Polly Studying

It has just gone three in the afternoon on Monday and guess what? No kids! BJK is collecting LB; while I head into town and collect the organic basket and do some banking for DG. Obviously I'm not doing that at this very moment; but I will be...

Actually, I'm listening to a pod-cast by one of my on-line mentor's; ie Alice Seba. It's an interesting recording; though it does demand that you set aside some time to listen to it properly. I really must locate my famed MP3 player; the one which DG bought me at Christmas for that express purpose! It really annoys me; that I don't use resources which have been made so freely available to me.

Ultimately; these amount to the two e-courses that I subscribed to way back in June, and of course the famed mp3 player. Thankfully my subscription for the Blogging Starter Pack is valid for a long, long time; allowing me to learn how to set up a blog from scratch at my leisure. As is Alice's Internet Marketing Sweetie; Hallelujah!

Today for the first time I have actually taken the time to sit down and listen to the first part of one of these courses; forced to do so largely by the aches & pains currently inhabiting my body this is nevertheless quite an achievement. Since subscribing; all that time ago, I printed out the accompanying seventy page workbook a second time. Last time it was an unmitigated disaster. I'd decided to be clever and print on both sides of the paper; thus making it impossible to maintain continuity. The front page was printed on the back of the last page and so on...

This afternoon I used A5 format allowing for two pages per side; cleverly avoiding any further abuse of modern technology. I'll be reverting to my beloved guillotine and comb-binder in the very near future to make this e-book look and feel like something a little bit more robust.

In the old days I would have resorted to using a hole-punch and a ring bound folder. Had I been really posh; or even that bothered, I may have strengthened the holes by applying paper polo shaped reinforcements....

It appears that there's a lot of study ahead of me; and once again procrastination is being booted out the door. Time's too short and precious to waste it feeling sorry for myself; nursing sore hands, back and feet. I also resolve to take my medications as prescribed; not to loose the new packages any more and to go to bed early having already completed my homework.

The very thought of it makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. I mean; it's okay to have all the answers for the children but it's quite a different matter when it comes to disciplining oneself and putting all that into practice.

I wonder; do you practice what you preach? Do let me know; I could do with a little bit of moral support right now...

Polly Pierce
Greeting Cards & Wedding Stationary Diva

Polly Money

Okay! So the truth is out...

Not so long ago I rashly offered to make myself available to any mysterious benefactor who might just like to contribute to my Trip To Austria With The Scouts In August Fund. Of course I was only half joking about a very serious subject; the result? BJK announced that she hadn't realised that I'd intended to head off to the Alps with the Lads.

Anyway, one thing lead to another and frankly I got very fed up and decided not to go. I also decided not to sent BB. However, it's very hard to refuse a Scout Leader as nice as ours; especially when she's on her knees begging you to reconsider and you really, really want to go. So yes, I am heading off to Salzburg some time in August and I can't wait! Neither can BB.

The problem is that truthfully I really can't afford to go. Common sense should have prevailed; and for a very short time it did. I find myself somewhat lack-lustre and a little down in the dumps each time I think about the trip; but then again I was the same with regard to the Bruce Springsteen concert and look at what happened there - I loved it.

Basically; the bottom line is that failing the mysterious donation that I am dreaming of I am going to have to make some serious money. I have already told BB that unless he meets half the cost he will not be going; despite the fact that I have booked our flights; something to do with cutting your losses while you're still ahead...

It does sound mean telling a young lad of thirteen years, ten months, two weeks and five days old that he's not going unless he pays his way; doesn't it? Well; NO! It jolly well doesn't. BB's reached the stage where he can learn the value of money the old fashioned way; by earning it. It accordance with the sentiment of my last post; I don't agree with rewarding children for doing nothing as frankly it leads to problems in future years that I'd rather not have them or me contend with.

At least this way He will have achieved something momentous; ie The Scout Tour To Austria, during his three months holidays and have the satisfaction of knowing that He did it himself.
As for me, I can well see that I am going to have to desert my post at the computer chair and get out into that studio to make hundreds of cards to sell to unsuspecting members of the public, et al.

Yeah, right! How many times have we heard this then? (Separate e-mail on its way to Angers for Jean with very contrite contents...) But hang on in there; this time I actually mean it!

"The Hills Are Alive..."

LOL!







Polly Peirce
Purveyor to All of Mankind of Good Will & Terrific Greeting Cards & Wedding Stationary Made By Hand In Ireland!

