny as the one here.Sadly we return tomorrow to the western for the weekly Monday torture, talk to you when i can again.'
Blessings

Sunday on Skye

I wish I could romanticize the wake-up,but it was the call of the rare distressed hubby, a low flying bird with a charlie horse.If you are not American, that is a severe cramp in your leg.To be fair, it was a bad one that i could almost feel by how he limped.
Sunday on Skye--I sincerely hope this is not my last one.Every different nook and cranny has been perfect-tea shops show up when you need a break, sensible gift shops for those left home with the cat, the biggest skylines, and almost everywhere, the sky meets the sea meets mountainous cliffs. I do not have the vocabulary to do it justice. It is like I won't have to write a poem about this, the pictures are their own testimony.
Yesterday this huge bird stayed just out of sight of jims camera lens.but i think he said it might be a sea eagle, in my 9 years here i haven't seen one of those before.
Ok i don't mean to be rude, but i am just about to have another of Ann's perfect breakfasts. Most of you are asleep as I write this, as it is 3 am NY time, Sleep well darlings, I will write more tonight.
Blessings.

What a day

I am sure most of you know the better half and I are on vacation.This is the end of week one and it is doing Jim the world of good. I am having a great time, too, and enjoying no rugby or work talk at all.It was a bit dark and foreboding when we set off, but now at almost 9 pm it is bright as day. So far no midges either.
Instead of lunch we went to this home where thy serve teas from all over the world. Jim and I both tried new ons and  the cake they served was lovely.
Then we  went to the seafood place tonight that rejected us last night and i had mussels for a starter and Sirloin steak with peppercorn sauce. Jim got the steak but his starter was carrot and coriander soup. Needless to say we ad dessert for lunch so we just moved on. I am not used to eating and my tummy is a little sad just now, but it was worth it.
I have become the queen of the post card, and Jim even posted them this am for me. I think i hear him coming now, so it must be his turn on the computer. I will try to post more in the am .please check out jims photos on FB and have a great night.
Blessings

The new Portree Kid

We arrived safely last night to perfect weather, perfect B&B and no reservations for our birthday tea. After a bit I thought we would have to go back to Glasgow to eat, as Portree is hosting international shinty competition, From what our host says the population of Skye doubles in summer.
The Long Family are our hosts, and the food was as tasty as the views I must make this brief as i overstayed at breakfast..
More to come at a later date.I wish this coputer had smell a type.I never saw air so  fresh.I am as happy as I know how to be.JIm smiled at me over his breakfast.Women wil know what that means.Tomorrow i will tel you about the Italian family.
Blessings

these are aq few of my favorite things...

The most humbling moment of his life may yet to come...James landing in the cell next to Rebecca B would be pretty embarrassing. If a man that jaded can be shamed. His son seemed to stop his dad even when the questioner specifically said Mr Rupert M. Some people enjoyed all of yesterday equally. Some applauded the cream on the plate incident. Some admired the women defending Mr M whilst the son, cop and lookers on kept their distance. I guess if I paid what James does for a suit I would have sat back down too.
My moment was when the esteemed Mr M was asked "have you considered resigning?," and when he said an unequivocal "no", she simply asked the $64,000 question, "why not?"
The cost of the suit? unknown. The pain and suffering to the Dowler family incalculable.Moments when a rich dude meets his comeuppance--priceless. More to come.
Blessings.

Rupert Murdoch

Either this man is a doddering old fool, or he is a genius. I almost suspected him of paying the guy to shaving creme him in the face. (Doesn't his wife have a great swing?)
Rebecca and James knew more than they are saying, but they have been beautifully coached by their lawyers. So well coached in fact that James blanched when it was suggested he should sue these same lawyers for withholding evidence they were in possession of. God this is better than reality TV, because it is so well choreographed. Contempt of parliament indeed.

Florida is so much more than Disney.

