I checked the maps this morning to find somewhere I haven't walked before, or somewhere I haven't been to for a long time, within an hours drive from home. Although I have walked a lot on the North Bank, there was an area I haven't explored. So I drove over the bridge and headed for Brough. I was wanting to park in the centre of Brough, but came across roadworks with temporary traffic lights. The diversion was very confusing. There is a lot of building work going on as well. New housing estates, new roads, and new roundabouts. I couldn't find my way around Brough so I gave up and went to North Ferriby. I recognised the church there, and the road which goes past the school. I walked along there with Jo Brand when she was doing her One Hell of a Walk, for charity. That was in 2016. I parked at the church.
I walked towards the Station and crossed the railway line, and I arrived at the river. The tide was in so no walking along the river bank today. It's very uncomfortable to walk on the rocks anyway, so I wasn't bothered.
I walked back into the village. No football on today.
But there was a cricket match going on.
This is the pub we stopped at while on the charity walk. I had taken sandwiches so I sat outside to eat them. One of the film crew members came out to me and said I was to go inside and help myself from the buffet. Jolly nice of them I thought. A mile or so after that I said goodbye to Jo as I turned round and walked back to Barton where I left my car. It was 7.5 miles each way. Jo carried on with her sore feet, she did over 100 miles if I remember correctly.
I bought an ice cream from the Co op shop behind the pub.
From North Ferriby I walked to Swanland. This is a place I have been to before. Checking the date it was in 2012.
In the centre of the village is the pond. I took a few photo's. Here is a link to the post I did in 2012.
It's a very pretty village.
Can you see me mother.
Four and a half miles covered, and I was back home for 6.30pm.
Thanks for popping in. Enjoy your weekend. Toodle pip. ilona
Good morning. I deleted most of the comments on the Book post. It ended up a mess of complainers and nit pickers who were there to just have a go at me. There was very little substance to constitute a meaningful conversation.
This comment came in overnight 28/29th, and I will copy it here so I can reply.
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So good to see people being open about this . I was bullied and tormented verbally and physically at school. I would like to think that young transgender people no longer have to suffer this cruelty . About time people were more understanding and accepting of the fact that some people are born different. Your comment about “ muddled bureaucrats “ tells me you’re not a very tolerant person about this . We exist , we are here , we have always been here.
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They, I will use the word they because they have not indicated whether they are male or female. They say I am not a very tolerant person about this. This is your opinion when you know very little about me. This is misinformation. I am very tolerant of people who are searching to establish their own identity. I myself had similar struggles when I was growing up. I felt more like a boy, than a girl. I mixed with boys, I was not a girly girl. Back in the 50's/60's I was classed as a Tomboy.
There are many definitions of born different. It could be something about a physical appearance being not quite as expected, or about the way someone perceives their differences, which is transmitted through their thought processes. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder as the saying goes.
I was an ugly child, or so I thought. I went through agonies trying to be normal, to fit in. Why am I a skinny bean pole with sticking out teeth, flat chested with no tits. Why could I not see properly without looking through an ugly pair of national health specs. Why wasn't I pretty like my sister. Why did people poke fun at me saying I could eat lettuce through a wire netting. Why was I called four eyes. I tried so hard to manage without my glasses. Bullying goes on in schools, only then I had to put up with it. Nothing could be done to change how I saw myself. It wasn't until much later in life that I came to terms with it.
Now of course things are different. They are telling kids they can change from a boy to a girl and vice versa. They are pushing the gender ideology idea. Starting them on puberty blockers and ending up with chopping bits off boys, and girls. Once gone there is no going back. It is a dangerous slippery slope.
Just to make myself clear. I have no problem with cross dressing or transgender. People can present themselves as they like. I know about anomalies at birth, it is not always apparent which gender a baby is because of defects in their genitalia. There are cases of parents being pushed in one direction or another, and mistakes have been made. I am of the opinion that at such an early stage in the babies life it is impossible to determine how it should be brought up.
I am darting about here, so many thoughts on this subject.