Polly's A-Breast...

Does anyone remember the post I did on breast cancer a while back? Well, just to cap things off my friend Jean did one last week on much the same topic. In her post she tells us about two women who intend to run 60 Miles or Bust ...

If anyone's interested in completing this challenge in the Dallas Breast Cancer 3 Day Walker; just click on the picture to go to the registration site.


Well of course I clicked on the link, and then another link, and well, you know, it's the age old story; one thing led to another and the rest is pretty interesting and amusing. As I was surfing I came across Squad 81 who quite frankly are all as mad as hatter's . If you don't believe me check out their video and website; they appear to be part of the advertising campaign for Company 81 menswear who have sponsored 60 Miles or Bust.

To return to my own blog posts on this subject I revisited Two Tits And A Vote this morning, just to see how the story finished up.
Ultimately Alison; the girl whose breast got the whole thing going in the first place DID eventually get her ultrasound.

It is rather more than unfortunate that it took months of calls, blogging, radio interviews, petitioning, etc to get her that far. Thankfully; after all that anguish it all turned out well enough: she hasn't got the BIG C.

To my knowledge we, in the Midlands of Ireland still do not have any breast care facilities available to us locally; making it necessary to travel long distances to attend already over subscribed facilities in Dublin.

A huge round of applause is well over due for Sabrina Dent who activated in the form of the Two Tits And A Vote Campaign; we'll all have to hope that it achieved something for Irish breasts in general. Let's face it, most of us have them and these day's most of us know of at least one person whose breasts have been devastated by cancer...

My own story is quite simple. As a very much younger woman; working in an operating theatre with breast surgeons, I discovered a blue vein on my Right breast. Knowing that this can be one of the first signs of trouble; cancer's generally have an increased blood supply to their surrounding tissues, I performed a self examination.

To my horror I discovered a hard, pea sized lump and worried about it. One very sunny afternoon weeks and weeks later; lying under the sun on a grassy bank a friend of mine; who happened to be a clinical psychologist persuaded me to visit one of my surgical colleagues for a consultation.

For an educated woman, I sure was stupid! By allowing myself to be paralyzed by fear and the hope that it would resolve itself spontaneously; I had allowed the possibility of cancer to take hold of my mind and body. During the intervening weeks of silent anguish, my 'cancer' could and probably would have killed me.

Thankfully I was one of the lucky one's, and I thank God regularly for that! My lump turned out to be a cyst; nothing more than a harmless fluid filled bag of tissue which eventually disappeared once I fed my boys for a total of three years, between them. Upon my most recent examination all evidence of this little blue nasty seems to have disappeared; leaving me with a clean bill of health.

Meet a lady whose story couldn't be more different from Alison's or my own; that is Susan Reynolds who tells us her story in detail in her Boobs On Ice blog. Unlike so many of the women in this area; ie the Midlands Region of the Health Service Executive; Susan diagnosed and operated upon in a total of 9 days following her initial self examination. While the future remains bleak regardless; due to the type of cancer she has, her attitude and determination remain resolute.

Which ever way you look at it; it is a sobering thought. The only advice I would give to anyone unfortunate enough to have to face this situation is a) check the girls out on a regular basis and b) don't sit and wait, like I did because it won't go away all by itself unless you are exceptionally lucky.

For advice on self examination and breast cancer generally; there is a wealth of information available at the tip of your finger tips, don't let ignorance be the death of you and check 'em out!
OR ELSE...........

Polly Peirce
Purveyor of Fine Hand-made Irish Greeting Cards & Wedding Stationary

The Day Before - The Morning After!

This week has been the most peculiar week. Instead of our regular Scout meeting on Monday night; we had the annual AGM. This took place later & finished much earlier than our usual session. The result being that none of the parents wanted to put in too much work & I am now the Vice Chairperson of the 1st & 10th Tullamore Scouts. Hmmm!

Upon my return home; I then sat until the small wee hours of the morning making jewelery, ieearrings x 3 pairs, one long beaded necklace and a small bracelet. As LB wasn't prepared to part with any of his treasured possessions at the school bring and buy sale; it all came back to Mum! Oh, and Gran! In all honesty, it was nice to be able to contribute something for a change; as the past few years have seen this annual event come and go before I was eventually informed of it. Last year both of the boys were given money to spend by one of the teachers; €3.00 each?! If only someone had bothered to tell me about it, before the grand event had taken place...

