The silly season is now over - things can start to happen.

Yesterday 45 people grabbed their surfboard and rode The Wave Of Love.

So what's happening today ?

Top of the wave has to be an e-mail received from PAUL who has added his name to our THREE PEAKS CHALLENGE. That is so fantastic.

Welcome on board Paul.

Yesterday Jake went to Stowe National Gardens to check out that everything was OK for our DOGGIE TREASURE HUNT.  Later in the week we will have a lot of information to share re this event.

Without wishing my life away today is a day I have been looking forward to. The SILLY SEASON is over. Summer is at an ends, did we  actually have a summer here  in England ?  Schools are open again and people have their minds back into gear. I can now start to make a few things happen for OurRebekah.

I have a very busy week planned so keep surfing the wave and find out all that is happening.

Today I have a meeting with Lydia who is doing the catering at the DOGGIE TREASURE HUNT.  I have to collect the signed football and team shirt from MK Dons FC for our e-bay auction. I will also be calling in to Wrigglies to check out the FROG CHALLENGE.

All of this is part of the JOURNEY towards our DESTINATION of supporting Ronald McDonald House Charities.

Let me introduce you to Thomas and his family who stayed at Ronald McDonald House in Brighton.

Thomas was born extremely prematurely at the Princess Royal Hospital in Hayward Heath at only 23 weeks and four days, weighing 1lb 6oz. Within hours he was stabilised and transferred to the intensive care Trevor Mann Baby Unit at the Royal Sussex County Hospital. We were told that babies born that early had an 11% survival rate nationally, and we were prepared to treasure every moment we had with him.

Thomas fought through several serious infections, surgery to close the open duct in his heart, and many setbacks with his breathing. Near his due date Thomas was still needing a high level of breathing support and transferred to the High Dependency Unit at the Royal Alexandra Children's Hospital next door.

We stayed in the Ronald McDonald House Brighton. The staff made us feel so welcome and the facilities really made it feel like a home from home. It was such a relief to know that we could stay so near Thomas when he was fragile. Dan and I were so grateful just to have some private space to be together and start to deal with how premature Thomas was. It would have taken us an hour each day, plus cost of fuel and car parking. It also meant we could sleep better knowing we could be with Thomas in minutes if needed.

While we were at the House, we also got to know other families and made some lifelong friends. The kitchen facilities also meant we could cook and cater for ourselves and not live completely on Subway!

Over the months, Thomas grew bigger and stronger. The next tough thing to take was learning he'd developed ROP (Retinopathy of Prematurity) stage 5 in both eyes, meaning he'd become completely blind as a result of being so premature.

But Thomas continued with his journey and as he grew bigger he turned a corner and went just onto oxygen. After 364 days in hospital he was well enough to go home!

Thank you Ronald McDonald House Charities for keeping our family close.

Our JOURNEY is to have fun, be a bit silly, to smile and make others smile. That is what all of the events are about.

If the journey is a success then the DESTINATION, to support families like this, can not fail to be a success and to be filled with love.

Speak again tomorrow.

The Wave Of Love Flows In TWO Directions

Yesterday 58 people read The Wave Of Love.

THANKS.....

Today I want to share a few things with you.  How many will read today's page ?

Let me introduce you to two very special people. David and Susan Hopkins, Mayor and Mayoress of Milton Keynes. They will be coming to our FROG CHALLENGE at the end of the month.

The Mayoress said something to me a while back, she said it does not matter what charity or good cause you support providing you do support one. Think about that for a moment -   it does not matter what charity or good cause you support providing you do support one. 

This diary reports on the support for OurRebekah. Hopefully it goes a bit further than that.  

OurRebakah works with Ronald McDonald House charities but that is ONLY the DESTINATION.   T he JOURNEY, which could be argued to be more important, is to smile, have fun, be a bit silly and to make others smile. If the journey is fun then the destination will be a success and a success full of love.

