Reports of Hurricane Harvey causing so much damage and dumping trillions of gallons of water on the State of Texas  moved me to write something.

One can’t begin to imagine or understand what those poor communities are going through and having to cope with but for certain it is terrifying, confusing, worrying and sad. Emotions will be high, tempers will break and tears will flow. Questions will be asked and some of those will have no answer. Work together and become strong so as to push on through.

The loss of all the memories tied up in their home and possessions is enough to want to give  up but add that to being cold, wet and not knowing what is going to happen must be utterly bewildering and stressful. Loved ones being lost and pets left to fend for themselves sends a shiver down my back and I feel helpless to do anything but drivel on within this blog.

But it is the only way I can show any support and love for the victims.

Mother Nature sure has a way of letting us know She is still out there and a force not to be reckoned with. She understands how fragile the wooden houses are and  that many lives hang in a precarious balance and uses that to cause untold heartache. But it is the only way She knows how to vent Her anger at the stupidity and greed of mankind. It comes as a warning not to  build week structures on vunerable land. I am in  no way defending Her actions but sometimes we build our lives on unsound platforms but we can never be prepared for extremes that only occur once in a lifetime. If we could then we wouldn’t be able to live anywhere. So as a result we try and do our best and, hopefully, learn from our mistakes and failings. What we can’t defend against is the capitol greed of the developers and corporate giants that oversea these dumb projects and hoodwink normal folk into thinking its okay. Shame on them all and they know who they are.

Once this deluge has subsided and the waters recede to reveal the nightmare to  come I sincerely wish all those affected and touched by this tragedy a swift and painless-as-possible return to a happy life.

Part of me wants to jump on a plane and physically join you in helping to survive but as I have no practical experience in these matters then I would probably be more of a hindrance than help. I shall stay unless my presence is demanded or needed.

The resolution and fortitude of the emergency services, army, aid-workers and citizens to help those who are in trouble sends a signal that we are not lost in our humanity and that is to be praised and shouted from every rooftop. It is after all the little people who keep the cogs of the world moving not the senior figures in their ivory towers. Thank you one and all.

So friends from over the pond stay safe, help those in need, comfort yourselves and communities and know there is moral support from around the world during these hard times.

Bless you all.

Its been a long time since I can honestly say that a car has caused me to talk about it and big it up but my Smart Brabus Fortwo is one to shout about.

I love it to bits. Nimble, fast, comfortable, fun, eyecatching and cute are just a number of words I can use to describe it.

Not since the days of my first car, a mini 1000, have I enjoyed bumbling about the roads with a smile on my face yet this one can hold its own against the big boys.

It may not have neck-breaking acceleration but push the sport mode button and things sound and act reasonably quickly.

Oh I hear the scorn and jibes about being too small, dangerous in an accident, bumpy and expensive for its size but they are all a myth in my mind. Before you comment have a go in one and see what you think.

When I see those ugly saloon cars, that quite frankly all look the same and if the badges are removed  one would be hard-pushed to tell them apart, with all the wasted room being driven around I just cringe. They clutter up roads and pavements, rarely fit on drives or in garages and cost a fortune. Yes for some they have their practical needs but on the whole they are a status symbol and a sign that they are in the same club as all the other so called achievers.

This little car is a head-turner because it is different and surprising. It looks quirky and behaves badly. Just like a naughty child.

Okay I’m not saying it has changed my life or its anything that special but being able to say with all honesty that it has made me happy is a brilliant statement to be lucky enough to say.

I wonder how many people can say the same? Most I guess have more pressing factors that will determine their choice. Eight kids mean I have to drive a mini bus, my dogs dictate that I need an estate car with dog guard, I pull a caravan so a four-by-four is the only choice and I work in an office as an uptight manager and for that reason I have to drive a Beemer or Audi. Oh and I have to have Range Rover so I can ferry my little brat to ballet classes and elocution lessons on those so tricky town roads with all the boulders and slippery muddy surfaces; or maybe just  to bump it up the curb and put fear into other road users.

Compromises; they are rubbish but essential for some and I find myself lucky not to be constrained by many when it comes to the tin box on wheels.

Try one and see; you know you want to.

