Dont be Boxed up like the Presents!

How full was YOUR Christmas stocking? Did it contain the presents you had asked for or the ones people thought you would want?
Life is sometimes like that. WE know how we think, the way we can do things, how we feel about things and how we feel, and we like to think that by what we say and how we act and do things, that this will give other people an idea of how we are feeling and the type of person we are.
Unfortunately that doesn't always happen, and people often still think that they know who you are and think that they can sum you up by the impression they have formed of you.  Then because they think they know it all as far as who you are is concerned, they think they know what you should and shouldn't do, who you should and shouldn't see, how you should or shouldn't bring up your children, what job you should or shouldn't do and so on and so forth. Its more that frustrating because here you
are doing the best you can and there are people who think you are this completely different person and treating you like they would that completely different person who is completely different from who you really are.
 Because of the way society still is, even in this so called enlightened 21st century, all to often we
try to fit in with these expectations that people have so that we wont stand out, so we will blend in with what our environment and the people in it expect. We perhaps go to work in jobs that we hate, dress in a way that wont make us stand out, live in little box type houses because that is what we are led to believe will show we are stable dependable non rule breakers that can be relied on not to stir things up and break the rules.
BUT is this who we really are?Would it really bring the world to a standstill if we followed our dreams and went for what WE wanted, lived where WE  WANTED to, did what we felt brought us th happiness and security not what convention dictated. Do we REALLY want to look like everyone else?
So hold on to those dreams of you and don't be afraid to go against the grain. Set your own rules, the rules that allow you to truly be yourself and bring your and the people who live closest to the centre of your heart true happiness and let your reach those dreams, grab hold of them and make the dream a reality x

Live a Creative Life

What do you think it means when a person is described as being creative? Do you have this picture in your mind of someone who is good at art, painting or things like that? Or maybe you have an image of someone who thinks up ideas ? Perhaps a creative is to you someone who is in the arts like an actor,or an author?
  Whilst the term creative can be applied to all these, the word can also apply to other people who are not necessarily into all those things.
 A creative person can be a person who  creates ways to make the most of their time, a person who  creates a lovely home, a person who has a very good imagination and can think up plots, stories, games and activities, or a person who finds lots of ways to use the gifts they have been blessed with[and everyone of use is gifted or has a talent in some way] to help perhaps fund raise or help those less fortunate, or promote an event , to spread awareness about something or to teach their children about life and develop skills so they can grow into well rounded ,selfless, ,environmentally aware and  knowledgeable about the world around themthrough the skills they have been taught.
 You may think that you are not creative in the slightest. WRONG! Everyone is, it is just a case of drawing out the particular way that you can be.  It doesn't have to be in a huge, dramatic gesture kind of creative, it doesn't have to be in big letters painted across the wall , announced from the rooftops sort of way either
 How many of you have moved into a flat or house that is 100% the way you want it? How many of you  have a spare million pounds lying round to throw at projects or what you want to do? How many of you often find yourself in a waiting room twiddling your thumbs for ages because the doctor/dentist/nurse/ job interviewer  is running late?
All these give you opportunites to be creative and it really doesn't cost many pennies.  Lots of people even now is the light of discount stores, bargain bins and charity shops, still think it costs a lot and takes ages to do something creative. They are so so wrong!  How many minutes would it take to pop into a discount shop like poundland and pick up a couple of glasses for a couple of pound and some nail varnish? Five, fifteen if there is a queue/ Right so that's fifteen minutes out of your day. Add to that say ten to fifteen minutes to dot blobs of nail varnish on the glass. There, half an hour and you have a decorative glass to put a battery operated tealight in, so making a nice, cheap decoration.
 How many have loads of buttons in a tin?. Pick up a cheap painting canvas from pound shops or baker ross/the works or sometimes local supermarket. stick the buttons on the canvas to spell a word and there you have it, a new piece of wall art.
Are you regularly having a clearout and going to the local amenity site with stuff you don't want? Before you do, see what not too damaged and do you bit by bringing it to a charity shop. If It is beyond help or redemption, yes. go to the amenity site, but before you come home, pop your head into the section they often have for items that suitable for re use by someone. You can often pick up chairs, tables, dishes, mirrors, lampshades and many more items that you can paint up, and give a new leash of life. And if you are a newbie crafter, its a great place to find bits and pieces as often a more experienced crafter may upgrade their model of sewing machine, printer, or particular craft tool, bringin their old one, that might just need a new plug or new batteries, to the tip. The tip is no longer just for rubbish anymore!
 You can be creative with your life too. To keep the 'Im bored! cries from the kids at bay, use that creative brain to think up in advance of the hols, items that you can pick up or collect to keep them entertained and creative. They don't have to cost loads. Pick up cones and leaves when you are out and about as these can be used to be cone animals with the addition of coloure pipe cleaners[ or 'chenille sticks' to give them teir 21st century correct term, though to me they are still pip cleaners,lol!], and googly eyes.  A good time to pick up bits and bobs from the likes of Craft shops, The Works, The Range, Hobbycraft or discount shops lie Poundland, BM bargains etcs is about now when the sales are just starting. Get a big box or one of those plastic boxes with lids and go online and scrawl through the arts and crafts section of places like them, or maybe from now till the easter of summer hols, make the decision to pick one one thing for your creative box per week. the when the hols arrive you have lots of different activities that you and/or your kids can do. Here is a list of box contect suggestions :-

