You Know What REALLY Freaks Me Out?

It's a bank holiday weekend here in Olde England! Which means that we can wave goodbye to the luverly weather we've been having and say hello to traditional English Bank Holiday Rain. Fact! But we will have fun anyway, lolling on my sister's sofa for the whole weekend and eating rainy barbecue and watching 'Fawlty Towers' DVDs. Bliss!

And, I am going to talk about something today that really disturbs me. I think it would be good therapy, you know? To Talk.

Inhale...

You know when you have to untie wet laces? Shoelaces, or even *shudder* track pants laces??? OH MY GOD THAT JUST CRAWLS MY BLOOD!!!! Am I alone in this? Do other (seemingly normal) people freak out when they do these things? I mean, I don't FREAK OUT like running down the road naked, just sort of quietly "aaaaargh!" Or maybe there's something else that freaks you out, and you need to get it off your chest? Tell me all, and I'll give you a sympathetic ear, because I love you and I understand. Okay?

Is It Thursday Already??

Where is the week going?

I am producing a newsletter for the National Childbirth Trust for the South Dorset area, and it's a learning experience I tell you. Talk about in at the deep end! The last NCT group sort of disbanded a few years back, leaving absolutely no records or advice, and here I am (here we all are, in fact) starting from scratch... Trying to find old contacts. Leaving voice mail messages to potential corporate advertisers that say, "Hello, this is Nan S. calling from the NCT. We are currently working on bringing out our new-look! newsletter! in time for summer! and DO NOT PUT THAT IN YOUR BROTHER'S NOSE YOUNG MAN ARE YOU CRAZY and if you would be interested in advertising space in SHHHHH I'M ON THE PHONE would you please call me at, seven, ummm... what the hell is my phone number? *sigh* well! I'll get back to you on this then.Thank you."

Which is why email is really the way to go, in case you were wondering how to sell your ad space. And if you DO have to phone, don't state your name and company first. Leave it to the end, and if it's gone really badly you can insert an enemy's name and business contact instead. OR! You could invent a random other charity (bring back frilly socks! newsletter!), and pretend that you are in competition! That way you can call the next day (disguised voice) and leave your very professional voicemail, (children having been tied up, gagged and placed in convenient cupboard) and the company will say, "Oh, we'll advertise with THEM, not those other weirdos."

Apart from slight glitches like that, the newsletter is coming along well, and I have learned so much about Publisher programs, advertising, remembering to add VAT to invoices, mass e-mailing, layouts, printing, fundraising, charity regulations, and all the things that a magazine needs. Advertisers have been mostly enthusiastic and kind. This has been better, so far, that doing a course, and I only hope that I make my printing deadlines and make a profit, and don't make an ass of myself (much). Wish me luck! My fellow NCT-ers are also doing a great job, and are professional and awesome. Their first fundraising event was a huge success. The chair, Kathryn, is my hero. They are a great group to work with!

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In Trini news...

On the back of the water truck from the last post, there is some Trinidadian "Picong" for your entertainment. See why I love Trinis? There is an election coming up in Trinidad. Will the next government be sensible, honest and intelligent? Will the rainforest be saved? Will residents be provided with water and other basics? Time will tell. Meanwhile, the elections Picong is keeping us all entertained.

In other environmental news, I have a new bicycle! Sean is home on leave, which means more fun around here and best of all, another responsible grownup in the house! I have hardly cooked a thing all week, and am using those wonderful words "Go Ask Dad" to my heart's content. Anyway, Sean and Chas and Sam built me a beautiful bike, using parts from a "Part Bundle" and other bits. They are amazing! Look at my pretty bike, complete with wicker basket!

I feel very provincial, pedalling around town. Sean is an avid cyclist - he was the local junior champion before I met him - and he has been trying to get me enthusiastic about cycling for fourteen years (you have to admire his optimism!) The first time I agreed to go riding with him, I fell spectacularly into a bush full of stinkbugs. I wobble along, Sean offering advice and encouragement, but I will never be able to keep up with him. My last bike had lots of gears and go-faster features, and I STILL wobbled along in one gear.

