Hail The Sun?

Photo Copyright: Maggie May

We are now into Summer time, having missed out on an hours sleep on Easter Sunday morning when the clocks went forward. The weather was bitterly cold during the whole holiday. This photo shows hailstones but not from the recent holiday. It belongs to another era, but illustrates perfectly well the way the weather is misbehaving right now.

My daughter, Deb, did manage to get to our house for the Easter Weekend but it was touch and go whether she could get Rick, who has autism, into the car or not. He is too old/big to force into the car and he isn't able to look after himself if she went away for a weekend even though he is almost seventeen. Nor is he responsive to bribery or threats of a computer ban as he would just accept what came his way if he really didn't want to do something. Anyway, after being warned not to buy in any extra food or go to any trouble in case Rick wouldn't get into the car, at the very last minute, Deb phoned to say they were just leaving at about noon on Good Friday. Once he was here, he settled in very well though preferred to stay in his room in the semi darkness with his iPad. However, teenagers tend to do that anyway. He has tremendous power to control the rest of the family, though.

It is a bit hard on Dean, who really appreciates going on trips away and it must be really trying for Deb. She is hoping to get help for him and has recently had a few visits from different organisations in her own home, concerning Autism. Lets hope that something comes of that.

After Deb remarking that the west coat of England was so very much colder than the east, (and I've always experienced the opposite) the day after she left on Easter Monday, we had beautiful sunshine and I was able to sit out on the bench in the sun and enjoy the new light in the garden since next door cut his huge Leylandii tree down.  I did wrap up in a fleece though. It has continued to be sunny but cold. However that is a move in the right direction, isn't it?

Cheerful Amaryllis

Photo Copyright: Maggie May

Last December, Mr and Mrs Bluelights (my brother and sister in law) bought Harry and me an Amaryllis bulb that was already planted up, for our Wedding Anniversary. After a slow start and having to move it into a warmer place, I am really pleased that the flower head has now almost fully opened out and to my delight, another bud is emerging from the earth too that will give us a second show once the first flower is over. The flowers help to liven up these dull days. In fact, there has been a very sharp change in our weather and it exceptionally cold at the moment, which will not be good for either flora or fauna to suddenly have to face this severe weather after Spring seemed to have encouraged buds to open and birds to look at nesting possibilities.

I have been extremely busy lately as our son, Sam, has started a new job on a few weeks trial and as it is full time, on the three or four days that Sandy works, the children are dropped off for breakfast at our house and then they walk to the local school by themselves. Then shortly after 3.30, they call back here and wait until Sam picks them up after his work. I won't say too much about this job until we are sure that he is offered it permanently but we are all hoping that he does get the position because they really need the money and it would help them with all the planned alterations to their house that are in the pipeline but being held up through lack of funds. The downside is that he doesn't get school holidays so this might represent a bit of a problem! I think we are too boring and not fit enough to cope with them full time. We shall have to see what happens.

Most schools in Bristol had their half term last week but the school and college that my grandsons go to on the east coast had theirs this week and so my daughter was able to come for a few days with them. I expect that I have mentioned that my sixteen year old grandson, Rick is on the autistic spectrum and has good intellectual skills but very under developed social skills. He is not getting on well in college and I most of the time doesn't get there and he likes to spend most of his time on his computer or in bed. (I know that many teenagers who are not autistic like to do this too!) It is causing us all, especially my daughter, who is trying to cope with bringing them up alone and also running her child care business too, much worry. Rick is waiting to be seen by various organisations but I don't think there is much help that is available. It seems that they are all going through unchartered waters and being in a position where he is classed as not really a child and yet not really adult, either. Lets hope that their needs will be met and that Rick's not experiencing bullying or anything like that.

On a happier note, I was thrilled to received a cook book for vegetarian slow cooking from my blog friend,  Denise Nesbitt following one of my posts about buying and trying out a Crock Pot. I must say that some of the recipes appear to be delicious and I am seriously thinking of going completely vegetarian after all this horse meat scandal. Don't get me wrong, it is perfectly alright to eat horse meat if one chooses to, but completely wrong to slip it into products and charge high prices and disguise it as something else. That definitely is fraud.

I have been experimenting with fennel in casseroles and think it has a delicious taste. Does anyone else like fennel?

Happy New Year

Happy New Year everyone!

From my point of view, I hope it will be a better one than last year!

I can remember last New Year's Eve (2007), celebrating with my daughter and grandsons, who happened to be holidaying with us. We'd all stayed up late to let in the New Year with a family friend. We'd played games with the children while we sat round the table and drank wine (the children didn't, honestly!)

Little did we know then, that within the coming year, Deb would be left a widow. Just as well we never know what is in store for us. Now I am being a damper...... but it does make you wonder.

Once again, the family have been staying with us over the Christmas holiday and we are about to let in another New Year and we cannot help but be slightly apprehensive about what the year holds for us. 

  

On Boxing Day we went to London Victoria by coach ( a rather bizarre thing to do as Deb was getting quite near to home again and had already travelled across England once, to be with us!) We had backtracked to London to see a musical in the West End, *Joseph* starring Lee Mead.

After the show, which we all enjoyed, Deb had been hoping to get her programme autographed but all she received from Lee, after queuing, was a pre signed photo, which was better than nothing, I suppose. She never got to chat to him, though.

I travelled quite happily back to Victoria by tube train. As long as I have someone with me who knows what they are doing, I don't mind the Tube a bit!

Deb has caught up with a good few "old" friends from school and her nursing training days and we have visited relatives and travelled to The Midlands to see Deb's mother in law, who had been staying with her other son over Christmas. A difficult time for her, as you can imagine.

Rick and Dean, my two grandson's have been great while staying with us and we have been glad of their company. Rick, the oldest who was recently diagnosed with autism, seems to be doing very well and has lost the anger that he displayed after the death of his father. He is much calmer now, and did so much better at school last term, probably because he has a special helper.

Deb and I have been reading some very helpful books on the subject of autism. I have found this to be particularly helpful in trying to understand how my grandson's mind might be working and how confused he must be when I don't understand why he sometimes doesn't respond to me the way I would like him to. I realize that I must find different approaches if I want to make breakthroughs concerning behaviour and understanding what makes him tick. Good progress has been made with those things, during the holiday, though.

One of the hardest things to deal with is the fact that Rick will only eat certain brands of food like bread and the soya milk that he has to have.  If we cannot get hold of a particular brand, he refuses to eat or drink it. (He knows it is different without seeing the container, just by taste). As he is so thin, we cannot just let him go without.

Deb has joined a few organizations and went on some trips with the boys before she came to us and she seems to be building up a better social life now.

One thing that books have taught me is just how diverse this condition is and how different each child is one from another. No easy answers, much of it is to follow instincts and wait and see.

You might be wondering how I am finding time to read these books! Deb brought a few over with her, lent by Rick's school, so obviously I have to read them fast. Every time I have an opportunity, I open up and read some more. I love books anyway and have a whole stack of books waiting to be read that I had as presents!

Our granddaughters, Amber and Millie, and parents, went back to Japan before Christmas, to visit the other grandparents and relatives, who really miss them all. They are due to fly back very soon and sleep off their jet lag before school starts again. 

Anyway....... Happy New Year Folks!

Hoping that 2009 will prove to be a good year for you all and I wish everyone peace.

Things look frightening in the middle east and the credit crunch is making our lives difficult, but surely there is always the possibility of peace in our own lives and this is my wish for you all...... peace.