Category: Views & Ramblings

1. Tears before bedtime

   Posted on 7:29pm Saturday 7th Apr 2012

   Tonight we have had tears at bedtime. We are not talking about the well known book or the Elvis Costello song, no we have had tears, in stereo I might add, from the 7 month year old and the nearly 7 year old. (my lovely other half stood on the landing between the two rooms pretending to "conduct" the chorus of cries!)

   The little one just simply didnt want to go to sleep and the big one wanted to snuggle in my bed and watch her new favourite show, The Voice, before going to sleep. Usually I would give in as its the weekend but today my patience has been tested by not being listened to over and over and over again. I am generally quite laid back and like to think of myself as firm but fair but I also dont want to suddenly wake up one day and realise that one is 17 and one is 11 years old and they still dont listen to me. So tonight we have had tough love, early to bed, no programmes, no chatting - just bed.

   High drama ensued .... of course!

   So I am sitting here, not watching The Voice (as I will undoubtedly let her watch it on demand in the morning and I dont want to watch it twice) and I am resolute that she needs to learn but sad that she has gone to bed in tears. Both of my girls have strong personalities in different ways and I dont want to crush that strength but they have to know that mummy knows best.

   My children are a gift that I am thankful for every day and whilst they may not be thanking me this evening, hopefully one day they will understand that the only voice worth listening to, is mine!

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2. The cost of a love note ...

   Posted on 11:32am Sunday 1st Apr 2012

   It has been reported this week that the Royal Mail are increasing the rates of first and second class postage stamps. Moya Greene, head of Royal Mail, this week announced a whacking 30 per cent increase in the price of a first-class stamp from 46p to 60p.  Second-class stamps will rise by even more, from 36p to 50p.

   Now the cynical amongst us may comment that Miss Greene, whose £500,000 a year salary makes her one of our highest-paid public employees, made her price-rise decision with brisk unsentimentality and this coupled with her reference to the fact that this is less than the price of most chocolate bars is difficult to swallow (unlike said chocolate bar). I happened to comment on Twitter that most small businesses dont buy countless chocolate bars a day but they do despatch countless orders by Royal Mail. (This was subsequently supported by a number of fellow small businesses).

   This wont only affect small businesses but think about families at Christmas time, will you still send cards to all your relatives around the country if the cost of a couple of book of stamps is the difference between your children having snacks that week or not? In a tough economic climate, where families struggle to make ends meet, I think less and less people will use the service, despite the Royal Mail reporting that it is still the best value service in Europe.

   In an era where email is already taking over the age old handwritten letter, these price rises dont inspire use of our Royal Mail system. There is something about a letter, they have an intimacy, you can hold them, smell them and in your temper burn or shred them if you so wish ...... hitting a delete button on a computer just doesnt have the same effect.

    

    

3. Blog Your Heart Out

   Posted on 12:00am Monday 30th Nov -0001

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   Who / what encouraged you to start blogging?

    

   How did you choose what to blog about?

    

   What is something that most people don't know about you?

    

   What three words describe your style?

    

   What do you love to do when you are not blogging?