To catch or not to catch a peacock

Well today has been the usual fun and games on the Funny Farm.  We have a poorly kitten, a staying dog, a sick friend and a house in the middle of waves of rapeseed floating gracefully in the breeze, spreading their pollen straight up my nose! I've tried my hand at planting flowers in pots and trying to make an effort in a hopes to seem like everyone else.  Being like everyone else is something I have never found very easy.  I find all the immense effort people put in to things in general is beyond me.  Still this year I decided that I would 'make the effort' just to say I tried!

Anyway back to my sick friend.  Her family have come down with a gastro bug which has taken out her husband and baby leaving her with a large stable of horses to deal with so my children have been going over to lend a hand.  She lives in a beautiful chateaux in a wonderful wooded area with stunning outbuildings converted into stables.  She has horses, peacocks, dogs and cats and lots of land to take care of.  Anyway we have been trying over the last few weeks to catch some of her peacocks and peahens as they have been multiplying at an alarming rate and she has so many now.

we have a few attempts, one being my daughter standing there with a horse coat over her head waiting for the 'go', while my friend coaxed the birds closer with pieces of bread.  This was a disaster, if you can imagine we shouted 'go' she threw the coat the birds all squawked and flew madly up in the air scattering around in a mad panic, one landing on the large sun umbrella and sliding down onto the table screeching and flapping all the way.  The others flew up into the tall trees screaming and moaning as they went!

The next attempt was a large dog crate.  This had been left out with food in it and a long string attached to the open door.  The plan was to pull the door shut when the bird was inside the crate.  Well this seemed to be a much better idea and today a bird went in.  Gently my daughter pulled the door shut and stood there while the bird went crazy screaming at all the others of the impending danger!

We stood there looking at one another all with the same thought 'what do we do now'.  We tried to fit the dog crate into my car but it was too big to slide in.  So plan B had to be put into action.  As we didn't have a plan B we all stood quietly while the bird paced up and down in the crate. In the end my friend found a large box.  We had a wonderful idea to put the box at the open door while we coaxed the bird into the box.  Well this didn't work as the bird had no intentions of going in the box.  We then covered the crate over so the bird didn't try to fly.  My daughter then climbed into the crate with bird and much to its horror she gently man handled it into the box.  Once in he box I retrieved my resident duct tape and scissors from the car and we sealed the top.  Job done!

Once home my daughter spent the rest of the evening making its home and settling it into its new surroundings.

The great thing about this is we have to do the whole thing again tomorrow and possibly a third day! The positive thing about it is plan B is now plan A and is successful!

Nothing but fun and games on the FUNNY FARM!

Making it through

My Children

Well I can officially say I made it through.  You might ask me 'through what' and I would tell you 'The Teens'!  My children are now 20 and 22 so I think I can safely say I made it through and still smiling.  The secrets of getting through this turbulent time in you children's lives is to relax, stay calm and remain their friend. Easier said than done I hear you say.  It can be a very volatile time with rushing hormones creating outburst you never thought you'd witness and lows so extreme you wouldn't be sure if your love could carry them through.    That said my children have made it through and we are all still great friends.

I always told my children that no matter what they have done, how bad they think the situation is if they don't tell me I can't help.  I also said that I would never abandon them even though I might be cross I would always help.  Having given them my best lecture I have to say they didn't do anything that needed my hair to go grey and the hairs on my skin to stand on end! It did though make then very honest and telling me everything.  I was told when my son tried his first cigarette, at 13, and found him crying asking if he was going to die of cancer now!  We are a very open family talking about sex, problems and many different issues and by making everything 'ok' to talk has meant they are responsible for their own actions and having talked about it they make good choices and act in a responsible manner. 

Having a few blips along the way and some much bigger issues we have got through it together.  I have tried to always show love and when things break down they know you are always there and the security of having the family bond without judgement means they come through their ups and downs much quicker. 

They had a strong bond with my parents and helped me care for my mum, their grandmother, before she died.  This still hurts as they were really close to her but we now talk about her, laugh about things she did, keeping her in our lives and above all remembering her everyday.

The other thing I think helps is to laugh at everything.  We always find the positive and funny side of things and have a smile or a laugh together which always lightens the day.  My children have been through quite a lot in their short lives, but being able to pigeon hole things, making sense of situations, keeping humour and being able to talk openly about everything has been essential.  All these things have created well rounded adults with a good grasp on life. 

I am extremely proud of my children, they don't smoke, they don't really drink excessively, they rarely go to clubs, they are not materialistic, they have a caring nature and they are the loves of my life.

