Gethin

Gethin
Originally uploaded by chaddon.

Off to his first prom in Dunedin. He was told to pop into the ward where his mum was working so she could see him in his glad rags, but it was 'too far', so she had to make do with the photos! He has turned out a handsome beast, and looks more like his dad each day... Just love the carefully arranged, 'just got out of bed' look to the hair, which takes him ages to gel up!

Hot

The current heat wave is very welcome, but there is no relief from the heat even at night. It would be great if it did cool down a bit, but having to share a bed with a thermo-nuclear reactor means it is super hot all night! It makes for a grumpy Caroline in the mornings. It was wonderful having the bed to myself on Tuesday when he was in Belfast, and I did sleep better as well...

Start the day with a smile!

I don't really 'do' mornings, especially early mornings. I know it's important to eat breakfast, but most days, it is just too early to face up to eating before I have to go to work. Consequently, I often have a bowl of cereal at work when I arrive in the office. Normally, I just use one of the bowls liberated previously from the canteen - but one of my colleagues found this one for me - and it is not possible to eat from it without smiling. At least everyone will know it is my bowl...

Carreg goffa i Gwynfor

Umm. For those of you that are unable to read it in the original - Gwynfor Evans was the first Plaid Cymru MP when he won Caerfryddin [Carmarthen to you lot] in the by-election following the death of Megan Lloyd George, the daughter of the late David Lloyd George [Prime Minister 1916-22, and still the only Welshman to gain that office...]. He was an influential Welsh politician for over 40 years, and a memorial stone is being erected to him on the top of Garn Coch...


Mae cofeb wedi cael ei dadorchuddio ddydd Sadwrn i Aelod Seneddol cyntaf Plaid Cymru, Dr Gwynfor Evans.

Applying for jobs

I spend my working life giving advice on how to write job applications, and when push comes to shove, I have really struggled to sell myself in my current application. I wanted to talk to somebody about it, but he isn't here any more, and certainly didn't have time before he went to boost my self confidence, so I have had to do it myself. It took time, but the application is ready to go into the post tomorrow - think I will send it special delivery...
Fingers crossed - I really want this job.

Wotocny a Helu

Welcome to Hel. Reading an article about this undiscovered part of Poland on the Baltic coast, I really want to go and see this for myself. One problem: 'cos it has been in the 'Guardian', will thousands of others also be wanting to go there to get away from it all? It won't be possible this year, but there is always next summer...

Heaven and Hel

International peacekeepers

We think these are a fairly modern invention - but they have been around for millenia. According to the Notitia Dignitatum [a Roman document from about 400AD], the Romans had auxilliaries from places as far apart as Iraq, Batavia, Algeria and Syria based at forts along Hadrian's Wall. Ironic though, that we have peacekeepers in Iraq now, whereas 2000 years ago, it was the Iraqis keeping the peace against the incursions of the Picts on the boundary of the Roman Empire.

When Iraqi peacekeepers stood guard at Hadrian's Wall

Honour killings

The clash of cultures leads to these barbaric killings. It is very hard as a Western person to understand the thought processes that underpin the ideas that a woman is property, and that she marries to benefit a families status, and has no real choice in the matter. Young women who have been brought up in the UK face being between a rock and a hard place - and those brave enough to make their own choice face being brutally killed by those people who say they are there to 'protect' them. In this case the brother said 'We only allow marriage within the family'. I am pleased that those responsible have been sentenced to 20 and 10 years in jail, but there is SO much more work to be done to make sure no other woman is killed just because she loves the 'wrong' man...

'You're not my mother any more,' shouted Samaira. Then her family killed her

Rebirth of traveling journeymen

It was fascinating to read about the traveling journeymen, who will appear unannounced at the door of a master craftsman to learn more about their craft to develop and enhance their skills. Perhaps more UK crafts could embrace this approach, as it certainly develops much more than craft skills. Travel, experience of other cultures and languages develops the whole person. Here in the UK, too many people are reluctant to develop themselves, and are only prepared to learn the minimum.

The wanderers
Stephanie Boucher on the revival of a European tradition: travelling journeymen who offer their skills in return for hospitality

iTrip is gonna be legal

It has always amazed me that we could buy an iTrip in the UK, but were not allowed to use it here, in case it interfered with other commercial radio frequencies. Now, Ofcom have decided to allow personal radio transmitters, and the legislation should be in place by Xmas [guess what LOTS of people will be having in their Xmas stockings this year!].

Ofcom allows iPods as personal radio stations

Jusqu'a ce que je tu revoir

He has gone for the summer, [working initially in France, and then to university in Belgium for the academic year] and won't be back in the UK until Xmas :(

I am going to miss him dreadfully.

I think I will book my travel arrangements NOW to go and visit him in Bruxelles before Xmas... ;)

Buttons

It was all a carefully constructed ploy to get me to sew his buttons on. Steve was making an absolute hash of sewing a button onto a pair of trousers, so I took it off him, cut the mess of stitching out and sewed the button on in less than 2mins. I was then presented with another pair, and another and another! So, I did, I sewed the things on, and then he sheepishly presented me with a shirt, sans buttons. I did that but drew the line at any more. How long I wonder, has he been saving all these buttonless items of clothing for? Do men not get sewing button on lessons in school? Why are women EXPECTED to be able to perform these boring, mundane tasks and not men? I am not going to do it again, I will sit there and make him practice with old buttons, until he can do it perfectly...

Skype callng

After having had a bit of a falling out with my husband over my last phone call to New Zealand - I finally reinstated my Skype account. Hopefully it will last a few months - but it depends how many phone calls to rural France and Brussels I make, as well as the ones to NZ... Skype is great - you just have to be sitting at your computer to initiate the call though.

100 great discoveries by UK universities

Research at UK universities is under threat. Under the current funding regime, many of the discoveries on this top 100 list would not have made it, as they would have run out of time... You can't rush some research - it took years of hard, persistent slog to achieve some of the discoveries on the list. The UK has some of the finest brains in the world working in its university research labs. They need support and nurturing, not performance indicators and targets...


100 UK university discoveries

Giving birth at 62

At this age most women are grandmothers, or contemplating being a grandmother, not having their own baby. I don't care how 'young' she looks or feels; can you imagine how that poor child is going to feel when they are being picked up at the school gate by a pensioner, who everybody else thinks is their grandparent? I have a friend who was an old father, his wife died when their son was 6, and although he tried very hard to be a good dad, he found it very difficult to be on the same wavelength as other parents, and many people did assume he was the grandfather picking up his grandson, which he found hurtful. Luckily he has seen his son graduate this summer, but he his quite open about the fact that he probably won't see any grandchildren, and in one way he regrets the fact that he left it so late to have his own child. IVF is a great boon to young people who find it hard to conceive their own babies, but there should be a limit on the age of the parents. Women go through the menopause for a reason - nature thinks the risks are too much - so scientists should not play god and let older women have babies through IVF - regardless of how wealthy she is. Sometimes, common sense should take priority over individuals wishes.

Britain's oldest mother says giving birth is 'absolutely wonderful'