Dreadlocks for Down's Syndrome

I finally did it! Two more of my list of 40 things before I turn 40 next May.

1 Get dreadlocks.

2 Raise money for Down's Syndrome.

This charity is very close to my heart as my 3 year old niece has Down's Syndrome. In fact, it was a little girl with Down's Syndrome who I met on junior school work experience, made me realise I would love to teach.

The Down's Syndrome Association help provides information for people with Down's Syndrome, their parents and carers, and those professionals who work with them.

What made this so special is that my sister, Clare (Mimi's mum) is also a hairdresser and with some persuasion, agreed to do my dreads.  She is so strong and balances being a mum to two gorgeous girls, aged 2 and 3 with work and riding. I have been so inspired and proud of her strength, as she recognised Mimi had Down's Syndrome and brought it to the attention of maternity staff.  She battled to get all the support she can for Mimi and herself.

Perhaps I can persuade her to join me in a 5k run next?!!! And get our other sister Zoe involved in that too.

Taster for next time:-  I have lots more creative ideas to blog about.  I am sure these dreads are like little creative antennae.

Econess for May

 

This month we have introduced more sustainable eco friendly changes to our lives. Thank you to The Organic Sister - Tara Wagner for your sustainable action list here. 

1.  Three Minute Showers

My boys love to shower.  I have caught them lying in the shower tray, sitting in the shower, half an hour in the shower! The eldest can shower three times in one day.

I decided it was time to save time in the morning, water and money. 

The first week was a bit tough, as I had to chase them to make sure they did stick to it, but that was it.  They realised that they had more time to do other things in the morning before school and still smell good! 

2.  Growing our own food!

In two weeks, you can see the seedlings are now looking happy in their beds! 

The carrots are just shooting up as tiny seedlings around the edge.

3.  Holidays!

Also, one of the things I wanted to do before my 40th birthday next year, was to own a caravan again. {Great we have managed this before my 39th, next week!} 

                                                                                          Photo courtesy of  lovely  Lorna, next door

Now Max is 2, it was the right time to get back into caravanning.  We now have an ABI Adventurer sports tourer.  They only have three berths, are small (so fit perfectly on our drive) and should be reasonable on fuel, as they are very light.  We are adapting it to make it into a 4 berth and our eldest son will have his own double bed in the VW campervan that we use to tow!

4.  A one car family!

We have decided to remain a one car family.  We have a VW campervan, like the one below, but we have given it some soul, with sari fabric, flowers, a Turkish rug, funky seat covers and stickers.

Last Summer, we sold our second car.  My husband, Kirk, had a subarrachnoid haemorrhage in July, which meant he couldn't drive (not that you would believe it from the photo of him above on the caravan roof).  Miraculously, Kirk is able to drive and work.  It changed our outlook and made us slow down.  We manage with one car, Kirk is home based for work and gets a hire car from work to make meetings or investigations, if he needs one.  

I would love to convert to veggie oil, so we can take advantage of the oil used by local restaurants on the High Street. See Sara Janssen's blog about their conversion story here.

5. Buying a Mooncup for me Lady Garden!

I won't say too much about this, as it kind of freaks out my husband and thirteen year old son who asked what it was!!  Read about it here.  I did after reading a sticker in the University loo!  Give it a try and see if you can freak someone out too. 

They are cheaper online and you can find discount voucher codes, to reduce the cost further.  As well, as the ecological benefit, did you know we are taxed on the sanitary items we need?!

I must tell you about the time my eldest son asked me what a period was?  He was about 8 or 9 years old at the time.  We are open and so I just said, "It's something a lady has each month, if it happens she knows she isn't pregnant."  I waited for his next question tentatively.  Boy was I relieved I hadn't gone into any more detail, as he looked at me strangely and said "No Mum, what does - that's it, period -mean?!"

6.  Not buying papers or magazines. 

I used to buy lots of magazines, but found I would look at the pictures, scan and discard.  I now read lots of blogs!  See the blogs I love to follow. 

I love to read books and have started to buy my books from car boot sales.  I managed to find the following books (which were all on my wish list) for 20p each!

        

7.  Carboot Sales - Lush

Great for reusing, recycling good, old or new things. We have found things for the house and van too.  A great vintage seat cover in the soul bus was a 1930's door hanging for £5.  Also, the vegetable seedlings (in the garden photo above) were 65p a pot of 6 or 7 plants!

I'd love to know what your best eco projects and car boot sale finds are?

Lisa xx

children of alcoholics - Absolutely not Fabulous

I love his books

I try to remember this Paulo Coelho quote, 'To attain his dream, the Warrior of Light needs a strong will and an enormous capacity for acceptance.'  It's been a tough couple of weeks and there hasn't been time to catch up here. 

Today, I want to share something which is very hard for me - alcoholism.  I am the adult child of an alcoholic (that sounds like I am at Al Anon meeting!). If you've ever seen the show Absolutely Fabulous, it feels that I'm in Saffy's shoes (albeit, a very much older Saffy). 

