O_mahala_O's Xanga

I WON!!!

Thu, 28 Sep 2006 13:35:23 GMT

You may remember some time ago I posted that I was persuing my bank for the charges they had taken from my account. The banks still assert that they are entitled to do so under the Terms and Conditions of their accounts; English law says otherwise.

Anyway, my case was due to be heard in court next week. Two days ago I received a letter from the bank's solicitor. It stated that they firmly believed my case was without merit and I would lose in court. However, due to the cost of defending the claim, they were willing to offer me the full amount of my claim!

So, sure they would win, but unwilling to test this assertion by actually going to court! Still, they have agreed to pay me £1088 in full settlement of the claim. They demanded full confidentiality - so that I would not be able to tell anyone I'd even received an offer, but I refused to sign that agreement. I wrote my own acceptance letter stating that I would negotiate confidentiality as a separate matter lol. They waived that clause and have raised a cheque!

Yeay me! Yeay Consumer Action Group!

Go get your money back!

What I've Learned

Thu, 28 Sep 2006 12:28:46 GMT

I've learned
that you cannot make someone love you.
All you can do is
be someone who can be loved.
The rest is up to them.

I've learned
that no matter how much I care,
some people just don't care back.

I've learned
that it takes years to build up trust,
and only seconds to destroy it.

I've learned
that it's not what you have in your life
but who you have in your life that counts.

I've learned
that you can get by on charm
for about fifteen minutes.
After that, you'd better know something.

I've learned
that you shouldn't compare
yourself to the best others can do
but to the best you can do.

I've learned
that it's not waht happens to people
that's important. It's what they do about it.

I've learned
that you can do something in an instant
that will give you heartache for life.

I've learned
that no matter how thin you slice it,
there are always two sides.

I've learned
that it's taking me a long time
to become the person I want to be.

I've learned
that it's a lot easier
to react that it is to think.

I've learned
that you should always leave
loved ones with loving words.
It may be the last time you see them.

I've learned
that you can keep going
long after you think you can't.

I've learned
that we are responsible for what we do,
no matter how we feel.

I've learned
that either you control your attitude
or it controls you.

I've learned
that regardless of how hot and steamy
a relationship is at first,
the passion fades and there had better be
something else to take its place.

I've learned
that heores are people
who do what needs to be done
when it needs to be done,
regardless of the consequences.

I've learned
that learning to forgive takes practice.

I've learned
that there are people who love you dearly
but just don't know how to show it.

I've learned
that money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I've learned
that my best friend and I can do anything
or nothing and have the best time.

I've learned
that something the people you expect
to kick you when you're down
will be the ones to help you get back up.

I've learned
that sometimes when I'm angry
I have the right to be angry,
but that doesn't give me
the right to be cruel.

I've learned
that true friendship continues to grow,
even over the longest distance.
Same goes for true love.

I've learned
that just because someone doesn't love you
the way you want them to doesn't mean
they don't love you with all they have.

I've learned
that maturity has more to with
what types of experiences you've had
and what you've learned from them
and less to do with how many
birthdays you've celebrated.

I've learned
that you should never tell a child
their dreams are unlikely or outlandish.
Few things are more humiliating, and
what a tragedy it would be
if they believed it.

I've learned
that no matter how good a friends is,
they're going to hurt you
every once in a while
and you must forgive them for that.

I've learned
that it isn't always enough
to be forgiven by others.
Sometimes you have to learn
to fogrive yourself.

I've learned
that no matter how bad
your heart is broken
the world doesn't stop for your grief.

I've learned
that our background and circumstances
may have influenced who we are,
but we are responsible for who we become.

I've learned
that sometimes when my firnds fight,
I'm forced to choose sides
even when I don't want to.

I've learned
that just because two people argue,
it doesn't mean they don't love each other.
Just because they don't argue,
it doesn't mean they do.

I've learned
that sometimes you have to put
the individual ahead of their actions.

I've learned
that we don;t have to change friends
if we understand that friends change.

I've learned
that you shouldn't be so
eager to find out a secret.
It could change your life forever.

I've learned
that two people can look
at the exact same thing
and see something totally different.

I've learned
that no matter how you try to protect
your children, they will eventually get hurt
and you will hurt in the process.

I've learbed
that there are many ways of falling
and staying in love.

I've learned
that no matter the consequences,
those who are honest with themselves
get farther in life.

I've learned
that no matter how many friends you have,
if you are their pillar you will feel lonely
and lost at the times you need them most.

