Happy Memories

I'm feeling rather sorry for myself at present. I have a foul cold and sinusitis and am feeling generally low, which is why I haven't posted recently.

However, I was looking through some photos and came across this one:

Which made me feel a bit better. I took it the first time we went to the Wales Environmental Home Educators Camp (or WEHEC for short!).

We booked to stay in a yurt for two reasons.

One, we didn't have a tent.

Two, staying in a yurt was one of my bucket list items.

I was so excited about it, I was probably more tiggerish than the kids!

Anyway, this picture is of the view from my bed in the morning of our first full day. Just awesome :)

Even more awesome was the view at night, with the Moon shining through. Lovely.

walesenvironmentalhomeeducationcamp

Memoirs of a Misfit: Chapter 7 - Attention!

Memoirs of a Misfit: Chapter 7 - Attention!: "We're, SADUSEA...but on the other hand, we're glad to see..." I would just like to point out before I begin that un...

Weighty Matters

So, nearly 7 years ago I fell gravely ill with postnatal cardiomyopathy (heart failure). This was, understandably, a huge shock for both me and my family as it came out of the blue. 

After spending nearly a week in hospital receiving treatment one of the main goals set for me was to lose weight to reduce the strain on my heart and, hopefully, increase my longevity. This was of particular importance to me as December and June were both very young still (June was just 3 weeks old) and I was (and am) very keen to be around to see them grow up.

I have had problems with my weight since I was quite a young child - both of being quite big and also of having to deal with other people's attitudes towards my size.

Often I would say I have had more difficulty dealing with negative, rude, nasty comments from close family members than with complete strangers. Words hurt and stay with you long after they have been spoken.

So, being told I needed to lose a deal of weight for health reasons was quite daunting especially as I have never found a diet plan that works long term. I have had some success with one or two however, the moment I returned to my normal eating the weight I lost returned, often with a few extra pounds added on.

This continued until late 2012 when I had a mini-epiphany, brought about in part by mixing with a broad cross-section of people with many different ideas and views on how to approach life, including diets ranging from Fruitarian to Palaeo. I decided that I didn't need to follow a diet, what I had to do was change the way I ate forever.

I knew all too well that failure was easy and that the moment I put myself on a diet my first instinct was always to eat - especially sweets and cakes! I decided that my approach was to be one of healthy eating, increasing my vegetable and fruit intake but reducing carbohydrates.

I completely cut potatoes, bread, cakes, flour, processed foods, pasta, rice and sweets from my diet. I stopped taking sugar in my tea and reduced the amount of sugar I ate (which was helped by my not eating cakes, etc.), swapping to more natural sweeteners when possible, such as organic maple syrup. I also increased my protein intake.

We (my husband and I) decided from the beginning that we would only weigh ourselves once a month. This was mainly my idea, as I knew how soul sapping daily weighing could be as weight can fluctuate quite widely for no apparent reason. Also, we agreed that we could have desserts but that, for the first few months they should be fruit or yoghurt. Often we ate cheese and fruit, which I found more satisfying.

Breakfast was usually eggs, sometimes with bacon and/or sausage, but always with tomato or mushrooms and other vegetables.

Lunch was often a large salad with prawns or chicken.

Dinner consisted of protein and vegetables such as a large grilled beef steak served with mushroom and onion sauce and a large mixed salad.

The weight started to fall off.

Three months in we made an interesting discovery, quite by accident. December baked some cakes to sell at our local church to raise money for a nearby homeless shelter and I bought a cupcake and ate it. For the next 48 hours I thought I was in the grip of some sort of awful stomach bug and then realisation struck: the IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) from which I had been suffering daily for over 10 years had, sometime in the period of starting our new eating plan and having that cupcake, stopped.

I couldn't believe it. 

When June wanted to do some baking a week later, we bought some spelt flour and I tried one of her cookies. This time I felt ill for just one day. We realised that it was quite likely that my IBS was being triggered by gluten, so we bought some gluten free flour and I baked a simple Victoria sponge and then ate a slice. I was fine - no reaction whatsoever. Wow.

Just by changing how I ate and in the process accidentally removing all glutens from my diet, I had pretty much 'cured' my IBS. All those strong medicines I had taken for years just so that I could step away from the bathroom and leave home to get to work - unnecessary. I was delighted and very relieved.

Two years further down the line I am now 5 stone lighter than when I began, which I am very pleased with and believe to be realistic.

A Spring Walk

Daffodils on the village green

The Author!

