Waterbugs and Dragonflies

Waterbugs and Dragonflies

Down below the surface of a quiet pond lived a little colony of water bugs. They were a happy colony, living far away from the sun. For many months they were very busy, scurrying over the soft mud on the bottom of the pond. But they did notice that every once in a while one of their colony seemed to lose interest in going about with its friends. Clinging to the stem of a lily, it gradually moved out of sight and was seen no more.

'Look!' said one of the water bugs to another, 'One of our colony is climbing up the lily stalk. Where do you suppose she is going?' Up, up, up it went slowly. Even as they watched, the water bug disappeared from sight. Its friends waited and waited but it didn't return. 'That's funny!' said one water bug to another. 'Wasn't she happy here?' asked a second water bug. 'Were do you suppose she went?' wondered a third. No one had an answer. They were greatly puzzled.

Finally one of the water bugs, the leader of the colony, gathered its friends together. 'I have an idea. The next one of us who climbs up the lily stalk must promise to come back and tell us where she went and why.' 'We promise', they said solemnly.

One spring day, not long after, the very water bug who had suggested the plan found himself climbing up the lily stalk. Up, up, up he went. Before he knew what was happening, he had broken through the surface of the water, and had fallen onto the broad, green lily pad above.

When he awoke, he looked about with surprise. He couldn't believe what he saw. A startling change had come to his body. His movement revealed four silver wings and a long tail. Even as he struggled, he felt an impulse to move his wings. The warmth of the sun soon dried the moisture from the new body. He moved his wings again and suddenly found himself up above the water. He had become a dragonfly.

Swooping and dipping in great curves, he flew through the air. He felt exhilarated in the new atmosphere.

By and by, the new dragonfly lighted happily on a lily pad to rest where he chanced to look below to the bottom of the pond. Why, he was right above his old friends, the water bugs!. There they were, scurrying about, just as he had been doing some time before. Then the dragonfly remembered his promise: 'The next one of us who climbs up the lily stalk will come back and tell where he or she went and why'.

Without thinking, the dragonfly darted down. He wanted to share with them how beautiful he had become and how amazingly happy he felt. Suddenly he hit the surface of the water and bounced away. Now that he was a dragonfly he could no longer go into the water. 'I can't return!' he said in dismay. 'At least I tried, but I can't keep my promise. Even if I could go back, not one of the water bugs would know me in my new body. I guess I'll just have to wait until they become dragonflies too. Then they'll understand what happened to me, and where I went'.

And the dragonfly winged off happily into its wonderful new world of sun and air.

One Sleep to Go..................

Well it has been a while since I managed to write my last entry.


Such a lot has happened.

I have moved house three times, which was an upheaval. From Wandsworth to Croydon where I stayed for 3 months. Then out of the blue a found a new job in Hove. So I did an interim move back to Bognor for a few weeks and then found a place to stay very close to my new job as Marketing Manager for a Hotel. I haven’t been sure if I was coming or going and often got confused where I lived and where I worked! Never a good thing when you find yourself on a train to Bognor when you were meant to be going to Brighton!

In Croydon I had this brilliant (!!!) idea of investing in a Personal Trainer! So for three months I made friends with a few muscles I never knew I had, it’s always good to find out about these things! After moving this new get fit and train hard Victoria got left behind in Croydon. I miss her but not as much as I will on Friday when I start my first days walking. So I leave tomorrow and to be honest I am not even sure I will manage it.

I have had some emails from some of the ladies on the trip, a lovely lady emailed me and said how she has done lots of hill walking and how she now has great stamina. So there will be me, the size 8, 24 year old at the bottom of the mountain and all these older (sorry) ladies steaming on a head of me! Now that could be an embarrassing sight!

I actually went to Millets last weekend to buy a last minute bag (no my kitchen sink wouldn’t fit in my original bag!) and I walked up the flight of stairs got half way and turned round to my mother and said my legs kill……..I think it was that moment I started to panic!

I have heard some horrid stories the last few weeks. I think this is my Halloween! Someone who I did a few walks with (back in the summer!!!) has just come back form his Nepal trek. He said that the toilet situation was just the worse thing to deal with. I still can’t get this image of me walking into the bushes and doing my stuff. Apparently sometimes there isn’t even bushes – and you know what they say! When you gotta go you gotta go!!! I was also told over dinner at a Networking event that I should get someone to check my cavities for leaches! This being the case I have decided to pack a few of my nephew’s nappies – just for good measure.

