Possessions and things come in all shapes and sizes but sometimes the most basic are our favourites.

Yes I love my bicycles, computer tech and such but a small stone, a shaped piece of wood or a model of Mr. Bump is far more pleasing and sits in the hand in a very comforting way.

Through archaeology  one can see that small trinkets or crude shapes have been very important to those who lived in ancient times. They are so loved and cherished because they are portable, tactile, represent influences in life or were gifts. Hands often need using and having something that sits nicely in them is just what they need.

I think that is what makes good design for me. I love small, compact and functional things. Maybe it’s because I am small and chunky myself that things of a similar shape appeal or it could be that it’s just economical.

Tactile object stir our senses and make one feel safe. Babies love touch and texture and the mouth is their default place to get maximum stimulus. It’s this childhood way of exploring what is around that is probably the reasoning behind why comfortable shapes are so important to us as we grow and become adults.

So the way forward is small and chunky.

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Many, many, many people look after animals at home for whatever reasons. This is not news to most but why we do it is quite a complex science.

They can cause huge amounts of expense what with food, insurance, vets bills, toys and general care. Our lives are compromised by having to find carers to step in if holidays or days out are desired. Don’t mention the mess and endless cleaning one has to endure and the ruination and destruction of carpets, furniture and possessions.

Dogs need walking, cats a place to sleep and all the other demands put on humans from all the other creatures we keep as home companions.

So why do we do it?

Companionship, fun, an excuse to exercise, a common bond, its something always that is done, responsibility, kindness or to be socially accepted or keep up with the Jones?

Maybe its a bit of all.

I know that my little chap (a 12ish year old Jack Russell-Patterdale cross in brown) brings me friendship, company, laughter, love and an excuse to be silly. He is just there when I leave the house and when I return and I get the same sense of welcome whether it be a few minutes of a number of hours. He is a good boy but a total DICK when out and about if other animals are within nose, ear or eye shot. Most of the time a lead and a watchful eye from me is enough coupled with finding suitable places to go at the right time.

It’s hard to have guests or strangers to sit him as he would eat them so time away is very limited.

Would I trade him in? No. We have grown to love each other and I have the proud feeling that I saved him from either a short or painfully bad life as he was a rescue dog with a very sad and harsh few years start.

Animals are unpredictable and that is what makes the so vital to our lives. What is natural for them to do is funny to us humans and learning how to interpret these actions is also part of the good experience.

Yes there are bad owners or keepers and they should be ashamed of themselves and it really upsets me to think about the hardships put on animals at their cruel hands. However, there are folk who mistreat other humans, children and themselves so it is hardly a surprise. I just hope they are becoming less and less.

Jack, my terrorist pet, is much a part of the family as anyone and he has the same value and integrity as any member too. It this that I think puts us apart. Okay he is not a human in a little furry suit but he is almost that but treated with that little bit of respect that has to be given as an unpredictable animal.

I just hope that he is happy as he makes me happy and shares my all.

I guess I am not alone in fantasising about being granted three wishes and I can imagine most would be quite similar. Money, good looks and life longevity.

But there are so many things to choose from that the list is endless. Being rich doesn’t necessarily bring friends, companionship or pleasant personality traits. Good looks are only in the eye of the beholder. Living forever is a mighty long time and one would become hardened to death and frailty of friends who lived a normal life span.

I would love to be able to speak, read, write and understand every language, whether it be human or animal, modern or ancient and be understood by all in return.

Being able to read faster, understand what I have read and retain all the information could be another wish.

I think having the ability to be accomplished in all art forms including music, drawing, writing, singing, magic and acting would bring great joy so maybe would choose that as my third wish.

However, wishes are a fantasy for most but one can still have them. Sometimes hard work, determination and being in the right place at the right  time will realise some of those aspirations so all is not lost.

For many though the wish to be pain-free or be able to get up in the morning and lead a normal life is a dream come true. Seeing loved ones happy and well is more rewarding than money or power.

So what would you wish for?

Nothing? As life is okay as it is?

Dreaming of what could be is fine as a carrot and stick approach but try staying in the here and now and be satisfied with your lot is far more beneficial. You know the old saying about the grass and it being greener; or the frying pan and fire situation.

Since self helping through depression these thoughts that clogged my mind have now been given another aspect in which to look at them and it is surprising to know there is a different angle to every situation in life however good or bad.

Dream but keep real.

I love my Mother and my guess is that most love their’s too but do we need a special day for it?

I know when I was younger I took my mum for granted as she just seemed to always be there when I needed her. Mum always knew what to do and was never at a loss to provide comfort, love and, most importantly, tea.

Yes mother could be a force to deal with and at the time it was hard to understand the reasoning behind admonishments for going near a hot stove, or screaming in a shop but as the years go by it all fits into place and makes perfect sense.

I know there will be many who have lost their Mothers or are having to cope with illnesses or difficulties but its almost impossible to break the invisible bond that will always be there.

