Words of Wisdom

   

    The world is in mourning this week for an inspirational and brave man, Nelson Mandela. He once said, "The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall."
   
    As well we know life isn't always plain sailing and for Mr  Mandela it certainly was not. But when he fell he definitely didn't give up.

    This statement is relevant to us all and I for one plan to recall them on the occasions I feel I have failed. Because they are words of encouragement and strength; helping us all follow his lead with grit and determination.

    R.I.P Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela 18 July 1918- 5 December 2013.

Normal Service Resumes

    

Mount Teide  before the storm

    The last two weeks I've been having some chill out time in Tenerife, the Canary Islands, but as from today normal service will resume on this blog. That means if you're a new follower, posts will be updated Mondays and Fridays. If you're a regular reader, thanks for hanging around.

    The weather on my trip was a pretty mixed bag, as was my Internet access. If it hadn't been for obliging friends I wouldn't have been able to publish my last post. Gracia amigos.

Mount Teide after the storm

 

    The storms I experienced on vacation decided to catch the five hour flight home with me and is battering most of the UK progressively today. With winds recorded in excess of 100 miles an hour in my area and 146 miles an hour in others, things were a little scary around here last night and this morning.

    The rail network in Scotland completed grounded to a halt today, flights have been diverted, roads and bridges such as the Forth Road Bridge have been closed to traffic. Unfortunately lives have also been lost, so I need to count my blessings that I only had a few large puddles inside my home to mop up.  The important thing is that my family and I are unharmed. 

    Catch up with me on Twitter @RowellChristina  and make sure you drop by Monday.

   

   
   

 

   

Shopping Around

   

    With not so many shopping days left until Christmas, it's time to hit the shops.  I do prefer to shop online and do regularly, when buying clothes, or luxury goods for myself.

    The thing is I'm much more decisive when purchasing something for myself than I am for others. I am apt to change my mind, which isn't so handy when you're shopping online for a large family. It can mean days on end, waiting on the delivery courier and endless trips to the Post Office with the returns.

    I try to avoid the weekends when visiting the bigger stores, but that isn't always possible. Therefore I'm just going to have to grin and bear the fact that I will have to endure the crowds at one point. Already I'm anticipating the jostling, noise and tired feet.

    However when the gift package is opened and a smile of appreciation is flashed my way on Christmas Day, the little hassles that have been endured will be forgotten.

Racing Hearts

   

    A recent study has found that the heart rate of children in the UK is on he rise. Since the 1980's the resting heart rate of  a group of 9-11 years old was found to have risen by up to 2 beats a minute. Meaning that the next generation of children are at greater risk of suffering from diabetes, and heart disease.

    The professionals say that spending too much time watching TV, using PCs, and smartphones, to text and tweet is at the root of the problem.

    Another study done in the US, also found that this technology which fills our homes and lives can  cause our kids stress, fuelled by lack of sleep and online bullying. Not ignoring, the obesity that sneaks in when we sit around for too many hours.

    Therefore it doesn't matter what side of the pond we live on, it's agreed that the technological gadgets that are the must haves for kids, should carry a health warning.

    For one set of parents in Nottinghamshire in England, they decided to do something about their two daughters sedentary lifestyle and banned them from watching TV for 12 months. The girls aged 8 and 10 years old, were given 100 outdoor challenges to replace screen time.

    The pursuits included, climbing, sailing, kayaking, skiing and according to newspaper reports they loved every minute. So much so, that even although some screen time has been reinstated into their lives, they've now set themselves another set of outdoor challenges for the next year to come.

    Tips from the experts for children keeping a healthy heart and body include, limiting screen time, keeping the family active and establish an exercise regime. This family definitely showed us all how to do that.

   

   

Home Alone

   

    Many of us will have watched at least one of the 20th Century Fox movies,"Home Alone" and chuckled at the antics of the child who has accidentally been left behind when his parents go off on vacation at Christmas. The lone child has to defend his home from burglars in one movie and in another, he has to stop thieves from taking his radio car which if I recall correctly has an important micro-chip inside.

    In reality  there is no comedy element in a youngster coping if left alone for any period of time. We as adults know that it is a frightening experience for a child, because there are times when it is scary for an adult being alone.

    The recent typhoon in the Philippines is one such time that being frightened does not age discriminate. It has left both children and adults not only alone, but homeless, hungry and without anyone they can call family. On a news item I saw one man who had lost his wife, parents and children in the storm. Whilst other items told us about the children who have now been orphaned and have no family that they can be reunited with.

    Humanitarian relief, once it gets through, hopefully will help people rebuild their lives. However, for hundreds of thousands of people, life will never be the same because of the day Haiyan arrived.

   
dec.org.uk     whitehouse.gov/typhoon
   

   

 For the next couple of weeks my blog will only be updated on a Friday. Hope you stick around.  

   

The Eleventh Hour

    On the eleventh hour, on the eleventh day of the eleventh month  every year, we observe a two minutes silence to commemorate past, present, British and Commonwealth service  personnel who have fought and died for us in wars and ongoing conflicts throughout the world. The date and time is significant in our history because this day in 1918 was the day that signalled the end of the 1st World War hostilities, the day that is known as Armistice Day. 

    Our shopping malls, homes, offices will grind to a temporary halt when the clock strikes eleven. Two minutes isn't a long time to pause our busy schedules and pay our respects to the individuals who have laid down their lives for us all to live in peace and freedom. It's also a time that silence can speak louder than words.

   The poppy symbolises remembrance for us at this time and yesterday cenotaphs and war memorials throughout the UK had wreaths of the blood red flower placed upon them. The flower inspired Lt. Colonel John McCrae to write "In Flanders Fields" in 1915, when he saw it  growing wildly on the graves of his fellow soldiers who lost their lives in the 1st World War. This symbol will always have deep meaning for us all who want to remember the fallen. May they R.I.P.

The Image of Winter



A misty Linlithgow Loch

    I'm never too excited about the onset of winter. Short daylight hours, long dark nights and the biting cold winds instantly come to the forefront of my mind.  However, the sudden changes in the landscape in the northern hemisphere at this time of year, has in the past stimulated the minds of many writers.

Frosty trees

    Robert Burns writes about the leafless bower in his poem titled, A Winter Night. John Keats tells us of how his face feels the winter wind in his poem, The Winter Winds and Robert Louis Stevenson describes the frost on the trees, houses, hills and lakes being like the frosting on a wedding cake in his poem called, Winter-Time.

    When I was out walking the other day I couldn't ignore the beauty that the early stages of winter has already bestowed upon us. The look of the leaves as they turn a russet colour, the mist as it dropped over the loch, the frosted countryside and the sound of the winter geese flying over, quickly outweighed the negatives that were trying to take root. Without a doubt, winter will carry on inspiring writers to write about it, forever and a day.

    Are you inspired by the seasons in your part of the world? Please tell us your thoughts.