Early Risers.

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. A bit dismal this morning, a short while ago it was persisting down and it looks the same for the rest of the day. Earlier this morning I observes something strange through the frosted glass bathroom window. When I went outside to look it turned out to be a longish straw caught behind a downpipe so nothing to worry about. I was concerned that it might be sealant from the windows breaking away.

[81C]

Afternoon All

Overcast here, just done the first round of dog sitting  back in an hour to feed him he's is still growing at a rate of knots when I went into the house he was balancing on top

 of one of the many children's gates dotted around the house the bedroom doors were closed so he must already have bounded over the gates.

A rake of house viewings this week they take a lot of time up if you are at home they like you to vacate. sooner the better with the sale I can wash my hands of the slapped #rse.

 Must get on enjoy your day  Ken. L. Made 

[jamie92208]

Get the bunting out, The T*rd has gone.  perhaps the rain we had this morning has flushed the system.    Beth is now binge watching programmes that she's taped and I'm heading for the shed shortly.   

 

Jamie

[Stubby47]

I hope his daughter enjoyed the stay. New places for those on the spectrum can be either horrendous  or very calming.

[jamie92208]

8 minutes ago, Stubby47 said:

I hope his daughter enjoyed the stay. New places for those on the spectrum can be either horrendous  or very calming.

Thanks for that, she certainly did enjoy it and her mother got a bit of much needed respite.  They have the potential trauma of the transfer from Children's Social Care to Adult Social care that occurs next year when she is 18.   Life isn't easy for them.   From our observations over the last 10 days we are almost certain that he is somewhere on the spectrum but that his long suffering wife is blind to it or in denial.  It's not an easy situation.   Beth and I have had to bite our tongues most of the time these last 10 days and being able to vent some of my feelings on here has been very helpful.   The daughter, Hannah has been very little problem though we do wonder if the parents are subconsciously coddling her to make life easy and predictable. I could see signs that she is quite able to manipulate those around her.   Thanks again for the concern.

 

Jamie

[tigerburnie]

Isn't that ability to manipulate born into all females?

[Stubby47]

For those on the spectrum, life is a series of interesting days. For those supporting, life is a series of potentially traumatic days. We are guilty too of 'coddling' - we see it though as preventative strategies, because the known results of an 'explosion' is awful for everyone.

 

Really glad both Hannah & her Mum enjoyed the stay, respite is an excellent choice of word, not least for her mum as a break from the normal everyday pressure of trying to run a household with a 17-year-old young child.

 

Our son is now 25, but has the cognitive ability of about a 7 year old.  Thankfully, we've grown past the 'if it doesn't happen like you said it would then I'm going in to meltdown' to 'if it doesn't happen like you said it would then it's funny', but over the years it has been very painful.

 

As for the husband, very difficult to judge, but having a child with special needs can affect people in various ways. Friends of ours were told, by the lad's grandparents, that their son just needed more discipline...

[Stubby47]

"Welcome to Holland"

By Emily Perl Kingsley, 1987.  All rights reserved.

I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this......

 

When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.

After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."

"Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."

But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.

The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.

So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.

It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.

But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."

And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away...because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss. But...if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland.

[AndyID]

8 hours ago, Kingzance said:

Your land values are somewhat less than ours I guess and the bureaucrats planners probably don’t insist on so much additional cost being added to each unit as they do here, what with stuff like “ public realm art” etc.

 

California is a lot like that but it's a lot more Wild-Westy here. At the moment the construction boom near us is mainly caused by people building incredibly expensive lake-front vacation properties but the roads have been improved to the extent that it's quite easy to travel to work in the nearby cities from here. In fact it's a really enjoyable drive. I did it for six years with very few problems.

 

The lots in our little community do have restrictive covenants but the restrictions are pretty tame.

[Tony_S]

3 hours ago, Stubby47 said:

for the husband, very difficult to judge, but having a child with special needs can affect people in various ways. Friends of ours were told, by the lad's grandparents, that their son just needed more discipline...

Matthew’s dyspraxia certainly caused a lot of unhelpful comments from school  and some relations “why aren’t you hard working like your cousins?”, “you just aren’t trying had enough”. The clumsy uncoordinated part of dyspraxia wasn’t too big a problem but inability to follow instructions didn’t go down well. I think some of the treatment he received at Junior school was quite cruel but fortunately after 16 it was better. I did ask him if some miracle medication was developed for his colour vision or dyspraxia would he take it. He said probably not as his dyspraxia was what he was and poor colour vision didn’t seem to be a problem (quote “dogs seem to cope”). He did say he wouldn’t mind getting rid of the epilepsy though. People used to tell him about famous people with epilepsy but as he said his planned career didn’t involve invading Gaul.

