"Music was my first love, and it will be my last" , as beautifully sung by John Miles in the (dare I say it!) 70's. How true, John dear. Music has been the backdrop to so many of my life events, good and bad, since I could barely talk, (and before you all shout it at once, no, that wasn't last week!).
So many "Tweeps" use Blip.Fm, and what a joy that little internet toy has been to me. What other "place" could have taken me through my childhood,early teens,my "discovery phase", having my children and so on, and so forth in the space of a couple of hours? I also discovered how vast and diverse not only my own musical taste is, but also of others that I have grown to "tweet", and in some cases, love very much indeed.
I have also noticed, personally, that through this indirect medium of communication, I subconciously display my moods and thoughts directly from what I "blip", I also believe those that I follow mostly do the same. Marvelous if you are at a loss as to how to articulate what you need/feel.
Marvelous if you just can't find the words yourself, and, let's face it, we can all do with "A little help from our friends" once in a while don't we?
Saturday 10 April 2010
Sunday 21 February 2010
The Second Stand!
Gosh! This blogging malarky is harder than I thought! I have so many ideas running through my poor, addled brain, but getting them onto the web? That takes a certain skill I believe. Trying to keep you enthralled, entertained, perplexed??
I am at the other end of an extremely hard week, half term no less, holidays being my busiest times in terms of my chosen(?) career. It did seem like a good idea at the time, being able to care for my own as well as other people's children, and make a few readies in the process.
My subject for today? Hope it doesn't come across as a rant, but please feel a little bit of respect for child minders! There does still seem to be an old fashioned notion that we plonk innocent little beings on the couch with a packet of Walker's and a sugary Blue bottle of pop. Oh, if only! (not that for one minute I suggest you do that at home kiddies! Just think of the hyperactivity for starters, and, if you indeed want to keep your house intact!) The childminder's life is bogged down with paperwork, observations and planning, being regulated (Dear, DEAR Ofsted, how we love you!) and training, training and MORE training.
I am certainly not complaining about the regulation, nor the training. If you are a parent, you'd feel far happier that your child is left in safe, capable hands, But some feel the need to barter you down, down, DOWN financially.
I will let you into a little secret, I charge £4 an hour do all of the above, plus deal with first aid should it arise, feed these children healthy meals, be a nurse, educator, health and safety expert and implement it, risk assess every day, but still some feel I am too expensive!
No real moral to this tale, just a big Thank You to whomever will read this, if you are thinking of getting a child minded on a regular basis, please ponder the above ramblings of this particular individual.
Still not very silly yet is it?
I am at the other end of an extremely hard week, half term no less, holidays being my busiest times in terms of my chosen(?) career. It did seem like a good idea at the time, being able to care for my own as well as other people's children, and make a few readies in the process.
My subject for today? Hope it doesn't come across as a rant, but please feel a little bit of respect for child minders! There does still seem to be an old fashioned notion that we plonk innocent little beings on the couch with a packet of Walker's and a sugary Blue bottle of pop. Oh, if only! (not that for one minute I suggest you do that at home kiddies! Just think of the hyperactivity for starters, and, if you indeed want to keep your house intact!) The childminder's life is bogged down with paperwork, observations and planning, being regulated (Dear, DEAR Ofsted, how we love you!) and training, training and MORE training.
I am certainly not complaining about the regulation, nor the training. If you are a parent, you'd feel far happier that your child is left in safe, capable hands, But some feel the need to barter you down, down, DOWN financially.
I will let you into a little secret, I charge £4 an hour do all of the above, plus deal with first aid should it arise, feed these children healthy meals, be a nurse, educator, health and safety expert and implement it, risk assess every day, but still some feel I am too expensive!
No real moral to this tale, just a big Thank You to whomever will read this, if you are thinking of getting a child minded on a regular basis, please ponder the above ramblings of this particular individual.
Still not very silly yet is it?
Tuesday 16 February 2010
The Blog virgin's first post
Well, I did warn you! I have been meaning to subject you to this for a wee while.
I am a rather self-concious writer. I always felt before this momentous day(?) "Are my thoughts worth sharing?", "who on God's Earth will be in the least bit bothered by my inane utterings", etc.... and so on...... I will try!
My Twitter experience has led me thus far. I have had the pleasure of "tweeting" with so many talented, interesting souls since just before Christmas. I had, however, been on Twitter for a fair while before that, just tweeting away merrily to myself, until "Fry's" pulled me happily into it's virtual bosom.
Please stay with me, I am getting to some kind of point I assure you.
To the good people of Twitter: I am getting extreme pleasure from knowing you all better, I am cheeky, I banter, I like to deliver a one-liner here and there, and most probably, you may think that's about it from me. I hope that you all appreciate how valuable you have become to me, even though we are only known to eachother virtually.
