Understanding reasons for conserving water

For most of us water is a commodity that we take for granted. Without thinking we use water to wash ourselves, clean our teeth, flush our toilets, wash our clothes, keep our homes clean, water our garden, cook our food and use in our drinks. Water is something that we could not possibly imagine being without and we object when authorities restrict our usage by imposing hose pipe bans etc.  In many respects we are casual about water and as a consequence we waste tons of it every day. After all, we argue, we have a lot of rain, particularly in the UK and we know that a large proportion of the earth’s surface is covered in water. So why should there be a problem in the future?

The reasons why we need to educate ourselves and think more about our water usage is threefold. Firstly according to the USGS Water Science School only three percent of the planets water is fresh water and only one percent is available for drinking. Secondly we know that there has been a change in weather patterns and that global warming is having an impact upon water supplies, hence the needs for hose pipe bans in the UK. Thirdly and perhaps the most sobering fact is that the water supply to our earth has not increased since time began and if we take into consideration the enormous increase in population plus industrialisation it is only common sense to assume that this precious commodity is likely to become scarce and expensive in the future if we do not take steps to conserve it.

Although we can argue that governments and large companies need to take control of this pending disaster, we as individuals can also have an impact on the future by educating our children and thinking more about our water usage.

There are hundred’s of simple ways that we can conserve water for example:

Turn off the tap when cleaning your teeth.

Avoid leaving the tap running, for example when rinsing dishes or washing fruit and vegetable.Use a bowl.

Take a shower rather than a bath and use a water efficient shower head.

Collect rain water to use on your garden.

Only use washing machines and dish washers containing a full load.

Check pipes for leaks and repair

Use dripper systems in your garden to water flowers and vegetables.

Ensure that lawn sprinklers are watering the grass and not the drive.

Leave a bottle of water in the fridge rather than running the tap  each time you want a drink

Speak to your children’s school to encourage teachers to educate children about water usage.

Collect rain water to use on your garden.

These are just a few ideas and if we consider that by turning our taps off when cleaning our teeth we can save approximately eight gallons of water a day then it makes sense to at least try.

 We all want future generations to enjoy what we have and by conserving water today we are least making an effort to ensure that affordable water will still be available in the future.

Doggy Coats

Well its stopped raining after four days so this morning I have been out in the garden once again tackling the now very wet garden rubbish pile. My next plan of action is to tidy the greenhouse which has plant pots all over the place due to the wind. Unfortunately the green baize  sides of the greenhouse have ripped with the wind so we have taken them off and Colin plans to put a stronger type of material on the sides. There is really no point putting glass on the sides because it would be far to hot in the summer. I don't use the greenhouse much because I find most things grow is I sow the seed directly into the ground.

Last night I sorted through more if my knitting and found these items which I made to sell for dogs.

Here you can see Crisca modelling a black coat with silver coloured studs. 

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/128098667/knitted-dog-coat-with-silver-coloured?

Here she is modelling a lilac

dress with fluffy leg openings and a ruffle at the tail end

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/126298441/pretty-lilac-knitted-dogs-dress-with-a?

and finally we see her in a thick red and white coat that is ideal for those cold days

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/126195656/knitted-dog-coat?

My knitted cardigan and jumper projects.

Last year I bought a knitting machine and I spent the winter practising knitting scarves and hats and then progressed to knitting cardigans, jumpers and dog coats.

This is one of the first cardigans that I knitted on the machine. It is made with double knitting wool which was perhaps a bit too heavy for the machine making it hard work to pull the carriage across the needles. However I managed to complete the cardigan which fits really well..

My next project was this rather lovely 4 ply jumper with a pattern of paw prints. I knitted the back and sleeves on the knitting machine and then hand knit the front. I love this jumper and if it doesn't sell I plan to give it to a family member for Xmas. 

Following the animal them I went onto knit this lovely light lilac sweater with a puppy dog face positioned below the neck line. I knitted all the jumper using the knitting machine. I then designed the puppy face and embroidered it onto the jumper.

Being very please with the result I decided to design a childs jumper with the same embroidered motif.

During the winter months I plan to knit similar jumpers placing Xmas scenes on them 

Dickensian Knitted Mice

Because the weather has been so grey today we have not really been able to go out so I decided to have a sort through the knitted items that I have completed during the past year.

These are my delightful carol singing little mice that are knitted from an Alan Dart Pattern called Dickensian Mice. There are a number of mice that can be knitted including a mouse with a lantern

A lady mouse carrying a flower basket

and a horse chestnut seller which as yet I have not knitted.

Nearer to Christmas I might finish this project and sell them at a Xmas fete.