We all have neighbours, whether near or far away, and on the whole we all rub along just fine.

The young couple who rented the house next to me were lovely and I was saddened when they announced their moving out due to the non-flexibility of their landlord (who is a lying nob and acutely boring).

The perfect next door people really. I never heard a pip out of them after 8pm and even before that one couldn’t call them noisy.

Now the house lay empty once again and I await the arrival of the new with nervousness and trepidation.

Only a few can say they live next door to the Satan-sporned people from hell amd I have been lucky as not to be included in that number.

Our island is becoming increasingly more crowded and with that comes inherent problems. Everywhere one goes there are throngs of people, queues of cars and acres of concrete and at times tempers flare. New homes are shrinking in size to enable developers to squeeze more out of the land. It will be inevitable that tempers will fray and break as folk are forced to live upon each other and personal space is something of dreams.

This means being neighbourly is even more important and vital for happiness and social balance. I couldn’t imagine what life is like on those sink estates and terrorized high-rise flats. Education and moral upbringing is vital for harmony and these areas seem to lack both.

Even the postcard images of village life can be far from ideal. Nosey neighbours and busy bodies can cause hatred and ostricisation. In the main most knuckle under and fit in.

But at what cost is being neighbourly? Compromise….showing a side that is false, greed and jealousy. ???Certainly some of that but not all for everyone.

How lucky most of us are.

I can’t be alone in being or feeling like this.

The years roll on by and work seems to get harder and longer in its hours. Free time is spent being perpetually tired.

So the simple fact is that something has to give. Housework becomes less important. I’m not saying that no chores are done, its just some of them are ignored. Ironing? Nah, I don’t have a board or iron…sorted. Dusting? Why bother moving it from one place to another…it doesn’t eat or drink anything…it can stay. Washing dishes? Let the machine do them.

I don’t think myself lazy, I just don’t have the energy to do much after work and my days off are either consumed by exercise, shopping or caring for a hangover. My home doesn’t have the storage for the things I have. Even when I do blitz the rooms it still looks cluttered and messy so my challenge is to just leave things to find a happy medium. Yes it is a bit of a love and hate issue but Life is easier and happier by doing so.

Now I hasten to add that I don’t live in squalor and my sink is not full of used pots and pans. Instead I try a happy balance of lived in look and student from the eighties.

Time???? Not enough but at times too much. Yep a bit of an anathema. All the same trying to fit in work, dog walking, exercise, cooking/eating, sleep, reading, music, television and socialising is almost mind-boggling so housework must give.

If clouds can drift, breezes can whisper and rhythms can waltz then surely, as a mere human, one can be a bit lazy..

So am I lazy or just managing my activities in a commonsense way?

The dog doesn’t appear to mind……….

One person stands holding the word Change, having embraced it, while others did not accept change and were crushed by it.

Are all changes good? Some are. An oil change for the motor certainly is and a swap for a full bag of sweets for an empty one gets my vote. But changes in kids and adults when considering their attitudes to smart phones, tablets and computers is probably not so good. Climate change is a sticky subject too and one that won’t be sorted for the foreseeable future.

Its all too easy to mock or put down changes but equally its important not to ignore the signs that different scenes may lay ahead.

I hate seeing kids on phones and electronic devices when they could be outside playing football or riding their bikes but that is just an attitude of a generation. Roads have become too busy with vehicle traffic to cycle safely and the march of squeezing more homes onto land makes finding suitable secure sites for football increasingly difficult.

Climate change can cause horrific natural phenomena like coastal erosion, melting ice caps and droughts. But this has been going on since the beginning of time. Are we scared of the changes to the planet or for our existence? Now there is a question. It all depends on a personal view point. I don’t have kids so really don’t mind what happens when I have gone but for those who do there is the fact that future generation’s continuation hangs on whether they can survive the constant alterations. That could be cause for worry but there is simply very little we can do if we want the luxuries and lifestyles we crave today.

I’m not saying we should run off to caves and camping but just be aware of our actions.

Why waste food because a date says its off? Most have eyes, a sense of smell and feel so use them and reduce what we throw out which is perfectly fine. Be safe but think sensible.

Change gear when needed or choose an automatic.