A summer of sport VII (for NHM)

"Born to be wild..."

Yet another summer series guest post for NorthHantsMum. Looking for some family-fun inspiration to keep everyone busy this last bank holiday weekend of 2013 (gasp!)? Well, click on through...

Last week's summer of sport subject (ballet) was perhaps a little feminine, although, ballet is not just for Misses. All the same, it is for the sake of fairness that this week is a (stereotypically) masculine sport. But then motor sport is not just for Masters either.

As a young Miss I always wanted to drive, I was forever asking questions about road signs, (what they mean, why they are where they are etc), and every time we went to the farm I recalling whining (a lot) that I wanted to take the 'Suzie' out for a 'spin' (read: drive the Suzuki utility vehicle). It never mattered to me that my length-challenged legs were far from pedal-reaching proportions, nor that my driving skills were not fully manual-car capable, (Dad would let me sit on his lap and 'drive' our automatic car along the untarred lane-way between home and Grandma and Grandpop's house). I simply just wanted to drive.

My sister, on the other hand, took jazz ballet classes.

The precursor to this driving fascination was probably the dodgem cars I loved to drive at a local theme park of my childhood. But they never went fast enough and it was a stretch to wear the seatbelt and still be able to reach the steering wheel and pedals. The, as I grew older, the track was predictably boring and I was increasingly frustrated with folks always getting in my way. On the farm, however, I only needed to worry about Kangaroos; not for fear of hurting them, it was a fear of them hurting me - which would promptly put an end to taking the Suzie out for a spin (those kangaroos really are brutal).

By the age of 12 or 13 I was adept at reversing the cars off the front garden grass onto the driveway, down the slope, onto the road, along the gutter and around the corner to the garages at the back of our odd-shaped corner block. Next, I would either reverse parallel park on the forecourt or park in the garage. All of this was done, of course, after washing Mum's, Dad's and then Nan's cars. This is also precisely the same way that my father learnt to drive.

Alas, we have no family farm nearby, so it will be dodgem cars and go-karts for my Miss and Master. And I doubt they will sit still long enough to watch the Belgian F1 Grand Prix with Papa this Sunday (25 August). Mind, Master is named after a late legend of the Formula 1 (F1) scene, so perhaps go-karts might be a winner? He would certainly not be the first Briton to get into F1 this way... 

Back to my old form, here are some local(-ish) go-kart providers, if you like to "Getcha motor runnin'..."

• Chineham: The nearest and newest, having opened 27 July 2013, is Absolutely Karting Basingstoke, Wade Road, RG24 8LJ (near Great Binfields Road intersection)
• Reading: Premier Karting (RG5 4SZ) and Teamworks Reading (RG30 1JT).
• Andover: Thruxton (SP11 8PW)

Tiny Tip : 3

Onions

These freeze very well so when you are chopping up an onion for dinner, try chopping double the amount and freezing the 'overs'. It will save you prepping (and crying) time on another day.

A summer of sport VI (for NHM)

The Bolshoi are Back!

This week I took the great pleasure in visiting the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden to watch the Bolshoi ballet dancers perform Jewels. The Bolshoi are in London for just three weeks and I highly recommend you try to get tickets!

I am not a ballet dancer. I never have been and it is probably safe to say I never will be either - but I do love the bewitchment of a beautiful ballet performance. Besides, even the most superficial study of abundantly talented dancers, as the Bolshoi most certainly are, not just entertains me, it also teaches me. Here are a few things I have learnt from the Bolshoi... via NorthHantsMum...


http://northhantsmum.wordpress.com/2013/08/14/a-summer-of-sport-vi/

What would YOU do if...?

* For some months this blog has been saved in my draft folder while I debated the best time to publish it. Unfortunately, as this blog describes, bad things happen, often. I have been avoiding inadvertent upset as a result of publishing this at the wrong time, but it seems there is just no 'right' time. So, with my thoughts and prayers with those I care for, here goes...

Actually, it is more a case of: What would you need if...?

Disclaimer: Let me start by stating that this blog is absolutely not intended as being any sort of advice (financial, legal or otherwise), and it should not be used as such. Think of this as a conversation over a cuppa. No sales. No advice. Just a chat with a friend (if I may be so forward). Also, following on from my recent post, The underwear rule, this is another serious matter that I urge you to consider and discuss with those you love.

This is a bit of a touchy subject and many folks do not like talking or thinking about it, others live by the "It will not happen to me" theory. And it's funny, in a macabre way, everyone I ever spoke to that did have this happen to them said the same thing, "I never thought it would happen to me!"

