The most depressing August

The UK is famous for bad weather, lots of rain, low temperatures and bored families trying to fill in time, when they go on a British Summer Holiday.
However in the last few years, London has been warmer in the summer and sunnier, the leaves turned yellow in late October.
Sadly this year has been dismal. In June the tennis fans of the world watched endless hours of old matches on their TV screens because it rained some much. It was cold, dark, we have thunder and lightening as poor Rafael Nadal took days to finish one match.
Sadly for those of us that live in SW London, the weather has not improved that much.
We had some sunny days but we have seen thousands of people loss their homes and businesses across the country due to floods.
On July 2oth, it was so dark that the street lights were on at 11am, the rain so severe that deep floods swamped South West London. A local church has spent a year renovating their church hall with better wheel church access, improved facilities and ready to be unveiled in September until after days and days of rain flooded through the roof and from the wooded bank next to it.

This summer we have had terrorist threats in London, Foot and Mouth returned and teenagers murdering people on our streets. And the 10th Anniversary of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales means that we have endless retrospectives on her live on television...
And August has so got cold and dark, my grandmother put on her electric heater and a jumper last week.

Etymology

Since I was a child I have been deeply interested in names, thanks to the internet I have discovered that I am not alone, there are many websites with forums dedicated to discussing baby names. The study of names has a word Etymology and my favourite site for information is Behind the Name - the Etymology and History of First Names.
Behind the Name is an encyclopedia of babies names from all over the world, from all cultures and includes names from Greek or Roman Mythology, Native America, the Moari of New Zealand, The Bible and Hindu Mythology. This site has a Random Name Generator which is fun and is good for experimenting if you are looking for a name for your child that is a little bit different. It has lists of the top 100 most popular names in England and Wales, Scotland, Ireland, France, Spain, Belgium and Sweden for every year since the year 2000. It also have the top 1000 most popular names in the USA going back to the 1900's, which is very useful with the growing trend of naming children with names that are now old-fashioned.

I was inspired to write this because I found an old note book with names I have written down in my early twenties and I am struck by how much my taste has changed.
I now like names like Matilda, Eliza, Agnes, Beatrice, Edward, Henry, Frederick and Augustus instead of Sasha, Hallie, Sienna, Kasey, Jordan, Mackenzie, Tyler and Bryce.
I haven't had children yet, but I wonder do women that have their children young consider what they would name the child, had they been thirty.
If I had a baby at 22, a girl would have been named: Sasha, Makayla, Amber or Cassie and boy would have been named: Joshua, Jake, Bryce or Kyle. If I had a baby now a girl would be: Eliza, Helena, Sophia, Coral or Clara, and Boy: Augustus, Leon, William, Frederick, Xavier or Louis.

Computers are a great invention, they have changed the world, allowed us to communicate with
people all over the world. Thanks to the Internet we can express our thoughts in new and wonderful ways, find information without having to search for an obscure book in an obscure bookshop.
Yet when the weather gets warmer, my computer starts to bleep because it doesn't like the heat and being in London I do not have air conditioning in my home. I think that when even your computer doesn't work it is time to go and play in the sun.

livesimply

http://www.livesimply.org.uk/

This is to draw attention to an organisation called livesimply, it is designed to challange the way we live. The idea is that participants are asked promise to make small changes in their lives, with the aim of being greener and saving energy and to support the poorest people in the would.

This one example:

"I will switch off all the computers, printers and copiers in our Centre when we close for the day, rather than leaving them on standby but I want 50 people to do the same in their workplaces."

— Fr.Dave Stewart SJ, Director, FirstSundayPLUS, MSJC.

Deadline to sign up by: 31^st December 2007
1 person has signed up, 49 more needed

If you think that you would like to join Fr. Dave Stewart in his drive to save energy, you could sign up and add your name and commit yourself to fufilling that promise.

Why make a promise?

Our faith tells us the good things of the world were meant for everyone to share. Yet a glance at our world shows that some people have everything, while others have nothing. This isn't right. We can act for justice in simple ways.

