It's good to talk - so please do.

I have always been a spiritual kind of person; someone who hates conflict and aggression. 

I have always been a quiet sort of person and prefer my own company.

I have always sought to see the good in people and to treat people as I would like them to treat me. 

I was bought up to help others if it was within my capability to do so. 

I try to live a good life and do the right thing; I believe that having a conscience means that you instinctivly know what is right.

  

Being aware of what is right and what is wrong means that you make a choice, sometimes unconciously, about everything you do.

Most people have a conscience but many don't use it. They allow their lives and their minds to be filled with insignificant stuff that ultimately controls their lives.

When you are awake to higher things you tend not to mix with people who allow their lives to be controlled by meaningless "stuff".

I am not here to convert others to seeing the greater good in life - if they choose the path they live that is up to them. 

I know others don't feel the same way; they believe that everyone can be led towards the higher conscienceness and have their eyes opened.

I tend to believe that they need to open their eyes first, even if only slightly and then seek guidance.

It might sound like I'm waffling on here and maybe I am a bit because what I am trying to say here is not something that I talk about much to people I know so its difficult to express things in a simple and easy to understand way.

We live in a technological age where ideas and news can go around the globe in minutes - the world has become a much smaller place in the past 30 or 40 years.

People are connected to each other via the internet and mobile phones and we connect to people on the other side of the world who we may never see in real life.

So many of us have our view of the world shaped by social media and our interactions with it and with each other yet are we loosing the ability to interact with each other in the real world?

Stand at a bus stop or sit in a cafe; do you see people talking to each other - face to face? No, usually they are glued to their mobile phone checking their social media.

I was sat in a cafe before Christmas and a Dad came in with his young daughter. They sat at a nearby table chatting away; she seemed to love having the undivided attention of her Dad. Then the drinks arrived and Dad pulled out his mobile and spent the next 20 minutes scrolling through Facebook whilst his daughter sat there in silence, slowly stirring her milkshake with her straw.

Is that what "family time" has been reduced to - A few moments between social media updates??

What I am trying to say is that we have somehow lost the connection to each other and thereby our connection to what makes us human. 

By not talking to each other in a deep and meaningful way, we are severing our connections with our deeper being. 

The suicide rates, especially amongst men are rising steeply. People find it hard to talk openly and honestly to someone else about how they feel. 

I believe that social media can play a positive role in this by letting people know that it's ok to talk but we have to also admit that social media is also creating these problems.

It acts as a mask that some people use to show the world a version of themselves that they think others want to see. It's often not the version they see when they look at themselves.

It is time for you to take off the mask and reveal your authentic true self. 

Start by taking a long hard look at your life. Are you living a life that you are happy with? If not, what would make your life happier and make you more contented?

Once you begin to understand what it is you want in life, beyond the usual lots of money or fame etc, then you can begin to make those changes that you need to make in order to have the life you want.

If you are constantly telling yourself, usually subconciously, that you will make the changes next week, next year, next month - then nothing will ever change. 

We are only alive for an uncertain amount of time so make the most of it. Better to live a life doing something you enjoy and that makes you happy than to spend your life feeling trapped in a dead end job and growing old and being full of regrets.

You only have one life so live the life you truly want. 

Once a metalhead - always a metalhead!!

Back in February 1978, which was a long, long time ago I grant you that, I was just 14 years of age. 

Two school friends, Brenda and Clare and myself had tickets to a concert that was on in Birmingham City Centre at the Odeon in New Street. 

It was for a local Birmingham based band - you might have heard of them. They are called Judas Priest. 

This was going to be my first ever concert and I was so excited and looking forward to seeing them live on stage.

Sadly the concert was cancelled at the last minute as one of the band was ill, if I remember rightly I think it was a throat infection but I can't remember who it was. 

So I never got to see them and the only other concert I ever went to was David Essex in the same venue a year later.

Fast forward almost 41 years - I know, its a really long time isn't it?? 

In February 2019 Judas Priest are appearing in Glasgow SECC with another Birmingham legend, Ozzy Osbourne......... and I won't be there.

Despite now living on Isle of Bute which is close enough to Glasgow that I should be able to smell the leather from here - I am so disappointed that I can't make it to the concert. It will probably be the last time that these guys will tour. 
2019 is their 50th year and lets face it, as much as their fans want them to go on for ever, it's not going to happen. Even Ozzy has to hang his hat up eventually!!

