Tired today, dear Reader but I am determined to make it to the gym tonight. My eyes are a lot better now and if I could just get these stubborn hives to go. I could have easily have gone and had a good sleep this afternoon but didn't so now I am running on flat batteries.
So I am stuck for a shampoo again. I have no idea what I will use now. It seems if I did not wash my hair I would not have a problem with my skin. But it gets so far along without washing and I have to wash it. It drives me mad. There must be a shampoo out there that I can use.
So I am trying to find the energy to get me to the gym.I need to go out not been out for days. If I get my arse to the gym tonight I am going to call at ASDA and treat myself to some apple pie and custard afterwards. I know I should eat that before going to the gym but just for today we will do it this way round dear Reader.
I can't keep my little eyes open at the minute. I am doing crazy stuff like almost putting the washing in the fridge instead of the dryer and walking into rooms and forgetting what I went in for. So I better go get my gym kit on before I am snoring on this sofa.
Evening all x x x
Wednesday 31 July 2013
Tuesday 30 July 2013
Day 143
Well there is no doubt about it, dear Reader, I have had yet another set back with my allergy. If you read my earlier post I had got some shampoo from The Body Shop and I had thought that the girl had looked at my ingredients I am allergic to list carefully before recommending me a shampoo.
Well I have learnt a hard lesson, that from now on I myself will be the only one to check the ingredients, for when I have read the small print on the shampoo bottle I am actually allergic to three of the ingredients in the shampoo.
Because, with my luck, I had to wash my hair first and get rid of my swollen eyes first. Once again after almost getting clear skin and getting rid of it. So once again I have stepped backwards and am hoping that I will soon catch up to where I was last week.
Last week my eyes looked the best they had done in months. Now they are like two deflated balloons! I am missing the gym again tonight and in fact not been out since I puffed.
So the hunt begins again for a shampoo I can use and I know now to always check the ingredients myself. It was months ago the last time my face swelled.
I have made some new friends who also have or have members of their family who have allergies and they have given me some brilliant advice. So I do hope this will be my last set back.
Lets see what tomorrow brings.
Evening all x x x
Well I have learnt a hard lesson, that from now on I myself will be the only one to check the ingredients, for when I have read the small print on the shampoo bottle I am actually allergic to three of the ingredients in the shampoo.
Because, with my luck, I had to wash my hair first and get rid of my swollen eyes first. Once again after almost getting clear skin and getting rid of it. So once again I have stepped backwards and am hoping that I will soon catch up to where I was last week.
Last week my eyes looked the best they had done in months. Now they are like two deflated balloons! I am missing the gym again tonight and in fact not been out since I puffed.
So the hunt begins again for a shampoo I can use and I know now to always check the ingredients myself. It was months ago the last time my face swelled.
I have made some new friends who also have or have members of their family who have allergies and they have given me some brilliant advice. So I do hope this will be my last set back.
Lets see what tomorrow brings.
Evening all x x x
Monday 29 July 2013
Day 142
When I woke up this morning, dear Reader, I had puffy eyes. I have had puffy eyes in the past with my allergy--but not for a while. Even now after bathing them with a cold flannel and wearing cooling eye masks, I still look like I have been in a boxing ring and come off badly after doing ten rounds.
I was determined that I was going to still go to the gym no matter what, butknow it is not a good idea using equipment when it also affects my sight.
So why now have my puffy eyes returned? When I am making such good progress too. Well I have put it down to a number of things. Over the weekend I sorted out my nickel jewellery, handbags and shoes for the charity shop. Even though I was careful handling everything my nickel allergy is that bad any contact could cause my eyes to puff.
I have to wear goggles when I do housework because my allergy to house dust mites is so bad. Over the weekend I started vacuuming and had forgot to put them on. This has never happened before. Then I tried that new shampoo from The Body Shop.
So it could have been any of these factors. I don't think it was the shampoo I am allergic to. I think with my skin being dry that the shampoo just caused more of an irritation when I washed my air and it went on the dry skin.
I am usually so careful when cleaning. So I think it was sorting through the nickel and forgetting the goggles that did it.
So now I must pay the price and look like a prize fighter for the next couple of days. The good news is the swelling is now going down, so I don't think I will need to see the doctor.
When will it ever end dear Reader?
Evening all x x x
I was determined that I was going to still go to the gym no matter what, butknow it is not a good idea using equipment when it also affects my sight.
So why now have my puffy eyes returned? When I am making such good progress too. Well I have put it down to a number of things. Over the weekend I sorted out my nickel jewellery, handbags and shoes for the charity shop. Even though I was careful handling everything my nickel allergy is that bad any contact could cause my eyes to puff.
I have to wear goggles when I do housework because my allergy to house dust mites is so bad. Over the weekend I started vacuuming and had forgot to put them on. This has never happened before. Then I tried that new shampoo from The Body Shop.
So it could have been any of these factors. I don't think it was the shampoo I am allergic to. I think with my skin being dry that the shampoo just caused more of an irritation when I washed my air and it went on the dry skin.
I am usually so careful when cleaning. So I think it was sorting through the nickel and forgetting the goggles that did it.
So now I must pay the price and look like a prize fighter for the next couple of days. The good news is the swelling is now going down, so I don't think I will need to see the doctor.
When will it ever end dear Reader?
Evening all x x x
Sunday 28 July 2013
Day 141
One of the best jobs I ever had, dear Reader, was when I ran a small gift shop in Scarborough one summer. My cousin had the job before me and when she had to return home to school I took over. I had spent most of the summer working in a factory that made shampoo and bubble bath. These little jobs were a stop gap for the holidays back in my student days.
Compared to the factory work shop work was a doddle. All I had to do was sit at the till and watch television until I had to help or serve a customer. No working up a sweat packing or loading hundreds of shampoo bottles. I would keep the shelves nicely arranged and give them a wipe down and keep them clean.
But when I look back now it is not the shop that I think back to. It is the time I got to spend with my grandfather. The doors to the shop fully pushed back and they would stick. They folded back in a concertina way. Unable to be strong enough to do the doors. My grandfather would walk to the shop with me, which was about a hours walk from our home. He would always meet me at closing time too to shut the doors.
Now aged thirty-nine I treasure the time we spent on these walks. My chats were a little silly now. But he would always listen and give advice as we walked. Little did I know at the time I had little time left with my granddad.
Of course back then aged sixteen, I thought I knew it all and had seen it all. When we are young we don't know just how short life is and how we should treasure ever little moment with out grandparents. We chatted about all sorts of things on those walks and I was your typical moody teenager that would have a good moan too about nothing.
Later when I was looking for work my grandfather walked me to every interview waiting out of view for me to come out. Calming my nerves
"Remember they can't take your hands away can they?" He would say in his Barnsley accent.
I would give anything for a walk with him again. We used to walk on Marine Drive in Scarborough and great waves from the sea would splash us as the sea crashed against the walls. My grandma would be on these walks too, stopping off for a game of light up bingo on the seafront and then in the cafe or Harbour Bar for refreshments.
I now no longer live in Scarborough and I know when I return and have a proper walk about it will be a sad and emotional day. But I will do it, because I know it will bring them back to me. Once again we will all be walking and talking along the drive. My memories are too strong for them not to be there with me.
Evening all x x x
Compared to the factory work shop work was a doddle. All I had to do was sit at the till and watch television until I had to help or serve a customer. No working up a sweat packing or loading hundreds of shampoo bottles. I would keep the shelves nicely arranged and give them a wipe down and keep them clean.
But when I look back now it is not the shop that I think back to. It is the time I got to spend with my grandfather. The doors to the shop fully pushed back and they would stick. They folded back in a concertina way. Unable to be strong enough to do the doors. My grandfather would walk to the shop with me, which was about a hours walk from our home. He would always meet me at closing time too to shut the doors.
Now aged thirty-nine I treasure the time we spent on these walks. My chats were a little silly now. But he would always listen and give advice as we walked. Little did I know at the time I had little time left with my granddad.
Of course back then aged sixteen, I thought I knew it all and had seen it all. When we are young we don't know just how short life is and how we should treasure ever little moment with out grandparents. We chatted about all sorts of things on those walks and I was your typical moody teenager that would have a good moan too about nothing.
Later when I was looking for work my grandfather walked me to every interview waiting out of view for me to come out. Calming my nerves
"Remember they can't take your hands away can they?" He would say in his Barnsley accent.
I would give anything for a walk with him again. We used to walk on Marine Drive in Scarborough and great waves from the sea would splash us as the sea crashed against the walls. My grandma would be on these walks too, stopping off for a game of light up bingo on the seafront and then in the cafe or Harbour Bar for refreshments.
I now no longer live in Scarborough and I know when I return and have a proper walk about it will be a sad and emotional day. But I will do it, because I know it will bring them back to me. Once again we will all be walking and talking along the drive. My memories are too strong for them not to be there with me.
Evening all x x x
Saturday 27 July 2013
Day 140
In life, dear Reader, I have come to learn that occasionally it can be really strange and odd chapters in our life can occur. Things we just can not explain. I am not talking about the paranormal this time I am talking about just general situations we can find ourselves in.
Aged seventeen I was working in a private day nursery in the sea-side town of Scarborough when a young couple came through the door. They said that they needed a babysitter for the following night. That they were new to the area and did not know anyone.
