LOVE - just one word LOVE

Which bit did you enjoy the most ?

ALL OF IT !

A quote from young Tiler, seen standing next to me in this picture. 

Tiler, yesterday ran our ADOPT A DINOSAUR table. Thanks to his efforts forty-five dinosaur toys who have lived a lonely existence in a box at the back of a cupboard now have loving homes.

He will never get him to touch that snake. The Mayoress of Milton Keynes whispered to me.

OH YES HE WILL !  OH YES HE DID !

People started turning up to yesterday's frog challenge while I was still setting everything up. It is now 2.39am on Sunday and while I am typing this blog messages keep popping into Facebook. Since yesterday afternoon we have over TWO HUNDRED.

Wrigglies Exotic Pets was packed throughout the day.

Packed with people YES but that is not what I am talking about - IT WAS PACKED WITH LOVE.

I began my day driving up to McDonalds. Maureen fancied a pot of porridge to start the day and I am addicted to hash browns. I had to park up while the porridge was cooked - not a problem. The duty manager came out and started to apologise for the delay. No need for that the delay was a maximum of two minutes. He looked at me and paused before saying I know you I think. I'm not sure where from ?

Then he smiled and said: I've seen you  on the Internet.  This lovely young man had found

OurRebekah. He had seen pics of me and recognised my ugly face. For myself that aging ugly face is  blushing, for OurRebekah I am swelling with pride.

Pride ? I was close to tears when this man appeared and introduced himself to me. I saw what you were doing on the net and thought I would come up and say Hello.

One of my former students, Simon.

We had not long been open when Simon appeared and kicked the love factor to a higher level. THANK YOU SIMON.

During the afternoon a car pulled into the car park and the drive gave me a thumbs up.

Another of my former students, Chris and his family, came to supervise my holding the frog.

Chris is seen here on the right of the picture. It has been thirty years since I have seen Chris. To have him there with his wife, daughter and son was wonderful. Absolutely wonderful. THANK YOU to all four of you.

By the way, Chris, your lad won our fun game to give No Name a name.

Your children were pestering you all day to buy an exotic pet, I think your resistance was tested but now your family has this little guy to live with you.

Seen here supervising one of several challenges to hold the frog is a very, very dear friend of my family - Daphne. 

Have you noticed Daphne and Chris's son are wearing Sheffield Wednesday colours.

We started a guest book yesterday for people coming along to OurRebekah events to sign. Ahead of the frog challenge I printed and pasted the e-mails received prior to the event.

An extract from one reads: We all wish you every success moving forward and if I can be of any further assistance please let me know. TREVOR - Director Sheffield Wednesday FC.

How many directors of how many football clubs do you know who would take time to send a message like that to a little group like ours ?

One of the display boards we had outside the shop pictured the love Sheffield Wednesday FC is showing to us.

Trevor, just tell the boys to stuff Leeds United this afternoon will you please.

Meet Tony, seen here below with Mayor David and myself.

Tony is a radio presenter on Secklow 105.5. Before yesterday he and I were Facebook friends. Now we are friends in real time and space.

Tony and his wife. seen on the right snapping a quick selfie will be having lunch with me later this week to chat about something special OurRebekah is planning for Trevor and the boys at Sheffield Wednesday.

Guy Mitchell and Singing The Blues are about to be taken to a new level !

Hi Ho Sheffield Wednesday.

I heard about what you are doing, we stayed in Ronald McDonald House Southampton so I thought we would pop along.

That was a lady who chatted as she enjoyed the cakes Maureen had baked for the day.

Here's the incredible and loving Mayoress of Milton Keynes, Susan, cuddling a skunk. YES I did say a skunk.

Nobody knew yesterday, I only found out at the end of the event, the skunk still had its scent glands in place.

Ooooppppssss !

Good job OurRebekah has public liability insurance in place !  NAH we did not need to call on it. He he he.

There were times during the day when this little bundle of fur came close to stealing the show.

Here she is again on the shoulder of Ann. Ann is Tiler's Mum and actually started OurRebekah last May.

She, Tiler and her husband Mark worked tirelessly all day to 
make the event a success.

Here's another and special picture of this special friend.

I thought I had a mind that was always full of ideas but those Ann's husband Mark ran past me yesterday were on a higher level all together than anything I have so far come up with.