My bad state of health means that I am unable to get over to Glasgow for the gig and I am truly gutted. I have been and continue to be a Judas Priest fan and would love nothing more than to be there and see them perform live.

Over the past 9 years since being diagnosed with cancer I have missed out on so much due to health issues but this is the one that upsets me the most. Might sound silly to some people but my music is the only thing that keeps me going. 

It might not be the kind of music that most people my age listen to but then I've never been a follower of fashion or trends in anything.

I am far from being your average 55 year old menopausal woman, and I wouldn't want to be anything else - well maybe one that was not so ill but thats about all. One thing that I am not and that is conventional!!

If someone could invent a machine that can transport me instantly over to the SECC on 7th February 2019 I would be eternally gratefull. 

😎

UPDATE JANUARY 2019 - Unfortunately due to Ozzy having a bad case of flu, the concerts with Judas Priest have been cancelled so its just as well that I didn't book tickets, travel and hotel accomodation for the Glasgow gig.  
I guess its kind of ironic that I missed the original gig because someone had a throat infection and now I miss ths one due to Ozzy having the flu - and add to that I am currently dealing with a chest infection and a bad cold.
Never mind. There is always next year. 

😎

We can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone.

Had this blog post going round in my head for a few days but couldn’t think of a title for it then this meme popped up in my FB newsfeed and it was perfect.

There have always been homeless people on the streets of our major cities – I remember seeing the odd one or two around Birmingham over 35 years ago when I was at college. But over recent years the number has risen dramatically and it’s no longer confined to cities; even  small towns now have a homelessness issue.

Homelessness can be  fuelled by many things from zero hour contracts; benefit sanctions; relationship breakdowns; domestic violence. Many people are living on the edge and it is said that many are just a month away from ending up homeless.

Imagine finding yourself with no option but to sleep on the streets; no roof over your head; sleeping in a shop doorway; frightened and scared of what might happen to you. Feeling cold and hungry and not knowing what is going to happen to you.

Homeless people come from all walks of life – they are people like you and me. It is only circumstances that separate us. Many of them had jobs, families, homes. The reasons why they have ended up homeless are many and varied and that is what makes the issue of homelessness so complex.

Thankfully there are many organisations up and down the UK who work to help  and support people who find themselves homeless and on the streets. Many of them are run by dedicated volunteers who give up their time to walk the streets both night and day to offer food, drinks, sleeping bags etc to those they come across.

As many of you may know I live on a small island off the west coast of Scotland and we don’t have a homeless issue here but that doesn’t mean that it’s an issue that doesn’t concern me. Even if you never come across a homeless person on the street you can’t fail to know that it is an issue. There are stories in the papers and across social media every single day.

I wanted to do something more than donate a few quid – for a start, I can’t afford to donate to every good cause I want to support. So I decided to do something practical.

I picked up my crochet hook and started to make some wrist warmers. Nothing fancy  - just something that might help keep someone warm and bring a little comfort to them knowing that someone somewhere cared.

I put a call out on Twitter for some contacts and the lovely folks at Beanies Masato got in touch. Turns out they donate one of their fab beanie hats to homeless outreach organisations for everyone that is bought. With their help I was able to make contact with some homeless outreach organisations around the UK and offer them a dozen wrist warmers to hand out to those in need.

So far we have sent some to Hope Kitchen in Oban and Birmingham’s  Homeless Support Team and have another batch ready to go out to Reallove Liverpool.

I know it’s not much but at least 36 people will have a little something to help keep them a little bit warmer now that the weather is turning colder. Actually there will be more than 36 as I’ve got another 4 or 5 places to send some too so I best get my hook out and get crocheting.

I am thankful to the people who have supplied some yarn for me to do this. I have swapped some craft items with some people on the island via a swap group I set up on FB. If you have any unwanted yarn then please have a look and see if there is anything you would like to swap it for. Every bit helps me make another pair of wrist warmers which helps keep someone somewhere a little bit warmer.

In case you are wondering why wrist warmers and not gloves the answer is simple. I can’t follow a pattern and my crochet skills are not that good. These wrist warmers are simple and quick to make and are surprisingly warm. I made myself a pair and wore them out last week on a chilly windy day.

You can follow updates on my FB page Rainbows over Bute and find out where the next batch of wrist warmers end up.

