Tiny Dragon

 

                             CGI 'Dragon Art' Suzi Williams

Tiny Dragon

In a magical place
In far off lands
Sits a tiny dragon
With time on his hands

He's watching and waiting
With a wink and a smile
To meet his best friend
Who'll be along in a while

Too young to breathe fire
Or fly in the sky
This doesn't stop Archie from having a try

So if you see him
Just give him a wave
Say 'Hello' to the Dragon who lives in a cave 

© Suzi Williams 2011

'Fuzzy Wuzzy'

‘Fuzzy Wuzzy’ art by Thomas Williams

Fuzzy Wuzzy

In a secret glade, a magical place

Behind a wild bush, peeps a fuzzy wuzzy face

This tiny creature, has dew drop eyes

Like soft pools of ebony, they glint with surprise

His fur is charcoal, like velvet to touch

His whiskers are spiky and black

With his cute button nose and round little face

Fuzzy Wuzzy dances all over the place

He stands on two legs, though only three inches tall

He’s almost human some say

And if you don’t scare him, or frighten him

If you’re very lucky, he’ll come out to play

For Fuzzy Wuzzy is one of a kind

He lives in faerie land

Where the flowers grow tall and the creatures are small

I hope you understand

© Suzi Williams 2011

‘

LITTLE OLD (ME)

Little Old ME

I wish I was normal
Like I used to be
Not plagued by restrictions and allergy

I took it for granted
When I had energy
To go out when I wanted
Not have people judge me

I may look quite normal, even healthy to you
My pain is masked with a smile
Life is still precious
As are family and friends
On your understanding I depend

People Need Structure, Discipline and Love

Over the past two decades there has been a perceivable decline of decent social behaviour. It is sadly a fact that people in general have less regard for each other. This is reflected in the way we treat our elderly, the breakdown of family structure, and the increase in anti -social behaviour.

We might ask ourselves who is to blame. As parents are we too easy on our children now. Most young people are no longer taught to have basic manners, respect for their elders, authority, and ultimately respect for themselves.

In the fifties and sixties parental discipline was an integral part of everyday life. In our schools pupils were expected to be able to sit still and listen to their teacher without question. If a pupil stepped out of line they were sent to the head teacher to be reprimanded. It may have seemed overly strict to some, but in truth it kept young people in line, and helped them learn some self discipline for their adult life.

In those days most families had a proper breakfast and sat down together for main meals. Parents read to their children, and watched television programmes suitable for family viewing. Children had set bedtimes and they weren’t allowed a television or a computer in their bedroom. Unsuitable language was not allowed, nor was there any talking back, or being cheeky to an adult.

In the present day it is becoming more apparent that a lot of young adults are out of control, and more importantly they haven’t the slightest idea how to be a strong parental influence in their own children’s lives. Of course there are exceptions to this. However, it is becoming increasingly hard for conscientious parents to guide their children, especially when their child goes to school and starts socialising among the masses.

Depressing as it may seem, this is not an irrevocable situation. Society just needs to be reminded that all human beings need structure, discipline and above all love to live a fulfilled life.  

The Face of Graceful Aging

Aging is an inevitable part of life. However, how we look as we age, is partly down to genetics, and also the way we look after our appearance and general health.

The secret to looking youthful is fairly simple:

    * Follow a good skin care regime (moisturise morning and night)
    * Eat a balanced diet
    * Get restful sleep (6/8 hours per night)
    * Drink plenty of water to keep the body and skin hydrated.
    * Do gentle exercise, e.g. dancing/walking/swimming. It will keep you supple
    * Choose subtle make-up colours to give you a more youthful appearance
    * Wear fashionable clothes, which are not too young in style for your age
    * Have your hair trimmed and conditioned regularly
    * Choose a soft natural looking hair shade, if you dye your hair
    * Look after your teeth
    * And last, but certainly not least laugh, its the best medicine for a youthful outlook on life.

Enjoy each phase of your life, getting older brings different gifts into our lives.

Animals, the World, and Our Future.

In the UK it has been said people care more for their animals, than they do for other people.
This is overall a disproportionate view. There are of course exceptions to this rule, as there are in other areas of life.

Ultimately family and close friends will always come first with most people, but the fact is animals have so much to give in the way of companionship and affection. This is especially the case when someone lives alone, or is elderly. Animals can be a lifeline and become dear friend for the lonely. They don't judge us, or have high expectations.

