Lots to say - so little time to say it in! I'll keep you posted xx All views and opinions my own, unless stated!
Monday, 29 December 2014
2014...
Thursday, 11 December 2014
We did it....
Saturday saw the Rucksack project event for this year, organised by Joanne Tindle, a massive success! We all know all about it now, if not have a flick back through some older blog posts of mine and check out www.rucksackproject.org, and it's amazing so many people took part!
Mum popped down on the day to help out (we were in Brighton for the day), met some amazing people and saw first hand the sheer volume of kindness in Portsmouth.
Here are a few articles etc on the day...
Well done Portsmouth, you are an amazing city, with amazing people. Much love to you all. I'm so pleased everyone has well and truly grasped, ''its nice to be nice'. No we haven't solved a crisis, but we have helped in a small way to make some people's lives a little easier.
Same time next year yeah?
TTFN, Sammy xx
Thursday, 4 December 2014
I'm not all about the base....
So I keep hearing the song, it’s terribly catchy and I must admit I quite liked it at first, until I actually heard it more and more and listened to the lyrics and then it simply made me quite cross!
I completely agree with some of the lyrics, but others I couldn’t disagree with more!
Body snark is widely written about amongst bloggers, George being one from ‘fuller figure, fuller bust’ (fullerfigurefullerbust.com - couldn't recommend this blog more!) and I must say, I had never heard the term before I read her blog but can completely and totally relate to it.
Us fat people have some kind of invisible protection, no one is allowed to call us fat or use derogatory terms, there’s lots of nice fluffy names for us, ‘curvy’, ‘voluptuous’ etc etc and yet it is deemed acceptable for us to call slimmer girls ‘sticks’, ‘ill’, ‘anorexic’ etc; how is this??
I completely understand that we are giving out wrong images to young girls, airbrushing magazine images, the peer pressure to be thin etc and this needs to stop but so does the slim girl hate, or being mean about anyone's shape/size, now defined as body snark.
So back to the bass…. I completely agree with ‘Cause every inch of you is perfect from the bottom to the top’, but shouldn’t this apply to everyone? Why should we exclude slimmer girls from this, are they not beautiful too? Meghan Trainer then goes on to say, ‘My mama she told me don’t worry about your size’, again a very applause worthy statement, but to be backed up with, ‘I won’t be no stick figure silicone Barbie doll’. If you shouldn’t have to worry about your size – surely again this must include everyone, not people who are over weight.
While we’re on the topic…. What exactly is wrong with a Barbie doll? Didn’t we all play with them and love them as children? And silicone? What is wrong with that, if you are unhappy with your body and want to change it, it should be up to you and you should not be judged on it! I bet if I wanted a gastric band and lipo no one would write a song about not wanting to be me?
Why are we so mean? Why is it deemed acceptable to have pictures depicting a slim girl in a bikini with the caption ‘Only dogs like bones’, and the personal favourite, 'Real women have curves'. Yet we never see picture saying ‘Save the whales, harpoon a fat bird’? Are we saying that not all women are real? Are we saying that slimmer girls have no feelings, that we can say all these hurtful things and it’s fine? No I think not.
I can admit, it can be frustrating for someone with a lot of weight to lose, when a very slimmer lady says she is off to weight watchers or the gym to shed the extra pounds. For me personally I'm just jealous, I’d like to be in that position where I only had a few pounds left to lose, but one day that will be me (I hope!). But we shouldn’t admonish these people, slimmer people are allowed to feel uncomfortable in their body and want to tone up and lose weight too, we shouldn’t just look at someone and say ‘er no why do YOU want to lose weigh’, no one certainly ever asks me! If they want to make a change, they have every right, the same as anyone else.
C’mon girls, we are girls/ladies/women, whatever you want to call us – but shouldn’t we all stick together? We have enough negativity from people without turning on each other due to the way we look. Can we not just celebrate each other, no matter what size?
So no, I'm not all about the base and saddened that anyone is!
Oh to live in a perfect World….
TTFN, Sammy xx
Ps… I do know that us fat people are referred to in derogatory terms and this is not acceptable as well. But just because of this doesn’t mean we should be objective and horrible about anyone else. We know what it feels like – why would you ever want to make anyone else feel like that about themselves.
