One Summer Holiday In Devon

 We went camping in Devon many times from our home in Gosport in Hampshire. One Summer while in our family tent, a storm blew up and our dad and my big brother held the tent up all night while our mum, my big sister, me and my little brother stayed in the car.

When we woke up the next morning our tent was the only one that stayed up. All the other tents on the site had blown away. The fence on the edge of the site had blown down and cows from the next field were roaming about the site where people were sleeping on the ground.

We all packed up and went back to Gosport but my mum was determined we didn't miss out on our holiday as she didn't get much time off work.

The next day she checked the weather forecast on our phone and the sun had come back to Devon. So we travelled all the way back there to another site and spent the rest of the holiday in the sunshine.

To All Grandarents

 

How Children perceive their grandparents.

1. I was in the bathroom, putting on my makeup, under the watchful eyes of my young granddaughter, as I'd done many times before. After I applied my lipstick and started to leave, the little one said, "But Grandma, you forgot to kiss the toilet paper goodbye!" I will probably never put lipstick on again without thinking about kissing the toilet paper goodbye....

2. My young grandson called the other day to wish me Happy Birthday. He asked me how old I was, and I told him, 68. My grandson was quiet for a moment, and then he asked, "Did you start at 1?"

3. After putting her grandchildren to bed, a grandmother changed into old slacks and a droopy blouse and proceeded to wash her hair. As she heard the children getting more and more rambunctious, her patience grew thin. Finally, she threw a towel around her head and stormed into their room, putting them back to bed with stern warnings. As she left the room, she heard the three-year-old say with a trembling voice, "Who was THAT?"

4. A grandmother was telling her little granddaughter what her own childhood was like. "We used to skate outside on a pond. I had a swing made from a tire; it hung from a tree in our front yard. We rode our pony. We picked wild raspberries in the woods." The little girl was wide-eyed, taking this all in. At last she said, "I sure wish I'd gotten to know you sooner!"

5. My grandson was visiting one day when he asked, "Grandma, do you know how you and God are alike?" I mentally polished my halo and I said, "No, how are we alike?'' "You're both old," he replied.

6. A little girl was diligently pounding away on her grandfather's word processor. She told him she was writing a story.

"What's it about?" he asked.

"I don't know," she replied. "I can't read."

7. I didn't know if my granddaughter had learned her colors yet, so I decided to test her. I would point out something and ask what color it was. She would tell me and was always correct. It was fun for me, so I continued. At last, she headed for the door, saying, "Grandma, I really think you should try to figure out some of these colors yourself!"

8. When my grandson Billy and I entered our vacation cabin, we kept the lights off until we were inside to keep from attracting pesky insects. Still, a few fireflies followed us in. Noticing them before I did, Billy whispered, "It's no use Grandpa. Now the mosquitoes are coming after us with flashlights."

9. When my grandson asked me how old I was, I teasingly replied, "I'm not sure." "Look in your underwear, Grandpa," he advised "Mine says I'm 4 to 6." (WOW! I really like this one -- it says I'm only '38'!)

10. A second grader came home from school and said to her grandmother, "Grandma, guess what? We learned how to make babies today." The grandmother, more than a little surprised, tried to keep her cool. "That's interesting," she said. "How do you make babies?" "It's simple," replied the girl. "You just change 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'."

11. Children's Logic: "Give me a sentence about a public servant," said a teacher. The small boy wrote: "The fireman came down the ladder pregnant." The teacher took the lad aside to correct him. "Don't you know what pregnant means?" she asked. "Sure," said the young boy confidently. 'It means carrying a child."

12. A grandfather was delivering his grandchildren to their home one day when a fire truck zoomed past. Sitting in the front seat of the fire truck was a Dalmatian dog. The children started discussing the dog's duties.

"They use him to keep crowds back," said one child.

"No," said another. "He's just for good luck."

A third child brought the argument to a close. “They use the dogs," she said firmly, "to find the fire hydrants."

13. A 6-year-old was asked where his grandma lived. "Oh," he said, "she lives at the airport, and whenever we want her, we just go get her. Then, when we're done having her visit, we take her back to the airport."

14. Grandpa is the smartest man on earth! He teaches me good things, but I don't get to see him enough to get as smart as him!

15. My Grandparents are funny, when they bend over, you hear gas leaks and they blame their dog.

SEND THIS TO OTHER GRANDPARENTS, ALMOST GRANDPARENTS, OR HECK, SEND IT TO EVERYONE. IF THEY'RE NOT ALREADY GRANDPARENTS, MAYBE SOMEDAY THEY'LL GET LUCKY AND BECOME ONE!

IT MIGHT JUST MAKE THEIR DAY!

 

I have just been requested to report my job search results to the DWP as part of my commitment so I can receive financial support

This was my reply

"I've been asked to fill in a work search journal entry.

As this is a requirement then I am here to say that I am not available to work part-time or full-time as I am unable to leave my home to attend interviews or work due to long-term sickness, limited mobility and life-limiting medical conditions.

I read job ads every day and there are no jobs available at the post box at a few metres from my home and that is the furthest I can walk. I tried yelling through the opening of the post box

"HAVE YOU ANY JOB VACANCIES?", but no one replied"

This is the entry I added to show what work prep I am doing

"This is a message about my work prep.

I am currently studying courses in proofreading, copy-editing and English Grammar. I am setting aside study slots every day and am also reading books on how to get published and how to use the Kindle Create program, which I will be using to publish the book I am currently writing."

Red Tape Woes

 

So many people have told me that I'm not neuro diverse without a diagnosis. It's like a woman having a baby and being told she was never pregnant, as there was no test to prove this.

Seriously?...I'm not about to start down another diagnosis path at 63 lol I'm having too much fun to stop now lol

It seems a consultation with a private clinical psychologist back in the 90s doesn't count as they didn't work for the NHS

I'm going to have to watch Happy Valley again because I don't recall what it was about.

Memory loss has it's up side as I can repeatedly rewatch the same series like I've never seen it before.

It doesn't help me recall people I should recognise when they visit though. People have to introduce themselves when I open the front door, even when I have known them for years.

Three Months On

 

Billy died on this day 3 months ago. Everyone who has carried on chatting on here with me, commenting on my posts, and supporting me during this time can stay.

I understand that life goes on and I don't expect you all to put your life on hold for my journey.

I am, however, genuinely puzzled as to why most of Billy's family totally ignored that I cared for THEIR very poorly family member for 9 years when most of them couldn't be bothered even to drop by once in a while for a few minutes to check on Billy and chat with him for the whole 9 years I looked after THEIR family Member.

I would have understood if the family that neglected him had lived thousands of miles away, but they mostly live in the same town or nearby.

True colours and all that.

Where Is Everybody?

 My best friend died in November last year and I was his live-in carer. He has a huge family in the same town and none of them, except a couple of notable exceptions, who supported Billy for years, has called, texted, nor contacted me on social media since he died nor since the funeral.

My biggest supporters include family and friends who are the same people who supported me when Billy was around. Some live in my home county and some from thousands of miles away. I appreciate all my friends and family. It's at times like this that we learn who our real friends are.

Universal Credit Blues Part One

 

I am preparing for a telephone appointment about Universal credit. I was sent a text today informing me that the call is this afternoon and I'm expected to magically come up with forms of ID I don't have in about an hour or so.

I have also been asked for a fit not and don't know anyone who can say whether or not I am fit for work as I haven't seen a GP for years as I have been busy caring for someone at home and couldn't leave them on their own. I am disabled and housebound. I am wondering how I am meant to look for work since I can't show that I can't work.