Assisted Dying for the Terminally ill.

Yesterday evening i watched Simon's Choice. A programme about a man with Motor Neuron Disease (MND) who choice to end his suffering and show it on a documentary.
I have had a family member who passed away from Motor Neuron Disease. It really is a horrible disease.

Before you read this post, please understand i ONLY support assisted dying in those who have terminal illnesses. If you are feeling suicidal please click here Samaritans
Remember it might be pouring with rain today, but tomorrow could be wonderful. The world is a beautiful place, You're beautiful.

I fully support that the choice of dying with dignity should be there for all who are suffering from a terminal illness. I cannot understand those who say that they should fight till the end...or that it's just plain wrong (giving no proper explanation)..or that god decides when we live and when we die. Seriously? What about those of us who don't believe there is a god? Should we have to suffer just because a bible basher says "taking ones life is a sin" ? and seriously even if you believed in god, do you honestly think he would want people to suffer needlessly? Really? ....Nice god you have there.


Humans are such a caring species caring when it comes to our pets. We love them, hug them and when we are made aware that they are suffering, in pain and that it won't improve we are given the advice that it is much kinder to end their suffering. To free them of their pain. I would like to think that most of us wouldn't want to see little "fluffy" or "fido" suffer so we take that compassionate caring choice of allowing them to pass peacefully, sometimes with us by their sides, giving them that comfort before they pass on from this world. Yet when it comes to people it appears like it's a whole different ball game. Of course i am sure that there are many people in the world who wouldn't want/consider the option of assisted dying when terminally ill but that's good too, that's their choice. However we do have to remember that not everyone wants to put up with suffering in their final few years/months/days. So for them........Assisted dying should be their choice.

People using this choice shouldn't have to travel to another country, a more compassionate country. We should have control of our lives, not just when we are fit and healthy but when we are dying from something terminal. Dying a painful death. Then we should have the choice, the choice to end our suffering and the chance to spend some relief filled final days with our loved ones, having a proper chance to say our goodbyes.

My Excel clothing wishlist

I recently spotted a clothes website that i hadn't come across before and they are running a wishlist competition so i couldn't resist especially as they have so many lovely items. Honestly i think i must of spent about over an hour just browsing.

Here is the link if you want to check it out and do some summer shopping or browsing yourself! :)

Excel Clothing


After a good browsing session these would most definitely be at the top of my wishlist.

The Almost Famous Floral Skirt Sleeveless Dress With Tie Waist

 I love this as I'm really into floral despite my unnatural love of the colour black. Plus it's elegant, has a vintage look and seems like it would be very flattering.

VW Santa Monica bowling bag

Now i have a deep love of bags. Especially bags that can fit all my wonderful must have pieces of junk...Sorry i mean important "you never know when you will need this" items. I love the size, lines, the colour and of course the brand of this gorgeous bag.

 Michael Kor Rose Gold MK5128 Chronograph Watch

Now i cannot imagine any female not wanting this gorgeous Michael Kor's watch among her collection. I love everything about it, from the watch face to the gorgeous colour.

Elia B SPECTATOR Leather Brogues

Being just under 6ft and someone who likes to blend into the background. I find heels can be more of a nuisance and makes me stand out a little more than i desire. Hence i often like to opt for flats or low heels. These brogues are perfect and look super comfy.

 

 Armani Jeans Ombre Sleeveless Blouse

Last but certainly not least is this Armani Ombre blouse. I can imagine wearing this with denim shorts or a white skirt. It would be rather fabulous with an array of accessories too. 

So that's my wishlist, although there is so much more i could add to it. I must refrain so i can prepare dinner for my hoard! :)

My Glass Cabochon test.

I am sorry for the delay in uploading some photographs of my progress with the Glass Cabochons. In my defense it's been a rather hectic week. I am still awaiting the chains and e6000 glue but i have attempted ten so far. Out of the ten i am unhappy with three of them and they will need to soaked and redone. I think this was a case of me rushing and not pressing down firmly enough. I chose to use quotes as i think they will look rather nice when i have fully completed them and i do love a good quote. I am sorry in advance for the poor quality of the photographs. I will aim to rectify this by the weekend and upload some better ones. Some of these were photographed before i sanded them, hence you will see the overlap on these images.

