ࡱ>    !"#$%&'Root EntryZ O2 (CONTENTS JCompObjVSPELLINGa good community spirit and mostly everyone takes part in events and supports initiatives. I suspect there a few who don t but that is their choice and they are the ones who miss out. So whereas before we had lived in a small space in the terms of personal territory and were constantly on guard where children were concerned and worried about drugs and needles in the play park we now inhabit a vista of splendour and a space in which we can cycle, walk or just relax and reflect. I could dwell poetically on the glories of the Northern Lights, the wondrous parabola of thousands of stars sparkling in a clear night sky, the gentle murmur of the breakers on the tom bola s shore plus the many more attractive points of Shetland life but the one thing that is great about living here is that you are closer to the environment and nature which is important for young human beings. The big issue for all us really at present is the state of our environment. I like to think that after years of organisations like Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace banging away about global warming it may be that people are sitting up and taking notice. Well I hope they are. Shetland of course has its own problems in that it has a large carbon footprint due to large scale incineration, peat burning and the necessity of needing a car but it is also actively exploring alternative replacements in the forms of wind power and hydrogen. Youngsters also at school are being encouraged to study this situation both in theory and practicality through school projects. School in Shetland for our three Cs has been a huge impact and they all have blossomed from this so far. I had to go to the school evening only the other day to meet their teachers and it was all very positive feed back. There are plenty of opCHNKWKS JTEXTTEXTX9FDPPFDPP<FDPCFDPC>FDPCFDPC@STSHSTSHBSTSHSTSHB2SYIDSYIDPBSGP SGP dBINK INK hBBTEPPLC lBBTECPLC B FONTFONTB~STRSPLC "C:PRNTWNPR\CFFRAMFRAMGTITLTITL*H&DOP DOP PH". I suspect there a few who don t buShetland Diary I am sitting in our sun room, the bean plants having all yielded up their fruits for the pot though one very determined tomato plant lingers on trying to ripen desperately, listening to a ballet music CD. This, of course, is slightly incongruous with my surroundings as looking out of the windows at sheep grazing, ocean breakers - their tops being white foam whipped by the omnipresent  breeze of Shetland, one s thoughts begin to drift from the present task at hand which is firstly trying to put this edition together plus listening to music to formulate exercises for my dance venture. Reflections are on the past year really and what we, as a family, have realised and experienced here. Friends and family thought we were mad but others knew we had the right reasons and more importantly the right instincts for what we were venturing into. Moving from a very congested area in the South East of England to a rural community of less than 100 inhabitants and even less cars, nameless streets and numberless houses which, outside of Lerwick, only have a name where everyone more or less knows each other and one small village shop was somewhat daunting. But what did we gain from this wild folly? Well once getting ourselves established and settling into jobs, roles and responsibilities plus getting savvy with local customs and traditions we realised that there is no particular rush or urgency in life, well apart now from having to get three children early up for school rather than two, the pace of life gives you time to plan things. I noticed from my very first diary that I referred to this as a very  laid back way life. Obviously it is not quite that laid back as there are routines particularly if you are a farmer. People do work very hard here but there is portunities here for children to realise their potential and freedom to choose. Our son has taken up the Cornet and certainly has the lung power to blow it!!! Our eldest daughter is busy singing in the Lerwick Choral Society and St Magnus Church choir and our youngest? Well she is just enjoying being herself and facing the challenge of becoming 5 years old (which means she is officially a big girl according to her). It is rather amusing in the mornings seeing her with her little rucksack on, book bag in one hand and swimming or PE clothes in the other and trying to get up the bus steps in the morning but she doesn t want any help as she is quite determined to get up them all by herself. They grow up so fast don t they? The subconsciously relaxing ballet music is still on in the background and as writing I am aware of feet twitching to old memories. I am starting an after-school block in November at the local Junior High school in collaboration with the Council s leisure activities Department and also hope to start teaching privately. I have been collecting books and videos together (even one of myself from over ten years ago, scary!) and music. It is somewhat daunting as you have to get through the hurdles of disclosure, insurance plus face the physical aspect of returning to a rigid discipline but the knowledge and memory is there and that is what I have to impart to youngsters. Of course I will have to start with the basics and build up gradually but I am quite looking forward to it not just as in order to lessen my impecunious state of affairs but also to get exercise and teach which I did in Germany and thoroughly enjoyed. I went to the Whiteness and Weisdale jumble sale last weekend and picked up a portable CD player for a couple of pounds so can use that for classes hopefully. It would be nice to have a live pianist of course but that is a future ambition. I also bought two spinning rods complete with the spinners. I looked one of them up on the web because of the name and it turned out to be quite a desirable spinner! Amazing what you can find in jumble sales. I am looking forward to the next Skip visit which is due outside our house soon. My wife is off down south tomorrow on the Atlantic Airways flight to do the Great Northern Run at South Shields. She did the 25th run last year but I notice I didn t write about it. When she bought the medal back from the run, she was in the pub enjoying a well earned orange juice and someone looked at it and said something to the effect of  Ooh you did well coming 25th (*& $$%!!?) It will do her good to have a break from us  orrible lot even though we don t see much of her sometimes particularly when she is on a 14 hour shift which can be exhausting. But that s real life and you have to work. Generally it all balances out quite flexibly. We manage to do everything we want to. I have been using my Marmite and Tagine. I cooked two rabbits in a stew (recipe created by Bo Simmons of Deli Direct - see my homepage) with lots of calvados and port. It was glorious. Incidentally the winner of the Tagine completion was a Mr. P. Hurcombe from Sarf East England. A packet of Puffin Poo is wending its way to you sir! Now can anyone tell me what a Marmite is? Answers via the Guestbook on the Home page please. Talking of cooking I am collecting an entire carcase of goat tomorrow. Now has anyone got any recipes for that?! Well I must end as I want to go and get some haystack (Dess in dialect - Elma will correct me if I am wrong!) photographs down by Dunrossness. They are made traditionally and there are groups of Starlings perching on each individual little dess and they searching for insects. Quite enchanting& ..oh and I am now going to turn that CD off!!! ne looked at it and said something to the effect of  Ooh you did well coming 25th (* R;T;V;X;(2"'( ) @S    X x@8 "@M " $ ."8 "@M " $ ."8 "@M " $ ."8 "@M " $ ."8 "@M " $ ."8 "@M " $ ."8 "@M " $ ."8 "@M " $ ."  0011T;X;X  "PSS"  "PS"  " 8 "@M " $ ."f8 "@M " $ ."38 "@M " $ ."8 "@M " $ ."8 "@M " $ ." ,, " " ttX;<X;>@j, 0@Times New RomanArialLucida Handwriting " " "@ TTTTFEPSON Stylus DX4800 Series< 4d EPSON Stylus DX4800 SeriesDLLName32=E_FUICADE.DLLP TS_URLTSupportURL PSOLVER4  : @ TTTT@ TTTTd2 .winspoolEPSON Stylus DX4800 SeriesUSB001F"\""V"$c"` "``""A."@"\""V"$c"` "``"."October 1 2006.wps""p"pp (" )"r re smade traditionally fin and there are groups of Starligngs perching on each inidividual little stack and they (Dess in dialect - Elma will correct me if I Iam wrong! )) desssearcihing for inse Z O2Quill96 Story Group Class9qy2y2y22y2$2 y2 2y22y227y2>2Xy2^2y22.y262<y2@2by2e2y22y22y22Dy2H