Well of course I was wide-eyed and innocent back then and far too trusting, so I volunteered myself to do it. Thinking of the extra money that would boost my low YTS wage. The other staff warned me about not knowing them and yet I was still determined to babysit.
I had further problems when I got home later that day and explained to my gran that I was babysitting for complete strangers. She really put her foot down telling me no, that I could not do it because I or she did not know anything about these people. But me stubborn as ever said I was going to do it.
Looking back I can see now just how much my grandparents did love me and wanted to protect me, but at seventeen we think we know it all don't we dear Reader?
So the following night the man from the couple picked me up he turned up in a taxi so I knew he was a taxi driver. When we pulled into a car park for what looked like some type of work kind of building like a small factory, I never batted an eye lid. The building had a fire escape type staircase on the outside of the building and this is how we entered the building. Then once inside up an indoor staircase.
The building had been one of these house conversion things that became fashionable. It was just like a house inside and I was shown into a very small living room, with nothing more than a small sofa and a television in it. The woman then appeared telling me that their son was in bed and that he should sleep through while I baby sat.
They then did go out leaving me to do as all teenage babysitters do... sit watching telly and eating crisps. Although after a while I decided it was time I went to check on my young charge asleep or not to make sure he was okay.
I had thought it odd how the couple had not shown me around. Usually you get a tour and you are told where everything is, especially like where the loo is. When I came out of the room all I could find was a kitchen which had a stand-up shower in it. I thought it was really odd that a shower was in the kitchen. I then had a look round.
And do you know what, dear Reader? I could not find a child anywhere. The place was quite big, so thinking I would have another look round in a moment. I just went back and watched more television! Now at thirty-nine alarm bells would have been well and truly ringing, but in my seventeen year old mind they just did not kick off or in at all.
I was in the middle of nowhere too. Not near anyone or anything. The couple returned home and the woman was acted odd. She was just sat half way up the entrance steps saying
" I can't do it" "I am not doing it" Thinking she was drunk and feeling uncomfortable and awkward, I was glad when the man said he would take me home. Which he did.
I never heard from the couple again and I am convinced now that I had a lucky escape. There
was no child in that place at all. I should have listening to my gran and never gone. I have no idea what quite happened and looking back I can't believe how stupid I was not to be worried at all when I could not find a child.
It is just one of those really odd situations that you cannot explain. I did not tell my gran what had happened or anyone, but something must have sunk in somewhere because I never ever babysat for strangers again.
Evening all x x x
Aged seventeen I was working in a private day nursery in the sea-side town of Scarborough when a young couple came through the door. They said that they needed a babysitter for the following night. That they were new to the area and did not know anyone.
Well of course I was wide-eyed and innocent back then and far too trusting, so I volunteered myself to do it. Thinking of the extra money that would boost my low YTS wage. The other staff warned me about not knowing them and yet I was still determined to babysit.
I had further problems when I got home later that day and explained to my gran that I was babysitting for complete strangers. She really put her foot down telling me no, that I could not do it because I or she did not know anything about these people. But me stubborn as ever said I was going to do it.
Looking back I can see now just how much my grandparents did love me and wanted to protect me, but at seventeen we think we know it all don't we dear Reader?
So the following night the man from the couple picked me up he turned up in a taxi so I knew he was a taxi driver. When we pulled into a car park for what looked like some type of work kind of building like a small factory, I never batted an eye lid. The building had a fire escape type staircase on the outside of the building and this is how we entered the building. Then once inside up an indoor staircase.
The building had been one of these house conversion things that became fashionable. It was just like a house inside and I was shown into a very small living room, with nothing more than a small sofa and a television in it. The woman then appeared telling me that their son was in bed and that he should sleep through while I baby sat.
They then did go out leaving me to do as all teenage babysitters do... sit watching telly and eating crisps. Although after a while I decided it was time I went to check on my young charge asleep or not to make sure he was okay.
I had thought it odd how the couple had not shown me around. Usually you get a tour and you are told where everything is, especially like where the loo is. When I came out of the room all I could find was a kitchen which had a stand-up shower in it. I thought it was really odd that a shower was in the kitchen. I then had a look round.
And do you know what, dear Reader? I could not find a child anywhere. The place was quite big, so thinking I would have another look round in a moment. I just went back and watched more television! Now at thirty-nine alarm bells would have been well and truly ringing, but in my seventeen year old mind they just did not kick off or in at all.
I was in the middle of nowhere too. Not near anyone or anything. The couple returned home and the woman was acted odd. She was just sat half way up the entrance steps saying
" I can't do it" "I am not doing it" Thinking she was drunk and feeling uncomfortable and awkward, I was glad when the man said he would take me home. Which he did.
I never heard from the couple again and I am convinced now that I had a lucky escape. There
was no child in that place at all. I should have listening to my gran and never gone. I have no idea what quite happened and looking back I can't believe how stupid I was not to be worried at all when I could not find a child.
It is just one of those really odd situations that you cannot explain. I did not tell my gran what had happened or anyone, but something must have sunk in somewhere because I never ever babysat for strangers again.
Evening all x x x
Friday 26 July 2013
Day 139
So yesterday, dear Reader we talked about my first birth. Well my second birth, the birth of my daughter was just as eventful as my first. I was almost a fortnight overdue. They had wanted to induce me and I had refused. I said my baby will come when she is ready and as long as she is OK in there and there are no complications she is staying there until she is ready.
I had, had a busy day moving the house around, when in the evening I knew I was in labour. Off to hospital we went. First checks showed I was only a few centimetres dilated so no rush at all to book me in and for me to change into my nice new nightie.
The pains came on really fast and sharp, but I thought I was OK, they said I have lots of time. So I settled myself on the maternity ward. Making sure I told staff not to give me too much pethidine. Unknown to me there would be no pethidine needed this time.
Then it happened I had the almighty urge to push. I must have only been in labour one hour. I can not remember being in labour with my son, but I was told it had gone on hours. So I just chose to ignore it. But it got stronger and when I told the midwife she told me "DO NOT PUSH" she then went on to explain that I could not possibly be fully dilated and that I would harm myself if I pushed.
Curtains were pulled around my bed while I was examined the midwife you could tell was expecting to tell me I was not ready but no. "Get a wheel chair quick" she called out. She is about to give birth. The labour ward was one floor up and I needed to get up there to give birth. With no wheel chair coming, she asked if I could walk. I said yes and we rushed to the lift sending people flying in our rush.
In the lift I said "I have to push", "NO" the midwife said hang on we are almost there. I was now really crossing my legs. Out of the lift we got and at the labour suite doors, the midwife yelled into the intercom "OPEN THE DOORS QUICKLY SHE IS GOING TO GIVE BIRTH!" People came rushing and I was laid on a bed and as soon as I laid down my waters broke and Miss C slide out like a ride on a water chute.
It was the easiest labour ever. So Miss C was almost born in the lift at the hospital. This fits her personality quite well it is just like she is now, just something she would do.
I said she would come when she was ready. But we were not quite ready for when she decided to come!
Evening all x x x
I had, had a busy day moving the house around, when in the evening I knew I was in labour. Off to hospital we went. First checks showed I was only a few centimetres dilated so no rush at all to book me in and for me to change into my nice new nightie.
The pains came on really fast and sharp, but I thought I was OK, they said I have lots of time. So I settled myself on the maternity ward. Making sure I told staff not to give me too much pethidine. Unknown to me there would be no pethidine needed this time.
Then it happened I had the almighty urge to push. I must have only been in labour one hour. I can not remember being in labour with my son, but I was told it had gone on hours. So I just chose to ignore it. But it got stronger and when I told the midwife she told me "DO NOT PUSH" she then went on to explain that I could not possibly be fully dilated and that I would harm myself if I pushed.
Curtains were pulled around my bed while I was examined the midwife you could tell was expecting to tell me I was not ready but no. "Get a wheel chair quick" she called out. She is about to give birth. The labour ward was one floor up and I needed to get up there to give birth. With no wheel chair coming, she asked if I could walk. I said yes and we rushed to the lift sending people flying in our rush.
In the lift I said "I have to push", "NO" the midwife said hang on we are almost there. I was now really crossing my legs. Out of the lift we got and at the labour suite doors, the midwife yelled into the intercom "OPEN THE DOORS QUICKLY SHE IS GOING TO GIVE BIRTH!" People came rushing and I was laid on a bed and as soon as I laid down my waters broke and Miss C slide out like a ride on a water chute.
It was the easiest labour ever. So Miss C was almost born in the lift at the hospital. This fits her personality quite well it is just like she is now, just something she would do.
I said she would come when she was ready. But we were not quite ready for when she decided to come!
Evening all x x x
Day 138
2013 seems to have been the year for babies, dear Reader, we have had two new babies in the family this year and now with the royal baby it got me thinking about when I had my two babies.
In Mr L's case a lot of thinking is required because I do not remember a lot about it. You see I bravely volunteered for students to be involved in the birth. Having been a student myself I was happy to have them get experience. But it would turn out to be quite the experience for me.
I had decided to have pethidine. Well in truth, dear Reader, I had actually decided to have no drugs for the pain but this was my first birth and I did not quite realise just how bad the pain was so as soon as I had a heads up of what it was going to be like that is when I decided to have the pethidine.