The Anthony family has kept Florida pretty pre-occupied  and the whole of America knows something about the case. In spite of lies, lawyer tricks, innuendo, and the press making their ill-gotten gain almost everyone has an opinion on this case. I am ashamed to say i posted a joke i found on FB where the woman in this case calls the police for help and they said they would be right there in 31 days.
Now there is a big campaign on to stop the Anthony family from profiting from a movie deal. I have no earthly objection to that. My objection is the nasty tone it is taking. "Lets keep her in the poorhouse" they say.
That is another matter. For whatever reason, there was not enough evidence to convict anyone in that poor girls family of her death, and there can be no double jeopardy. I think now they should be allowed to get on with jobs and their lives. If she wants to work for minimum wage, if anyone would hire her that is not my business, nor is it my business if she wins the lottery. My one objection is to boycott anything that smells of profits from the death of a child, period.
It is rumored that Wal-Mart may try to hawk pink tuxedo shirts, and i do not get the connection to the Anthony case, but if there is a link, i have no trouble boycotting Wal-Mart. If the family cannot profit, neither should a store, a newspaper, or any organization, with the possible exception of shelters for abandoned children and that ilk. Groups that help kids like Miss Anthony need funds and I understand that in these tough economic times.
Here is my point. I simply do not know what the truth is in this case, but it seems clear someone in the home wasn't watching out for the child. Now we can all make tutting noises or maybe this child will be the turning stone for change. Afterwards people always say "I knew something wasn't right in that home". If you truly know or even suspect a child is emotionally or physically abused or neglected please don't just look away. If you call child protective, they will investigate, and they can take steps the child cannot take for themselves. I would rather pay with my tax dollars to find out we were wrong, than to let one more child die needlessly. If we are wrong and the child is safe, we did our best. I am not saying to just call to get even with someone you don't like either. We do not have enough workers to  just wreck someones reputation.
Let's be the adults and stand up for children. Let's say each child has certain rights. No child should be raised in fear or danger.Then one day, maybe we can work towards no one be raised homeless. I know i am a dreamer. They say some people have mental or addiction problems and need to live rough, well if that is true, I bet no one asked the children what they want. I dunno, this makes me sad.
We must and should do more for the helpless.
Blessings

life is good

Ignore the loud whirring sound in the background, the better half is cleaning out the fridge freezer. The poor darling is on holiday for two weeks and next weekend we are off to the magical place of Skye. We are taking a long weekend, so we are trying to tick off the chores we need to do before we go. Frankly, I lasted a half hour. I just have no energy anymore. The kitchen needs papering and the ceilings need painting. Those seem like faraway dreams just now as the bulk of it would land on Jim. We shall see. Whilst the rugby is shut down for the summer this seemed like the time to get some harder chores done. Guess what?they are training this very day.
If I were in NY my Mom and brother would pitch in, and although you have to let them do it their way, they get the job done. I have rented all my life, so I have never really had a say in how the walls and floors could look. This place was different. If I were Linnstone I would have been ashamed to rent it in this state. Slowly, painfully we have turned it into our home.The biggest pain was in the wallet, believe me. But mustn't grumble as they say, when so many people sleep rough; when so many people aren't safe in their own homes, when so many people live sad quiet lives of desperation when they have no where else to go. I have a safe home, and a safe man, and plenty to eat and a roof over my head.Thank you God.
Blessings

The dark hates me

OK thanks to Ann I got some good tips for sleeping and even went to bed a bit early. Of course that meant JIm took a magazine to bed to read, but since he doesn't read my blogs, he would not know of my dilemma.
Sleeping deeply and beautifully when my health issue kicked in in full force so I had to wake the whole house up for assistance. Molly was not in the least amused. Jim was kind about it and got my pills. Got up for an early shower and who was right in there? Yes the aforementioned bundle of fur and chutzpah. She does not even like water that much, but she is nosy beyond belief. She left with a wet ear and a bad cattitude, believe me.
I woke up to someone else's alarm playing Nancy Sinatra and "these boots"(bet you are all humming it now). SO when we get home from the hospital today the house will be quiet and I will try to nap again. I appreciate you not laughing at this, as i am getting a wee bit concerned. I do tend to overreact and by Monday I am sure I will not even remember this week.
Thanks for listening.
Blessings

