Something is happening to our bees. Please visit my hub to find out more on this really quite worrying subject.

I would like to say a big thank you. Firstly for those lovely men at Grangemouth that are going to strike this weekend. If you haven't heard it is a refinery in Scotland and it means that we will have a fuel shortage for possibly the next four weeks.

I would like to say thank you too to BP who are going to shut off a main line in that will affect gas and oil coming into the country, which will begin to cause panic down south too.

And my final big thank you is to the idiots who have started panic buying fuel (filling up gerry cans, topping up their cars every five minutes) so that now we DO have a fuel shortage in Scotland, even though we were told by just about every expert that if people were sensible there would be adequate fuel for everyone.

So why the Thank Yous? Two reasons. Firstly I have a little boy who has a health problem. If he needs hospital treatment there will now be difficulty for us to get to the hospital (it's over 30 miles away) or for the Ambulances to get to us as there is a fuel shortage. And secondly we are moving in three weeks time: for my son's benefit we are relocating back to the South coast, but how are we supposed to do that when there is little enough fuel for us to travel, let alone a funiture lorry.

So thank you to all those selfish people who are thinking purely of their own benefit and not of the rest of the country. Thank you for the inconveience, the extra worry and stress that this strike will bring.

I'm so sorry to have a moan like this but I'm having an awful year. Since my absolutely dreadful Christmas things have gone downhill. Most weeks one of us, if not all of us, have been ill - with colds, coughs, stomach bugs, ear infections and myself having an abscess in my breast, twice! My dad has to go in for a heart bypass and I'm over 600 miles away without a chance of getting to see him. He's 76. And to top it all I've now lost two of my cats; one died during the night. She was in the kitchen when I came in in the morning. My other cat passed away on Sunday. I am absolutely gutted as this has happened within three weeks and they meant the world to me. At the moment we are completely snowed in, my darling little Tim has had to be put in a freezer in the shed as the nearest pet crematorium is over an hour away (and the roads are impassable) and we rent so he can't be buried in the garden, and both my boys and myself are suffering from awful head colds that have lasted for around four weeks now. At least my husband hasn't got man flu yet; I'm just waiting for this to happen!

I would say it can't get worse, but know from experience it can!

Sorry to moan like this but am really feeling down and fed up at the mo.

So, it's pancake Day today - or to give it it's proper name Shrove Tuesday. Making pancakes actually came about by emptying your cupboard of all 'fancy' items (milk, eggs, flour, butter) so that your meals for the next 40 days (the Lent period) were simple and plain. Nowerdays people 'give up' more extravegant things such as chocolate, alcohol and cigarettes. Some of the top religious figures are asking that instead of giving up these items you give up something that will reduce your carbon emmisions - don't use your dishwasher, your tumble dryer or car. Make sure your chargers are switched off when not in use, that sort of thing.

But that isn't all you can do. You can also change something as well: choose fair trade goods such as chocolate, bananas, sugar, jam etc; buy recycled goods; buy something eco-friendly to clean your house with; avoid those 'luxury' goods that do more harm than good (pate fois gras for example).

Whether you are Christian, Muslim, Jew, Hindu, athiest, agnostic, Bhuddist, Jain, Sikh or Pagan (I hope I haven't missed anyone out), we can all do our bit, for forty days, forty weeks, forty months. Do one thing and see how good it is for your soul as well as everyone's wellbeing.

PS, I'm giving up chocolate which will be a real struggle with the stress of looking after two young children!

Ok, so now I'm a mum I'm taking a bit more notice of children orientated things and to my horror I find we've been 'Americanised'! Father Christmas no longer exsists to kids; now it's Santa on absolutely everything. How I hate that! And then I looked a little closer; when did schools start having proms? Why has halloween been hijacked into a trick or treat fest? Why are our children emulating their cross Atlantic cousins and just shoving our culture under the carpet?

Britain is very multicultural and we absorb so much of other peoples ideas, and whilst this isn't a bad thing it is sad that at the same time we seem to lose a little of our background snd heritage. In my household Father Christmas is still quite alive and I am teaching him to the boys - if we can hold off Santa for another couple of years I will be happy!!

Scottish Hydro switched my electric off yesterday - they had to change part of the line. Not too much bother, you would have thought; they gave me advance warning and yes, the work was completed and the power back on an hour earlier than they stated. But it opened up a whole range of problems for me.

Firstly, I had started to fill my freezer with Christmas food before I got the letter. I was worried that the power being off from 9 till 4 would ruin it, but I didn't open the freezer and was told it would be OK. If I get food poisoning from it at Christmas I'll let you know!

But where I live, a mile out from a very small village in Aberdeenshire, we do not have gas (very few places here do), nor are we on mains water or sewage. So when the power goes not only do I have no electric but the water can't be pumped from the well so we have no water, I also cannot flush the toilet. I can't cook - the cooker is electric, in the dark winter months it is difficult to see, and I also had no heating as although the boiler is fueled by oil, the ignition for it is electric. I couldn't even make a cup of tea!

It really made me think how much we rely on electricity, and how much we waste. Yes, I know I my situation is a lot different from most people, but with most of our labour saving gadgets using electricity it makes a big difference when you no longer have it. There are alternative forms of electricity production; from solar to wind power, even wave power. If everyone was supplied with a small wind turbine and solar panels it would dramatically reduce the drain on the power grid, as well as saving a fortune on electric bills. But I think we would have a hard time convincing the Government of it's worth, as they can't tax you for power that you produce yourself.

Oh well, at least I have my PC back now. Hopefully I wont get another power cut the next time the wind blows or we have a big fall of snow!

