21
Jul
Hi everyone
This week’s blog is going to be short and sweet just like me!
Unfortunately, Ballakelly and the team = Me & Rach, are struggling at the minute so it is with great regret that I announce we will not be at the Southern Show this year ☹
This is due to us starting our combining on Tuesday, Harvey has some sensory therapy (4 hours day for ten days!), we need to get lambs ready for the meat plant and we also have Farm Assurance round on Wednesday! There is no time left to make sausages ☹
However, be assured we will be at the Royal Manx!! Please come and find the team with our Ballakelly butchery stand. We will be there to defend our title ‘’Best Small Producer’’ 2016, 2017 & 2018 (we only started in 2016!!).
However for now if I don’t farm then there will be no products to sell to you.
Stooooooooooooooop the bongo drums! This does not translate to ‘‘I am selling Ballakelly!!’’
The shop is still open on a Saturday and we are still doing weekly deliveries via the WhatsApp group and online orders. Please keep the orders trickling in as we have fridges full of goodies which we were going to sell at the Southern show.
This week’s blog is dedicated to ‘Friends & Family’, who without this last 6 months I wouldn’t be here to type the tale.
We all have days when we feel the world is on top of us and nothing is going our way, the days have been merging into one for me recently.
Last weekend Rach and I had our first proper kid free weekend off in 9 years!!
Congratulations Tara & Dave
a Great example of family & friends
When I was sailing home on Monday, I asked Rach what do I do: Her reply:
Take your own advice that you gave me 2 years ago, stop something before it stops you forever! Me and the kids need you, together we can do anything.
I looked her straight in the eye, poker face and said hmmmmm can’t stop kids, definitely can’t stop farming but you!!!!!
Luckily she laughed and replied good luck!!! Haven’t you been trying to give me up for 20 years!!
The weekend away made us both realise it was time to start working to live and not living to work. We came back determined to make some changes to the way we do things, stop fire fighting and to start enjoying what we have right now.
Top of list is to organize a good party, something Rach & I used to be famous for, but first I need to get through next week 😉
I typed friends into google:
Friends become increasingly important to health and happiness as people age, according to new research in the journal Personal Relationships. They’re so crucial, in fact, that having supportive friendships in old age was found to be a stronger predictor of wellbeing than having strong family connections
Wow, tear in my eye, good to know! I don’t really have much family around me these days that even know how I am, I can count them on one finger never mind one hand!!
As a parent, you know the necessity of forming a strong bond with your child. But did you know that strong relationships with other family and friends can be just as important? Rach & I do as both of us were lucky enough to have had great examples, which is why I think Rachel & I are such a tough team!!
While reading through the other google results I came across this:
How to encourage strong relationships for your child
Set up play dates with your child’s closest preschool friend:
Every day is a play day for Tinky!
Read books about friendship with your child:
Hmmm must try harder here 😊
Offer to host a sleepover for your child and a few of their friends:
Every weekend is a sleepover here, now it is the summer holidays I am prepared for 6 weeks of kid chaos!
Make regular visits to family members, and invite them to do the same:
Hmmmmm we see Rach’s mum (Ma ma Ranson) all the time (too much) her and Tinky are very close, and after last weekend, H Boss had his first sleep over and it was a huge success!! Quote ‘‘he was easier than Tinky!!!’’ Thanks Ma Ma Ranson.
Encourage your older child to sign up for extracurricular activities that interest them:
15 hours a week of gymnastics, swimming, ponies!! Huge tick for Tinky here 😊
You can see that when I went though the above I usually refer to Tinky not Harvey. Harvey, being autistic, does not make friendships like we do and as a parent this is very hard to accept, however I have realied the tight circle of friends and family we have are his too.
While I am on the topic of Harvey and Alice – especially Harvey. You may have read in the newspapers there have been more losses of young people on farms across on the ‘other’ land, one as recent as this morning. It is especially close to our hearts as Harvey loves living on the farm but this amazing place he calls his safe place could very easily kill him.
Farms can be one of the most dangerous ‘playgrounds’ for children, particularly during the summer months. Farming families and visitors are being reminded to be extra careful.
Please read:
www.nidirect.gov.uk/news/child-safety-farms
I need to go now as we have a party to go to (Happy 1stBirthday Harry – this is a great example of great family and friends).
Hi AL , was very touched by your blog and the reality of farming , the pressures , workwise, financially , physically and above all mentally , as farmers we are tougher than most but we are still human , your doing the right thing working to live idea , it’s hard in our mindset we are all grafters and feel guilty when we are not working but we have to take time out, I’ve started taking more me time because life is to short not to , even if it’s a afternoon for a few hrs to get away from it ,
Your very lucky to have a good wife to support you in good times but more so in the hard times , just someone to put your thoughts to ,
Good friends are hard to come by especially ones to trust
Keep your head up fella and I wish you all the best and Rachael to , and if you ever want a friend to chat your welcome on my yard anytime
Geoff , Grest farm