The student was to give me my dose and all was going well until it was noticed that the student had given me too much of a dose. So much in fact I felt the effects straight away. It was like I was out of my body for the rest of my labour. I was one hundred percent without a doubt as high as a kite.
I have no memory of how long my labour went on after this point. I even remember seeing my grandmother gowned up with a plastic apron on ready to assist with the birth... she had been dead for the past three years!
I really needed the loo but now no one was listening to me. I had hurt my back in a recent car accident so was unable to move and in my now heightened state it was impossible. I was now feeling well and truly out of it. Things appeared to be floating around the room and my grandmother was still there busy preparing things and mopping my brow.
So that is how I came to give birth feeling drunk and that everything was wonderful. All went well and Mr L arrived safely... only he did not open his eyes until ages after and when he did he had the most amazing big blue eyes. So it looks like I was not the only one who went through that birth high!
Evening all x x x
In Mr L's case a lot of thinking is required because I do not remember a lot about it. You see I bravely volunteered for students to be involved in the birth. Having been a student myself I was happy to have them get experience. But it would turn out to be quite the experience for me.
I had decided to have pethidine. Well in truth, dear Reader, I had actually decided to have no drugs for the pain but this was my first birth and I did not quite realise just how bad the pain was so as soon as I had a heads up of what it was going to be like that is when I decided to have the pethidine.
The student was to give me my dose and all was going well until it was noticed that the student had given me too much of a dose. So much in fact I felt the effects straight away. It was like I was out of my body for the rest of my labour. I was one hundred percent without a doubt as high as a kite.
I have no memory of how long my labour went on after this point. I even remember seeing my grandmother gowned up with a plastic apron on ready to assist with the birth... she had been dead for the past three years!
I really needed the loo but now no one was listening to me. I had hurt my back in a recent car accident so was unable to move and in my now heightened state it was impossible. I was now feeling well and truly out of it. Things appeared to be floating around the room and my grandmother was still there busy preparing things and mopping my brow.
So that is how I came to give birth feeling drunk and that everything was wonderful. All went well and Mr L arrived safely... only he did not open his eyes until ages after and when he did he had the most amazing big blue eyes. So it looks like I was not the only one who went through that birth high!
Evening all x x x
Wednesday 24 July 2013
Day 137
The nights are really difficult, dear Reader, going cold turkey. If you remember yesterday I blogged in Day 136 about my body as become addicted to the steroid creams I have been prescribed.
It is the worse itching you can ever imagine and it comes from inside your body. You feel like you have rip open your skin to have to get to the itch. It is insane. It burns too and you can't help but cry out for help to make it stop.
These attacks seem to go on for ever. But no matter how bad it gets I will not give in a put steroid cream on again.
But today I had a good day. Everything was calm. But I have been told for the next few months up to a year I will have good days and bad. Days and nights so bad that it will feel like I have made good progress with my skin and then only for a flare up to happen and for me to feel I am right back to where I started.
But since I now know the cause of my problem, dear Reader, it has given me the strength to fight it and I will be back to nice normal skin--I am determined. One of the doctors had actually told me that I should be prepared to know that my skin may never get better and that this is something I will have to live with and control best I can. I had actually disagreed with him telling him I know I can beat this and have clear skin. I have done it in the past. In fact last year I had beat allergic reactions. It was only after a family misunderstanding that caused me a great deal of stress that symptoms erupted again in angry eczema, resulting in me having many steroid creams since Christmas.
It would seem that my skin is not the only problem I got due to that family misunderstanding. I went to the dentist today after loosing another tooth to the grinding I do through the night (when I can actually sleep) Two hundred and fifteen pounds that is going to cost for a little tooth.
When you could have a nice pair of Jimmy Choos for that!
Evening all x x x
It is the worse itching you can ever imagine and it comes from inside your body. You feel like you have rip open your skin to have to get to the itch. It is insane. It burns too and you can't help but cry out for help to make it stop.
These attacks seem to go on for ever. But no matter how bad it gets I will not give in a put steroid cream on again.
But today I had a good day. Everything was calm. But I have been told for the next few months up to a year I will have good days and bad. Days and nights so bad that it will feel like I have made good progress with my skin and then only for a flare up to happen and for me to feel I am right back to where I started.
But since I now know the cause of my problem, dear Reader, it has given me the strength to fight it and I will be back to nice normal skin--I am determined. One of the doctors had actually told me that I should be prepared to know that my skin may never get better and that this is something I will have to live with and control best I can. I had actually disagreed with him telling him I know I can beat this and have clear skin. I have done it in the past. In fact last year I had beat allergic reactions. It was only after a family misunderstanding that caused me a great deal of stress that symptoms erupted again in angry eczema, resulting in me having many steroid creams since Christmas.
It would seem that my skin is not the only problem I got due to that family misunderstanding. I went to the dentist today after loosing another tooth to the grinding I do through the night (when I can actually sleep) Two hundred and fifteen pounds that is going to cost for a little tooth.
When you could have a nice pair of Jimmy Choos for that!
Evening all x x x
Tuesday 23 July 2013
Day 136
Today, dear Reader, I had a huge break through with my allergy. For a long time now I have been extremely confused to why after avoiding and getting rid of my allergy triggers from my life, why I am still having bad flare ups that get worse and worse each time.
The answer seems to be that these are not caused by my allergy triggers, but by the very steroid creams that I am given by doctors to help bring my symptoms under control. It would seem there is such a thing a topical steroid addiction, meaning that for someone like me who as been prescribed many steroid creams for my condition that my body as become addicted to the creams.
So that means when I stop using my creams I have really bad withdrawal symptoms which actually cause my skin condition to get worse. Then I have just been given more cream which has actually caused my condition to become far worse.
What is interesting to learn is that steroid creams were not around before the 1950s and all over body eczema did not exist until the steroid creams came into production.
The thing is a lot of doctors do not know about this and are just giving steroid creams on what they think is stubborn eczema or allergies. It would seem the only way for me to fully recover is for me to go cold turkey and just ride out the symptoms and hopefully make a full recover, which I have been warned can take months.
But now, dear Reader, I have hope and for me this is as good as finding another allergy trigger. I have a cause to work on to avoid. So from now on it is cold turkey for me and a lot of cold baths!
For more information on this subject visit this link
Evening all x x x
The answer seems to be that these are not caused by my allergy triggers, but by the very steroid creams that I am given by doctors to help bring my symptoms under control. It would seem there is such a thing a topical steroid addiction, meaning that for someone like me who as been prescribed many steroid creams for my condition that my body as become addicted to the creams.
So that means when I stop using my creams I have really bad withdrawal symptoms which actually cause my skin condition to get worse. Then I have just been given more cream which has actually caused my condition to become far worse.
What is interesting to learn is that steroid creams were not around before the 1950s and all over body eczema did not exist until the steroid creams came into production.
The thing is a lot of doctors do not know about this and are just giving steroid creams on what they think is stubborn eczema or allergies. It would seem the only way for me to fully recover is for me to go cold turkey and just ride out the symptoms and hopefully make a full recover, which I have been warned can take months.
But now, dear Reader, I have hope and for me this is as good as finding another allergy trigger. I have a cause to work on to avoid. So from now on it is cold turkey for me and a lot of cold baths!
For more information on this subject visit this link
Evening all x x x
Day 135
Never before have I been so happy to see rain dear Reader. It was just too hot and I know when we went through that long cold winter here in the UK we were all complaining about the cold, but I have definitely decided dear Reader that I would much rather be too cold than too hot.
When you are cold you can make yourself warm by adding clothing layers on or turning the heating up. These last few days it as felt like there was just no air. So I am so glad to see a good heavy rain fall and nice cool air. I will never complain about the cold again!
Evening all x x x
When you are cold you can make yourself warm by adding clothing layers on or turning the heating up. These last few days it as felt like there was just no air. So I am so glad to see a good heavy rain fall and nice cool air. I will never complain about the cold again!
Evening all x x x
Sunday 21 July 2013
Day 134
I am currently watching Blue Peter You Decide dear Reader. If you are not watching it they are going to find the new presenter of long running television programme Blue Peter by finding the lucky candidate in a reality television show. It is showing the final ten people who got through the audition and now we are watching them face various challengers in order for them to go through to the next stage of becoming the latest presenter.
Back in my day it was Simon Groom, Sarah Green and Peter Duncan who I watched on the show through to Mark Curry, Yvette Fielding and Caron Keating. Jack and Jill were the cats and there was a tortoise always going in its box for hibernation. I thought it was a great show. They could make amazing things out of washing up liquid bottles. I never did get a badge though.
One of the things I have noticed about Blue Peter is what I call the curse of the bands. Blue Peter is a children's magazine style show and they do sometimes have live music on including the latest pop group and pop stars. I have noticed whenever any pop stars and bands have appeared on Blue Peter they soon disappear, the band either breaks up soon after or you just never hear from them again. This has included some very big bands and singers.
I am drawing on my own experiences from the 1980s here and I have not watched the show in years, so I have no idea if the curse is still happening. The presenters may do dare devil stunts but it takes a brave band to appear on this show.
Evening all x x x
Back in my day it was Simon Groom, Sarah Green and Peter Duncan who I watched on the show through to Mark Curry, Yvette Fielding and Caron Keating. Jack and Jill were the cats and there was a tortoise always going in its box for hibernation. I thought it was a great show. They could make amazing things out of washing up liquid bottles. I never did get a badge though.