Adults can decide how they want to present themselves. Their personality and inner feelings can influence how they dress. It is their right to wear whatever clothes they feel comfortable with. It is not ok however to bully other people into accepting their choices.
Years ago I founded and ran the Lady Truckers Club. A support network for women in transport. I was asked if a transgender woman could join. Yes, it was a thing way back in the eighties. I said, yes, that's fine.
I used to go to a lot of cat shows with my stall selling my wares. There was a couple who attended regularly, he was dressed in women's clothes. Perfectly fine, it's nice to know he had his wife's support.
About a year ago I was walking somewhere in Derbyshire, near Chesterfield I remember. I was on the canal towpath and stopped to get an ice cream. A couple were sat on a picnic bench outside. It was a sunny day so I struck up a conversation, as I often do. It did not bother me at all that he was dressed as a woman. His wife/friend had made a good job of getting his makeup and hair just right.
In the eighties I met a lot of women who had short cropped hair and wore trousers and boots. They obviously felt more comfortable that way. Transgender works both ways.
So, it grates with me when you say I am not very tolerant.
In the present situation I ask myself the question, why are they pushing gender identity, almost like it's a religion. It all comes down to money, plus there are underlying evil forces at play. Convince a young person that they can be whatever they want to be. They are selling the idea that all will be well if they agree to go along with the treatment. That is as far from the truth as you can get. Puberty blockers radical surgery to alter the bits that are not in line with their mental thinking, and the pharmaceuticals have a customer for life. They will be on medication forever. Do they mention that.
Evil forces, what is that. They, the rich, are destroying family units. They create a problem. Born in the wrong body. Reaction, oh but we can change that for you. Solution take these pills, they will pickle your brain and send you on your way to the operating table. You won't be able to have children, no penis no sperm, but don't worry we have sperm banks. We will create a vagina for you so you can have sex, but it won't be very enjoyable because the scar tissue will deaden any feelings down there.
Girls changing to boys will fare a bit better. They still get the blockers, but their surgery can be a personal choice. Get your boobs lopped off and you won't be able to breast feed babies. If you are really serious about becoming a boy don't worry, we can build you a penis. We will slice the skin off between your legs at the top of your thighs and roll it into a sausage. We will connect your urethra so you can pee, but you will never get an erection, and you won't become a father. If you have kept your lady bits you might find a way to become pregnant but that will depend on finding a doctor to help you with the mechanics of that.
See how all this can spiral out of control. And it all starts with telling children they can change gender. The grim reality is that this dystopian nightmare is only one of a few steps away from destroying human life as we know it. Messing with nature, interventions with drugs and surgery will bring about the changes that are not in our best interests. The only benefits will be those who are rich will get richer.
In the last few years, and even before that, there has been a pattern emerging. It is like a tsunami that cannot be stopped. Everything that happens is linked to the bigger plan.
The realities of changing gender should be discussed openly. Videos like this one below should be shown in schools. There are many more like this. Stories of those who went along with it and now regret the damage they have inflicted on their bodies.
OK, so I am watching a load of transgender videos to get a better understanding of the issues facing people who transition and de-transition. Adults can do what they like. My concerns are about the children who are being pushed into something they don't fully understand.
Another video. Listen to the mother's story. It's heartbreaking. Her daughter threw herself under a train.
197,540 viewsPremiered on 23 Mar 2022
Abby Martinez lost custody of her daughter Yaeli to the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services because Martinez did not fully support her daughter “transitioning” to a boy. Yaeli changed her name to Andrew and began taking cross-sex hormones, but still struggled with depression. At 19, Yaeli took her own life. Martinez says DCFS took her daughter from her.Here is another video.
Gender-Affirming Care Turns Kids Into Lifelong Patients: Dr. Miriam Grossman
Good morning. Here is one I cooked up yesterday. I will slot it in here to fill a space. The message is simple. Create your own life, or someone else will do it for you.
I might post again later today when I have time to check and rejig the one stored in drafts.
I've just spent a couple of hours writing a post, but not sure whether to publish it or not. I know Rachel does that sometimes. Write something to get thoughts down on the screen. Read it and re read it. Tweak it, edit it, leave it for a while, then delete it. It does help to unravel the mind to see a jumble of words take shape and become some kind of coherent writing. Whether it is widely read or completely dismissed is another matter. Who do I write for, me or thee?
