Surreal Moment

I had the most amazing experience yesterday, one that left me incredibly overwhelmed and with an inane grin on my face for the rest of the day. I spoke to my cousin for the first time. Ann moved to Adelaide in the 1960's when she was a young girl, with my Uncle Roy and Auntie Marion. I obviously didn't know her back then as I was born in 1969 but my mum can remember the day they departed the UK for good as though it were yesterday. She can even recollect Ann's beautiful face as she looked through the window of the train carriage as it pulled out of the station. I have six cousins in Australia, two whom I've met in person when they came over in the late 70's for a visit, and whom I remember very well, but the other four I've never met face to face. I managed to find Ann and her brother Peter on Facebook and am now in touch with them, though I feel particularly close to Ann. She's one of those people who you warm to immediately and I knew, from the minute we made contact, that we'd become not only close cousins but close friends, too.

Talking to her yesterday on Skype, watching her face light up and her eyes twinkle with delight was one of the best feelings I've had for a long time; knowing I'm in touch with one of my Australian cousins and now feel confident to Skype or just have a chat online, by phone or whatever, has made me a very happy woman. Ann has a big family of her own as do my other Australian cousins so it's pretty stupendous to think I have this huge family living half way around the world who all share the same genes. Getting to know Ann has opened my eyes to all these relations I have and makes me realise just how precious we are in this life. All our actions have consequences when you think; if my nana and granddad hadn't met, there wouldn't have been my Uncle Roy, therefore there wouldn't have been six cousins in Australia which would in turn mean I wouldn't have made contact with one of the nicest people I've ever had the pleasure to meet; my beautiful cousin, Ann. And what's even more exciting is that Ann and her husband are planning a trip over here in 2016 to celebrate a big birthday for Ann. That gives me just under 3 years to clean the house. Bit of a rush but I'll manage...

CJ x

Puppy News!

We're very proud of our beautiful red and white collie, Sparky. She gave birth to four absolutely gorgeous puppies in the early hours of Saturday morning. You will notice that they're all black and white, like their father. She has only left them to go outside to the toilet and gets very anxious if one of us goes to pick one up. She's a wonderful mummy, just like she was with the first litter she had four years ago. We're keeping our eye on her as she was sick a few times yesterday but this morning she's eaten some dried food and had a good drink and she looks a bit brighter. I guess the stress of puppy-birth can take its toll. I thought she'd have had at least six puppies judging by her size when she was pregnant but maybe that was just 'puppy fat'. One has been reserved already and the other three have been requested though not reserved for definite as yet, but all will be going to working farms. This breed of dog need endless exercise and stimulation and make incredible sheep dogs so each one will be trained to work with livestock.

I'll keep the blog updated with pictures and progress of course. Got a very hectic week ahead of me and am meeting myself coming back right now, but it's all good fun and I thrive better when I have things to do.

CJ x

Apple - More Effort Needed

Last week I had a bit of an issue that needed solving. I was fortunate to catch it before it escalated and became a potential disaster but the final outcome left me with very mixed feelings about the giant corporation known as Apple. There's no denying their products are popular though I'm not a fan of the iPhone and know I'll never own one, but I do own an iPad 2 and saw no harm in allowing Amy to install some games, fashion games to be precise, activities that she found fun and entertaining, and saw me praising Apple for their great variety of different apps. Only there lay the problem; these apps are otherwise known as 'in-apps' which as far as I'm led to believe means you can install them for free but once you start playing on them they start charging you real money to gather items; for example, a new lipstick or a skirt for your model, a piece of shortbread and a glass of juice from the cafe, all very trivial, and all very expensive. Being a technophobe I had no idea that Amy was racking up a bill on the games she was playing, and she was none the wiser either. Her value of money is very limited and even though her maths is exceptional, simple everyday matters go above her head, something we are continuously addressing as part of her education.