Monday, 1 December 2014
Ready for the Rucksack Project Saturday 6th December 2014
All bags re-packed with the extra items we required and the 'dear police officer' slips. Everything done up and ready to go!
So pleased with our efforts and the kind help and donations from everyone else, we couldn't have done it without you! You guys really are amazing, thank you all so much.
8 rucksacks for 8 homeless people, best Christmas gifts we could give this year, ever! Plus a bag of toiletries for Centre Point, including toothpastes and soap, a bag of boots, and four bags of spare clothes/hats/socks etc for the charities to fill their stock rooms with!
All currently held in my mums bathroom, ready for the event on Saturday at Portsmouth Watersports Centre. (Yes the bath is full of rucksacks!)
A Big thank you and well done to the amazing Joanne Tindle for organising this years event in Portsmouth - same time next year eh?! I can't be there Saturday, but mum is off to help for the day and of course take down our offerings.
So proud to be part of the event again with my Mum. To help people less fortunate than us, to give an amazing gift at Christmas and hopefully help make a difference to someone's life. Remember it's not about one person doing something big to change the world, but lots of people doing small things to get the change in motion.
Everyone deserves a home, somewhere to live, but some people don't have that opportunity. All it takes is a random act of kindness and for people to then pay that kindness forward, make this your random act of kindness... it's getting cold out there... have a warm heart.
Thank you all xxx
Quote from The Rucksack Project Website... (rucksackproject.org)
'THE INSPIRATION BEHIND IT
There are two films that really affected me and planted the seeds for The Rucksack Project. The first is Pay it Forward, the story of a young boy who, inspired by his teacher, comes up with an idea to change the world... by doing a big favour for three people, who must not pay back the favour, but pay it forward.. buy each doing three big favours for three more people... Random acts of kindness which grow expotentially into a movement of kindness that sweeps the nation.
The second film is Scrooged, the Bill Murray classic from 1989 following the well known Charles Dickins Christmas classic. In Murray's version, we see a homeless man who tragically freezes to death after leaving a homeless shelter. At the end of the film, Murray's character says "You can take an old blanket out of the closet and take it out and give it to someone.. you can make them a sandwich and say 'here!'"
The two things merged one fantastic day and the idea was born to fill a rucksack with stuff to get a lost soul through a freezing winter - something that would last longer than a bag of food or 50 pence.'
Sunday, 23 November 2014
Preparing for the rucksack Project Portsmouth 2014
We had enough items for 8 bags altogether! 3 ladies bags, 4 men's bags and a one man and his dog bag.
But here they are! 8 rucksacks complete with hats, scarves, gloves, sleeping bags, jumpers, tshirts, jeans/trousers, toothbrushes, toothpaste, tins of soups, packet soups/pasta/noodles, choc bars, flasks, socks, warm coats, spoons, sanitary products for the ladies bags, deodorant, dog food, a lead and a ground sheet! We also have a large bag of left over items, boots, food, clothes and other bits and bobs that the charities will use to restock their store rooms.
Thursday, 30 October 2014
The Great South Run for Rett UK
No, not me, but my beautiful step daughter completed her first 10 mile run on Sunday and ran it in under an hour and 50 minutes! What a girl! We are all so proud of her, she has been determined since she did the 10k race for life, followed swiftly by the 5k straight after in the summer; to do this race and raise lots of money for a very worthy cause.
http://www.rettuk.org/rettuk-public/rettuk/about-rettuk.html
Or have a look and like their page on facebook here...
https://www.facebook.com/RettUK?ref=ts&fref=ts
Lauren is also holding a charity night on Halloween to raise even more money for this cause and her link is still live if you want to check it out. More donations are of course more than welcome, or even if you just want to read Lauren's story... Do follow this link...
https://www.justgiving.com/Lauren-Barcroft/
Lauren we are so so proud of you and we are now looking forward to cheering you on next year, in everything you plan to put your running shoes through... Including the London Marathon!!
Well done and much love to you xx
Saturday, 25 October 2014
The Rucksack Project Portsmouth
The local event in Portsmouth is here... https://www.facebook.com/events/836615246357563/?ref=2&ref_dashboard_filter=upcoming And there are people hosting events all over the country, do check out the main Facebook page for details of events in other areas, have a peek here... https://www.facebook.com/rucksackproject?ref=br_rs
If you want to take part, but can't make a whole bag, or don't have time to fill a rucksack; if you have any of the items on the list knocking about at home without a use, give me a shout and I'll gladly take them off your hands and put them to good use.
