knowing me is to trust in me

I am going to go on a bit about discrimination, now some people may be bored with what I write; some will feel a little edgy as it hits home and some may start to trust me for who I am. All my life since childhood I have seen discrimination in a lot of ways, I didn't like it then and I still don't like it now.
I was 10 yrs of age when I witnessed the first discrimination against me, children can be very cruel. At the end of 1958 I along with my family emigrated to Australia to what my Parents thought would be a better life for us. The first example was just after the Ship Docked in Adelaide, South Australia, I took my sister to the play park while my parents were sorting out access to our accommodation. I was threatened by a group of girls who said because I didn't have freckles I was probably a dirty Pom, I had no idea what they meant. I knew that they were telling me I didn't belong there, it may sound silly but remember I was a child and I believed them.
We were in Australia 3 years and all of my time at school there I had to sit through the humiliation of name calling and being bashed about. My books ripped, drawn on and even stolen, what made it worse was that the Teachers took their side. I cried a lot at night but tried to keep it stifled because my Parents had told me to put up with it. They said that they had to stay in that country long enough to save to come home and they needed to work with some of the Parents of those children. So I had to grin and bare it or toughen up, so I decide to get stronger and defend myself. After a while it started to work and they knew that I could stand my ground, they got bored and started picking on other new kids. Some would turn a blind eye but not me, I knew how these new kids were feeling and I befriended them. I was still a little frightened but learned to hide it, I never had to show aggression but I could raise my voice and be heard and that made me look tough; this was my strength. My last 12 months at School there was a lot happier and once my Parents had decided to come home I was over the moon.
The next discrimination was from my own Mother, she started Lording around because we had been to Australia and able to buy a house on our return. She became very snobby and I used to grit my teeth when she interrogated my friends on their back grounds, even when I first met my husband in my late teens. She would say things like "if his father had money problems it was because he lives in a Council house", I shot back with " is that why we had no money before we went to Australia, because we lived in a council house" She hated that, she would look around to make sure no one heard me. I told her that she should never forget her roots because that is who we are and shouldn't pretend to be something else. She would never agree with me, she thought I was a nuisance and said I didn't know what I was talking about; but I did know.
All of my working life I have met discrimination and I have battled against it, be it because I was a woman in a mans world proving that I was just as good to get to be the best at what I did. Putting up with low minded and ignorant people, when they discriminate against others on there colour, creed or sexuality.
In my last job before I retired as if it has to be right up to the end of my working life and when I first got the job there (tell me please) where is it written down in an induction to the job that you have to be told that someone is a Lesbian? I couldn't believe the low minded person that was telling this, was it because of my age that she thought I needed to know this fact. The person she mentioned happened to be a very nice person and was having a really bad time from the heckling and whispers about her. I used to find her very funny and she had a great sense of humour once she let me get to know her. What surprised me was when she told me that since I started to work there she had found confidence and got stronger as a person, I got a bit weepy at that. I told her that all she really needed was a friend that would take no crap from those that discriminated against her and she said she trusted me to be her friend. She knew me and she trusted me and so to anyone with a similar problem I would say "chose your friends wisely and know them before you trust them".

(A friend in need is a friend in deed)

Liverpool

Had a great day out in Liverpool today with my Husband, HMS Illustrious was in dock that is some Aircraft carrier. We went around the Albert docks taking in the atmosphere it was absolutely buzzing, I think everyone in Liverpool was off work. The weather was good to us as on previous visits it had been very cold, this time it was quite warm and none of the gale force winds we have been experiencing lately.
We had lunch near the docks and then wandered around the shops, I was looking for a present for a friend who had come into my mind as I stepped off the train at Liverpool Lime street. We had a fantastic day and it wasn't planned just out of the blue we decided to go, I hope this is one of many out of the blue days to come.
It was going dark as we got on the train for the journey home, I was hoping we would get back into Stockport before the shops closed so I could see my friend but it wasn't to be; it will have to be tomorrow now because it was late when we arrived back.

Christmas preps so much fun

I have started collecting bits for the arts and crafts box that I make up for my Grandchildren, each year they love to make things for Christmas and I take pride in using and showing off their work. I have their pieces on my Christmas tree and hung among the Christmas decs, they are really pleased when they come round on Christmas day and show their Parents what they have made; they keep their things secret until Christmas day so I don't put them out until Christmas Eve. It's a fun time with them and it keeps me and my Husband young at heart, we get very messy with glue and glitter and we have a really good laugh.
This year will be different now I have retired I will have more time for everything, it has usually been a rush because I would only have two days off at Christmas; yes this year will be special.
It was a very cool and crisp day today, we wrapped up warm and set out to Manchester to do some shopping and of course start my Christmas list. Oh if only we had the money what lovely things are in the shops now, we had a lovely lunch and just chatted and laughed together you wouldn't believe that we have been married 41 years. I can spend more time with my husband now, we go out most days and sometimes we just get on a train and end up somewhere really nice. We are only a bus ride from the country side and this is the best time, the leaves on the trees are golden brown and look so lovely. We walk for miles just taking in the surrounding and then we head off home full of the day we have had.

omg Christmas is coming

This year I am going to make the effort and get my Christmas shopping done early, now I am retired I have no excuse.Every year because I was working full time, I was racing around on the last week with my tick list and trying to wrap the presents before Christmas Eve. If I end up doing that this year then I would say that I am a glutton for punishment.This year will be the first time I will not be in the thick of things, planning and helping to put on the Christmas Events. This year I will be watching the Events and probably have a little pang of envy at not being involved with the build up to them.The Christmas Light Switch on in November in Stockport always bring in the crowds and the shows are fantastic. The actual preparation build up to the Event is manic, everyone chips in and all teams on the shopping Centre get involved. Then in December they usually have Santa and the Reindeer parade, last Christmas was my last one and I actually managed to get my photo taken with Santa and a Reindeer a nice keepsake. Because of the recession it will be touch and go whether they have the Reindeers this year, glad I have my memories.