Cones                                               Cardboard Egg Boxes                             Coloured Card
Twigs                                                     Paint Pens                                      Flat surfaces pebbles
Plant pots                                               shells                                              wool
simple kids craft kids                             drawing paper                              cheap canvasses
Colouring books                                      puzzle books                             shiny paper
material scraps                                         wooden clothes pegs               small cardboard boxes
faux gems                                               air dry clay                                 pipe cleaners
pens and pencils                                      coloured pencils                        sticker
notebooks                                                 feather                                  

Just a few suggestions.   You could all be creative together in thinking about what you should put in the creative box. Another way of being creative is by just doing activities together. For a change, don't let your together time just involve watching a programme together on the tv, playing a playstation game or  going food shopping. Learn to enjoy going on an adventure in the glens, invent a treasure hunt and invite your friends for a meal then look around for clues to the treasure. Explore more your surrounding, taking in sights and sounds that perhaps you would miss just driving around, set yourself and your family challenges with a small prize when so many have been completed, but a prize like the winner gets to choose where they want to spend a day out  or where to have a meal out at.
Think about the way your family life works. Have you got the balance of work/rushing around time and leisure time right. Do you have time just to properly chill with the members of your family and not just doing the shopping together?  Do you make time to properly sit down and talk about your week together? If the balance is a little bit off, try sitting down together and thinking up ways to  make that little bit more together time. The more imaginative and creative the better as the more it is the more likely it is to keep you doing it!



Creative is not just art, its a way of life!

Its creations time again!

Its Saturday night, time for some digital partying! So here are the performers in tonight's digital creating show tonight. Enjoy!

Stretch Yourself!