Project of the week

My project of the week is glass dome cabochon necklaces, I have been looking at some youtube tutorials which have been really useful. I purchased some pendants for them on Ebay. I chose to get them from China so they took a little while to arrive but they are really nice quality and have trees on the reverse. I want to put some quotes inside them, though i am a little concerned as i have an inkjet printer and apparently there can be issues with the image when using inkjet.Hopefully all will go well if i leave the image to dry for a day or two. I purchased glass domes and the self sealing ones. Stupidly though the self sealing one are the wrong size so i will need to purchase more pendants in the correct size for them. I love this type of crafting as you can create something really unique.

When i have completed the ones i am working on, i will upload some photographs. For those interested in this type of crafting i have included one of the more useful Youtube tutorials that i have watched.

Upcycled- My First Furniture Project complete

I thought i would quickly upload a photo of the bedside cabinet that i have now finished. It's not perfect but it does look much better than when i started. (Though in honesty that wouldn't be that hard!)

Turn something old into something new.

Today i was busy turning something old into something new.

I had an old wooden bedside table to play with and this is what i have done with it so far. P.s. The sanding down took the most effort but it is amazingly quick to turn something old and dreadful into something pretty and eye-catching.

It's still not finished as i am plan to add clouds, but i will upload a photograph when it is totally finished sometime later in the week. However as you can see...my daughter couldn't wait till i had finished to use it.

Farewell Peaches

Today i can't help but notice the net is swarming with news that Peaches Geldof apparently passed away due to a heroin overdose. Friends are sharing the news on Facebook and people are tweeting about it on twitter. Comments a couple of weeks ago were mainly about how awful people thought it was that she had died so young and how lovely she appeared to be and what a good mother she was.This seems to be confirmed with the daily Instagram photographs of her happy children that she updated her followers with. Yet today the comments seem to be about how selfish people think she was and how people have no sympathy with her. This last part puzzles me as what good is sympathy to her? She has gone.


There are several things said in interviews that seem to show Peaches held a deep sadness within her and I am sure her friends and family with hindsight can probably now see the signs that she wasn't in the best of places emotionally. In an interview she spoke about having to go to school the day after her mother died and how they were all supposed to just get on with it. There was no mention of grief counseling and she spoke about the sadness that she felt about her dad not being more present in her sons lives.

For whatever faults her mother had. Paula Yates when in a good place emotionally seemed like she was a doting and loving mother and to lose that deep love of a parent so suddenly and under those circumstances must have been crushing at such a young age. Even more so when the seedy press seemed to enjoy ripping apart her mother after her death. Her father no doubt found the death of Paula extremely hard too. Bringing up the girls while dealing with his own grief. He no doubt just dealt with things the best way he could at the time.


Then when Peaches went through a wild stage you then had the press comparing her to her mother, that too must have been hard to deal with. Maybe, However silly it seems to those who have never experienced being in a low place, Peaches thought she was destined for this tragic end of her life?
It appeared she thought that having children and a loving husband would heal her...I am sure for some part it did but when we lose someone we care about so deeply, that piece of our heart never really heals. So we just find ways to cope, to lessen the pain and if we are lucky we get grief counseling to help us learn to gradually let go of the sadness and continue our lives while holding our loved ones memory close. For Peaches it seemed as if the pain never really lessened, she just became good at hiding it.
So let's not judge the dead for not being able to come to terms with the loss of a loved one.


Rich or Poor, Depression doesn't discriminate.


Let's just hope the press can leave her husband and boys in peace and that when they get older if they ever feel swamped by sadness that they will get the help and support that they need.



Farewell Peaches.
   


 I measure every grief... by Emily Dickinson

I measure every grief I meet
With analytic eyes;
I wonder if it weighs like mine,
Or has an easier size.

I wonder if they bore it long,
Or did it just begin?
I could not tell the date of mine,
It feels so old a pain.

I wonder if it hurts to live,
And if they have to try,
And whether, could they choose between,
They would not rather die.

I wonder if when years have piled--
Some thousands--on the cause
Of early hurt, if such a lapse
Could give them any pause;

Or would they go on aching still
Through centuries above,
Enlightened to a larger pain
By contrast with the love.

The grieved are many, I am told;
The reason deeper lies,--
Death is but one and comes but once
And only nails the eyes.

There's grief of want, and grief of cold,--
A sort they call 'despair,'
There's banishment from native eyes,
In sight of native air.

And though I may not guess the kind
Correctly yet to me
A piercing comfort it affords
In passing Calvary,

To note the fashions of the cross
Of those that stand alone
Still fascinated to presume
That some are like my own.