Mum and I did this last year and will again this year put some bags together for those less fortunate, those who are homeless in our local community. I don't want your money for sponsorship, just an old flask, thick gloves, sleeping bag, tins of soup with ring pulls, anything that you may have and don't/won't use that is nothing to you, but would mean the world to someone else.
Remember, it's getting cold out, have a warm heart xx
http://www.aboutmyarea.co.uk/Hampshire/Portsmouth/PO6/News/Local-News/278918-Fill-a-Rucksack-for-a-Homeless-Person
Thursday, 16 October 2014
Sunday, 12 October 2014
Anniversary! 10 years have passed already!
Friday, 10 October 2014
Couples holiday
Well as you know we’ve just come back from a lovely holiday in Turkey, two weeks of relaxing by the pool, the beach, long walks, lovely dinners and…. Couples bickering everywhere!
It is hard not to people watch when you aren’t doing a great deal, but it is so funny to watch two people, who may well be married but never spend more than an hour a day together in their usual busy lives; be thrown together for two whole weeks with not a lot else for distraction! All the little niggles and insecurities come out, tempers fray and emotions are high and my god did these people keep us entertained!
We went to a couples hotel, (read - no children NOT swingers hotel please!) so we were surrounded by many many couples at all times in our resort.
Mr B and I are very lucky, we’re about to celebrate our 9th wedding anniversary this year and we still get on ok quite well (I think!?). There are times when Mr B works away, Monday – Friday and is only home weekends, sometimes he goes for two weeks at a time – so I do get quite used to being home alone, so when he comes home and makes a mess it is a little bit of a shock to the system, but doesn’t end in rows. Although my two friends H and J know about my pile of clothes gripe! – That’s another story.
We always talk, (I'm a talker anyway!) and we always make time for each other (I'm conscious of falling fowl of a smug girl disaster here so I won’t say too much!) and generally we rub along quite nicely together. So going on holiday and spending all that time together isn’t a massive shock to us, but of course – we aren’t perfect and don’t go without bickering from time to time.
It was so easy to spot these couples around the pool – these were the women throwing their men dirty looks, muttering in grunts under their breath and arguing about whether they had the right spot or the right bed. I must say it was mostly the men on the receiving end of these gripes, but don’t get me wrong there are men arguers out there too. I'm pretty sure if they knew people recognised their behaviour they would be embarrassed, but by and large I'm not sure they recognised the behaviour in themselves! Even couples walking down the street passed us would be arguing, Mr B and I just fell about in laughter. (Once they had walked passed – I by no means want to make anyone feel bad!)
As well as being funny to watch, it did sadden me somewhat. Think of all that time you’ve spent saving for your holiday, all that planning and this week or two of precious time to spend together and you spend it rowing! So ladies, give your men a break, men if you are the arguer – give your lady a break and go and enjoy your time together.
I was once told by a very lovely lady, ‘its so lovely you guys talk to each other all the time, a couple that can talk to each other at any time of the day or night, is a couple that will stay together’. So remember, do talk to each other, do include each other in your lives and for the sake of your embarrassment keep the arguing to your room or at least quiet voices and not the buffet breakfast restaurant shouting at each other full pelt over the baked beans! Or just suspend hostilities until you get home!
Ttfn, Sammy xx
Saturday, 4 October 2014
We made it!
Tuesday, 9 September 2014
The Devil Wears Prada syndrome....
Thursday, 14 August 2014
The holiday curse...
Have I ever told you about our holiday curse? What can I say other than we’re due to go on holiday mid September to Turkey, loosely translated as don’t book any holidays for that period or consider travelling to Turkey!
It is a running joke that every holiday we book ends in disaster, its not strictly true, its not every holiday - just most!
We have been cancelled, delayed, stuck in other countries, attacked by giant bugs, the list is endless! Don’t get me wrong – we’ve had some fabulous holidays, but its got to the point where it is a standing joke between friends and family.