Mixed Race Adoptions and Racism

Is mixed race adoption in the best interests of the child? Read my article to gain some insight into the pros and cons of placing black or Asian children with white families,


http://greenerearth1.blogspot.com.es/

Growing a Mango Tree

Woke up at 8am this morning and was disappointed to see that we still have rain. This is our third day and I had really forgotten how miserable rain can make you feel. When the rain first came three days ago it was quite nice and gave me an excuse not to go out in the garden to weed. Plus it gave me the opportunity to laze in the house wearing my pyjamas. Now however I'm bored and can't help but think about the number of jobs that need doing in the garden.
Yesterday I had a quick look around the garden and noticed that the nearly ripe cherries have been split by the rain which means that cherries will probably be expensive this year. Plus a large branch on the nispero tree have broken and is hanging on the ground. The branch has mounds of fruit on it so its breaking is probably a combination of the weight of the fruit and the weather. God that means another large branch that we need to burn. The fruit on the branch is likely to rot with all this rain so I will put the fruit in the compost in the hope that the seed don't grow and give us even more nispero trees.
Yesterday we ate a Mango and I'm going to try and grow the seed. It probably wont root but we shall see. I once grew an avocado tree from the pip.Once it got started it really grew tall but I moved before it bore fruit.

Adoption or Abortion

Adoption or Abortion which would you choose?

http://www.helium.com/items/2302554-reflections-adoption-versus-abortion

Domestic and International Adoption

Are you considering adoption a child. Read my article about domestic and international adoption.

http://www.helium.com/items/2358832-adoption-international-or-domestic

Colin's grand daughter

Just couldn't helping posting this wonderful picture of Colin's grand daughter Florence. She lives in the UK with her mum so we don't get to see her that often.  I just love those chubby cheeks and she looks so healthy.

Wikaniko progress

I have written previous blogs about Wikaniko but for those who have not read them Wikaniko is a UK based on line company that sells eco friendly products. A couple of months ago the company began a special offer where people could become distributors without paying the joining fee. The offer is still open if you fancy joining this wonderful company. I will put a link to the site at the end of this blog. The reason why we joined the company is not only because of the special offer but also because we know the people who own Wikaniko and we have found them to be very honest and trustworthy. They truly believe in their products and are committed to an eco friendly lifestyle. Unlike other multi marketing companies Wikaniko has a wide range of products that are of good quality and also sell at a reasonable price. The company is open about the ingredients in their products some of which they make themselves. The products are not tested on animals and if bought from overseas are subject to a fair trade policy. There is no pressure on distributors to recruit or indeed sell products. Wikaniko provides training and offer ongoing support. We have found the experience enjoyable and have learnt a lot about leading a eco friendly lifestyle  I have spent time reading articles and also the information sheets provided by Wikaniko and I have been shocked to learn about the harmful toxins and chemicals in cleaning and beauty products. I had always been a bit dismissive of eco friendly type people but I have to admit that my eyes have been opened to not only the potential harm we can do ourselves but also the harm we are doing to the earth.

Since we became distributors we have been busy trying to not only sell products but also recruit people. We are only in the early stages but at the end of this month we will receive an income for products we have sold  and also a percentage of the products sold by our distributors that we have managed to recruit.

Well at least we have made an income this month so that is positive and we hope to onwards and upwards as time progresses.
If you want to read more about Wikaniko, become a distributor or buy products click the below link



http://www.wikaniko.com/index.php?distributor=greenerearth&redirect=http://www.wikaniko.com/become-a-distributor.php

Grey skies

The weather continues to be pretty miserable and we had another spate of rain. After cooking Colin and I breakfast I wondered what I could do with myself for the day. I decided to look at my Helium writers site  http://www.helium.com/ and see what article titles were available.
I joined Helium about a year ago and have received just over £300 dollars for writing and rating articles.The way it works is that you need to apply to become a member and then write a short piece for approval. Once you are accepted you can choose from a large variety of titles which are placed on an assignments page. Some of the assignments pay one or two dollars  upfront if they are accepted whilst others go into revenue share. The articles are rated by other users and stars can be gained. As a user you are required to rate other peoples articles and providing that you rate a certain number in a month you are paid three dollars. The website has a support network including a group that is very helpful particularly as some of the guidelines for use is not always clear.
During the time that I have been a member of Helium I have written a number of articles on different subjects ranging from university guides, travel guides and pieces about adoption and child care. The assignments titles are very varied and most people will find a subject that is  of interest. Helium also holds a monthly writing contest when winners can earn between 5 to 20 dollars. If you are interested in writing Helium is a good forum to join. Today I choose an assignment entitled the Prince Charles biography. Whilst I'm not a royalist I quite enjoy writing biography's. I researched Prince Charles on the net and then wrote my own piece using the information that I had gained. I have submitted my article that is 400 words long and will wait and see if I will be paid my one dollar. Its not much but every dollar counts. I will also earn money depending on the number of views my article gets.

How Can I Make Money?

How Can I Make Money?

Homemade Marmalade, Chutney and Jams

Since moving to Spain I have found myself in a position where I have seriously lacked money. During the first five years in this lovely country I rented and slaved in a restaurant. In the short term I had paid the first three years rent in advance so things seemed fairly okay and we were getting along just fine. However after three years, as a consequence of the recession, I found that I was barely making enough money to pay the rent, let alone covering the numerous bills.
So I asked myself how can I make money?