Perhaps you like what OurRebekah is doing but you can not be involved because you have your own special charity you support and can not divide your loyalties. That is fine. I would never, ever attempt to get you to do that but PLEASE read my daily blog - THE WAVE OF LOVE and take inspiration from it which you can use in your own personal support for the charity of your choice.  Use my wave of love to help your own wave of love.

QUESTION: Can a wave go both forwards and backwards ?  

Probably not but love does not move in a single direction does it ?  I mean, if you love someone then that love is only effective if that love is returned. Love most certainly is not a one way thing.

Here are some people who have shown us a lot of love.

On the left players from MK Dons Football Club who have signed a football and donated a team shirt for our e-bay auction in support of Ronald McDonald House in Oxford.

Below are players from Sheffield Wednesday Football Club who have signed a ball and donated two match-day tickets to be auctioned in support of Ronald McDonald House in Birmingham.

Not shown in the photographs are MK Dons FC's Director of Operations, Sue and Sheffield Wednesday FC's Director of Communications Trevor who made everything happen at their ends.

To thank these wonderful people and to give them a token our our love I have had two rather special cakes made.

Tomorrow I will be taking one to MK Dons and the other to Sheffield Wednesday later in the week.

They are small thank you gifts and expressions of love from OurRebekah.

Ronald McDonald House in Birmingham has a little sign on its website - The House That Love Built.

  

Everything we do here in OurRebekah is about sending love to families in Ronald McDonald Houses.  Please take a moment to read a mother's story.

In February I was airlifted to Southampton from the Isle of Wight when I went into labour at just 25 weeks and 6 days.

My twin boys were born at the Princess Anne Hospital that very same night; Jake weighing just 790g and George weighing a slightly heavier 870g, but still both lighter than a bag of sugar. Because they were so small it meant my beautiful baby boys needed to stay in Hospital giving them the chance to get bigger and stronger. For me, this meant I also needed to stay in Southampton, away from my home and everything familiar. I was worried and scared.

For the last six months I have been staying at the Ronald McDonald House Southampton and I truly do not know what I would have done without it. Having a room at the House has meant that my husband Alan and our little girl Millie (age 20 months) have been able to stay too, keeping our family together and close to Jake and George.

Staying at the House has also helped me build important support networks and even some

great friendships with other mums. At the start of our stay, I was lucky enough to meet Ashleigh, like me she also had a George in hospital and another child Freddie that’s the same age as Millie. We were both staying on the second floor and Millie and Freddie became the best of friends; we all had mealtimes together and they played for hours. It was great to see them both just being toddlers and for me, it was amazing to have someone that totally understood what I was going through. Having someone to chat to about our children or even just the day to day ‘stuff’ helped to keep our minds occupied and made our situation just that little bit easier. Thanks to donations from supporters of the Charity we have also had Easter eggs (which Millie and Freddie loved), a pamper party with face masks and relaxing massages, a PJ and pizza party and Ashleigh and I even got to go and see Grease at the Mayflower Theatre with another mum, Kerrie. The generosity of other people has been amazing.

Jake and George are now six months old. Jake came out of hospital a few weeks ago, in fact it was six days before his due date. He still needs oxygen but is able to live with us at the Southampton House too which is great. George still needs a little more time in hospital as he has floppy airways and so needed a tracheostomy. As a family we are learning to manage our new situation, a situation that I cannot even begin to imagine coping with had we not had the Southampton House and its staff to support us. We are potentially still a long way off of going home but thanks to Ronald McDonald House we know we have somewhere to stay for as long as we have a child in hospital and we know that they (along with their supporters) will look after us.

They are all our superheroes!

SUPPORT DOES NOT MEAN JUST MONEY.  If you wanted to give the loved on in your life a special gift you are not going to hand over some cash are you ? Very often it is the simple things that show the most love.

When I am sitting in the stand at Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday I plan to pass round the fans seated by me cards I have made up and ask peole to simply sign them.

