The lantern and the lucozade plus a mysterious room

I was five years old and my mum was taking me to see Booba who was sick. We threaded our way along those winding Whitechapel back streets where unusual and quaint dark shops popped up now and again. Inside were Eastern European shop keepers and a medley of interesting and fascinating objects.

"What would you like to take Booba as she's not feeling well - she's got the flu and is very poorly," said my mum. She was in one of her loving, gentle moods. Just then my five-year old eyes alighted on a mysterious red lantern and I thought - "YES!!!"

"That!" I said, pointing to a red, old fashioned and rather Dickensian lantern. It had something about it that I loved and I was sure my Booba would like it too and would be cheered up from the dreaded flu.

Mum was in an especially good mood and ready to indulge my childish whims. She bought the lantern but added that Booba would really like some lucozade for her flu. I agreed and we proudly took the lucozade and the lantern to Booba in her old, musty flat in Thrawl Street in a tall dank tower block with no lift. Fortunately she lived - with my single eccentric uncle - on the ground floor.

The walls of the living room were plastered with floral fly papers which totally caught my attention. They were thoroughly mesmerising, which was the idea I suppose to attract the unwanted flies and kill them. But more sinister, and beckoning a feeling of mystery, was the door to an unvisited room on the far right corner from where I sat quietly, docilely, listening to the conversation in Yiddish between mother and grandmother. Maybe I wanted some attention and certainlyI wanted to have my curiosity satisfied, so I called out imperiously, "Who is in that room, Booba? Who does that room belong to?"

The women giggled and looked knowingly at each other. Booba said something in Yiddish. Mum then said, "Uncle Henry is in there - he is still asleep and it is 4.o'clock in the afternoon! It's about time he got up - why don't you knock on his door and tell him to get up?"

That is what I did. I longed so much to be allowed to go near that room and I liked to be given a job to do. It was my job to make my uncle get up - what was he doing in bed at that time of day?

I called out, "Uncle Henry, it's time to get up.!"

The response was deafening and the most scary thing that had happened to me in my short life. I guess I screamed and ran back to sit docilely at my seat and the two women just laughed and laughed ....

Childhood literature

I've always loved books right from when I was very young. My first children's books, now up in my loft, were secondhand gems picked up from either Petticoat Lane market near where we lived in Whitechapel or nearby little secondhand shops, equally fascinating.

Now as I am writing this something new occurs to me. Those two first children's books I owned at age 2 or 3 were bought for me by my wonderful, witty but - illiterate - grandmother! Yes, my grandma whom I called Booba in Yiddish, never went to school and so never learned to read or write - yet she bought me my first books! Perhaps she thought - that's not going to happen to my granddaughter, she's going to be - literate!

The books were brightly illustrated so I'm sure my grandma was attracted to the pictures - and I loved them too! One is about a boy called Timmy and it's called Timmy is a Big Boy Now - the drawings of Timmy and his daily routines still bring back memories of a feeling of love transcending language barriers - my grandmother couldn't speak English either!

To be continued:...

It's snowing again!

Most of us in the UK have a love-hate thing with snow. It's more clear-cut than ice which not many like at all as it is so dangerous, especially if it carries on for too long. But snow? How long does it have to go on for before we finally start hating it?

I'm not talking about children of course. They love playing in the white stuff, creating snowmen and having snowball fights. But now with the lure of computers, video games and mobile phones, do even children play outside much in the winter? I don't see any on looking out of my window.

Snow is pretty and white and lovely to walk on if not too deep and if you have good suitable footwear. The worst things about it is that it readily turns into treacherous ice, and that at the moment it keeps coming back and back, causing traffic chaos and accidents to motorist and pedestrian alike.

The problem is this snowy icy weather would have to be even more frequent to encourage the powers-that-be to clear more of the roads. The dangers to the elderly and balance-challenged of sheets of slippery ice are too awful to contemplate.

So, on that note I hope and pray that the end to the snowy season is approaching fast! Here's to a gloriously warm spring and summer 2010.

Managing on a gluten free diet

One offshoot of going through a crisis in my life has been a return of digestive problems so I have tackled it by following the advice of a recommended naturopath. I'd been on wheat free diets in the past which helped me considerably and now was advised to avoid gluten!

It had been a difficult time becoming wheat free (over 30 years ago) but there again there was not much ready to eat food (like bread) around for strange beings such as myself on funny diets. I remember buying all sorts of flours (potato, rice, maize for example) and then giving up and sticking to faithful ryvitas and rice cakes. (It must have been the beginning of the rice cake era!)

However, it's a different story now with a choice of gluten free bread and sweet delights available from supermarkets such as Asda (our local) and Sainsbury's. I've chosen as my favourite a lovely sliced brown gluten free loaf which is not as expensive as it might have been many moons ago and is most palatable when toasted. (Hint - always toast gluten free bread!)

My treat on my trips to the town centre in Hemel is a pot of tea or a cappucino at my favourite haunt the Tika organic cafe, accompanied by a lovely gluten free walnut brownie or a packet of gluten free chocolate biscuits which are, amazingly enough, YUMMY!

An evening out with family yesterday, included a restaurant meal at The Harvester - main veggie meal (yes, I am veggie as well as gluten free!) was delicious mushrooms stuffed with caerphilly cheese with new potatoes and peas, with a starter of healthy and juicy fresh melons and berries. No bread at all, so I felt satisfied and light. On return to the relatives' house late at night I had my own bread toasted (they were most accommodating and understanding!) and stuffed myself with unusually flavoured potato crisps with my cups of tea...

It's not so difficult becoming gluten free and when I do it properly I feel more well in myself than I have been for years while after a while it becomes second nature though does take some time to get used to!

Never give up!

When you're faced with a highly challenging situation sometimes it all gets too much. That is indeed the nature of a challenge. Now is the time to become really strong and focused and to work on yourself. Don't give in to stress and depression but use the experience to become stronger and wiser.

Life has given you this problem or challenge for a purpose. Indeed, if you are religious you may see it in a more spiritual light. And if you are not religious but have a spiritual outlook that will help profoundly. Otherwise, just be philosophical as there is so much we don't understand. The main thing is to do whatever is best for you, and throughout the time when you are challenged and all your inner resources are being tested to the limit, concentrate on looking after yourself, and try to enjoy life and all the good things it has to offer.

Finally, don't forget - the bad stuff doesn't go on forever!

Love and caring - appreciation

Loving and caring for each other is something that really matters in this life. It is so easy to take our nearest and dearest for granted and often many of us do. It is such an easy trap to fall into to wander around semi conscious, just getting on with what we do and, sadly, not fully appreciating the beautiful things around us and the beautiful people in our lives.

Ironically, it is when hard times hit us, and misfortune, adversity or an extremely stressful ongoing situation seem to envelop us that we really need each other to turn to. That is when, if you have a kind supportive spouse, relative or friend that you find comfort and solace in each other. It is when you really know who your friends are and who really are not part of your world.

When demanding times come around it is time to appreciate the things that really matter. Only you will know what those are and you will know when life throws a difficult challenge. Suddenly a lot of things don't matter any more or if they do they come after the most important thing - being fully conscious of each moment of life and truly appreciating the gifts that this consciousness brings.