sleep needed apply below

I am having trouble sleeping. I am sure if you follow my blog you know this by the times and frequency i blog now. Sadly when i took my break i lost a lot of my following, but on a brighter note, the ones who read this now want to, and are probably relatives.
I am open to any suggestions to help me sleep within reason, and a few that aren't. Help needed, ASAP.i am going on holiday soon and don't want to be cranky before we leave. Jim will be home all the time for two weeks, and that is supposed to be a good thing. I have lined up some house chores that it takes a big man to do, so I will have some free time, and he will have the house to himself whilst i dialyze so thats a win-win.
I am looking forward to going to Skye. That is not even the right words for it. I am eagerly anticipating going. I am thrilled out of my mind. I feel like there is something the Islands have to say to me as a writer and as a person in this day and age. They have seen many things in their day. I am eager to learn. Does that make sense?
Blessings.

Change is gonna do me good

When President Obama was running for office, I was not living in the United States. I had left when Mr Bush was just beginning his stolen election(whatever went wrong in Florida Jeb?) Although i must admit after 9/11 when he had been very briefly in the White House I admired his restraint and eagerness to find out and punish whomever had done this to us. I was fresh off the Ruby Ridge/Waco disasters, and then a war veteran had blown up the Edward R. Murrow building so my confidence was shaken.
I can honestly remember thinking, oh please God don't let it be one of us. I had no clue at the time who them would turn out to be, but i was relieved when the enemy was foreign and not domestic.
If I had been more worldly wise, I would have understood that the Coe and the blown up barracks were all acts of a few misguided Muslims. I can honestly say, even though i understood Islam was a religion, I hadn't a clue what they believed.
Anyway, the Bush fiasco was coming to a close. Along comes a handsome stranger promising us change. I had no clue who he was either, and I didn't know the whole world was about to sink into a bit of fiscal woes due to several greedy banks, and financial institutions.
SO Bush goes to Washington and gets 9/11, and Obama goes to Washington and gets economic collapse. When one gets their hearts desire, it always comes with a terrible price it seems. All their lives they may have dreamed and taken steps to be president one day, and then bang, the floor falls out when change comes for both of them.
Now Mr Obama is running for a second term. God bless him. It is hard enough to be president of 300 million people when they tell the truth, but this garbage about birth certificates and religious ties is just blowing smoke. The real question for the American people seems to be can he do the job? We are still in really tough economic times,(as is the world), and if we do not want Mr Obama at the wheel, who would do a better job? Don't just say anyone, that is just political hyperbole. Seriously consider if you want a whole new regime change in times like these. I am tempted to say better the devil you know. I ma just concerned some republican go in and simply undue all that this White House did, and we are back to square one.
Quietly Hillary Clinton has done a bang up job as Secretary of State, I am not sure what kind of president she would be. I hope we do not become like the military and advance people until they become incompetent and then leave them there. At least a president can only irritate us for 8 years maximum.
Mr Huckabee is a Christian, sure enough, but when was that credentials enough to run a country? Religion is no longer proof of honesty and leadership I am ashamed to say. Now a days it is politically wise to claim religious beliefs, but if it is just lip service, it does not help the country. And where does it say we want our country run by any extremists, religious or otherwise? Glenn Beck simply frightens me, mostly cause i think he means what he says. This next presidential election will be my toughest ever. My first was Ford/Dole vs. Carter/Mondale in 1976. If i had any clue how much the country would change in just 30 years I would have thought i was hallucinating or high or both.
I am not endorsing any candidate yet. I think we need to really listen at debates to see who has a plan, and if it is a good one, would they have enough support in Washington to get it up and running? 
This is just the opinion of a housewife from NY. But my vote counts, and so does yours.
Blessings