Given that I was living in an area where oranges grew in abundance and a grove near to my restaurant had been abandoned, I set about picking oranges and making marmalade. Secondly, I had a small patch of land at the back of the restaurant where I grew vegetables which I decided to use to make chutney.
Always optimistic I got up very early every Saturday morning and took my wares to a local market/boot fair in the hope of making money. Sitting under the hot sun was not fun and I was concerned that my marmalade and chutneys were going to boil. Plus I found it quite frustrating that customers really wanted something for nothing and frequently asked for offers of buy one get one free!
After a month I took time to review what was happening and whether in fact I was making any money. When assessing my income I decided not to include the time I had spent making the items or indeed sitting in the blazing sun. I concluded that whilst I was selling my goods I was not really making a profit particularly after paying for my stall and petrol and therefore I asked myself was it really worth the effort. After two months I decided that the disadvantages outweighed the advantages so gave up on this venture. I however displayed my marmalades and chutneys in my restaurant and at least made some income without the hassle of the market. I also made English Christmas cakes, Christmas Puddings and Mince Pies for customers, which sold well.
Fortunately chutneys mature with age so even now I occasionally attend fetes and fairs to try and move on my stock.

My Clever Partner

Whilst I was working and perspiring at the market my partner designed his own website which provides UK television in Spain and an English IP address. I actually thought that it should be called UK TV anywhere in the world because this is what it is. All that is needed is an internet connection and computer. To my surprise his venture to date is successful although I sill feel that he would have more customers if he advertised world wide.

Ebay

On the advice of my belly dancing daughter I decided to make exotic belly dancing costumes and sell them on Ebay. I spent hours sewing sequins onto the costumes I had made, took photographs and placed them on Ebay. The problem I found was that Ebay Spain is really not that good and therefore chose to use Ebayuk. Whilst I sold a few items the cost of postage from Spain to the UK was against me. Plus I was competing with cheaper mass produced costumes from countries such as China.
Whilst looking on Ebay I came across dolls that looked like babies and some of the clothes for sale for these dolls were selling at high prices. I can make those I thought so I bought wool and lace and set about knitting. Again I sold items but I had to lower my prices as a consequence of the high postage costs. I also advertised my items on craft sites such as Dwanda and Etsy which have brought some success.
I also noted on Ebay that jewellery from Tibet was being sold for 0.99 pence, postage and package free. I ordered a number of items and displayed them in the restaurant. I was very surprised to see that they were actually selling so I set about ordering more. Thinking that I had at long last come across a way of making money I ordered items in bulk from Peru and Tibet. Unfortunately as the recession set in and the number of customers eating at our restaurant declined so did the sale of my jewellery.

MABS

In the area that I lived there was a charity called MABS that supported people who were suffering from cancer. They paid carers 12 euro an hour to go into the client’s home to maybe cook, do shopping, clean or sleep over. As I had worked in the caring profession in the UK I decided this was for me. Now I'm really not very good with vomit and other bodily functions but I was being paid, so on the occasions clients had accidents I took deep breathes and just got on with it. Whilst the work was rewarding both financially and emotionally it was also depressing because all my clients eventually died.

Country Cousins

The situation at the restaurant was getting pretty bad and I needed to seriously make money. A customer told me about an organization called Country Cousins who are based in the UK. I completed my application and was invited for an interview in the UK. I paid for my airfares and also a police check. Shortly after my interview I received confirmation that I had been accepted and I was placed with a rather bad tempered lady in a remote part of England. As a Country Cousin my job was to live with and care for this lady. I was given two hours break a day, which to be honest, I needed given her rather nasty and demanding attitude. In general it was not a particularly good experience given the nature of the lady but at least I earnt two thousand pounds minus air fares. Since that time I have been placed with an elderly couple and a single lady. These clients have been very pleasant which made a huge difference. I continue to be registered with Country Cousins and use them when things get tough money wise.

Agony Aunt

Having now left the restaurant and having more time on my hands I was surfing the internet and came across a website that offered work as an agony aunt paying fifty pounds an hour. There were two ways to apply to become an agony aunt the first was to pay for tuition the second to prove over a period of three weeks that you were able to offer advice by answering fictitious problems and demonstrating that you had time. Given my history in social worker coupled with the fact that I wanted to make money and not spent it I decided on the second option. In all honestly I was rather sceptical about the whole thing but it was costing me nothing other than my time. I dutifully signed into the website every day for three weeks and added my comments, wrote my required article and so on. I asked various questions in respect to how agony aunts were paid, what was The Association of Agony Aunts and so on. Most of my questions were not answered and the more I looked into the website the more I became suspicious about the claims made and also whether there actually were any jobs available. After three weeks I eagerly awaited an email from this website offering me a job but unsurprisingly nothing appeared. 
Given my suspicions and that I had nothing else to do I wrote a critical review about this website and after surfing the net found Wikinut. I did not really read what the Wikinut website was about but was pleased that I could post my review. To my surprise my review created a lot of traffic which in the main tended to be in the form of abuse from the owner of the website.

Wikinut

Since posting my review I read all the details about Wikinut and have posted a number of articles and poems. In all honesty I have not really made any money but the Wikinut community seems to be supportive and friendly. By reading various articles on Wikinut I have now discovered Factoidz and Pay to Click, (Neobux is my favorite), which I hope will bring in some income although I’m not holding my breathe.