It is unbelievable that a whole year has passed since that crazy day when I signed up for this expedition. Such a lot has happened to me in the last twelve months. There have been moments when I wondered why I decided to do this. But then one day recently I was contacted by someone I did not know who told me that all would be well and that I could do this and that all the little angels up in heaven would be watching me and helping me along the way. This wonderful lady had just lost her own very precious daughter in Demelza House. I just have to keep in it in my mind on the tough days this is what I am doing it for.

Send me all your good luck vibes……….only one more sleep!

8 Injections Down......NONE TO GO!!

That’s right I’ve had my last injections and I’m back, its been awhile and emotional but back on your computer screens once more. I am starting to write this without reading my last entry so I hope I don’t repeat myself and tell the same story twice, which of course many of you will know I like to do and I still like to finish the story even once you’ve told me that you’ve heard it!


My quiz went really well, I managed to raise around the £1000 mark (still waiting for final fiqure) but I am over the moon. This brings me over my ‘must have’ before I go. I managed to do my speech and embarrassed myself as normal – but no change there then. I had a lot of people travel far to get to Croydon so that was brilliantly amazing! Thank you all for coming and coughing up!

Last week I also was invited to celebrate the 1st years anniversary of the Demelza Eltham hospice. I must say I was very apprehensive to be attending as I thought I may find it upsetting as I genuinely did not know what to expect.

When I arrived and saw the building I started to relax as the buildings were quite small and the gardens were beautiful. It has a very calming effect and was not dome and gloom as I thought it would have been.

There were all different coloured flowers and a path way in remembrance/tribute of children that had sadly passed on or in support of the hospice. I got to meet two of the children there and that was then I remembered where I was and why we were there. One of them was called Conner, he is 1 years old but is so small he only looks about 4 months. He has a heart defect and is currently awaiting an operation. His older sibling has the same defect so they are going to do some tests to see if it is hereditary. He was very pale and his hands and finger nails were blue as his heart is not strong enough to pump the blood around his body, this is the reason he is so small his growth is slower than the average baby. He was very smiley and very cute as you can imagine.

He is currently there for a week while his parents and older sibling are on holiday as he is too ill to travel and the parents are trying to keep the older sibling in a routine and to give the older sibling and parents a break. His carer was lovely she was bubbly and caring and knew all about him and his family and the care he needs and the family history. It was remarkable nothing seemed to phase her.

We had a tour of the hospice and it was incredible there were individual rooms for each of the children which all have their own significant interior and different beds to accommodate the Childs age and illness . There is a hoist in all rooms which lead to the en-suite bathroom to allow the child to be taken to the bathroom and lowered into the bath safely.

On the top floor there are suites so the parents and siblings can stay if they want to, so they are close by, and if they really want they can actually stay in the room with the child that is unwell but the nurses try and encourage the parents to stay in the parents suite to try and allow them a good night’s sleep which is very valuable when you have a child with a life limiting condition.

All the rooms have their own televisions so the families can relax and have time together doing what all families do. This hospice will do as little or as much as the family need, they can take care of the catering, laundry and ironing of all of the family if the family would like that, or there are communal facilities if the family would like to do it for themselves as some families feel they need to be able to do something for their children like prepare meals when they hand over the health care to the hospice. Sometime they feel they have to retain some responsibility to the child and not hand all of this to the hospice.

There is the resting place for after the child has passed on and it looks just a normal bedroom the only difference is the temperature it is very cold. The parents, siblings, family and even pets can stay in the room for as long as they want 24 hours a day for as long as the child is there. There is also a room for families to arrange the service for the child. There is nothing more you could ask for from them that they do not cater for it such awful circumstances.

A large amount of staff are voluntary e.g. cleaners, caterers, gardeners etc as Demelza is mainly self funded through companies such as the company I work for (Axis) they would not be able to survive without volunteers and donations. The quality of the service just would not be there without donations and volunteers.
I really wish that no one would have had to have these illnesses happen to them but it is reassuring to know for those people who unfortunately do have these illness’ affect their families that there is such a remarkable place to go to for a rest and to be able to have the best possible care for all of the family. The atmosphere is so upbeat at Demelza it truly is amazing they are not focusing on the end they focus on the here and now and to make that day the best possible day they can by doing various activities, games, and for families not having to worry about doing chores like cooking, cleaning etc.
I felt so emotional when I left and I spent a lot of time that afternoon reflecting. It was such an amazing experience yet sad experience! Demelza doesn’t get much government funding and as you can imagine it costs millions to run, I now just wish I could raise £100, 000 for them and not just the £3500 that I am at at the moment! But going really proved that I am doing all this for an amazing and great cause!! When I am pooing in a bush and when I have blisters as big as balloons I can remember this experience and remember these little children, some as young as my little nephews are going through pain all day every day.