Anyway, it's sitting there. I have done my best. It is helpful to me to be able to do this on a computer through my keyboard. I will let things lie and re read it later. Then I might make a decision. I will walk away from the computer while a video is uploading.
I've gone through my photographs and pulled a few out to include here, my online diary. The date on my teeshirt is 2001, the first time I went to the USA. I went with the Roller Coaster Club of Great Britain. Some of these photo's may be a little bit out of order because I have had several coaster holidays.
On the first trip we flew to Toronto and visited 17 theme parks in 15 days. It was manic but good fun. We travelled about in two coaches, from park to park, staying in a different hotel every night. I fell ill on that trip and was carted off to hospital. An all bells and whistles ambulance picked me up. Sirens blasting. It was a minor ailment but they really went to town on the medical care. I was only in hospital a few hours, and delivered back to the theme park to continue riding the coasters.
Other holidays were, me and the boyfriend went to Orlando and did the Disney Parks. We flew to Los Angeles on another trip, stayed a few days and hired a car and drove to Vegas. That was magic. The next holiday we joined the group again and went on a coach to do some theme parks in Germany. We also did the theme parks in the UK, either as a group, or just the two of us.
Some of the group members in 2001. The club is still going. Check it out if you are coaster crazy.
I can't remember where this was. Germany I think.
The highlight of the Vegas trip was a ride in a helicopter to the Grand Canyon. So so exciting.
An upside-down house. Somewhere in the USA.
No I haven't got a blotchy face. A reflection of my flowery top when I took a photo of a photo. Easily recognised location.
Looking down over New York. From the Empire State Building.
I won't be having any more holidays like these again. I don't have a passport, and I can't face all the kerfuffle at airports. My feet stay firmly on the ground from now on, or on the water if I take a ferry.
I've just been outside to get the empty bin in and it's lovely and warm. What am I doing sitting here. On with the boots and off for a walk.
How to cook up a blog post about a bog standard day.
This morning I went downstairs to use the outside lavvy. It's not really outside down the yard, it's next to the back door in the outside passageway. It's under cover and there is a second back door to keep everything dry. I always use that one first thing because it's closer to the ground and it has a good strong flush. Whatever deposits are dropped in get whisked away into the sewer system in a jiffy. The bathroom toilet upstairs has a weaker flush, and of course deposits have further to travel after they plunge down the pipe and round the bend into the ground.
I wear socks around the house so those go on first as I get out of bed. Then I decide what clothes to wear depending on the weather. Can I manage with something light and flimsy, cottony maybe, or should I put on my jogger bottoms and sweatshirt. This decision is made and I go straight downstairs to the lavvy.
This morning I stood in something wet. Oh no, not again. The last few nights hedgehogs have been coming into the back passage through the pretend cat flap. There was a flap but it broke. They come in search of food. I always put a bowl of dry nibbles out there, because Oscar who likes to stay out all night knows he can come in for a snack.
Over the last week of so there has been a hedgehog visit every night. They leave their calling card, a pool of pee, and several little parcels. I was getting a bit fed up of cleaning it up every morning. The solution - make a feeding station outside under a table near the back door. That is working very well, they are filling their little tummies. And Oscar can eat there as well. I know they are coming because I look out of the window and can see them scoffing.
They have no need to come in the cat flap now, but they still do. They don't leave quite as much mess, one pool of pee, and one small parcel of poo. This morning I felt something wet seep into my sock. Oh bugger, they are still coming. Hopefully they will eventually get the message that all the food is outside and there is non inside.
I start the day with a coffee. An hour or two later I make breakfast, after first feeding the cats. Today I had porridge, a banana, and some frozen raspberries. Mayze likes to be outside all day and every day when it is not raining. I place her two pet beds just outside the back door and there she stays watching the comings and goings of the birds swooping down on the lawn to feed and take a bath in the bowls of water. She is no trouble at all. She yells at me when she wants food. She is going a bit senile so I give her lots of love. The two boys are mostly outside in the garden, and they come back to the house at meal times.