Childhood Memories

Me and my big sister 

My earliest memory is of me sitting on a tall stall in the kitchen dipping my fingers in the gravy and licking it off while my mum did the washing up.  I was lucky to have a stay at home mum and was secure in the knowledge that she was always there.  I have memories of sitting on her lap feeling the soft fluffy dressing gown against my face. I remember my mother being the soft loving one, the one we laughed with, cried on and loved with every inch of our bodies.  My father was the one who dished out the punishments and we had to be quiet around him and do as he said!  Looking back on it, it made for a fine balance. 

I had the tiny box room which just fitted in it a little bed, wardrobe and chest of draws with little room to walk around.  I used to spend many hours lying on the bed looking up out the window at the sky and watching the clouds drift past pretending I was on a moving boat going to some faraway place.  

We had a beautiful tabby cat called Tiger who I loved so much and cried myself to sleep for weeks after he died and to add to my mourning my father said we were not getting anymore pets! I craved a pet for many years afterwards and making up for it now!  

I remember many incidents in my life like falling onto my face doing a leapfrog over my sister and breaking my bottom teeth.  I remember being hit very hard on my forehead by the swing I'm sitting on in the picture above. I remember using the end of my cats tail to pretend to brush shaving soap onto my face just like my father did with his brush in the  morning (the cat didn't mind!).  I remember telling my mum that I could see the corners of her mouth turning up and she was about to smile when she was really cross with me!  This always resulted in us laughing together. 

I also remember the lovely row of 'corner shops' we had a few minutes away, all the shop owners knew us and were really friendly.  If they didn't see mum for a while they would come around to see if she was ok and if she was ill they would deliver things they knew she had on a regular basis! Something you don't see very often now which is a shame.  

I remember walking to school holding my mum's warm hand while I skipped along telling her everything.  My mum was someone I told everything to all my life. We lived in a cul-de-sac and played outside in the road much of the time, expect Sundays when my father made us sit indoors and be quiet, the worst day of the week for me!  We had to listen to classical music my parents hated pop music and I remember when I was about 12 listening to the top 20 with a tiny transistor radio under my pillow so they couldn't here.  I also remember painting my eyelashes with the inside of a black felt tip because I was 'too young' for mascara! In the end mum relented and bought me a block mascara that you had to wet with water to apply!

I traumatically remember the first time I was fed liver, I hated it so much and I had trouble swallowing it, I cried all through my meal as we were never allowed to leave anything on our plates.  That night when I was going to bed, through massive sobs, I made mum promise never to give me it again, she never did!

I remember going to choir practice with the 'Mossman Singers' later to be known 'The Orpington Junior Singers' travelling around the country and the world singing.  Its only now I realise they were quite good and something to be proud of.  

I remember Christmas and not having the Christmas tree lights on until Christmas day because they wasted electric - even so it was a magical time and I loved every second of it.  We didn't have much but it was so much fun. I was always sad when it was all over.  I have a vivid memory of one of my Birthdays, waking up to a sewing box at the end of my bed all wrapped up, inside it contained lots of bright coloured threads, needles and a pin cushion, wonderful present.

All in all I loved my childhood, these are just a few memories I have many more but these are the things that make you who you are.  We didn't have much we weren't spoiled we didn't get loads of expensive gifts, food was basic but we were loved, cared for and secure, something all children deserve. 

Portrait of Mum

My latest drawing of my dear Mum.  I did this as a present for my sister as funds were low and this was a more personal present.  I wanted to draw one of her last photos before she left us. I have yet to send it to my sister but it will be flying across the water courtesy of La Poste any day now! 

Have I 'made it'?

I question a lot of things these days and today it was the question 'could I say I've made it?'

A strange question but it is one I hear a lot and people boast about 'making it' it such a way you could feel quite envious!

Before you decide whether you have 'made it' or not you have to decide what you goals were to start with and what would constitute 'making it' for you.

When I look at my life while counting out 9 euros in coins so I can buy some dog food and milk and seeing if I have enough for bread, I wonder what my 'made it' is.

I listen on the news about people with low income and struggling and wonder if they had as little as us would they still moan about the benefits system.  On every 48 euro I earn I have to pay 9 euros in tax and in March 48 euro was all I earned.  So to keep everyone fed and watered is an art in itself and one I have mastered over the last few years.

So my question again is 'have I made it?'.  I would say yes.  I've made it away from David Hitchcock who conned my whole family out of every penny and all their inheritance.  I made it away from the smog and crowded living.  I made it away from a very stressful busy job.  I made it away from the fast pace of living.  I've also made it back to my family.  I've made more time to be with them.  I made my mothers last few months loving and comfortable.  I've made my dear dads meals for the last few years.  I've made ends meat for 4 years.  I've rescued many animals who without me would now be dead.  I've made a new business and started drawing and painting again.  I've made loads of lovely new friends and clients.  I might have no money but I am rich is so many other ways and the fact that I like to think positive and always see the good side of things means its easier to say 'I've made it'.

So do I think I've 'MADE IT'

YES I DO!!!