Uncle Jerry

I imagine that everyone comes from a large family like mine, had three million cousins, and yearly family reunions on both sides. I simply do not understand kids with no brothers and sisters. Who do you fight with? who do you borrow clothes from and gang up on your parents with?
I was blessed with the Delarms and the Reeds, and a lot of my cousins I grew up with are grandparents now(bless em).One of the things I love about FB is that i see pictures or hear stories every day like when we were all pretty much living in Camden. Sometimes I see a picture and i think, oh, that looks so much like your Aunt--but you can't say that cause you never know if that would be a compliment, but I see it. Knowing the cycle of life at this old age kinds comforts me. I see the teens griping like we used to, so wanting to be considered grown-ups, yet not giving up that last stuffed toy....
Anyhoo, Jerry was my Fathers older brother. From day one I absolutely adored him. He threw Barbie and I in his old jeep and off to the woods we would go. He was always doing something and i thought he was perfect. He had a big old black dog i think was named Sam, but i may have the name wrong and he was in the jeep too. In those days before car seats, he often would let Barbie pull us in the drive to park. She not yet in school i don't think, and sitting on his lap driving like Andretti. I can still hear Aunt Barb saying "oh Jerry" and i miss her gentle ways.
Uncle Jerry was in a house full of women. His mother -in-law practically lived there too, or we went to Grandma Jeans if he needed some alone time. We would go for long rides, and he would tell really bad jokes and we were so happy i thought i would burst. I often stayed at his house when we had school breaks,and just being home with him was more fun. I never wanted to go home.
As we started to grow up, he became something in his carpenters union, and for the first time i was afraid for him, especially if we went to Utica. My dad told me how unions once had a purpose but now they were more corrupt than what they were set up to fight. I of course repeated it word for word back to Uncle Jerry and saw hurt and disapproval in his eyes for the first time. He quietly explained his side and we never discussed it again, because he knew I was parroting what i had heard at home.
Many things opened my eyes to things about Uncle Jerry that surprised me as an adult, but he is still a hero of mine. We are all human, and no one could have lived up to my ideal of him, even Mighty Mouse or Superman. He recently lost his wife (Aunt Barb) and I thought that might do him in, but from all accounts he is thriving, retired from carpentry and working at the Casino. Time marches on, but when i needed him, he was always there. I have been in Scotland 10years almost, and i know i could walk right in his front door and we would talk like there was no distance between us at all. I would tell him i am sorry i couldn't get home for the funeral, and that Ii loved him with all my heart. Then I would just listen as the stories would start...

Camden Field Days

One of the reasons i love Face Book is the news from home. Not just the people, although I loved the pics from Ellen Sues family reunion, but the events that come and go through the generations. I do not have a clue when the first Field Days were, but i remember them from my entire life, and depending on my age i have such different memories. Since the pumpkin farm closed i never asked about fiedl days cause i didn't want to know if they were gone as well.
Well, hurrah!!!!!!!!!!!!My cousins both posted something about them last night, and the memories are flooding me. As my age changed, my love of that weekend changed. Now i could boldly go right into the beer tent, but when i lived at home, it was a place I went to check in with my Dad every couple hours, and depending how the crowd was behaving after a while Billy and i had to go home. As a child, it seemed like I imagined Disney must be--bright lights, huge scary rides, and huge stuffed animals i knew were going home with me. The dream never died despite the evidence that i only could throw like a girl.
If you are from a large place or live near a theme park, you can't imagine the thrill of field days. They always started to build the rides whilst we were still in school, and we had to ride the bus past the wonderland in making. Finally the time came and you wanna bet we gave our parents no reason to ground us that weekend. I think I would have washed the outside of the house if my folks had asked. For those of you deprived people a field days was a weekend of fun staged every year to help the fire department budget. We all attended willingly, believe me. Ok i am interested to hear some of your memories of the field days in Camden. Good luck fire department. Hope this is your best year ever.
Blessings.