So Sean has learned to accept that if we ride together, it will be very slowly, chatting about the scenery (me: Look at that cottage! Oh wow, it must be AAAAARGH A TREE! Sean: Gear down, stand on your pedals, don't lean forward! What did you say?) And to this end, he has provided me with a pretty 3-speed bike which will never win a race but looks mighty fine and has THE most comfy saddle ever graced by my bottom. Sean has been valiantly walking up hills with me pushing our bikes, and hiding his face when another Real Cyclist comes zipping past leaving us in his dust.

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And last of all.... I would like to direct you to GNM Parents, where my latest article will explain why Two Heads Are Better Than One. In fact, if you are a parent, or thinking of one day becoming a parent, or have friends who are parents, you should subscribe to GNM Parents. Just click on the 'Subscribe' button on the right-hand side of the page, and you'll get quality daily emails about parenting. Don't worry, no spamming will happen. GNM will not use your email address for any other purpose.

Now, I'm off to go riding to Market Day in Boscombe, and have lunch in the Boscanova Café with my husband. Nice!

On Forestry

Most people who have heard of Bunty O'Connor of Ajoupa Pottery know about her art. But in recent years, Bunty has been campaigning for protection of the forests of Trinidad, with able-bodied assistance from husband Rory and permaculturists like Johnny Stollmeyer and Erle Noronha. The 'Ajoupa' estate in central Trinidad is home to hundreds of seedlings of the rare and the endemic trees of the region, along with our popular fruit and wood trees. 


Rearing the seedlings is hard work: The local water authority does not pipe water to many rural areas in Trinidad, so during the rainy season the residents collect rain water, and during the dry season (from January to May) they use trucks with tanks. A hired truck can cost US$100, too much for most residents, but the area is officially agricultural so water collection efforts can become desperate.


Despite difficulties, Bunty and Rory continue to work educating kids about forestry, fighting bush fires, planting trees and being the world's most amazing parents and grandparents (I couldn't resist that!)

 

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Letter To the Editor from Bunty O'Connor

The bare lands of Central Trinidad, once under forest, cleared for sugar and now baked hard by fire and sun.  A river used to run in the valley between the hills.  This landscape is extremely difficult to repair and will require daily vigilance in the dry season over many years to prevent illegal burning if it is to be restored.

Dear Sir,

Everyone would agree that Trinidad is a very small island, only 40 miles by 50 miles and supporting a population of a million and a half inhabitants, billions if we include the birds, insects, beasts and reptiles. This makes it easy to despoil and we have been burning, hacking, littering and quarrying as if tomorrow would never come.  Over the past 50 years, there have been warnings a-plenty from our own biologists and ecologists about the effect of fire on our hillsides and lowlands, mining and quarrying and destruction of forested lands.  Denuding the hills has resulted in our streams drying up - take a drive to Asa Wright and see how the hundreds of "leaks" in the mountain side have disappeared.  2010 has arrived with a vengeance, bringing our first sampling of what happens when we ignore the earth we live on and do nothing to repair it.   Global warming is blamed for our present situation of drought and intense daytime temperatures are caused, we are told, by the "burning of fossil fuel".  We are somehow left with the impression that this evil is carried out by "industrialized nations" somewhere out there. Intellectuals pontificate and leave us feeling that there is nothing we can do to help the situation. 

But there is.

We can plant trees.

Trees do any number of useful things.  They provide shade in the dry season, providing they are the right sort of tree.  Have you ever wondered why the grass is always greener and the air cooler where there is shade?  In Trinidad, we have lots of trees to choose from - over 300 different species that grow here naturally.  Roots of trees dive deeply down into the earth, holding it up in areas prone to landslide, allowing rain to percolate deep down to replenish water supplies. Roots die too and are replaced on an ongoing basis.  Their remains and the leaf litter that accumulates, provide nourishment for organisms that build up the soil.   Roots of some trees, like the immortelle and the pois doux, harbour bacteria which make their own fertilizer and share with the surrounding plant community as is seen in a cocoa plantation.  A tree is not a creature that remains static; its pattern of growth is slower than ours and it may require 3 or more human generations to care for the same tree, so we need to look upon our living trees as savings or money in the bank.  Scientists have recently declared that trees give off chemicals that create rainclouds.  Giants of the rainforest create their own rainfall patterns by transpiration and the interaction of leaves and insects.  If this is so, then we should be planting hundreds of groves of trees to win some of this holy water.  Trees absorb pollution and they give off oxygen.  The atmosphere in which our brains evolved held more oxygen than it does today, so perhaps this is why we are suffering from the ignorance and inertia that prevents us from getting out and repairing our communities and countryside.  The outlook is dismal, no water, no rain, no shade, no trees and to make it worse no action.  Trees and water go together; trees circulate water up and down their trunks and branches.  They transpire water vapour through their leaves into the atmosphere which has the effect of cooling the surrounding air.  Water shortages will become more and more critical until we begin to understand the relationship between forests and water.  