Life is not always roses and happiness; watching the news on any given day will verify this. Sometimes, folks die prematurely. Sometimes, folks live, albeit with a very serious illness. Some of these folks may eventually recover, or at least partially recover. We all know these things happen, but what do we do to protect ourselves in the event, God forbid it, of things going horribly wrong?

Well, there are group life insurance polices provided by some employers - but are you covered by one? Assuming you know you are covered by such a policy, this is great news, if you die. And if the benefit payable is enough. But what if you survive? What if you "just" get ill, very ill? So ill that you cannot do anything, except eat, drink and require medical attention? Perhaps you might even need a wheelchair, is your home even wheelchair accessible?

I can list episodes of life changing events that have happened to folks I know (or knew). There is the Dad who fought a major illness and lost, and his brother-in-law who is suffering the life changing side effects of a major trauma he suffered some years later. The almost new client (the non-working half of a young, freshly mortgaged couple) that declined insurance and was later given a most awful diagnoses. My family member who lost her husband after nursing him through a long illness. And most recently, the unexpected death of my father-in-law. Individually, these episodes are awful, devastating, heartbreaking. But what if it happened to someone you love? Most people understand why a breadwinning parent might be insured. But the parent who is (unpaid) at home raising children, (whether by free or fiscal choice), also has economic value in the family. Families suffer when either parent is unable to do their job, paid or unpaid. That Dad I mentioned, he left behind four children and the youngest was not yet age two. 

So, what to do?

Insurance. You may have a nest egg invested (this is called 'self insurance') or, if you are like most of us, the nest egg is bought with insurance premiums.  Do not think of insurance as just another product someone is trying to sell you, (although, yes, insurance companies intend to generate profits). Think of insurance as a plan B - in case something does go horribly wrong and you are not already the self-made millionaire you plan to be.

Seriously, think about this.

What would your family need if one or both of you became very ill or died? Could you afford to be away from work to take care of, or spend time with your family? Could you meet your mortgage or rental commitments or would you be force to sell up or move? Do you have other regular financial commitments that must be maintained (think loans, cars, nursery...) Could you afford present day and future education expenses (fees, books etc) on one salary? Seriously, imagine that tomorrow morning you wake up and one of you were seriously ill or dead. What are the first few things that would cross your mind? Would you really want one of them to be money?

I have sat down with my husband. We have talked. And when we are old(er), grey(er) and wrinkly(er), I would dearly love look back on our lives and say to each other: 

"You know all those insurance premiums we paid for all those years? They were the biggest waste of money we ever spent so wisely."

A summer of sport V (for NHM)

This week I am horsing about in my guest post for NorthHantsMum.....

Horses and horse racing have always been in the peripheral of my life; the childhood trotting track visits, my first horse riding experience as an adult (that horse was a "dud", I rode goats in Egypt that were stronger, faster and far more responsive), and I have attended the odd major event race day (the "glam-up" sort). Even so, I had thought that horses and horse racing were mostly for 'horse people', but this is simply untrue. The entire family can enjoy this sport, together or separately, it is really just a matter of getting organised in advance and checking out what's on.

Click this link to NorthHantsMum and read more...

Working double time at meal time

As Miss grew into a 'big girl', I knew I would need something more than my under developed imagination to entertain, enthuse and educate her.

Meal time gives me Miss and Master's undivided attention, and, having fond memories of my "three wise monkeys" placemat as a child, I thought this might be a good place to start.

I found a huge variety of placemats on offer although I usually prefer the appropriately aged, 'educational' option. Still, there were many to choose from. I ordered Little Wigwam's "Alphabet" placement. Miss found the bright colours immediately attractive, then happily recognised and excitedly named a number of the illustrations from the outset.

courtesy of Little Wigwam

Who is it for?

The suggested age range is three years plus, but I beg to differ. Miss and I have had many discussions about the illustrations. We have talked about the animals, the noises they make and where we might find them in real life. We have talked about the colours, the shapes and what the "real life" size of the illustrated characters might be. We progressed to letter sounds ("D" is for the d-d-duck illustration, d-d-dog, d-d-dinosaur) and in recent months Miss has been visually identifying letters. Miss is still not three.

Will it last?

Yes... But like anything that is well used, well loved, it will show the signs. Exhibit A, belonging to my Miss:

Note: this is entirely my own opinion and I have not received payment of any kind to recommend or positively comment on this product or the supplier, (Little Wigwams).