I have already sent cards to all of the Sheffield based newspapers, radio and television startions who will be reporting on the match. I have asked journalists to sign them and send them back to me.

I need SIXTY-SIX cards, one for each family staying in Ronald McDonald House Birmingham.

When we hold our FROG CHALLENGE at the end of the month we will be asking everyone who comes along to sign cards to send to families in Ronald McDonald House Oxford.

When I am at Sheffield on Saturday I will receive the football signed by the players. There will be a photoshoot and I will be writing a short atricle to appear in a future match-day programme.  I want to write that article while I am sitting in the stand watching the game.

The plan is then to send copies of that match-day programme to families in Ronald McDonald Houses in Birmingham, Oxford and San Francisco.

Well that has been a longer than usual blog hasn't it ?

Go and grab your surfboard, climb up on to The Wave Of Love.

Speak again tomorrow.

What has The Wave Of Love washed up today ?

The Wave Of Love washed up another £30 for THE FROG CHALLENGE yesterday.

The original target was £100, this new gift takes us to £190 and the event is not happening for another FOUR WEEKS. Surely we can get to £300 by the time the event is over and done. Would £400 or even £500 be too ambitious a target ?

All of the events run by OurRebekah are to support Ronald McDonald Houses as they care for families who have a child sick in hospital.  Families like Thomas's.

Thomas was born extremely prematurely at the Princess Royal Hospital in Hayward Heath at only 23 weeks and four days, weighing 1lb 6oz. Within hours he was stabilised and transferred to the intensive care Trevor Mann Baby Unit at the Royal Sussex County Hospital. We were told

that babies born that early had an 11% survival rate nationally, and we were prepared to treasure every moment we had with him.

Thomas fought through several serious infections, surgery to close the open duct in his heart, and many setbacks with his breathing. Near his due date Thomas was still needing a high level of breathing support and transferred to the High Dependency Unit at the Royal Alexandra Children's Hospital next door.

We stayed in the Ronald McDonald House Brighton. The staff made us feel so welcome and the facilities really made it feel like a home from home. It was such a relief to know that we could stay so near Thomas when he was fragile. Dan and I were so grateful just to have some private space to be together and start to deal with how premature Thomas was. It would have taken us an hour each day, plus cost of fuel and car parking. It also meant we could sleep better knowing we could be with Thomas in minutes if needed.

While we were at the House, we also got to know other families and made some lifelong friends. The kitchen facilities also meant we could cook and cater for ourselves and not live completely on Subway!

Over the months, Thomas grew bigger and stronger. The next tough thing to take was learning he'd developed ROP (Retinopathy of Prematurity) stage 5 in both eyes, meaning he'd become completely blind as a result of being so premature.

But Thomas continued with his journey and as he grew bigger he turned a corner and went just onto oxygen. After 364 days in hospital he was well enough to go home!

Thank you Ronald McDonald House Charities for keeping our family close.

My FROG CHALLENGE will be over and done with on Saturday 30th September. Hopefully my fear of these creatures will have evaporated. 

What happens then ?

Frogs are not my only fear. Acrophobia, feat of heights, is something I have had for just as long.  I do not kind flying in an aircraft but beyond that being more than half a dozen steps up a letter or beyond about the fourth floor in a building is something I would prefer to avoid.

My fear of heights became evident at about the same time as my fear of frogs.

My father had taken me to see Saint Paul's Cathedral in London. He told me how he had once climbed right to the very top, to the cross way, way up above the ground. I wanted to do the same but when we reached the whispering gallery I began screaming and announcing I hated high places, It has been the same ever since.

So I need to come up with a challenge to deal with that. A challenge to take over when my phobia of frogs has been cured.

 NO, I am not going to abseil down the Northampton Lighthouse, aka the old Express Lifts tower.