Last year for example, 8 million ordinary people in the UK showed they wanted to make poverty history by wearing a white band. Politicians had to listen, and they promised to change the structural problems that keep people poor.

Now livesimply says it's our turn to look at ways we can change things in ourselves and in the world. It's not just about money. It's a challenge to think about how our lifestyles can reflect our solidarity with people who are poor. Make a start, by making a livesimply:promise.

There are a wide range of creative ideas, many may not be possible in your live, but if you are keen to help protect the environment, to help others or grow spiritually, it can be helpful to say, yes I can do that and may the commitment.

Livesimple is a run by Catholic agencies in the UK so it has a Christian ethos but anyone is welcome to join, that is concerned for the environment and sustainable living.

What's it about?

The livesimply project is based on a radical idea: that God calls us to live simply.

We are asked to look hard at our lifestyles, and to choose to live simply, sustainably and in solidarity with the poor.

It's not just about money. It's a challenge to reflect, celebrate and take action in order to work for justice, and to be happier in ourselves as a result. It's about seeking what we need rather than grasping for more, sharing not hoarding.

"You are not making a gift of what is yours to the poor, but you are giving them back what is theirs… The earth belongs to everyone, not to the rich." St Ambrose

Harry Potter- An Adult's point of view....

0:22 PM

MillieJ said...

I responded to another blogger, who had written about the final Harry Potter book: Harry Potter and The Deathly Hollows. A book that I loved, I enjoyed responding so I have decided to expand my thoughts in my own blog.

Some bloggers have been critical and even disappointed in the discovery that Professor Albus Dumbledore was a flawed, troubled man. However I was pleased to learn about Dumbledore and that he was flawed, many great hero's are flawed in character, people that are naturally good can lack character and compassion .
The story of his sister was harrowing. It reminded me of Boo Radley in To Kill A Mockingbird, all those rumours, as people can harshly judge people that they do not understand.

This book crossed over into adult themes with language, children disappearing, rape, child abuse, unfair trails, insanity, fatherhood and parental responsibility and lots of death. I feel that the revelations about Dumbledore's life work because Harry, Ron and Hermione are looking at the world as adults for the first time.

I love the kick at the media once again as Rita Skeeter distorts a story based on rumour and how easily people believe the story. Rita Skeeter is the gossip writer, she would write for OK Magazine quoting unnamed sources. Even Harry who knew Dumbledore, in his anger he was losing the point that Dumbledore loved Harry and would not mislead him. Hermione had to remind him of that point, he had gone through a similar crisis of confidence when he saw his father bully Snape in the pensieve.
One of the themes that runs through the Harry Potter series seems that truth is powerful, image without truth is weak, misleading and foolish. Harry had seen Dumbledore as a great role model as someone that he wanted to emulate. It is easy for men like Dumbledore to become demi-gods, with unquestioning followers. In death the truth about a person's character came be distorted by legend. It had happened to James Potter, through Harry's eyes James was on a pedestal, built higher by Sirius and Lupin, so often in death a person's flaws become forgotten.
Harry was in danger of seeing Dumbledore the same way the Deatheaters saw Lord Voldermort. The Deatheaters were so blind to Lord Voldermort's true nature that they willingly allowed themselves to be abused. Bellatrix was so obsessed she crossed into insanity, like Eva Brun she died with Hitler, Bellatrix fought and died with Voldermort until they both died, enjoying the carnage surrounding her she was so deluded.
Bellatrix, The Malfoy's, etc, were like those that worships a cult leader and like many historial dictators Voldermort thrived on ignorance, lies and a false imagine of greatness.
I believe as Dumbledore knew he was dying, he saw it as his duty to Harry to guide his character because nobody had given him values in his early life.
Just as it was important for him to learn that his father was obnoxious as a teenager. The truth is important, not the image even if the truth is painful.

