Hannah and I were chatting this morning about how blessed we are, it is true but it makes me think that we need to be even more responsible about our environment because as the recent snow falls have shown we can not always control what life throws at us and even though we try to stay positive even in difficult times I am unsure how I would have felt if My lovely Omar had failed to travel (as so nearly happened) and I can empathise with the angry people in the UK http://bit.ly/8zutVj but we have to take responsibility because if we don’t the forces of nature may disrupt our lives even more than we can possibly imagine! Especially poignant as I am reading The Road by Cormac McCarthy at the moment which is very bleak…funny how the mind rambles!

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….