I have been moved by the emotions of two sets of parents in the Meredith Kercher murder case. It is any parents worst nightmare to have a daughter murdered but I can’t help feeling that I would find it harder to deal with a beloved daughter being locked up for 26 years…..whether innocent or guilty. My thoughts go out to both families
I am shocked: in Glasgow 44% of children live in families where no one works! Apparently there are 3 places in the UK where this situation is worse!! Brian Taylor’s Big Debate – Fri, 23 Oct 2009 BBC Radio Scotland.
There are so many things I should have/ could have blogged about recently… but having visitors I have been otherwise engaged so this post caught my eye and is extremely reassuring!!
I must admit I enjoy perusing political comments across a range of newspapres online and they often make for some interesting reading but, I am not always sure what they are getting at…or are they just scare tactics??
” While we destroy our standing and our morale with half-wit wars on terror and bedwetting panics about Iran, and ruin our economies and societies with debt and moral laxity, the Chinese giant stretches its limbs and wakes from its long sleep – and the brief era when free nations dominated the Earth comes to an end.”
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1217894/PETER-HITCHENS-In-Britain-come-old-weak-Youll-end-like-Fiona-Pilkington.html#ixzz0SwiEwIVT
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‘The current figures tell us that a fifth of those under 25 are out of work. This should shock us into action. Youth unemployment is currently at its worst level since records began, while the number of those of a pensionable age still working is at an all-time high.
…..we are now in a completely unbalanced situation where some employees work longer hours for much longer periods of their lives than ever before while others, no matter how able, have little chance of employment.’
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1214682/SUZANNE-MOORE-We-got-credit-kids-got-crunch.html#ixzz0RbLof1P0
There must be something that can be done to redress this balance, something creative some thinking ‘outside the box’, but this is a British government we are talking about….that is so depressing!
I had a funny day yesterday not funny ha but everything out of sinc, feeling out of place, no motivation to do ANYTHING. We all have them I am sure, can’t quite put your finger on why… But pleased to say chatting to Omar and Pauline and Michael helped restore my normal equilibrium. At the risk of repeating myself I love my life here but miss people at home and thats just the way it is!
I think this new initiative is brilliant! And I think that we can pat ourselves on the back; we have no car, we cycle or catch the local bus everywhere. We go to bed not long after it gets dark and get up bright and early in the morning. We have no central heating or air conditioning. We grow our own veg, or buy local, and always compost! We eat mostly local fish or chicken and only on high days and holidays do we have imported beef. We watch the TV for maybe 1 or 2 hours a day…. BUT, then we go and blow it all on a long haul flight home once (sometimes twice) a year and I dread to think what the environmental impact of my trusty laptop is…..
Today we had a lovely day! We cycled the back road to Grand Baie, they have cut the sugar cane which gave us an awesome view along the coast to Coin de Mire. A cup of coffee or two with Francis and a chat, a bit of business in Grand Baie then back home along the coast road via Pointe aux Cannonier with lots of stops to admire the sea views, a swim and frites (for Sue) at Choisy; the sea is warming up nicely and looked particularly beautiful today. And home for a cup of tea and write my blog.
sometimes I have sad days….which everyone does I know, but here in this lovely spot they seem out of place…and I suppose because they are few and far between, for which I am eternally grateful, they stand out!
Yesterday was one of those rainy Sundays (sounds like I am back home in England! LOL) washing out..washing in…., lunch at the beach postponed….,all three books, from the library, read!… no video I wish to re watch; not even Sense and Sensibility will suffice today! …no word from Hann and Adam for several days …several days mind you, we are so spoilt with technology!! Then to top it all, having to face up to the fact that it is unrealistic to travel home to celebrate Sarah and Steve’s wedding with them and see all my lovely family….
Articles in the paper (online for me!) frequently inspire me to write a blog. I think it was the Independent,this morning I usually read the range, that had an article written about how the writer used to go on holiday with her family. She wrote of the long journey on 4 buses and a trek at one point across a town, and that first glimpse of the sea, oh I remember it well even though we did go by car it was usually a slow journey through lots of minor roads. And how today zipping down the motorway or on an airplane this has somehow diminished the journey and its opportunity for reflection and anticipation. We are all always so eager to get everywhere as quickly as possible!
Which, finally, brings me to my point, we frequently have discussions amongst ourselves and with friends and family about the decision whether to get or not, as the case may be, a car!
There are certainly opportunities we miss by not having a car, no doubt of that, especially evening things because the bus service here ceases around 7pm, or the out of the way places we cannot easily visit.
In our daily lives,the getting there and back is definitely part of the experience, the standing at the various bus stops, the chats along the way, the many people we have met not to mention the walking , the cycling, the slowness of the pace and after all the one think we have, very fortunately , is time!