Between us we managed to cobble together a few more bits and pieces. You know the sort of thing, a tea pot which is too big and doesn't strain the leaves, a pretty little rice bowl, some gorgeous 80's handbags reminiscent of big shoulders and hair and a lovely headscarf too. My mum also tried to give away some of my childhood treasures, only to have them confiscated by me! Of course, if they were that important they should go up to my house, which is only fair...

Otherwise Tuesday was a relatively uneventful day. The regular jaunt into town to drop LB off at his Cubs meeting was un-necessary as I had cleverly fixed up for the poor child to be dropped & collected by DG. This was sensibly used as an excuse to stock up the Christmas wine cellar, as DG arrived home with armfuls of festive cheer; bought at a reduced price in our local supermarket. Two of those bottles turned out to be my favourite Spanish wine, cleverly purchased at our local branch of Lidl; who just happen to have a good selection.

Wednesday: oh my goodness! Wednesday turned into the most peculiar of days; perhaps I ought to say nights! I found it difficult to motivate myself and get going. I had spent the previous night finishing off some of my famous Christmas cards, having already announced that they were pretty much sorted I decided that they weren't and so spent the majority of Tuesday night scrunched up in a ball putting the finishing touches to them.

is indeed a Anyway, by the time Wednesday morning came I was in agony! It really doesn't do for me to be in contortions on my bed, for any reason. My left hip and leg were complaining loudly while the opposite neck and shoulder joined in the chorus. Were it not for the fact that I had the scouts meeting in the evening I would have been in bed really early; still duty calls and a commitmentcommitment.

Demanding Health Care!

I might already have mentioned that I was the victim of 'flu last weekend. I have to admit that my energy reserves are still somewhat depleted and so are those of Biggest Boy, aged 13. He was sent home from school on Friday and went back yesterday, which was obviously a mistake as he is now suffering belly-ache requiring a visit to the GP.

Over here, ie Ireland; it costs €45.00 to visit the GP & €60.00 to visit A&E. Consequently we are a fit and healthy lot; my family, as frankly we have better things to spend our money on. Of course, we eschew the idea of medical insurance - it costs too much and I don't believe in it.

Having trained as a nurse in the NHS; too long ago, I am firmly of the opinion that Health care should be equal for all; if not free. Private Hospitals are built for use by private patients, either with or without health insurance. Public Hospitals are built for use by public patients, either with or without health insurance.

If you consider that most of us pay our PRSI/National Insurance; to facilitate the provision of the public health care system; we should all be entitled to equal attention whilst under it's wing.

It's okay to have health insurance; some, actually many consider it to be essential in this country. My argument is that patients who can afford to choose to pay for Private Health Care should be treated in Private Hospitals as Private Patients or as Public Patients in Public Hospitals and NOT as Private Patients in Public Hospitals.

My only reason for forming this opinion is that Public Patients suffer at the hands of Consultants who treat Private Patients in Public Hospitals; while the Public waiting lists continue to grow longer & longer! This might sound a little biased, it is.

I have experience of this from both the public forum and the health sector forum. It does not impress me when expected to treat Private Patients like royalty; in deference to their status.

All patients; private or public should be treated like royalty, or at the very least like human beings; with compassion and courtesy. Often the kindest person present in the health care sector is the little old lady coming in to have surgery at the age of 100!

Little patience is shown for patients; they are expected to fit in with our routines, which are largely for the convenience of the staff. Patients are often neglected for the want of a quick chat about the weather and how awful the food is.

In my day, albeit I was one of the lucky ones, the patient was king. Care of the patient was actually patient centred and the patient was involved in his own care. The beds were cleaned from top to bottom and the locker alike, MRSA was barely heard. When I moved, in 1988, to a prominent hospital in West Yorkshire the staff were lucky enough to have never heard of MRSA. Nowadays it is a phrase which is on everybody's lips.

Much has changed over the time since I left school, not all of it for the worse. My GP practice has seen many changes, but thankfully my doctor remains the same as ever.

He gently told me not to worry about the biggest boys relentless stomach ache and advised me to dose him up with laxatives!

Now then, you can breathe easy again, that's my rant for today done with...


Polly Px
ps. when evetually I get around to making some more cards, perhaps I should focus on 'Get Well Soon'Cards !