Small stream and spring flowers

The last fruits of Autumn 2014

The first daisies of Spring 2015

Magnolia in bud

 

Thoughts from the Shower #5

It occurred to me when I was in the shower this morning that human beings are intrinsically dangerous.

We have to be trained to believe in and follow ethics/morality from a young age to try and  keep a lid on chaos and carnage. I think that organised religion is one way this is done. What is another? Or are there many ways of achieving this?

Contentious Issues #1 - Breastfeeding

Firstly, I should say that I despair over why breastfeeding is contentious. I cannot understand why there is a debate about breast milk vs. replacement formula.

Surely it is obvious that human babies should be fed human milk, in the same way that other species are fed their mother's milk - unless there are stores out there, somewhere, selling formula milk to other mammals?! Which would be very weird.

But that's the whole point really, isn't it? How have we been brainwashed into believing formula is the normal, better way to feed our precious new children? How many calves do you see being fed human milk?

And don't even get me started on non-milk replacement formulas, such as soy. Bleurgh.

If a mother cannot breastfeed for physical or medical reasons (globally a small percentage) then the best alternative is donated human breast milk. In years gone by this would have been donated directly by a Wet Nurse. Why has this practice, certainly in the western world, died out?

My theory is that the two World Wars were largely contributory, as women were required to take the places in the workforce vacated by men needed in the armed forces. This meant that there were too many nursing young children for the established practice of wet nursing to cope, plus those women were needed in the workforce too.

Now, of course, once companies got involved and became established as the people to go to for baby formula, they sure as heck didn't want to lose their profitable business when the last World War ended and many women returned to their previous normal roles within the family home.

I know that there will be people reading this who will have decided that I must be a militant feminist vegan (and what's wrong with being these things?) but I'm not.

What I am is a woman concerned that we are being conned into feeding our children substandard food when they most need the best nutrition, just so that some company can turn a profit.

At this point I feel the need to add that the focus on breasts as purely for sexual purposes, whether in the popular press, media or film, does not help new mothers trying to establish breastfeeding. 

Many women that I know have said how they have received 'funny' looks, snide comments and even entire diatribes whilst breastfeeding in public. These are not women who physically expose themselves more than absolutely necessary to enable their baby to feed, yet complete strangers have felt that they have had the right to question and even attack (verbally) what they are doing.

Breast milk is the most nutritious food available for babies so why is it that nursing mothers receive so little support to enable them to carry out this important role?

How have we, as a society, managed to reach the point where, in the 1960s (and possibly 1970s, too), women were injected with hormone suppressants as soon as their babies were delivered to prevent lactation commencing? I mean, even on the surface that reads as something being done purely to boost the profits of companies selling replacement formula, which if that was the case is so outrageous as to be beyond belief - especially as it would appear that it was condoned and supported by the medical establishment.

The worst, most awful thing about it all is that women regularly attack other women about breastfeeding. I cannot count the amount of times I have read the statement: 'Women have a right to choice as to whether or not they breastfeed'. Many people that I know find it difficult to discuss the subject - some react with a certain squeamishness, others as though a taboo topic has been brought up. Yet more become militant and aggressive, accusing me of being thoughtless and uncaring towards those who have priorities in their lives over and above raising their children.

What about choice for babies? Shouldn't they be receiving the best most nutritious food available to them? It is medically proven that breast milk contains not only nutrition but also antibodies giving a young child great protection against many diseases and illnesses.

Maybe now is the time, when there is so much pressure on new mothers to return to the workplace before they, or their child are ready to be separated, to reconsider the importance of breast milk and breastfeeding in the development and growth of healthy human beings?

Maybe now is the time to provide the extra support that can make the difference between depressing failure and success?

Maybe now is the time to re-create the role of Wet Nurses in our society?

Human Milk for Human Babies

http://www.babycentre.co.uk/a1009803/milk-banking

Beautiful Grave Discovery

On a recent walk near my village I made a surprising discovery - a beautiful, mature camellia bush in the shape of a grave space in the local graveyard. I looked carefully but couldn't find a grave marker or gravestone so shall just have to assume that this is an unusual memorial for a special person.

Nearby I spotted a primrose growing on another grave, really beautiful.

Regrets

Regrets, I have a few (I have a nasty feeling that this statement may be slightly plagiarised!) however, my biggest regrets in life (so far) have always been about things I didn't do, rather than stuff I did - though obviously my experiment in trying to kick a ball whilst wearing a half leg cast (I had broken my ankle at school, having fallen onto a concrete floor whilst swinging on a hot water pipe in the changing room ceiling) which involved me both hopping and trying to kick the ball with my good leg, probably wasn't a great idea! (Yes, I landed with a massive crash on my bedroom floor, which brought my entire family pounding up the stairs to see what I'd broken this time - fortunately, nothing!).