A recent project being carried out in south Trinidad promises to be a successful example of collaboration between teachers, children, big business and agriculture.  Funded by one of our multinationals, the project educates primary and secondary schoolchildren about the importance of permaculture or agro forestry.  The children collect their own seeds and germinate them at school.  When they are big enough, the plants are sold or exchanged with other schools for planting.  Because of the diversity of environments where these schools are located, there is a tremendous variety of trees, shrubs and herbs to collect.  The students are also expected to research their finds and keep a record.  After planting, which is done at the beginning of the rainy season, the stem of the plant is protected from the weedwackers with split PVC pipe, the trees are watered and maintained and a note is keep in a small record book.  It is hard work and everyone gets such enjoyment from the day spent planting and watering, that one cannot imagine why children all over the island can't do the same, especially as so many schools stand in bare tracts of land with only a lonely neem or manila palm tree.  Orchards of "old fashioned" fruits have been established in some of these schools, and playgrounds surrounded with shade trees.  Maintenance is an issue but the children know that they have to look after their trees.  How educational is this?  The children learn about the earth they live on, observe and collect her bounty and then proceed to grow something essential to their own health, wealth and happiness.

Every boy and girl plants a tree or three!

The dry season is the time of year when trees make seed pods and fruit.  Why not go out and collect some?   Go to the market and find fruit that is on sale: sapodilla, sugar apple, chenette, guava, cashew, coconut, cherry, chataigne, pommerac, paw paw and mango.  Look for poui and immortelle seeds drifting down on the breeze.  Get some plastic containers.  Cut off the tops, punch them full of holes at the bottom, put some soil in them, place them in a cool shady spot, put your seeds into the soil and water them.  Soon you should be rewarded with nice healthy trees.  Grow the trees on, show them to your neighbours, and talk about what you are doing.   Don't be disappointed by scornful remarks.  Tell everyone you are saving T & T.  Get the children to help.  It will be a struggle to change people's minds and habits, but persevere.  Ask them for help in planting your tree around the recreation field.  You will be the flag bearer for the new Green movement because ordinary people are at the foundation of the remedy to restore shade and balance to our communities.  Those who hack, burn and bulldoze are the criminals who threaten the rights of all of us to enjoy the beauty of nature, to be able to shelter from the sun, smell the flowers, and pick fruit and above all to breathe clean air.     

The riverside before cutting and burning. These areas need to be preserved for their water and restoration of our well being.

Bunty O'Connor,

Chickland Village

Books of the Moment

'Skulduggery Pleasant', Sam's Review: "Skulduggery is a dead magician who was killed during a war against evil. He came back as a skeleton. He has powers over fire, water and wind. This book is really good. I'm attached to it."

I'll say. He's attached to it like glue.

The heroine of the story is a girl, Stephanie, who meets Skulduggery after the death of her beloved uncle. Stephanie is a wonderful character, strong, resourceful and believable. I'm longing to know how the story ends!

'The Wee Free Men' is one of Terry Pratchett's books for kids. Ahhh, Terry Pratchett, one of my favourite authors of all time! If it weren't for Terry Pratchett, I may not ever have recovered from the death of Douglas Adams. Sean and I both love Terry Pratchett's grownup books. He's laugh-till-your-sides-ache funny.

Tiffany Aching is a witch; she just doesn't know it yet. With the help of some pictsies, thrown out of Fairyland for drunk and disorderly behaviour, she defeats the Fairy Queen, rescues the young Baron, and discovers a new appreciation for her baby brother.

This book is also available in an illustrated version, which I would love to see!


'Skulduggery Pleasant' and 'The Wee Free Men' are both firsts in their series. I sense a whole lotta reading coming on, in this household.

