Storytelling Sunday - - - A very special day

Well - where did April go to  then?? I can't believe how quickly Storytelling Sundays come round - May already - -  and time for another visit to Sian at High in the Sky and other friends round the world who share a story or two. Sian suggested "precious" as this year's theme - - and as I have written these posts and looked at my special items I have begun to realise  - as I suspect many of you have also - that the reason these small items I am choosing ARE precious is the person I link them with in my memory - - -

- - - it was raining - quite hard now - - as the car pulled up in at the door - - it didn't matter - M------ was ready with an umbrella! The group of young women huddled in the shelter of the doorway all moved forward as a group as the car door opened to let the occupants emerge.
The young man emerging smiled rather shyly at them all before turning back to the car door as first a prettily shod foot appeared, followed by a hand in a white glove. He took hold of the glove hand , helping the girl out of the car as M------ sheltered her from the gusts of wind and flurries of rain with her every ready umbrella, as they moved forward into the shelter of the buildings porch
A small girl in pink danced forward " I'm here mummy, I'm here" she squeaked excitedly, "don't I look pretty? Mummy you look BEAUTIFUL  and see my dress" "stay in the porch L---- , and thank you sweetheart, you look beautiful too!" the young woman smiled at her small daughter's excitement. The door swung open and the whole party moved inside, followed by the cluster of women who had waited in the rain to see them arrive,  to find members of their families waiting for them - - - -
- - -along with the Registrar - who led the group into the Wedding Room - for he and I to become man & wife, witnessed by our family and the group of my work colleagues - who had all crept out of work just to see us arrive and ended up staying and watching the simple ceremony - - -27 years ago this month - how did it get to be so long ago????

That was the day I was given today's "preciousssss" (sorry! I couldn't quite keep Gollum out of my  head). May is our Anniversary month so it seems very appropriate that I share my ring with you. It has never left my finger since the Artisan placed it there - - all those years ago now, and it has been joined by a couple of others - each a symbol of how much he cares for me, and in that I know I am blessed.
There are a lot more stories around today, you can find links to them all here, at High in the Sky with Sian. And remember, you are most welcome to share a story of your own.
'Til later,
Thanks for stopping by -

Bannaghtyn, J x

A Month in Numbers ???? - - -

- - this is my first time linking up with Julie's (of Notes on Paper) Month in Numbers, and I wasn't sure I actually had enough items I could genuinely count - - but this month I have some very important numbers to remember, so it did seem like a good time to join in. So this April I seem to have been surprisingly busy - - -
So I begin with

• 1 iPhone

My daughter's finally dragged me into the 21st century by persuading me to get a new smart phone -I am now the proud owner of an iPhone. Not that I have much skill in using it yet, I have sent some very odd texts as to start with I was a bit useless using the keypad!!
On a creative level - -

• 2 - Birthday Albums --- two good friends reached their half century this month, so handcrafted gifts were called for.

• 2 - Craft Club meetings  --- alongside our regular monthly meeting we had one of our two all day craft class days --- and this time it was my turn to find and teach a new project for our group

• 3 - Cards including this one for my youngest daughter's birthday 
  

• 14  - Amazing young people who all took a huge leap of faith by Bungee Jumping off the Transporter Bridge in Middlesbrough - to raise awareness of Mental Ill-health and raise funds for Rethink

• 17 - Kind and generous young people who not only invited me along but made sure I didn't feel out of place at the Bungee Jump weekend

• £475.50 - Raised by my girl for Rethink Mental Health in the UK - she has made me so proud of her!

• £534.76 - Raised for local Mental Health groups from a Gig night organised in my son's "local". All the bands gave their time for free - and made it a great evening for all who went along.

• £2670.50- Raised by the Bungee for Ben Team for Rethink Mental Health Charity in the UK

They still don't know how much in total they have raised from their sponsorship forms as they are still collecting in the funds - - this group of my son's friends have grown into young men and women I feel honoured to know - and am so very deeply touched by how much my son meant to them all.

