Yay for the Gay!

Today, March 29th 2014, Gay people are finally given the right to same sex marriage in the UK! None of this civil partnership stuff, we're talking; a full wedding in a church, with a vicar and religious vows marriage – finally!!

I’m thankful that the UK is one of the most accepting and liberal countries in the world, but there is still a lot of judgement, prejudice and sometimes hatred towards homosexual people – It.drives.me.crazy!

One of my most favourite people in the world is my cousin, I knew he was gay from the moment I understood what “being gay” was, as did our entire family, but he didn’t officially come out until his late twenties and living with his then boyfriend.

I have said to him since, that it drove a small but significant wedge between us for a while, to which he replied that, despite our closeness he was scared his paternal and maternal families would reject him – even in the 21st Century. I was surprised, but not shocked, especially after seeing a statistic that; a fifth of all people in the UK wouldn't attend a gay wedding. 

With the big hit of the First Kiss film, on Youtube, a new clip has been uploaded.

Homophobic people were asked to hug gay people. It’s incredibly interesting to watch as there are conversations like “How do you kiss another Guy?” Answer: “The same was you kiss a girl!” and statements such as “You’re so pretty to be gay”. They're gay, not aliens.

Watch below.

At a baby shower I went to recently, my friend’s Mother-in-law and I were chatting about everything from weddings, babies, TV, Movies, Food and the subject of homosexuality. Although I didn’t expect her to be quite as blunt, she hit the nail on the head; “The only difference between being gay or straight is how many genitals are in the bedroom".

Last week, there was a programme aired called Cure Me I’m Gay. In the show, celebrity Doctor Christian Jessen, who is openly gay, tried all manner of weird and disgusting “cures” for his sexuality. From self help books, therapy and a disgraceful treatment where he was basically poisoned whilst looking at sexual photos and a tape playing messages that say “Being Gay in wrong” and “It’s unnatural” playing in the room. This treatment was available on the NHS until the 1980’s and it left Dr. Jessen in tears and humiliated.

Dr. Christian Jessen
(Borrowed from DailyMail.co.uk)

In another ridiculous treatment, Dr. Christian was asked to colour in a picture of his brain, the colours apparently showed how gay he was and in the subsequent following sessions, his colour preferences would turn to “straight colours”.

After watching the documentary I had a text conversation with my above mentioned cousin, which went like this:

Me: Did you watch the Cure Me I’m Gay documentary?

Cousin: No, why? Any good?

Me: Well, apparently we can cure your gay-ness by getting you to do some colouring in!

Cousin: I’ll get my felt tips ready!

......24 hours later

Me: Have you done your colouring it yet? Are you straight now?

Cousin: I’m about as straight as a circle!!

...and I wouldn’t have him or any of my gay friends and family, any other way!

L x

Be:Fit London

Some of you may remember that last year I went to The Vitality Show. For those who don’t; The Vitality Show is a women’s health and fitness festival, where you can buy and try new and innovative beauty, fitness and health products. Watch or participate in exercise classes, listen to experts and celebrities do talks on everything women related; from sex, weight, nutrition and illness. Plus you can indulge in massages, manicures and facials. A fabulous girl’s day out.

This year the festival has been renamed Be:FitLondon, and my third time visiting. I always come home, happy, relaxed and with a lot of new goodies to try! Last year alone I had a facial, bought new candles, had a hand massage, and bought an array of new snacks and drinks to try. I bought several cosmetics too but the amazing thing about this festival is that all the vendors treat Be:Fit customers to discounts and marked down goodie bags with a ton of samples!!

TV Presenter Kirsty Gallacher, Olympic Cyclist Victoria Pendleton, Athlete Denise Lewis and model Jodie Kidd are this year’s Ambassadors, exciting and inspiring these are well worth attending!

Insanity, Nike and Reebok are holding fitness classes alongside yoga & Bootcamp sessions plus a Beyonce Workout class – who wouldn’t want a body like Mrs Carter?