Please also check out the homeless organisations I have mentioned and if you feel so inclined then check if there is one near you and see if there is anything you can do to help them out. It doesn't always have to be money that you donate - your time is just as good and many of them can always do with an extra pair of hands.

Like I said, none of us know what's around the corner. We'd all like to think that should something like this happen to us that there would be someone there to offer help and support.

A day to remember!!

Today, 12^th July, is a special day for me for 2 reasons. 

The first reason is that 16 years ago we arrived on the Isle of Bute and moved into our new flat. I had never been here before and had only seen a few pictures that Terry had taken a few weeks earlier when he came up here to view some flats. He put in an offer on one, it was accepted the next day and 6 weeks later we arrived.

It was the start of a new life; living on a small island close to the sea (well ok, technically not the sea, but close enough for me!!) Peace & quiet,  lovely scenery, lots of walks along the beaches. Everything was perfect.

Then along came cancer and the reason why 12^th July is special for another reason. 

8 years ago today I went  over to The Beatson in Glasgow for my last radiotherapy treatment; my treatment for womb cancer was finally over.

I’d like to say that since then things have returned to some sort of normality but the truth is it hasn’t. If you have been following my blogs or know me via FB then you will know that it’s not been that straightforward.

There are no more walks along the beaches; these days I can barely walk down the stairs to hang the washing out.

Every day when I get out of bed, I am reminded that cancer came into my life and I am still living with the after–effects.

Cancer does not care about who you are, how much money you earn,  what kind of person you are or what football team you follow!!

They reckon that by 2020, 1 in 2 people will have been diagnosed with cancer. That is a hell of a lot of people – you have a 50/50 chance of being one of them, if you haven’t already been diagnosed.

They also say that a positive attitude helps you deal with it all; well I tried to stay positive when I was going through it all 8 years ago but I have nothing to be positive about now, however hard I try.

So each year, 12^th July will continue to be a reminder  that there are good things and bad things that happen to us in life. 

I guess you can’t really have one without the other.

Bring on the rain!!

Well, we rarely seem to get more than two or three days of decent sunny weather up here on west coast of Scotland but we are now into our 4th week I think it is of virtually wall to wall sunshine and high temperatures and the forecast is for at least another 2 weeks of the same.

Call me a moaner if you want, and quite a few people have already, but when you have chronic health conditions weather like this is unbearable and not nice in the slightest.
It can make existing health conditions worse and can also create new health issues yet many people just don't seem to care or understand how it affects us.

As someone who has never been one for sitting out in the sun anyway, I find it even harder to tolerate the heat and humidity since having my treatment for womb cancer back in 2010.


I can't understand, and never have, why people think its a good idea to strip off and basically fry themselves. They literally are "dying for a tan".








Cases of melanoma or skin cancer are on the rise and yet many people are unaware of the symptoms or basically just don't care.

We all know that Vitamin D is good for you and the best source is sunshine but that doesn't mean you should be sitting out in the sun for hours on end.

It amazes me that people who have already had cancer will happily sit out in blazing sunshine because they want a good tan. Do they not realise that having had cancer once you are more prone to getting it a second time? Or do they really not care anyway?

It also shocks me to see young children playing out in the hot sunshine without any protection like hats or long sleeves. And don't get me started on people who walk their dogs in this hot weather. 


It can take many years sometimes before skin cancer shows itself so you may get a good tan today but is it a price worth paying?


For more information check out the NHS website here 

Bits of Bute - Part 2

This weekend sees the very first Pride event on Isle of Bute. But do you know the history of Pride and why it exists?
I will admit that until recently I was not aware of the full story behind why Pride exists. I knew of Stonewall the organisation that campaigns for equality for all LGBT people but not much else.

Being a straight female I have always been a LGBT ally, that is someone who believes in equality for all; whether they be straight, gay, male, female, black, white, disabled or able bodied etc. We all live on this one planet and I have always believed that everyone should be treated with respect.

In 1950's America, things were not good for gay people, in fact they weren't good for gay people anywhere to be honest. If you were gay then your very existence was criminalised. You had very few rights as a gay person; you could be refused service in bars and restaurants, you could be sacked from your job if your employer found out you were gay.

On June 26th 1969  there was a police raid at The Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in Greenwich Village in New York City. Most raids were simply ones that shut bars down for a few days and they then re-opened until being raided again a few weeks later, But things got out of hand this night and it turned into a riot. People inside the bar were treated so badly by the police that many decided that the time was right to make a stand for LGBT rights.