Mum is in hospital now and is a frail little old lady and it just seems so unfair that she has to be helped with every aspect of her daily life. I feel so useless and helpless not to be able to repay all her love and teachings from when I was a child but settle with keeping the knowledge that it wasn’t a waste of time and effort on her behalf.

Mum will always be the centre of my being and still is and, unknowingly, always has been.

So yes there should be a special day for All the Mums around the world but that special day should be every day as before you know it the time has drifted past.

So a great big salute and thank you goes out to my Mum and all the others here and passed.

Bless them all and everyone.

I can stomach most weather and some I relish but wind just is not my bag.

To say I don’t like it is an understatement. I hate it with so much passion that it makes me windy.

Wind just makes me angry and it creates such a bad karma.

Everything becomes so difficult and tedious. I mean take wanting to go out for cycle  ride. On a nice sunny day its fine. Even if it’s a bit chilly tone can layer up and enjoy the thrill of the pedal power. But add in wind and it just ruins everything. Rarely does the stuff help. No; Normally it buffets from the side or just blows a hooley in your face and makes the ride feel like one is pushing through sand towing a caravan. And the noise!

Walking is assaulted by wind and trying to do work is just stuff of nightmares.

So I am a bit downhearted today when I awoke to a fitful gale. I haven’t been out on my beast of burden for a few weeks due to such a busy social calendar (tongue in cheek is say as its probably more like being lazy) and I thought today a good day to go out. However, I am not risking life, limb, damaged bike, bruised goolies or anger so will stay off it for another day.

I am very lucky to have friends old and new and in the past twenty four hours I have been reacquainted with two and introduced to a few more.

This makes me happy, proud and, more importantly, whole.

Beer. What’s that got to do with anything? Well if one abstains from quaffing the foaming nectar for a while it is a pleasant joy to find an alehouse that serves a particularly fine tipple in the form of Timothy Taylor. 

Both situations have their welcome and pleasing values. Old and new friends a warmth of love and good ale a sense of comfort and “aarrrhhh, that’s better”. 

I’m by no means saying that friendship is equal to beer as that would be very eccentric but they share traits of similar values.

As one can grow apart from friends and can meet unfriendly people the same can be said for beer. They can both make one feel wretched and leave a bad taste in the mouth.

So it has been a very welcome day as old friendships are as though only weeks have past since getting together (whereas it’s been 15 years in reality) and tippling back beer has awakened tastebuds that haven’t been roused for several months.

They are both really quite welcome feelings and have merits in their own ways.

Of course there are downsides as beer leaves one with a dry and stale mouth in the morning and knowing that one will have to return home will leave friendship ties separated but they were both worth the effort and shape the person further.

I thoroughly recommend both or either.

This also proves another point. 

As mentioned in previous blogs I have accepted a state of depression and sought help. Now a few months ago I would have found it almost impossible to have found the confidence and will to stay away from home for the night and not drink myself into oblivion thinking it was the only way of expressing my emotions and being able to sleep. So I would have made every and any excuse not to do it.

However, with the help and support of friends and medication I have appeared to have made a significant step forward for the better. I still found it hard but pushed the boundary. The results far out way the negative thoughts and feelings I put up in ways of barriers.

Brilliant..and I know it’s arrogant and self centred but well done me and a pat on my back.

Anyone who is in a similar frame of mind should try it once they have truly accepted their mental and physical situation. The benefits are good and full filling.

So I give beer and friends and equal thumbs up and hope to revisit both new and old again.

Cheers.😄🍺👫👬

The word work often gets me thinking and I have looked at this word from many angles and still have no definite opinion.

For most of us it is a necessity rather than a want but what are the alternatives?

I constantly yearn for the day I don’t have to go to work any more but do I?

What would I do without an income?

The harsh reality is that for the majority of people work is a part of life and takes up a vast amount of our time. The pay is rather poor and the tasks often monotonous, draining and pressured. But is does fill the day.

That is very sad. I would love not to work so I could follow my aspirations like cycling, travelling, making things in a shed, walking the dog and meeting up with friends but unfortunately without a lottery win that is a pipe dream.

I think most of us quite like working and the jobs we do but its the amount we are expected to do and the pressures from deadlines, budgets, management, bullies and hours that make something simple so hard.

It all sounds rosy and idyllic not to work or to retire. However, once the jobs that one has saved up have been done, and the novelty has worn off what happens? All too often folk drift into a sedentary life and hanker for something to do and end up either volunteering or going back to work to fill their days and bank balances.

The reality is that we need things to do but most things cost money and that is the elephant in the room that is a constant nag.

I honestly do not know how the professionally unemployed do it. I was out of work for six months or so in the 90’s and it was crap. I filled my days with cycling, walking, running, reading job adds, writing letters and popping into the job centre. They were full on days and had the benefit of getting me fit and active but if it wasn’t for the fact that I was still living at home at the time life would have been a lot different.