Are you reluctant to and anxious about doing certain things because you think you cant? Are you worried about making a mess of something so you dont' have a go at it? Do you stay withing the area where you live because you are scared of getting lost with no one around to help you if you go out of the area you are used to?
Fear of doing something you haven't done before or going somewhere different is quite normal. We are brought up being taught the things we have to do and what not to do to stay safe. We are taught to plan for every eventuality, to keep with the familiar routes, to stick with what we know. This is ingrained in us from the moment we start to gain our independence and it does stand us in good stead.
But if you don't do anything other than what you have always done, what can happened?
Yes we stay safe. Yes, if it is something that occupies our time like a pastime or journey, we get better and more familiar with it, meaning that each time we do it, it becomes like second nature and we can then possibly help others with directions or how to do it because we have learnt the route/steps that well we do it almost automatically.
But is that always a good thing? Now I am not saying that we should all thrown caution to the wind and leap about here there and everywhere with wild abandon not thinking of possible consequences and eventualities. No, not at all. It is always good to plan for them. But, if we were to always stick to the same places, the same books, the same style and colour of jumper, the same tv programme all the time, the same road to live on and the same friends who would think and have the same point of view as us, just think how that would make our lives. We wouldn't have such a wide variety of knowledge because we were reading the same books and watching the same tv  all the time, we wouldn't meet or see anyone else but our immediate neighbours so we would never meet new friends, we wouldn't learn about different colour schemes and shades because we wore the same colour and style all the time and we wouldn't even have anything new to talk about because our friends would already know our point of view and have the same on. The more you think about how our life would be if we did everything the same all the time, the more you may realise that if we did that our lives would soon become very boring and also quite lonely and insular.
There is merit on sticking within what you feel comfortable in that maybe it avoids any kind of panic setting  in or even the thought that you may get anxious kicking in.
But if you don't venture outside your comfort box once in a while, if you don't sniff the air outside it by at least having a go at something new or a different way of doing something, then how will you know if you can manage it or not? How will you expand your knowledge, expand you capabilities, increase your confidence and meet new people who may become very important people in your life?
Its sometimes good to take that anxiety by the horns and give it a good kick up the whatsit! Yes trying something you haven't done before or making a journey to somewhere you haven't been before will be a little scary but a little scary can be a good thing if you turn that scaredy around to the good . That
scaredy bit of your thinking will make you be extra vigilant of the times you need to be at that train station so you will get there in plenty of time, that scaredy will allow you extra car travelling time so you arrive at the airport in time to perhaps chill out before you board with a cuppa in the café, that scaredy will put in your mind to plan your journey well in advance, do your research so well that everything in taken in to consideration, so that when you actually do that new thing or make that journey, you will have written that many list details, timings, step by step and such like, that you have everything written or printed out to consult to check along your way .
 I have anxiety. People often wonder whether I still suffer from it as in their mind I might seem to breeze through when I travel away to see friends or to a craft show, without thinking.  What they DON' T realis is that for weeks and weeks before hand, I will have been spending hours on the net working out best train and timings, planning my journey down to the minute,even down to time taken to cross the road from the airport to a taxi rank of train station! They don't see the ream of timetables,and tickets printed out as well as downloaded to my phone and also kept on my phone email. They don't see the weeks of working out which bag I can fit things in best and the double checking bag measurement allowances. And this after have travelled on my own to a craft show for ten years now but I still do it. But if I didn't, I know my anxiety would kick in, even now. So this is what I mean. Even if it like me, it takes you to have to do endless print outs, and downloads, endless lists of travel times or steps to do whatever, weeks of mentally trying things out.  it is still worth it, so that I can say at least I have tried. There is a good saying. The world loves a trier, and at least it you have a go, even  if you don't manage to do all of what you set out to do, then at least you can say you had a go rather than not try and then regret not doing so after when the time comes that you cant.
 Explore all that this life has to offer, explore our world and explore just how much your are capable of even if your brain tries to tell you you cant!

Christmas time Chilling!

We know that Christmas Day is the main event and so it should be , BUT what a lot of running around, cooking, shopping, decorating, card writing, present wrapping, posting, writing, baking, driving and general charging round is involved. Would we be prepared to do that for just one day any other time of the year I ask myself? But once all the presents have been given and unwrapped, once the relatives have been fed and watered, once Mrs Queen has done her speech and the last sprout has been eaten[or not] what then of the rest of the festive season?
Yes we know that little bit short of a week later we charge into party mode with the celebrations that herald in the approaching new year and all the hangovers that follow it. But what of the bit inbetween, what about then?
Boxing Day for instance. It was given its name originally because of the money 'boxes' that the reigning sovereign used to give out on that day but what do we do with this day, the day after all the gorging, stocking emptying, and pigs in blankets/
A lot of us cook that much food for Christmas that the leftovers of at least some of it can keep us going with food for at least a few days so that's the eating sorted so we don have to think of that. Auntie Gertie and Uncle Bert have gone home after spending the big day with you and the kids might still be interested in their toys by boxing day so what do or can we do that makes the day just that little bit different than just another day.
On boxing days nowadays a lot of shops open again with the start of their sales so for some people it will be back to work and of course those angels without wings, our valuable and hardworking doctors and nurses don't always get Christmas off as sickness and ill health doesn't take holidays. But for a lot of us, we still have the day after Christmas day to spend as we wish.
Boxing day if we do have the day off, could be treated a a holiday for ourselves. We've slogged over the stove for hours, played santa, shopped till we have dropped, acted as family referee sometimes, drunk dads dodgy homemade plonk with a fixed smile on our face and all while having to present ourselves as a calm, cool and collected hostess or guest. So why shouldn't we have a day to be on strike from everything else so to speak.
If I had a 'Boxing Day Strike' this is what I would do I think.perhaps it's time you went on strike too!

