Snowy Sunday Thoughts

There's a a lot going on at the moment. The weather has brought snow to many parts of the country and as usual, it has caused travel disruption and what can only be described as farcical scenes at London's Heathrow Airport. Should we be surprised? No, it happens every time we have snow and the slightest amounts result in cancelled flights and misery for travellers. Why do we get it so wrong every time. It is true that we are the laughing stock of other countries used to snow. Maybe it is just a British thing. We like to suffer and make things as difficult as we can. Snow is inevitable, especially in a changeable climate such as ours yet I read that we choose not to invest in snow clearing equipment as it is rare and wouldn't justify the expense. Try telling that to the passengers, many of whom have spent at least one night on the cold floor of the departures terminal.

On my mind this week have been money matters, specifically being asked for money we don't have. I know this causes my wife stress and she often spends sleepless nights worrying about how she is going to make her meagre part time wage stretch to cover our outgoings. With me, the worry is always there but it manifests itself as anxiety which will often build until an event such as a final demand letter or a threat of legal action sends me over the edge into a pit of despair. We've managed to keep the wolves from the door until now but I do feel we are headed for just such an event. In an attempt to prevent a crisis developing, our defence has been to send letters pleading our case. For the most part, this has been successful though there are cases where I am left wondering whether the letter has actually been read - as is the case with South Holland District Council. They are insisting we pay hundreds of pounds in council tax despite being told we cannot and having been sent a copy of our financial statement. They were also told of my delicate mental state which they also seem to have ignored. They will certainly be getting a very strongly worded letter.
I do try to reassure myself by realising we are not alone and that there are many thousands of families up and down the land in a similar situation. It doesn't stop me fearing every letter that comes through the door.

Therapy for me is the things that I enjoy, such as writing, listening to the radio and music - specifically finding music in the form of vinyl records in second hand shops. Saturday morning saw me again rummaging through a box of LP's in my favourite second hand store in Long Sutton. There is normally something new each week and out of five or six records, at least one will turn out to be a real gem. My gem(s) this week were a record of Henry Mancini's music which included the 'Pink Panther' and 'A Shot In The Dark' themes, and another K-Tel LP containing various well known songs.

A piece in today's Sunday Express highlighted the link between the effects of the recession and the rising suicide rate. This is something many have been aware of for some time, especially those who work in the field of mental health. It's a startling reminder of how things like financial well being and job security can push many to the brink and beyond. Those seeking re-employment having been made redundant are likely to become depressed as being constantly turned down for jobs leads them to view each day as pointless, often remaining in bed. I recognise and understand this very well. The numbers seeking psychological therapies has rocketed from 92,000 in 2009/10 to 320,000 in 2012. The figures speak volumes.
Yet there is no easy solution to any of this. The economy won't miraculously improve creating thousands of new jobs so the numbers of those suffering mental illness is likely to increase further. What makes life worse for so many of those affected is the poor care and support given to the mentally ill. The assessment process for benefits is so demeaning and flawed that many are made worse or pushed over the edge. Others simply decide not to go through it and end up in relative poverty. The system has to change.

Finally, I am utterly disgusted at hearing the new that Camelot are increasing the cost of lottery tickets. Surely this decision is simply based on greed. After all, they have failed to provide any satisfactory reason for doing this. I am sure I won't be alone in voicing my disdain at Camelot's decision and I for one will be boycotting the National Lottery in favour of the ethical alternative The Health Lottery who have also made public their views. So there.

I failed to record an audio journal this week, so I'll make sure I do an extra long one next week.
My Moodscope rating today is 61%.

Thoughts for a Tuesday

Things are pretty OK at the moment. I have that comfortable feeling that tells me everything's all right - not perfect - just all right.

I applied for a position at a bus company in Peterborough today. They are looking for people who want to complete their training for their full PCV license. It'll be nice if they invite me for an interview but I will write to them if they turn me down as I'd like to know why.

Financially it's a struggle as usual. We're forever having to budget and economise wherever we can. I imagine many households are the same at the moment and I expect there are people in a worst state to us. At least we currently have our home and should be OK for the next few months, insurance company permitting of course.

I planted a load more seeds this afternoon. I was encouraged by the fact that most of my seeds have started to grow. This time I planted five trays of large King Carrots. They should grow during the next few months. I'm going to cordon-off my vegetable patch as soon as I have the materials. It'll keep the dog away plus segregate it from the rest of the garden. I'll do a v-log nearer completion.

Sunday was a great day. We visited Sacrewell Farm for the second year running for the Peterborough Bus Rally. The weather was very good - we had no rain while all around us it seems there were storms. It wasn't until we left and headed for Wisbech did we then drive through what I can only describe as a monsoon.
There was a fantastic selection of vintage buses and we took full advantage of the free rides to Wansford and the Nene Valley Railway. I'll be uploading a short video compilation to YouTube in the next few days.

It's a nice feeling when, even though your son is at school, you can hear him from the garden. This is the case with my son and as I work in the garden, I can hear him shouting a few hundred yards away. It's comforting to know that he's not far away and I'm lucky to be able to hear him having fun with the other children instead of worrying that he's OK.

Good luck to everyone planning to have a shot at the Euromillions lottery tonight. Frankly whoever wins the jackpot could probably buy Greece or at least one of it's islands.

A turn up for the books...

I visited my mum this morning with my son. I often go on a Friday and we have breakfast there. My mum cooks a mean breakfast. While I was there, my mum asked me to check her lottery ticket. She had tried to check the numbers on Freeview but was having problems. The truth is that despite being shown hundred of times, she cannot grasp the technology. So grudgingly, I brought the numbers up on the kitchen TV and started the check the ticket. As I read across, each number matched those on the ticket. I continued circling them until we had five numbers circled - five out of a possible six. Unable to believe my eyes, I checked and double checked before calling to mum. At first, neither my mum or dad believed me but we agreed I would shoot down to their local store to get the ticket checked. As they aren't on the Internet I couldn't do it there.
Arriving at the store I asked the assistant to runt he ticket through the machine. I could see the look on her face as the winnings were displayed on the screen. She excitedly informed me that we had won £1,076!
I had to wait a few minutes for the store owner to return to the shop. He needed to get the money from the safe.
I returned to my parent's home and gave them the money. Kindly, they let me have £150 and put the same to one side for my sister. Despite their faults which often drive me to the edge of despair they are certainly very generous and I love them dearly.
So, it just goes to show that I can happen to you...