Mind the snow drops

We have a great many walks out into the countryside straight from our front door. I have to confess that my favourite is through the woods, following the bridlepaths, avoiding the mud, listening to birds, admiring the trees. 

Today, I happened to look down as I waited for Brin the Boxer to stop sniffing a log, and noticed a delicate clump of snow drops, nestling amongst the leaves, next to the fallen tree. Those simple little white flowers made me stop for a moment, and smile to myself.

Of course, Brin almost walked straight over them but a well timed treat stopped him before he squashed them under his large Boxer paws.

I use the time in the woods as my thinking space, often lost in my own little world of tree tops, but for the next few weeks, I'm going to be paying more attention to world at my feet, too.

#One Week - Winter '13

I'm playing along with Older Mum (In A Muddle) on this photography Linky. Post a photo during #One Week until 1 March and link up.

My photo was taken on our winter break to sunny Malta last week. These delightful glass baubles were hanging on a Christmas tree in the Medina Glass shop. It caught the light beautifully and looking at the photo today, it has certainly brightened up a grey Surrey day.

Photography by Lesley Beeton.

Liebster award

Thank you to Dawn at Me, Myself and I for the Liebster award. I started blogging to raise awareness of end-of-life care options and the grief that one goes through on losing a loved one to a terminal illness like cancer. Blogging has given me an outlet for my thoughts, and brought me in contact with many positive and inspirational people. Blog awards are part of the joy of blogging. They mean that your blog is connecting with others.

Here's what you have to do when you are nominated for a Liebster award

1) List Eleven facts about yourself.

2) Answer the Eleven questions asked of you.

3) Ask Eleven new questions of the bloggers you nominate.

4) Choose bloggers to nominate with 200 or less followers.

OK, but Eleven is way too many, and is not an auspicious number. 

Little known acts about me

I can wear children's shoes

I swam the Midmar Mile

I am not a tongue-roller

Questions from Dawn

1) When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Boring - an English teacher

2) Dogs or Cats? 

Dogs

3)What is your favorite TV series?

CSI

4) Sandals or shoes?

FitFlops

5) Trousers or skirts?

Jeans

6) Do you have a guilty secret?

No - and if I did, I wouldn't tell

7) Tea or Coffee?

Earl Grey please, a little milk and no sugar

8) Do you hate your job?

Not any more

9) Ice cream or hot dessert?

Pistachio ice-cream

10)Who is your favorite author?

James Patterson

11) If you found £200 in the cash machine, would you hand it into the bank or keep it?

Hand it in, there's bound to be a hidden camera somewhere

Now, fellow bloggers. It's over to you. If you read this blog, you get a Liebster award. Answer the following questions and pass it on. Let me know if you're playing along, so that I can read your answers.

♥ Have you ever ....?

♥ Do you know someone who has ....?

♥ Given the chance, would you ....?

Have fun.

Family portraits

These pictures are for Julie at Anglers Rest, who has inspired us to dig out the photos from the bottom of the trunk. Hope you enjoy these beautiful characters.

These photographs were prepared by my Dad who discovered them in a trunk of photos bequeathed to us when an elderly relative died.

Julie is hosting the February Photo Collage Festival. #fpcf13

Photography by Lesley Beeton.

Home

This post is part 4 of the February Photo Collage Festival. #fpcf13

Home is where the heart is. Where you can be who you are. With someone you love.

Snowy sunrise over my garden, one of my precious bird boxes, our favourite dog walking place,
Mr B stacking the log pile - one of his favourite things, the delightful hennie-pennies,
wonderful garden planning, floral photography is my thing

Thanks Julie at Anglers Rest for hosting this fab photo collage festival.

Photography by Lesley Beeton.

Close one door and another one opens

When Mom was diagnosed I was angry. So angry that her retirement had been ripped apart so cruelly. So angry that her life would be cut short and there was nothing we could do about it. Angry that my job doing something I loved, was so unrewarding and in such a toxic environment that I didn't tell anyone that my beloved mother was dying.

I struggled on for six months, juggling work and hospital appointments, crisis after chemotherapy crisis, as well as keeping house, being a friend and holding the family together. I know now that this is what families with cancer are dealing with on a daily basis, but at the time, I felt as though I was completely on my own. And in part, this prompted me to start the blog and write about my raw emotions as Mom suffered, and died from lung cancer.

When we knew that Mom's time was almost up, I gave notice and asked to be released early from my contract. It was a very difficult decision for me. I had worked so hard achieving my PhD, and had completed two pieces of work to be published in scientific journals. Despite being assured that my work would be supported in the future, I was devastated when it became clear that there was to be no future for me in science.

My last day of work was bitter-sweet as I said my goodbyes, knowing that I was not leaving to go on to bigger and better things, but rather to nurse my dying mother at home for the last weeks of her life. I have no regrets about my decision. It was the right thing to do. And I have rebuilt a career in writing, talking about end-of-life care options, promoting science, working hard to build a portfolio. I can honestly say that I have found my niche, and I love what I'm doing.

So it was a bit of a shock when I bumped into a senior colleague at the gym on Tuesday night. I haven't seen her 18 months, and for a split second I wasn't going to greet her. But I did say hello and she was surprised to see me. Of course, she asked what I'm doing now. As if she didn't know that she was in part responsible for closing the doors of mainstream research to me. I found myself talking down what I do, as if my value is less now because I'm no longer in academic science. And that really upset me.

I have resolved now to complete the writing of the manuscripts for the research I carried out, but instead of publishing in a scientific journal I will publish on my blog, in a way that everyone will be able to understand the context and contribution of the science to our lives. I hope that this will bring closure to that part of my life, and more opportunities in other areas.

I'm a member of the Dying Matters community.

I blog at talkhealth.