NO, I am not going to wing walk on a Boeing 747, EVEN WITH THE AIRCRAFT ON THE GROUND !

I need to come up with come up with something rather more sensible yet still a challenge.

I have an idea to make this a double challenge.  How about I challenge YOU to come up with a challenge for me.

Before I close today's entry I have to share something else that was on yesterday's wave of love.

I had an e-mail from the CEO of Milton Keynes Council thanking me for thanking her for helping OurRebekah.

Do you think I should write back to thank her for thanking me for thanking her for her kindness ?

Speak again tomorrow.

 

Mr Z do not panic !

Now Mr Z before you panic and think your Facebookie thing is failing a bit let me explain that I am going to be away from the laptop pretty much all day. I am facing a challenge far. far greater than anything in OurRebekah's Bureau of Silly Ideas - I am going to drive round the M25 - TWICE !

How is that for a challenge ?

Just keep calm Mr Z I will be back on Saturday.

The Wave Of Love yesterday took on a beautiful crest when Pam sent in these pictures.

Look carefully, you look as well Mr Z.

Where do you think they were taken ?

McDonald's BERLIN.

We are going to San Francisco in April and will be hooking up with the Ronald McDonald Houses there.  Beth, from Trailfinders, who is handling the travel arrangements has family experience of Ronald McDonald House in New Zealand.

When I was chatting to Charlotte from Milton Keynes Vet Group about our Doggie Treasure Hunt she told me her family had used Ronald McDonald House in Australia.


The wave of love is international.

Jake and I went to Stowe gardens yesterday to do some work for the Doggie Treasure Hunt. We were about as far away from the entrance as it was possible to be when it started raining. Absolutely tiddling down I can tell you.

Talk about wave of love, I thought we were about to have a wave of our own in rural Buckinghamshire.

We took a few pics but I am not sure we achieved a lot more.

This amazing building on the right is where the post treasure hunt disco is to be held.

The pic below shows part of the area where we will have the treasure hunt clues placed.

And here below is Jake checking it all out.

Have you added your name to the guest list  yet ? Simply go to www.or-doggie.com 

The downpour of rain was not the only issue I had yesterday. Something went wrong with the website. Don't tell me what, I don't have a clue. Some geek or gremlin was having a bad day. I spoke with a guy at the web hosting company and we fixed it. Well I hope we did. If you find any busted links PLEASE tell me.


Yesterday  49 people checked this page which was a bit down on Wednesday when we had 101. How many will we have today.

Ok the M25 is waiting for me so I had better head off.

Speak again tomorrow.

What's on The Wave Of Love Today ?

First things first.....

THANK YOU to the one hundred and one fr ends who read my blog yesterday THAT WAS KIND.

Did you miss it ?  Well CLICK HERE

OK get your surfboard ready.

The first thing I did this morning was to write to a lady by the name of Carole. she is Chief Executive of Milton Keynes Council, I said that there was not a big enough font on my laptop to say THANK YOU. She put OurRebekah on to the Council's staff newsletter to see if anyone would be interested in joining our Three Peaks Challenge. Very quickly Hayley added her name to the team list. WELCOME.  Then we heard from Michelle who knew Beck when they were teenagers. She made a kind donation. THANK YOU to you all and a special thank you to Carole. Welcome on board the wave of love.

Waiting for me in my e-mail inbox this morning was a message from Sue who is a director of MK Dons FC. The autographed football and team shirt are waiting for me at the club reception. I will pop by on Monday and will a have a thank you gift for you all.

Jake went to the vet's yesterday afternoon to cave his nails clipped. Jake loves going to the vets, honestly he does !  His good friend Charlotte clipped his claws the  had a great chat saying how MK Vet Group could help with our Doggie Treasure Hunt.  Wow ! Thank You Charlotte and Thank you to all of your colleagues.

I think we are going to have to get a bigger wave and a bigger surfboard !