When Harry had to decide between Horcruxes and Hallows, he had to learn to be his own man, that was what Dumbledore was teaching him. Once Tom Riddle was dead, he was able to free himself of the trappings of fame because he realised greatness was flawed. Harry always hated being in the spotlight. So with Dumbledore's guidance, he gave up the Elder Wand and that was the biggest gift Dumbledore could give. A chance of a normal, happy life.

I liked the twist with Snape and Lily, that Snape loved Lily. In The Order Of The Phoenix, Snape has a glimpse of Harry's life during the Occlumency lessons, he shows a moment of understanding as he asks Harry about the dog, that keeps Harry stuck in a tree for hours. At the end of the book we see Mad-Eye Moody threaten The Dursley's, I wondered at the time if Snape had arranged it out of guilt for the death of Sirius and as we now know because he knew he was able to see Harry as Lily's son, because he knew his abuser Petunia.
Snape for all the enmity between him and Harry, was also Harry's guardian on behalf of Lily and I liked Harry naming his child after Snape, admitting he was wrong and saying thank you to a true hero.
Harry's second son is named Albus Severus .A homage to the theme of truth as power, in that Snape was not a friend to the Malfoy's or a true Slytherin but loved a muggle born witch and was always Dumbledore's man.
Snape was vital in forming Harry's character, though he drove him to hate . He also made sure that he did not become the arrogant, cocky mini-James but realised that the best part of his character was from his mother Lily. Harry owes Snape for making him a kinder, stronger, down to earth person but did not lose James' humour and mischief. Harry learnt that sometimes our enemy is actually your best friend and that was the case with Snape. I suspect that Harry named his eldest son James Sirius as they were best friends.

The epilogue did miss out things that I would have loved to have known.
I would have liked to know about Luna, I loved her, Neville teaching implies they were not together, as teachers do not seem to marry, she seemed to have bonded with Dean, in captivity, so maybe they ended up together.
I would have liked to have known where Harry and Ginny lived, did they all stay near The Burrow or move to Godric's Hollow. And did Harry become a Auror, what were their jobs?
Did Dudley have any magical children or keep in touch, when they discovered that Harry Potter had killed the one that murder his aunt? Interesting that Petunia's hatred was born out of jealously, the series puts a great deal into the dangers of breeding ignorance, which is interesting in a world were ignorance is often celebrated in the form of celebrity.

I liked them travelling because we saw Harry, Ron and Hermione become true adults, gaining independence. Some found it tedious, but that set the atmosphere between the three of them. The hardship they faced was a realistic portrayal of what it takes to bring down a system of government, it is not glamous to be outlaws.
Poor Hermione alone with Harry at Christmas, Ron had left her and they had had to fight for their lives and a day without joy, no presents and barely any food. I like the bleakness of the British winter, coinciding with the bleakness of a country seized by terror. Maybe it suits the mood of Britain right now, that has had little summer, dark rainy days and floods.
I loved the growth we see in Ron, how he learnt to be thoughtful and the fact compared to Harry and Hermione was a little spoilt. He had never starved like Harry. Both Harry and Hermione had long before learnt to live without parents. Though Hermione's were alive, during her years at Hogworts she barely saw them for more than a month in a year. Ron learned that he was a powerful wizard and came out of the shadows of Harry Potter and Hermione. He too become a solid, confident, kind-hearted man.
I loved the break into the Ministry Of Magic. I loved how Kreacher changed and lead the elves to fight. That Hermione was proven right, maybe Hermione was the most aware of muggle history of the three, maybe she had heard of civil rights even at a young age because she understood slavery and the cost of it.