One of the things I have noticed about Blue Peter is what I call the curse of the bands. Blue Peter is a children's magazine style show and they do sometimes have live music on including the latest pop group and pop stars. I have noticed whenever any pop stars and bands have appeared on Blue Peter they soon disappear, the band either breaks up soon after or you just never hear from them again. This has included some very big bands and singers.
I am drawing on my own experiences from the 1980s here and I have not watched the show in years, so I have no idea if the curse is still happening. The presenters may do dare devil stunts but it takes a brave band to appear on this show.
Evening all x x x
Saturday 20 July 2013
Day 133
In my search to find a shampoo that I can use with my allergy, dear Reader, I have tried various shampoos even trying health shops and chemists. All ending up the same way after a few uses--I start reacting to them. Even products like Simple that although do not contain any fragrances still have the same chemicals that are in nearly all shampoos.
In fact nearly all of them contain the same ingredients which makes it really hard for me to find a shampoo that is suitable for me. Leaving me with not much choice at all. It really as been like finding a needle in a haystack and I still have not found a product I am one hundred percent happy with.
I am looking for a shampoo that contains more natural ingredients and I found myself one in The Body Shop today. Years ago as a teen and through out my twenties I used to shop in this store a lot. Looking around today nothing much as changed in the years I have not been in, but then again why change a good thing? The Body Shop has been around a while now so what ever it is doing it is doing it right.
When I explained to the young girls on the tills my predicament they were really kind and listened. One of them even taking my list of rather long and complicated ingredients that I am allergic to and took the time to check the ingredients against the shampoos that they stocked in the store. Actually finding one that she thought I can use. She did not try and sell me the whole bottle, instead offering me a sample of the shampoo for me to take home for free and try.
She also went out of her way to find a product for my skin and giving me a sample of this to take home and try too. Both girls gave excellent customer service and were really friendly and thoughtful. I really do hope these products work for me because of the time and effort the girls put in to helping me to find a product I can use. There excellent service really has encouraged me to go back to shopping at The Body Shop.
Evening all x x x
In fact nearly all of them contain the same ingredients which makes it really hard for me to find a shampoo that is suitable for me. Leaving me with not much choice at all. It really as been like finding a needle in a haystack and I still have not found a product I am one hundred percent happy with.
I am looking for a shampoo that contains more natural ingredients and I found myself one in The Body Shop today. Years ago as a teen and through out my twenties I used to shop in this store a lot. Looking around today nothing much as changed in the years I have not been in, but then again why change a good thing? The Body Shop has been around a while now so what ever it is doing it is doing it right.
When I explained to the young girls on the tills my predicament they were really kind and listened. One of them even taking my list of rather long and complicated ingredients that I am allergic to and took the time to check the ingredients against the shampoos that they stocked in the store. Actually finding one that she thought I can use. She did not try and sell me the whole bottle, instead offering me a sample of the shampoo for me to take home for free and try.
She also went out of her way to find a product for my skin and giving me a sample of this to take home and try too. Both girls gave excellent customer service and were really friendly and thoughtful. I really do hope these products work for me because of the time and effort the girls put in to helping me to find a product I can use. There excellent service really has encouraged me to go back to shopping at The Body Shop.
Evening all x x x
Day 132
We got it! We got our brand new shiny new car today dear Reader. The only thing was that we were left most of the day stuck in the house waiting for the garage to sort out the registration so we could collect it, on what was another really hot and stuffy day. The communication with the garage was a lot better, starting with a text at 8:15 a.m this morning and updates throughout the day.
I just wish it had been like this a couple of days ago, when our sales guy said he would ring but didn't and we didn't have a clue what was happening. After being let down with the day we were told we could collect it getting delayed, we were worried that it would be delayed again and another day off work would be wasted. As it was we did not get to collect it until after five, so there was actually no need for another day off but we are just happy that we have got it.
Now we have been told that we will get a call from Vauxhall to ask about the service we received from our sales guy and that if we do not give him ten out of ten, he will not get paid. Now although we were at first disappointed that he did not call and that we had to chase things up and the pick up date was delayed. He did work hard in the end to get us the car a couple of days later. But who wants to be put in the responsibility of someone not getting paid? The manager also said that if the sales man does not get a score of ten he is not going to get paid.
I think in this case I feel comfortable giving a ten because he came through good in the end. But I think it is a bit tough that they have to get the top score or not get paid for all the time they put in a sale. Not just a few hours either over several days.
I think I will stick with working with the books. All is calm in my booky world!
Evening all x x x
I just wish it had been like this a couple of days ago, when our sales guy said he would ring but didn't and we didn't have a clue what was happening. After being let down with the day we were told we could collect it getting delayed, we were worried that it would be delayed again and another day off work would be wasted. As it was we did not get to collect it until after five, so there was actually no need for another day off but we are just happy that we have got it.
Now we have been told that we will get a call from Vauxhall to ask about the service we received from our sales guy and that if we do not give him ten out of ten, he will not get paid. Now although we were at first disappointed that he did not call and that we had to chase things up and the pick up date was delayed. He did work hard in the end to get us the car a couple of days later. But who wants to be put in the responsibility of someone not getting paid? The manager also said that if the sales man does not get a score of ten he is not going to get paid.
I think in this case I feel comfortable giving a ten because he came through good in the end. But I think it is a bit tough that they have to get the top score or not get paid for all the time they put in a sale. Not just a few hours either over several days.
I think I will stick with working with the books. All is calm in my booky world!
Evening all x x x
Thursday 18 July 2013
Day 131
You know when it is a hot summer, dear Reader when you are reaching for the dresses in the back of the wardrobe to wear in order to cool down. Some of my dresses have not seen the light of day since family celebrations of weddings and christenings. But it worked wearing one. I was so cool and comfortable today. I had thought for my practical day to day life that dresses would have been uncomfortable and awkward, but I actually found them a lot more comfortable than my usual summer clothes of cropped pants and top. I felt smarter too. So this could be a new at thirty-nine look for me.
They are still taking their time with our new car at the garage. They never phone when they say they will and we were let down when it was not ready last Wednesday. We have been told it will be ready to collect tomorrow and that it just needs the number plates and registration to be put on. Very frustrating when they say they will call and they don't. Also when they say we will definitely have it on a day and time is taken off work only for when we ourselves contact the garage to be told it is not ready. You would think it would be easy buying a brand new car but things are not going smoothly.
Hopefully the next time I blog we will have our shiny brand new car.
Evening all x x x
They are still taking their time with our new car at the garage. They never phone when they say they will and we were let down when it was not ready last Wednesday. We have been told it will be ready to collect tomorrow and that it just needs the number plates and registration to be put on. Very frustrating when they say they will call and they don't. Also when they say we will definitely have it on a day and time is taken off work only for when we ourselves contact the garage to be told it is not ready. You would think it would be easy buying a brand new car but things are not going smoothly.
Hopefully the next time I blog we will have our shiny brand new car.
Evening all x x x
Wednesday 17 July 2013
Day 130
For the past few weeks Mr L as been trying really hard to get a job through the summer until he returns to school for sixth form in the autumn. In his quest to find employment, Mr L dressed smart and went around various well know shops and handed out his CV. During his time doing this we have seen the good and the bad from various well known shops and the way they handle people. I am not going to name, names, dear Reader, lets start with the positive some have been really good and taken his CV and given him positive feedback and even an interview. However some have given a really poor response to a sixteen year old keen to start his first casual job and have been less than helpful.
In shops you would think that it is policy for staff to be friendly to not only customers but to people who have a strong interest in working for their company. All off these are BIG brand shops, chains in every high street, that employ many people. Maybe it as just become a factory production line when they come to employing people and they no longer care about individual requests for employment.
I am going to name two companies who have been excellent in helping Mr L and who's staff have been the most friendly and encouraging they are B&Ms and Home Bargains. All staff have been fantastic and the managers brilliant and helping Mr L confidence in his seek for employment. Fingers crossed he finds success really soon.
Speaking of good customer service, we received excellent service from McCDonalds today. We placed our order and was told if we sat down with our drinks that they would bring the food over to us, when it was ready. After patiently waiting for over half an hour, we knew the words fast foods had passed us by! So after politely asking where our food was, the manager Craig came over to politely tell us that the girl at the till who had taken our order had completely forgot to get it ready for us. Anyone can make a mistake. maybe it was her first day in the job so an apology was given and we would have been happy with that. However Craig went out of his way to offer us fresh drinks, which were very welcome on a hot day like this and we had been waiting that long for the food we had finished our drinks. So fresh drinks were given and large ones too on the house and we also got a free dessert too.
Excellent service well worth waiting for!
Evening all x x x
In shops you would think that it is policy for staff to be friendly to not only customers but to people who have a strong interest in working for their company. All off these are BIG brand shops, chains in every high street, that employ many people. Maybe it as just become a factory production line when they come to employing people and they no longer care about individual requests for employment.
I am going to name two companies who have been excellent in helping Mr L and who's staff have been the most friendly and encouraging they are B&Ms and Home Bargains. All staff have been fantastic and the managers brilliant and helping Mr L confidence in his seek for employment. Fingers crossed he finds success really soon.