Surveys

In the past I have registered with a number of websites that pay to complete surveys. Whilst I have found that the majority of sites do not offer that many surveys to complete Valued Opinions have proved to be quite lucrative and I have received a number of 10 pound Amazon vouchers during the past six months.

Interneteyesuk

Again whilst surfing the net I came across a website called interneteyes. For £14.99 I was provided with a year’s subscription and live feed from camera’s placed in shops. In essence I was to be a security guard surveying cameras. If I noted shoplifting I was to press the alert button and register my concern. The website paid £1.50 for 60 viewing hours a month plus a financial reward for the viewer who made the highest number of alerts. I figured that even if I did not register an alert I would be repaid my registration fee over a year. During the first three months I avidly watched my screens and made a couple of alerts. After four months I became quite bored by the whole thing so now I just make sure that I am logged in for 60 hours or more to ensure my monthly payment. After a year I decided not to renew my membership mainly because sitting in front of a computer al.l day watching people shopping was really not my cup of tea

Wikaniko 

More recently Colin and I have become distributors for Wikaniko which is a UK based on line company that sells eco friendly products. The company is run by our friends who we trust. We are only in the early stages but feel positive that this company will indeed make and income for us. 

http://www.wikaniko.com/index.php?distributor=greenerearth&redirect=http://www.wikaniko.com/shop/aloe-vera/aloe-vera-muscle-relaxing-cream.html

Overall View

As you can see I have tried a number of ways to make money and as a result  have a room full of jams, chutneys, jewellery  belly dance costumes and knitted items. My partner on the other hand continues to make income from his website and we are positive about our new venture with Wikaniko

Why the Surrogacy Laws Need Reviewing

This is a piece about the laws relating to surrogacy. For many people surrogacy is the only means to achieve parenthood. However the current surrogacy laws tend to leave the applicants and the child vulnerable.

Why the Surrogacy Laws Need Reviewing

Why Surrogacy Laws Need Reviewing
Prior to retiring I lived in the UK and worked for 15years as a self employed Guardian. A Guardian is a qualified experienced person who is appointed by the Courts to represent the wishes and feelings of children in Care Proceedings and Adoption. The Guardian’s role is to work in partnership with a solicitor, who legally represents the child, to investigate the child’s circumstances and interview any relevant person involved with the child such as social workers, family and schools. She/he then writes a report for the Court detailing the child’s wishes and feelings, his/her findings and making a recommendation regarding the child’s future.
In respect to uncontested Adoption, Step Parent Adoption and Surrogacy the Guardian can also be appointed by the Court as a Reporting Officer where his/her role is too investigate and seek consent to the application i.e. for adoption or a parental responsibility order. In these cases a solicitor is not usually appointed to work alongside the Reporting Officer although the applicants may wish to be legally represented.
During my fifteen years as a Guardian I worked on five cases of surrogacy and concluded that the law needs reviewing because unlike other child care laws the best interests of the child is not paramount.
Surrogacy is the only means available to some couples to have a child and for many it is the last resort. Prior to reaching the decision to ask another woman to carry a child for them, many couples have experienced years of disappointment not being able to conceive, and undergone intrusive medical procedures.
Asking someone to carry and give birth to a child requires tremendous trust particularly as the law is not in favor of the child or the applicants.
Criteria
Before entering into a surrogacy arrangement in the UK the applicants have to meet certain criteria. Both applicants must be over the age of 18. They must be either married to each other, in a civil partnership or living together. One or both of the applicants must be a biological parent to the child. One or both of the applicants must also be domiciled in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man.
Providing these criteria are met the next step for the applicants is to identify a suitable surrogate. Some couples register with a clinic whilst others choose private arrangements for example with family or friends. I have also noted that during the past few years adverts by applicants and surrogates are being placed in newspapers and on the internet. Whatever method is used to find a surrogate it is essential that the applicants ensure that thorough checks have been made in terms of suitability, reliability, background, motives and where the surrogate’s egg is used, genetic disorders.
Agreement
Once the surrogate is found a meeting takes place to discuss and draw up an agreement of what is required in terms of expectations, contact between the two parties, finances and the terms of the conception.
Method
The surrogate may be asked to impregnate herself with the male applicant’s sperm or she may be required to undergo a medical procedure where the female applicant’s fertilized egg is placed in the surrogate’s womb.
If the first method is used the baby will inherit the surrogates genes alongside the male applicants. In the second method the baby will not be biologically related to the surrogate. Which option is taken is usually reliant upon medical conditions for example if the female applicant is infertile or cannot sustain a pregnancy full term.
Finances
In respect to finances a surrogate cannot legally charge for her services. However the applicants can agree to pay for ‘reasonable’ expenses such as maternity clothes, a mobile phone, time off work, medical expenses and so on.
Birth
The surrogate and applicants usually agree that the applicants will be present during the birth and take the baby home immediately unless otherwise advised by the hospital. Depending upon the agreement the surrogate may or may not remain involved in the child’s life. Plus as the child grows it may not be aware that it was born by surrogacy.
Parental Responsibility and Maternity Leave
After the child is born the proud applicants usually take the baby home and this is when both the child and the applicants are in a vulnerable position because the parental responsibility for the child is held by the surrogate and her husband, if she is married. The applicants therefore legally have no rights and cannot for example give consent to an operation.
Occasionally newspapers report that a surrogate has changed her mind and wants to care for the child which legally she is perfectly able to do as she hold parental responsibility. In this situation the applicants usually involve the Courts and the whole situation becomes very complicated.
The law in respect to surrogacy has clearly not been thought through because after the child is born he or she is placed in the care of two people, the applicants, where one or both are biologically related and yet they don’t hold parental responsibility. On the other hand there is the surrogate, who may or may not be biologically related to the child, and her husband who is definitely not biologically connected, and yet they hold parental responsibility for a child who is not in their care.
In addition although the applicants are caring for the child full time they are not allowed to take maternity or paternity leave whereas the surrogate and her husband have this right.
Application for Parental Responsibility
After six weeks of caring for the child the applicants can make their application to the court for a parental responsibility order. If they do not make the application by the sixth week they cannot apply for PR.
Reporting Officer
However once the application is filed with the Court an officer is appointed. From my experience it may take time to appoint an officer due to the high level of work.
Once appointed the Reporting Officer has to confirm that
The child had his /her home with the applicants throughout the application process.
The surrogate mother and her husband must fully and freely consent to the making of the order.  If the surrogate and her husband are separated the Reporting Officer needs to make every effort to contact him and gain his consent even if he is unaware of his wife’s actions.
Expenses have to be checked and an assessment made as to whether these are reasonable. The reporting officer should be shown receipts and include them in her report for the court.
Interestingly the law does not define reasonable expenses.