Have a decent lie in instead of feeling I had to get up by a certain time
Make my very favourite breakfast and take my time really enjoying it instead of gulping it down because someone needed something, Perhaps a luxury treat of a breakfast like scrambled egg with smoked salmon and a bucks fizz. Very decadent!
I would probably feel like just spending the day in some new fluffy and cosy P.J's on onesie not having to get dressed unless I wanted to
Watching MY particular favourite choice of Christmas films and Tv, or MY favourite dvd's
Hot chocolate, with cream and marshmallows is a must at some point
Perhaps sometime during the day I would get all wrapped up and go for a walk in the glens ,collecting cones, twigs and leaves for a possible future crafty project or maybe taking my paints with me and  get arty while I was out.
Spend some quality time with my daughter having a good chat and enjoying doing something together
Scented candles and long soak in bath with luxury bath goodies, perhaps ones I received as pressies, and a long cool glass of something.
Make my favourite dinner and listen to my favourite tracks, perhaps by myself or with a couple of close friends


At any one time I usually multi thinking the multi thinking and multi tasking the multi tasking so this kind of lazy,self indulgent day would be a real treat for me. What would your 'strike day' include>
x

Happy Sunday everyone!

Hope everyone is on the downward strait now with all their Christmas preparations.
It's weird, we all rush around like mad things stocking up on enough food, paper, boxes, anti freeze, drink and a hundred other things for Christmas when really the main event is only one day and nowadays the shops are open Christmas even, shut[even then the odd one opens] Christmas Day, and then open again Boxing Day, so really we only need to think of one day's stuff. Why oh why do we keep doing it,lol!

Here is a few pauses for though for you this year. They are not meant in any way to put a damper on your Christmas spirit or your celebratory mood but act as maybe a bit of a grounding in the whirring round

We sing carols and Christmas songs, or read about frost and snow, winter being all cold, us getting all wrapped up snuggly and warm, eating and drinking plenty and making merry, about , if we are Christians, the nativity and the visits to the stable of the shepherds and the wise men, and we enjoy doing that, safe in the knowledge that we are safe to do that, that we ,after, will return to our nice warm homes, be able to sit down to a hot tea and cuppa, in our big woolly jumpers or pyjamas.
BUT that is not the case for everyone in the world.  In some countries even in this so called liberal and enlightened society, even whispering that you are a Christian can get you put into prison, never mind singing a carol at full voice. In some countries, even our own, Christmas day is just like any other day, scrounging through bins for scraps of leftover food, trying to find a not too draughty doorway in which to shelter from the cold for a little time before a policeman moves you on. For some, addiction has taken such a hold that some people have lost everything and so they have no family to be with, no money to buy food, no  clothes without holes , so no Christmas dinner, crackers and presents for them.  For some this year will bring as a result of natural disaster, a Christmas spent in a emergency shelter, not knowing when they will have a home to call their own again.  For some, Christmas is just too painful a time to think about as the memories they associate with it may be full of abuse,or neglect. Some may have lost a loved one at Christmas and so Christmas may always bring a sadness to them. Some may be struggling just to keep a roof over their head and so haven't any money for any little Christmas food or presents for their children
All these people are just as worthy and valuable in our world as we are.  This year, while you are enjoying celebrating the festive season, just pause for a moment and count your blessings that you are in the position that you can be celebrating.  Perhaps it might be an idea that when you are shopping, pop a few extra tins of soup or a couple of Christmas treats in your trolley then donate them to the local homeless shelter or give them to someone who is struggling this Christmas. Have a look through your wardrobe. Is there anything that you don't wear anymore or you have grown out of that you could donate to a charity shop or give to someone who hasn't had money for clothes or shoes because they have been struggling to pay the bills ? Could you perhaps make a big pan of soup or stew, maybe a few mince pies and take them to a charity which provides a hot meal or food to thoe who struggle to find the money for food?
Another idea is this. Have you maybe an hour or two a week to spare? Charity organisations are always on the lookout for people to help out  in their shops or at a service that helps those on the streets e.g soup kitchen . Places like the Salvation Army often open their doors to people on their own for a Christmas meal or such like, perhaps they might appreciate a hand at these times. Or, on a lesser note, perhaps someone who lives in your neighbourhood lives on their own with no family or friends with whom to spend Christmas day, why not invite them over to share in your festivities?
Helping those who struggle in some way should be ingrained in our very being as  if you fell on hard times, were living with loneliness or  the prospect of  not being able to give your family some kind of Christmas, wouldn't you like to think there would be a hand stretching out who wanted to help you?

