walton park cemetery/the city farm

Went for nice long walk with Toby yesterday afternoon. We took in the city farm which is based in Walton Park cemetery. We saw the sheep and ducks on the farm, and there were several families with young children there to see the animals. We took a walk on a path through the back of the cemetery. It was so quiet and peaceful, it really chilled me out, and Toby had lots of new trees to sniff!!!
That part of the cemetery is quite interesting in the fact that there are headstones there from the original church from church street. The bodies were reinterred there when church street was developed for shopping.
I have decided I am going to learn a lot more about my local history in 2009.

my new certificate!!

Did a night school course last year at Holly Lodge. It started as a ten week course"basic listening skills" which turned into a thirty week course "introduction to counselling skills."
I picked up my certificate this week, and was very proud of my course work, and the fact I completed the course, despite being on shift work.
Thanks should go to my tutor, Chris Burns, and the friends I made on the course, notably Irene and Elaine.
I would have liked to carry on with the intermediate course, but my work shift patterns make this impractical. Maybe next year!!

I'm back online

I am now with another internet provider. I have been over two weeks without internet access. It is amazing just how much you miss being online. Lucky enough, I have a library at the bottom of my road where I could access the internet. The one useful by-product of all this was it forced me to join the library!!! Normal service has now resumed!!!

rememberance service

Went to the cenotaph yesterday for the remembrance service. I go every year. This years service was particularly poignant as it is ninety years ago this year that the armistice was signed. We should never forget the sacrifices made by others for the freedom we enjoy today. It was particularly good to see so many Young people there this year. Each year I feel truly humble when I see the veterans march past. I got soaked, but that is small sufferance when you think people laid down their lives on our behalf.

my internet service

Having trouble with my internet provider at the moment, have been offline for nearly a week, no fault of mine!!! The company are in denial, am going to get a new provider very shortly, I have lost patience with my current provider. Thank goodness I have internet access in the library at the bottom of my road!!! Normal service will be resumed as soon as possible!!!

my lad is full of surprises...

My son David, who I have previously told you , has moderate learning difficulties and ADHD.
I came home from work today, and I was really proud and surprised when he proudly showed me a button he had just sewn on a pair of my trousers that had just been washed.
People underestimate his talent. He is a very special person, and I am immensely proud of him, and despite him (often) stressing me out and us often arguing (he is Aries and I am Gemini) I love him to bits!!

Leighton Dene, the aftermath...

Just bumped into an old friend in Sainsbury's who I have not seen for several months.
She was employed at Leighton Dene in Fazakerley, but has now been redeployed, along with the rest of the staff.
For those who don't know, this was a day centre in Fazakerley which fully met the needs of it's users. The Liberal Democrats, in their wisdom, decided to close this facility at the last round of budget cuts in April.
My friend tells me the users are getting nowhere near the level of provision that they had at Leighton Dene, and amongst all the staff that have been redeployed, stress levels are high and morale is at an all time low.
The fib dems should hang their heads in shame for making this particular cut to a much needed service.