This said I really need to help myself by doing my training! I start a personal trainer tonight….setting me back a fortune but as I am as lazy as a fat pig resting in the mud on a summers day I need someone to put a hot poker up my bum (hopefully not literally!) to get my fit. I have just moved and my new house is up a hill (when I say hill it’s more like a tiny step up!) but it takes me about 10 minutes to get to the top because I keep running out of breathe! So with only 4 months left I really need to get my act in gear – I know I have been saying this for the past 6 months but I think I need to start doing something about it!!

So next time I walk past you put a poker up my bottom and tell me to run!

P.S I have also been made Carnival Queen of Bognor Regis and I hope my new title and exposure in local newspapers will mean I will get even more sponsoship before the four months is up!!

Two injections down Seven to go

If you didn't take note of the title, I would like you to read it again.......and now again! Yes that's right 7 MORE injections! I booked my appointment two weeks ago, you know just to go along and see how many I would need, I came across a nurse barely out of school checking her mobile phone and complaining that she had had a lot of patients that day, putting her hand bag on her lap - I could see she wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. To be honest just like me, I never ever expected that I would need 9 injections although she offered the option of not having the 3 rabies injections but of course I will die within two hours if I don't get to a hospital and I have been bite by a infested animal! So I'm two down and I swear by the time I finish my fear, blacking out and being sick after injections will soon be gone. As I found out I can't keep ringing my mum after each appointment for sympathy because all I will get is 'you know what you were letting yourself in for darling'. Can parents ever say anything without the big I told you so speech? I think it just happens when u have children - a bit like a instant reaction. My brother used to be the naughty, cheeky one of the family and he has a child he’s suddenly gone all sensible and also has begun practising the big 'i told you speech' – just on me!

Sponsorship is picking up again and my mother put on two come dine with Demelza dinner parties which raised over £300. Everything around the table was dotty to match the Demelza logo and we gave all the ladies a rose. The evenings went really well but were sure very tiring for us! Not only have I learnt the past few months how kind and generous people can be but Chefs.....how do they do it!?? Cooking a three course meal especially when the wine waiter (my dad) decides to turn all the food down meaning the mains wasn't cooked so there’s me with a half an hour gap between courses! I decided to fill gap by reading out bits from the blog to the guests (local Rotarians) of course trying not to offend I did a bit of a la la over a few things! But there were some laughs so I hope it went down well.

The speech thing is something I need to prepare for....got a feeling I might be doing one at the quiz night and I was sweating and getting out of breathe in front of 11 people I know so not sure I can do one in front of 60 people – a lot of whom I won't know! So if you come and I'm topping up your glasses with wine - this is just so you don't remember my terrible speech in the morning!

I got home after the Easter bank holiday to find out that Croydon Jaguar have donated the use of a brand new car for a weekend for my quiz night – this is a fantastic and amazing prize! I think I will be auctioning this prize and the South Lodge Hotel prize. I am now up to £2132 on my justgiving and I am hoping that the quiz should bring me a lot closer to the amount that I have to have before I go. I am also thinking about doing a summer BBQ party in my parents garden (they don’t know about this yet – and there’s the small problem of not having a BBQ!).

For more information on the quiz and to buy tickets email me on: v.hilditch@hotmail.co.uk

The Walking Boots that come alive at night

Two weeks ago at work I was made to sign a pledge to give up my biggest favourites fizzy drinks, cakes and biscuits, chocolate - but I decided I definitly couldn't do the last once so crossed that one off! But keep this to yourself; we now into march and I havnt quite kept to it any of it!! Opps!!

So yes as you may have guessed; that training that I was going to start on new years day, (new year....new life etc!!) didn't happen! I have decided that I really am just a lazy pig and I might just have to learn to deal with it. I bought myself my first pair (of two) walking boots, reduced by £60 - I couldn't say no to a deal like that! Owning a little bit of walkers apparel has made me feel so much better about my lack of exercise!

But as you've guessed a week and a half old they still sitting nicely in their box looking at me. I am starting to have nightmares that they will actually start chasing me out my flat front door and to the gym (opposite - so far away - that's the problem with London everything is so close so I don't actually have an excuse!!!) but then maybe that's what I need.....any volunteers??