Lets face it if we cannot treat animals with kindness and affection, then what chance do we stand of treating other human beings this way? It's very sad, but also true that indifference and cruelty are on the increase worldwide, towards both people and animals. Indeed society seems to be heading in a retrograde direction.

Perhaps its time to start teaching people from a young age, to value each other, our animals, and our planet. Then perhaps society will stand a chance, and love and decency will prevail.

Living With M. E.

People sometimes ask you what it's like to live with M.E. (myalgic encephalomyelitis.) or it's contemporary name CFS (chronic fatigue syndrome).

Well here's a small window into the world of chronic illness. For a start, every morning you wake up you feel as though your whole body has been hit by a high speed train. There is not one part of you that doesn't hurt. Your limbs feel like there are lead weights attached to them, and to add to this lovely experience, you feel like you've been in the Sahara desert, because you're so parched your tongue is sticking to the roof of your mouth.

Even getting dressed is an incredible effort. You never feel refreshed after sleep, that is if you actually manage to get any. Insomnia is all part of the package you face every day.  The extreme lethargy you suffer is so frustrating and depressing, there is no get up and go left, just the most incredible tiredness all the time. Some days you lack the mental clarity to read, write, or even communicate with people properly. Then there's the migraines, your head hurts so much you cannot lift it off the pillow, and any light natural or not hurts your eyes, and to top it off you feel incredibly sick. These can last for days.

I'm afraid others tend to view you as a major 'Pain in the backside'. Why? because you can never plan anything ahead. You can't say 'Yes, I will definitely be there', in two weeks, two days, or sometimes even two hours time, because you never know how bad you are going to be on any one particular day or week.

Many doctors (not all) have little or no understanding of this terribly debilitating illness. If you explain to them that you are extremely sensitive to the fillers and constituents in generic medicines, they are very sceptical. I was lucky enough to have an understanding GP regarding this, because generic medicines have different fillers and colours, which differ every time you receive your prescription. So consequently you are never guaranteed the exact same formula at the chemist. This can cause unnecessary suffering in a person who has M.E. 

M.E. takes the vibrant person you once were away, you have to learn to adapt, and this is extremely hard to do. There are not many people who understand just how difficult this is, except other people with M.E.

I've not covered every aspect of M.E.. I've only just scratched the surface really. It may all sound greatly exaggerated, but I can assure you, it's not. People with M.E. are still people. People who love and appreciate their families, understanding friends, and the more simple things in life, like a beautiful sunny day. We learn to enjoy our 'better days' to the fullest, and endure the bad days as best we can.

A little understanding goes a long, long, way to making our lives more livable.

Gluten For Punishment

Food intolerance is on the increase. There are numerous theories as to why this is happening, but for those people with this problem, their main concern is finding appetising gluten free food. When you cut out natural foods which contain gluten, you substantially reduce your diet options. So it's very useful to find companies who produce a good quality tasty gluten free range.
This is beneficial for people with wheat intolerance, gluten intolerance, or who are Coeliac.

See: http://www.glutenfree-foods.co.uk/faqs.php#coeliac

Below you will find some very useful links: Fria Bröd, the biggest gluten-free bakery in Scandinavia and available throughout many European countries. Visit us here or on our web site at www.fria.se, for regular updates and upcoming events.
 http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=188694367837740&comments#!/pages/Fria-Gluten-Free/148382048546519?v=info

http://www.glutenfree-foods.co.uk/

http://www.simply-free.co.uk/about-simply-free

http://www.trufree.co.uk/

Hope this has given you some food for thought.

Back to Basics for a Better Society

Back to Basics for a Better Society

We live in a world where there is constant pressure to be ultra slim and look at least ten years younger than our actual age.

Every woman’s magazine we pick up focuses on these subjects, and now men’s publications are following suit.

This is a serious problem because it’s not only affecting adults, its damaging our children from a very young age. Even though some of them are not old enough to take in the written content, the images are subliminal and have a very powerful negative influence on them.

Everything is portrayed in a superficial way. So the majority of young people come to expect things like instant fame, expensive designer clothes, and cosmetic surgery.

What happened to acceptance, tolerance, and individuality?  It’s becoming like a clone factory, and it’s infiltrating all areas of our lives.