Compared to some people I've been let off lightly because I caught it before it got out of control. My measly bill for £20 is petty cash compared to the boy whose father was charged £3,700 for games he played on the iPad. I asked on Facebook and as always got some great advice on how to put passcodes in place and turn on restrictions, though I've also removed my credit card details as well, just to be on the safe side. I was going to leave it and put it down to a lesson learned, but I decided to email Apple anyway, just to tell them about my issue due to the fact there is currently an investigation underway about in-apps and their extortionate and hidden charges. So, I received a response within about twenty minutes, telling me that I received a refund in April last year for something my daughter had downloaded in error therefore they would not make an exception a second time. To be fair, I wasn't asking for a refund and didn't mention this in the email, I was merely pointing out that I had been charged for games assuming they were free. I accepted the assistant's explanation, thanked him for responding quickly, told him I am not technical and that my daughter is disabled and has found the iPad a very entertaining gadget and great source of information. I also said we would not be downloading anymore games onto the iPad in future.

The following day I received another email from the same customer service assistant, only this one wasn't quite so polite. I will give you a taste as to what some of it said: " I know situations like this are upsetting when things don't work out the way they should. Please be assured I will do my best to help you out." I wasn't upset until I received this email! He continued, "I'd asked to see if it was possible to arrange a refund for you, but I'm sorry to say that I was not able to get approval for your request," I didn't ask for a refund, "I've been advised that all purchases in iTunes are a final sale according to our Terms of Service and that we have made multiple exceptions for you in the past," they've made ONE exception, not MULTIPLE, "As a result, arranging a refund is something that we will not be able to facilitate for you." I repeat, I did not ask for refund.

He then went onto say something that probably angered me more than anything, "I wish your daughter will get better soon." I'd told him that my daughter is disabled. "Your patience and understanding in this matter is greatly appreciated. You are a valued member of the Apple family," WTF??, "Your experience with the iTunes Store is of utmost importance to us." And he ended his email with, "Have a wonderful day!"

So I've gone from feeling frustrated at being charged for in-apps that I thought were free (silly me), to smiling and thinking how efficient Apple are in replying to my email within twenty minutes, to banging my head against the desk at their obvious ignorance and lack of understanding at my original email. This is one of the biggest organisations in the world today; their profits are beyond anyone's comprehension and even though I did not at any time ask for a refund of my £20 spent in error (yes, I know, my fault for being a technophobe), they used the fact they had given me a £10 refund in April 2012 as an excuse not to refund that £20. Really, I find it increasingly irritating that these multi-billion pound organisations are getting away with treating "valued members of the Apple family" with such a lukewarm approach.

Serenity

Sat on the bench at the back of the house yesterday, watching the stillness of the countryside, the sheep shuffling from one patch of grass to another, lambs trotting at their heels, the distant roar of Bessie rolling seed into the ground. The clank of the rollers whisked me back to a time I've never forgotten, a time that I remember with nothing but fondness in my heart, ideals in my thoughts and dreams filling my head. Four collie dogs sniffed the earth nearby, nothing on their minds but the smell of sheep and badgers and other creatures that move about the countryside. I stared into the distance before the tears came. My life, all the more richer for the contentment I feel, marked with sadness as I think of the one person who introduced me to such beauty. I asked him, my dad, to sit on the bench with me and drink in the countryside, admire the view and listen to the familiar sounds of life. I told him I missed him and wished he were there beside me, reaching into my tranquil mind, reading my thoughts, understanding my constant grief. If it hadn't been for him bringing me here, I'm not sure I would ever have felt this serene.

Life without him continues. Time could never stand still so neither could we. Learning to exist became easier eventually, though the tears never dried up. The space beside me appeared empty until my mood lifted and Bonnie came over, licking my hand, reminding me I would never be alone. If it hadn't been for my dad, I would never have met my farmer, the man who works every hour God sends, the man who doesn't stop until the job is done, the man who would walk to the moon and back if it meant saving my life. My dad knew what he was doing when he brought me up here. He knew I'd be okay. I share every day with him still, his precious blue eyes never leave my thoughts and his words never leave my heart. Thank you, dad, for bringing me to this place, for introducing me to a new life that you knew I was meant to live. For standing in the King's Hall ten years ago today when The Farmer pledged his love to me, making me his wife, promising you he would always take care of me. You met The Farmer before I did all those years ago. You knew.

