English Opinion

I have very little to say today because I’ve done nothing but listen to music and try desperately to finish everything I have on my to do list before settling down with my husband and a bottle of wine later on tonight. As a result, I thought I’d take a quick break to wish everyone a very HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! I’m counting down to the end of 2008 and am ready to welcome 2009 with open arms.

We haven’t got much planned because I find the whole night way too expensive and completely overrated. There’s always a fight somewhere and I can’t be doing with that to start my year off. Instead, we’re heading to my mum’s for something to eat and to wish the family a happy new year before seeing in 2009 on the couch in front of the TV. Sounds perfect to me!

2008 has been a really bad year for me but I head in 2009 knowing exactly who I can rely on to support me and those I cannot. My close family have been brilliant this year and supported me through thick and thin. I cannot express how much they mean to me because it’s just not possible to put it into words.I’ve had little support from elsewhere but at least I know who my good friends are now. One especially has surprised me. The individual in question has neither tried to understand nor support me at all since I’ve been diagnosed with depression. What made it worse is that this person is supposed to be family. Instead this person has just shown me how fickle human nature can be and also how cruel and selfish the individual can be when he or she does not get his or her own way. I spent 2 hours around the person this week for the first time in months but that is apparently sufficient time to judge someone. I suspect that someone else has been loading the bullets for that person to fire. I guess I’ll never know but what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger… and I guarantee that person will need me before I need something from that person. I also guarantee that I will not be there when they do.

The moral of the story is that there is absolutely no point listening to people with small minds but being comfortable in your own skin. I am comfortable in mine and know that I am my own person. I will not change for anybody and if someone does not like that then tough. I hope everyone else is strong enough to live their own lives because life is most definitely too short. Welcome 2009 with open arms… Take what comes as and when it comes, rolling with the blows when necessary. When the going gets a little tough for someone else, offer support. Being a shoulder to cry on makes a huge difference to someone, even if you may never know that. Don’t judge people before you know all the facts and what’s happening in their lives. Above all though, think before you speak and before you act because you never know what edge you may push someone over.

May 2009 be a better year all round and may we all pull together to make it so.

Finally, thank you to everyone that has visited my blog over the last few weeks. Everyone’s made me feel very welcome here and I love how much support is offered between all bloggers.

Happy New Year everyone!!!

I took a quick look at my Facebook page today and saw that a number of people have already altered their status to show just how glad they are to see the back of 2008. Whilst I won’t be sad to see the year out and will welcome 2009, it took me by surprise that so many people have had one of the worst years of their lives this year as a result of personal circumstances. This begs the question, just how bad was 2008?

 In terms of the news, 2008 was certainly an awful year. Not only did we have the Baby P case brought to the fore and the sheer lack of regard for his murder by the social services team that was supposed to protect him but we also had a mother prosecuted for the kidnapping of her own child in Karen Matthews. In terms of the way children are treated, 2008 was certainly a bad year. In the UK, more measure were brought in to imply that we can’t look after ourselves anymore so the advent of the nanny state was all but cemented. And then there was the economy… The years of boom that we have enjoyed are well and truly over thanks to the recklessness of the banks and lack of regulation by a government that seem hell bent on blaming America for our problems rather than taking responsibility. Now we face one of the harshest recessions since the end of World War II. On top of that, and average of 6 people were killed via knife crime every week.

All in all, not taking my own personal circumstances into account, 2008 was a terrible year. Hopefully 2009 will be better. Hopefully the government will learn that its emphasis on statistics and figures just does not work and they need to focus on something else… like sorting out their own messes for example. They need to start believing that we can look after ourelves but need to be able to trust them with our money, child protection system and crime prevention. We need to be able to trust them to do what is best for us and not for them. We need to be able to see a light at the end of the tunnel. The latter is why I hope that Gordon Brown’s days as Prime Minister are numbered. 2009 is certainly time for a change in more ways than one!

Something a little different today methinks… and a little bearing of my soul. 2008 was a terrible year for me. It was literally one thing after another. Towards the end of 2007 I was diagnosed with a rare eye disease that only 1 in 200,000 people have. It is caused by a genetic blip so there is no cure but it can easily be managed when you know how. This on its own would have been fine but everything just spiralled from there.

I was working between 16 and 20 hours a day to keep the roof over our heads as a result of circumstance. This combined with women’s difficulties and a recent depression and anxiety diagnosis really made my year worth living through (that was most definitely irony!). In addition to that, there have been little things that have affected me, some that aren’t even worth thinking about but acted as straws that broke the camel’s back. There is one particular incident I can think of but I’ll vent about that at a later date! 

