what to blog

I don't blog enough, I know I don't. To be honest I wonder sometimes if I shouldn't just delete this blog .... but then again, when I do blog its good ... isn't it?


So why don't I blog more? I dunno, maybe cos I think my life really isn't all that exciting, or that when stuff does happen, its not something I can blog about.

But then what is the point of a blog, if not the careless, meandering path of my rather muddled brain ?

This made me cry ....

It's not often that it happens, but today I cried, in fact I sat with tears streaming down my face...... With laughter.

Blame Dan over at 0ddness blog lol.

want to see what I found so funny??

Click here to see rofl

Shit

Shit happens... thats what they say isn't it. Well shit has happened and we have to deal with it. We know the truth and in time so will the rest of the world.

now to deal with it and to repair the damage.... hope we can

Back again ... for now

I make no apologies for not posting much over the past few weeks. Its been the school holidays, and we have been exceptionally busy with the children. That would not usually stop me from posting, though blogging has been extremely sporadic over the past year or so, but we have been on the road, which did seriously limit me in posting anywhere on the net.

Well, now we are home, it is almost time for the children to return to school. So its back to being confined to barracks, limited to travelling at the weekends, and generally pretending to be normal for a bit.

So what is new with us?

Skye- We have had a few scares with her, but she is doing ok now. She had, at her own request, her hair dyed purple/pink over the hols, fortunately despite me using the wrong dye, it has now almost washed out, could of been interesting explaining that away to her head teacher if she had turned up bright purple hey!!

Garin- Garin, is his normal cheeky, lively self. Hair-wise he wanted a mohawk, like Daddy and Uncle Soggy have, so that is what he got at the start of the holidays, which later turned bright blue hehe. Decided that as the dye has all but gone, we are going to let him keep the mohawk, which he is over the moon about.

Gary - usual self ;-)

Me - Grumpy, in pain, and working hard ... yep normal here too BUT in other news, I am now offering Tarot card readings, at the moment in return for a donation (set amount) to the Childrens Heart Federation so if you would like a reading, let me know. All readings in Wiltshire, face to face, in very rare and exceptional cases I will do readings by phone, but this is not usual practice for me. Depending on distance/timing etc, I can occasionally do readings in other parts of the UK, but you will need to contact me for details.

I will be setting various things up in the next few weeks, including a Facebook page, web page etc. Details to follow as it is all set up.

Meantime, if you would like a reading and do not have my number, please email me on druidofthehill@yahoo.co.uk

Could it happen again?

I write this post, as a Traveller and a Hippy.

It was the Solstice celebrations this week, over the weekend we camped up with a number of other friends and fellow travellers. We were out of the way, not close to local homes. We were clearing up after ourselves, as well as picking up after the tourists that came to stare at us. We were breaking no laws. We were merely parked up, chatting, laughing, cooking and sharing. We were peaceful and calm .....

So why did the local constabulary feel the need to harass us, repeatedly, frequently and in some cases aggressively. What did we do?? Nothing! Yet numerous times a day the police arrived and either drove or walked along the lines of vehicles, noting down number plates. More than once, as one police vehicle drove off, another appeared. the visits continued throughout the nights. Backed up of course by the force helicopter hovering overhead frequently. I've had reports that things up at Stonehenge were even worse, with officers giving drivers orders to park in a certain place, then another officer coming along moments later and ordering them away to yet another place, with a brusque 'can't park here'

My other half, spoke to a few of the police, one , when asked why he was taking our number plates, yet again, answered ' its orders, I've been ordered to do it, so I'm doing it' I asked him, aren't you curious? Don't you want to know? Why are you blindly following without thinking about this?

This particular officer, could not understand why we were so wound up.

Why were we? Why are we upset? Why, as we are doing no wrong, are we worrying about it?

The answer is simple. Operation Solstice aka The Battle of the Beanfield

In essence, on Jun 1st 1985, a convoy of travellers heading for Stonehenge, was attacked by the police. trapped and herded into a field, they had no way out. Then the police attacked. Men and women of all ages, pregnant women, mothers with babes in arms and toddlers clinging to their skirts, were attacked by the police. Beaten wioth truncheons, dragged through the broken windows of the living vehicles. Children were torn from their parents arms, the parents flung into police vans and driven to stations all over the UK. Many spent days in cells, unable to find out where their children were and if they were safe.

Ultimately Wiltshire Police were sued by individuals from the convoy. They won but the damages that were awarded soon disappeared in legal fees.

But that was all 26 yrs ago right? Surely the travelling community should be 'over it' by now?

Maybe they would be, if the attitude of the police had changed. In my dealings with the police since getting the truck, we have found that its roughly 50/50 good cop/bad cop. Some our cool, happy to chat and laugh with us. Some our arrogant, rude and aggressive, positively goading a reaction. Which they rarely get as most travellers are used to such attitudes and simply walk away.


But could their be a repeat of the Beanfield?