Speaking of good customer service, we received excellent service from McCDonalds today. We placed our order and was told if we sat down with our drinks that they would bring the food over to us, when it was ready. After patiently waiting for over half an hour, we knew the words fast foods had passed us by! So after politely asking where our food was, the manager Craig came over to politely tell us that the girl at the till who had taken our order had completely forgot to get it ready for us. Anyone can make a mistake. maybe it was her first day in the job so an apology was given and we would have been happy with that. However Craig went out of his way to offer us fresh drinks, which were very welcome on a hot day like this and we had been waiting that long for the food we had finished our drinks. So fresh drinks were given and large ones too on the house and we also got a free dessert too.
Excellent service well worth waiting for!
Evening all x x x
Tuesday 16 July 2013
Day 129
We were suppose to be picking up our brand new shiny car tomorrow. We were all looking forward to going to collect it dear Reader. Taking time off work etc only for the garage to tell us they made a mistake and that the car will not be delivered to the garage while Friday. So I suppose it is only two more days to wait but we can't help feeling a little disappointed...
In addition to this, my skin is almost better! I can't wait to be normal again. Now if I can manage to stay away from my allergy triggers...
Evening all x x x
In addition to this, my skin is almost better! I can't wait to be normal again. Now if I can manage to stay away from my allergy triggers...
Evening all x x x
Monday 15 July 2013
Day 128
It is the height of summer, dear Reader, we are having a heat wave and Miss C has now decided that she is only going to wear black. She is outgrowing her clothes and I wanted to buy her some nice summer clothes but she wants nothing but black.
So it is part of her new fashion statement. I think it is to do with the music she is into at the moment. She wanted black jeans, because it is non-uniform week at school and she waited until this morning to let me know she had nothing to wear. I had to go without her to get her some clothes.
I feel like I have been on a mission, dear Reader, my feet are killing me with all the walking and the heat. Where can you buy jeans in summer? It is the wrong season. She wanted black skinny jeans and the few pairs I did find were all blue. Then there is the size with her not being with me, will they fit?
Miss C from the age she could talk always was strong willed about what she would and wouldn't wear. Aged two she would only wear one cardigan she would call it her crocodile cardigan, it was green with fur on the collar and so she named it her crocodile cardigan. To have an easy life I had to get it washed and dried while Miss C was asleep. I had tried to buy the same cardigan again so she would have a few, but I could not find another one any where. I have now put this cardigan in a memory box for Miss C along with other baby bits and bobs. I had become attached to it myself and could not part with it.
So back to the black jeans, well I did my best but I had to get her blue and I was expecting her to have a whine and a moan but she seemed okay with it!
Evening all x x x
So it is part of her new fashion statement. I think it is to do with the music she is into at the moment. She wanted black jeans, because it is non-uniform week at school and she waited until this morning to let me know she had nothing to wear. I had to go without her to get her some clothes.
I feel like I have been on a mission, dear Reader, my feet are killing me with all the walking and the heat. Where can you buy jeans in summer? It is the wrong season. She wanted black skinny jeans and the few pairs I did find were all blue. Then there is the size with her not being with me, will they fit?
Miss C from the age she could talk always was strong willed about what she would and wouldn't wear. Aged two she would only wear one cardigan she would call it her crocodile cardigan, it was green with fur on the collar and so she named it her crocodile cardigan. To have an easy life I had to get it washed and dried while Miss C was asleep. I had tried to buy the same cardigan again so she would have a few, but I could not find another one any where. I have now put this cardigan in a memory box for Miss C along with other baby bits and bobs. I had become attached to it myself and could not part with it.
So back to the black jeans, well I did my best but I had to get her blue and I was expecting her to have a whine and a moan but she seemed okay with it!
Evening all x x x
Sunday 14 July 2013
Day 127
Google, dear Reader, what did we ever do without Google? Gone are the days of buying books or lending them from the library. Now with a few clicks of our fingers we can find and have a hold of any information we want. That is how I have passed a few hours of today. Not intentionally, I went on to find out one thing and before I knew it a couple of hours have gone by.
At the age of thirty-nine I feel I have taught myself a lot more than I ever learnt at school and I have enjoyed myself learning a lot more too. Thank goodness my skin is on the mend and I can finally get my life back and go mingle again in the big world. Otherwise, dear Reader, I am at the risk of becoming a genius thanks to Google!
Evening all x x x
At the age of thirty-nine I feel I have taught myself a lot more than I ever learnt at school and I have enjoyed myself learning a lot more too. Thank goodness my skin is on the mend and I can finally get my life back and go mingle again in the big world. Otherwise, dear Reader, I am at the risk of becoming a genius thanks to Google!
Evening all x x x
Saturday 13 July 2013
Day 126
I set off this morning, dear Reader for a nice walk into town seen as it was really hot and after walking quite a distance I had to turn around and come back home. My skin in the sun was really uncomfortable and very sore and painful and I just felt I could not go on anymore.
After having several allergic reactions quite close together, it is taking my skin a long time to heal but there has been a big improvement over the last week and I am learning now not to push myself too much otherwise it can affect my skin. The hives are settling down now, but always the worse part of the recovery is that you completely shed your skin. The damaged skin as to come off some how and unfortunately this is how.
It is not pleasant at all, for days I have had the vacuum cleaner permanently by my side and although it does not last long it is the worst thing. I tell myself this is good it means my skin is getting back to normal, but when you can't go out or move without leaving flaky skin it can get depressing. You have to keep the body really cool or it makes more and more.
Not a pleasant thing to blog about. I know, dear Reader, but this is the stage and state I am in at the moment. Like I have said before it is a lot like when you get sun burnt. Hopefully this is the last of it now and I can claim my life back!
Evening all x x x
After having several allergic reactions quite close together, it is taking my skin a long time to heal but there has been a big improvement over the last week and I am learning now not to push myself too much otherwise it can affect my skin. The hives are settling down now, but always the worse part of the recovery is that you completely shed your skin. The damaged skin as to come off some how and unfortunately this is how.
It is not pleasant at all, for days I have had the vacuum cleaner permanently by my side and although it does not last long it is the worst thing. I tell myself this is good it means my skin is getting back to normal, but when you can't go out or move without leaving flaky skin it can get depressing. You have to keep the body really cool or it makes more and more.
Not a pleasant thing to blog about. I know, dear Reader, but this is the stage and state I am in at the moment. Like I have said before it is a lot like when you get sun burnt. Hopefully this is the last of it now and I can claim my life back!
Evening all x x x
Friday 12 July 2013
Day 125
FRIDAY! Let the weekend begin dear Reader!
When I was a teen in the 1980s Fridays would be when I went to stay with my dad for the weekend, with my parents been divorced. It was brilliant he always had lots of goodies in for us to eat and allowed us to stay up late. So late in fact we would watch Hammer horror films that used to be on late night television back then.
That is how we would usually spend our Friday nights, watching television starting with Fun House and ending with a classic horror film! Amazingly to say that there was only four channels back then, there was always something good to watch. When my father cooked our meals the plate was always really full, we were well and truly fed well there dear Reader.
Looking back now I realise just how lucky I was to have my family living so close to me. My dad only used to live about ten minutes away and his mum and dad lived just around the corner from them. So I always had places to drop in and visit. At the time and age I was you just take it for granted.
So it was a great shock to the system when I left my hometown and moved away with my husband. I just could not get used to the quiet and not having any one coming round or no one to visit. It was nice being with my hubby but I found it very lonely. It is always difficult when you move town to make new friends too, until you find a job.
I found moving the second time far more easier. I think once you have children it is much easier to make friends and children keep you busy. It is now eighteen years since I left my hometown. My father moved miles away down south and my hometown is about one hour away. Family rarely visit us here.
Facebook was a fantastic thing. It helps to have that, to keep in touch with friends and family who do not live near by. Twitter too and Skype. Many fantastic ways of keeping in touch with people now. Yes, let's stay in touch dear Reader!
Evening all x x x
When I was a teen in the 1980s Fridays would be when I went to stay with my dad for the weekend, with my parents been divorced. It was brilliant he always had lots of goodies in for us to eat and allowed us to stay up late. So late in fact we would watch Hammer horror films that used to be on late night television back then.
That is how we would usually spend our Friday nights, watching television starting with Fun House and ending with a classic horror film! Amazingly to say that there was only four channels back then, there was always something good to watch. When my father cooked our meals the plate was always really full, we were well and truly fed well there dear Reader.
Looking back now I realise just how lucky I was to have my family living so close to me. My dad only used to live about ten minutes away and his mum and dad lived just around the corner from them. So I always had places to drop in and visit. At the time and age I was you just take it for granted.
So it was a great shock to the system when I left my hometown and moved away with my husband. I just could not get used to the quiet and not having any one coming round or no one to visit. It was nice being with my hubby but I found it very lonely. It is always difficult when you move town to make new friends too, until you find a job.
I found moving the second time far more easier. I think once you have children it is much easier to make friends and children keep you busy. It is now eighteen years since I left my hometown. My father moved miles away down south and my hometown is about one hour away. Family rarely visit us here.
Facebook was a fantastic thing. It helps to have that, to keep in touch with friends and family who do not live near by. Twitter too and Skype. Many fantastic ways of keeping in touch with people now. Yes, let's stay in touch dear Reader!