Anyway, back to my original point, my biggest regrets are (currently) not having visited close family members who were gravely ill and pretty much on their deathbeds. In one instance I convinced myself that the situation wasn't that bad, only to be proven wrong later that day. In another, I was aged 13 and at boarding school so had no choice in the matter. Yet another found me receiving a phone call at nearly midnight from a hospital just outside London, informing me that an Aunt was near to death and that, as I was the closest (geographically speaking) family member, would I go to see her? A difficult decision had to be made as I was breastfeeding my first child (who had been born prematurely - see my post Christmas Complications) and I had no stock of expressed milk to leave for her. After some agonising I made the decision to not go and, as the hospital called again around 3am to tell me that she had died, I likely would not have made it. I was relieved to be told that a friend had been with her.

My worst was not being able to visit a dear Uncle who had fought the good fight against cancer for several years and was in steep decline. We had little money, my husband couldn't get time off work, I was 6 months pregnant with June and I had 3 children to consider (the older two being my stepchildren). I later found out that all his other nieces and his nephew managed to visit him in Cornwall - that no one thought to contact me to ask if I'd like to go with them still hurts, as does that my mother told him (without telling me) that I couldn't make it due to my family responsibilities. This would hurt less if it hadn't been for the fact that she was the person who refused to lend me some money which would have enabled me to drive down to see him the weekend before he died.

Astronomical Activities

We are all very excited about the upcoming partial solar eclipse on Friday and attended a presentation about solar eclipses on Saturday at the South Downs Planetarium (http://www.southdowns.org.uk/), which has given us some great ideas about how to view the eclipse safely.

This is very useful as I have only managed to get one pair of solar eclipse viewing glasses to share between the four of us, so I'm planning on making a pinhole camera with December and June and we're also going to dig out a colander to use as a viewer and see how well that works - see this link for an explanation and also other ways of safely viewing a solar eclipse: http://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/news/how-view-eclipse

I remember the eclipse in 1999, the rush of wind just before the Moon completely blocked the Sun's light and, as the day darkened, the deathly hush as all the birds that had been twittering madly fell silent. It was very eerie and I remember feeling very relieved at the return of the light as the Moon moved out of the way of the rays.

The next large partial solar eclipse visible in the UK will be on the 12th August 2026, which is why I am so interested in the one coming up this Friday. The next total solar eclipse visible from the UK won't be until the 23rd September 2090.

In the meantime we have been using binoculars and our small telescope to follow interesting activities in the sky and were particularly delighted to manage to view Comet Lovejoy back in January. Unfortunately, due to lack of equipment (no laptop or digital camera) we were not able to photograph it. However, here is a picture of Venus at sunset taken a couple of days ago on my mobile phone. Mars was also visible to the naked eye (below and to the right of Venus), though it cannot be seen in this picture.

Venus at sunset

I also tried to take some photos of Orion but that was just too much for my mobile to manage - I must get a proper camera as soon as I am able.

Memoirs of a Misfit: Farewell, Terry Pratchett - A Fallen Hero

Memoirs of a Misfit: Farewell, Terry Pratchett - A Fallen Hero: I'm still feeling very emotional about the news of the passing of one of my greatest, if not THE greatest of my literary heroes, Te...

Do You Want the Bad News?

The news.

Is it just me, or does the news presented by television channels and newspapers seem to focus solely on awful, depressing incidents and activities with rarely any positive news? 

How does telling me about natural disasters, wars, violent attacks and accidents improve my life? Is there anything positive that can be gleaned from being made aware of these? Does my knowing about them enable me personally to help prevent them from occurring again or in some other way alleviate these incidents?

I'm not suggesting that I should bury my head in the sand and pretend that nothing bad happens, however all this negativity really wears me down.

I found myself frustrated at my inability to do much to improve the lot of those who are suffering the trials and tribulations of war or natural disasters and became fatigued, even mildly depressed, by the unending onslaught of distressing information.

So, how to move forward?

In the first instance, I have stopped reading mainstream newspapers and watching news programmes as well as avoiding listening to news broadcasts on the radio.

I was concerned that I might end up very out of touch with current affairs, however this has not occurred due to the fact that I choose to research information on topics that I am interested in. I think that I am much better informed now that I am in charge of my own news gathering, though I am all too aware that the only way of being sure of the veracity of information is to actually be present at everything which occurs, which is impossible!