Once the Reporting Officer has completed his/her enquires a report is written and filed with the Family Court. If complications arise for example that the surrogate will not give her consent to the making of the order the case is transferred to a higher court.
Once the order is granted the applicants for the first time in their baby’s life hold parental responsibility for him or her and the surrogate has no further legal responsibility for the child.
To conclude
Only couples can apply for a parental responsibility in respect to surrogacy and therefore single men and women are excluded which seems unfair when for example adoption allows for both to apply.
The regulations in respect to finances is vague and even if the surrogate makes huge profits the only option open to the court is not to grant the parental responsibility order which leaves the child and the applicants in limbo particularly as they cannot reapply once the six week time period has ended.
The whole issue of who holds parental responsibility for the child from birth until an order is granted is of concern leaving the child in a vulnerable situation.
The option of surrogacy is for many couples the only option that is available to them to experience parenthood and yet the law is not well thought through leaving both the child and the prospective parents in a vulnerable situation until a parental responsibility order is granted by the Court.

Low Cloud

This morning I have woken up to very low cloud which gives the place quite an strange quiet feeling We have had two days of rain although yesterday afternoon the sun came out. My friends who live in Denia had storms which as always in Spain meant that people were without electricity. At least the rivers appear to be coping and as yet no floods have been reported. Today would be a perfect day to burn the garden rubbish but the wood and so on will not burn because it is so wet. The rain seems to have spurred the garden to grow and I noticed that hedge really need cutting. The large hedge at the front of the garden is a real pain to cut because it is so high and I have to hold a ladder for Colin to balance on to reach the top with the electric hedge trimmer.
I have decided that at the beginning of May I shall try and loose more weight. I shall go back on the Atkins diet for three weeks. I don't really like the diet because it is restrictive but I know it works and the last time I went on it I lost two stone. I find the main difficulty with the diet is that vegetables and fruit are restricted which I find difficult. My friends lost a lot of weight on the Slimmers World diet but I was not happy about paying the joining fee. Plus in Spain we do not have the support groups and have to rely on getting the information on line.
The reason that I want to loose more weight is because I'm probably going to a special occasion in the UK in June so I want to look my best. Once the weather improves I shall get back in the pool. Last year although I was swimming 50 lengths every day the weight did not shift. I did however notice that my muscles were firmer and toned.
I'm not sure what I am going to do today. I cant really do gardening because the ground is so wet. I had a look at the veg plot yesterday and it was covered in those pesky ants. I have nearly finished the arm warmers for my daughter and may go on to knit leg warmers to match. I quite like knitting with four needles. It took me a while to get used to holding the needles but once I mastered it its fairly easy.
Well that's it for this morning so have a good day and dont forget to like my greenerearth face book page. Thanks
Pat

Encounters with registered sex offenders

Child molesters are dangerous, manipulative people who target  our vulnerable children. Unfortunately child molesters do not come with a warning sign but research has shown that many have a pattern of behaviour which should be known to every parent to help them protect their children.

Read my article to gain some insight into encounters with registered sex offenders.  

http://www.helium.com/items/2304749-encounters-with-registered-sex-offenders

Do you believe in ghosts?