Happy Anniversary to my husband, The Farmer

3rd May 2003

Advertising Media

I've been bombarded with press releases recently. I do tend to get a lot but it seems every company and his dog is 'reaching out' and 'touching base' in order to entice me to do a bit of free advertising on my blog for them. I don't know what it is with these companies; huge organisations, paying for huge media coverage yet unwilling to pay bloggers a penny. Isn't blogging a part of social media? It's one of the ball-aches of new-age blogging; hounding bloggers to stick a link in a post or 'pop us in your sidebar' or 'publish this because we know your readers will be interested'. So, put your hands up if you're interested in the latest gadget for mums - I've no idea what it is because they don't tell you until you respond with "wow, how nice of you to think of me. I'm desperately in need of blog fodder because I've been blogging six years and have run out of things to say. So I'm sure my loyal readers who've read my blog all those years will be orgasmic when they hear all about your mystery item."

I still get PR's sending me emails thinking they're oh so clever when they stick in the sentence, 'I know you don't work with outside companies but thought you'd make an exception.' No, I won't fucking make an exception. Unless of course you're willing to buy me a new combine harvester, a new tractor, a new seed drill and give me a cheque for a million pounds. Are you getting my drift?

It's something I chose not to do a long time ago and I feel my blog is better off for making that very easy decision not to work with outside companies. I have enough hassle in my life without worrying about the complications of links and whether Google will send me to hell. And besides, when you are sending out a professional email in the hope of entering into a contractual agreement with a blogger, addressing said email with 'Hi there' really doesn't work. I'd love to forward your press releases to bloggers who are interested because I'm sure you'll receive a much better response than the one you've been receiving off me recently.

MMR - You Don't Need to Justify Yourself

It seems, every time I switch the television on these days there is some other 'expert' sprouting nonsense about the MMR jab and it's controversy surrounding autism. First of all, it is just that; controversy. There has never been and most probably never will be, any proven link between the MMR inoculations causing autism. To be quite frank - hate me if you wish - I'm bored with it all. Virtually all families with a child on the autistic spectrum have another child on the autistic spectrum also. They will most likely have another family member, like a parent with a condition that falls on said spectrum. Whether ASD is hereditary is anyone's guess but all this confusion is doing no one any good whatsoever. On the Internet I am seeing good, decent and loving parents feeling they have to justify their decision for not letting their child have the MMR, and vice versa. I don't need to explain my reasons why I let Amy have the MMR, which incidentally, she had before the buffoon known as Andrew Wakefield scared parents so much that they believed if their child had the MMR jabs, they would inevitably 'get' autism. You can't 'get' autism. It isn't a disease or an illness that you suddenly catch. Most children are born with autism. No one knows for sure whether having the MMR can increase the issues surrounding autism but all this scaremongering is really becoming quite tedious.

I've read umpteen articles written by parents who are 100% sure their child's autism was caused by the MMR jabs. Fair enough, that's their prerogative to believe that and if it makes them feel better having something to blame then go for it. I'm 100% sure that the MMR jabs did not cause Amy's autism and that's my prerogative to believe *that*. Children have lived with autism and asd's for many, many years, long before these jabs were invented. We don't know if the jab heightens the condition, but it has never been scientifically proven. Now we are having to deal with a measels epidemic which is pretty scary in itself without having smug controversial 'experts' dictating that "parents should have let their child have the MMR". Parents make a decision for their children on knowledge given by so-called professionals; we put faith in these people and hope they will have all the answers. But of course they don't. They never will. If you don't want your child to have the MMR jabs then don't do it. If you do, then take them. As I said to someone online this morning; no one should feel they have to justify their decision to have or not to have the jabs, because a parent does what a parent thinks is right at the time, and in a nutshell, that's no one else's business. Let's stop feeling we need to explain ourselves to strangers and just get on with parenting our kids the best we possibly can.