Thinking about retirement is good but planning for it is far better. Having contingency plans is a good idea too. For example. I love cycling and walking but these may be physically too much for me so something outside which is less demanding would be a better option like photography, bird-watching or drawing. Learning new skills could be a beneficial addition to one’s life like playing an instrument, writing, pottery or woodworking.

I would hate to think that my days be filled with morning television, going to the pub and then more telly box and bed.

Work also makes us feel needed and a part of the community. It keeps us mentally and physically fit. I cuts boredom and petty crime. It gives us a sense of being.

I guess work is fundamentally good but does it always have to be so hard and punishing? But even that is better than mind numbing boredom.

Every day I read, hear and see terrible things going on round the world. I know I cannot change this as an individual but a mighty oak tree was once an acorn.

Rush, rush, rush without a thought or worry for others. Is this right? Of course not and at times I am as guilty as anyone else but sometimes its great to stop and look around or just think.

For example:-

I decided to go out for a bicycle ride yesterday, which in itself is not a remarkable action, and get dirty. So I made the choice of going to a local woodland area which has tracks running through it. If the objective was to get muddy then the goal was achieved and more. Oh what fun slipping and sliding and bouncing over rocks and fallen branches. Tiring too for my aging body and limbs but well worth the effort. Huge smiles and lungs full of fresh air. Birds were calling and singing to each other and the world, small furry creatures scurried and hid away and the scene was calm and rustic.

It was this that ultimately relaxed my mind, my body would argue this but had to knuckle down, and helped me do the right thing.

I noticed a car in the parking area that stood out from all the others. An expensive car and a new car. That wasn’t what was odd though. It was the fact that the boot lid was wide open with no owner in sight. I thought at first maybe they were laying down inside or were sitting on the rail putting boots on but no apart from the parked cars the place was deserted.

On closer inspection by eye, but not touch, I saw a wallet, purse, expensive binoculars, a camera and some expensive looking jackets. All on show and in handy reach for anyone to grab and run with.

My first thought was to just close the boot and leave but my practical sense asked if the owner had their key with them of if they had left it in their purse or wallet. If I closed the car up then they could be in a worse predicament.

As there was no-one about I made the choice of going to look for the owner and as luck would have it I found them quite soon into my search so I turned tail and returned to the car park to keep vigilance until they walked back.

It felt to good to do the right thing and even better to be told that everything was as it should be (apart from the boot lid being wide open) and there were smiles of relief and thanks.

Once all was secure we said our farewells and I resumed my ride and the couple went back to their weekend walk.

Circumstances could be very different if I had just ignored things and had carried on by.

My day went on and I felt relaxed and happy that a few strangers found relief.

Stopping now and then to help others, say good morning or give a gift does so much to grease the wheels of happiness and hope and its the mere fact that they are random that make them so powerful. Try it some time and see for yourself.

There has been a load of articles claiming that Global Warming has been a complete fraud and money-making scheme for the few who sold the ideas to the world leaders. Its cost us tax payers, if we believe what we are told, around £150 per household each year to fund these green deals.

This got me thinking a bit. Yes I know that is a dangerous thing for me to do with often disastrous results but think I did.

When I was at school around four decades ago (40 years) things felt  so different from what they do today.

You no doubt want me to explain this, so I will.

Okay. During the sixties, seventies and eighties winters felt like winters often with the playing fields frozen and unfit for use. It certainly felt very cold and I can remember shivering my way to and from school, between lessons and at times in the poorly heated classrooms.

Summers were warm and barmy affairs and long. There was true definition between the seasons too as I recall.

Over the last couple of years we may have experienced  a few extreme days of cold and heat during the opposite seasons but there has been fuzzy lines of focus on the seasonal changes and its been relatively mild all year round.

Why?

Is it that the older I get the more hardy I have become? I can’t see that really. Is it my selective and poor memory? Could be I suppose. Or could it be that we are experiencing Global Warming? Not in my mind.

I honestly think that it is a natural cycle.

Just take a look at some of the history books and clues are abundant. Roman Britain saw grapes being grown for wine, high yields of wheat and grain crops and fruits being sent around the nation. During the middle ages there were reports of wet and freezing conditions that caused famine and large areas of death and poor crop harvests. The Thames regularly froze over to allow skating and even carts to pass from one side to the other. The coast line of the UK has constantly changed over the years due to the Ice Age causing the land mass to tilt and gradually tilt back when the ice receded as the country warmed up again.

Soil samples, tree rings, fossils and land movements show a constant change in climate around the world from warm to cold, wet to dry and windy to calm.

Our pollution of the world by pumping out noxious gases, filling the oceans with plastic, oil, waste and harmful liquids can’t help destroy plants and animals which ultimately have an influence on climate but is it causing this hysteria of Warming or is it just making some natural climate changes happen a tiny bit quicker?

All I know is this. Nature is powerful, actions have an equal and opposite reaction and if you look closely enough there are cycles and patterns throughout history and we are just going through yet another.