Frighteningly I have to say, I think there could be. As in 85. we are now living under a Tory gov't. As in 85, the media are allowed to print whatever they please, openly mis-portraying the travelling community, to turn public opinion. The police are being ever greater powers to prevent gatherings, ever greater powers to arrest on flimsy excuses, ever greater power to abuse their powers ...

It scares me. Let us hope I'm wrong, lets hope that the police will recruit only stable, controlled men and women, who will not misuse the powers given to them .....

Hope .. its all we do have

I am amazing .....

I have a husband who loves me, who I love with all me soul, a gang of gorgeous, happy well adjusted kids, and the best friends in all the world. I have belief in things you know nothing of.

I am H.A.P.P.Y ..... and you are not going to put even the slightest dint in that happiness. Because you are truly not worth it. One day, and despite all that has gone on, all the hurt and pain you have caused to me, I hope, and truly hope, that one day you can become happy, well adjusted and have a life which makes you content. Not just because then you might actually piss off and leave me alone, but because I want you to be happy. I do not believe that trying to harrass me again will make you happy, its just another symptom of your own misery, trying to attack those whose happiness you envy. trying to drag them down so you are not alone in miseryville. Well, sorry and all that, but I am not planning on heading to miseryville, but I hope and pray that you can find your way out of it.

Happiness is out there, its yours, if you will only see that the only path to reach it lies within yourself. Light the torch, pick up your pack and prepare for a long, hard slog... it will be worth it if you make the effort

Saying No ... are heart kids spoilt?

Are Heart Kids spoilt? A discussion a friend and I had recently has really hit home today.

Do we, as heart parents, we asked spoil our heart kids. Do they get more than they would do if they were healthy? Do they get away with behaviour that they would not do otherwise? Yes we decided, whilst we set limits, the heart kids to tend to get a little spoilt. But hey we decided they deserved it ...

Actually, I think it goes a little deeper than that. Heart parents spoil heart children because in many cases, they simply want to pack all the love, gifts and treats they can into the time they have. Only too well do we all know how precious and fragile the grip on life can be at times. How, in spite of the best efforts of doctors and parents, time can be limited. Who cares if they are spoilt, when their time here is so short? Put in that perspective, its hardly surprising is it?

But what about heart children who are not life limited? The ones who, fates willing, will live a near normal life, with one or two surgeries? The ones, pre op, that are not yet ill enough to need that surgery, but not quite as fit as their peers? Do they deserve to be spoilt? To get whatever (within reason) they want, whatever the cost?

Yep, I think they do. Why? because of all the things that you HAVE to say no to. Today Skye came home from school bubbling with excitement. She had a list of after school clubs to choose from. Cookery, Bible, hama beads, dance, gymnastics ..... and football. Skye, being Skye wants to go to football club. Its free, so why should I deny her? Because its outdoors, they wear lightweight clothing and it involves alot of running around.

Now any one of those on its own, would probably be a concern, but not a reason for saying an absolute No. She is doing pretty well at the moment. And I am so so grateful that she is. That she can run. So many heart children can barely even walk let alone run. But even my little princess has her limitations. The combination of the cold weather we can now expect as we move towards winter, the flimsy clothing of football, and the running around would spell disaster. As the cold bites, Skye gets bluer, her SATs drop, but being a stubborn moo (can't think where she gets it from) she will be determined to soldier on, to keep up with her peers. As she needs more oxygen to run, she will get bluer ... and who knows what happens next? I do not want to even think about it.

So tonight, for the first time in a long while I have had to say No to something Skye really wants to do. Skye was upset, I was upset. I sat with her, explained, and she knew I was right. She said she understood. But it doesn't stop me wanting to cry, that my little girl who is so tough, so brave and so WELL cannot do what she wants :-(

Am going to have a chat with the school tommorow, see if we can come up with some ideas, to help her deal with this. Maybe we can find a happy medium, so she can do something.. or maybe I will take her somewhere special to make up for it? Buy her a treat and spoil her just that little bit more.

I add to this another little thought. Another reason for wanting to spoil our heart children. Today a very beautiful little girl, should of started school. She was beautiful, brave, tough and she had a knackered heart valve. She had complications and ended up needing a heart transplant. She was fortunate, one of the lucky ones, she got her new heart. And she went home, to live life to the full. And live life she did!! Tragically, little Zoe Chambers had just one year of living a full life, before she passed away, in the loving arms of her mum. Today Zoe, should of put on a little uniform, marched into school, giving her mum that cheeky smile. Probably sending mum packing so she could get on with the fun. And Zoe, I hope that up in the Angels playground today, you did exactly that.

In Zoe's honour, in honour of all the other little heart angels who should be walking through the school gates, can you please please sign the organ donor register? But Zoe died I hear you say. Yes she did. BUT she had a year, a year of fun, mischief, of NORMALITY. Her family have a years worth of happy memories to counter the bad ones, photos and the knowledge that, because of the generosity of one family, one donor, Zoe Chambers was able to live her life to the max. Isn't it worth it? I think so. I am sure that Zoes family feel the same. For Zoe, please sign up NOW