Monday began.  Bad news.  Mum was in hospital after taking tablets and alcohol.  Again! The fourth time in eighteen months.  Numerous times in 23 years!

So we drove to our old hometown, me, my sister and three of our children (aged 1, 2 and 3) where we bumped into mum escaping from the ward to have a cigarette. Still drunk, hospital gowned, shoeless and swollen after a 3 week bender. She was confused, didn't know who we were, scared. We took her back to find out what she'd taken, done, damaged?

She'd disturbed the patients, unimpressed the staff by wasting a bed in their hospital.  We waited and waited for the CRISIS (mental health team) and Alcohol Specialist Nurse to assess, but I have two older children to collect from school. Their friends for tea. They are my priority. We leave. The guilt!

Later, it is decided that there is nothing medically wrong and no support that can be given to my mum.  You cannot Section someone who has the right to choose to drink, smoke or take drugs (not that mum takes drugs) even if they are damaging themselves.  I hopelessly accept it is her choice.  She is sent home in a hospital gown, alone in a taxi, with no key!  I find out after she is discharged and that she has no mobile phone as she left it at hospital!  Mum needs to sober up and choose to visit CAN to get support.

Mum used to work at that very hospital on the cancer ward.  When we were small, she was a great mum who would teach us Irish dancing in the living room on a Friday night and taught us to handstand up the kitchen door.  Allowed us to be creative, by building our own playgrounds from scaffold planks and carpenter's horses, made mud pies and apple pies, grew veg at the allotment, sewed clothes for our dolls, knitted stuff, crafted with homemade glue (flour and water) and made daisy chains.  She would make our 70's one-off party dresses, long and flowery.  She was brave and adventurous and would change her image often - one day long, dark, centre parted, hippy hair and the next a tight ball of afro curls. She would sing loudly and dance wildly with us. She would bake delicious, scrumptious cakes and buy us lemon sherbet sweets, on a Friday.  Fun, fun times.  She would take us to ballet classes and brownies and help at school and church.  Happy, happy memories.

Happy, loved child - Me at 3

And then...

I want for her grandchildren to know her.  I want for us to go out and share mum and daughter time again.  Hopefully, this time it will happen. 

She has not touched a drink for ONE WHOLE WEEK!  I am so very, very proud. 

I am lucky, I am one of three sisters who support each other through this.  I can cry, get angry, ignore and dismiss my mum, without judgement from my loving husband. There are groups that can help those that don't have that support, or do and need more advice NACOA, Adult Children of Alcoholics and COAP.

This has been so hard for me to write.  I have previewed, rewrote, reread and then hovered over that publish button.  I would love to hear your experience or thoughts on this difficult subject.

Lisa xox

West Runton

We have just returned from a super time at Laburnum Caravan Park at West Runton, Norfolk. http://www.laburnumcaravanpark.co.uk/

Friends have holiday homes there and we have been coming for a few years, in our camper, caravan and static van.  The weather was glorious clear and sunny, kids in wetsuits in the sea, bonfires on the beach, barbecues and long walks. 

We walked from West Runton to Sheringham over Beeston Mound along the clifftops and enjoyed the wind blowing away the cobwebs. 

At Sheringham we savoured hokey pokey ice cream, enjoyed the seafront murals and browsed the tiny shops.

Finally, with sweets from the old fashioned sweet shop we took the train back to West Runton.

Even though we were only away a few busy busy days, we relaxed and it felt we were away longer!

What are your favourite holiday spots?

Lisa x

Art Therapy

This is the first post on my first blog and one of my 39 things to do before I turn 40 next year!

Been missing my boys this week, as Oscar (13) has been in Austria skiing with school and Louis (9) is in France   Meanwhile, little Max (2) has been a little bored without the constant flow of friends in and out the house. He had his first visit to the cinema, to see How to Train your Dragon, McD's, parks, playgrounds and cousins to play with but is missing his older brothers too.

Thursday and Friday are nursery days for Max, as they are my teaching days.  So as its holiday time, I spent yesterday ironing, gardening and housework. Today, I was determined not to clean, do laundry or tidy.  I facebooked, did some paperwork and then felt the usual automatic urge to pick up the cloth and start wiping down surfaces. I checked my mail again, to stop myself from getting out the hoover. Then I realised this was my chance to get out the paints and have some well earnt play time. 

I miss going into the studio once a week to experiment and play and promised my sister to paint a portrait, which would include a horse.  My Dad taught me how to draw - thank you Dad, for nurturing my love of art .  Anyway, time flew, I was totally engrossed.  It wasn't easy, it looked all wrong but I perservered and was pleased with the first sitting. I texted the photo to Clare, who then rang me to tell me how pleased she was with it.

I walked to nursery lightly, with a smile on my face.  This is just what I needed to do today.  Must start a sketch diary and post it here.  This was my time for a little art therapy.

It is a controversial subject matter, which people will have strong views about. 

Lisa