Posterous imported

Well … finally managed to import the stuff I have on Posterous … seeing as it closes down tomorrow … so now we have some thoughts and some slimming stuff on here as well as cards …. although I have been sadly remiss at posting cards recently (!)

 

Lay your burden down …

STRESS….everybody has it.

A young lady confidently walked around the room while leading and explaining stress management to an audience with a raised glass of water. Everyone knew she was going to ask the ultimate question, ‘half empty or half full?’…

She fooled them all ….. “How heavy is this glass of water?” she inquired with a smile. Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz. She replied , “The absolute weight doesn’t matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that’s not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you’ll have to call an ambulance. In each case it’s the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.”

She continued, “and that’s the way it is with stress. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won’t be able to carry on.” “As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we’re refreshed, we can carry on with the burden – holding stress longer and better each time practiced.

So, as early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down. Don’t carry them through the evening and into the night… Pick them up tomorrow.

1.      Accept the fact that some days you’re the pigeon, and some days you’re the statue! 
2.      Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.
3.      Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.
4.      Drive carefully… It’s not only cars that can be recalled by their Maker..
5.      If you can’t be kind, at least have the decency to be vague
6.      If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it..
7.      It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.
8.      Never buy a car you can’t push.
9.      Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won’t have a leg to stand on.
10.   Nobody cares if you can’t dance well. Just get up and dance.
11.   Since it’s the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.
12.   The second mouse gets the cheese.
13.   When everything’s coming your way, you’re in the wrong lane.
14.   Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.
15.   You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.
16.   Some mistakes are too much fun to make only once.
17.   We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.
18.   A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.
19.   Have an awesome day and know that someone has thought about you today.

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY…

20.   Save the earth….. It’s the only planet with chocolate!

Hugs and Smiles ♥♥

 

 

 

Roulade

Fruit Roulade1 tub Quark4 eggs1 tsp Baking powder 4 tbsp Sweetner Vanilla essenceFresh fruit ie Strawberries/RaspberriesMethodPreheat oven to 180c ( fan)Separate eggsWhisk eggs whites together until they form peaksPlace into a bowl half a tub of quark, the egg yolks, sweetener, baking powder and vanilla essenceMiix together using an eletric whiskWhisk half the egg whites into the mixture iand when combined fold in 2nd half of the egg whites.Line a swiss roll tin with baking paper (if you don’t have any use spray light but paper is best) and pour the mixture into the tin, bake for 15-20 mins and once cooked place to one side and allow to cool.Whilst the roulade is cooling, mix the remaining half a tub of quark with the sweetener and some vanilla essence to your taste. Remove the cooled roulade from the tin and spread the quark mixture evenly across the cake.  Add the sliced fresh fruit and roll the cake from one end, slice to serve.Syn value: half a syn for the whole cake – Baking Powder 1tsp 0.5For alternative flavours try Options Hot Chocolate drinks powder in the filling instead of or as well as fruit (2.5 syns).

Rice Pudding

Thank you Lesley Parkinson

Rice Pudding

200gs Pudding Rice
500ml Diet Lemonade or Diet Cream Soda
1 tub Vanilla Yoghurt (fat free!)

add ingredients together, put in a microwaveable bowl, microwave for about 16-18 minutes stirring occasionally, when cooled mix in vanilla yoghurt…. Eat with superfree fruit 😀

Egg Custard

6 eggs4 tbsp sweetener1 vanilla (or whatever flavour you prefer) muller lightWhisk all together, pour into dishes, sprinkle with nutmegBake at 150° for 20 minsMakes a scrummy bread and butter pudding too if you use bread from you HEB and syn your low fat spread

DLA to PIP … my response to the government

I am a parent of a young adult with autism. At present I am his appointee until he turns 18. 

I have several concerns regarding the change to PIP: My son has been discharged from the care of his paediatrician at age 16 and has no ongoing health professional contact … How will this affect his application as there will be no updates since age 16 … 

PIP’s proposal is that “key to the benefit will be an objective assessment of individual need” and that “advice from an independent healthcare professional should be an important part of the new process”.

The majority of individuals with ASD rarely see a GP, often due to an inability to cope with waiting or lack of physical health problems. Often they don’t have a social worker. These are examples of how the proposed system discriminates against individuals with ASD. Particularly adults, as they often don’t see any professionals in relation to their condition of ASD. If they develop mental health problems they may see a professional in relation to that but not about their ASD. They majority will have received a diagnosis but it is rare that an ASD professional will have an ongoing role with them. This is due to things like lack of funding, poor strategic planning, a focus on diagnosis and meeting targets, lack of resources and the fact that services are completely overwhelmed with the rapid increase in numbers presenting with indicators of Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Why is there a continued need for re-assessment of what is a life long disability? The current review system for conditions such as Autism Spectrum Disorders is making an assumption that ASD improves. This causes even more strain and anxiety for carers having to complete and respond to, sometimes annual, reviews. ASD is a lifelong condition that has no cure

Any letters asking individuals with an ASD to make contact are likely be disregarded or put to one side to deal with at a later date. 4 weeks seems a very short time for a person with a social and communication difficulty to read, assimilate and return a form. I think it is crucial that applicants are allowed a supporter/advocate during assessment …

There is a problem with communication/understanding as a foundational aspect of a  diagnosis of autism… There is a great risk that people with an ASD will either try to give an answer that they hope will be ‘right’ in order to try and meet what they think may be the assessors expectations or will give short monosyllabic replies in order to ‘escape’ the enforced social contact in as short a time as possible.