Never have I believed more that what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger! The thing about 2008 was that it was literally the year from hell and I am now counting down the days until 2009. As a result, I make only one resolution this year - to have a better year in 2009. I have to forget everything that has occurred this year, learn from it and move on. In my present state of mind, I think that it is entirely possible for me to do this. Although we never know what is around the corner for us, maybe that can be a good thing. I’ve been living every day as it comes for some time now and will approach 2009 in much the same way. If I take every step as it comes then why should this year not be the best year yet?

Think positive - it will be!

It has been 3 days since the second of the British conjoined twins tragically lost her fight for survival. Hope and Faith Williams have captured the hearts of the nation and many mourn for them as well as offering sympathy to their parents, Aled and Laura Williams. Hope and Faith were undoubtedly aptly named and have definitely provided us all with something to think about. However, I am absolutely disgusted to see a debate raging about whether or not Laura Williams should have chosen to abort Hope and Faith in the early stages of her pregnancy. Not only is it wholly inappropriate given that the Williams family are grieving for their daughters but it is also inappropriate because the choice to have an abortion is nobody else’s business but theirs.

When Laura went for her 12 week scan, she was told that Hope and Faith were conjoined and stood a 25% chance of survival should they make it through the birth. Laura Williams was also informed that she may never have children if she chose to go ahead with the pregnancy. Despite the doctors’ warnings, the Williams’ decided to go ahead with the pregnancy and Hope and Faith were born 8 months later. They weighed up the advice of the doctors and their own thoughts on the matter and decided not to opt for an abortion on moral grounds. That was wholly their decision and they should neither be condemned or judged as a result of that. If Laura and Aled are anti-abortion then why should they be forced into one? They were warned that they may have disabled children and that their daughters may not even survive but they took that chance knowingly and willingly. That chance very nearly paid off as Faith was getting better at one stage. However, even in the wake of the deaths of Hope and Faith Williams, their parents maintain that they would not change a thing, so why now are the press so interested?

There are many reasons why women choose not to have abortions. They believe it is invasive, that it is murder, that it is immoral, that their children deserve a chance at life… That is every woman’s perogative. I am pro-choice rather than pro-life. I am not against abortion provided that it is not used as a form of contraception. I don’t think women should be guilted into keeping a baby that they neither want nor can look after because men believe it to be murder (and by men I mean those in government that keep trying to force through anti-abortion laws, those same men that will never have to make that choice). Neither do I think that a woman should be forced to keep a rapist’s baby. If she chooses to do so then that is entirely her choice. Every baby should be wanted and loved but no woman should be forced to keep a baby that is neither.

Having said that, I support the Williams’ decision to keep Hope and Faith. They should never be judged on the weight of that decision. The girls were their children, no matter what, and I defy any individual that has never been through such a horrible decision to categorically state what they would or would not have done had they been in their shoes. I know two people that have opted for abortions and cannot imagine how difficult it must have been to go through it, but both of my friends feel now that they made the right decision. I also know someone that was advised to have an abortion on health grounds and chose not to. She is now glad she made that decision too. I cannot say what I would have done in any of those situations but I would never judge my friends because they did or did not abort their babies.

There but for the grace of God go we all… It would be wise to stop judging them because you never know what the future has in store for you. Furthermore, every woman should be able to choose what to do with her body and I personally would hate to be told what to do by anyone else, especially those men that have no clue what every woman goes through when pregnant!

Today was the last hurrah for the high street before the credit crunch really kicks in. So far, some commentators have been naive enough to suggest that there is no credit crunch on Britain’s high streets and retail parks. Well, considering they made their claims in the weeks before Christmas there wasn’t likely to be much of a dip in spending. However, now the festive season is passing, the cold hard credit crunch will undoubtedly rear its ugly head. The first victim to fall was the former stalwart of the high street - Woolworths.

Over 200 branches of Woolworths closed ther doors for the very last time today, with the remainder to follow by the end of next week. Woolworths has been around for decades and was easily one of the most famous and trusted stores around. Now its legacy takes the form of empty stores up and down the country. It may be one of the first, with the exception of MFI, but it will definitely not be the last.

As the New Year approaches and more people start to reign in their spending, more high street stores will go under and the credit crunch will begin to hit hard. More people will find themselves out of work as a result and the country as a whole will struggle. As a result, it is necessary to prepare for the worst. Save every penny you can and batton down the hatches because one thing is for sure - things will get a lot worse before they even begin to get better!