Pride events take place around the world, usually in June every year to mark the events of that night and each year more cities, towns (and even small islands ) host their own Pride events.

This year, thanks to the guys at Scottish Honky Tonk Bute is holding its first ever Pride event and I am so looking forward to it. It has been a long time coming and I have no doubt there are people here who are not as enthusiastic about it as I am.

You may ask why we need Pride, after all, the events of 1969 are a long way off now and we live in different times. Well yes and no. It's true that many more people are more tolerant of LGBT people but that doesn't necessarily mean they accept they are entitled to equal rights just the same as straight people. LGBT people around the world still face incredible barriers in many areas, from healthcare, employment, marriage etc so there is still a long way to go to reach true equality.

You only have to look back at the events of June 12th 2016 at The Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida to see that Pride still needs to happen.

Pride events are a time to celebrate what has been achieved but also to campaign for what still needs to be achieved for true equality across the board and around the world.

As a LGBT ally, with friends and aquaintences of all shades of the rainbow, I am fully supportive of the fight for equality and will be there to see the Pride parade on Saturday in Rothesay with my rainbow badge on and my handmade rainbow earrings.

Huge admiration to the guys at the Scottish Honky Tonk for organising it and its good to see some of the local businesses getting onboard and putting out the rainbow flags.

        The West End Chippy

                                                                                                                                Our local Oxfam


There will hopefully be lots of people coming to Bute this weekend so fingers crossed that the weather is nice. We've had wall to wall sunshine for over 3 weeks then yesterday Storm Hector arrived. Lets hope he leaves before the parade on Saturday.

Rumour has it that even the BBC will be covering the event!!

 

So, hopefully I will have some pics to show you next time. if you get the chance to go to a Pride event then please do.
Show your support and spread the love.

Have fun.

For more details about the history and background to Pride and the Stonewall riots check out https://www.theodysseyonline.com/history-gay-pride

#GetLippy about #wombcancer

I know now that there are 5 gynaecological cancers but back at the end of 2009 I had only ever heard of 2 – ovarian and cervical. So being diagnosed with a cancer I had never heard of came as a bit of a shock to say the least. When I was told I had endometrial carcinoma I actually had to ask my gynaecologist where exactly the cancer was!! I then decided to call it womb cancer because it was much less of a mouthful!!

I am now a bit more savvy when it comes to gynae cancers and now know that there are 5 of them. Just in case you don't know all 5 they are womb, ovarian, cervical, vulval and vaginal - listed in order of numbers diagnosed.

After I finished my treatment in July 2010 I started doing some research and began to realise that even though womb cancer was the most common of the 5 gynae cancers there was very little awareness about it and even less research. There was also no dedicated womb cancer support groups out there so in 2011, I started Womb Cancer Support UK, which is an online based not for profit organisation.

It soon became apparent that many of the women who came to us for support had never heard of this cancer either before being diagnosed with it so I was determined to make sure that awareness was just as important as supporting those women who had already been diagnosed.

Over the past 7 years, not only have we supported many women who have been diagnosed but we have worked hard to raise awareness of womb cancer. Sadly there is this misconception that it is a cancer than only affects older women, mainly post-menopausal ones but we know from the women that come to us that it can affect women of all ages.

We know of at least 2 young women who were diagnosed before the age of 20; we also know of several young women in their 30’s who have died as a result of womb cancer;  I myself was told at 46 that I was on the young side to get womb cancer.

We need to make sure that all women (and GP’s) understand that a woman is #NeverTooYoung to get womb cancer. It can and does affect women of all ages.

Throughout the  month of May  The Eve Appeal is running their #GetLippy campaign to raise awareness of all 5 gynae cancers – the 3rd week of the month they are focussing on womb cancer so please get behind the campaign and help #GiveWombCancerAVoice.

We need all women to be aware of womb cancer and know that it could affect them. If you are experiencing any sudden heavy bleeding or bleeding between your normal periods or get any post-menopausal bleeding then please don’t ignore it like I did. Go see your GP and get checked out. It may not be womb cancer but if it is then the sooner it’s caught the better the outcome.

If you or someone you know has been diagnosed, either recently or in the past and want some support then you can check out our website or find us on Facebook.