The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with a Disability, which the UK has signed up to, requires that assessments are carried out by medical/healthcare professionals with an expertise in that particular disability.

Specifically, due to the complexity of ASD and its individual presentation any meetings with healthcare professionals for an assessment for this benefit needs to ensure that the professional has expertise in ASD. This is a social and communication disorder and individuals struggle to fully understand others, make their own voice heard and understood and to grasp the impact of their condition upon them. If not, this would clearly be in breach of the UN Convention on the Rights of a Person with a Disability.

The person from the DWP who came to assess the situation with regard to my son requiring an appointee bluntly stated that ‘if he was doing GCSEs then he shouldn’t need an appointee’ – she obviously had no expertise in ASD at all … Problems with social interaction and communication (social and emotional intelligence) do not necessarily imply a low cognitive function but can seriously interfere with the ability to lead full, active and independent lives.

PIP’s proposals appear to continue to take greater account of aids and adaptations and, to my mind, reveal the continuation of physical interpretation of disability despite its claim to address the changing approach to disability by using a social model of disability. The present DLA form is a nightmare to complete as it focuses on physical needs much more than mental/social/communication needs. I have a first class honours degree and it took me three weeks to complete my son’s recent form … What chance does a young adult who requires assistance from a support assistant and also technology to access schooling have to give an adequate picture of how their condition affects their life – even assuming that they are mentally able to assess how their condition affects their needs?

Mackerel Pâté

1 tin of mackerel fillets in tomato sauce10 fish sticksLemon juiceVLF Fromage fraisBlitz together in a blender, serve with veg sticks of your choice

Superspeed Veg Curry

Thanks Michelle! 2 tins chopped tomatoes, 1 tin baked beans,1 onion,1 tin asda chick pea dahl, handful of frozen sweetcorn, pepper& peas, curry powder to taste…. warm it all through n enjoy

It’s Friday but …

Sunday’s coming

It’s Friday but Sunday is coming..

 

Its Friday. Jesus is arrested in the garden where He was praying. But Sunday’s coming.

 

Its Friday. The disciples are hiding and Peters denying that he knows the Lord. But Sunday’s coming.

 

Its Friday. Jesus is standing before the high priest of Israel, silent as a lamb before the slaughter. But Sunday’s coming.

 

Its Friday. Jesus is beaten, mocked, and spit upon. But Sundays coming.

 

Its Friday. Those Roman soldiers are flogging our Lord with a leather scourge that has bits of bones and glass and metal, tearing at his flesh. But Sunday’s coming.

 

Its Friday. The Son of man stands firm as they press the crown of thorns down into his brow. But Sunday’s coming.

 

Its Friday. See Him walking to Calvary, the blood dripping from His body. See the cross crashing down on His back as He stumbles beneath the load. Its Friday; but Sunday’s a coming.

 

Its Friday. See those Roman soldiers driving the nails into the feet and hands of my Lord. Hear my Jesus cry, “Father, forgive them.” Its Friday; but Sunday’s coming.

 

Its Friday. Jesus is hanging on the cross, bloody and dying. But Sunday’s coming.

 

Its Friday. The sky grows dark, the earth begins to tremble, and He who knew no sin became sin for us. Holy God who will not abide with sin pours out His wrath on that perfect sacrificial lamb who cries out, “My God, My God. Why hast thou forsaken me?” What a horrible cry. But Sunday’s coming.

 

Its Friday. And at the moment of Jesus death, the veil of the Temple that separates sinful man from Holy God was torn from the top to the bottom because Sunday’s coming.

 

Its Friday. Jesus is hanging on the cross, heaven is weeping and hell is partying. But thats because its Friday, and they dont know it, but Sunday’s a coming.

 

And on that horrible day 2000 years ago, Jesus the Christ, the Lord of glory, the only begotten Son of God, the only perfect man died on the cross of Calvary. Satan thought that he had won the victory. Surely he had destroyed the Son of God. Finally he had disproved the prophecy God had uttered in the Garden and the one who was to crush his head had been destroyed. But that was Friday.

 

Now it’s Sunday. And just about dawn on that first day of the week, there was a great earthquake. But that wasnt the only thing that was shaking because now it’s Sunday. And the angel of the Lord is coming down out of heaven and rolling the stone away from the door of the tomb. Yes, it’s Sunday, and the angel of the Lord is sitting on that stone and the guards posted at the tomb to keep the body from disappearing were shaking in their boots because it’s Sunday, and the lamb that was silent before the slaughter is now the resurrected lion from the tribe of Judah, for He is not here, the angel says. He is risen indeed.

 

It’s Sunday, and the crucified and resurrected Christ has defeated death, hell, sin and the grave. It’s Sunday. And now everything has changed. Its the age of grace, Gods grace poured out on all who would look to that crucified lamb of Calvary. Grace freely given to all who would believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross of Calvary was buried and rose again. All because it’s Sunday.

Slow Cooker Ratatouille

Chop up one onion, one aubergine, one courgette, one or two peppers and chuck them in the slow cooker with two tins of chopped tommies, 1tbsp balsamic vinegar, salt to taste and a whole load of dried mixed herbs and thyme. 

Mix it up and cook on the LOW setting for around six hours.

Serve with rice or pasta. Syn free on all plans.