I've learned
that your life can be changed
in a matter of hours
by people who don't even know you.

I've learned
that even when you think
you have no more to give,
when a friend cries out to you,
you will find the strength to help.

I've learned
that writing, as well as talking,
can ease emotional pains.

I've learned
that the paradigm we live in
is not all that is offered to us.

I've learned
that credentials on the wall
do not make you a decent human being.

I;ve learned
that the people you care most about in life
are taken from you too soon.

I've learned
that although the word "love"
can have many different meanings,
it loses value when overly used.

I've learned
that it's hard to determine
where to draw the line
between being nice and
not hurting people's feelings
and standing up for waht you believe.

Author unknown

Just Because ...

Tue, 19 Sep 2006 21:48:26 GMT

Face Race

Wed, 06 Sep 2006 15:55:20 GMT

Click on my Face!

I'm 3rd row from the bottom, right in the middle, next to Stonelaughter (you can click on his face too if you like!). We're in a Face Race. Help us!

If you want to join the race, you can for free, by using the promo code "freeface".

Sad News

Fri, 01 Sep 2006 20:43:08 GMT

I was given some very sad news today.

One of my favourite students, who got her exam results last week (and did fantastically) has died. She was hit by a car and died in hospital. It's such a waste - she was bright, funny, opinionated, confident, intelligent, beautiful and a joy to have in my lessons. She would have been in my AS Level Beliefs class starting next week. I'll miss her.

Goddess Bless, Chelsea.

Catch Up

Sun, 27 Aug 2006 00:34:47 GMT

It's catch up time again - I will try and update this more often - promise!

So the last few weeks have been busy ones for Cian - he's coming on in leaps and bounds. Not content with lying on the floor in one place, he began crawling a few weeks ago. He generally does a "sniper crawl" - crawling on his tummy and pulling himself along the floor, but he's eager to get crawling on his hands and knees too. He often gets up on his hands and knees and whilst he can take one "step" like this, he hasn't quite got the balance sorted to move anywhere yet. Talking of balance ... he really doesn't want to stay still. It seems he is destined to take after my brother, who started "furniture walking" (walking/shuffling round the room holding onto the furniture) at seven months. Cian has been trying hard to stand up using the sofa and love people to hold his hands so he can stand up. Last weekend he decided that he should stand up on his own, and cast off Grandad's helping hands - luckily Grandad was quick to catch hold again - Cian may be clever, but he isn't up to independent standing just yet!

Independence is a big thing for him by the look of it - now he's well and truly got the hang of this eating malarkey, he wants to be the one doing the feeding and now likes to take the spoon and feed himself thankyou very much! After initially feeding his ear a few times, he manages to find his mouth most of the time now, and doesn't drop it on the floor - he's too greedy for that! He's also taking his cup of water himself too - he won't have a bottle, and will tolerate beakers, but what he likes best are the plastic cups used by his brother and sister - and he will drink happily from them, with little spillage.

And the biggest news - his first tooth has, at last, made its appearance! He's had it for a whole week now, and boy, do I know it!

We're currently trying to get him to fall asleep in his cot - he's been falling asleep whilst being fed on our bed which was working well, but the last couple of weeks he's struggled to sleep unless he's in bed with us, when we have struggled to sleep!

It's hard work, and emotionally hard on all three of us, but we are making progress. He always has one of with him until he falls asleep, so I don't feel as bad as I might about it. Tonight he was in his bed and asleep three and a half hours earlier than last night - although we weren't trying to get him to sleep that long last night - he was just a wide awake little man who wanted to play lol!

Quick Update

Sat, 05 Aug 2006 23:03:30 GMT

Gosh it's been a while hasn't it?

Since my last post, I've managed to get two contracts with leisure centres to run classes there. They are borth short term, but if things go well, then they will be extended. There's a possibility of expanding the classes at both places too.

I went back to school for a week, my official return from maternity leave. I hated it. The politics were as bad as ever, it was too hot (hot weather combined with an old building with little in the way of ventilation) and I wanted to be at home with my son, who I missed terribly. He missed me too by all accounts, and for three of the five days, did very little but cry until I came home

I'm now enjoying six weeks at home with him, safe in the knowledge that when I go back to work it will only be for 2 and a half days a week.

In addition to the Tatty Bumpkin classes, I've finally set up the online shop for my meditations shop Spiral Meditations. I've been on ebay for a long time now, but more fee increases have finally convinced me to make the move. The shop is up and running, and over time I will stop listing on ebay.

