Whilst I was on my day off on Tuesday, awaiting the delivery and collection of the MacBook Pro's, a funny thing happened. The boys, my nephews, Ryan (6) and Connor (2) were outside playing in the drizzly rain. Ryan had been bemoaning the fact he couldn't go out because of said rain and wanted to come with me into town. That was until someone knocked on the door asking if he was going out to play. Then I was duly told "Angie, I'm not coming to Stirling with you. I'm going out to play with Dean". Dean is about 7 or 8.
So I continued watching the Andy Murray match on TV.
A little while later I looked out the window and saw them going up and down this little hill on their scooters. Connor was with them too.
A few minutes after that Ryan came trudging up the hill, scowling, holding his wrist. We went to the door t ask what was wrong. "I fell off the scooter into jaggy nettles!"..... and through petted lip and tears "...and Dean told me.....(sob sob) that if you get stung by jaggy nettles you'll die!" and he continued to cry, real sobbing heaving tears.
What a shame I thought. "He's a silly boy and he's just telling you lies. You'll not die from jaggy nettles, it just itches a wee bit". The words weren't consoling him. Eventually I got him inside and into the bathroom, all the while reassuring him that the really faint nettle sting on his wrist would not result in him dying. Poor wee thing. He eventually let me rub some savlon cream onto the area and his tears soon stopped.
We then heard mum shouting on Connor. She was out the back. She couldn't find him. She shouted on him a few times but no reply. We went out front. No sign of him. I could see the colour drain from my mum's cheeks and my heart started to race. Where was he!
He couldn't have gone far. It'd only been about 3 minutes. "Where's my wee brother?" Ryan asked and started to cry once he saw the panic on our faces. I headed up the street to see if i could see him. Still no sign up the hill or around the corner. Then I looked over at my aunts garden and caught sight of his beat up old Fireman Sam scooter. There he was. Playing football with my uncle.
I marched into the garden and ordered him back home as he'd been naughty and run away without telling anyone. Turns out he'd just gone up the hill on his scooter and had saw my aunt and uncle coming back from the shops so went and played football. I was glad he was there but something deep inside said "what if..." i daren't think about it.
He fled down the street on his scooter and said he should say sorry to his granny and big brother for running away. He was so cute saying sorry to Ryan but Ryan was hurt. He's a little chicken hearted you see. I like that about him but i fear he may get taken advantage of like he had been earlier by the older kid.
Back in the house Connor got changed and Ryan and me headed off into Stirling. Partly because i felt sorry for him and partly to give my mum a break. But also because I could tell Ryan was hurt by Connor, "you're my wee brother and you're naughty" were his words.
It's days like that I wonder what they'll have in store for them when they're growing up. I just want to protect them from the bullies and from bad things. I know you can't wrap them in cotton wool, but still. I can't think of a time when they weren't around. They are amongst the few people around me who can bring a smile to my face and cheer me up with a little thumbs up or a cheeky grin.
My nephews. Love.
Angela x
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Bowery Mural
Upgrade
Tuesday, 3 July 2012
I had a day off work today. Tuesday, an unusual day for a day off you might wonder, but i had reasons. My cousin, Brian, has just returned from nine months away travelling to Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and he's been working as a teacher in Sydney, Australia for the past seven months. He arrived home yesterday afternoon for three weeks. He's looking great on it. So this day off was to coincide with that.
But I was also waiting on a delivery and return of an item. My new MacBook Pro. Having lasted me for five while years i decided it was time to upgrade from my Dell laptop. It's sooooo slow. It takes about 40 minutes to edit one photo in Photoshop. Hence the reason i don't really do much with my camera photos now. Which is a shame because it takes wonderful pictures.
Anyway, the first MacBook was delivered on Friday. On start up i noticed what can only be described as a tear like line on the screen. The was not right. I knew this, however i had a little play about with it and decided to call support on Saturday morning to see what they said. The next morning i waited until 10am and called. After a few tests, mainly me contorting my fingers into some weird shapes with the combination of keys i was being asked to hold down whilst holding the phone to my ear and pressing the power button with my other hand. It was amazing i managed it but eventually it was decided that i'd be sent a replacement device and that one would be returned. Today was the day.
The new one was delivered about 10 30am and i turned it one. No black line on screen, phew! But it wouldn't connect to wifi. After doing the turn off turn on of both the Macbook and my router i called Support again. After 30 minutes of tests and many off and on again sequences he told me i'd have to reboot the operating system. He talked me through the process and said it would take an hour or so, depending on internet speed. This took about seven hours!!! my internet must be really really really slow.
Anyway, about 5.30pm it restarted and lo and behold it still didn't want to connect to wifi. Further searches on the internet (on iPad) i decided to go through the help function and what do you know, within 5 minutes i had connected myself to wifi. I don't know how it happened but it did. Thank goodness. If i'd had to call them again (on an 0844 number by the way!) i was ready for asking for a refund. Honest.
Anyway, i'd saved my iTunes library to an external had drive on Friday night and within half an hour i've loaded all my music onto the Macbook. I'm so pleased that happened without any hitches, touch wood.