So you see - these are really important numbers  - and so this time I was compelled to link up with the delightful Julie. Thanks so much for dropping in, it really is good to see you my friends - - - to know you all still think of me occasionally is a very special gift I have been doubly grateful for this last year - do you have any numbers  to share? Hop over to Julie's blog for full details - the link's in her name

'til later
Bannaghtyn, Jen  xxx

Flitting - - -

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Til later
Bannaghtyn, J xx

Simply a moment - - April

Tuesday - 23rd April 2013 - - 9.36am

sunlight streams through the window  - - I can see I need to clean them - why does the sun show the grime so clearly - making me feel guilty, I wonder? I find myself thinking once again that I am NOT the worlds greatest housewife  - there always seems to be something much more fun to do than cleaning - I guess it is mainly outside again as we havd has so much rain!!, but  a quick wipe with a window cloth will do no harm  - - - I disturb the crystals hanging there, sending rainbows dancing round the room and covering every surface with splashes of colour - tears well up at the memory of my son as a tiny boy chasing the dancing colours to try and catch them - laughing delightedly as the crystals swung on their slender silver threads - - -

I mop up my tears - trying very, very hard to recover the joy and smiles this thought used to give me, put the window cloths away and put the kettle on - isn't tea the world's most wonderful remedy for everything?
Once a month Alexa at Trimming the Sails asks us to take a moment - to really look , think , and feel it - so once again I'm linking up with Alexa who runs this meme each month. (I'm very "late to the party" this time but without Alexa and Sian my blog would have had no posts this year and I am very grateful to them both for giving me something I could be a part of )- if you pop over to visit her here- you will find lots more "moments". Off you go - you know you want to - and maybe you have a moment of your own to share too?

Thanks for stopping by


'til later
Bannaghtyn, J x

Storytelling Sunday - - - A Little Book of Wisdom

My daddy is a quiet gentleman, patient, kind and quietly spoken and I have always known he loves us dearly - I know he still does as I am fortunate that he is still with us. Growing up I don't think that our family was especially demonstrative  - but hugs and squeezes were always readily available when when wanted or needed. However we rarely got gifts or presents of any kind - birthdays, Christmas and a treat whilst on holiday was the limit for gifts - - and daddy especially, rarely brought us unexpected gifts, yet when I was 13 he came home with this little book - - and gave it to me.
At 13 - -I was still a "little girl" in a lot of ways - I still loved my Bunty comic with the paper dolls on the back page! Oh how I loved them (I've always suffered from what my mum called "cutty-itis"- I love cutting out - "fussy cutting" as the Americans term it - - but I digress), playing with my dolls - making clothes for them I think, reading, doing jigsaws - - - all the typical pursuits of my generation. However I was heading towards adulthood - - I had recently been confirmed - and was I think beginning to really appreciate "wise words" - I had my own Prayer book and had been given my granny's bible - so beautiful words were just really registering as being important to me - - -

As I look back now - I realise daddy had noted this - and when he saw this little book knew that I would love it - - - he was right. A little shabby now - and well thumbed - one of those you "drop in" on  - but precious not only for its contents - it really is full of wise words - but because daddy gave it to me. It sits on my book shelf still -  next to my Prayer book.

These days there are many of these types of little books  - - I see them all over - - but this is the one that is precious to me - - - an unexpected gift from daddy - - -that really demonstrated how well he knew me as a girl - - - the world's most priceless gift actually.

Thanks for stopping by - - there are lots more stories around today courtesy of Sian from High in the Sky - do pop over - just here - and maybe you have a story of your own we could share?

'til later
Bannaghtyn, J x

Bungee for Ben

As you may know dear reader, I lost my beloved only son Ben in June 2012 as a result of his mental ill-health. 
With regard to my Ben’s illness - I don’t feel it is something I can speak about with any knowledge - I understood so little of what he suffered. I only know his doctors thought he suffered from a form of psychotic schizophrenia - to him a terrifying mental illness that made him very, very afraid. Ben was in the Mental Health Unit at the local hospital when we lost him. We took him there as we felt he needed better help than we could give him - sadly for us - it didn't help.

Both sufferers and their loved ones can feel helpless in the grip of this terrible illness - and it is a KILLER. It killed my son as surely as any physical illness claims its victims. I can only speak of the treatment offered my son - and maybe there is a lot more support for sufferers than I am aware of - but it seems to me treatment for the whole range of this terrible illness does not necessarily help its sufferers - being "doped up" on medication so you don't feel much, is at best a half life - and so we need research into better and more effective treatments, more and improved support and for sufferers and their loved ones - and we really, really need to remove the stigma attached to all forms of mental health issues. 