This morning I went to the pop up Post Office at the church. The people who run it missed last week. There was a note on the door saying there was a national data outage problem with the computer, so I was not able to get any money out. I had enough anyway. Today I paid my Council Tax. It is a monthly payment but I pay two months at a time. That's more convenient for me. I also took out some cash, enough to tide me over for what I need to buy. My last Aldi shop was £60.
Back home I did some sewing. I want to get on with the new project. Then it was getting on for lunchtime and I needed to eat. It wasn't yet midday, but I eat when my stomach tells me. Lunch was an avocado on toast. Peanut butter first, then drizzle the avocado with toasted sesame seed oil, and top it with an egg. I had a small amount of potato salad left so I ate that as well. It was very filling.
After lunch I went outside to do some hedge trimming. I should have waited half an hour for my lunch to go down, but I was keen to fill the garden waste brown bin ready for collection tomorrow. All that bending and stretching left me feeling a bit knackered. I sat on the sofa and dozed off for half an hour. Then I had a coffee and got on with the sewing project.
If I am here all day I am constantly topping up the water bowls for the birds on the lawn. They swarm onto my garden, it's nice to see them. I scatter the food about. They eat left over cat food, I buy wild bird seed, and grapes, they like grapes. I buy apples and chop them up. I throw out a crust of bread now and again, or some dry biscuits that I don't like very much.
My dinner tonight was a stir-fry. Mushrooms, spiralised courgette, spinach, and rice noodles. Now I am relaxing with a small glass of pear cider. I don't drink much alcohol these days, one can lasts me three days. My drink in the pub hasn't been repeated again. I don't want to make that a habit.
Anyway, that's my report for today. Mayze is still outside I will get her in now because it is starting to rain.
Thanks for popping in. Life goes on. Toodle pip. ilona
I could post about days out, places I have visited.
I could post about what food I buy and where I shop.
I could post about my non recipes, the meals I make up.
I could post about my garden and my summerhouse.
I could post about the pictures I make, my arts and crafts.
I could post about village life, what we do, my friends.
I could post about memories, my past work.
I could post about my cats.
I could post about car camping.
I could post about money saving.
I could post about my daily walks.
I could post about my thoughts and opinions.
I could post about vlogging and blogging.
All those titles have subtitles. I can skim the surface or dig deep for more substance. I can share if I want to, or not share if I don't want to. I can spend hours composing a blog post. It is all meaningless compared to the real issues. I am just a speck of sand in a world wide desert of confusion.
I long for the day when everyone finally wakes up.
Thanks for popping in. Make sure you have a nice day. Toodle pip. ilona
Twas quite a busy day today. Chat and Craft this morning, in the Village Hall. It was party time. Celebrating Jan's birthday, and a farewell party for one of our members who is moving down south. Home made cakes. I wasn't very hungry because I had eaten this breakfast before I went.
Left over cooked vegetables, carrots, green beans, cauliflower, courgettes, and tortellini. Warmed up in a pan with a drop of oil, add a slice of bread, and pour over a beaten egg, topped with grated cheese. Finished off under the grill, with beetroot added. Filling and tasty.
While I was eating that I had this cardy laid out in front of me. I was looking for inspiration because I want to add some colour to it. I need a new project. The shadow on the picture is from one of the cd's I have hanging up in the back window. I have four, they stop the birds flying into the glass and injuring themselves.
After Crafty Club I had a coffee with my friend Angela. She lives nearby.
The weather was warm and sunny so I decided to take a walk to the park. There is a Summer Fair on today. It was 3pm when I got there. Music in the courtyard with people dancing.
I didn't take many photo's. Couldn't resist these Alpacas though. Try getting them to pose for the camera, they just don't understand.
Walking back through the courtyard it got busier. More people dancing. They played 40's war time songs. I spotted my friend June, with her daughter, and joined them for a chat.
The stall holders were starting to pack up at 4pm, and when the music finished I left to go home. There are some pictures of this event on a blog post I wrote a year ago. Check this out.