Make your Christmas a crafty one

 Why not put a homespun twist  on your Christmas this year? Not only can it save you heaps of dosh but can give your home and Christmas in general a totally unique and personal touch.  Here are some way you can bring a bit of craftiness into your festive season this year


1. Make some Christmas cards. You may think that making your own takes up SO much time, SO much effort and SO much money. WRONG!  All you need to start is some card blanks-[good card folded and creased in two, a basis for a card, without anything on it basically] and either a couple of festive stamps and ink pads in festive colours or some seasonal images[downloadable for free from the likes of pexel.com or pixabay,com] found on the net , cut out from last years cards, or buyable as sets from a craft shop or website, plus some glue[wouldn't recommend glue sticks personally as pictures sometimes don't stick well or curl.

2. Make and decorate a gingerbread house scene. This activity you will find is featured a lot in those American Christmas family/rom-com movies set in mid west small towns, the sort Jessica Fletcher from Murder She Wrote lives in , where the people never seem to watch tv but fill most of the film time having barn dances, running the local general store, decorating the town or partaking in some other community involving family friendly activity,  in a town with only a sheriff and his assistant to keep law and order. Often a gingerbread house decorating competition is featured with the visiting hero and heart throb judging . Now Im not saying that you should round up all the residents of your local town and press gang them into doing something that involves the whole town turning out at the same spot in the town at exactly the same time but perhaps engage your family in this activity. Dad being the macho type could with the help of boy offspring assemble the house then daughter offsprings and mums could decorate with dad and son helping. Or maybe make and decorate one as an alternative kind of present for a friend. Perhaps an activity to include at your club or church Christmas fair as something different.

3 Decorate plain baubles for your Christmas tree. Nowadays you can get clear glass or plastic acrylic baubles that come in two halves so you can make a little scene with pictures or photos before putting the two halves together or do what you can also do with ordinary plain coloured ones and jazz them up with glitter or a glitter pen design. You could get some of those flat back faux gems and fix them on to bling them up or just simply stick a small picture on or write names on with metallic pen to personalize them for a totally unique look.

4. Crackers! No, Im not calling you nuts, honestly. But, I wonder how many of you made crackers at school when you were younger. It's not hard to take the same ideas as we did as children and take it to the next step. Yes, you can start with a good old fashioned toilet roll middle[what would we have done with them when we were younger to make all our crafty things,lol!] but these days we are not constricted to crepe paper wrappings, as these days there are so many different kinds of paper and card available that we can use. A few layers of different coloured tissue paper wrapped round can look good and with the trend being especially in these days of same sex relationship recognition, this would perhaps suit a Christmas table in a same sex household plus it would add a pop of bright colour to a plain white table setting.  There are marbled papers, handmade paper, shiny metallic paper plus the way the trend wrapping wise seems to be moving towards at the moment, brown parcel or kraft paper  with coloured string or ribbon.  Fixing the papers on is easier to these days as one of my favourite crafty staple is the tape runner , or tape pen as it is sometimes called. It is basically double sided sticky tape on a roll and means you can stick paper and card together without  the sitcky being seen. You can get them from most craft shops that have papercraft products. The Range, Wh Smith and even Poundland and Dealtz.  As for things and ways to decorate well the list is endless and Dealtz, Poundland and The Works are treasure trove for embellishments for this purpose .  Small items for the gifts inside them can easily and cheaply picked up from your local pound shop or places like Home Bargains or even charity shops. Cracker making doesn't have to be just a child craft activity and you can make yourself totally unique personal crackers that you know absolutely no one else will have anywhere!