As this is a site looking at green issues (and this is something I'm glad to say we are doing at 'messy play' with my son next week), why not try reusing some of those cardboard items and have fun with your kids/grandchildren at the same time.

How about taking some old egg boxes, glitter, glue and tinsel to hang and make tree decorations? Or toilet roll tubes and cotton wool to make snowmen? There is no limit to what you can do and not only will you be reusing, you will also have some hand made memories to keep and bring out every Christmas.

My mum (God rest) kept all the things we made in play school and faithfully trotted them out each year - much to the embarrassment of my brother. However, when we were all in our twenties) she decided to give them a rest one year, but my big, strapping, police officer brother demanded to know where his snow man and three wise men had gone! Needless to say the next year they came out, tattered and a little worse for wear, but pride of place in the window again.

Have some fun, use your imagination and get the kids involved. The weather is ideal for indoor pursuits too!!

I just had to copy these from theholidayspot.com - it's just like opening Christmas crackers early! Enjoy.

What do monkeys sing at Christmas ?
Jungle Bells, Jungle bells.. !

Why are Christmas trees like bad knitters ?
They both drop their needles !

What's Christmas called in England ?
Yule Britannia !

What did the bald man say when he got a comb for Christmas ?
Thanks, I'll never part with it !

Why is a burning candle like being thirsty ?
Beacause a little water ends both of them !

What do you get if you cross an apple with a Christmas tree ?
A pineapple !

What do you give a train driver for Christmas ?
Platform shoes !

What did the big candle say to the little candle ?
I'm going out tonight !

Whats happens to you at Christmas ?
Yule be happy !

How long does it take to burn a candle down ?
About a wick !

I know you all think I'm very serious but after two days of being stuck inside with my boys (such awful rain) I decided to find something to keep me amused! This comes courtesy of Riddles and Jokes.com so enjoy.

Murphy's Laws Of Parenting...

A child will not spill on a dirty floor.

A lot of time has been wasted arguing over what came first, the chicken or the egg. It was undoubtedly the rooster.

A young child is a noise with dirt on it.

A youth becomes a man when the marks he wants to leave on the world have nothing to do with tires.

An unbreakable toy is useful for breaking other toys.

Celibacy is not hereditary.

Familiarity breeds children.

For adult education, nothing beats children.

God invented mothers because he couldn't be everywhere at once and God invented guilt so mothers could be everywhere at once.

Having children is like having a bowling alley installed in your brain.

Having children will turn you into your parents.

If a child looks like his father, that's heredity; if he looks like a neighbor, that's environment.

If you have trouble getting your children's attention, just sit down and look comfortable.

Ill-bred children always display their pest manners.

Insanity is inherited; you get it from your kids.

It now costs more to amuse a child than it once did to educate his father.

It rarely occurs to teenagers that the day will come when they'll know as little as their parents.

Money isn't everything, but it sure keeps the kids in touch.

Never lend your car to anyone to whom you have given birth. - actually from Erma Bombeck

One child is often not enough, but two children can be far too many.

Summer vacation is a time when parents realize that teachers are grossly underpaid.

The best thing to spend on your children is time.

The first sign of maturity is the discovery that the volume knob also turns to the left.

There are three ways to get things done: do it yourself, hire someone to do it, or forbid your kids to do it.

You can learn many things from children...like how much patience you have.

Sorry this may seem early but as a mum with two young kids I have to think ahead!

Love it or hate it, whether it's a religious celebration or an excuse to drink and eat lots you can't get away from it, christmas is on it's way. But this festive time of year is not only a drain on the pocket but also on the environment. Did you know that around 83 square km of wrapping paper will end up in the UK's bins (wasteonline.org.uk). And that up to one billion Christmas cards will be binned, estimating that 200000 trees will be cut down just to make the cards and envelopes in the UK alone (aberdeencity.gov.uk). There is a way you can get a 'greener' Christmas and it wont add extra to your bank balance. Here are a few tips:

Buy a plastic tree - most are very realistic now and can be re-used year after year. If you want a real tree why not go for pot grown (make sure they were grown in the pot not just dug up into). After Christmas you can put it out in the garden (keeping it in a pot will keep the tree small). Or you could even plant it.

Restrict those lights - we are British after all! Your house doesn't have to be lit up light the Blackpool illuminations and remember to keep them off when they're not needed (during the day). Your electricity bill will be grateful too!!

Why not send ecards this year instead of real ones - especially to people you work with that you see every day.

Save time and fuel by getting your presents online - thet are just as cheap as in the shops (even with postage) and you wont have to fight through the crowds.

Consider buying someone a membership to a group such as the RSPB. The World Land Trust buys land to replant trees - a great way to spend that Christmas money. Alternatively why not find eco-friendly shops and have presents sent to your loved ones direct - I have listed many such companies on my site (www.ecoready.info) and most will do Christmas hampers.

When chosing your Christmas fare buy local - most places now have farmers markets where the produce is fresh, seasonal and local. Support your local organic farmers too as well as trying to buy free range poultry and meat. Christmas isn't a happy time of year for the Turkeys!

Very young children don't need expensive electronic toys. You'll find great stocking fillers on the internet and car boot sales - lots of mine have come from ebay.

Get rechargeable batteries. They are expensive initially but will save you a lot in the long run. ALWAYS dispose of your batteries through proper facilities - dumped batteries release a lot of toxic products into the air, earth and even the water system.

Always recycle what you can't reuse; take unwanted gifts to charity shops or put on ebay.

And don't forget the birds as the weather turns colder. Leave a little something for them and make their Christmas too!