If you are experiencing grief or issues with drugs. Please check out the links below and know you are not alone.

Cruse Bereavement Care

Talk to Frank

My three top products of the week.

This week i have had some new products to try.

They are so good that i am going to recommend them. Tomorrow i will try and upload my own photo's but for now i have used the net as it's just easier and it has gone 1am in the morning and my camera is nowhere in sight. :)

First on my must buy list is Vaseline Spray and Go Moisturiser. It's so handy just to be able to spray Moisturiser on, in fact i got a bit carried away and sprayed most of my body. Why hasn't anyone thought of a spray moisturiser before? It's really great to use just after shaving or waxing your legs. It makes everything feel super smooth. I am in love.

Second is Alberto VO5 Smoothly Does It Straightening Lotion. I got this from a lovely twitter win but i wasn't asked to review it and if it was rubbish or just "ok" i certainly wouldn't of added it to my blog as one of my top products. However i used this yesterday morning and not only does it make my hair smell wonderful, it does what it says and keeps my hair looking gloriously smooth and straight. You put it on towel dried hair and brush it through. Then blow dry your hair and then go over your hair with the straighteners. It's certainly more effective than just plain straightening and it keeps the frizz at bay. Bonus! 

Lastly is a wonderful purchase from Lush. It's a bubblegum lip scrub that sells for £5.50. A little pricey i thought but i wanted to treat myself as this awful winter weather makes my lips really dry. Well i was pleasantly surprised. This stuff is great, not only does it smell wonderful it has stopped my lips feeling so dry and chapped. It's so sugary and feels it when you put it on but i noticed the difference within a day and it tastes pretty good too!

Creative Vial Necklaces.

I have recently got to purchasing most the craft bits to start making creative vial necklaces. I am not a hugely creative person but i came across some really wonderful ideas originally while browsing the net for Harry Potter stuff and i looked at some that were for sale and thought wow i think i can make them easily enough. I do need to pop into Halfords for some distilled water and purchase some necklace chains and then i think i am then ready to start creating. I have included a link to my Pinterest with all the ideas that i hope to be giving a go.

Pinterest Vial Necklace Ideas

Have you ever recreated something craft wise that you have seen on the internet? How did it go?

Nominate Your Young Epilepsy Champion

Having a child with epilepsy is probably one of the most frightening things i have ever had to contend with and finding the charity Young Epilepsy was a huge relief and the website put my mind at rest about so many of the silly (and not so silly) questions that concerned me. That's not to say i don't worry, because i still do but i no longer think the world is collapsing and that my child won't be able to experience a normal fulfilling life

So i wanted my followers and visitors to know that Young Epilepsy is seeking nominations for the Young Epilepsy Champion awards. At the moment i will be honest and say that i haven't made my mind up on who i will nominate yet and then explain my own nomination to you. (Though i hope to do this)  However i wanted to get this post up ASAP as there is only a little under a week to nominate.

Peter Andre calls for people to nominate their epilepsy champion

Singer and TV personality Peter Andre is calling for everyone to nominate their ‘epilepsy champion’ for a prestigious award.

National charity, Young Epilepsy will hold its Young Epilepsy Champion Awards 2014 this coming March. The nominations process is now open, and Peter, who won an award in 2013, wants everyone to get involved.

These awards recognise the outstanding contribution individuals, groups and organisations across the UK make towards raising awareness and understanding of epilepsy, and improving the lives of children and young people living with the condition. They also celebrate individuals who overcome obstacles and create opportunities to use their story to inspire others.

Peter Andre, Singer, TV Personality and Young Epilepsy Champions Award winner, said, “The Young Epilepsy Champions Awards recognise the outstanding contribution of individuals, groups and professionals make towards improving the lives of young people with epilepsy. Our New York Coffee Club won in 2013, this year it could be you.

“Just because you have the condition, doesn’t mean you can’t achieve your mission. Everyone living with epilepsy is supported by at least one Champion; it may be a family member, a nurse, a doctor, a teacher or a business and they deserve our recognition and thanks, so nominate them today.”

On average one child at every primary school and five at every secondary school in the UK will have been diagnosed with epilepsy. It is the most common serious neurological condition in childhood affecting 112,000 people aged 25 and under in the UK.

Nominating someone for a Young Epilepsy Champion Award is easy and can be done online at youngepilepsy.org.uk/champions-awards. All nominations must be received by midnight, 26 January, 2014 and the ceremony will take place on 26 March 2013 at City Hall in London.