Edit: I came across this fabulously-written blog post today and would urge you to read it. With permission from the blog author, I quote a particularly poignant sentence in the post that really makes you think: "Go talk to someone who knows about Autism, try telling a mother of an autistic child that you don't want to immunise your child because you're afraid your child will end up like hers. See what she says to you?" 

Throbbing Thing

Think I might do more video-blogs, also known as 'vlogs' as that last one I did was great fun and I loved your comments. Did you notice I was wearing lipstick? I put that on for you - made a bit of an effort; am not one to wear lippy usually as it irritates me and I want to keep wiping it off. My mum never leaves the house without lippy but she's a lady; I'm not. Well, I'm female of course, but I don't consider myself to be a 'lady'.

I have a poorly finger. It's strapped up in a bandage and wrapped in white tape that smells like curry. I half wish I'd broken it so at least I could tell people what I've done to it when they ask and not have to say, "A&E think it's soft tissue damage." Then I have to go into the full explanation on how I did it. I think it was
on one of the dog walks where I try desperately to hold four leads in my left hand whilst opening a stupid metal gate with my right. The dogs are particularly strong and don't like being restricted on leads - they're farm dogs, used to running through fields so being on a lead pisses them off no end. And as for the gate, it's one of those heavy metal contraptions that makes me look puny as I struggle to pull across the lever. But my silly pride gets in the way when The Farmer asks, "shall I open the gate for you?" and I snigger and reply, "I can manage, I'm not completely useless as a woman." Then he sniggers when I stand there like a tool struggling and wishing I'd accepted his kind offer.

The thing is I can't type properly with this ridiculous bandage on. Being trained as a 100-wpm-typist it's bloody hard work not being able to use your little finger and hitting the wrong keys, especially the caps lock when I find I'M SHOUTING AT EVERYONE. I don't shout, I just raise my voice occasionally. Like when I can't open the stupid gate or when the dogs pull on their leads or when a daft ewe has me running round a lambing shed at midnight and I fall flat on my face, aggravating my poorly finger. Chocolate usually helps. And a sticker. And a lolly pop. I imagine the nurses at A&E thought I was a right pillock, and a soft one at that. But honestly, it's been throbbing it has, throbbing. Woke me at 4am the other morning, throbbing like a throbbing thing. Popped two Ibruprofen and it settled down after half an hour or so but popping pills isn't something I like doing as many interfere with my epilepsy medication. Just my luck for it to be my little finger that woke me up throbbing and not something more interesting.

Talking about Blogging

Doggie Style

This is our very beautiful, completely bonkers and incredibly affectionate red and white collie, Sparky. And in about four and a half weeks she's going to have another litter of puppies!

Her last litter consisted of six pups, all black and white (the father's genes, obviously) and each one has turned out to be impeccable. All but one of the first litter are working dogs, though the one that isn't probably gets more exercise than the other five put together. Looking at the scan of this current litter, I'd say there will be at least three puppies and the vet made the comment that she's looking 'big'. She's in fabulous condition; healthy and fit with an enormous amount of energy. Her appetite is phenonemal and we can't fill her. I'll keep you posted on her progress and in another month I'll have some cute pictures to share. 

N.B. The gestation for a pregnant bitch is 9 weeks.

Online Dating

I don't know where Amy gets her imagination from (something a so-called autism expert said she'd never have), but I want to share this hilarious piece with you and I'm sure you'll agree that it's just brilliant (even if I do say so myself!!). You'll have to see past the spelling mistakes but do enjoy!

I was absolutely howling with laughter at Ben Rae's pleas... "Don't leave me this wayayaaaaay, I can't survive, I can't stay alive..."

It's the emoticons that get me as well... :-0

She makes all the names up; people's, town's etc...