Ryan Andreas

I am pretty willing to bet you have not heard this name before unless you watch Americas Got Talent, or you saw this, as I did, as a link on FB. He sang In the Arms of the Angels, a song made famous by Sarah McLaughlin. It was moving because Ryan was so nervous and yet his performance was steady and his voice is so unusual. He played the piano as he sang, adding to his pressure. I do not know how he will do in this competition, but we have not seen that name for the last time. The poignant part for me was his wife and son in the wings watching him perform and so hopeful for him.Yes i am a bit of a softy.
The one down side was a fan saying on FB how shocked they were to learn the song was about a drug overdose and a was written by an atheist. That silly person doesn't realize that music belongs to the person enjoying it. One day it may be a tv commercial jingle, but despite its origins, if indeed the steven person was correct, that's not what it was about for me. 
Just as a pointless aside, can someone explain to me why this competition has two British -born judges? is Howie Mandel our standard for excellence?do we have no talent in American judges? just askin'.
Blessings

A great day so far...

After complaining bitterly of boredom we headed out for a car boot sale that looked crappy from the outside so we moved on. Next stop Slater's for a few shirts for the birthday boy. Next went on a long windy ride through some beautiful sections of Glasgow and ended up at a little cafe called Fenwicks.
The food was ok, but the company made it special. And then a pudding. Happy Days and on to Tesco --stock cupboard refilled. Anyone wanna do something tonight?
The Lewis are available.
Blessings

TGIF kinda

I am in a bad mood, and since it flairs up again every time i go to dialysis, I see no end in sight. I won't bore you with the details, except to say as horse and pony shows go, this one belongs directly in a glue factory. Communication is out the window as everyone covers their butt in fear of inspectors that i think have forgotten to come. BM which is a blood test for diabetic numbers is pretty much not done unless i ask, I had two meds taken away from me and I was not even told, even though not needing them anymore was good news. In america . BM is a bowel movement and that is kinda ironic too.
A month ago I told a lady psychiatrist I felt I was a little too down. The promised Dr was never summoned and to this day I have not talked with him.
Although  it is no longer the proper title, an auxiliary nurse managed to start a row before she started her three weeks vacation,(I am beginning to see a pattern here) as she knows when she returns the smoke will have blown over. Meanwhile one of the good nurses, yes there are some, blew her stack, over something passed to her by this dour faced cow.
Things were so much better on the ward. The nurses were actually in the same room with us and saw when we were in trouble. Now those alarms seem to ring non-stop some days. To be fair usually there is no problem, but the machines want checked or they would not ring. In the ward we were close enough to speak to one another, and we enjoyed watching deal or no deal  as a group.
If this were a club or a job and we were this unhappy, we could quit. Dialysis is not something we can just not attend, it is life threatening. I am close to wanting to chuck the whole thing again. Why doesn't the NHS keep a better eye out? Well i can think of one reason, when i wanted to address a concern to a "Sister" their word not mine, I was told they follow perfect protocol. After that no more words seemed necessary.
I give up.
No point in my humble opinion.
Blessings

Newsflash

I saw a few minutes of loose women yesterday, and the topic was the topic all the newspapers and newscasts are fixated on. Journalism, for lack of a better word, has come into disrepute. Laws about hacking will probably be firmed up now, and new parameters defined about how far one can go to "get a story".
While all the finger pointing and blame is going on, (and i do not excuse any of the alleged crimes)make sure you point one bony finger right back at yourself. Someone buys these papers. It is a fact or they would go out of business, and we would have nothing to talk about.
In America, in the 70's Woodward and Bernstein brought a president and his government to its knees. At every point there was fear if the first amendment would stand when the truth was being told. Gerald Ford seemed to make a deal with the devil to gain office and pardon that same man. They had sources with names like "Deep Throat" and they searched and probed until the lies just could not be suppressed any longer and the White House was evacuated for the first time without an election or impeachment. I always wondered who was spared more by not putting Tricky Dick on trial. I think it would have demoralized Americans even more than him, and he was allowed to die in obscurity for the most part.
That is a far cry from the investigative journalism of The News Of the World. We seem like vultures creating an endless market for sensational information on every topic. They provided what we asked for and in the quantities required. Whatever their eventual fine or sentence is, we owe a bit toward the kitty ourselves. In my humble opinion.