I had a fantastic Christmas yesterday, spent in the company of family and friends, but two news stories have made me a little sad because they highlighted the fact that it is not the same for everyone. The first came yesterday when it was announced that Harold Pinter, esteemed British playwright, had died of cancer on Christmas Eve. He had been sick with cancer for some time and will be a major loss to the British literature community, but he did live his life to the full. Unfortunately, the subject of the second news story never had the chance to do that. Poor little Faith Williams died yesterday after a hard fought battle to stay alive following the death of her sister Hope Williams 23 days before.

Faith Williams was one of the conjoined twins born to Laura Williams, the youngest mother to give birth to Siamese twins in the world, back on November 26. Hope and Faith Williams had been covered by the press before they were born but were even more celebrated afterwards as their survival of the initial birth seemed to be a miracle. Unfortunately, Hope Williams was the first to succumb to her health problems on December 2 following an operation at Great Ormond Street to separate them. She could not breath on her own and was largely believed to have died so that her sister could live on by some. However, although she fought bavely, Faith could not survive either. Her health had slowly deteriorated over the weeks since the death of her sister and mother Laura Williams had been informed that her survival was also unlikely.

Faith Williams lost her battle for life on Christmas Day, the worst possible day for her poor parents. They have had to watch both of their conjoined twins suffer and ultimately give in, knowing full well that they could do absolutely nothing to help them. I feel deep sorrow for the Williams family and desperately hope that they can find some solace and peace of mind from somewhere. I also hope that both Hope and Faith Williams are happy together somewhere and free from pain now. They went through a lot in their short little lives, and so did their parents. I sincerely hope that the Williams family is able to get through this and that everyone watching in has learned something from the plight of the conjoined twins.

RIP Faith Williams. I hope that you are now at peace little darling. No more suffering.

I just want to offer up one message to everyone tonight…

Merry Christmas!

 I’m just posting a very quick blog tonight because I’ve had an incredibly busy day today with last minute preparations and visits. Every year is the same. No matter how much I believe I’ve done, I always seem to have more still to do every Christmas Eve. After all, it’s 2am here as I write this and I’ve only just sat down to chill out a little!

It’s always the same in my house because I love Christmas and always want everything to go as planned. I love having a happy family Christmas with my parents and grandparents, but this year I am more grateful than most. I have effectively ad a year from hell, in which it has literally been one things after another. I have managed to get through it with the loving support of my family and, after a good night’s sleep, I want to thank them tomorrow. Christmas is family to me and I hope you have as good a family as I do and a very Merry Christmas all round.

Before I go any further, I’d just like to thank atorturedsoul over at http://beingbipolar.today.com for nominating me for this award. Thanks honey, much appreciated! I’m glad someone has enjoyed reading my rants and ravings, and even debating with me too!And now it’s time to pay it forward, so to speak, and encourage the spirit of the award to go forth! Please take a look at my ten nominees below:

http://newsitemstoday.today.com/

http://charsdogsanddoginfo.today.com/

http://singlemommy78.today.com/

http://writergirl.today.com/

http://unorthodoxchef.today.com/

http://california.today.com/

http://waxingpoetically.today.com/

http://notnews.today.com

http://frugalliving.today.com/

http://politicsplace.today.com/

Congrats guys - you write some of my favourite blogs on here! I hope you now take the opportunity to do the same as above and nominate some of your favourite blogs as well. The rules are as follows:

1) Display the logo somewhere on your blog, even if it is only in the post acknowledging the award.

2) Nominate your favourite blogs, at least 10 of them. You can nominate them for any reason you want but they must display attitude or gratitude! 

3) Link to your favourite blogs and give them a little link love.

4) Tell them all about the award you have given them and a little about what it means to you.

5) Link to the person that nominated you as well to show a little love to the person that loves your blog so!

I’m displaying my lemonade award proudly in the sidebar and have linked to atorturedsoul there too as I really appreciate the fact that I’ve touched someone enough for them to think of me when nominating. With Christmas coming up quickly now, it is the little things that count and one thought can mean so much to someone.

Congrats to all - you make me smile! Merry Christmas x

I was browsing through various blogs yesterday and found an article that had an instantly grabbing headline. I decided to read it (and it can be found over at A California Republican behind the link). Entitled “Christmas, Christians And Those Who Say No To Christmas”, I was intrigued. However, although the article was just as good as the title, it was one of the comments that grabbed my attention that little bit more.

Someone wrote:

The crazies can argue all they want that Christmas brings people together, but they’ll never understand what it feels like to get out of Hebrew school on a Wednesday afternoon and be greeted with a deceptively cheery “Merry Christmas” at the nearby arcade… They’ll never understand the betrayal felt as their favorite sitcom characters — the only two-dimensional people they can actually relate to on this earth — sing with smiles, “We’re not like you.”