Luck comes in 3s too

Hi Bloggers, it has been a while since I made notes of my life in retirement and I haven't wasted any of it. I week ago I came back off holiday with my Husband, we had 2 glorious weeks in Bournemouth. The weather was hot every day and it was the best and the luckiest holiday we have ever had.
We went away on the 20 June and on the 22nd June we had a bit of bad luck, my husband lost his wallet and although we retraced our steps we had to face reality that it was lost for good.
My Husband moped around a bit on that day and I told him that unless he came to terms with the fact that it was lost for good, it could spoil our our holiday. So he snapped out of it and we decided to go down to the beach area in the evening, we would have a meal and a few drinks and enjoy ourselves. After our meal we started looking round for a bar to have a drink and we happened on the B.I.C ( Bournemouth International Centre). They were having the Stage show of The War of The Worlds, we heard the tanoy announcement that the performance was ready to start. We thought we would go and see what it was all about, we entered the foyer and just looking round when we was approached by a B.I.C official. He said are you going to see the show because it was about to start, I said we was only looking around and hadn't come to see the show. He asked if we would like to see the show and I said we would love to, he then produced 2 tickets for seats at £41.50 each and he said enjoy the show on me.
Wow I could not believe it, we had to rush to our seats before it started and I must say that I have never experienced anything so good. The realistic sounds of the action as the show began the Orchestra, the special effects it was fantastic. When the show was over we went back to find the official to thank him and we told him of the lost wallet earlier in the day. He said he was glad it was us he gave the tickets to and wished us luck for the rest of our holiday.
We were so chilled out after the show we couldn't believe our luck and I knew then we could put the bad luck behind us. I had been right because on the very next day my husband's mobile phone rang and it was a Lady saying she had found his wallet and all the money was still in it. We met up with her and offered her a reward but she wouldn't take it, we were lost for words and couldn't thank the Lady enough. We could now get on with our holiday and so we started planning our days with boat trips, sight seeing and enjoying the hot sunshine every day. On the Wednesday of the second week we bought our usual 2 lottery tickets with numbers we have had for quite a while, we have had the odd ticket with 3 or 4 numbers on over the last couple of years. Later that night we checked the numbers and couldn't believe it, 4 numbers came out on one ticket and 5 numbers came out on the second ticket. We was absolutely bowled over, it more that paid for the holiday we had just had and left plenty to spare for our Son's 40th birthday party which was on the Saturday after we arrived back. We can also afford another week away later in the year, to think that at the beginning of our holiday it started with bad luck and it changed to 3 lots of good luck.

We enjoyed our Son's Birthday party the week after we arrived home and I was still on a high from our holiday which made me do something that I have never done before; I actually got up and sang on the Karioke with my Son. It was the best feeling ever and the night was so good with lots of laughs and everybody having fun. I haven't had this much fun in ages, just shows you how much work overtakes your life; retirement is really being good to me.

Life is good

One Month on and life after Merseyway is still good, no worries, no hassles and no being annoyed at people who get away with pretending to do the job they are paid good money for. I miss my friends and the laughs we had but other than that everything about retirement is what I wanted.

The weather has been good to us at the moment and my Husband and I have not wasted any time in enjoying it. We have travelled about a bit and gone everywhere together, I only wish I had made up my mind to retire a couple of years ago.

The pain in my neck has got a lot better and I am back for physio tomorrow, there is nothing serious about it and I will probably be signed off after tomorrows treatment. Then it will just be keeping up with the exercises he gave me to do. I went for an ultra sound on my stomach last week and there is nothing to worry about so I can get on with things now, I just have to keep myself fit and exercise my stomach muscles so I am going to take up swimming. Thats all sorted and now i'ts back to enjoying my retirement.

Some one asked me today if I was enjoying myself and did I miss working, I said the only worries I have now is finding something to worry about. I can honestly say I am having the time of my life, it's still strange though when I go down to the Shopping Centre it feels like I was there ages ago and not recently, like a stranger going back after years away. Well I suppose that is like History and now I am a part of Merseyways History, now and again someone will remember me and hopefully smile.

Lazy Hazy Days

It has been some time since my last post and to be honest I didn't realise how fast the time had flown. My days have been full of doing things that I have wanted to do for a long time and also filled with doing nothing at all. Still the time passes so quickly, how can that be? I am not bored or unhappy at being retired, I relish my freedom but I need to have some purpose in my retirement. I have decided that I must do something constructive, maybe use my skills in some voluntary way and give something back. I haven't decided yet and it may take me some time to decide in which area I want to go, I will ponder on this a little while longer.

I have had a couple of health problems over the last couple of weeks, I have had a problem with my neck and have had physio on it and it feels a lot better now. I have to do neck exercises every day but that's no problem, I am just glad that the problem wasn't serious. Next week I am going for an ultra sound xray on my stomach because I have been having some pain and discomfort, trouble is I have got to go to a medical centre all the way up to High Lane; I hope I don't get lost if I do it will be a long time before my next blog.

My Son and his family are going to have a new addition to their family, no not a baby, it's a labrador puppy and my grandsons can't wait. Lots of promises from them to look after it and take it for walks mmmm, don't know how long that will last, Still I have seen the photos of it and it does look cute. It will be ready to collect on the 20 June when it has been weened and had it's injections. I do hope they realise what they are taking on, I know their hearts are ruling their heads but it is a little boys dream and I must say I can't wait to see it myself. I will close now untill my next blog, bye bye for now be happy out there.