read this article here on bbc news website.

almost made me LOL!

a few families say their bit about how they are struggling to pay their bills, what with the cost of stuff (inc borrowing) going up and all… one woman, after initially making me feel sorry for her, admits that if things carry on they might have to drop their daughter’s riding lessons!!

and another states that when things get tight, as they are now, by way of coping they eat out a bit less, buy less clothers, cds and books, etc.

come on people… welcome to the real world…!!!

it’s just not possible to live a luxury lifestyle, as we somehow think we deserve here in the West. Well, it might be, if yr wages are v high, but for the average family…. no way. And having riding lessons (v expensive, espec all the gear you have to buy also if child gets keen) and eating out and buying cds, etc… all v luxurious! I just can’t understand why families with big mortgages and other debt on top of that, think that this is a reasonable way to live. sure, it’s an attractive way to live, but big picture?… well.

I’m not saying we should deny ourselves every pleasure possible, live off bread and water, etc… far from it! but i wouldn’t just go out and buy a new cd or book on a whim, or clothes for that matter. i might make a list of the items i’d like for b.day or xmas, and hope to get some then. or i might spend my xmas/b.day money (from kind in-laws!) on such things, but that’s all.

i have female friends who will buy a new top and admit they’ll only wear it a maximum of TWICE before getting rid of it. Thus, they are buying tops/clothes most weeks. Hmmmm. I would like to say that i wear a top for a maximum of 2 years before getting rid of it, but that’s prob not true… it’s probably longer!

i’m not naive enough to think that as a family we are living on as little as possible… like all families we choose what we want to spend on (what our priorities are) and we don’t feel guilty about it. So, i have to admit that a family similar to ours might choose to spend x amount of money on cds/clothes etc throughout the year, but not go on a family annual holiday. Whereas we do usually go on a family holiday, but don’t buy the extras, or v little of them. and perhaps the holiday money equals the ‘extras’ money and therefore we are both spending the same on ‘luxury’.

but 2 things spring to mind here: we don’t have a mortgage (we rent) or any other debts, so we’re not spending money we don’t have, and…
… looking at the families quoted in the article in question… i doubt they have chosen to ‘replace’ their holiday (or something else that costs equivalent amount of money) with these extras… i really really doubt it.

this sounds like I’m having a go at people for enjoying themselves, and perhaps i am! i haven’t read that book ‘affluenza’ yet, that’s come out recently, but i think its message is that we’re all being brainwashed into spending more more more, and spending what we haven’t got, and it can’t go on forever! i feel sorry for families who are in the habit of having extras when they can’t really afford it. perhaps their peers all do it and they are trying to keep up. we’ve never got into the habit of the extras, and therefore don’t miss them (added to that, i was 19 when i got married, and hadn’t had a whole lotta money before then… and hadn’t been a student – i think a lot of students acquire the bug for spending lots and then struggle once they’ve graduated).

anyway, nuf said.

thoughts anyone? answers on a postcard please (but if you post it on the blog it will make more sense, espec as you don’t have my postal address!)

had a fab fab time!

was sooooooooooooo much better just doing one thing (Generous talk thingy) rather than lots of stuff. meant i actually felt like a normal greenbelter and could do lots of stuff!

did a generous talk/discussion/quiz and stuff with claire… lasted hour and 1/2 and we had over 150 people turn up! i like to tell myself they were attracted to my name in the programme, but it’s slightly more likely that they were attracted to the promise of free 2009 GB tickets to be won! it all went v well – totally enjoyed myself and it’s always a pleasure working with claire as she is fab!

went to and enjoyed:

a meditation thingy about happiness and chocolate (in ’soul space’)
Steve tomkins – speed christianity
rev gerald ambulance (aka steve tomkins)
fair trade panel
john archer
last orders
phillip yancy (secret of the universe)
simon morden (literature venue)
suzanne elvidge (lit venue)
Fightstar (charlie from busted’s new band… a bit heavy for me!)

a bit miffed that i didn’t get to:

jude simpson (sorry jude!)
woebegone brothers (band from long ago)
simon mayo (i’m sorry i haven’t a poo)
cider and carols (in organic beer tent)
several ’social justice/ethical living’ talks/workshops

but generally i just loved hanging out with the lush gang from our church and also meeting up with old friends: Claire Skinner, Jo Dafforn and Penny Culliford especially, and some Subwayers also (christian writers email list). and in their defense, my friends aren’t THAT old, in case you were thinking i was starting on some new OAP outreach programme or something.

finally, i v v much enjoyed:

that fried potato stuff from that french food stall (had this twice!)
paella (also cooked in those massive wok thingys, as per fried potato)
crepe with spinach, cheese, garlic and cream… yes, cream
hot chocolate with cream and brandy

didn’t manage to get a pie… must get one next year… bring it on!

see my piccies here.
(click on 1st one to enlarge, then again to move onto next piccie)

people loved the atkins diet, then they hated it… most people didn’t understand it properly.

mark and i did it for 3 1/2 years, finishing a few years ago… lost weight, stayed healthy, etc.

now, i’m not saying it’s def the best way to eat forever, but this new book seems to say that it’s def low carb and NOT low fat that is both healthier and best for weight lost.

it’s not a gimmicky book… for university level really. it’s not even promoting the latest new diet, or trying to sell new diet products, etc.

interesting.
espec when related to diabetes. i’ve always thought it criminal that diabetics are advised to eat low fat and not low carb… if only they knew… sure lives could be saved.

(disclaimer: don’t try any new diet before consulting yr doctor. mind you, if they’ve not read this book… well… hmmmmm!)

SU are selling my books, which are normally £6:99, for a mere £2:99!
see here

should i be happy about this or not? does it mean they are so fed up with having stock lying around that they want to get rid of them? or should i feel honoured? I expect the former is more accurate, but i’m going to go with the latter, as i’m a positive kind of person!

i only get 50 pennies for each book anyway, so haven’t quite made my 1st million yet. not even my 1st million pennies; now THAT i’d settle for!

for those ‘unenlightened’ amongst you who aren’t yet on facebook and can’t see my seasonal/celebratory piccies, and who can’t find anything decent on telly and are extremely bored, ere they be:

xmas
new year ‘weird beard’ par-tee!
my b.day in cardiff
me n me gals on me b.day