Trinis: Wise, Loving, Amazing People

Snap Elections next month!


Trinis who have been out of the country for a few months are no longer allowed to vote, but in the elections two years ago, Chinese labourers who were shipped in to build the NAPA were allowed to vote? Trinis, if you're there, if you can vote, please do. Put one in for me and all of the Trinis who are residing and studying 'overs'.

I know that we'll get it back, Trini! We are an amazing people.

Video by Elspeth Duncan

Foolproof? Is Not What We Need Here

"Uh-oh, um, the sandwich maker's on fire"

"What should we do????"

"Ummmm..."

"I think you're not supposed to use water, in case of electrical fire."

"Soooooo...."

We all stand around, looking with interest as the small flame does not go out all by itself. We switch off the plug, and pull it out. The flame gets bigger.

"Well. Water it is, then."

I pick the whole contraption up with a hand towel, drop it into the (fortunately empty) sink, and turn the water on. Much hissing and sizzling and popping ensues. It was an el-cheapo model, bought the week we arrived to fuel our constant sandwich requirements so its demise was inevitable. But FIRE?

"Rats, I wanted another sandwich."

So, we trawled the internet for amazing, super-duper sandwich makers which do not catch fire, and we now own a Breville Panini maker! It looks really good, and we will be trying it out this evening: Sandwiches for supper!

"This looks like a really good one, guys... TOTALLY FOOLPROOF," I said. "Let's not mess it up!"

"WE? Need one that's genius-proof."

"True."

To prove that we are not COMPLETE fools, we also purchased a kitchen fire extinguisher and another smoke alarm. What if we had gone out, and not noticed the little flame??? OH my God.

Swamped!

While Eyjafjallajokull, which I hope I have spelled properly but cannot pronounce, continues to spew ash into an already carbon-rich atmosphere, I have been having my own last-minute, post-holiday panics and explosions. I exploded all over the boys, and ended up making a chart for them to collect (and lose) computer-time minutes for chores (and wicked deeds). I have had minor surgery ('tied my tubes' as much discussed previously), and am feeling sort of constipated, which is probably why I'm writing such long sentences. 


Sean is supposed to fly in on Friday morning, and if Eyjafjallajokull tries to prevent flights at that time, I will personally go up there and kick some Icelandic Volcano ass. 


Meanwhile, I am really trying to get a newsletter funded, published and printed in a month's time, and I'm looking for 'Real' freelance writing jobs that pay money (any suggestions, websites, gratefully appreciated), have been parenting three boys on my own for over two months (ooohhhh, they need their daddy on Friday!) and have a list of things to do which keeps getting longer: cross off one thing, two pop up. That's the problem with holidays, you spend two weeks having fun and then go 'OH MY EXPLODING VOLCANO GOODNESS!' Because the emails, and the stuff, and the volcano ash which is coming in and sneakily ashing everything, you know. 


Tomorrow I might write something sensible, as would befit a Real Freelance Writer. For now, you can visit GNM Parents, and read some sensible advice about how to get kids to sleep in their own beds, and why it's not a disaster if they don't. 

War Games

I am really into Love, Not War and tackling things diplomatically and whatnot. Early on, I forbade toy weapons in the house and spoke to the boys about peace and conversation. We have planted hundreds of trees, saved animals and played with dolls.

It didn't make the slightest difference. One day, they became Real Boys and every stick, every lego thing, every banana was a weapon. Their little girl friends, around that time, became more girly despite their mothers' attempts to raise Strong Women. The boys played at protecting the girls... and these kids did NOT have a T.V. Where did this come from?

A few years ago I had a discussion with a pacifist friend: He is into planting indigenous food crops and creating water swales in preparation for the end of the world. I said, "When the end of the world comes, the strongest, baddest, most violent people will survive. Not the food-planters." He disagreed, of course, and I was only giving him a hard time on purpose. We all hate to think that the human race might evolve into something MORE violent and murderous! Our visions of Utopia always involves gardens of Eden and happy loving humans. We raise our sons in hopes that they will fit into a new and peaceful world, not in hopes that they will be sent far away to kill and die.

Yesterday, we bought Nerf Guns. Today, it's mayhem around here. And my sons, raised by an anti-war family, not exposed to violence in the media, have taken to War Games like fish to water.

