Steve from England

Tomorrow I have my first proper meeting regarding my web design skills. I am looking forward to it but, at the same time, feel almost as though it is a dream or an act in a play. You see, I am Mr Average, could do better. This is what all my school reports said and I had no reason to dispute them. I have gone through life believing I could be more without ever achieving. Here I am now, having directors of a charity coming to me for a meeting, it feels sort of weird and, somehow, totally right as well, like where I feel I should be now anyway. I am hoping they will agree my proposals and I can move the site forward and provide them with something which will boost their finances. It doesn’t make me anything but, boy, does it look good on a CV if any future employer can see past 50+! In my life I feel like I am achieving something … no, this is not fair, I feel like I am a very proud witness to others achieving something. Parentally, it is important to see the children grow and prosper, m...

Tomorrow I have my first proper meeting regarding my web design skills. I am looking forward to it but, at the same time, feel almost as though it is a dream or an act in a play. You see, I am Mr Average, could do better. This is what all my school reports said and I had no reason to dispute them. I have gone through life believing I could be more without ever achieving. Here I am now, having directors of a charity coming to me for a meeting, it feels sort of weird and, somehow, totally right as well, like where I feel I should be now anyway. I am hoping they will agree my proposals and I can move the site forward and provide them with something which will boost their finances. It doesn’t make me anything but, boy, does it look good on a CV if any future employer can see past 50+! In my life I feel like I am achieving something … no, this is not fair, I feel like I am a very proud witness to others achieving something. Parentally, it is important to see the children grow and prosper, ...

I was just wondering as, so far, this year has already had too many changes and that is only the start of it. The remainder of the year is going to see me reeling from the up and downs, swings and roundabouts, tops and turvy’s! I am going to see the biggest reductions in my income for years. I am already seeing the biggest increase in my outgoings for years! I think, and I really don’t know yet, that I am going to maybe have to get used to a totally different way of living. The chance of setting up my own internet and IT business is looking all the more attractive. I got told this week that, had the government not have totally screwed up the finances, that the charity I volunteer for could really do with having me ‘in house’. Oh well, maybe things will recover before I retire and there could be a job for me there. I have other groups approaching me asking if I would sort out their website needs as well, all whilst I get ever increasing obligations at home. I may well take the opportu...

I was just wondering as, so far, this year has already had too many changes and that is only the start of it. The remainder of the year is going to see me reeling from the up and downs, swings and roundabouts, tops and turvy’s! I am going to see the biggest reductions in my income for years. I am already seeing the biggest increase in my outgoings for years! I think, and I really don’t know yet, that I am going to maybe have to get used to a totally different way of living. The chance of setting up my own internet and IT business is looking all the more attractive. I got told this week that, had the government not have totally screwed up the finances, that the charity I volunteer for could really do with having me ‘in house’. Oh well, maybe things will recover before I retire and there could be a job for me there. I have other groups approaching me asking if I would sort out their website needs as well, all whilst I get ever increasing obligations at home. I may well take the opportu...

My last blog should have uploaded a picture of Josh but I didn’t see anything … here is the picture ..

My last blog should have uploaded a picture of Josh but I didn’t see anything … here is the picture ..

Since the last lot of updates … mainly as I have a new keyboard which is taking some time to get used to and I’ve not thought blogging much fun whilst my fingers were getting lost on the board! OK, not so much an up to date summary more a mention of the upcoming changes this year. The government have set up this benefits system to measure what people should get by what it considers to be the minimum someone needs to live on. The trouble is, it is not a figure all benefits agree on and doesn’t much take consideration of actual costs or circumstances. Because Zoey stops being of school age this June she stops being entitled to the benefit she is currently getting. Instead she has to go on the replacement of Incapacity Benefit designed for those who medically cannot work. The issue here is, she is currently recognised by one set of benefits as not being able to work but this newer benefit ignores all that and makes her sit an assessment, not just one, but a 13 week assessment before...

Since the last lot of updates … mainly as I have a new keyboard which is taking some time to get used to and I’ve not thought blogging much fun whilst my fingers were getting lost on the board! OK, not so much an up to date summary more a mention of the upcoming changes this year. The government have set up this benefits system to measure what people should get by what it considers to be the minimum someone needs to live on. The trouble is, it is not a figure all benefits agree on and doesn’t much take consideration of actual costs or circumstances. Because Zoey stops being of school age this June she stops being entitled to the benefit she is currently getting. Instead she has to go on the replacement of Incapacity Benefit designed for those who medically cannot work. The issue here is, she is currently recognised by one set of benefits as not being able to work but this newer benefit ignores all that and makes her sit an assessment, not just one, but a 13 week assessment before...

Sorry I have not blogged much of late. Many may have me as a friend on Facebook where I tend to post the latest trivia about me. Short one line comments which don’t justify a blog entry. Another slight problem is that, for various reasons I cannot blog about some current events in my life. If you really want to know you will have to email me personally. So, what can I write about? Well, I seem to have had one illness after another for the past few weeks and am getting a little tired of it. My body is a bit of a mess but, I’ll get over this. I am also finding that this being an employer thing is tiring and, sometimes, frustrating. It can mean difficult decisions. Things are looking good for this year, I have a hope that this could be one of the best years in a long time so I am prepared to overlook the current illness and shaky start to events and look forward.

