My hair is going to a better cause

I have decided to have all my hair cut off - well, leaving 1 or 2 inches so I won't end up with a sun burned scalp in Peru!

A rash act you may think (certainly a few people round here do!), however please pause in your calling of men with butterfly nets to hear my case.

I recently found out that a friend of the family, Bessie Smith, has Motor Neurone Disease. If you wnat to find out what this merciless disease consists of then please take a look at this link. It basically robs you of your independence, your mobility and sometimes you memory and mind. All in a short space of time. There is no known cure and sufferer's can end up completely unable to move, talk, eat and even breathe independently - however they can still have complete mental awareness, it's to terrifying to contemplate.

Bessie was diagnosed last year. We used to spend many holidays with her and the family - I remember them getting married, the boys being born and vrious summer holidays. It was alsway so wonderful to get to spend time with her - she meant a lot to me and I'll never forget what a wonderful motherly person she was. She has gone from being a bright, sharp, caring woman who was a nurse to someone who only wants to sit around all day watching cartoons and behaving like a 4-year-old. MND has affected her by altering her personality - a rare result of the disease, she has dementia, and, it has also weakened the muscles in her mouth and throat so that she cannot speak or eat. She has had to have a feeding tube fitted.

This has been hard on her and her husband, Phil, who went to college with my Dad, and her 2 boys who are 15 and 19. She spends 2 days a week at the Earl Mountbatten Hospice on the Isle of White, where they live, as respite for her and the family. The hospice only receives 1/3 of it's funding from the NHS and has to raise the rest. They need to raise £2million every year to keep going. Due to the recession they have already had to let staff go - including the nurse who was looking after Bessie.

Phil is doing a tour of the UK on his motorbike to raise £5000 for the hospice, and I felt I would like to do something to help. I was thinking of having my hair severely trimmed before the summer, but then I found out about Bessie and it started me thinking. I had heard of the Charity "Little Princess Trust" from a friend of mine and knew that they used hair to make wigs for kids with cancer. I checked out online and they need 10-12 ". I definitley have that much so it made up my mind. I can't have it shaved due to Peru but I will go as near as I can!

If you feel you would like to sponsor me/donate money to the hospice then please go to my justgiving page. I am getting more nervous by the day about having this done, the last time my hair was that short everyone thought I was a boy! I just have to think of Bessie though and my determination returns :)

In of preperation Easter Celebration

Ah, my first taste of chocolate for 6 weeks......mmmmm

And this afternoon - the alcohol, bring on the Pinotage........

Enjoying my 3 week holiday, have a shiny new laptop to play on (Sims2 works like an absolute dream!) so it means i can also crack on with the video editing (which pretty much turned into a farce using my school computer). I have finished my marking, which was actually good fun what with some of the reasoning behind their design choices, and next week I'm going to plan so hopefully the crazy first 4 weeks of next term wil go fairly smoothly.

Spent some time in Cov, visiting folks. Had a great time with Corey when he came to visit. Actually got to be a tourist in Bath which was great fun - the Roman baths are brilliant, well worth the visit and so much bigger than you think from the outside.

Still waiting to here aout the Peru situation - and we have our training weekend in 3 weeks, slightly worrying. Never mind I'm sure it'll all be fine :S

so...about that marking

Have just spent a lovely 4 days chillaxing in Coventry.
Vicky is back from Ireland for good, hand in plaster and now mooching - what will happen next?

The show went really well on Saturday - think it was the best I had ever sung it. Pam agreed which was reassuring and then had a text off the choral mistress (Anna) at school and she congratulated us and said I had a great voice..... I was all warm and fuzzy :) Stayed until about midnight to help clear up and then had to go home pack, tidy up etc so got to bed about 1am..or make that 2am with the hour forward an' all. Then up at 6 to drive myself and Matt up to Cov for Jo's Birthday BBQ. Fabulous weather and a great day. I am proud indeed that I managed to keep the coals at a good cooking temperature form 12 midday until around 9pm.

There was fun on the actual birthday morning as one of the housemates and her fiance bought Jo the same present as Me and John (Jo's bf) but we decided not to let Jo open the other one and get her something else. I was mightily impressed with John's ability not to crack under the laser like questioning form Jo as to the exact make and model of the afore mentioned present!

Had a brain wave later in the morning, rushed into town, avoided the shoplifter, closely followed by the securtiy guard and trailed by the shopper , and bought her Mario Kart for the Wii plus an extra wheel. It seemed to go down well.

Have spent the last couple of days wacthing some Gilmore Girls and visiting some folks. Got to meet Jessica (new addition to the Parker brood, and one of the most chilled babies I have ever seen!) and saw Wythall Theatre company rehearsing their next production 'Steel Magnolia's'. It was good to see the folks again and also Sarah and Kate (both friends from Church) are in it and I was blown away by their acting (especially Sarah!) I cannot wait to see the final product :))))

So now I am about to head home and actually get some work done....no. seriously....I will.