Evening all x x x
Thursday 11 July 2013
Day 124
Well it is embarrassing when you go in Poundland, dear Reader, and the only thing you want to buy is Bucks Fizz Greatest Hits and you are that desperate to buy it that you join an extremely long queue just to buy one CD. Yes dear Reader I had made up my mind.
Poundland is notorious for queue jumpers and dear Reader you know how much this winds me up by now, don't you? Next door to Poundland a 99p store is about to open. What is that all about, dear Reader? They are taking over the world, dear Reader! Not that I am complaining I love browsing around them because they sell all sorts. I just love looking what they have in. Plus there is no chance of any nickel money change.
I also went into Sports World and bought a packet of socks for the gym, now before you fall asleep thinking that is really boring blog when I went to pay for my little packet of trainer socks the cashier said to me
"Would you like one of our bags of life to put them in?" Well for you that shop at Sports World regularly like me you know their bags of life are huge. So I said
"No thanks I will put them in my bag." to which she replied
"No you can't you have to have one of our bags." Now I do shop in the store a lot and they do always offer if I want to buy a bag, but in all the years I have shopped there I have never been told I HAVE to have one of their bags and how stupid to have a big bag like that for a pocket of socks. Something so small. Do they get commission on every bag of life they sell? Well I was not going to be pushed into having a big bag, so I said
"I will have a carrier bag please." She was not expecting that dear Reader! And if I had been pushed into buying the big bag, I would have only had to walk straight out of the shop and to my car as it is on the retail park!
Also while I was in Sports World they were actually moving the store around while it was open and full of customers! Now it is the most difficult place for getting around things anyway, everything is crammed in there and instead of waiting until the shop was closed they were pushing all the clothes rails everywhere blocking your path and completely blocking an exit area. Health and Safety would have had a field day.
Well I think after spending so long in the queue at Poundland my patience had gone and I think now that is it for me shopping at Sports World I am upgrading to JD Sports!
Evening all xxx
Poundland is notorious for queue jumpers and dear Reader you know how much this winds me up by now, don't you? Next door to Poundland a 99p store is about to open. What is that all about, dear Reader? They are taking over the world, dear Reader! Not that I am complaining I love browsing around them because they sell all sorts. I just love looking what they have in. Plus there is no chance of any nickel money change.
I also went into Sports World and bought a packet of socks for the gym, now before you fall asleep thinking that is really boring blog when I went to pay for my little packet of trainer socks the cashier said to me
"Would you like one of our bags of life to put them in?" Well for you that shop at Sports World regularly like me you know their bags of life are huge. So I said
"No thanks I will put them in my bag." to which she replied
"No you can't you have to have one of our bags." Now I do shop in the store a lot and they do always offer if I want to buy a bag, but in all the years I have shopped there I have never been told I HAVE to have one of their bags and how stupid to have a big bag like that for a pocket of socks. Something so small. Do they get commission on every bag of life they sell? Well I was not going to be pushed into having a big bag, so I said
"I will have a carrier bag please." She was not expecting that dear Reader! And if I had been pushed into buying the big bag, I would have only had to walk straight out of the shop and to my car as it is on the retail park!
Also while I was in Sports World they were actually moving the store around while it was open and full of customers! Now it is the most difficult place for getting around things anyway, everything is crammed in there and instead of waiting until the shop was closed they were pushing all the clothes rails everywhere blocking your path and completely blocking an exit area. Health and Safety would have had a field day.
Well I think after spending so long in the queue at Poundland my patience had gone and I think now that is it for me shopping at Sports World I am upgrading to JD Sports!
Evening all xxx
Wednesday 10 July 2013
Day 123
Have you noticed, dear Reader, how it is trendy now for bands to reform. They are all at it now and to be honest for some of them their music is a lot better the second time around. It makes me think about getting my old band Abbado back together. We werea Abba/ Black Lace tribute band. We performed all their classic hits.
I have always been a big fan of music. My mum is a huge Cliff Richard fan, so I was raised on Cliff. With his classic song 'We Don't Talk Anymore' on repeat when my parents were getting divorced. I used to love watching Top of the Pops. I don't know why they have not brought it back--there is still a place for it. It would help us mums know what is number one in the charts for a start. .
I still buy CDs and I have that many that this weekend I am having to box some and put them in storage. I have put them all on the computer which I play like a juke box, so they all do get well played. I have always been more into electronic pop, so it was bands like the Pet Shop Boys, New Order and Depeche Mode that I became a fan of in my teens. I also do like my musicals and recently I developed a like for organ music. Although I have always liked my musicals and I love Phantom of the Opera.
So there is quite a wide range of music in my CD collection--I even own some classical CDs. Sadly I had to part with my records. Which for some strange reason when I still lived at home I use to keep them all blue tacked to my bedroom wall out of their covers so my bedroom walls were just covered in black vinyl. It saved space, but I could not really do that now I am all grown up at thirty-nine. Could I, dear Reader?
Evening all x x x
I have always been a big fan of music. My mum is a huge Cliff Richard fan, so I was raised on Cliff. With his classic song 'We Don't Talk Anymore' on repeat when my parents were getting divorced. I used to love watching Top of the Pops. I don't know why they have not brought it back--there is still a place for it. It would help us mums know what is number one in the charts for a start. .
I still buy CDs and I have that many that this weekend I am having to box some and put them in storage. I have put them all on the computer which I play like a juke box, so they all do get well played. I have always been more into electronic pop, so it was bands like the Pet Shop Boys, New Order and Depeche Mode that I became a fan of in my teens. I also do like my musicals and recently I developed a like for organ music. Although I have always liked my musicals and I love Phantom of the Opera.
So there is quite a wide range of music in my CD collection--I even own some classical CDs. Sadly I had to part with my records. Which for some strange reason when I still lived at home I use to keep them all blue tacked to my bedroom wall out of their covers so my bedroom walls were just covered in black vinyl. It saved space, but I could not really do that now I am all grown up at thirty-nine. Could I, dear Reader?
Evening all x x x
Tuesday 9 July 2013
Day 122
Fractions are to be taught to children from age five soon on our schools, dear Reader, that is because it takes you until you leave school to understand the flipping things! Only joking, but for those such as me that was not blessed with a mathematical brain they are really hard. I can remember crying tears and tears over fractions age eleven.
With maths I struggle and then after a good long while it will suddenly sink in and I will get it. With fractions it was my friend who lived next door to me at the time that made my life at school so much easier by him taking the time, until he had taught me and I knew what it was all about. So thank you Mr M (he once also did my art homework too!)
Things did not improve on the maths side for me at high school. We were allowed to mark our own work from the answer booklets. Well what did we do? If we got an answer wrong we would just put the right answer from the booklet in pencil in the margin and then write it in and give ourselves a tick. Now at age thirty-nine I would never do anything like that now, but back then it was the easy option.
So my maths lessons were taken up chatting to who ever was sat next to me. I learnt nothing. I taught myself though whten my children were at school and I still am not one hundred and ten percent confident with maths(!) Wih me being a reader for my job luckily maths does not come into it.
But the thing was, dear Reader, up until fractions I was good at maths and I use to enjoy them. I had no problem at primary school with my maths until...FRACTIONS! They took all my confidence away and put me off maths.
We even used to bunk off maths at high school under the maths block stairs! Maybe I should put that on my things to do before forty list--A-Level maths! One thing is for sure, dear Reader, I never do things by halves!
Evening all x x x
With maths I struggle and then after a good long while it will suddenly sink in and I will get it. With fractions it was my friend who lived next door to me at the time that made my life at school so much easier by him taking the time, until he had taught me and I knew what it was all about. So thank you Mr M (he once also did my art homework too!)
Things did not improve on the maths side for me at high school. We were allowed to mark our own work from the answer booklets. Well what did we do? If we got an answer wrong we would just put the right answer from the booklet in pencil in the margin and then write it in and give ourselves a tick. Now at age thirty-nine I would never do anything like that now, but back then it was the easy option.
So my maths lessons were taken up chatting to who ever was sat next to me. I learnt nothing. I taught myself though whten my children were at school and I still am not one hundred and ten percent confident with maths(!) Wih me being a reader for my job luckily maths does not come into it.
But the thing was, dear Reader, up until fractions I was good at maths and I use to enjoy them. I had no problem at primary school with my maths until...FRACTIONS! They took all my confidence away and put me off maths.
We even used to bunk off maths at high school under the maths block stairs! Maybe I should put that on my things to do before forty list--A-Level maths! One thing is for sure, dear Reader, I never do things by halves!
Evening all x x x
Monday 8 July 2013
Day 121
Smells like summer, dear Reader, or actually it smells like barbeques! I can't complain because we are one of the many people that are making the most of the hot weather and eating Al Fresco and firing up the barbecue.
What is surprising now is that how easy you can get sun burnt, even if there is a breeze or you think you are in the shade. Maybe I have just noticed this now. So I have to be careful with my delicate skin and my Kindle too, that was getting really hot in the sun while I read.
I once got really bad Sun burn on my back while on holiday aged seventeen. The straps of my costume were imprinted on my back. It was really sore. My gran took a photo of it before it became sore because the imprint had made an interesting pattern on my back. This photo was not passed back to me when she died along with other photos I got and I think it was because of it just being of my back and no one could recognise me on the picture!