Sorry I have not blogged much of late. Many may have me as a friend on Facebook where I tend to post the latest trivia about me. Short one line comments which don’t justify a blog entry. Another slight problem is that, for various reasons I cannot blog about some current events in my life. If you really want to know you will have to email me personally. So, what can I write about? Well, I seem to have had one illness after another for the past few weeks and am getting a little tired of it. My body is a bit of a mess but, I’ll get over this. I am also finding that this being an employer thing is tiring and, sometimes, frustrating. It can mean difficult decisions. Things are looking good for this year, I have a hope that this could be one of the best years in a long time so I am prepared to overlook the current illness and shaky start to events and look forward.

I prayed. I asked, show me the way, what to do because I feel helpless in how to do the right thing for Josh, for Daisy, Sean and Javis. In the morning I thought something I thought unthinkable last night … suggest Daisy and Sean sit down with Javis as adults, concede they may have been hasty on Weds and see what happens. In my mind I expected Javis to graciously accept their apology, acknowledge he was wrong, stop blaming me for everything and agree to finally put right all the lies he has told about us since 2009. I am not sure how that would have answered my prayer but it seemed the right thing to do. What happened did answer my prayer. He was rude and dismissive. He refused to apologise for anything or so much as agree he could be wrong. He won’t undo the lies he has done, he just added more lies to the list and he insulted me. Finally, after all this time, I see the light. There is nothing I can do for Javis, he is beyond hope. What I can do is protect my grandson as much as...

I prayed. I asked, show me the way, what to do because I feel helpless in how to do the right thing for Josh, for Daisy, Sean and Javis. In the morning I thought something I thought unthinkable last night … suggest Daisy and Sean sit down with Javis as adults, concede they may have been hasty on Weds and see what happens. In my mind I expected Javis to graciously accept their apology, acknowledge he was wrong, stop blaming me for everything and agree to finally put right all the lies he has told about us since 2009. I am not sure how that would have answered my prayer but it seemed the right thing to do. What happened did answer my prayer. He was rude and dismissive. He refused to apologise for anything or so much as agree he could be wrong. He won’t undo the lies he has done, he just added more lies to the list and he insulted me. Finally, after all this time, I see the light. There is nothing I can do for Javis, he is beyond hope. What I can do is protect my grandson as much as...

Or so the satnav says1 Magic wands, anyone know where to buy one? I want to be able to make everyone I care about happy all of the time.

Or so the satnav says1 Magic wands, anyone know where to buy one? I want to be able to make everyone I care about happy all of the time.

I don’t seem to have much in my social diary prior to the summer and this simply isn’t good enough Have been thinking about Tony and how hectic my life was with him around … I always seemed to be off somewhere with him but, not lately. I love being a granddad but, that’s not all I am. I enjoyed going places with Tony, I enjoyed having a social life. Maybe, and I don’t do resolutions really, but maybe I need to get off my ever increasingly fat arse and go do something?!

I don’t seem to have much in my social diary prior to the summer and this simply isn’t good enough Have been thinking about Tony and how hectic my life was with him around … I always seemed to be off somewhere with him but, not lately. I love being a granddad but, that’s not all I am. I enjoyed going places with Tony, I enjoyed having a social life. Maybe, and I don’t do resolutions really, but maybe I need to get off my ever increasingly fat arse and go do something?!

Someone commented that the article we did was not entirely true. In that, they are correct. Some details were changed for various reasons. Some of those reasons are: Lack of Space Not having got the permission of those concerned first To try, with near impossibility, to blur certain details so as not to create a bigger issue for us or anyone else Because too much detail would have detracted from the basic story which is totally accurate It just isn’t possible to include every last detail. We never mentioned about anyone having special needs. Job descriptions were changed because papers just like neat edges, ‘Carer’ would be meaningless to many people. Those of us who were deeply involved with ‘all’ of the issues know what realities there were besides those printed and that is what matters. At the end of the day, it sold a story which was accurate enough to be recognisable which may also mean something to the reader. To ‘anonymous’, I hope that satisfies your ang...

Someone commented that the article we did was not entirely true. In that, they are correct. Some details were changed for various reasons. Some of those reasons are: Lack of Space Not having got the permission of those concerned first To try, with near impossibility, to blur certain details so as not to create a bigger issue for us or anyone else Because too much detail would have detracted from the basic story which is totally accurate It just isn’t possible to include every last detail. We never mentioned about anyone having special needs. Job descriptions were changed because papers just like neat edges, ‘Carer’ would be meaningless to many people. Those of us who were deeply involved with ‘all’ of the issues know what realities there were besides those printed and that is what matters. At the end of the day, it sold a story which was accurate enough to be recognisable which may also mean something to the reader. To ‘anonymous’, I hope that satisfies your ang...

Just for the record for those who would never consider or can’t buy the paper today

Just for the record for those who would never consider or can’t buy the paper today