 

Edited August 12, 2019 by Tony_S
Wrong too/to

[Barry O]

7 hours ago, Robert said:

I was thinking about Pete (Trisonic) this morning.

 

We haven't heard from him for quite a long time (the last mention was in May) when Tony mentioned that he was unwell.

 

Does anybody have any news?  I hope he is feeling better by now, and unable to visit for other reasons.

He sent me birthday wishes in July but nothing since.

 

Baz

[Barry O]

Why are some cricket coaches grad A kn*bs? They get in the way, some know nothing about how cricket should be played and hate it when the umpires don't give way to them.

 

One of the worst ones "helps" coach England Women. No wonder they are getting worse!

 

Nuff said.

 

Late start but match (of 35 overs per side) completed.

 

Baz

 

 

[bbishop]

Um, I treated a lad with autism today.  Very much "can I take your pulse, it means holding your wrist?".  Later, knowing the obs. the paramedic would take we dumb shewed temperatures, blood pressures and  blood sugars.  He was happy to let the paramedic do the obs because of the practice.  I was thanked.

 

Bill

[southern42]

' morning afternoon evening all from red dragon land.

 

Yeay. Sunny.

 

Not so at West Shore on Saturday where we spent a couple of hours chatting and having lunch in the club house listening to wind and rain before heading back for a coffee in the seaside cafe - boy was it noisy!  What was I saying about school holidays....?   I just about managed a couple of articles in the mag through the distraction, though.   Short walk round swan lake duck pond afterwards to clear the head!      Eight large cygnets taking an afternoon nap on the grass, parents looking on.

 

Anyway, I worked out the error in last week's ticket numbers - someone had started the next group of tickets out of sequence.  Not to worry - it  totalled more passengers but in correcting the error donations per ride increased!  Yes!  Paperwork adjusted...

 

Ray and youngest have started work on grouting the slate slabs on the terrace--patio.  Looking good.

I am contemplating putting my eucalyptus in a pot in the bigger planter at the end of the garden, even if it is only temporary, to give a bit of colour down there over the winter.

 

Best wishes to all, even if it has taken me all day to post.   

__________

Polly

 

 

 

[BoD]

4 hours ago, Stubby47 said:

"Welcome to Holland"

By Emily Perl Kingsley, 1987.  All rights reserved.

I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this......

 

When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.

After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."

"Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."

But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.

The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.

So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.

It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.

But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."

And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away...because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss. But...if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland.

 

That is truly inspirational.

 

My daughter and son in law are unable to have children.  I’m sure I will be able to show them that and, without diluting the original sentiments, adapt it for those who have to ‘stay at home’.

 

[81C]

51 minutes ago, southern42 said:

' morning afternoon evening all from red dragon land.

 

Yeay. Sunny.

 

Not so at West Shore on Saturday where we spent a couple of hours chatting and having lunch in the club house listening to wind and rain before heading back for a coffee in the seaside cafe - boy was it noisy!  What was I saying about school holidays....?   I just about managed a couple of articles in the mag through the distraction, though.   Short walk round swan lake duck pond afterwards to clear the head!      Eight large cygnets taking an afternoon nap on the grass, parents looking on.

 

Anyway, I worked out the error in last week's ticket numbers - someone had started the next group of tickets out of sequence.  Not to worry - it  totalled more passengers but in correcting the error donations per ride increased!  Yes!  Paperwork adjusted...

 

Ray and youngest have started work on grouting the slate slabs on the terrace--patio.  Looking good.

I am contemplating putting my eucalyptus in a pot in the bigger planter at the end of the garden, even if it is only temporary, to give a bit of colour down there over the winter.

 

Best wishes to all, even if it has taken me all day to post.   

__________

Polly

 

 

 

Polly make sure that Eucalyptus is not in the ground it doesn't take long for them to grow 20 feet high.

[New Haven Neil]

Evening.

 

Lovely picture of the Lady of the Awl, elsewhere.  A smile that brought dampness to my eyes.

 

Dave, glad you enjoyed your visit.  We first came here in 1986, then every year for TT until we gave in and moved here in 2002, persuaded by a particularly bad day month year at work (NHS Management) that was endangering my health.  Never regretted it for a second. A magical little place.

[Tony_S]

12 minutes ago, 81C said:

Polly make sure that Eucalyptus is not in the ground it doesn't take long for them to grow 20 feet high.