Why not this year instead of buying a pound box of dried pastry, suet filled greasy tasting mince pies, make your own. This doesn't have to be a long drawn out thing and there are simple steps you can do to make shop bought ingredients taste a bit special and more homemade. Yes , buy your sweet mincemeat in jars but when you go to make your pies, put the mincemeat in a bowl and stir a grated apple or two into it, or add the zest  and juice of a couple or oranges and a touch or dried cinnamon into it before you put it into the pastry bases. Shop bought pastry lie Jus-Rol has lost it stigma these days and its not thought a failure if you use it anymore, with even top tv chefs sometimes extolling its virtues so if it is good enough for them it is good enough for you. Perhaps before you pop the pies in the oven, brush them with a mix of milk and a coffee liqueur like bailey or orange liqueur then a bit of brown sugar or  flavoured sugar for that little bit different touch. If your don't fancy doing that, well even a shop bought mince pie can look a teensy bit more homemade if you warm them in the oven, then before they have cooled, glaze with orange juice and sieve bit of icing sugar on.

More ideas tomorrow folks  x

More of the christmas spirit

In the time since I wrote the last couple of posts I have been thinking more about what sums or would sum  up a so called 'perfect' or 'ideal' Christmas, one that for me sums up the magic that is Christmas and indeed the festive season. So here is my list re-visited! What would your list look like?

Christmas spent in a log cabin in the country

Hanging up homemade stockings and writing letter to santa

Attending a traditional service of Nine Lessons and Carols

Watching good wholesome Christmas films on the tv

Hot chocolate and marshmallows curled up by a log fire

Making and decorating gingerbread houses, cinnamon stars and cranberry garlands

Making snow angels in the snow

Warm mulled wine/Fruit punch and warm mince pies

Traditional Christmas markets and fairs

Having a non stop playlist of favourite Christmas carols and songs playing in the background on loop

Going to see a good old fashioned panto

Raising a glass to love ones no longer here 

Sharing memories of Christmasses past with family and friends

A Perfect Christmas

 A Perfect Christmas. What exactly is a perfect Christmas and can we ever achieve it? Is it a Christmas where you manage to get everything bought, wrapped and prepared in plenty of time? Is it one where you actually manage to get everyone to sit together at a table all at the same time for once? Maybe its one where you are just able to take yourself off somewhere away for a short holiday or one where for once you actually manage a reasonable amount of time off? Everyone has their own ideas about what would make their festive season perfect or have a dream in their heads of that one Christmas that includes everything they could wish for in a festive period. To my mind  Christmas, whatever your idea of a perfect one is, should be a time for sharing, caring and making memories whether with a large group of people, or just a couple.

 No matter what belief system or any you follow or don't, I think every religion or belief system has elements of those  in their spiritual guidelines and certain things I think form the core of many self -care, self-help and inspirational books and teachings as well That we should share what we have ,ourselves, our time, our friendship, our caring, with others, we should always do what we can to help others, that we should reflect on and enjoy, and that we should treat others as we would like to think others would care for and treat  us,.  Make as many memories with those nearest and dearest to you as you can whilst you can and never forget to tell people how much you care for them while you still can.

 But we all have treasure memories somewhere in the back of our minds of Christmasses that to us were special, memories that come to mind of special family or friend times, memories of events and happenings enjoyed, perhaps parties that were especially memorable, our own thoughts that sum up lovely festive seasons in years gone by .  Special places we have visited, surprises sprung, favourite Christmas songs etc,  So what would sum up the 'perfect' Christmas for you. If you could combine all those special things that bring joy or have brought joy to you at Christmas, how would your Christmas look? Below I have listed some of mine. Maybe after reading mine, you will start thinking about how you can perhaps bring back some of the 'perfects' to make your festive season even more special this year.

 In no particular order, some of my 'perfects' would be:-

 Making gingerbread stars, mince pies ,cranberry garlands

Making tree decorations

Attending a traditional 'Nine lessons and carols' type carol service

Going round looking at all the Christmas lights and houses lit up

Visiting Santa[perhaps now the offspring is in her latish twenties, it might be time for me to 'adopt' my youngest niece or a young friend of mine to pander to this one, this lady of a certain age sitting on santa's lap would so not be the thing methinks!

Visiting a good tradition Christmas fair or market

Making a 'mixtape'[remember doing them way back in the day?] or playlist as it would be these days of all your favourite Christmas songs and carols and playing them almost on loop [judging the amount of Christmas songs I found on apple music and the Now music app, I don't think it playing on a loop would be that repetitive!]