I've come up with an idea for the cardy. Here is a clue.
Dinner tonight was a stir fry with sweet and sour sauce. Blooming lovely.
I hope you had a good weekend. Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip. ilona
Good morning. A new day, a new start. You can't change what happened the day before, you can only move forward. Don't let things get you down. Don't carry the burden of hate and fear around with you. Knuckle down and attack the new day with gusto.
This scrappy doggy is part of an exhibition all about dogs, currently showing at the 20 21 Art Centre, Scunthorpe. It's on now until the 26th of October.
Owners that look like their dogs. Difficult to get a photo without reflections of the church windows.
Doggy books to read, with big squishy bean bags to lounge about on.
This exhibition shows the work of international artists, designers, illustrators and photographers who use dogs as their subject matter and inspiration.
Enjoy your weekend. Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip. ilona
I was at the 20 21 Arts Centre yesterday. Mainly to see my friend Vikki who works there. But also take a gander at the latest exhibitions. The main part of the church building is now open after extensive renovations. Scaffolding is still up on the lower part outside. Looks like most of the work has been completed. The tower looks very nice.
There is a new reading section where people are invited to sit and browse a collection of books. I wonder how many people will spend time studying these.
Wiki's definition of the word 'queer'.
Queer is an umbrella term for people who are not heterosexual or are not cisgender. Originally meaning 'strange' or 'peculiar', queer came to be used pejoratively against LGBT people in the late 19th century. From the late 1980s, queer activists began to reclaim the word as a neutral or positive self-description.
I like this sculpture which is placed in front of the books. Bright colours are my thing.
I had a chat with a friend who is a grandmother, a few weeks ago. We were talking about what subjects are in the school curriculum these days. I left school 60 years ago so I have not kept up with any trends and fashions in teaching. I was taken aback when she said she is in agreement with teaching the kids about gender issues. She says, her words, 'they will be ready for what is coming along in the future'.
I can't get my head around that. There is strong evidence that she is not alone in her thinking. Handing over your kids future to a lot of muddled bureaucrats does not seem the right thing to do. But what does childless me know about it.
I am suddenly feeling like I have turned into my mum. She was in despair as I dressed up in my mini skirt, plastered my face in makeup, backcombed and lacquered my big hair, and went tottering off in my high heels, for a Saturday night out at the 76 Club. Mum, I always found my way home again, everything still intact.
Thanks for popping in. Have a good weekend. Toodle pip. ilona
The weather is a lot calmer tonight. Still windy but not as strong. I saw lights across the field. It's dark but farmers work into the night when they have to. A barge was moving slowly down the river towards the sea. The tide must be in.
I stepped outside for a few minutes this morning. The wind was very cold.
Shopping at Aldi this afternoon, £60 spent, and a visit to the Arts Centre to check out the latest exhibition. I took some photo's. Maybe I'll post them tomorrow.
It was a last minute decision to go to the park last night. After spending time thinking about what my next art project is going to be, I needed to get out of the house.
I thought it was just going to be a walk in the woods and back. I was pleasantly surprised to find that some horsey sculptures had been sited in various place. I rarely go out without the camera these days. You just never know what you may find.
It was late, so no maps available. It was a matter of walking around to find them. It added a bit of interest to the walk. Have a look at these. There was one full size horse, the rest were slightly smaller.
This is the full size sculpture. It is sited next to the Rural Life Museum.
Here is some information about the exhibition. Horse Sculpture Trail. There are more sited in other places, but I am not going to search for them all.
The Horsing Around trail has been designed to celebrate the 300th birthday of world-renowned painter George Stubbs and his connection to the area.
Another pic of me reflected in the wibblywobbly mirror. Look, I am wearing my pyjamas. So comfy.
I also saw a squirrel.
It's crazy weather out there this morning. As windy as heck. I must do some shopping.
Thanks for popping in. Have a good weekend. Toodle pip. ilona
Hello. My working life ended 15 years ago. Now I just please myself. This is my diary. What I do and what I think about. You are welcome to read it. Toodle pip.
Four and a half miles covered, and I was back home for 6.30pm. 