The issue of child abuse comes up, many times in discussion of Harry Potter. In this books he puts the words abuse into his analysis of his life, for the first time. Dumbledore, Molly and Arthur Weasley, Lupin, Hagrid, McGonagall and Snape all have a hand in Harry's life, without those people he could have become an angry young man, a target to join a gang like the Deatheaters, I feel that Molly and Arthur's care of him was very healing, to know that he had people he could trust.
He repayed them too. I think like many victims of child abuse his reaction may have come later, once he was no longer fighting for his life. A part of him did have trust issues, he never fully trusted Dumbledore due to his trust of Snape, his childhood gave him the instincts to be a fighter. Once the burdens of the world no longer consumed him, and he could accept love from Ginny, Harry may have felt safe to deal with the neglect endured. .
He always showed anxiety is sleeplessness, stomach aches and nightmares, he was never, ever care free, in the first two years, he lack confidence and seemed to expect something to go wrong, that he really belonged in Slytherin, that he was really dark and dangerous. In Order Of The Phoenix he was plagued with worries that he was dangerous, he believes he deserves to be despised, because he believes he is possessed by Lord Voldermort..It was never implied that Harry was not damaged by his years with the Dursley's.

I love the sharp political satire in the writing, J K Rowling well aware that adults reading would be amused by it and that kids in a few years may re-read the books and see why adults liked them and reflect on the time it was written.

New Blogger here....with dyslexia

I am a shy person, exploring the idea of blogging. I like to write but I am not a writer.

One of my main problems is I have dyslexia and I don't always see my errors.So if I spell a word wrong, please be nice about it, I most likely will spell that word perfectly the next time.

Dyslexia is a strange thing, my brain is wired differently to those that do not have dyslexia. It is good to know people can recognise it now and children might get help for it.

I was not diagnosed until I was seventeen years old, I had already failed my GCSE English twice. I went through school labelled slow by the other kids and lazy and even bewildered by my teachers.
I was inclined to daydream, especially in science but it is hard to stay interested when you are not expected to do well. I still daydream.
It was frustrating for my parents because they knew I was bright, if tested I could do brilliantly at spelling, I learned to read early, they had high expectations for me. But at school I never lived up to those expectations, ignorance from a teacher can be soul destroying. Teachers would put me on the naughty table by myself in primary school because my work was untidy.
While all the girls that the teachers called clever, wrote neatly, coloured in without going over the lines and had poker straight hair. I was disorganised, had messy writing, unfinished work and curly hair. I always identified with Helen Burns from Jane Eyre.
And Jo March from Little Women who was not dyslexic but she was disorganised and clumsy.
By the age of seven I was an outsider to my classmates and the teachers. I had one or two friends but that caused frustration because they did well at school and though I was just as clever and quick, I did badly and was written off as underachieving and below average.
By the time I was ten, I learnt that if the teachers pick on you, it is a green light for the bullies, nobody will protect you.
I believed I was slow because it took me longer to copy of the chalk board than everybody else.
Going to an all girls high school helped me, because we had streaming. I was in the lower stream and I was suddenly always top of the class. I was frustrated by the easy work and longed to do the harder books in English Literature, because despite everything
I was a big reader and found a gift of analysing books and character, I also loved history too. But it is tough to do well when the teachers expect you to fail your exams in the end.

One day when I was 17, I was in a college library, I opted for a further education college to do my re-takes, rather then school.
I found a leaflet about dyslexia, it described the symptoms, I was reading about my life. I found a teacher in that college that specialised in learning difficulties, she tested me and diagnosed me as dyslexic. It changed my life because I got extra time for my exams and passed them as a result. I had coaching to help me work through my coursework. I found that because of my dyslexia, I struggle to work when there is noise and chatting around me, this is why in school my work was often in complete and I needed longer to copy from the board. It is the reason why my writing is messy and I could never underline titles straight even with a ruler.
Dyslexia is the reason that I get letters mixed up, I miss read words and I could never do French dictation. What a revelation that I wasn't slow but such frustration that my education was wasted by the ignorance of my teachers.
I have met many people that went through similar experiences to me in school due to undiagnosed dyslexia, people that were labelled stupid, slow, lazy who failed exams and have to work three times harder to get the results of a none dyslexic person with the same intellect. And that is the biggest frustration, dyslexic people often have above average intelligence but if you ask a dyslexic person for directions, you are likely to get even more lost then you already are.