Reading out loud the poem ' Twas the Night before Christmas' poem

Watching' A Christmas Carol' on tv

Going to a good old fashioned Panto

Going to Christmas Eve service at church

Writing a letter to Santa with maybe not necessarily what presents you want but maybe as you get older a list of your wishes for the coming year

Lighting a Chinese lantern or raising a glass to those who are now longer here

Continueing to  have a Christmas stocking with little gifts in to open first thing

Hiding a charm as it would have to be nowadays[used to be the old sixpences] in the Christmas pud [ health and safety look away now please,lol!]


Just a few of mine. Sure you can think of your own special Christmas things.

However you spend your Christmas, with friends, with family, on holiday, at home, or whatever, enjoy the festive season and stay safe, stay strong and take care of yourselves and each other.

Crafty Time!

As I might've mentioned before , I attend a mental health therapy centre, both as client and as a volunteer staff helper and the centre has helped me so much . At the centre, they have a part where those who want to improve their computer skills, work out what best to put on their c.v's with a mind to sometime in the future returning to work, study courses and the like can use. But there is also a room where those attending to craft, either learning various crafts if they haven't crafted before, or working on their own particular craft projects. Both parts of the centre do their bit to help increase
peoples confidence and belief in themselves in that that sense of achievement gained when something has been completed is very important to those who have any kind of mental health related issue, as it  gives them a boost to their morale and mood, helping them to think that even with the issue they have, they can achieve something and so keep going and not giving in to it is worth doing.
   I count myself in a very priveledged position in that when I started attending the centre about eight or nine years ago, I was in a dark place . I had always had a sense of having certain issues with my thoughts and emotions so to speak and these issues had compounded you could say because I had  a,what I think the queen once termed her ' annus horribilis' where lots of things happened within a very short time. So the point came where even I, who had always tried to hide what was going on in my head and hated asking for any kind of help, even I admitted that I needed to seek help as I could not go on the way I was inside my brain. I had kept a lid on things the best way I could for years so that I could do the best I could to bring up and help my daughter grow up the best way I could, but then I suddenly realised just how much I had bee keeping a lid on and so I just had to go seek help from the doctor. He referred me to mental health services and through them I was able to start to access the centre. And I haven't looked back since. I was so worried before I went what it would be like and my anxiety had a field day before I went through the day that first day. If you get referred,
you start wondering what will people think, will happen and all sorts. I was lucky in that as soon as
 I went through the door I saw a girl I use to work with, she only turned out to be the deputy manager and still is by the way. The I saw another girl I know as well, so that made things easier for me to settle in.
  I said that I feel in a very priviledged position. How you may ask. because I have been helped so much by attending that I now spend a good deal of my time there, in volunteer helper mode, which means my sense of achievement now is gained by sharing what knowledge I have of crafting with those attending that maybe just getting into it and want to learn more. Im no expert by any means but if I can help show someone how much joy and relaxation can be gained by doing crafts then that's my achievemnt and self esteem box ticked plus someone has learnt something they didn't know.
  In future posts I will be sharing some of my favourite crafty products with you. I don't do difficult so if I find a crafty product easy to use then believe you me anyone will! So watch this space!