Do you believe in ghosts? Read my article about the strange goings on in  McPike Mansion.


http://www.helium.com/items/2316809-haunted-history-mcpike-mansion-in-alton-il

Famous UK Kidnappings

Kidnapping is a horrendous experience for the child and the family. Read my article about the most famous kidnappings in the UK
http://www.helium.com/items/2324225-most-famous-child-kidnappings-in-the-uk

We have rain

I woke up this morning at 6am and its raining. I tried to go back to bed but Colin was hugging the duvet and I was cold. I was also thinking about out pergola that we had erected on the terrace a couple of days ago. Looking from the door it looked okay but I know from previous years that all it takes is a good gust of wind to send it flying into the neighbours garden. I considered waking Colin to help me take it down but I was pretty sure that he would not thanks me. I decided to leave the shutters on the windows closed and ignore the potential disaster. Colin is now up and he seems to think that the pergola will be okay. I'm not so sure but we shall see.
I'm thinking about what I shall do today. Gardening is certainally out of the question. Maybe I will do some knitting. I'm trying to knit my daughter arm and leg warmers on four knitting needles. I finished one pair of arm warmers but they seem to baggy so I have unravelled them. I might also try and create a facebook page where I can display my knitted garments for sale.I already have them on Etsy but I have only made one sale.
In the past I have put items on Ebayuk but they really do not make a profit.Plus Ebay have changed their rules and they will not allow international sales until a certain number of items are sold in the home country.  I find this ruling really stupid because the Spanish Ebay is really limited and I am unlikely to sell knitted items here. I have contacted Ebay but just received a bog standard response which was not at all helpful.

Gota Fria

Today is overcast and the dark clouds are suggesting that we are going to have rain. Our friends tell us that we are due to have a storm over the weekend. I just hope that we are not due for a gota fria which is a very big storm. We had one a few years back when villages were flooded and river walls demolished by the raging water. Many said that the fault laid with the government who had stopped people cutting bamboo for their own use. They said that the bamboo had subsequently fallen and made damns in the rivers which were then demolished by the heavy rain which then flooded into the rivers. Who knows what occurred but the floods caused a lot of damage.
 Our poor friends Jean and Roy live by a river and they and their dogs had to be lifted from their property by the fire brigade. Their villa was totally flooded, their car ended up in the river and they lost their belongings. Fortunately our restaurant was barely affected, other than an inch or two of water in the kitchen.
The Spanish authorities were pretty good and the army were called into the villages to clear the damage. They gave people affected by the floods vouchers to go to restaurants and supermarkets to get food and a rumour circulated that old ladies were given knickers.
They also paid compensation to those affected  but our friends were not eligible for some reason. It has taken Jean and Roy a couple of years to get things back to normal. For them the thought of another gotta fria is worrying. We are quite safe where we are being up in the hills.
Today Jean and Roy are coming over to ours to bring our new cooker. Unfortunately Colin could not get it in the car yesterday
Today I am feeling much better and not so tired. The walk up the hill last Sunday really exhausted me but it was worth it for the views and also to take flowers to the cross where our friends sons ashes are scattered.

E Cigs and Burnt Biscuits

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Today is again overcast so I'm just thinking what to do. Yesterday I was so tired from our walk to the cross. I felt as if I had a huge hang over but I don't drink so there is no chance of that. My legs really ached and my eyes were sore and heavy. I spent most of the day laying on the sofa and falling asleep. I did however manage to knit one arm warmer which looks quite good.
I hadn't realised how unfit I am and hope that the pool will warm up soon so that I can swim again. I had thought about taking the plunge yesterday just to ease my aches but the water is really not warm.
Our Wikaniko project is going reasonably well although we would like more likes and shares on our facebook page hence the message at the beginning of this blog. Please try and give us a like and share because it would really raise our spirits to see a few more people showing interest.
At the moment I'm smoking on my e cig in an effort yet again to cut down on my smoking. Although the e cigs are good in that they give out vapour that looks like smoke and have  a red light at the end giving the look of a cigarette, the taste isn't that nice. I have spoken to the chemist about some tablets I heard about that help to stop smoking. However the chemist said that they can cause depression, nightmares and also increase the risk of heart attack. Whilst I'm not that worried about nightmares and depression the thought of the increase in a heart attack is worrying so I decided not to bother and go back to trying good old will power.
Today Colin is going out to buy a new cooker. The thermostat on our oven has given up. We have managed up to now but yesterday I tried to cook a few biscuits and they burned. It was really frustrating so a new cooker is a must.
Well that's it for this morning. Have a good day and thanks for reading.

Pat

Good morning everyone.  Today is overcast and the forecast is predicting rain. We shall see. I got up early this morning, well early for me and after I had fed the animals I felt really tired. My arms and legs ache
from the walk yesterday and even our old dog Muttley is hobbling around.
I think today that I might spend some time knitting. I have been practising knitting with four needles. My daughter told me that at the music festivals and fetes that she goes to, arm and leg warmers are very trendy. I think that I will have a go at knitting some for her. I have moved my knitting machine to the bedroom from the sitting room thinking that it wouldn't get much use during the summer because it is just too hot.
I've had a quick walk around the garden and the spinach is really coming on. In the past I have not really liked spinach but I have only eaten it boiled. Maybe it will be a good idea to look at some recipes and try different ways to cook it, my daughter reassures me that it not only tastes good but is also very healthy.