I have also taken out a subscription to Positive News, a quarterly publication, which covers a diverse range of topics from a positive solution approach rather than a negative, sensationalist angle.

positivenews.org.uk

Thoughts from the Shower #4

The upcoming General Election here in the UK has me in a real quandary as to who to vote for.

I'm taking time to read manifesto promises to try and get a feel as to which party I most identify with. Whilst doing this I have discovered that the Conservative Party don't actually appear to have a manifesto available at present, which seems a bit odd to me, given that the election is now less than 2 months away. However, as I'm not planning on voting for them it isn't actually a problem - just I felt I should at least read their offering for completeness of my investigations.

I've already had several conversations with friends who seem to feel equally frustrated that there doesn't really seem to be a party that anyone particularly wants to vote for. We all seem to be trying to find the least worst party, which is a terrible state of affairs. There really does need to be a wider range of political choice - though I don't know how we're going to get it as so many people appear to be apathetic (at best) towards politics and politicians.

Spring Creeps In

The beginning of March found the weather whip up into a mix of squalls and sudden downpours, followed by sunshine, hail and cloud. 

Despite this, during our daily walks over the last couple of weeks we have really become aware of new growth starting to appear. 

As well, I made this discovery of hibernating snails, snuggled into a cleft of a tree. I have never seen this before and the girls were quite fascinated - hopefully the snails will move on before a hungry bird notices them.

Time for a Change? #3

Time for a Change is my way of trying to ensure I put some time aside every week (preferably daily) to extend my knowledge about subjects I enjoy (such as Astronomy), learn a new language (attempting German at present) or do something creative. I haven't posted for nearly a month about my development, so here is a photo of what I have been doing:

The turquoise piece is my first ever knitted simple wrist warmer (I'm currently knitting the matching one!) and the red one is the first half of a pair of wrist warmers that are going to be a gift from me and December to a person we cannot name (so as to not give the surprise away!) - she is knitting the other one.





I was lucky enough to attend a beginner's needle felting session with December a couple of weeks ago and these pictures show what I achieved (hopefully you can tell what the flowers are!)

The drawing on the right was what I used as a rough guide towards what I wanted to achieve. 





This is a craft I will be buying the tools to continue as I really enjoyed it.

Sadly, due to being so busy with other activities, I haven't yet finished the Future Learn course on Orion, however I am working on it where I can (and finding it very interesting).

I have also been to several presentations at the South Downs Planetarium covering subjects such as the Northern Lights and Myths and Legends of the night sky.

Our Great Family Bake Off

June's cupcakes

This weekend, December decided that she would like to run a family version of the Great British Bake Off.

Her plan was that Daddy would film her and June in action and then he and I would judge the final results.

In practice, June needed a certain amount of support (Daddy had to hold her mixing bowl to stop it falling off the side whilst she was mixing the cake batter!) which meant that filming had to be abandoned.

December chose to make oaty chunky cookies and June settled on vanilla cupcakes with pink orange flavoured icing and decorations.

As we have a narrow kitchen the girls couldn't cook at the same time so December worked out how long each recipe would take to complete and it was agreed that they could each have 90 minutes.

When we entered the dining room to begin our deliberations we discovered that December and June had set up the table with a tasting plate, forks, a cutting knife, napkins and a 1st place and a 2nd place slip.

They then each brought a plate in with their best cakes/cookies prettily arranged.

It was very difficult to decide the overall winner as they were so different. In the end, we created a certificate of achievement for each child, focusing on an aspect of their bake that we thought was especially delicious. June's was for the softest cupcakes and December's the most chunky cookies. They were both delighted with their awards which are now hanging in pride of place in our dining room :)

That's Entertainment

I have been very lucky over the last month to experience some fantastic plays (streamed live to a local cinema) and some very entertaining films.

For me, I know that I have enjoyed a production (or film) when I find myself sitting with a broad smile spread across my face as the cast take their bows or the credits roll. In the case of theatrical productions, smarting hands and a throat hoarse from shouting 'Bravo' and 'Encore' are also strong signs of enjoyment!

So, Loves' Labours' Lost in February and Loves' Labours' Won (usually known as Much Ado About Nothing) in March, both performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company in their theatre in Stratford upon Avon, are the superb theatrical productions that had me applauding in my cinema seat.

Kingsman : The Secret Service and Jupiter Ascending are the first films I have been to see more than once this year - currently I have seen both 3 times (some showings in IMAX). I think both films appealed so strongly to me because they are perfectly escapist and I have been feeling low.