Today, this afternoon, Jake and his girlfriend Lucy are going to Stowe to pick out places where we can put clues for the treasure hunt.

Our good friend at Stowe, Scott, is on holiday. We have a week to get all of the clues sorted before he returns to England. Scott is in San Francisco. I am looking forward to seeing him when he returns and hearing all about his adventures in The City By The Bay.

My  own travel documents arrived in the post yesterday for our fun run on the Golden Gate Bridge. Are you coming ?

At the top of my doings list for today is to mail out our newsletters. I have just added a link to the website where friends can download the latest copy.

That newsletter is packed with love, it runs to no fewer than seven pages.

Like I say we need a bigger wave and a bigger surfboard !

Come and ride the wave

There's an old Boy Scout gangshow song WE'RE RIDING ALONG ON THE CREST OF A SAVE.  

Do you know it ?  

As the past three months of planning for OurRebekah are now turning into events actually happening we are indeed riding along on the crest of a wave. That was is a wave of love. It is an incredible feeling, a feeling I just have to share and something I invite you to take a hold of, to grab your surfboard and ride the wave with me.

I was away from the laptop all day yesterday, something a bit unusual for me, so today my doings list is a rather big !

There you go - here it is. I have a lot to do ! He he he......

The problem with my sitting in the car all day yesterday, I drove 450 miles between a couple of things I had to do, was that my mind was tearing round the M25 at 95 miles an hour even in the car was crawling along in second gear !

I had Jake with me in the car. We started our day at McDonald's drive through for breakfast. Jake performed his usual antics.

At the payment window the young lads taking my cash looked us and asked his name. Jake, I explained then added Jake as in Jake goes to McDonald's. She smiled and said Yes, I know that video. When we got to the pick up window there was a short wait while the hash browns were cooked. Staff who were not serving customers came to see Jake, even the manager took time off from overseeing what ever it is she oversees to meet my famous little dog !

Jake and I left McDonalds smiling.

As I have been working to set up OurRebekah projects I have dealt with a few politicians. They are always supportive but usually one deals with their staff rather than the individual direct. This was waiting for me when I returned home.

Thank you for your invitation. Firstly let me say how sorry I am to learn of your story and your deeply sad loss of your daughter. My sincerest of condolences. 

I am also in awe of your commitment to raise money for Ronald McDonald Charities and continue your support for them. I don't know their work in detail but from what you say, it sounds like they do some beautiful, loving and kind things for families in distress. 

Very sadly, both I and our Deputy Mayor are committed on Sunday 15th October and cannot be with you. You might like to contact the Chair of Stowe Parish Council who may be available to add some parish council glitter to your fund raising event.

But I wish you well - and hope that you manage to raise lots of money for this charity. (The next time I am in a McDonalds - I will put in a good donation in your daughter's memory)

Sincerely yours

Jon

Isn't that beautiful ?  Isn't that kind ?  Isn't that lovely ? What a special man !

Another e-mail waiting for me was from someone who had read about OurRebekah in the local council's staff newsletter and wants to know more about joining our Three Peaks Challenge.

There was a parcel at home waiting for me. It contained two copies of the 7" vinyl single World Cup Willie which will go with signed photographs from Geoff Hurst and Gordon Banks. These are part of our e-bay auction which will be starting in just a few days time. Check that out and you will not believe the love within it.

You know I am a cunning old sod !  On Saturday 9th September I am going up the M1 to watch Sheffield Wednesday play and hopefully win against Nottingham Forrest.

As well as watching the game I will be going pitch-side with some supporters to receive a football players have signed for the e-bay auction. The club has kindly added two match-day tickets to the lot. The club is organising a photoshoot and I will be writing an article to appear in a future programme. We will be giving copies of that programme to families in three different Ronald McDonald Houses.

So what's cunning about that ?

Hang on a moment and I will tell you.