Mark we are going to make them work ! THANK YOU. What a special guy you are.

OurRebekah has been running since May when Ann set up the fun run which is happening on Sunday 15th October. We do have some projects running and have so far raised in excess of £1,300 for Ronald McDonald House Charities but yesterday was the first actual on the ground event we have had.

A high standard has been set for everything to follow. A VERY high standard. The day was packed with people, the day was packed with fun, THE DAY WAS PACKED WITH LOVE.

Here's our Mayor with that skunk, was there anyone at yesterday's event who she did not give a cuddle to as she put love into what we were doing ?

Over TWO HUNDRED photographs were taken yesterday.  I think I may have to speak to our website hosting company to buy more space on the Net in order to publish them. What you see here are just a few pics. What can you see in each and every one of them ? EASY question to answer - LOVE ! L-O-V-E - Love.

Another picture of our Wonderful Mayor seen presenting shop manager Ro with the OurRebekah smile of the month award for September.

Every time I speak to Ro he inspires me. His knowledge of animals is beyond belief and surpassed only by his love for them. Every minute of the day yesterday was packed with Ro's infectious personality.

Ro you are an incredible guy - THANK YOU.

Within the guestbook is a message from Libby, the Ronald McDonald House Manager in Birmingham.  Libby THANK YOU for that kind e-mail. 

At the beginning of every Sheffield Wednesday game the PA system blasts a song, that PA system is drowned by the crowds as they sing HI HO SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY.  I have nicked the anthem which Sheffield Wednesday nicked from Jeff Beck in the first place to put this together for Libby and her team

I found myself skipping about yesterday singing in my head HI HO HOUSE THAT LOVE BUILT ! Actually I think I sang it out aloud once or twice.

I have a plan to rerecord the song - NO not with me singing. Tony has the same idea. Hey once we have have chatted about Sheffield over the main course let's chat about this while we eat desert. Can I play the air guitar ? Can I do that if I promise not to sing ?

3.44am - I've been writing this blog for more than an hour yet I have not mentioned the

WRETCHED REPTILE.

Here he is !

When Ro said he was going to get a BIG frog for me to hold as I conquered my phobia I knew he was not joking but just look at the size of this creature.

I could never, ever have believed that I could have held him, not once but many times during the day.  I don't think he liked me very much, he kept kicking at me with his back legs.

Heck he is a beast of a frog isn't he ?

I am going to print this blog and send it to my mother, next week she celebrates her 90th birthday. She remembers so clearly the day sixty years ago when that frog jumped out at me in the garden and started my life-long phobia. She will not believe these pictures. I am not sure that I do.

So how did I manage to hold that wonderful creature ?  

How did my life-long fear fly away on the wind. NO I am not scared of frogs any more. 

How did it happen ?

You can see it in every single picture can't you. That word again LOVE.

The Wave of Love was packed with surfboards yesterday. Our first on the ground OurRebekah event has set a VERY high standard for all to follow

When we take on The Three Peaks Challenge love will be at the top of every mountain.

When we run across The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco Love will be cheering us on.

When the doggies walk in The National Trust's Gardens at Stowe there will be love in every blade of grass.

Chatting with former student Simon I asked him what he was now doing for a living.  I'm an account executive he said.

Former student Chris owns and runs his own business. I joked with him that the when the work stops the paperwork begins. The expression on his face said everything.

The accounting skills of my two former students put together could not measure the love from yesterday.  In money terms we made a total of £313.62 for Ronald McDonald House Oxford but the money means nothing compared to the love.

Yesterday 146 read The Wave Of Love. On Friday we had 135 and the day before 175.

How many people will check us out today ?

I guess I had better click the PUBLISH button and find out.

Hi Ho Sheffield Wednesday you will stuff Leeds United this afternoon won't you ?

The Wretched Reptile

150 people checked out The Wave Of Love Blog yesterday and the readership graph showing visitors to the OurRebekah website peaked. 

Today is the last day of the month, across the month of September we have had visitors to the website from 55 different towns and cities in 8 countries of the world.

I am wondering if we have a world of frig lovers ?  How many of those readers of this blog and visitors to the website like the Wretched reptile ?  Will I have an affection for the WRETCHED REPTILE after today ?

I have not set up a Facebook thingy for OurRebekah, we have our own page run by Ann. Instead I have used my own personal area to pass on all that is happening. While I still make the odd personal post the majority is devoted to the project.