And then, more, much much more. Neighbours had one removed a couple of years ago.  Perhaps South Essex soil and climate really suits them. 

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-Land. Actually done a bit of weeding (of the patio) today, between the showers. Found quite a few snails hiding among the undergrowth, I left them well exposed on the patio for the thrushes. My friends daughter is autistic and is the same age as Hannah and the autism is compounded by her having a mental age of only 8 or 9. She just mopes in her room all day playing on her tablet but on occasion will communicate with those around her. Her brother on the other hand, who is also special education needs is doing very well after his first year at special school. He was scarcely out of year one education wise despite being 10 years old when a place became available at special school. Now after just one year he is not only up to speed compared to his contemporaries but beginning to catch up.

[brianusa]

3 hours ago, AndyID said:

 

California is a lot like that but it's a lot more Wild-Westy here. At the moment the construction boom near us is mainly caused by people building incredibly expensive lake-front vacation properties but the roads have been improved to the extent that it's quite easy to travel to work in the nearby cities from here. In fact it's a really enjoyable drive. I did it for six years with very few problems.

 

The lots in our little community do have restrictive covenants but the restrictions are pretty tame.

 

This was a quiet little town when we moved in twenty years ago.  We bought a nice 2.5k sq.ft  house for $175K which is now worth $475K but we have to put up with added traffic, more trees cut down for housing and other development so slowly our 'cute little town' is becoming just another bedroom of Seattle!  One thing in our favour is that to get here you have to pay a toll to cross the bridge which is a deterrent to every day commuters.

     Brian.

[roundhouse]

3 minutes ago, brianusa said:

 

This was a quiet little town when we moved in twenty years ago.  We bought a nice 2.5k sq.ft  house for $175K which is now worth $475K but we have to put up with added traffic, more trees cut down for housing and other development so slowly our 'cute little town' is becoming just another bedroom of Seattle!  One thing in our favour is that to get here you have to pay a toll to cross the bridge which is a deterrent to every day commuters.

     Brian.

...and its got a couple of breweries.

[brianusa]

<<<<<<<<<<<...and its got a couple of breweries.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

You can say that again!  However, due to saturation, some are beginning to give up, too much competition, too much beer, too few customers!

       Brian

[tigerburnie]

5 minutes ago, brianusa said:

<<<<<<<<<<<...and its got a couple of breweries.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

You can say that again!  However, due to saturation, some are beginning to give up, too much competition, too much beer, too few customers!

       Brian

Blimey never heard the phrase too much beer before...…………………………….

[tigerburnie]

1 hour ago, 81C said:

Polly make sure that Eucalyptus is not in the ground it doesn't take long for them to grow 20 feet high.

………………..and then they get covered in Koalas...…………………………….

 

G'night all

Edited August 12, 2019 by tigerburnie

[jamie92208]

6 hours ago, Stubby47 said:

"Welcome to Holland"

By Emily Perl Kingsley, 1987.  All rights reserved.

I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this......

 

When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.

After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."

"Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."

But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.

The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.

So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.

It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.

But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."

And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away...because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss. But...if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland.

As said above Stu that is inspirational.  Beth and I have had some major problems with our three but nothing in the league of what you or our friends that have been staying with us have been through.   I had quite a bit to do with boys with autism and Asperger's in our Model Railway club so have some limited understanding of the subject.  It is very easy to judge from an outsiders perspective and we have tried to give the family a safe and relaxing holiday but it hasn't been easy, mainly because of the husband's behaviour.   We have been asked if they can come back again next year and after Beth and I talked it over we have given a qualified yes, subject to none of our kids booking to come during the summer holidays. Rachel has been a very close and supportive friend to Beth over the years.  House guests can be difficult as couples are often very different when they live with us for 2 weeks, than when we just meet socially.   I suppose that it is part of married life and if Beth is willing to put up with some of my friends coming then it would be churlish of me to do otherwise.  I hope that things go well with you and your family over the coming years.

 

Anyway we now have a fairly busy week ahead then No 1 son plus partner and her 8 yr old land on us for 10 days.  they are also bringing a car full of goodies that we have ordered in the UK.   Tonight we have enjoyed catching up on some TV and may go out later to watch for shooting stars.  Tomorrow I'm off trainspotting in the afternoon and Beth is going out with two friends for lunch.   Thursday is yet another village drinkathon at the village hall whilst consuming large quantities of moules et frites.   I suspect that the 10 days with Martin, Katie and Ryan will be a very different time.   I suspect that Ryan and I may end up building him a trainset.

 

Jamie