Stranger in the night

At 10.30 there was a sharp knock on the door which is almost unheard of in these part! Either it was the ghost of Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come (we've only just got through all that) or it could be robbers come to tie us up and escape with all our worldly goods (far and few between). But no, it was a very very tall man called Richard who had come in his super 4x4 to look at our oil situation. It was he who had spoke to my mate Jeremy! 'Don't worry I'll be back in the morning with 200 litres for your tank' he said. We sighed a huge how-can-we-ever-thank-you sigh and toddled off to bed. True to his word he arrived at about 10 this morning and popped the oil in for us. Gratitude poured from us like water from a well. We were so, so, so, so grateful and I'm not overdoing it here. With temperatures down to -10 overnight it was getting very, very cold indeed and now we have enough oil to see us through another couple of weeks.

We all know that society has gone to hell in a handcart or so we are told, and that every stranger is just waiting to get one over on you, mug you, rob you and would cross to the other side of the road rather than help. Northumberland isn't like that, we have had so much help from neighbours in the last few days, and here is a man I had never met before, who came all the way from Carlisle with oil for us and would not accept any payment apart from the actual cost of the oil. He runs a breakdown recovery service in Cumbria so if you get a problem you might want to call Richard from County Recovery. http://www.lubester.co.uk/index.html

GoodBye Old Friend

Over Christmas our dog died. Or rather I should say I made that decision after he was taken ill at the kennels. I knew it was coming, He was 14 and been with us since a pup. If you've had dogs you know some are just special. They have huge personalities that take over the house and its so quiet without him even though we still have the girls.

Goblin was a larger than life Beagle with a pink nose, pink ears and pink paws, who was untrainable, and a total menace. Goblin adored food, and he loved the children. His personality was terrific and he even had his own little fan club at the Vets. He was very well looked after by his friends at Capontree in Brampton and I know he had the best care possible, but I MISS HIM SO MUCH, he was MY dog.

The night he died he came to me in my dreams, I like to think he really did, he jumped up, wagged his tail and I cuddled and kissed his plush coat, and told him I loved him.

I still love all my dogs past and present, then stay with me forever and I hope one day they will be waiting for me and we will all take a long walk together once more.

Before Christmas

What is it with the month of December? Its an endless stream of activity before the inevitable collapse, and I am such a bah humbug at the best of times it doesn't help. Going to my sons school play never puts me in the best of moods, its not that I mind the whole Christmas jamboree, OK I suppose I do, I am slightly conscious of the fact I seem to take up at least 3 places, block other peoples view and am pushed to sit at the front where everyone can see me. In a funny sort of way I'm more of a sit and hide at the back kind of person. On the 19th of December we had our first major snow fall, and as we live on a north facing slope unless we get a quick thaw, the snow turns to ice and we are stuck. Our large car broke down again and the breakdown bloke couldn't get to us because of the ice so its still broken. Bloody cars I know I shouldn't have sold the 4x4 as my husband keeps telling me but I found it pretty difficult to get into which is a bit inconvenient. With 6 of us and a 5 seater car it meant hubbie had to take the train to my mums, I drove with the boys telling everyone gravely we went stopping as frankly there is no way I could get me and them out at the Services. With 2 inches of ice outside I was able to slide the car down in the full knowledge there was no turning back. It was a pleasant Christmas but I'm not sure I will go next year, I'm getting too old to deal with the crap weather.

Christmas Shopping

I know it and you know it, in fact the whole country knows it, but a recent Christmas shopping trip was only successful in emphasising the amount of blue badge abuse that goes on in Britain today. We were driving around our local multi storey car park, one of the few accessible places to park in town and could we find a place to park? No, of course not because every man, woman and dog were out using their friends and relatives blue badges so they could get the best parking spots. What the population at large dont understand is that people like me, and possibly You, need these spaces not becuse I need to be a few yards nearer to where Im going, I need the space to get out the car. Thats right, say it again slowly to these people, TO. GET. OUT. OF. THE CAR. Eventually we found an ‘un-disabled’ space and had to take it or risk another half an hour looking for a space. As we sat there, parked opposite the disabled spaces we watched several middle aged people come trotting up with bags and bags of presents, pop them in the car and then head off for another round of spending. I wonder how long they had been walking around, and if measured, how many miles they had walked. My husband was incandessant and wanted to confront everyone he saw, while I sat there because I couldnt get out the car on my own anyway. Life’s like that, it throws these things at you and most of the time I smile and take a big breath becasue Im thinking of my blood pressure. I managed to get out with some serious man handling from my husband, who has now decided hes going to plonk notes on every car he sees without a badge or with a suspect user. Of course all these blue badge users seem to think its a god given right to park where they want when they want. No one considers it a crime if their daughter or son uses it for the day, but that is just what it is a criminal offence. These are people who would be horrified at the thought of drink driving but see the blue badge as a perk, whereas those of us who truly need one would rather not have such a perk in the first place. Its about time badges being checked regularly, some prosecutions were made and a naming and shaming of those involved. Until people realise that their abuse and selfishness has a real impact on some of us, it will never change. Unless blue badges stop being issued to anyone with a dodgy knee, it will continue to be the ‘right’ of the over 60s. Its time to realise that these are given as a privilege to those who need it, not as a right to those who think they are owed something by the system.