just think about it

OK
Two of my rants in one day may seem a bit extreme even to me, but after not having my words for so long the well is over flooding. With the nice weather even FB has been a bit dull lately, i am hoping due to the extremely nice weather. Even yesterday when it was drizzly it was still warm.
For those of you who don't know, this is organ donation week. I hope most of you never think of it because every one of your loved ones is healthy and happy. I hope one day organ donations are no longer needed for anyone. I know they have the technology to replace massive amounts of the organs we need to live. I also know that many people die waiting for organs that never come. I will not try to convince you to donate today, i just ask you to consider this. May we pass a medical law that states all people are assumed willing to donate unless they opt out of it? Here is why.We could have a national registry based on your National Insurance number where doctors would have to check before they touch your organs. If you opted out, that would be final. I personally don't think that many would opt out. The reason so many people don't donate is either  they were young and healthy (and thus thinking they were immortal)and never told their family their beliefs; or they have a loved one near death and cannot think clearly about anything past the loss of their loved one.
When i was 22 years old I had a 35 lb ovarian tumor. That was removed surgically and the real damage had been in the way it had crushed some of my other organs to make way for it. it caused so much trauma to my pancreas i was a diabetic after that. It collapsed the tips of my lungs. It separated my small intestine from my large one. I had two surgical teams, one (Thanks Dr Bourne) to remove the tumor, and one (thanks Dr Hummer)to keep me alive as they fully expected me to die on that table.(thanks God). After a lifetime of not being very healthy, at age 53 my kidneys have failed. No one to blame, just more gifts from the original tumor. Although it was declared benign, it was truly a non-ending battle for me. I am not asking you for a kidney. I am a very rare blood type, and i have few viable veins left, so I would not waste a kidney on me. If things were different and it was easier to get a kidney, maybe then i would ask for one. The truth is I dialyze with people much younger than myself, and i would prefer they got free of the machines.
I am not ashamed though, to ask you to get more information, as almost any hospital has a renal unit. They have special nurses trained to speak to you about any concerns with no obligation.Once you have your questions answered, I trust you to do what's right for your family. I also wish more people would consider registering to give organs whilst they are alive. Sometimes you need need both kidneys to survive. I know when i die i will have ample skin for burned children via the Shriners charity in America.
I know you probably think, like I did, that this will never happen to you. If you would be willing to take an organ, please consider donating one.Talk about it now with your family before your emotions confuse the issue. It is not ghoulish, we all make wills to protect our family once we are no longer around. The will speaks in our absence and makes our wishes clear. A clear document written by you whilst you are clam and well could be stored with your will and help your family at a horrific time, even if you prefer not to donate.It will help them i promise.
OK my soapbox is making me dizzy, thanks for listening. It will open discussion if nothing else and that is the first step to a solution.
Blessings.

School is out

I have a friend Zane who is on a rant i can't follow about teachers having 6 weeks off or something. I cannot speak for the education system here, but in America there was a very practical reason for no school in summer.
We were an agrarian society once, and all hands were needed at home to get the crop in before the bad weather set in. Daughters also helped in preserving the fruit and vegetables, and the men butchered in preparation for winter. It was not that the teachers needed a holiday, it was for the family members who would get left behind if classes continued whilst these students were not able to attend.
Is this necessary to have these breaks anymore? I don't know. I have heard a reasonable suggestion that the school year be broken up into a few longer holidays instead of one long endless summer break. Perhaps that would make child care more difficult, I just don't know.I am just so tired of teachers taking the fall for all our anger about kids.If you have a school board speak to them.
Teachers have a contract just like at your job. Don't blame them if you don't like the terms, go readjust the terms for the next one employed. This whole issue doesn't seem worth the rant to me Zane. "Maybe if I had kids" is the old chestnut usually thrown at me.
By the way since you already like me, guess what my degree is in?
Gotcha!
Blessings