Be:Fit Vendors this year include, Better you, the natural food/supplement company, Lorna Jane – the Australian work out clothing brand, Harper's Bazaar magazine are joining in and the awesome Less Bounce bra company too. To see a full list of vendors go here!

I’m visiting on Saturday 29^th, so, if you see a dark hair girl in a pink wheelchair holding a ton of bags and a huge grin – that’ll be me, come say Hi!

L x

Que Sera Sera

I know this blog is a couple of days late. I thought you may all forgive me since I wrote the Cancer and #Nomakeupselfie  instead!

I have a column in my local newspaper again today, that will be posted here soon but here is the last one. (Click on the Photo below)

"When I was just a little girl, I asked my Mother, what I would be?"
We all know Que Sera Sera by Doris Day, in fact it's one of my favourites.

It's funny when you look back to your childhood and even your teens, you reassess the way you thought about things. Recently, I've looked back on my views on relationships.

Mike and I are possibly upping sticks and moving to Denver, Colorado, USA later this year.  It has suddenly dawned on me that he and I are going to have to stick together more than ever before. This is ironic, as regular readers will know; Mike is a geologist and has been working on oil rigs for the last 8 years, so we've been a long distance couple. Without our family and friends around us, I know I'll be clinging on to Mike for dear life.

8 Years, and so many coupled selfies!

Mike is used to travelling, being away from home and missing out on big events like weddings, baby showers and special birthdays, I'm not.

I think that Mike and I together and as individuals WILL cope with this huge change, but I've been harvesting advice (whether welcomed or not!) and looking at all the relationships that surround us.

One of our friends refers to us at her Slippers. This said friend is a single Mum and we've been there for her through thick and thin; dating, pregnancy, break ups and an unfortunate evening in trawling through online dating site's with her. 

She see's us as Slippers because, in her eyes we're the old (although not married) couple; strong dependable and most of all good friends.

This, however, does not mean we've not had our ups and down, family problems, Mike's OCD, my laziness, his job and my jealously issues and many more have all tested our resolve as a couple. I think people are too afraid to admit to this, there is a part of me that worries that I've failed in part or have been a complete mug in others eyes, but 99% of me is proud that we're still together after all of the above.

When I was a child, I always had my head in a book or up in the clouds; I would fall in love at 16, go to University at 18, then marry at 21, we would have two children by the time we were 25 and in the meantime I would become editor of Smash Hits, More or Cosmopolitan.

How wrong could I be? I think the clouds fogged my reality checker.

There have been a lot of relationships changes for our friends lately; the career girl, getting engaged in Tuscany,  the couple that were together for 4 years, shockingly split who then turned back the clock and going back to dating each other, the controlling partner finally told the truth, the young couple divorcing after less than a year, love is a messy business!

It seems a lot of us aren't on the paths our childhood selves imagined, or the life our teenage selves gossiped about, hell, I'm not even leading the life my 25yr old self thought about.

Relationships are hard work. I wouldn't give up Mike and I's one for all the tea in China, but I've had to learn the art's in compromise, self confidence and holding ones tongue. It's said you can only learn from your own mistakes, I beg to differ, as weird as this may sound, seeing all the up's and downs of everyone else's relationships has been a great teaching ground.

I am 100% positive that friends and family have looked at Mike and I and thought "I wouldn't put up with that" or "Jeez rather them than me" as no relationship is smooth running and perfect. Maybe we’ve taught them something?

As a writer I'm always looking for stories, trouble is, none of my friends want their dirty laundry aired in public , so it seems you'll just have to put up with my scandal and honesty.... trouble is, I quite like being one in a pair of safe slippers - how dull!

L x

P.S Don't forget to enter my Easter Bunny Competition click here for more details!

Cancer

If you’re on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, you’ve probably seen your nearest and dearest posting photos of themselves without make up. Don’t worry, we haven’t all gone mad, a sudden trend started a couple of days ago with the hashtag #nomakeupselfie. I’m not entirely sure where or how it started, but Cancer Research has reported a surge in generous donations, which in the last 24hrs has raised over 1 million pounds!!!!!

