Slangevar

 
    Being given the opportunity to learn to read is a gift every child should recieve. Even back in 1759, the father of Robert Burns, the poet, saw the importance of education and whilst the family were poor, William Burnes had his son schooled at home.

The byre inside Burns Cottage

 
    Heavy farm work lead to Burns having poor health and without this education he would not have been able to make a living and we would not  have the pleasure of  his poems and songs.

Burns Cottage 'The Auld Clay Biggin'

    Slangevar Burns!

Slangevar

The Fairground of Ghosts

 

    The turnstiles creak, but no longer admit. There are no more palms to be read, or sugar to be spun. The cries of excitement from the roller coaster and merry-go-round, have been swallowed by the effect of abandonment. Now, only the ghosts  are left behind, to board their own train.

Is our Destiny written in the Stars?

A hazy moon

    In my last blog I told you about my routine on my PC first thing in the morning and one thing that I can't resist checking out is my horoscope. I have no idea if it's a lot of bunkum, but so far it hasn't been proven to me that it is. The whole thing I find incredibly fascinating and I have withdrawal symptoms if I don't get my daily dose.

    In Scotland due to the cloud cover, the stars aren't something we see too often and when we do, unfortunately it means that the temperature is going to be rather on the cold side. However, in the night sky of the Canary Islands, the moon, stars regularly hold court and it's wonderful to look up at with the accompanying sound of the cricket's chirp resounding through the night air..

    This year we have 2 comets, an eclipse and 4-5 meteor showers to look forward to. Here hopes my destiny is written in those stars.

 

 #canaryislands

 

Working, or Procrastinating?

    Every morning my alarm clock rings at around 6am, yeah it's time to get out of bed. My eyes have hardly opened, but before I do anything else, I go into my study and switch on both my PC and radio; the radio being an essential ingredient of my productivity.

    I have a set routine I go through once I sit down in front of the screen to start writing, (in the UK). The routine, similar to the radio being turned on I say helps me with my days productivity.  I search through pictures, articles, in magazines, newspapers and across the web. I've convinced myself that this gets my creativity flowing, however there are times I have a sneaky feeling I'm procrastinating.

    Do you procrastinate instead of working?

    

Messing with my sleep

    It would probably take an earthquake to keep me awake at night, because as soon as I start turning the pages of my chosen book, I find my eyelids start to weigh on the heavy side.

   There is nothing better than lying in bed with a good book. In fact it doesn't even need to be a story I'm wildly in love with, anything that takes me into someone else's world, does the business.

    But, it seems that research done by Brigham and Women's Hospital has found that reading from eReaders and other light emitting devices can delay you falling asleep, as well as having other effects on your health.

    Their findings show that  reading print, doesn't have the same effects, so I'm going to stick to paperbacks at night as I hate something messing with my sleep.

 

The Human Plight

Coastguard searching the coastline

    It's that time of year when people plan ahead for their summer vacation and many will choose to go on a cruise. Whether sailing the Med, Atlantic, Caribbean, or the Far East, it will most probably set the holidaymaker back in excess of £1,000.00/US$1542.00 per person.

    Whatever the discerning traveller could wish for is on board these liners, palatial cabins, steward service, wide choice of restaurants, bars and leisure facilities, including a promise by the tour companies that you'll have the luxurious holiday of a lifetime.

      Before you think you're reading a travel item please read on.

     Far away from this style of ocean travel, are the refugees who take to the sea to escape from war torn countries and who pay human traffickers to transport them in overcrowded, inhumane conditions to European shores. In the last week alone, in excess of 1500 people have been rescued by coastguards in the Canaries and Italy.

    For instance, on New Years Eve when we were celebrating the end of our year, a wooden patera arrived in the Canaries with 41 Africans on board, 32 men, 4 women and 5 children. This was the 16th vessel to arrive on these shores in 2014, but there are no statistics telling us the numbers of arriving unseen, or who lost their lives on the perilous journey.

    The Italian authorities also had to rescue 1300 such refugees in the last week, after finding two freighters, adrift in rough seas, with no crew, fuel for the displaced travellers onward journey, and. little, or no food, or water. A new year has opened it's door to us, but unfortunately the human plight for many has not ended.

#HumanTraffickingAwarenessMonth

http://www.thea21campaign.org/

http://hopeforjustice.org/
 

     

At the End of the Rainbow

    Yeah, it's that time of year again when we start on a new page in our lives. When the bells chimed, millions of us made wishes and  promises, with the best intentions. It was no use me making a New Year resolution that involved any restrictive process, because I knew I would fall at the first hurdle. Meaning, going on a diet was definitely ruled out.

     In one of my last posts I told you that I had lost a little weight, I can now share with you that there were no faddy diets involved, only exercise. Nothing too strenuous, getting off my butt and going for a brisk walk seems to be what started the process off.
 

    However, I want to start 2015 the way I mean to go on and that is on a positive. It's not easy as we never know what's around the corner and I'm hoping I can keep smiling by doing a little, or a lot in certain cases, of what I enjoy.
 

    Which includes, writing, reading, walking and spending time in my home overseas; all of which fill me with happiness. Therefore, you could say that my resolution is to remain happy throughout 2015, no matter what.  

    Would finding a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow make me happy? I thought it might until I heard a clergyman on the radio this morning, telling listeners to never forget that happiness comes from within us. So, when my positivity starts to wane, which I have a sneaky feeling it will on the odd occasion, I'm going to think of the preachers profound words and keep doing the things that will cultivate that happiness from within.

    I hope your New Year gives you lots to smile about.

• #DayOfPositivity