The benefits of adoption

Hi everyone before you read my blog can I ask a small favour. I would be grateful if you can take a look at my Greenerearth Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/OurGreenerEarth?fref=ts and click like and share plus  follow us on twitter https://twitter.com/greenerearth1
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All children need a family who can protect and nurture them from birth through to their adult lives. Sadly not all children are able to live with their families and need an alternative family to meet their needs. Equally couples are not able to have children or feel that they are in a position to offer a child a forever home. My following article looks at the adoption triangle and how the child, adopters and at times the birth family benefit.

http://www.helium.com/items/2304017-the-benefits-of-adoption

Catholic Church Involved in Child Trafficking

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Once again members of the Catholic Church have been accused of abusing their positions of trust. The recent allerations involve Spanish women who maintain that priest and nuns stole their new born babies and sold them for financial gain.

The Catholic Church and Child Abuse

When is the Pope going to put his house in order and ensure that all priests and nuns accused of abuse are brought to justice? Yes, the Pope has apologized to victims of abuse but this is not enough. Victims of abuse don’t want sympathy or indeed prayers; they want justice and recognition that so called followers of God abused their positions of trust in the mot appauling way.
During the past few years a number of priests have been found guilty by the Courts of child abuse whilst others have been protected by the church. This surely cannot be right?
If the horror of sexual and physical abuse by the clergy is not enough, it now seems that nuns and priests in Spain, in collusion with the government, were involved in child trafficking for profit up until 1990.

Catholic Church Steals Babies

Recent cases brought by numerous women, throughout Spain, maintain that during Franco’s reign and up until 1990 new born babies were removed from mothers and sold onto couples, who were deemed by the Church as being more suitable. The women report that nuns and priest lied saying that their babies had died. The mothers were denied access to their dead babies and in one particular clinic the body of an unknown baby, which had been kept in a freezer, was shown to the grieving parents. Families were prevented from attending their child’s funeral which was often paid by the receiving family. Recent investigations show that many graves of the supposedly dead babies are empty or contain animals bones.
Furthermore families who tragically had their children stolen from them have found great difficulty tracing them because priest nuns and officials forged records, including birth and death certificates.
During a recent television programme, regarding this subject, a young Spanish man was able to confront an elderly nun who admitted to taking money from prospective parents to buy babies. The man was desperate to trace his birth family but the nun only lectured him to be grateful that he had been saved. The lack of empathy shown by this nun who clearly believed that she was justified in her actions was alarming.
Despite the pain this nun and many others like her have caused, history suggests that they are unlikely to be brought before the Court to answer to their crimes against humanity.

Childhood memories

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A collection of childhood memories from the 1950's

Childhood Memories

Childhood memories, where to begin? Maybe when my older brother decided to wash my hair but rather than using shampoo he used glue. Not a happy occasion for a five year old, particularly one who was very proud of her long blonde hair. Needless to say the hair was cut but in what can only be described as a pudding basin style, no it wasn’t fashion way back in the 1950’s but purely because my mother could not afford to take me to the hairdressers, well we didn’t really do hairdressers in those days.
The next rather embarrassing memory which has just popped into my mind, making me giggle and turning my cheeks into a bright shade of red, involves belly dancing. I was eight years old and a rather chubby child. My brother and I had watched one of the Carry On films and I was fascinated by a scene involving a rather shapely belly dancer which may have been Barbara Windsor, but I’m not sure. However after the film ended I rushed to the dressing up box to find some old net curtains and a few plastic jewels. Sticking a jewel on my forehead with glue (yes that dreaded substance again) I stripped down to my large baggy navy blue school knickers, wrapped the grey washed out curtain around my body, making sure that my largish and flabby belly was exposed and performed for my brother who by this stage was in hysterics which neither helped my self esteem or gave me any incentive to become a dancer. Strangely enough my daughter is a skilled belly dancer and certainly looks better in her costumes than I did.
Finally my thoughts have drifted to bullying and whether I was ever subjected to it particularly as I was overweight. Yes I when I was nine I was bullied by a girl called Linda who lived on our street and was three years older than me. She regularly taunted me about being fat and accidently on purpose would push me over. On one occasion I was playing outside my house and Linda came along, hit me and pulled my hair. We got into a fight and Linda ripped my dress. The dress was quite special as it had been made by my grandmother and had little sea horses dancing around the blue material. I went indoors crying showing my mother my ripped clothes and balding head where chunks of my locks had been ripped out. What happened next would probably not be accepted today but my mother took me by the hand and marched me to Linda’s house where we found her laughing behind large gate. My furious mother demanded that Linda put her arm through the fence, which the stupid girl did and I was told to bite her arm, which I did. I know it sounds horrendous but I suppose that is how issues were resolved on a working class housing estate during those times. Needless to say Linda never bullied me again and we eventually became close friends.
Memories from long ago when life seemed much simpler and straight forward.

Can UK Adoption Orders Be Overturned?

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Adoption Orders are made every day in the UK but is it possible to overturn an order.