I do really really like this laptop. It's easy to type with. I love the sleek design, even the way the power plug and cables fit together. Using something other than Windows is taking a bit of getting used to though. I'll need to memorise all the keyboard shortcuts.
So now, i'll hopefully be blogging more and able to load some cool edited photos of mine that aren't from the iPhone.
And if you've got a Macbook, let me know if there's any cool apps i should get. When i bought it i got a £70 App Store voucher too - bonus!
Angela x
.
But I was also waiting on a delivery and return of an item. My new MacBook Pro. Having lasted me for five while years i decided it was time to upgrade from my Dell laptop. It's sooooo slow. It takes about 40 minutes to edit one photo in Photoshop. Hence the reason i don't really do much with my camera photos now. Which is a shame because it takes wonderful pictures.
Anyway, the first MacBook was delivered on Friday. On start up i noticed what can only be described as a tear like line on the screen. The was not right. I knew this, however i had a little play about with it and decided to call support on Saturday morning to see what they said. The next morning i waited until 10am and called. After a few tests, mainly me contorting my fingers into some weird shapes with the combination of keys i was being asked to hold down whilst holding the phone to my ear and pressing the power button with my other hand. It was amazing i managed it but eventually it was decided that i'd be sent a replacement device and that one would be returned. Today was the day.
The new one was delivered about 10 30am and i turned it one. No black line on screen, phew! But it wouldn't connect to wifi. After doing the turn off turn on of both the Macbook and my router i called Support again. After 30 minutes of tests and many off and on again sequences he told me i'd have to reboot the operating system. He talked me through the process and said it would take an hour or so, depending on internet speed. This took about seven hours!!! my internet must be really really really slow.
Anyway, about 5.30pm it restarted and lo and behold it still didn't want to connect to wifi. Further searches on the internet (on iPad) i decided to go through the help function and what do you know, within 5 minutes i had connected myself to wifi. I don't know how it happened but it did. Thank goodness. If i'd had to call them again (on an 0844 number by the way!) i was ready for asking for a refund. Honest.
Anyway, i'd saved my iTunes library to an external had drive on Friday night and within half an hour i've loaded all my music onto the Macbook. I'm so pleased that happened without any hitches, touch wood.
I do really really like this laptop. It's easy to type with. I love the sleek design, even the way the power plug and cables fit together. Using something other than Windows is taking a bit of getting used to though. I'll need to memorise all the keyboard shortcuts.
So now, i'll hopefully be blogging more and able to load some cool edited photos of mine that aren't from the iPhone.
And if you've got a Macbook, let me know if there's any cool apps i should get. When i bought it i got a £70 App Store voucher too - bonus!
Angela x
.
Big Rock, Little Stone
Sunday, 1 July 2012
The big rock rolled and bumped it's way down the river, the swooshing, gushing water carrying it most of the way. It bumped off other rocks but it kept rolling. Then one day it got wedged between the side of the babbling river and another smaller rock. Well, this was more of a little stone. One that had probably been thrown in by some over eager little person with big dreams and one which had probably created a few ripples as it landed. This was a nice little rock. I mean stone. The big rock wedged himself in between the river bank and a huge price of bedrock. The little stone was also wedged. With each passing day they swayed and rocked, the water lapping over them but they didn't budge. They were stuck here.
The season was turning from spring to summer and with that the sun came out to play. They basked in a few days of sunshine here and there. They watched the cotton candy clouds roll by. This was nice. Steady. All the while their movement in unison together with the water was beginning to change their shape. The little stone got used to the big rock being there. One side of its outer even began to mould into the shape of the big rock, so close was their current predicament. Wedged here between the river bank and a giant bedrock, remember. They got used to each others movement. A gentle sway. A little budge. A protection from the wind. This was now their reality.
Suddenly, the seasons began to change again. It wasn't really sudden. It had been a few months, but it didn't really feel like that. From summer to autumn was the change. With that brought heavier rain, stronger, gusty winds, grey skies and this uneasy feeling that something was about to give. The little stone wasn't sure what was happening. It had gotten used to being here, by the side of the big rock. Steady.
The water began to flow faster. And there was more of it. More and more rocks and stones tumbled down past them, down to where though? They didn't know. The little stone clung on for dear life. Then one day a large stone came along and bumped into them. This larger stone was somewhat funny shaped. One end round and large, the other end flat and small. Funny colour too. When that bump came together with a huge flow of fast flowing, bubbling water it was too much force and soon they were all tumbling their way downstream. The little stone eventually came to a halt. A halt so sudden that it made it dizzy. But, luckily it was wedged into the side of the river bank again in some soft fresh mud.
The big rock and large stone kept tumbling. Who knows where they ended up...
Months passed and the little rock was still stuck in the mud. Only, one half was sticking out and feeling the full force of the strong river flow. The was shaping the little stone. It was grateful for the place to stay and this reshaping would be good for it, it told itself.
The seasons changed again, autumn to winter. The water turned freezing and it was everything the little stone could do to stop cracking in two. Something made it hold on. It often wondered what fate the big rock and large stone had met. Never mind, the warmer weather would be here soon.