At all OurRebekah events we will be asking people to sign small cards saying HELLO and WISHING YOU WELL. These will then be sent to families in Ronald McDonald Houses. At the game, before kick off and during half time I intend to stand up and ask fans seated near me to sign cards. The owner of Sheffield Wednesday need not think he is going home before he has signed a card ! They will have seen me on the pitch and will know who I am so we should be able to get a hundred or so signed.  I have within my e-mail inbox a message from a sports editor at the BBC saying if he can help he will.  Today I will be sending him half a dozen cards asking if he can get people in his office to sign them. I will

do the same for all Sheffield based media. AH BUT, I will be asking these good people if they could invite journalists from national media at the game, it is being televised, to sign cards.

That is cunning !

Now this blessed FROG CHALLENGE. Another £50 was pushed into my hand yesterday for this.

We set a target of £100 for the challenge. I would give you £100 NOT to have to do it.  We have The Mayor of Milton Keynes coming along to make sure I do not run away. With that £50 from yesterday the total stands at £160. Still five weeks to go and we have smashed the target. Chances are we will triple the target. OMG I am not going to get out of this am I ?

Meet ALFIE. He grabbed hold of his surfboard to ride the wave. he is coming to our Doggie Treasure Hunt.

Of course, while I was driving and while I was parked up on the M25 my phone kept ringing. Checking the voice mail messages later there was one from the operations manager at the National Trust saying how much he is looking forward to the event.

After the DOGGIE TREASURE HUNT we are having a BBQ and a retro disco. Just look at the building the National Trust has put forward for the disco.

Isn't that amazing or what ?

Yesterday as I was driving the last one hundred miles home I put music on to the CD featuring some silly games we are going to play at the disco.

Among these we are going to use the disco to launch our LAMBETH WALK project.

Oh what the heck let's play The Lambeth Walk.

CLICK HERE and start dancing.

I think I had better shut up, finish this diary entry and get on with that doings list. But before I do let me remind you about OurRebekah. YES, we are raising support for Ronald McDonald House Charities but that is ONLY the DESTINATION. The JOURNEY, which in many ways is more important, is to smile, to have fun, even be a bit silly, to make others smile. If the journey is fun the the destination will be a success. It can not fail.

And with that let me invite you to grab YOUR surfboard, to climb up on the wave and have some fun.

Catch you all again tomorrow.

Sunshine Smile Day

It is a fact of life in the twenty-first century that NOBODY smiles enough.  I challenge you to dispute that.

We live in a society where negativity too often wins the day and happiness just can not break through its gloom and despondency.

When you go to work does your employer make you feel happy ?  Does your company make its customers feel happy or are they only cash cows ?

When you go into your local supermarket are the staff there smiling and happy to be doing their jobs ?  Do they make you feel happy ? When you walk out and push your trolley back to the car how do you feel ?

McDonald's gave us HAVE A NICE DAY, sadly their robots have not been trained to do the same. All they understand is GIVE US YOUR MONEY !

I would love to name the company, my fingers are itching to type its name but I will refrain, that has a policy of NOT responding to customer compliments - of NOT passing on to members of staff when someone has taken the trouble to give a good review. Why is that ? Because they are too busy dealing with customer complaints ! Isn't that right Cineworld ?

So many companies employ a director in charge of stupid ideas. These sad, unfortunate over-paid individuals should be immediately sacked and replaced with a director in charge of common sense. Is it not common sense to treat your staff properly ?  They will then treat your customers properly. Then OH LOOK our sales and our profits have gone up. What a surprise.

I would just love to be the CEO of my local supermarket. Overnight I would turn it from being the empty shelf supermarket into the happiest place to shop.

I am running round in my head an idea to include in OurRebekah - to have a project SUNSHINE SMILE DAY. It's a good idea even if I say so myself but would it be a success ? How many companies would take it up ? How many would be too busy exploiting their staff ?  How many would be too busy ripping off the cash cows for as much as they can ? Nah it's asilly idea. It would never work.