Hi Blog!  This is the first time I have written a blog.  I went to town today and noticed how many large shopping bags have crept into the handbag shops and market stalls.  They are of all sizes and many colours.  Shopping should be a colourful experience in the near future I believe.  People will be carrying their shopping home in reusable bags as the dull boring logo laden plastic bag disappears from our hands.  
Isn't it funny how time roles round and round?  When I was a child I walked with my mother who had a wicker basket that she carried on her arm and another one that was on wheels that she pushed around the shops.  
We must have looked a site!  Me my mother and the Siamese cat who wouldn't be left at home.  Mother and I went into every shop and came out with a brown paper package that she put into the wicker basket that was on wheels.  She put apples, carrots, onions, flowers and small items that were in white paper bags into the wicker basket that she put on her arm.  We walked at a very brisk pace and I had to run to keep up with my mother.  Some how the siamese cat would be waiting on a wall or at the door of the shop when we came out of it.  We tried everything to leave him at home.  But he always knew where we were going.  
As I got older I carried sewn cotton bags onto the country bus.  The cat had long since gone to his maker in the sky and I was old enough to use the bus for half fare and still know what had to be bought from the local market.  So it was my job to carry the bags.  I believe the wicker basket was used in the store cupboard to store potatoes.  The one on wheels disappeared.  I put the bags into each other and climbed on the bus with the list in my hand.  My mother knew the price of everything and if I came home with the wrong change she would make me go over and over each purchase till I found out where I had been short changed or over paid.  The next week I had to either go to the store or stall and ask for the correct change or pay back the money that had been wrongly given in change.  Once I had half a penny too much change.  I could not remember which stall had given me the wrong change.  So I had to go to all the stalls and ask.  At each stall they said no it was not missing from their accounts and I was given money for being honest.  I could not take this money home my mother would have got very mad with me for steeling.  So I told one of the stall holders who said then don't take it home go treat yourself to a milk shake, this I did and felt so guilty with every sip.  I think this was my mother's way of teaching me to count my change and to be totally honest in my dealings with people.  Both have never left me. 
Late when I was married the bags became rolled up news papers and rubber bands.  I was living in Malaysia and when I went to the local market or the shops the goods were always wrapped in news papers.  The shops had a way of folding up a news paper to make it into a very strong bag with no handles.  These bags held many goods and stood up to a lot of wear and tear before they disintegrated.  Only if you got them wet did they refuse to do the job. 
One day my husband went to the market to buy a tent so he could go camping.  He came back with a rolled up news paper that had two webbed feet hanging out of one end and a head that quacked at the other end!  I asked him where the tent was.  He answered there were no tents left when he got there so he got the duck so we could have duck for tea!  I freaked out!  "We can't eat a duck" sweeked panicking inside incase he decided we were going to have to chop this poor things head off! 
"Cant you kill it and clean it?" he asked with amazement.
I had worked on a turkey farm and had learnt how to clean a bird and prepare it for the table.  I had never cleaned a duck before and knew that the way to  clean a duck was different from cleaning a chicken. 
"I can't" I blurted out, "I've never cleaned a duck and I don't know how to kill it. and I wouldn't be able to eat it if I did"
So the duck lived in the walk-in bath that we filled with water and left it quacking happily all night when we tried to sleep.  The next day my husband tied it to the foot of a tree in the garden on a long rope.  It fluttered and waddled happily around the garden and we put a large wash tub near the tree so it could go for a swim if it needed to.  That night we went to bed and the dog went mad trying to get out the door.  We let her out and she took on a pack of wild dogs who were bent on killing the duck who had flown up into the lower branches of the tree.  Our neighbours across the road had an alsatian dog who joined in the fight with the pack who took off down the street as soon as they knew that they were not going to have duck for tea. 
The next day the gardener came to cut the grass.  As my husband was at work 28 miles away and could not get mad at my giving the gardener the duck I knew I was safe.  Explaining the ducks disappearance was a bit difficult that night until my husband said, "ah! its good to have a quiet nights sleep!"
We have just passed through a time of plastic bag heaven!  Throw away these dangerous bits of memorabile that will blot the world for years to come.  I will not miss them!  but they do fold up very small don't they.  I doubt that the new cloth bags will do that!!! 
well thats my thought for today
 

hi blog
I lost it last night.  Did everything worng.  My grandson came home on time last night.  Well nearly on time! 
He won't stay in the house so how can you keep a 17 year old in? 
Anyway he came home sporting a sore hand and limping and realling all over the place so I knew he had been drinking. 
So I got mad!  As you do when someone habitually does what you tell them not to do.  Perhaps thats my problem!  Telling him not to drink!! Who am I to tell him?  Only the one who loves him and doesn't want to see him get into trouble!
Well dear blog I lost it, I got mad and then he walked out!  I suposed to get some more drink!  But in the light of day perhaps it was to let me cool down.  Wrong Grandson of  mine.  I don't cool down I just get madder!
Which you do when you know someone is not listening to you.  Don't you? 
Well actually I should have just said go to bed and turned my light off and gone to bed myself.  Instead I got madder and madder and more and more worried.  Like a dog with a bone I couldn't let it go!  All I could see was his grandfather all over again, his great grandmother all over again. 