I guess that makes me a crazy! I am not religious by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, I do not believe in God. I can’t help that and make no apology for it. I’ve seen and experienced way too many bad things in my life to ever believe there is someone up there looking out for me. However, I don’t blame anyone that does believe in God as it is the individual choice and am grateful that people have kept Christmas alive as a result of the beliefs system behind it. That may sound conflicting but I think the religious significance of Christmas to some does give it that special magic that other holidays lack. Christmas means family for me. I love Christmas because it means I get to catch up with everyone and spend precious hours sat around a table with the people I love most in the world.

I couldn’t quite believe the comment on that post though because the UK and US alike are fundamentally Christian countries in heritage and culture. The comment was pretty mild all considered but it reminded me of another article I read a couple of months ago that really annoyed me. The article basically called for Christmas to be banned on the grounds that the UK is now multi-ethnic so if we wanted to celebrate it then we should do so quietly and in our own homes.

Other cultures and religions have undoubtedly enriched both countries over the years but the very foundation of education, law, social ideologies and other similar areas are Christian. And I mean all denominations of Christianity. Taking it one step on from that comment, what right does the addition of any one culture or religion in any given place have to change the very basis of our lives? It doesn’t. We have celebrated Christmas over here for longer than I care to consider and I would never force anyone that doesn’t believe in it to join in. However, I seriously object to those that think it should be banned. Christmas is a part of our culture. Not having a Santa in a school or shopping centre as it may offend other cultures and religions is ridiculous. To be honest, rules like that offend me. Why should children not get a chance to see Santa just because his presence may not be to everyone’s liking? It’s like banning St Patrick’s Day for the Irish or Ramadan for the Muslims!

I am a firm believer of the principle behind “When in Rome…” because it is just respectful to adhere to a country or area’s culture and beliefs when you visit. I would never dream of visiting Dubai and running down the street naked. I wouldn’t do that anywhere but it would deliberately flout their religious beliefs and is disrespectful. I know the guy that commented is an American but over 75% of the population is Christian and celebrates Christmas. It is of historical importance. As a result of that, why should everybody just drop the whole idea of Christmas at the say so of the minority of the population?

I love reading about other cultures and religions because they absolutely fascinate me. I also love learning something new from them because I believe we can all learn from each other, and should if we want a better world for our children. However, I don’t think any other culture or religion should be able to demand that another change its holidays because it doesn’t agree with them. Live and let live people! Down with the political correctness and anti-Christmas crazies! Just let us celebrate Christmas as we always have with Santa Claus and all!

It is official, if a little predictable. The X Factor is no. 1 in the singles charts for the fourth Christmas running. First there was Shayne Ward with “That’s My Goal”, then Leona Lewis with “A Moment Like This”, then Leon Jackson with “When You Believe” and now there is Alexandra Burke with “Hallelujah”.

Despite an online campaign to deny Alexandra the top spot in the charts, she outsold all other comers and ensured Christmas X Factor dominance yet again. Her version of Hallelujah sold a huge 576,000 copies. It was easily the fastest selling single of the year and beat Jeff Buckley’s Hallelujah into second place. Buckley died in 1997 and has long been hailed as the master of the song, despite the fact that Leonard Cohen actually wrote it. His version got to no. 2 on downloads alone as no official version of the song was released. The online campaign to get it to no. 1 was started by purists that believe the song should never actually be covered, even though Buckley himself actually covered it to begin with! Leonard Cohen’s version also got into the charts and sits at no 36 tonight.

Here’s a quick fact for you - it’s been 51 years since the same song occupied spots 1 and 2 in the UK charts. In January 1957, Singin’ The Blues hit 1 and 2 by Tommy Steele and Guy Mitchell respectively.

And another one - It is the first time that Hallelujah, regardless of who sang it, has made it into the top 40. It has never ever been in the top 40 before! Neither Cohen nor Buckley, nor anyone else for that matter, succeeded in getting it a chart spot. Now 3 people have managed it at the same time!

I love Jeff Buckley’s version of the song, and I have to say that it is my favourite version, but I’m glad that Alexandra got the top spot. Aside from the obvious fact she would have broken the trend of being no. 1 after winning the show, she thoroughly deserves it. How many other people do you know that would have goe back to the X Factor again after being turned down 3 years ago for being too young? Very few. She’s sincere, did not play the woe is me card despite her mother having suffered kidney failure and she is an amazing performer. I’m sure many people will have a different opinion but I am so pleased for her and hope she’s as successful as I think she’ll be in the future.