At the waters edge the little stone waited, waited until the freezing water began to flow strong again. Waters from high up flowing and bubbling again all around it. This meant that the seasons were changing, winter to spring. Little cute flowers started to grow near the river bank and butterflies started to flit, fly and hover around.
Then one day the river bank gave way and the little stone was soon on its way again. Rolling and tumbling downstream. This time with much more grace due to the weather and water reshaping it. As it tumbled, it bumped into something familiar. The big rock! Only this time it kept rolling, but only a little farther until it was at the edge of the water. A much shallower pool. It swayed slightly in the flow. It could see the big rock which was wedged again. But the large stone was nowhere to be seen. It wondered what had happened over that fairly long winter. It wanted to be wedged in with the big rock again, on the other side of the river bank. It was soon on its way again because unusually rainy weather brought much more water to the river.
Over the next few weeks the big rock and the little stone tumbled and rolled their way downstream, occasionally bumping into each other. Sometimes they got wedged together because their shapes still fitted despite the partial reshaping of the little stone. Other times they drifted off on separate journeys. But somehow they always managed to be wedged together, somewhere along the river bank, between a mud bank and a huge piece of granite.
Summer was now well and truly here and they found themselves heading to the coast. Rolling and tumbling and gently swaying and eventually they found home in a rock pool on the edge of nowhere. All was clam here, except for the occasional tiny crab crawling over them, they enjoyed their new resting place. Not wedged this time, but close enough to feel comfort. That comfort they felt back when they were wedged between the river bank and a bedrock.
The little stone rolled over and then back again looking up to the once familiar cotton candy clouds in the sky and secretly smiled. Home.
The season was turning from spring to summer and with that the sun came out to play. They basked in a few days of sunshine here and there. They watched the cotton candy clouds roll by. This was nice. Steady. All the while their movement in unison together with the water was beginning to change their shape. The little stone got used to the big rock being there. One side of its outer even began to mould into the shape of the big rock, so close was their current predicament. Wedged here between the river bank and a giant bedrock, remember. They got used to each others movement. A gentle sway. A little budge. A protection from the wind. This was now their reality.
Suddenly, the seasons began to change again. It wasn't really sudden. It had been a few months, but it didn't really feel like that. From summer to autumn was the change. With that brought heavier rain, stronger, gusty winds, grey skies and this uneasy feeling that something was about to give. The little stone wasn't sure what was happening. It had gotten used to being here, by the side of the big rock. Steady.
The water began to flow faster. And there was more of it. More and more rocks and stones tumbled down past them, down to where though? They didn't know. The little stone clung on for dear life. Then one day a large stone came along and bumped into them. This larger stone was somewhat funny shaped. One end round and large, the other end flat and small. Funny colour too. When that bump came together with a huge flow of fast flowing, bubbling water it was too much force and soon they were all tumbling their way downstream. The little stone eventually came to a halt. A halt so sudden that it made it dizzy. But, luckily it was wedged into the side of the river bank again in some soft fresh mud.
The big rock and large stone kept tumbling. Who knows where they ended up...
Months passed and the little rock was still stuck in the mud. Only, one half was sticking out and feeling the full force of the strong river flow. The was shaping the little stone. It was grateful for the place to stay and this reshaping would be good for it, it told itself.
The seasons changed again, autumn to winter. The water turned freezing and it was everything the little stone could do to stop cracking in two. Something made it hold on. It often wondered what fate the big rock and large stone had met. Never mind, the warmer weather would be here soon.
At the waters edge the little stone waited, waited until the freezing water began to flow strong again. Waters from high up flowing and bubbling again all around it. This meant that the seasons were changing, winter to spring. Little cute flowers started to grow near the river bank and butterflies started to flit, fly and hover around.
Then one day the river bank gave way and the little stone was soon on its way again. Rolling and tumbling downstream. This time with much more grace due to the weather and water reshaping it. As it tumbled, it bumped into something familiar. The big rock! Only this time it kept rolling, but only a little farther until it was at the edge of the water. A much shallower pool. It swayed slightly in the flow. It could see the big rock which was wedged again. But the large stone was nowhere to be seen. It wondered what had happened over that fairly long winter. It wanted to be wedged in with the big rock again, on the other side of the river bank. It was soon on its way again because unusually rainy weather brought much more water to the river.
Over the next few weeks the big rock and the little stone tumbled and rolled their way downstream, occasionally bumping into each other. Sometimes they got wedged together because their shapes still fitted despite the partial reshaping of the little stone. Other times they drifted off on separate journeys. But somehow they always managed to be wedged together, somewhere along the river bank, between a mud bank and a huge piece of granite.
Summer was now well and truly here and they found themselves heading to the coast. Rolling and tumbling and gently swaying and eventually they found home in a rock pool on the edge of nowhere. All was clam here, except for the occasional tiny crab crawling over them, they enjoyed their new resting place. Not wedged this time, but close enough to feel comfort. That comfort they felt back when they were wedged between the river bank and a bedrock.
The little stone rolled over and then back again looking up to the once familiar cotton candy clouds in the sky and secretly smiled. Home.
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