Tis The Season To Be Jolly...

I know there are many around the world starving and serious problems that make many of those we see as being important are in reality unimportant.

You have to judge problems by the situation and society that you are a part of.
A story has broken in the press as featured in the Daily Mail which I read earlier today.

The Waste and Resources Action Programme(A Government Quango)the £80million a year state body set up to encourage recycling and to reduce the amount of food we waste is said to have issued a press release and the article's headline was "Families urged to eat ice cream rather than Christmas pudding to save the planet"

And upon the first reading of the article it does seem a stupid idea. The suggestion is that cooks should consider mince pies and reheat whatever leftover mincemeat and serve it with ice cream.
If you look at the press release here what was actually said was:"Heat small amounts of left-over mincemeat in a pan and spoon over ice cream for an alternative Christmas pudding"

I suspect many families up and down the land have always adapted recipes and reheated/reused food from one meal and recreated a new dish using ingredients left over from a previous meal.

We may live in a country that is seen to be one of the most prosperous economies in the world but I sometimes wonder how anyone earns enough from working to afford to pay for decent food and pay their ever increasing household expenses.

There is some truth in how healthy and clever/economic this country was during WWII when food was rationed. There is a wonderful food writer(I forget her name)but the Government used her during these hard times to advise what could be done and she still sometimes appears on television now and has so many great ideas.

Unfortunately, so many times things are taken out of context.

Most of any food that is not eaten in my household is given to the birds that visit my garden(as that would be mainly fruit and bread etc...)so very little food is thrown out.

I do however believe that if there is something I really would like to have and I know there is going to be too much for me to use I will not do without. But in general I think I am very careful about avoiding food wastage, I don't always necessarily worry about the dates on food. Often they'll say something has to be used within two days of opening but I'll stretch it over three days.

It's often been said that where some food wastage could be saved and it probably is perfectly safe to eat is because of understandably strict rules of food safety perfectly eatable food has to be discarded, there have been schemes(I think America)has some policy on this where food normally thrown away is given to charities or residential homes so those who would normally be unable to enjoy or afford some items are given it.

Maybe some similar scheme could be instigated in the UK and other countries across the world.
I am sure that I read or saw a report showing people raiding supermarket garbage cans and finding food that was of a high enough standard and safe for consumption.

Whatever, enjoy your Christmas lunch if you have managed to get it together, for many the festive season is the one time of the year people push the boat out and try to have something that they perhaps are unable to the rest of the year. It's awful to be lectured and told what you shouldn't be doing at this time of year.

They may see it as appropriate or an easy target but BBC Radio 5 were scroogelike in two of the topics they chose to discuss this holiday weekend...Do we take too much time off at Christmas(and yet the rest of the year we are told that we work the longest hours in Europe)and yes, once again the other topic was the amont of alcohol we drink.

For one weekend in the year, though for some it is a difficult time, let's try and enjoy ourselves. Before too long it will be another year and for many all the worries will start again.

Turbines And MP's...

Some months ago a story broke in the town's freesheet suggesting questions being asked about whether planning permission had been obtained or all the official procedures had been followed regarding the erection of a wind turbine in the car park of the new local Tesco's supermarket and the article went on to say that our newly elected MP had written to the head of the supermarket chain to request further information.

I read the freesheet every week and so far there is nothing to suggest that anything has been added to the story.

However, earlier today another freesheet that is mainly full of adverts(with a very small amount of news)popped through my letter box and an article inside has a picture of the turbine and there is talk of many more being added to the chain of supermarkets nationwide.

A feasiblity study is being carried out to see where such turbines could be used. It also explains that power generated is used in the store and any spare goes to the National Grid.

The article then explains that the 6kw Ropatec turbine(it's Italian built)could supply power to four homes for upto a year. The same article also says such a wind turbine is unlikely to upset people because its not larger than a street lamp.

I disagree, it dominates the location, it looks larger than any street lamp to me and certainly the trunk of the turbine is manufactured in what looks like very strong steel, with lots of riverts and in brilliant white. The trunk is broader than any street lamp I can see around here. It's not much of a news story considering it's been there for months.

It was too dark to take a photo as planned to illustrate this entry after buying new batteries for the camera and I wanted to take the picture off premises, as the supermarket is touchy about photo's taken on their land. I hope to post a photograph as soon as possible. I found a link on the online version of the paper but it had no picture within the article.

I am not a stalker but as I was weighing up if a picture was possible, by coincidence, I discovered parked next to the wind turbine and loading booze into his car boot was none other than our MP.

Why Would I think Anyone Is Bothered?

Well, just in case anyone is and some already know what I am about to post(and have sent their best wishes and support for which I thank you)

I saw my own Dr yesterday. Curing people is not an exact science and a lot of treatment depends on seeing over a period of time how people react to care and drugs which then means that hopefully you can be reasonably sure if someone presents similar symptoms the same procedure will work for them, I was told that my recent blood count had come back reasonably ok. The createnine content is not so much of a problem(which was originally what concerned "us" the most. However, a newer test has been introduced in recent months and that doesn't look so good. I continue to leak protein(a lot is the term being used)and now I am told there is blood.

I do get some hope in that I am told that having responded to treatment before, it should likely as not work again. Press any further for some confidence and its not that much forthcoming. Perhaps that's because a Dr does not wish to give false hope or maybe they are being kind because they know there will be worrying times ahead and they don't wish to make those times come any sooner than they need to.

However, what is going through my own mind is that though dialysis works for many should the need arise, I assume(rightly or wrongly)it is mainly to get rid of toxins and clean the blood and that is mainly Createnine content)so as mine is a different problem maybe that would not work for me?

The blood pressure reading wasn't correct and three readings were taken but each one reduced to what is more acceptable. And this is with me taking a blood pressure tablet daily(which has been increased in strength)

But whether all this information will mean my Consultant is very unhappy tomorrow only time will tell.

A wonderfully detailed explanation on how to understand blood pressure and how to try and avoid damage or possible medication can be found here.

I was shown a line graph by my Dr. The higher the point is the better it is for me. The lower is not where I wish to be but interestingly enough using my own example(if I was using a scale of 1-100) it would appear at the start of the 2007 I was around the 100 mark(the worse you could be)and over the year I have been as high as 5 but usually go up and down like a yo yo between 25 and 75. From what I could see yesterday I was around the 70 mark.

So I guess the worry would be if I go further down in the wrong direction. I can do no more. It's out my hands. I am in the care of God and through him all the Dr's and those who care for me.

Only time will tell...hopefully, I'll be back to writing about less important in the great scheme of things that seem to catch my eye such as the performance of my local MP, the progress or lack of it regarding the improvement of the area, the obsession of many in today's so called "Celebrity Culture" and other stories. I jest of course there are many things happening that are important in the world whether I am here or not and will continue long after I leave this world. Just as it did before I was ever thought of.