For further information, please visit youngepilepsy.org.uk or follow Young Epilepsy on Twitter @Youngepilepsy, Facebook/YoungEpilepsy or Youtube/YoungEpilepsy.

Bokwa- My moment of madness

Tonight in a moment of complete madness i signed up to a Bokwa masterclass. This is so not a good idea for several reasons. One is that thanks to the EDS i need pain killers after just walking around for a short while. I can just imagine what i am going to feel like after an energetic Bokwa session.

However the reason i want to do it is to prove to myself i can, to meet some new people and to get everything in shape. Plus i do miss dancing. Though admittedly the last time i properly danced was 17 years ago. Is there anything that you have done in a moment of madness that you have later regretted? Or perhaps it was the best thing you ever did?

Back to Blogging

Ok i have chosen to go back to blogging.*again i hear you say* I can't promise that i will have anything interesting to say (In fact this part is doubtful) or if it will be a daily thing but I'm back for now at least :)

Well..What's new i hear you ask? Well actually i don't hear you asking, as that quite frankly would be just too darn weird and freaky. Anyhow, Let's not get me rambling on. Firstly i have completed my third Uni course. I am still awaiting the result of the last course. It should be any day now. So that's quite exciting. At least for me. This degree means more to me than a lifetime supply of Krispy Kreme doughnuts (I can dream) and that is saying something. Secondly i now own a bread machine, you cannot even begin to understand how this excites me..but it does. My bread baking skills aren't up to much but with this machine i can make the perfect loaf every time. Thirdly i have found myself watching television programmes i swore i would never watch, things like Come Dine With Me and even *holds breath* I'm a Celeb. I know..I know. I'm now doomed.

Anyway, I'm going to go back to watching it. Matthew and Joey have done amazingly well with the eating foul items challenge!

Catch you later. x

Spotted : Facebook Bullies

I had to post this as i find it shocking that facebook allows these "spotted" type pages.

The other week i noticed a fair few of my Facebook friends liking these particular pages, most appeared to quickly unlike but  i had a look...Well you have to right? (Yeah yeah I'm a nosy moo) Anyway i was shocked to say the least that these pages are allowed on Facebook. It seems like it is just a place where anonymous bullies..or cowards as i like to call them, Rip into people, the language is usually foul and they give so much info out about a person that they are picking on. I am shocked the comments and pages are allowed to stay.  Then you have the desperate Doris type that go something like "who is that girl/boy who works at such and such a place, i'd give him one" ...Well you get the idea.

Sometimes i really hate technology and i especially hate the way bullying seems to be more and more accepted when it's being conducted online and on social media sites.

There you have it - My whinge for the day.

Long time no blogging!

Ok, So it's been a long time since i last blogged so i thought i would catch up with you all.

I'm now doing two counseling courses via the Open University. It ties in with my degree and i am finding it a bit hard going at the moment. One course is really interesting and the other is a tad boring. I have however passed one assignment on the "tad boring" course, not with flying colours but it's a pass and that's what counts right now.It just means i will have to try harder for the next one and put much more effort into it.

I have also been making the most of the nice weather with some glorious days out and i even managed to find Tutti Frutti ice cream after 15 years of searching...and yes i even got it in a waffle cone...

Death of the Paperback?...

I confess that i really love proper books and turning pages of a E-reader doesn't have the same feel to it. I have tried to get on with them, for example i do have a Sony E-reader and it's a wonderful gadget i suppose. However it's just not something i have really fallen in love with. I find it cold and not very relaxing when i am sat there propped up in bed with my E-reader, yet with a paperback i feel more comfortable and i can curl up into the covers and drift off into my imagination.
However i was offered a book recently, in PDF form from an author and i politely turned it down. I know..I know..You're probably thinking "Ungrateful Cow" but is it right to accept something knowing that you probably won't use it?

So my question is..Does anyone read a normal book anymore? or do you favour E-Readers?

Catching up...

This evening i thought i would do a catching up post.

Firstly the boy in the red top from a previous post is apparently not Ben Needham so i will be removing the images. It's ever so sad as it looked like such a great lead and a big possibility it would be him. However more press surrounding the Needham family is a good thing and hopefully they will keep getting the full support of the UK and Greece to aid in the search. For info...You can now purchase wristbands on their website. http://www.helpfindben.co.uk/wristbands.html and they are also holding an auction http://www.helpfindben.co.uk/auction.html

On a totally different subject,  i ordered a cheesecake from http://www.englishcheesecake.com as a gift and it is due for delivery on Friday! wooo hooo :)
I have been debating ordering one for weeks but the price put me off at first...however i have caved as it looked so yummy! I will upload a photograph of it on the weekend. :)




For now i will leave you with a photo of the sheep grazing in the fields. :)

Ben Needham- Do you know the boy in the red top?