If you are reading this blog and are not a friend, PLEASE become a Facebook Friend. Don;t just follow, become a friend.

CLICK HERE AND BECOME A FRIEND

So all is set for today's event. While we have some projects running this is the first on the ground event we have organised.

It's only four months since OurRebekah started. I don't think we have done a bad job raising almost £1,400 in those four months.

What do you think ?

Our next actual event on the ground is the FUN RUN happening on Sunday 15th October.

Then we have Fire A Rocket For Beck.

This was planned to happen at the beginning of November but I think it would be better held at the end of the year as a New Year celebration rather than at the same time as November 5th firework night.

On Monday I will be getting to grips with the planning for this, changing the web page and inviting friends to take part.

Has anyone ever put a frog into space ? I wonder if we could set up an OurRebekah project

to make the wretched reptile I have to handle all day today the world's first space frog. Does that sound like a good idea ?

When I visited Bristol University's radio telescope to take some background pics for this project I was nervous about standing on the top of a tall building looking at the telescope. As well as a phobia of frogs I do not do tall buildings very well.

There is a metal gantry by the side of the telescope which is used to maintain the dish and receiver. NO, I did not climb up that stricture.

Perhaps I should.

This is the old Express Lift Tower in Northampton, sometimes called The Northampton Lighthouse. The lady who runs the trust caring for this structure, which is the tallest building outside London, is on our newsletter mailing list. Perhaps I should ask her if I could go to the top.

Why ever should I want ti do such a mad thing ?

You know what, IF I were to climb to the top of The Northampton Lighthouse - IF...... I bet when I get there I will find a wretched reptile sitting waiting for me.

So why would I want to risk my live and sanity climbing up there anyway ?

The dust has to settle on today's event and I need to regain my sanity but I want to conquer my second fear. I want to do this in support of Ronald McDonald House in Birmingham.

Climbing up the gantry of Bristol University's radio telescope and shining a torch from the Northampton Lighthouse would be training events - just training events.

In January I then plan to spend a day in Birmingham scaling as many tall buildings as I can within the city in a single day. How about I do this on Friday 12th January ?  Just as well it is not FRIDAY 13th !

As with today's event people can sponsor me to overcome my fear.  The target for today's event was originally set at £100. We have already reached £200. If we do not make a single penny today we have doubled our target.  What ever the final figure is at the end of the Frog Challenge will be the target set for this event.

Do you think there will be a frog at the top of every building ?

Tell you what..... I'll take one with me !

I will buy this mask from Amazon and wear it for a photograph at the top of each and every building.

I will also take this with me to the top of every building and get who ever is supervising me to sign it. Those supervising today's challenge will be asked to sign our new guest book.

We must not forget OurRebekah has an activity tomorrow.

On the first page of this new guest book appears an entry from Trevor, the director at Sheffield Wednesday Football Club.  Tomorrow the boys play Leeds United at Hillsborough. We really have built a strong friendship with the club. You can cheer on the team tomorrow by sponsoring every goal the boys score in support of Ronald McDonald House Birmingham.

Just go to our special Sheffield Wednesday area www.or-sheffieldwednesday.com and start cheering.

Sheffield Wednesday, of course, are known as the OWLS. Leeds United are known as The Peacocks. That's a silly name don't you think.  Trevor, Communications Director at Wednesday, let's introduce a new nick name for Leeds United. 

Let's call them THE FROGS !

What a day !

I said that yesterday was going to be a special day didn't I ?

It was another tsunami for the Wave Of Love. I am so excited here as I start to write the blog and tell you all about it.

Yesterday 190 people read the blog. That smashes the previous highest number by seventy-seven friends.  People sent me comments and their thoughts on what I had written.

TO YOU ALL I SAY THANK YOU

Christmas is coming you know. CLICK HERE and get into the mood while you read.  Leonite Maggie sent me the picture above. She knits these socks and offered to make some for OurRebekah to sell.

Hey when you have finished listening to Jingle Bells CLICK AGAIN and listen to something slightly different.

Maggie when your beautiful message popped up on Facebook it choked me. THANK YOU - THANK YOU.  I suggest we get some friends to pop their gifts for Secret Santa into your stockings and give them to families. 

Would that be OK ?