My quiz is now all under way which is brillant news. It is going to be held on May 7th at Trinty school in Croydon. I really have to say a massive thanks to Ben from Laff because without his help I don't think I could put on this evening. I've always stayed away from quiz nights - I like to say I'm the more creative type (a.k.a blonde! - for the record I'm the only one that can say that!). Anyway if you would like to come you are more than welcome. I also will be raffleing the over nights stay from south lodge hotel, dinner for two from the Croydon Park Hotel and two tickets to see We Will Rock You in London. I am still looking for smaller prizes but there's still time!

My story was in The Bognor Regis Observer last month which was pretty cool, I was also interviewed by News of The World for their weekend magazine with my story but they have decided not to run with the story as its not dramactic enough! But all good experiences anyway. Since the Chile earthquake I do keep thinking their might be one in Costa Rica, this might sound selfish but I really hope it doesnt because that would be too dramatic for my liking!  I think that is one of my biggest fears not having any contact with my family (and yes my obsession with Facebook) for two whole weeks. This will be the hardest two weeks of my life and I will have NO ONE to call when I am down and had enough! I think my mother would call this 'time to grow up darling!'.

If you would like to support me and come along to my quiz you can visit the LAFF PAGE on facebook or email me on v.hilditch@hotmail.co.uk, it is sure to be a brillant evening!

Learning to wee like a man

I am being hassled once more for my next blog.......so here it is but before I start I thought I would let you all know that my blog has jumped from 6th place on Google to 2nd when you search Victoria Hilditch......not quite sure who is reading this but thank you anyway!

I started the New Year making five resolutions....

1. Get fit
2. Stop eating crap
3. Get fit
4. Stop eating crap (wow this is starting to feel like a Bridget Jones moment)
5. Never to mention my ex boyfriends name again.

It is now the 10th of January and I think I have already broken all of those more than 10 times each, yes 10 days into 2010 and I haven’t even visited the gym yet, I haven't eaten a vegetable or anything green and I still have the distance memory of a man I wish I could throw out of my head and forget....The Christmas cards from his family of course didn't help this, yes I received three in total, so not only did I have one reminder of my hurt, but three! Talk about kicking me while I am down, after all this was my first Christmas without him in four years. I definitely wish I had the power to forget memories, my ex being one of them but also some of my embarrassing blonde moments. I once saw a plane and had to urge to shout out ‘that looks like a flying car’ don’t ask me why – but I have never lived it down!

I spent this weekend in Milan (darling), which of course was fantastic but was pizza ridden. I also, on my visit to San Siro (to all those girly girls like myself this is the football stadium in Milan) had my first peeing in a hole experience. It seems Milan has not yet invested in proper toilets that don't involve women trying to balance, aiming of course not to get my ￡4.99 Primark Ugg boots and of course hoping that the pain in my legs wouldn’t get so bad that I end up collapsing onto the germ ridden porcelain hole beneath me.

Anyway I think I will need to get used to this as the toilet arrangements in Costa Rica will only be worse. Although over a drunken Christmas conversation with some family friends I came up with the best idea....to make a pair of trousers with a flap enabling me to do my thing without sticking my bright white bottom out for all to see, of course I thought if poppers forgetting the spiders that could crawl in so now I am investigating a zip solution! It seems the perfect idea!

So seeing as the resolutions didn't start on the 1st (forgetting start as you mean to go on rule) I have decided that I really must get to the gym this week...owning that little piece of plastic that states I am a gym Member, as smug as I feel when I open my wallet in a shop flashing it at the shop worker is never going to burn or tone anything!

Fundraising has been slow but I am hoping with Christmas over, people will start to dig deep again and sponsor me. I hope to gain another £1000 in sponsorship alone. I also have a meeting this week with my friend Ben who runs the Charity LAFF (Laugh and Fun Fundraising) he has very kindly offered to help me put on a quiz evening with all proceeds going to my trek. This should also raise another fantastic amount. I also have some other ideas for some fun events.

Last year was a bit of a crap one for me but I think 2010 is going to bring a lot. As scared as I am by this trip I am certainly looking forward to it. I also got the great news today that a good friend of mine has been inspired by my trek and has signed up for the London Triathlon, which he has decided to do for Cancer Research for his mum who died when he was 9. I am really happy that my example has inspired him and the money he raises will also go to help other people in need.