*Sigh*

Found In Pockets...

It's been AGES since we've discussed our pockets! We've been to London this week, so my laundry has been interesting, full of memories and profit:

• Tickets and maps from the Tate Gallery, the British Museum and the National Gallery
• Snack wrappers
• A sandwich crust (bleh)
• Some loose change
• A £5 note (mwahahahaaaa!)
• Pistachio shells
• Bus and train tickets
• Plenty of sand (as usual)
• Only one rock this week
• A squashed ice-cream cup
• A crayon
• Assorted stinky napkins
• A bead

Any profit in your pockets this week, dear readers? 

Plastique, Aaaaargh!

Bottled water is so dumb. I'm ranting about plastic at GNM Parents.

Great Book Of The Week: Gilgamesh The Hero

Gilgamesh was an ancient King who is thought to have reigned between 3200 and 2700 BC, and his story is the oldest one known to have been written down. Discovered etched into stone tablets, some broken, some lost, the very thought of the ancient-ness of the story excited my boys.

 McCaughrean's telling of this Epic Tale is excellent, beautifully written. We enjoyed the story, and discussed how so many more modern tales must have been influenced by the Gilgamesh Legend.

Gilgamesh wins battles and slays beasts, but when his best friend dies he is so distraught that he goes on a quest in search of immortality. He returns a different man, with a new appreciation for beauty, friendship and love; and he understands that in family, lies his immortality.

I can't wait for school....

No, not really... you know we all love the holidays around here. But when I just want an hour or so to catch up on my favourite blogs, and I am interrupted every three seconds by annoying boys who are hungry, or want to kill each other, or are making loud noises, you know???

Plus, the house needs a serious blitz of putting things in their places after a week of assorted overnighting visitors. And there's laundry to do.

I am feeling harassed.

So. I'm going to have a snack, and a cup of coffee, put some house-cleaning music on, and get my minions to help. That should quiet them down a little!

In Which We Lose A Phone And Two Children, But Find Adventure!

We went to Brownsea Island this week, and it was beautiful! Read all about it in the Echo...

Edited:That's the native red squirrel... on the mainland they have been overtaken by the larger European Grey squirrels, and only in a few places can you see many of them. Brownsea Island is a grey-squirrel-free zone! Photo courtesy the Echo. 

Manic, Uh, Tuesday

It's all go here! All of the visitors who said they might come and visit for the holiday came, we lost a mobile phone and two children (they had the picnic and the coffee thermos so we had to find them back), we have hiked for miles, and the sun has been shining bravely.

I hope the mobile phone turns up, but it doesn't look promising. I've blocked it, and the phone company are sending me a new sim card (same number) which is fine. But I've lost all of the numbers I had saved, so feel free to message me with your number!

Been way to busy having fun to write, but you can head to GNM Parents for my latest breastfeeding oration.

Hope your Holiday is happy!!!

Grudging Film Review: How To Train Your Dragon, based very very loosely on the books

We are huge, ginormous fans of the "How To Train Your Dragon" series of books by Cressida Cowell. When we heard that there was a movie in the making, we all did a dance of joy and looked for the trailer online. Then we all got depressed, because the film is NOT the book. We swore we would NOT go to see the film because we just couldn't deal with the storyline and the characters being so changed. 


This week, we read a review on the film where Cressida Cowell is asked whether she minded the story being so changed. She said, "No, not at all. The books are my babies, but I am not a film-maker... It works better for the film because our hero can ride the dragon and it's amazing to watch it in 3D. It's truly wonderful."


We can bear in mind that the Author has been paid a lot of money to say nice things like that about the film... but we heard from trustworthy sources that it's a good movie. So, today we all (with cousins! yay!) set out for the Great 3D Cinema Extravaganza. Chas almost didn't come, because he felt it was unfaithful to the REAL Toothless and the REAL story. We told ourselves that we would not expect the film to be in any way related to the book, we would just keep an open mind. 


And we all gave the movie two thumbs up! It really was good. There were some great messages in there, and even Chas was grinning when we left the Cinema, and said that it was an awesome movie. 


So yes, film fans. Go see the latest Dragon Movie... but don't expect the storyline or the characters from the book! Though the real Toothless The Dragon DOES make a cameo appearance. See if you can spot him!