AT LAST IT IS OVER

Christmas comes but once a year and for that  I am extremely grateful.  At last all the rushing and running around getting last minute gifts for people who you never thought would buy you anything and who did.
Christmas: A drain on your bank balance and for some (including me) a drain on your spirit.

This year I succumbed to the all too common "Christmas sadness".  It came from out of nowhere and absolutely floored me.  Now all I want to do is curl up in a corner, by myself and restore my spirit .


I spent Christmas with my children and grandchildren and now, on returning home I have friends ringing me with all the "how was Christmas" questions.  All I really want is to be alone for a little while.  Why do so many people find that so hard to understand.


Tomorrow is a brand new year and I hope it will be a much better one for everyone. 2011 was a difficult time for many of us and for that reason I will be glad to farewell it at midnight and drink a solitary toast to welcome in 2012.


HAPPY HEALTHY AND PEACEFUL NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE.

URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS

Most women know what a UTI or Urinary Tract Infection is as it is a more common infection in women than it is in men.  The reason for this is because a womans Urethra is much shorter than a mans and because the opening of the urethra is close to the vagina and anus which are sources of bacteria, which is the common cause of these infections.  So,  what is the treatment for it?
Even though the main cause of infection is bacteria there are other causes.  The treatment requires a urine speciment to be tested to identify the bacteria so the correct antibiotics can be prescribed.  If antibiotics are prescribed it is very important that to take them until the course is finished even if you no longer have any symptoms.
There are a few home remedies you can try but these may just relieve the symptoms. 
There are a few preventative measures you can take that may help reduce the incidence of UTI;s such as good hygeine, urinating after sex, emptying your bladder completely and icreasing your fluid intake.

WHEN TRAVELLING OVERSEAS

  I was reading a few articles on the Reuters site this morning and came across one article about a Nigerian comic who was arrested on suspicion of  smuggling drugs in his stomach and it reminded me of a rather frightening incident that happened to me at the airport in Paris.
As I was going through security  I was pulled aside and had to empty my carry on luggage for security to check.  The security people then patted me down and started questioning me, and, not speaking a word of French I had no idea what they were asking me.  I kept saying I don't speak French only English but they  did not understand me and still kept on asking me questions and they seemed to be getting more aggressive when I could not answer them.  This went on long enough for me to become very alarmed.  Eventually they must have realised I had no idea what they were saying and because there was nothing in my bags I was allowed to leave.
This incident made me wish I had paid attention in French classes when I was at school at least long enough to tell them in French that I didn't speak French.
The article in Reuters made me realise I could have ended up in the same predicament this poor Nigerian comic has found himself in.
When travelling overseas it really is a good idea to learn a few basic phrases in the language of the countries you are visiting before you leave home.  Phrases such as, "Hello", "Good morning", "Good night" will please the people you meet and things such as "where is the toilet", "please" and "thank you", etc will probably make your holiday much more enjoyable for you.