You could ask where did he get the money for his drink from?  Was I stupid enough to give him that?  NO  definatly not!  I learnt that with the man who took me to the cleaners with his gambling and his drinking.  So you never give money only goods in kind.  He did not earn his goods in kind.  that reminds me have to go to the pool houses and see if they do pay in advance so he can go and play pool they don't feed him alchohol in those places its more than their licence.  Just thought of that thanks blog you are a good friend to me!

Well I phoned samaritans didn't I.  Was a nice man on the other end who spoke about getting help from Alchoholics Anonomus, social services, and citicens advice.  He said "you need help and if you don't start to ask for  it you won't get it"

So I called AA and there was another nice man who spoke about people not being able to help on account that it was me who was calling not the person who needs help to stop drinking.  "If he does not see he has a problem then he can't be helped"  Yes I knew that didn't I so why did i waste money I don't have calling for help. 
Oh yes he also said that there is some kind of support for families of people who are drinking too much.  So am waiting for that someone to call me!  lost hope now!

Then this morning I phoned Social services.  They took details and said someone would come back to me.  No one has called yet and it 4pm!  Ah well I knew that there would be no help there either! 

Haven't tried citizens advice yet do you think I should blog? 

Ok had my gripe thanks feel better for that. 
But seriously where is the help for family and friends who are trying their best to keep the kids out of trouble? 
As far as my experiance has gone there is none.
Just blame and blame and more blame of those who should be looking after the kids and must be giving the kids the money!!  Ha well this one isn't and I bet there are many others who are not but can't keep a nearly grown woman or man in the house because they are physically not able to. 

Then of course because the kids are not doing what the people who sit in their ivory towers want them to do they stop all help full stop.  So how does a kid live anyway?  Put in this perspective its no wonder that they cadge what ever they can off whom ever will give them.  My biggest worry is what is the price?  What will my grandson eventually be asked to do for that someone who  was his 'best mate' and fed the booze?  Run drugs?  supply other kids?  break the law? 

To my mind a pedaphile is not just someone who buggers kids or the like. they are also people who help the kids get into the state my grandson has been in over the past year and a half? 
Yet the police say that no crime has been committed and when they see someone giving my grandson more to drink when he is already helpless they say 'no one broke the law'

What law is that then?  For me they broke the childrens act as it says 'no one must put a child at wrisk or danger'  if a child is so drunk they need to be sobered up in hospital that is putting a child at wrisk of death so isn't that danger as well? 
Then there is the fact that they were drinking in a public place :The station:  isn't there a law about drinking in public places?  If there isn't then there should be!!!

Well I do feel better now thanks blog you are better than any of those non existant help people who are so busy with other peopls problems so I can live now thanks. 

oh by the way the grandson has come home after his first days work for a wage.  Done a garden with a friend of mine and he is sober.  so lets watch this space.

I also have made up my mind to go to bed when I need to and lock the door so he will have to learn to be in by my bed time not his say so. 

There we go my freedome here we come. 

Honestly if any one does read this rant and wants to help me to show where the holes of support are then I will be willing to join you. 
Bye

Today I traveled to Leeds on a deesal train.  2 carages and lots of seats with an isle down the middle.  It was a very bumpy journey and we had to stop to let the Goods train that was infront of use move off.  The day was bright and the carrage was warm.  My friend and I who now have walking sticks sat in a double seat.  The double seat is one where there is room for your feet.  Two bench type seats that face each other without the table!  We sat facing the direction of travel.  And were able to see the river side of the track between Leeds and Castleford. 
What a difference from the early trains I remember.  Once the train I traveled on was a steam train that took me up the dales to the head of Wensley Dale.  The carrages had compartments that contained two facing upholstered benches with a rack over head to put small items and small suit cases on.  The conductor walked down the train in the corridor that ran between the outside of the carrage and the sliding doors of the compartments.  My mother used to make us kids sit at the platform edge of the compartment and make the compartment look like it was full so we could spread out.  There were several carrages that made up this train and there was as I remember loads of room even if we had to share a compartment with other people. 

Once we traveled down to london with a siamese cat called Tula in a wicker basket.  He cried all the time he was in the basket which had a lid on it so he couldn't get out!  But he shut up when we shut the sliding door and the conductor had looked at our tickets.  We shared this compartment with a lovely lady who spent most of the journey knitting.  She let Tula sit on her lap and looked after him while we went to the restraunt car for our dinner.  This was a carrage with tables on either side of the carrage so that the diners could look out side of the train if they wanted to, the weiter walked down the middle of the carrage and served food on hot plates. 

I realise that the long distance trains still have buffet cars but I have not used them in a very long while. 

The other day I was waiting for the Leeds train to come into Castleford station and it was late.  What joy I did not mind waiting because one of the old steam trains came puffing right through the station. 

well thats my thought for today.