This isn't the first time i have blogged about Ben Needham but as i'm gradually returning to blogging i thought i would start with something important and something that i care about. I suppose that sounds silly as i have never known any of the Needham family and yet through the news over the years i feel like i truly do care about this little boy who was taken away from his loving mother and  i desperately want to hear the news that he has been found and that there is some sort of reunion with his family that has a happy ending.

Anyway, i will start by posting a link to a recent mirror article. The article highlights a new lead in the search for Ben and a photograph that was sent in by a greek woman.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/ben-needham-search-for-missing-ben-1483977

The photograph was apparently taken in the Corinthia area of Greece sometime in 1995

Using the wonders of Google, Corinthia it seems can be called Korinthia.

The photograph of this lovely smiling little boy has many similarities to the baby photographs of Ben Needham. In fact so much so that it's hard to imagine that it isn't Ben. As i get people all around the world reading this blog i thought it wouldn't hurt for me to blog about it. There is always the hope that someone reading may know who the photograph is of.
If you do know who the young boy is (take into account the photograph was taken approx 1995) Then there is the official facebook page here https://www.facebook.com/helpfindben where you will be able to find ways of contacting Ben's family to pass on the information to them.

 THIS POST HAS BEEN EDITED DUE TO THE FACT THE BOY IS NOT BEN NEEDHAM :(

Back to blogging soon :)

Well long time no see! The reason for my prolonged absence is because i have been working on my OU Psychology course and it's really important to me. Sadly more than blogging.

I am pleased to report that so far i have passed 3 of my assignments and i am in the process of completing my final one for this course. *Phew* Next year i have chosen to take on two more courses (can you tell i really want that degree?)

I have begun to learn about so many interesting things that i thought i would share one with you, mind you knowing my luck you already know!  :)

I have discovered the wonder that is Phineas Gage, and the whole story about him has really gained my interest. To make it more fun i have included a fun song about him that i discovered on Youtube. He was a true medical miracle, through an accident at work a huge metal rod pierced through his head, and maybe obviously...his brain. I guess from what i have read that one of the main reasons doctors discovered they could operate safely on the brain was due to his injury. Anyway i don't want to bore you to death but i just thought i would let you all know what i am getting up to at the moment.

Simon Gray- Country Music Lovers- Holly Ann

Just a quick post to big up Simon Gray's new song called Holly Ann. I am a big fan of country music, and i just love Simon Gray's latest song which is getting plenty of radio time on The Ride 94.1 out of Globe AZ.
I also had a listen of some of his other songs and i caved and purchased Big Door Open on amazon and thoroughly recommend you give that a listen. Big Door Open It's having a lot of playing time on my Ipod at the moment.

Anyway, for those keen to have a listen to his music themselves. His website is here Simon Gray and his facebook is here Simon Gray fan page

He is a lovely man with a great music style. To me he is a mix between Loudon Wainwright III and Warren Zevon which is a total winner in my book.

Mouth works before brain

I have had this awful problem ever since i was a child and i'm sure i can't be alone?  My mouth often works a tad bit faster than my brain.

I will rewind over twenty odd years to me sitting in a classroom in Milton Keynes, *Big wave to Conniburrow school*  we were having a sex education lesson. I must of been about eight. Seems a bit early looking back on it now but i can't of been much older. Anyway enough waffle. The teacher drew on the blackboard male and female parts *snigger* Sadly we didn't have anything as flash as a whiteboard in those days. Our teacher asked as to name the parts that she pointed to, i am pretty sure that someone put there hand up and mentioned the word "penis" cue sniggers from every child in the class and then i remember thrusting my hand in the air like the eager child i was and said "i know miss, i know what the other one is, it's a virginia miss" Well as it came out of my mouth and the laughs started i just knew i had made a major boo boo. To this day i struggle to ask for Golden Virginia when shopping for my partner. You see, i got it wrong once,so  i could easily end up asking for a golden vagina on the next shopping trip.

Along the same lines, today i learnt what is not acceptable to say in busy a supermarket. "I fancy a joint on Monday"