This was before we were all aware of the campaign now that has made it well known about the damage the Sun can do to your skin. At the time we all thought it was really funny. It was a highlight of the holiday, a happy memory. It would not happen now I am much more aware and use sunblock so I am safe.. well unless I have an allergic reaction to it knowing my luck!
Evening all x x x
What is surprising now is that how easy you can get sun burnt, even if there is a breeze or you think you are in the shade. Maybe I have just noticed this now. So I have to be careful with my delicate skin and my Kindle too, that was getting really hot in the sun while I read.
I once got really bad Sun burn on my back while on holiday aged seventeen. The straps of my costume were imprinted on my back. It was really sore. My gran took a photo of it before it became sore because the imprint had made an interesting pattern on my back. This photo was not passed back to me when she died along with other photos I got and I think it was because of it just being of my back and no one could recognise me on the picture!
This was before we were all aware of the campaign now that has made it well known about the damage the Sun can do to your skin. At the time we all thought it was really funny. It was a highlight of the holiday, a happy memory. It would not happen now I am much more aware and use sunblock so I am safe.. well unless I have an allergic reaction to it knowing my luck!
Evening all x x x
Sunday 7 July 2013
Day 120
Well he did it, dear Reader, Andrew Murray won Wimbledon today--after years of trying.
I cannot remember the last time I picked up a racket. I like tennis. I did at one point take to playing it a lot on the Nintendo Wii. The Wii is actually a brilliant way to get fit. We also have the Wii Fit Board and the weight just drops of you if you use it everyday. I used to use it everyday and sadly now since we joined the gym we have completely been neglecting the little Wii.
I think I will blow the dust off it and go on it this week. We also have golf on there and lots of other great games, so I must find the time to have a go. I have also just seen that you can buy Pac Man for the Wii so I am going to order that and chase a few ghosts to eliminate the stress of my skin and allergy problems.
I love Pac Man--I used to have the Grandstand game. Which I loved. It was great growing up in the 80s we had some fantastic stuff. We got a Spectrum ZK for Christmas around 1980/1981 what ever the year the games consoles came out we got them in that year. We were lucky. The keys used to get really hot on the keyboard and it used to take ages to load. Do you remember: Horace Goes Skiing, Mystical Diamonds, Scrabble? There were also a few educational games that we played on it too.
Before that my aunt used to be still living at my gran's and she had a game called Pong. It was two bars on either side of the screen and you had to hit the ball with the bars. Not great graphics but back in the mid to late 1970s it kept me as a small child occupied for hours. She also had a massive David Cassidy poster in her room above her bed did my aunt and it totally use to freak me out--it was massive to me a tiny child.
There are even more gadgets now than we ever had in the 80s. It is gadget overload now. They cannot get them out fast enough now the latest consoles, Kindles, mobile phones and laptops. What I really need is a device for reading as you are walking. I do need more time for reading and I do a lot of walking so that would be ideal for me.
Evening all x x x
I cannot remember the last time I picked up a racket. I like tennis. I did at one point take to playing it a lot on the Nintendo Wii. The Wii is actually a brilliant way to get fit. We also have the Wii Fit Board and the weight just drops of you if you use it everyday. I used to use it everyday and sadly now since we joined the gym we have completely been neglecting the little Wii.
I think I will blow the dust off it and go on it this week. We also have golf on there and lots of other great games, so I must find the time to have a go. I have also just seen that you can buy Pac Man for the Wii so I am going to order that and chase a few ghosts to eliminate the stress of my skin and allergy problems.
I love Pac Man--I used to have the Grandstand game. Which I loved. It was great growing up in the 80s we had some fantastic stuff. We got a Spectrum ZK for Christmas around 1980/1981 what ever the year the games consoles came out we got them in that year. We were lucky. The keys used to get really hot on the keyboard and it used to take ages to load. Do you remember: Horace Goes Skiing, Mystical Diamonds, Scrabble? There were also a few educational games that we played on it too.
Before that my aunt used to be still living at my gran's and she had a game called Pong. It was two bars on either side of the screen and you had to hit the ball with the bars. Not great graphics but back in the mid to late 1970s it kept me as a small child occupied for hours. She also had a massive David Cassidy poster in her room above her bed did my aunt and it totally use to freak me out--it was massive to me a tiny child.
There are even more gadgets now than we ever had in the 80s. It is gadget overload now. They cannot get them out fast enough now the latest consoles, Kindles, mobile phones and laptops. What I really need is a device for reading as you are walking. I do need more time for reading and I do a lot of walking so that would be ideal for me.
Evening all x x x
Day 119
Summer is here! It is hot, hot, hot! So I have been in the garden most of the day, relaxing and reading. But I have another mystery to solve, dear Reader, my flipping hand and wrist keep flaring up--so what am I allergic to now?
Here are my suspects and oddly most of the begin with the letter C! First off is cheese, I have suspected this before--but I was not sure so after giving cheese up for a while I introduced it again in my diet. Cushions--I recently bought new cushions that have zips on and knowing how I have reacted to zips that are covered makes it a possibility. The car could be one as it is very dusty and the hubby never vacuums it out. Or maybe my body still thinks when I put jewellery or bras on that even though they now contain no nickel, maybe my reaction was so bad that it just now reacts if any jewellery or bras comes in contact with my skin.
It is so hard not to get down when this keeps happening, dear Reader, it is really tough and tiring too. I don't think people understand what a big problem it is and just how ill it makes you feel. I also feel in some cases it could have been explained just how ill I had been and then hopefully once they knew they would understand, but no it was just left. I am exhausted and I just long to have my health back and to be able to live a normal life.
But I will keep smiling and still fight it. They tell me now the doctors I may have to live like this and just manage my skin the best I can, but I will get my skin clear again I have done it before and I will get there again...
Evening all x x x
Here are my suspects and oddly most of the begin with the letter C! First off is cheese, I have suspected this before--but I was not sure so after giving cheese up for a while I introduced it again in my diet. Cushions--I recently bought new cushions that have zips on and knowing how I have reacted to zips that are covered makes it a possibility. The car could be one as it is very dusty and the hubby never vacuums it out. Or maybe my body still thinks when I put jewellery or bras on that even though they now contain no nickel, maybe my reaction was so bad that it just now reacts if any jewellery or bras comes in contact with my skin.
It is so hard not to get down when this keeps happening, dear Reader, it is really tough and tiring too. I don't think people understand what a big problem it is and just how ill it makes you feel. I also feel in some cases it could have been explained just how ill I had been and then hopefully once they knew they would understand, but no it was just left. I am exhausted and I just long to have my health back and to be able to live a normal life.
But I will keep smiling and still fight it. They tell me now the doctors I may have to live like this and just manage my skin the best I can, but I will get my skin clear again I have done it before and I will get there again...
Evening all x x x
Friday 5 July 2013
Day 118
During my thirty-nine years living and breathing as me, dear Reader, there is one thing that I really do not enjoy and find most uncomfortable and that is when people fall out with you. In my case it will be usually over something silly that I have supposed to have done and the people involved don't speak to me anymore.
Well when I talk about this, I mean it does not happen to me a lot. I can count on one hand the number of people who have fallen out with me. I know I can get on with anyone. But there has been certain times in my life when people have become difficult and I think they wished to end our friendship and cut me off anyway. This is because in each and every case it got to a point were I could not do anything right by them or they have had too much happen in their lives.
My gran used to say if you get close to people and then something horrible happens in their lives and you see it all, some people will want to end the friendship because they do not like you to see them at their most vulnerable.
I understand that some people just do not like us and that you cannot please everyone all the time. But to me it makes things awkward when people do not speak to you. I cannot do it. I cannot go in a room and not talk to people. Especially when it is family. I would rather avoid going to family get-togethers, than be in a room with someone I know who has chosen to stop talking to me. It makes me feel really uncomfortable and even ill.
I think anyone with a medical condition like I have knows and realises that time is precious and it should not be wasted on petty squabbles. When they come round and decide to end their beef with me, I do always speak and never old grudges.
That is one thing my gran said she liked about me that it was not in my nature to stop speaking to people and that she knew how uncomfortable it made me. That is what I miss about her, she just knew me sometimes better than I know myself!
Evening all X X X
Well when I talk about this, I mean it does not happen to me a lot. I can count on one hand the number of people who have fallen out with me. I know I can get on with anyone. But there has been certain times in my life when people have become difficult and I think they wished to end our friendship and cut me off anyway. This is because in each and every case it got to a point were I could not do anything right by them or they have had too much happen in their lives.
My gran used to say if you get close to people and then something horrible happens in their lives and you see it all, some people will want to end the friendship because they do not like you to see them at their most vulnerable.
I understand that some people just do not like us and that you cannot please everyone all the time. But to me it makes things awkward when people do not speak to you. I cannot do it. I cannot go in a room and not talk to people. Especially when it is family. I would rather avoid going to family get-togethers, than be in a room with someone I know who has chosen to stop talking to me. It makes me feel really uncomfortable and even ill.
I think anyone with a medical condition like I have knows and realises that time is precious and it should not be wasted on petty squabbles. When they come round and decide to end their beef with me, I do always speak and never old grudges.
That is one thing my gran said she liked about me that it was not in my nature to stop speaking to people and that she knew how uncomfortable it made me. That is what I miss about her, she just knew me sometimes better than I know myself!
