Sunday, January 13th, 2013

Hello Jen,

Sorry to hear things are a challenge for you at the moment. The Young Philosopher was an easy teenager really, to be honest, though I don't know if that was because he was home educated from the age of eleven. There's so much less to rebel against when there's no homework, schedules, or having to get up so early, and also not the same kind of peer pressure. When he did get uptight about something though, he could argue for England, and he still can, it's exhausting when it happens. I read a book years ago called 'How to Behave so Your Children Will Too' and one thing that stuck with me, is the idea that children behave in a certain way because they are getting some kind of pay off. The idea is to work out what that pay off is for them and then damn well make sure they don't get it, and hopefully the behaviour will change. Another thing I think can help is to spend more time with them (yeah I know, exactly at the time when you are sick of the sight of them!). Maybe a lunch out just the two of you, or special time working on something together when K is in bed? I don't have any answers, just the odd thing that I found helped a bit over the years.

I have been a bit blah this week too. I do get fed up at home all week on my own and not always well enough to do much. I think I said something similar last week! I find it depressing too, looking at my poor little house that I haven't got the energy to much with. I did go out on Tuesday though, with Mum and Curly Girl, to a local talk by a survivor of the Bethnal Green Tube Disaster, the largest civilian disaster of the Second World War, when 173 people were crushed to death as they descended the steps to the underground station, which was used as an air raid shelter. It was a very moving story, and I will be going to Bethnal Green in the future to see the planned long-overdue memorial for which funds are currently being raised. 

This weekend we have been out and about a bit. Yesterday we went to a talk in the local church hall about the history of tea, you would probably have enjoyed it! Today we had tickets for an exhibition at the Museum of London, one of my Christmas presents to the Prof. Entitled Doctors, Dissection and Resurrection Men, it centred around the practice of grave robbing in order to provide doctors with bodies in order to find out more about the human body and to improve their skills, which was very prevalent at one time. This is much more the Prof's kind of thing than mine, but I did find it interesting. 

We've been researching some family history again this week, too - and I am really pleased to have found the name of my Great Uncle who died aged 21 in the First World War, on a brass plaque in a church in East London. We have been round all the war memorials we knew of, looking for his name in the past, and we finally found details of the memorial plaque his name is on online last night. We visited the church this afternoon, but couldn't get in. We will go back another time. As you said, I am very interested in family history and always plan to put something together, and never get around to it. It would be nice to work on that this year, I have made a start by planning a day with my Mum, cousin and Auntie to look at all the old family photographs (also eat scones and drink tea, obviously). 

So, a busy few days for me really. I have been wondering today why I feel so tired, and then writing this out to you now I realise how busy I have been, so no wonder! That and the fact that I only got five hours sleep last night - reading in bed too late. 

I do hope there is nicer weather this year - you are right, I didn't get to do much with the garden last year. I did put some bedding plants in pots and baskets, but then nothing thrived very well being constantly waterlogged, and it was mostly too wet to sit out there. My little mosaic table is all green and will need a good scrubbing when the weather turns a bit warmer, at the moment it's taters outside (there's some cockney rhyming slang for you) so I am staying firmly in the warm. In the Spring I have plans for sweet peas as  always, my favourite! and I would like some tomatoes and maybe some other veg that I can grow easily in pots. I am hoping the blueberry I bought last year will survive the winter, too. I haven't thought much further than that, yet.

That's it from me for now, it's 7.40pm and I am going to watch some TV, have a cheeky glass of cherry brandy and knit. Then an early(ish) night. My kind of evening. 

I hope you are feeling brighter after a couple of days off work. Look forward to hearing from you soon

Debbie  x

P.S.  The photo was taken just before Christmas. I forgot to tell you I had a mad moment in the hairdresser's and told her to cut it short!