Listening to all this Christmas music is making me feel so festive, Let's have another song shall we  - CLICK HERE.

Opening my e-mail this morning a frog jumped out at me !

ANOTHER LEONITE. No not the frog, the woderful friend who sent it.

Chris thank you for that. You have started my day off in an extra special way.  I am so much looking forward to seeing you again tomorrow after all these years and ti meet your family will be an honour for me.  Christ and his family are supervising one of the FROG CHALLENGES.

For those who are no in the know a LEONITE is one of my former students from Leon School. 

Maureen has been very busy making cakes for tomorrow's event.  Here on the left is a cake she has made for The Mayor of Milton Keynes when he supervises the first challenge tomorrow..  

On the right are the cakes my soulmate, special friend and wife of 39 years has made to give to those coming to the challenge.

When I told her that Ro, the manager at Wrigglies Exotic Pets and host for tomorrow, is vegan she found a recipe from the Internet and made Ro a special cake all of his own. Ro, mate, it looks delicious !

This morning I have to finish off the display boards then we are all ready for the big event

I have edited together the various OurRebekah YouTube promos I have made over the past few months and put them into one long video which I will play as part of the display. It runs for an hour !

For a bit of fun I made something new for Ronald McDonald's House in Birmingham.

Libby (House Manager)  thank you for your e-mail yesterday. (I am working on the Hold A Rat Challenge for you !)  You are kind and your team run a fantastic house.  You call Ronald McDonald House Birmingham THE HOUSE THAT LOVE BUILT.   I have decided to re brand it to THE MANSION OF LOVE.  

To add music to the presentation I have made for The Mansion Of Love I nicked the theme Sheffield Wednesday fans sing at the start of every game. Trevor (Wednesday's Director of Communications) I hope you don't mind me nicking it !  Well you nicked it from Jeff Beck in the first place !

There is a typo in there. See if you can spot it ! I will do it all again. One day..................

Trevor sent me a lovely e-mail yesterday to add to the tsunami of love. I do not know how many directors there are within England's professional football teams but I bet most live high up in ivory towers. NOT Trevor !  What an incredible man he is and what a FANTASTIC friend of OurRebekah.

Trevor this is for you....................

Tell the boys to STUFF Leeds United tomorrow.  

OurRebekah will be sponsoring the goals Wednesday score. YOU, yes YOU, can cheer on the team and support Ronald McDonald House in Birmingham aka THE MANSION OF LOVE.  Don't just read these words ACT ON THEM.

TO CHEER ON THE TEAM CLICK HERE

Are you a friend on Facebook ? If not then CLICK HERE NOW AND BECOME A FRIEND. Don't just follow - become a friend.

This is Tony from Radio Secklow 105.5. He plays my kind of music and over recent weeks

we have become good friends on Facebook.  Tomorrow Tony and his wife are supervising one of the frog challenges and we will get to meet in real time rather than cyber space. Tony, I am so much looking forward to meeting you and your wife. Another special friend, a long-standing friend of my family and a LEONITE - perhaps the most famous LEONITE of all, Daphne Capp - former Head of Music at Leon, will be at the frog challenge.  I do not think that Daphne, who next week will celebrate her 89th birthday, is a football supporter but here she is signing some OurRebekah Sheffield Wednesday cards to send to families in Ronald McDonald Houses.

Somewhere, high up above the Atlantic Ocean, are two packages containing copies of Trevor's extra special Sheffield Wednesday 150th birthday programme and cards signed by Daphne. They are heading to the two Ronald McDonald Houses in San Francisco.

THESE DAMN GEEKS AT GOOGLE !  Don't you just hate geeks !  This Blogger page will not let me format Daphne's picture and fit it into the text on the right above. Geeks ! Ah - but..... Daphne is such a special lady perhaps I should put her picture below in large format and centre page.

Those same geeks have screwed up YouTube with their downgrading updates. It has made navigating my YouTube Channel difficult.  I have just about sussed it out so no doubt they will change things again.  Anyway to being this blog to its conclusion here's my Friday theme.

Take it with you all day. Let it stay with you and have a FANTASTIC FRIDAY.

I will see you at THE FROG CHALLENGE tomorrow.  Let me say how scared I am about holding the frog. Trevor I would rather play in goal for Leeds United tomorrow as the boys blast ball after ball after ball past me than hold that damn frog !