Casey

I saw on FB that the verdict must be in on the Anthony case that is rocking our American friends just now. I didn't look at the results yet because I want to post my honest feelings first.All I knew about it was from a People Magazine article I read  about a month ago. It takes magazines awhile to get to Scotland even for People. Everyone I know was talking about it, in real life and on internet, with equal numbers taking both sides of the case.
First of all, there are two absolute facts. Her Mom was not attentive, to say the least. Second of all, only God truly knows what happened to the little one, but wherever she is, she is better off now, and would not have any desire to return to earth.
Like the OJ case, it seems there was a lot of lies and manipulation from the defense and the prosecution(seeing her own Grandpa was a cop, allegedly).
My only question in all this is not "was justice done" because we will never know. My question is, what can be done to prevent this from happening to another little girl. There is a law now that you can drop infants at hospitals, fire-halls, and other safe places and just walk away. Why wait until it is too late to get help? I guess i am naive. I just do not understand children being abused like that. I do understand mental illness, but did no one in the family see the child in trauma? NO doctor or neighbor know of her plight?
This is sad, and because it has happened before itis tragic. How do we stop it happening again, to any child?

Happy 4th of July

It is more than a little ironic that I am trying to celebrate American Independence in the land of our oppressors. It is not a holiday here, and I think they would just like to let the whole thing go by. The weather has been a charm all weekend,and anyone who is anyone has hit the beach, yup any beach we are an island after all.
My son won on a fruity machine,lucky pup. We took a long ride both days and we had the best meal at the Fox and the Hound. They were especially kind to bring my meal downstairs as I had a recent bad fall and stairs are a challenge to me in the best of times. This pub in Houston makes some beers, and we tried one. I had a half pint of something light named after a wolf, and Jim had a dark brooding beer called Warlock.
We went to M&S to pack bags for a charity Saturday, and whilst running around Braehead saw people I hadn't seen in a long time. If I seem scattered in my thoughts today, it is because my other half is watching TV at his usual volume, and it is pretty violent so i am a bit distracted.
SO anyway Happy 4Th to my American friends, and all those who are our friends. I am not sure this is what our forefathers had in mind when they wrote the constitution but they had different challenges, and we deal with things they had no way to predict and legislate. All in all, I love my country fiercely and accept it has a few flaws, as do I. Since I can't give perfection, I can't demand it. I can live with that.
Blessings.

the orange lodge

ok
this is not a political commercial. It is merely what i observed yesterday in a corner of the world called Linwood. It was a very warm day. We were driving to the coop for some juice, as we fuss over Sunday brekky a bit being that Jim is home to enjoy it, and doesn't have to rush off to work in an hour. Ahead on the road i see a cop with a bicycle.He says something we can't hear to us. he pull closer to hear him, and it seems he was asking us to back up, and then stay put for a second. He seemed tense, so we complied in a bit of a hurry.Suddenly i see there are at  least 5 or 6 cops, and two groups of marchers. After hearing about Ireland just now, I frankly was terrified of trouble. Since the car factory left, you rarely see 150ish people doing anything.
Now Jim is talking to me, telling me they will just march, and then it will be done. And it was.That's not the amazing part to me. I looked at faces. Some were in wheelchairs even. They seemed not so much sinister as hot and tired. They looked  like robots too, not in a bad way but like in a cloned kind of way. NO one said a word, they just played instruments and marched, and  then they turned a corner and we went on with our  lives. Just like that.Nothing more to report.
Blessings