Good Evening everyone

How are you today? Are you now just sitting back waiting for Christmas to arrive, having got all your pressies all bought and wrapped up neatly and properly, all around your home festooned with Christmassy decoration goodness, stocked up the food cupboards , fridge and freezer with enough food to feed an army for at least a month and having leafed through the tv programme guides and set to record all your favourites programmes? OR are you like me, having though at one time you had loads of time, due to one thing or another, you still trying to think never mind buy presents whilst trying to remember what you bought aunty, uncle, cousin and sister what you bought them last year so you don't repeat the same thing? Still not bought the Christmas food and the decs seem to be stuck in a big box somewhere that last year was thought a safe but easily findable place that now you cant find,lol! Well maybe Im not quite that bad, I do have one box of decs out even if all the decs are still inside them and I am going food shopping with offspring tomorrow plus have got just over half my pressies so maybe put like that Im don't need to panic quite so much,lol!
   If you like me every year you promise yourself 'next year I will be SO organised' Yeah, right, like that even starts to happen half the time,lol! But, I did really mean to be this year and whats more I haven't even got the excuse any more that been busy having to run round picking up offsprings mess from the inner regions of the sofa/under the bed. from behind the chairs, or spending half the day trying to clean hair dye off  the windowsill, and she has moved out this year! So cant even blame it on her,lol! Now its just me getting late and overloading myself with stuff in the months leading up to it plus being a whole week in bed . But it will happen one year, I promise!
   At the end of the day, I should try and keep calm about it. Christmas, much as it might seem it is, isn't about the amount of money spent on presents, it's not about the glittering light, who has the biggest tree, has little Tracy got the best nativity costume ever, making sure all the relevant people have been sent their Christmas cards, or how many parties you have been invited to. In this
 busy busy world, so much is places on keeping up with the Joneses, having the best Christmas lights and decorations,making the perfect gingerbread house and Christmas pudding, inviting the right people, not leaving anyone out and buying enough food to fee the five thousand even though shops are open all but shortest time they can get away with these days.
     The best Christmas isn't about all those things at all. The best christmasses are those we get to spend with those who matter most in our lives, sharing laughs and smiles, making new memories, reminding each other of past ones, sharing in the magical Christmas spirit and that doesn't necessarily mean being with loads of people. Christmas doesn't have to be a one size fits all. Christmas can be just as joyful with two people sharing a special meal or even a cup of hot chocolate and marshmallows as it can be with a large family. Christmas memories are what you make them. Yes I know that as time moves on, some people who are near and dear to us may pass away and that may make Christmas a very emotional time when just it being what it is seems almost too painful to bear, and doing the usual Christmas traditions or plans can be very painful and upsetting.   BUT, think on this
If this is the case and Christmas is a sad time because it is a time you lost someone dear to you that used to enjoy the festive season and who you joined with in making memories and creating certain Christmas traditions within your circle, instead of grinning and bearing it for the sake of others, why not create a new Christmas so to speak by creating new traditions. Instead of trying to carry on doing the things you used to at Christmas, why not do something new. The same goes if this year you suddenly find yourself on your own. Fill your time by perhaps volunteering to help out at a homeless shelter or soup kitchen, invite someone else you know will be on their own for lunch on Christmas day, perhaps have a short break away for a different Christmas, treat yourself to a night out at the theatre if you don't usually go, go to some special events at your local church or school, do something different and create a new Christmas!

Good evening everyone! Hope everyone has survived the U.K election frenzy in relatively one piece.
I makes me count my blessings that I live on the Isle of Man where, although what happens across the wet bit in the middle does eventually have some effect on the way the

 island is run, we are so fortunate over here in that we do not have the type of party politics that rules the U.K meaning as a rule when our election time comes around, hopefully there isn't so much mud-slinging, back-biting, character-slurring and general bun fight that seems to accompany every U.K one!

You would really think though that the politicians would know by now that nothing gets achieved by behaving like a bunch of five year olds though wouldn't you that have had their toys taken off them!  I mean, look at the bigger picture and the state of the world in general. All the famine stricken countries, all the war torn regions, all the homeless on the street, the cases of mental, physical, sexual and emotional abuse, the atrocities committed in the so called name of religion by extremists. In the U.K you have young people being brainwashed into joining cults and sects by being told it will lead them to a better life, to a better place in heaven with their god, or that they owe it to their countrymen. You have cases of the homeless on the increase, appauling crimes against young children, not enough medical staff in hospital where there are not enough beds. You have the underworld supply of bits of metal that can murder at a seconds whim if  a person doesn't supply goods.  We have the earths environment, animals, plant life and sea life alike being destroyed by pollution and our waste and the earth is slowly dying because of it

All these problems that could and should occupy the minds, energy and time of the politicians and what have they occupied months and months doing......argueing and behaving dreadfully like over spoilt children vying for who is better than who, who can shout loudest and who can pass out as many bits of paper as possible. Never mind the fighting, those in power and who can, no matter what party, creed, colour, religions, job status , work location, title or gender, should be working together so we have a world in the future because  if they don't stop fighting amongst themselves , there will come a time where they will find there is no world to fight over never mind live in peace in.

Just few pics tonight as not been too well since the weekend. Mixture of pics, digital makes and hands on makes too