BriniZozi: By popular demand

Pictures! 

Tired old man and snuggly puppy

Cute or what?

Whatever she's up to, I'm not interested!

Photography by Lesley Beeton.

Places

This post is part 3 of the February Photo Collage Festival. #fpcf13

Places. Imprinted on my heart. I'm so grateful for the opportunities I have to travel, to explore, to live.

1. South African collage of happy holiday memories after eight years away,
2. a new experience on the Great Barrier Reef,
3. the peace and quiet and secret histories in St Mary's churchyard in Shackleford,
4. lights and sound and colour and food in a street scene in Bali,
5. the magnificent Marina Bay Hotel in Singapore,
6. heavenly lavender fields on Jersey,
7. totally awesome bodysurfing in Ka'anapali on Maui

Photography by Lesley Beeton.

Like coloured jewels

Photography by Lesley Beeton.

Photo flops: high speed wagging

Linking up with Dawn at Just Look and You Will See for Photo Flops - Week 2.

It's not easy photographing a bouncy puppy. Can you see her tail wagging at high speed? I was on auto focus using a Canon DSLR. 

I could try the sport/action setting, but would appreciate tips on manual settings to capture a high speed wag.

Dawn, perhaps you should re-name your linky animal photo flops :-)

Super Sweet Blogging Award

Thanks to Badger Boo for this award. 

These are my five answers to the Super Sweet questions.

1) Cookies or Cake?

Cake, Victoria Sandwich please, and a cup of tea

2) Vanilla or Chocolate?
What? Is there anything other than chocolate?

3) What is you favorite sweet treat?
Pistachio nougat

4) When do you crave sweet things the most?
Late afternoon, as a pick me up before dog walking

5) If you had a sweet nickname, what would it be?
Jelly Baby

And the next Super Sweet Blogging Awards go to *drumroll please*

Me, Myself and I

Funky Wellies Random Thoughts

The 40 Year Old Domestic Goddess

fortyplusandfrazzled

Christmas Pie Crafts

Life, Love and Laundry

everyday miracles

Sandysviews

MumofThree World

Anglers Rest

Rumpydog

Animal Welfare Challenge : Knowing where your food comes from

I'm writing this as part of Rumpy Dog's Animal Welfare Challenge.

The Rumpydog Animal Welfare Challenge

I care for animals, and I believe in the protection of animals. I am not a vegetarian. I endeavour to only buy and eat meat from farms where I have seen the animals, or where traceability and accountability exists. The supermarket system means that we only ever see pre-packaged meat, and who knows exactly where that product has come from?

The recent and ongoing horse meat contamination of beef products, although alarming, is not surprising. Those of us who have thought about food provenance for some time, understand that it is just not possible to produce cheap food, without compromising on quality and standards. So, I'm all for farm animal welfare, whilst at the same time producing a high quality product that is nutritious and delicious to eat.

Setting aside the financial drivers of cheap food, I believe that we should all eat the best quality food that we can afford. I am outraged that food standards in Europe have fallen so low, and I am horrified at the thought of those poor, uncared for animals entering our food chain.

I live in a farming area, where farmers are proud of their livestock and the reputation of their product has taken generations to develop. We can see the animals in the fields as we walk the dogs, we can see that the animals are well taken care of. It is these farmers that we like to support, British farmers, local farmers. Because by changing the way we buy food, will mean a better quality product for us to enjoy, and improved farm animal welfare, for years to come.

Two's company

Announcing the arrival of WidleyLodge The Hobbit, better known as Zozi. She's still a little camera shy, but absolutely adores Brin. He's feeling his age this morning, and needs a quiet day.

Imagination

This post is part 2 of the February Photo Collage Festival. #fpcf13

Photography is about imagination. I met an interesting chap at an art exhibition. We were standing in front a group of assemblage pieces, wondering about what they meant. 

'Does it matter?' I asked. 

He supposed not and then explained 'It probably only mattered to the artist in the moment she was creating it'.

And we both agreed that that is precisely what photography is all about. Capturing a moment in time, that mattered to the photographer.

These are my moments, my imagination.

My Godson's footprints in the sand on a wonderful holiday on Maui, in memory of Mom - a view of my garden through a silver bead heart hanging in the conservatory, analysis of human DNA - representing my life in science, luxury fabric because I like the repeating pattern, a rusty padlock - the keeper of the imagination?, red letter box in the New Forest - who lives there?, a cheery red tea pot - makes the world OK

Photography by Lesley Beeton.

Family

This post is part 1 of the February Photo Collage Festival. #fpcf13

I wouldn't say that there is anything unusual about our family. My parents worked hard, my brother and I did well at school, and I went on the obtain a PhD in cardiovascular genetics. My childhood was filled with family get-togethers, blue skies in South Africa and animals.

PhD graduation, with Mom at the beach, Dad and Brin,
our little family, Mom in her favourite hat, Granny, Alex meets the cows

Photography by Lesley Beeton.

Don't sweat the small stuff

I have changed. I used to be a worry-pot. I used to get annoyed at the slightest thing. I could get in a real temper. But that was before Mom became ill and died. A life-changing event. I wish I could bring her back, I still miss her every day. But her illness, and death at no age at all, made me see that some things just aren't worth worrying about.

I will always be a stickler for detail, for getting things right. But I am much more in tune with the natural rhythm of life now. The usual up's and down's come and go, and I am calm. Mom's illness showed me how to get the best out of life, out of other people, and out of myself.

When faced with an awful family drama, I had no choice but to go along with the disease process, to give myself up to it, and to be there for Mom, no matter what. Nothing in my life at the moment presents as much fear as Mom's illness did. Somehow, I found the strength to cope with that. 

Have faith and confidence in your inner strength. Deal with the difficult stuff, but don't sweat the small stuff.

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