UK Adoption Orders

Unlike America and other countries it is not possible to overturn an Adoption Order made in the United Kingdom. Under earlier and the current Adoption Act, the granting of an Adoption Order automatically takes parental responsibility from the birth parent and transfers it to the adoptive parents permanently. This decision is irreversible and courts expect that thorough and exhaustive investigations have been made in respect to the child before the parties present themselves to the Court. During the court hearing the Judge will expect evidence to be given by professionals and others involved with child in respect to the making or not of an Adoption Order.

In cases where birth parents are opposed to the making of an Adoption Order, the court takes the view that they have access to legal representation and if applicable legal aid and therefore are able to present arguments why an order should not be granted at a formal and final hearing.

Where birth parents cannot be found the court will issue a formal notice to, for example last known addresses and relies upon the report of a child focused court appointed officer to outline their investigations to find the birth parent. During the court hearing if convinced that every effort has been made to contact the parent then the Judge can take the decision to dispense with the birth parent’s consent. However, if not satisfied that sufficient efforts have been made then the Judge may adjourn the hearing for further investigations.

Dispensing with a birth parent’s consent is considered by the courts to be a very serious issue and problems often arise in cases of inter country adoption in particular, when birth parents do not have access to the court’s formal consent forms and in many circumstances cannot be traced once the child leaves the country. In cases where the court has serious concerns then a court official or member of the International Social Services will be asked to visit the birth country in an attempt to trace the birth parent. However once the court dispenses with the consent of a missing parent and grants the Adoption Order, the birth parent is not able to appeal the order even if they were not aware of the court hearing.

In circumstance where an adoption breaks down or for example where both adopted parents die it is not automatic that children will be returned to the birth parent. In such situations the child is likely to be received into the care of the local authority and if necessary the case is returned to the family court to secure an order granting the local authority parental responsibility to enable them to determine the child’s future placement. The local authority are likely to make enquiries of the birth family but if the removal of the child was as a consequence of abuse then future placement with the birth parent will involve a number of professional assessments. Throughout this process the local authority need to consider whether it is within the best interest of the child to return to the birth family or to be placed with long term foster carers or potential adopters.

Although the lack of an appeal process in the UK may seem unfair to birth parents it does provide the child and the adopters with an element of security both in the long and short term.

In memory of Miles

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Today we decided to take a walk up the hill which overlooks our house. At the summit of the hill is a large cross where our friends scattered the ashes of their son Miles. Miles died in April 2012 in a tragic accident. The hill is very steep but the views are stunning.

Travel guide: The historic castles of Scotland

Hi everyone before you read my blog can I ask a small favour. I would be grateful if you can take a look at my Greenerearth Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/OurGreenerEarth?fref=ts and click like and share plus  follow us on twitter https://twitter.com/greenerearth1
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Scotland is a beautiful part of Britain. It offers breath taking views, rugged coastlines, places of historic interest, Scottish whiskey and a welcome that is second to none. Scotland has a large number of interesting castles that should not be missed and my article below provides a guide to some of these wonderful and interesting buildings.

http://www.helium.com/items/2306061-travel-guide-the-historic-castles-of-scotland

Travel Tips; Travelling to Dubai

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Travel Tips

Travelling to Dubai read my tips for a safe and enjoyable stay


http://www.helium.com/items/2310284-tips-for-traveling-to-dubai

Travel guides: Dove Cottage, Grasmere, Cumbria UK

Dove cottage is the former home of the poet William Wordsworth. It is located in the beautiful village of Grassmere in the Lake District in North West England. To read more about this interesting cottage please read my article.


http://www.helium.com/items/2309583-travel-guides-dove-cottage-grasmere-cumbria

Saturday 20th April 2013

Hi everyone
At long last I have made sense of my garden rubbish pile at the end of the garden (see previous posts) Yesterday I decided to move it all back to its original place but this time I have separated the logs from the other debris. I looked at the weather forecast for next week and it indicates rain and clouds so I'm hoping that we can get a fire going without the neighbours complaining.
Looking around the veg plots I can see little seedlings sprouting. I can also see my enemies the snails. I have put several slug traps around http://www.wikaniko.com/index.php?distributor=greenerearth&redirect=http://www.wikaniko.com/shop/slug-traps.html and much to Colin's disapproval  have filled them with beer. At least my snails and slugs die happy.
I decided this year to grow catnip. My plans are to dry it and make catnip toys to sell. My cats just love catnip so I have had to cover the pot whilst it is growing otherwise there will be nothing left. Plus it will attract all the cats in the neighbourhood. We already have a visiting tabby cat who sleeps in the under build with our granny cat.
My hollyhocks are already in flower, the cherries are beginning to ripen,the  figs are growing and the branches of the nispero tree are hanging with so much fruit. I really don't know what to do with the nipero fruit.Previously I have made chutney but it is really fiddly removing the stone and peeling the fruit. Nispero tastes quite similar to lychee so it is quite pleasant to eat but we can only eat so much.

Well  summer has really has come early this year and I'm looking forward to harvesting my goods.

A visitor's guide to Granada, Nicaragua

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Granada is found on the northwest shores of Lake Cocibolca . The small city is beautiful and charming, showing brightly coloured historic buildings and narrow cobbled streets. 
To learn more read my visitors guide 
http://www.helium.com/items/2312491-a-visitors-guide-to-granada-nicaragua