First Draft Open Letter to IDS …

This is just getting my thoughts together based on my personal experience and that of others who have spoken to me.  Responding to some of the points raised by IDS in that article I attached yesterday:

Background to an Open Letter to IDS … meet The Work Programme!

Over the past year I have blogged about some of the things that I have encountered in “the system” as an unemployed person; but all that I have already revealed pales into insignificance beside the experience I have had recently on “The Work Programme”; I will write about that today and then go on to explain why Iain Duncan Smith (IDS) has put flawed measures in place and why his latest plans are even further flawed.

Hogmanay Memory Lane (Part 2)

Eerie landscape

I have made a gallery of the most evocative photographs of 2013 for me.  It was Pup’s year and so he features quite a bit.  I had a life changing experience over the summer – represented by two images not previously shared here – the misty morning view of Kirrie Hill was taken the morning I launched the Steps Tay Health walks; I shared that picture with a special person.  The following week I saw this strange start to a rainbow which went on to be a rare double rainbow; I did not find out for a few days but that was the day that special person died – totally unexpectedly.  Three days later there was what I can only describe as a Rainbow storm (15 rainbows in 3 hours many of them double and/or supernumerary).  Finally organising the Christmas Market is represented by the tree and finishing with my boys curled up with the Cairn over the Christmas break.

It has been quite a year all in all.  I am still not in work so financially life remains tough; including having to fight to keep my home and the bank complaint is still not resolved.  The boys have been fantastic company and I wouldn’t have found it as easy to keep going without them both.

I started some studies using Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and have met people worldwide which has been both amazing and scary.  One of those people was that special person.  I am sad that he has gone but happy that in a few short months we had a friendship filled with sharing, laughter and open communication – we both knew that we chatted because we each wanted to and there were no taboo topics of conversation.  I finally succeeded in not placing any conditions on another person and I have never missed someone so greatly when we were not actually chatting.

After he died some friends seem to have faded away – not sure whether they cannot cope with my feelings or they don’t know how to respond.  I always miss friends when this happens but I am not chasing after them so if they are choosing to walk a different path I wish them well and hope they will be happy.

Overall I have  a lot to be thankful for and this song has really stuck out for me these past few days …

There are two people I would love to share this with … but one of them I no longer can and the other, having shared the journey through life and grief for  a few weeks has now struck out on his own path … I will let my thankful heart sing out the song in the hope that he might hear it and know it is from me.

“Thankful”

Somedays we forget
To look around us
Somedays we can’t see
The joy that surrounds us
So caught up inside ourselves
We take when we should give.

So for tonight we pray for
What we know can be.
And on this day we hope for
What we still can’t see.
It’s up to us to be the change
And even though we all can still do more
There’s so much to be thankful for.

Look beyond ourselves
There’s so much sorrow
It’s way too late to say
I’ll cry tomorrow
Each of us must find our truth
It’s so long overdue

So for tonight we pray for 
What we know can be
And every day we hope for
What we still can’t see
It’s up to us to be the change
And even though we all can still do more
There’s so much to be thankful for.

Even with our differences 
There is a place we’re all connected
Each of us can find each other’s light

So for tonight we pray for
What we know can be
And on this day we hope for 
What we still can’t see
It’s up to us to be the change
And even though this world needs so much more

There’s so much to be thankful for

Part of the reason I am able to be thankful despite the struggles is because I set out to find and learn from Serenity.  It has helped immensely and I have  aboard on Pinterest to keep reminding me of this.  For 2014 my OLW is “Successful” and I already have a board to represent this.  My dreams and plans of starting the hostel are still there but so are the challenges to overcome in getting started – including someone else considering purchasing the building.  I have to focus on getting some income and then hope I can still proceed with the hostel but if that building goes I can at least adapt my plan to another community, although that will feel sad after I have fought so hard to stay in this community.

So farewell 2013 … and bring it on 2014.  And to each of you (as they say hereabout) Lang may your lum reek …

Sunshine on a Dreich Day

Problems problems

For the second day running I am writing not knowing whether I will be able to post this for you.   I don’t know if it is my computer or the wordpress servers (certainly I am getting server errors and yet no other websites are a problem).

This first picture is just showing you some existing upcycling in the garden with the cobbles and channelled bricks making a path and a patio.  The second picture is my current upcycling project – I am  rebuilding the “square foot” veggie garden using the discarded soffit boards – these are UPVC so will not rot – although in time they may split?

I am going to leave it there although I have other things to tell you because I don’t want to spend time typing it all out and then not be able to post it or lose it.  Please bear with me the next few days if posts don’t appear.

Swallow …

…swallow … swallow … swallow … swallow …

Yes five swallows!

Mum and Dad brought their three bairns to say hello this morning …

Who? me?

This side?

Or this? is this better?

Do you think my tail will grow like Dad’s?

And the day ended with another wildlife extravaganza courtesy of Pup … who decided that Huff needed a playdate …

I knew as soon as I went out into the gloaming that Pup had the hedgehog on the lawn.  So he has carried it up from the end of the garden and was rolling it round on the grass.

Poor Huff was not  a very happy hedgehog.  Pup was brought in and out I went with the supermarket shopper to collect him and reroute him.  Pup did leave him when h was allowed back out and told to come away.  I actually think this might have been Huff Sr – it seemed bigger than last week!

 

Catch Up

It has been a horrid week in many ways – the weather has been all over the place and I have had a migraine hanging on in the background – possibly related to the pressure of the thundery weather.  Yesterday I just reached the overload point and I just could not sit long enough to do the blog post.

Today has brought violent thunderstorms including some right over the house which made the front porch shake – I have things crossed that that is it resolved.

I didn’t think to make a picture of it but I posted a card that I made today – my Mum and Dad are celebrating their Golden wedding anniversary tomorrow – well done and congratulations to them.

Then I had the nightmare of having to make a good photo of me – I’ll tell you more about why over the weekend.

Now I am about to fold up for the night and try and finally sleep off the migraine …

We’re Off to Find Kangaroos … or Pup Gets Ruby Slippers!

So it has been a better puter day today and mostly it has kept working.  We have had another day of dreichness – but no more storms and it has started to get very stuffy again!  I have several strategically placed insect bites which are driving my batty and then I have Pup!

Pup has just been caught digging his way down under – the Roos disappeared as I went out with the camera and I just managed to hauled Pup back before he set off on his very own yellow brick road to see the Wizard of Oz!!  You’ll be telling me flying monkeys really exist in a minute?  So I have refilled the crater and admonished the little black furball and at least today there has been nothing alive for him to pick up and take away!

Yesterday I managed to get some nice pictures – which I then couldn’t upload with my technical glitches so here they are:

I had better go and check on the digger – he has disappeared back outside again …

It was a Bad Computer Day …

… and it is already tomorrow and I am tired and grumpy and there is lightning outside … so I am going to quit and tidy this up tomorrow.  The red dangly things are no more – the birds have eaten them and Pup has picked up a decent size toad and is now fixated on finding it again … and why? well do you think having 666 drafts in my gmail might have been a factor … arrrrghhh!

To Rent … one Bijou Residence … hardly used

Found under the clematis bush this morning … available for re-siting if preferred!