I will go straight to the point now, I'm going for the Jugular vein, but please, no violins.
I can feel slightly isolated, with the job that I do (child minding) and being a single mother.
And, you, good citizens of the interweb, have at times, pulled me out of some pretty black "stuff". I am now thinking that it is the right time to introduce the subject matter that I would like to bring to your attention, and possibly have some feedback.
I will try to keep this post impersonal and in the "Third Person" in an attempt to keep matters confidential, but they are rather close to home.
When couples part, especially when children are involved, "control" is the last word that should be applied to this situation. Unfortunately, it is used quite often, and for what purpose? A child is perfectly happy, functioning well, being productive at school and in extra-curricular activities, and yet one parent demands their "rights" to this child, and to make their choices for them.
I remember hearing something when I was a young child myself that has shaped my opinion to this day. I cannot recall who said it, maybe I should have "Googled" it, but it was something along these lines: "Children are not our possessions, they are on loan to us until they are old enough to choose their own paths". And, of course, it goes beyond the realms of "coming of age", but that is the point I am making today.
Parents, in fact, have very little in the way of "rights", it is the children themselves who have them and, rightly so as long as it isn't abused. That "Third Person" has misinterpreted the meaning of "responsibility", that is, in essence, all a parent has.
So, my thoughts on this? That some use this as a stick to beat the other with, has nothing to do with parenting and is done for all the wrong reasons, (usually insecurity or hatred).
I'm sure you have realised by now, that the third person I refer to has dealings with me and, you would be right in your deducing. My summary? I have some brilliant friends, I have people in my life as close to family as you might get without sharing blood (eurgh!), But, Dear Twitterati,on some days had it not been for you, recent events may have been much much darker than they could so easily have been.
I dedicate this blog virgin's post to all of you. Me love you long time! (I promise that subsequent blogs SHOULD be more cheery!)
ARE YOU STILL AWAKE???
:-)
I am a rather self-concious writer. I always felt before this momentous day(?) "Are my thoughts worth sharing?", "who on God's Earth will be in the least bit bothered by my inane utterings", etc.... and so on...... I will try!
My Twitter experience has led me thus far. I have had the pleasure of "tweeting" with so many talented, interesting souls since just before Christmas. I had, however, been on Twitter for a fair while before that, just tweeting away merrily to myself, until "Fry's" pulled me happily into it's virtual bosom.
Please stay with me, I am getting to some kind of point I assure you.
To the good people of Twitter: I am getting extreme pleasure from knowing you all better, I am cheeky, I banter, I like to deliver a one-liner here and there, and most probably, you may think that's about it from me. I hope that you all appreciate how valuable you have become to me, even though we are only known to eachother virtually.
I will go straight to the point now, I'm going for the Jugular vein, but please, no violins.
I can feel slightly isolated, with the job that I do (child minding) and being a single mother.
And, you, good citizens of the interweb, have at times, pulled me out of some pretty black "stuff". I am now thinking that it is the right time to introduce the subject matter that I would like to bring to your attention, and possibly have some feedback.
I will try to keep this post impersonal and in the "Third Person" in an attempt to keep matters confidential, but they are rather close to home.
When couples part, especially when children are involved, "control" is the last word that should be applied to this situation. Unfortunately, it is used quite often, and for what purpose? A child is perfectly happy, functioning well, being productive at school and in extra-curricular activities, and yet one parent demands their "rights" to this child, and to make their choices for them.
I remember hearing something when I was a young child myself that has shaped my opinion to this day. I cannot recall who said it, maybe I should have "Googled" it, but it was something along these lines: "Children are not our possessions, they are on loan to us until they are old enough to choose their own paths". And, of course, it goes beyond the realms of "coming of age", but that is the point I am making today.
Parents, in fact, have very little in the way of "rights", it is the children themselves who have them and, rightly so as long as it isn't abused. That "Third Person" has misinterpreted the meaning of "responsibility", that is, in essence, all a parent has.
So, my thoughts on this? That some use this as a stick to beat the other with, has nothing to do with parenting and is done for all the wrong reasons, (usually insecurity or hatred).
I'm sure you have realised by now, that the third person I refer to has dealings with me and, you would be right in your deducing. My summary? I have some brilliant friends, I have people in my life as close to family as you might get without sharing blood (eurgh!), But, Dear Twitterati,on some days had it not been for you, recent events may have been much much darker than they could so easily have been.
I dedicate this blog virgin's post to all of you. Me love you long time! (I promise that subsequent blogs SHOULD be more cheery!)
ARE YOU STILL AWAKE???
:-)
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