The challenge is to take a photo of yourself without make up and post it on your social media. When I was nominated to do so, I figured it wasn’t a big deal, but when I started taking the photos, I got so het up and annoyed with my face lol! I, like many, hide behind my makeup it seems.

I take a lot of medication, I’m in a lot of pain, I sleep very little and I have an ongoing love affair with chocolate, these all add to bags, black eyes and bad #nomakeupselfies!

I had to give myself a psychological slap in the face. Of all the things to get distressed about! I’m concerned about my completion when there are people dying of Cancer – I obviously missed the point of the project entirely - doh!

Here is my #nomakeupselfie, I’ve taken three photos as I was nominated on Facebook three times by Gemma, Emma and Natalie!

Cancer has affected my life in many ways. I lost several buddies to the disease, my best friend lost her Mum to the Big C, my online buddy/writer/fundraiser Lisa Lynch lost her battle with cancer last year and my guy Mike lost his beloved Granddad when he was a teenager.

BUT and it’s a BIG BUT, many of my loved ones have survived due to the fundraising, the research and the new treatments being developed every day of every year!

My Friend Stephan survived Cancer and is now married to his beautiful wife Nada and they have their gorgeous Son Luka. 

Stephan and Nada

Luka

My pal Charlotte, got through Cancer twice and she and her Husband have their unbelievably cute daughter Eva.

I’ve recently got back in touch with a friend from hospital. My fellow hospital buddies and I had heard that our friend Gaz had died, only for us to be watching the Paralympics and who so we see?....... Gaz playing wheelchair basketball! (Possibly the most weird and wonderful moment in my life!)

Gaz Choudhry

My pal Lucy has Endometriosis but she fundraises for Cancer after her lovely Mum Sandra got Breast Cancer, luckily Sandra survived as did my friend Kelly who lives to fight another day too!

Should you wish to be involved I challenge you all to a #nomakeupselfie and if you do PLEASE text BEAT to 70099 to donate £3! There is no excuse for the men to not be involved either, on Twitter men are posting photos of themselves IN makeup! Are you man enough?

All these happy stories were brought to you via Cancer and together with all the support, doing #nomakeupselfies, growing bum fluff moustaches for Movember and donating money we're working towards that wondrous cure!

L x

Phantom Labour!

Hello!

How are you all? 

As I mentioned in my Valentines Day blog, I've still not seen Mike, he’s been away for 7 weeks now, only 10 more days to go, hopefully! (Although I’m not holding my breath!).

I’ve been quite ill lately; the CRPS has been laying its usual assault on my legs and annoyingly on both of my hands. I felt quite fed up that my right (the good one!) hand was starting to show definite signs of the condition, this would turn out to be the least of my CRPS related problems!

I started having horrific tummy and back pain. I tried adjusting my diet, cutting things out, adding others and sometimes not eating/drinking at all. None of it helped, so one particularly painful day, I gave in and booked an emergency doctor’s appointment.

My GP is amazing; she works with me instead of preaching or sending me away with another pill to solve the next problem. I explained these new pains and being the all round true Brit that I am, I apologised for taking up her time!

She ordered various tests over the following two days, checking for infection and environmental influences. I made the fatal mistake of Googling my symptoms in the meantime. The big C came back more than once; feeling sorry for myself and doubled in pain, I had a bit of a sulk lol!

When my results came back, my GP and I looked and concluded that these mysterious pains were probably another casualty of the CRPS and that my bowel/stomach were simply spasming like my legs, back and arms do, and that this sort of pain is similar to being in labour. I now have a new found respect for all Mothers and apologise profusely to my own Mum! So anyway, I came home with a new IBS medicine to add to my collection! 

My medicine cupboard will soon need a whole cabinet! 

I'm now getting used to the "new" pain, urgent loo trips and planning my toilet habits around my social diary! You probably didn't want to know that, but to be honest I'm just so happy it isn’t anything more serious!

More to come on Friday! My next piece will be on relationships.... in the meantime please enter and share my Easter Chocolate Bunny Competition here!

L x