Evening all X X X
Thursday 4 July 2013
Day 117
I was sad to hear the news today that the singer and actress Bernie Nolan lost her fight against breast cancer and sadly passed away. She was only aged 52 and she leaves a husband and child behind. How sad for Bernie and all her family.
It is amazing how we can put a man on the moon and have all this fantastic technology and we have yet to find a cure for cancer. What is so cruel in Bernie's case is that she had been given the all clear only for the cancer to return months later, more aggressive and it had spread all over her body--so she knew she was living on borrowed time.
I lost both my grandparents to cancer. I know if it was not for cancer my gran would have gone on to live to be 100. She was just so active. So was my grandfather until the cancer struck. My grandfather was aged 67 and was a very fit and active man until cancer struck. He had lung cancer and he was a non-smoker. But he was a coal miner so perhaps it was down to the coal dust etc that the miners came in contact with day in day out.
My grandparents were very brave. The last time I saw my gran, although she was trying to hide it from me, it was clear she was in a lot of pain. But she remained at home and had no drip with strong painkillers and the same with my grandfather--he remained at home and neither of them ever complained to me about the hell they were going through.
So let's hope and pray, dear Reader, that a cure is found soon. Let's give what we can to the cancer charities. Lets give all our support to friends and family members who are battling the disease, because we all must know someone who has had it--and my thoughts and prayers go out to them and their families.
Evening all x x x
It is amazing how we can put a man on the moon and have all this fantastic technology and we have yet to find a cure for cancer. What is so cruel in Bernie's case is that she had been given the all clear only for the cancer to return months later, more aggressive and it had spread all over her body--so she knew she was living on borrowed time.
I lost both my grandparents to cancer. I know if it was not for cancer my gran would have gone on to live to be 100. She was just so active. So was my grandfather until the cancer struck. My grandfather was aged 67 and was a very fit and active man until cancer struck. He had lung cancer and he was a non-smoker. But he was a coal miner so perhaps it was down to the coal dust etc that the miners came in contact with day in day out.
My grandparents were very brave. The last time I saw my gran, although she was trying to hide it from me, it was clear she was in a lot of pain. But she remained at home and had no drip with strong painkillers and the same with my grandfather--he remained at home and neither of them ever complained to me about the hell they were going through.
So let's hope and pray, dear Reader, that a cure is found soon. Let's give what we can to the cancer charities. Lets give all our support to friends and family members who are battling the disease, because we all must know someone who has had it--and my thoughts and prayers go out to them and their families.
Evening all x x x
Wednesday 3 July 2013
Day 116
Well all went well at the gym, dear Reader, yesterday evening. I actually felt better after a work out. My skin is still very sore now and to be honest I am getting fed up of it. It is more uncomfortable than painful. I find going in the bath helped ease the feeling, but I have no idea if in the long run I am just drying the skin up more. I do put in some E45 bath oil so that should help. There has been a big improvement though over the last few days so hopefully I will be rid of it soon. The good news is that I have not had another allergic reaction since my last visit to the hospital.
Note to self when watching crime television series do not attempt to eat toast at the same time, or even try eating any food while said programme is in progress. Why it always happens that the most gory, stomach churning scenes always come on when I have got some delicious snack in my hand I will never know. But it happens every time, dear Reader.
One of my tasty treats I am still not missing is chocolate. I no longer eat chocolate due to it being one of my allergy triggers. I thought it would be really hard to give chocolate up, but when it comes to your health (and being healthy it is amazing) you will give anything up in an instant.
The hubby says he feels guilty eating chocolate in front of me, but I have told him I honestly do not mind. When something has made you so sick you just don't want it anymore. It is a good job I am not tempted seeing as it is always me left to unpack the chocolate bars after the food shop!
Evening all x x x
Note to self when watching crime television series do not attempt to eat toast at the same time, or even try eating any food while said programme is in progress. Why it always happens that the most gory, stomach churning scenes always come on when I have got some delicious snack in my hand I will never know. But it happens every time, dear Reader.
One of my tasty treats I am still not missing is chocolate. I no longer eat chocolate due to it being one of my allergy triggers. I thought it would be really hard to give chocolate up, but when it comes to your health (and being healthy it is amazing) you will give anything up in an instant.
The hubby says he feels guilty eating chocolate in front of me, but I have told him I honestly do not mind. When something has made you so sick you just don't want it anymore. It is a good job I am not tempted seeing as it is always me left to unpack the chocolate bars after the food shop!
Evening all x x x
Tuesday 2 July 2013
Day 115
I used our new oven and hob this evening, dear Reader, we have only had it a week! So I thought I would give it a whirl. All went well and the evening meal was a success. It is actually not as complicated as it looks to work. I am sure it does all sorts of fantastic things for a modern gadget, but for now for me I will keep it simple.
Well due to my most recent allergic reaction it has now been a month since I have been to the gym, so I have decided it is time to go back now. I would love to say my skin is all better and that I have made a full recovery but it is far from it. I am still fighting a rash and it gets quite sore at times. Like I have said before I can best describe an allergic reaction as being like sunburn; it leaves you with sore skin that peels.
I just feel that if I went out it might help my recovery faster. It will take my mind off my skin. After having so many reactions so close together it is bound to take a while to heal. I do not plan to over do it at the gym. It is more just to get out and take my mind off thinking about when is it going to go away.
At least the horrible itching has stopped (although sometimes the dry skin can cause itching) but it is no way as bad as when you are having a reaction. There has been a big improvement in the past few days though so hopefully things will all be back to 'normal' soon.
Evening all x x x
Well due to my most recent allergic reaction it has now been a month since I have been to the gym, so I have decided it is time to go back now. I would love to say my skin is all better and that I have made a full recovery but it is far from it. I am still fighting a rash and it gets quite sore at times. Like I have said before I can best describe an allergic reaction as being like sunburn; it leaves you with sore skin that peels.
I just feel that if I went out it might help my recovery faster. It will take my mind off my skin. After having so many reactions so close together it is bound to take a while to heal. I do not plan to over do it at the gym. It is more just to get out and take my mind off thinking about when is it going to go away.
At least the horrible itching has stopped (although sometimes the dry skin can cause itching) but it is no way as bad as when you are having a reaction. There has been a big improvement in the past few days though so hopefully things will all be back to 'normal' soon.
Evening all x x x
Monday 1 July 2013
Day 114
Today is our eighteenth wedding anniversary, dear Reader, eighteen years ago today I was sat waiting for my mother-in-law and sister-in-law to turn up at the register office so we could get wed! Everyone told me to go ahead and get married but we decided to wait. Just when the register said she could only hang on for another minute they turned up. No explanation or no apology either.
I know we would have got married if the register had said she could not have waited any longer. No way would they have stopped our wedding. I think now at nearly forty I would not have waited and I would have got on with my special day, but back then at a naive twenty-one you want to please don't you dear Reader? Also back then I was desperate for them to like me.
My gran had bought my outfit and it was a lovely lilac suit, she had even offered to buy me a wedding dress but I was happier with the two-piece suit. We opted for the register office and plenty of family and friends turned up and there was to be even more at the reception. It was at the reception the sister-in-law decided to dance and take up the entire dance floor. Not leaving much room for anyone else to dance (although they tried). Then when we presented her with a bottle of wine on the way out she smashed it declaring to everyone
"I did not want it anyway!"
But I was not letting it spoil my day, I really enjoyed my wedding day--there was plenty of family and friends who wanted to make our day special and I think when these things do happen it makes things more interesting. Although at the time it made me stressed!
I have got a wonderful husband and today he really did something so kind. He bought me a brand new jewellery box and he had filled it with nickel free jewellery as I can no longer wear most of my jewellery anymore. It was such a thoughtful gesture and a total surprise.
We had a nice meal out and I can honestly say after eighteen years I am still really happy to be his wife and I love him more each day. So it does not matter what others think or behave. Marriage is just a special thing between the two of you at the end of the day. I think how we started out together with people against us made us stronger.
Evening all x x x
I know we would have got married if the register had said she could not have waited any longer. No way would they have stopped our wedding. I think now at nearly forty I would not have waited and I would have got on with my special day, but back then at a naive twenty-one you want to please don't you dear Reader? Also back then I was desperate for them to like me.
My gran had bought my outfit and it was a lovely lilac suit, she had even offered to buy me a wedding dress but I was happier with the two-piece suit. We opted for the register office and plenty of family and friends turned up and there was to be even more at the reception. It was at the reception the sister-in-law decided to dance and take up the entire dance floor. Not leaving much room for anyone else to dance (although they tried). Then when we presented her with a bottle of wine on the way out she smashed it declaring to everyone
"I did not want it anyway!"
But I was not letting it spoil my day, I really enjoyed my wedding day--there was plenty of family and friends who wanted to make our day special and I think when these things do happen it makes things more interesting. Although at the time it made me stressed!
I have got a wonderful husband and today he really did something so kind. He bought me a brand new jewellery box and he had filled it with nickel free jewellery as I can no longer wear most of my jewellery anymore. It was such a thoughtful gesture and a total surprise.
We had a nice meal out and I can honestly say after eighteen years I am still really happy to be his wife and I love him more each day. So it does not matter what others think or behave. Marriage is just a special thing between the two of you at the end of the day. I think how we started out together with people against us made us stronger.
Evening all x x x
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