Adding more strings to my bow, I've signed up to sell Barefoot Books, although this will be a small sideline to go along with the yoga classes, rather than a huge business in itself. I'm also looking into affiliate marketing for real nappies, and at some point will develop the new online business Spiral Proofing. It's all go!

For now, I'm content to take a short breather and enjoy the summer with my son, with just the occasional bit of work - a luxury I have courtesy of my full teaching salary over the summer!

Buzzz buzzz buzzz

Fri, 07 Jul 2006 16:18:59 GMT

Well, I have been very busy this week - as busy as a bee (buzzzz buzzz!).

I've really been working on marketing Tatty Bumpkin and it seems to be paying off. As I posted before, I've secured a venue for a class starting in September, and I have a free session for that next week. I've got 2 children booked into that so far - and hope to get lots more booked in from activities tomorrow. I've also got a photographer from the local newspaper coming to the session so the paper can run a piece on it. Today I contacted the local radio stations and the local BBC news team to see if I can get some coverage there.

I've got a booking for two mini sessions at a nursery next week - for which I am actually being paid (!), with a view to arranging sessions for the coming academic year. On Friday i have a meeting with the manager of the local leisure centre to talk about running sessions there.

I have a booking for 15 July at a Summer Festival in a local village - not being paid for this, although I can charge people to join the session - but a great marketing opportunity. And on 5 August, I am running a session at a Hospital Summer Fair in the city. Again, not being paid for it, and I can't charge at this one, but another great opportunity to get my name out there!

I've just ordered 100 badges (buttons) to be made up, and might have to order a load more now! I've got a great custom made sticker in the back of my car advertising what I do too.

Oh, and I almost forgot! I contacted a company yesterday that provide mobile creche facilities and they are interested in offering my session to their customers - so I look forward to that bearing some fruit.

I am starting to see the possibility of this really working for me and I'm so excited!

Free Taster Session!

Thu, 29 Jun 2006 10:59:24 GMT

I've just booked the venue for one of my Tatty Bumpkin classes. The class will run from September on Tuesday mornings in Mansfield, Nottingham. I've also booked the hall for a FREE TASTER SESSION on 11 July. If you know someone who may be interested in coming to Tatty Bumpkin classes, let them know that there's a free session in Mansfield on Tuesday 11 July. Places are limited and need to be booked in advance!

Poo!

Fri, 23 Jun 2006 17:03:39 GMT

Do you know, I don't think I've managed to drink a cup of tea while it's hot since Cian was born? I say this just because I've just taken the first sip of a cuppa my husband made for me, only to find that it's now stone cold. I'll drink it anyway - one becomes quite fond of cold tea after a while!

So, POO! I don't want to dwell on this, but nappy change time is a much more pleasant experience these days. Gone are the nappies from hell that explode when you open them - liquid poo covering everything within 50 metres (one of the less joyful effects of breastfeeding). Now we have contained poo, that doesn't cover the nappies and everything near them. And a boy that looks quite pleased with himself, actually. As I write this, he is in his cot, on his tummy, playing with a shapesorter that makes animal noises. Cow seems to be a favourite - he discovered he can make cow moo by biting. Duck got pulled out, but, as I write this he is pressing duck overandoverandoverandover lmao. Dog has just barked (dog is furthest away from him, so quite an achievement!

I feel quite confident that in his cot, with the side bars up, he can (for the time being at least) come to no harm. He is happy and content and playing nicely. I can have 5 minutes to myself. (ooh he just found cat! He's such a clever boy ). A couple of days ago, I would have said that for 5 minutes he could play in the middle of our king size bed. With me in the room, just 2 metres away, he couldn't do any damage. Although he could roll over, with his nappies on it was an effort, because they are bulky. Yesterday, in the time it took me to walk from the bed to my desk and open my email, he rolled off the bed and onto the floor. He landed with a bump. A few cuddles later and he was all smiles again. I cried a lot harder, and for a lot longer.

I popped into work on Wednesday with Cian. It was nice to see people again. I got to make a couple of minor adjustments to my timetable. I got to find out that things don't change really, and the next round of office politics is in full swing. There was certainly an atmosphere (I've since found out why. I won't go into details. Suffice it to say that the idiocy of management never fails to amaze me ). Oh, I can't wait to go back ....

I went for a coffee this morning with a colleague who works part time. It was nice to go out away from work. Relaxing. Fun. Normal!

ooh, cat, dog, cow and duck have lost their appeal - my time is up!