Surely the most important thing is to learn and grow intellectually as a human being. Enjoy our relationships and friends without judgment or preconceived expectations, and of course to ultimately accept ourselves. We should be enjoying the simple things, which make day to day living enjoyable.

Here are a few examples:

• Going for a walk in the park or countryside with family or friends.

• Making something from scratch yourself, instead of buying it.

• Helping someone else (the smallest gesture can make someone’s day).

• Reading a good book, or reading to someone else who finds it difficult.

• Dancing is a mood lifter, and a great way of socialising.

• Writing down all the positive things in your life. 
• Do something creative regularly. 
• Be thankful for what you already have, The grass is not always greener on the other side.
• Accept complements and complement family and friends. They need need it too!
• Do a good deed for someone, it makes you feel good.

It’s these sorts of activities that build self esteem and make you feel like you’ve achieved something.

It’s up to us to take a stand, and not become media sheep. If not for ourselves, for our children and the future of mankind. People need purpose not perfection.

Making positive moves to fight the Winter blues.

Just into the New Year most of us feel a little on the low side. This is probably down to a number of things like, adverse weather, monetary problems, virus's and short days with very little sun light. Most of us start off with good intentions in January, but all to often our resolutions fall by the way side within a week or two of making them.
So What can we do to have a more positive outlook.  You'd be surprised actually. It's the small things that can really make a difference. One of the most important things is to have some kind of routine. These may vary widely, because some people work full time, whilst others may have health problems to contend with.

Here are a few things that can brighten up your day, whatever your daily routine involves.

• Keep in touch with your friends, networking is good, but a phone call is even better.
• Wear colours which you feel good in and for ladies wear some nice make-up.
• Read...reading is good for you, especially for writers. You can learn an awful lot about writing through reading other authors work.
• Eat little and often if it's at all possible. If you work full time make sure you stop for a break, you are entitled by law to have at least one 20 minute break. This varies from employer to employer and the amount of hours you work.
• Make sure you drink plenty of fluids throughout the day. Dehydration over a prolonged period can cause health problems, and has been linked to lethargy and depression.
• Watch a comedy programme. There is no better medicine than a good laugh.
• Keep you own blog. It's a good way of expressing yourself.
• Take a multivitamin, especially if you eat and run. At lot of people live at a very fast pace now.
• Have a long warm soak in the bath, whilst listening to your favourite music.
• Try listening to new bands and music. Old favourites are good, but there's a lot of new talent out there too.

Everyday of life is a gift, don't waste it being unhappy.

Useful Links: /http://www.newbooksmag.com/

http://www.healthspan.co.uk/immunity/multivitamins-gold/productdetail-p347-c145.aspx?referrer=GOOGLEPPC&gclid=CNmCtvb67qYCFYMTfAodz3nPEw

http://buzz.blogger.com/2007/08/browse-profiles-find-new-blogs-to-read.html

http://www.last.fm/home

Looking back at the 'Lake District'.

The Lake District is considered to be one of the most beautiful places in Britain. I have been lucky enough to live there twice. The first time was when my father got a job as a general manager in an electrical business in 1965, when I was eight years old. At first we lived in the town of Windermere, before moving to Bowness-on-Windermere in 1967, which is where Lake Windermere is located. I suppose I took the beauty of the place for granted as a child. It's only now I look back and think, it was a special place. I spent many hours with my father on Lake Windermere. Dad had a few boats between 1967 and 1971. Two of them were speed boats and he taught me how to drive them from the age of ten. When I reminisce I know I was privileged, because not many youngsters get to do exciting things like this, and also because I had quality time with my father. These memories live on and are very precious to me, because my dad died in 1987 aged  just 51.
We left Windermere in 1975, it was only a short move to a place called Staveley about 4 miles away from Windermere. I moved several times after that and thought I would never go back to live in the Lake District.

However, in November 1984 I returned to Bowness to run a very nice guest house with my parents. By this time I was married and had a 2 year old daughter. Between 1984 and 1987 we met a lot of very nice people from all over the world. It was ideal for me because I worked in the family business, but also had quality time with my daughter in the afternoons. Usually we would go down to the pier in Bowness and feed the swans and ducks, and on the way back I would take Julia (Victoria) to the swings.

These were magical times in an extraordinarily beautiful location. Above Julia (Victoria) and myself in the grounds of our guest house 1985.
http://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/

New Blog

Hi Everyone,
Welcome to my blog, I'm still customising it so please bear with me and check back very soon.