With this in mind my son's friends and his sister are doing their small part to try to both raise awareness and raise some money for charities which are trying to do the same, by doing a Bungee jump for Ben. My son would have been the first to sign up to do this for others. The money these amazing young people raise with their bungee jump is all going to charities which are fighting hard to get better treatment for sufferers and fund research into its causes.  They are doing their best to raise awareness It isn't a charity which attracts a lot of funds - there are no cute pictures of sweet, large eyed puppys on their posters, or pictures of brave and handsome lifeboat men to attract support - but it is a charity which really needs funding - because this illness has the potential to affect anyone - regardless of age or gender or home circumstances - - -

Rhiannon is fundraising for Rethink Mental Illness and Praxis Care - a local charity which works with young men suffering like my Ben.

Charities chosen were to reflect our loss and also a hope that maybe some of the funding will help someone else - and prevent another family suffering a similar loss and daily pain you have to learn to live with. Our National Health Service is stretched to the limits - Mental Health probably comes quite away down on a list of priorities - and as it is not really a “visible” illness - therefore possibly a hidden epidemic?? We "Human Beans”  are not very good at dealing with what we don't understand. Perhaps the young people doing this will generate a bit of discussion about this dreadful illness - and help to remove some of the stigma attached to it.

    Mental health is - in my opinion essential, to our wellbeing - we cannot function when our heads are “messed up” in any way, small or large. This is a terrible illness - it can and does affect ALL ages in many ways we don’t realise - it is still hidden away because of the stigma still attached - our lack of understanding makes us afraid, embarrassed or uncomfortable with sufferers of this illness - yet nevertheless - its a killer - and is totally destructive - to its victims and their families. And it is really , really hard to help someone who doesn’t appear to be helping themselves!! (and I would put money on EVERYONE knowing someone whose life has been affected by it  - be that a family member, a work colleague, a friend, a schoolmate - - - -)

Every penny will help - if you feel you could support them you can make a donation at Just Giving, there is a link under Ben's photo below, and on the sidebar. And if you do -  THANK YOU - from the bottom of my heart.

Bungee for Ben

Rhiannon is fundraising for Rethink Mental Illness and Praxis Care - a local charity which works with young men suffering like my Ben.

I am sorry - I seem to have got onto my "hobby horse" over this, but as you might imagine - I do feel very strongly about it.

If you have got this far - thank you very, very much for reading - normal service resumes next post!
'til later
Bannaghtyn J x

Simply a Moment - - - -

Wednesday  20th March 2013 - - 9.57am

I look round the cottage - checking off in my head that all is as it needs to be - cutters and scoreboard on the side table, Cuttlebug & dies on the chest, the dining table "set" with "messy mats" in all 3 places (large plastic carrier bags cut in half make excellent "messy mats"!!!), glues in the centre along with Distress inks and my Inkylicious Blending brushes - yes everything ready.
I move to the sink and fill the kettle before returning to the table to remove our project from its protective bubble wrap bag  - - -  as I hold the album in my hands its satisfying weight gives me a small frisson of pleasure - now it is filling with photos it is beginning to feel like a REAL potential heirloom and I find myself wondering which page my friends will want to do do today. I place it in the centre of the table alongside the inks and brushes.
The kettle is reaching the boil so I quickly reach cups and coffee out of the cupboard so brewing up will be easy for us. A brief glance at the clock tells me they will soon be here so I pick up my own "in progress album" from my craft bag, the one I am making alongside them ; not only because they are slightly less experienced crafters than I , but so I have 2 albums almost alike - one for each of my daughters.
 - - - movement at the window catches my eye and means L------ and R---- have arrived - - - the cottage is suddenly filled with warm greetings, the bustle of unpacking craft bags and cheerful voices as we settle down for a morning's crafting together - - - -
I'm linking up with Alexa at Trimming the Sails  who runs this meme each month - if you pop over to visit her here- you will find lots more "moments". Go on - you know you want to - and maybe you have a moment of your own to share too?

Thanks for stopping by

 'til later,  Bannaghtyn J xx