We’ve been cancelled due to rioting in Egypt – but ended up in a fabulous holiday in Rome and Venice. We were cancelled due to the ash cloud – but ended up in Amsterdam for a weekend for compensation. We were cancelled because our hotel was flooded by a massive hurricane in Cuba – we waited and went the following year! We had a holiday from hell on our honeymoon and flew home a week early, we then flew to Dublin for the remaining week and got stuck there because the planes engines failed – the list is not exhaustive. So as you can see, it all happens to us!
So it is with trepidation that I get down from the loft and dust off my suitcase for our next adventure to Turkey – do wish me luck! And you've been warned... Don't book anything for when were away or for the country were going to!
TTFN, Sammy xx
Sunday, 10 August 2014
A few things IBS sufferers might identify with...
Wednesday, 25 June 2014
The Rowan's Hospice Moonlit Memories Walk
Well today seems a poignant day to write this blog. Today is Jason’s birthday, the first birthday he hasn’t seen after passing away last year, he is 42 today.
On Saturday night (21/06) a group of us completed the Moonlight Memories walk around Southsea/Old Portsmouth to raise money for The Rowans Hospice. It is a 6 or a 12 mile walk (we did 6 miles – there was a reason we weren’t just being lazy!) through part of the night starting at 11pm.
My friend’s husband Jason, sadly passed away at The Rowan’s Hospice in December last year. He was diagnosed with a brain tumour in early December 2013 and was moved to The Rowan’s Hospice shortly afterwards; where he spent his last 4 days very peacefully with his family surrounding him before he passed away on 15th December 2013.
The Rowan’s really are an amazing charity, and will do anything they can to help. There was nothing that Jason, his family or friends wanted for in the time he was there, they accommodated his wife and daughter to stay with him over night and even made up a room for his sister who flew over from Canada to be with her brother. They also provide bereavement care after death and everything in between.
The Rowan’s Hospice is an amazing place and I could waffle on for pages, but if you would like to know more please visit their website – www.therowanshospice.co.uk
The Rowan’s survives almost entirely on donations from the general public to provide their essential services and this costs them a whopping £11,000 a day, so to give something back we took part in the walk to raise some funds for them. Now we aren’t lazy, we would have liked to have done the 12 miles, but we have a few challenges among us including; rheumatoid arthritis, an enthusiastic young one who should be in bed and my very short legs! So we plumped for 6 miles.
There was 6 of us altogether, my friend Trina, her daughter and my god daughter Shannon, Trina’s mum Jill and Trina’s two sisters Chantelle and Sarah and little old me. I was very ill Saturday afternoon with some kind of tummy bug/touch of food poisoning and there was quite a while on Saturday when I was as a white as a sheet and didn’t think I was going to be able to make it. Somehow I managed to take enough anti sickness tablets and immodium to manage a few hours sleep and go out for the walk!
We donned our Jason T-shirts and hats and went for it. All in all we had a lovely night, we stopped at Portsmouth Cathedral to write down a memory of Jason to stick to their wall and light a candle of remembrance for him.
Sarah and Chantelle shook their hats at every passer by and gained an extra £45 worth of donations on the night, and despite being young and getting very tired, Shannon did amazingly, she took it all in her stride and completed the 6 miles with hardly any complaint.
We completed the walk in around 2 and a half hours, including our toilet stops, Cathedral stop and hassling poor unsuspecting people of Portsmouth stops. Once finished we de-registered and collected our bacon buttys and cups of tea and waited for our lift home after having raised nearly £1200.
So that is it, another event over with for the year. It is an amazing event and I would suggest everyone gives it a go, this was their 7th year of running it. It is an amazing charity to raise funds for and this year they had just under 1000 entrants, but they are hoping to have raised just over £95,000.
We are still collecting donations and if you would like to sponsor us or could spare some money for a donation we would be eternally grateful, even if it is £1 - every little helps!
Here is our just giving website - https://www.justgiving.com/JasonsWobblyWanderers/you can also sponsor us by sending a text to 70070 typing the code JHWW72 and £(amount you wish to pledge) in the body of the text (I believe they then add it to your phone bill) or I am collecting cash with a sponsor form.
Thank you to all our sponsors near and far – you are every bit amazing. Jason – we did this for you (even though you would wonder why we were wasting valuable drinking time!) you are so dearly missed and your lovely wife and beautiful daughter you have left behind are just so amazingly strong.
Rest in peace Jas, much love, Sammy xx
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