The way to do the titles is

1. Type in title, and keep cursor somewhere on the line
2. In the toolbar find the one that says ‘normal text’ and scroll down that menu to Heading 3: click
3. Also in the toolbar find the text align box and choose right align
4. Back up at the top of the document, click anywhere in the contents section and a wee circular ‘update’ button will appear top left: click
5. Your title should appear at the bottom of the contents list. You can click on any contents title to skip to that page.
6. Done :~)

Muchty me, the days are flying by! A perfect storm of absolutely glorious weather (this is why moving here mid winter was not the totally mad idea that several people intimated: winter weather in the islands can be absolutely stunning, in between the wild bits ;~) and very dodgy internet (so it’s not the weather that puts it out) has given me the excuse to be out, out, and out some more. I’ve walked several more bits of coastline and a hill (yes, despite being very flat, Tiree claims two), sat upon a broch looking out over a glistening sea, stoked a bonfire by the shore to burn a pile of old paperwork (that’s how calm it was) and shared quite a bit of hooch with the neighbours by their firesides of an evening.

Oh, and I may have met a man-friend…(my ears have been nibbled…say no more…keep under trilby ;~)

I’m a pretty happy bunny ;~D

Now the wet-windy weather is back, the internet is back, and I have a chance to sit with hot tea and write this to you, dear bro.

To pick one of your threads…a few months ago I reviewed a book called The Nature Fix by Florence Williams. Among many interesting things, she mentioned a Canadian study where a group of people were given cognitive and creative tests before and after being denied access to any form of media (including phones, computers, TV) for four days. During those days they went for a walk through some Canadian wilderness, with time for interaction and for sole contemplation. The results showed a significant increase in both cognitive and creative abilities. No surprise really but, as Florence points out, we need these studies because the securing of funding for anything to do with getting people into nature for a while (whether that be maintenance of a city park, longer lunch breaks, or corporate trips to the wilderness) rests upon ‘evidence based’ information.

Does absolutely everything have to be ‘evidence-based’ these days? Can we no longer rely on our powers of intuition, common sense and judgement borne of experience? 

My only gripe with the study is that it doesn’t tease out whether it’s the being in nature (and the implicit physical exercise thereof) or the getting rid of media that does the trick. However I haven’t read the original report, so that may well have been ascertained, but Florence doesn’t go into that much detail.

As you may or may not know, I spoke at a conference in Dublin summer 2016 on roughly this subject (I actually titled my talk ‘Naked on the beach’ but that’s another story ;~), and it’s something I’m turning over in my mind as perhaps worthy of further study. To me it seems so obvious that being outside in a natural environment with weather, wildlife and walking is going to make one feel better, that further evidence is spurile (is that a word? Google doesn’t recognise it!). But hey, it’d be a pretty nice research topic – Florence definitely had a good time! (it’s worth a read)

Because of all this lack of media and ….er….um…other ear-related distractions….I haven’t a scooby what’s going on in the world at large, but I do have some news of progress on the house front. Yesterday I met Hugh, the Argyll Estates factor, and he is, as Fenning said, a thoroughly decent chap. As I had thought, my house issue had not been on his priority list, in fact it had been very firmly at the bottom of the pile due to an overly aggressive solicitor tee’ing him off in various ways about other matters. When I introduced myself as Fenning’s sister, would-be purchaser of Red Roofs and generally all-round nice person with a pretty handy smile, he visibly melted. Ah, the old ways are the best ;~)

Upshot: today I’ve been invited to the site meeting at 1pm (wrap up warm, winter has returned), but Hugh has already intimated that the required alterations to ownership can go through smoothly and quickly from this point and without any ackers having to change hands. Mind you ‘quickly’ probably still means several weeks, but at least the whole thing will be moving in the right direction.

Meanwhile I’m living in my wee bolthole, with very few clothes or other stuff (all in storage with the furnishings) and with no office. Work is suffering and deadlines loom. Should I worry? Somehow I can’t seem to get up much of a head-of-steam for it. I’m feeling all calm and relaxed, with the last line of the reading I gave at Mum’s service ever in my mind: ‘all is well’. 

Ha – I just looked up the poem to check that last line only to discover there is another line, although it looks a little as if someone else has tacked it on. What do you reckon? Here it is in full:

Death is nothing at all. I have only slipped away to the next room. I am I and you are you.

Whatever we were to each other,  that, we are still. Call me by my old familiar name.

Speak to me in the easy way which you always used. Put no difference into your tone.

Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.

Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes we enjoyed together. Play, smile, think of me. Pray for me.

Let my name be ever the household word that it always was. Let it be spoken without effect.

Without the trace of a shadow on it.

Life means all that it ever meant. It is the same as it ever was. There is absolute unbroken continuity.

Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight? 

I am but waiting for you. For an interval. Somewhere very near. Just around the corner.

All is well.

Nothing is past; nothing is lost. One brief moment and all will be as it was before only better, infinitely happier and forever we will all be one together with Christ. 

Henry Scott Holland

‘All is well’ is the line I hold constantly in my heart, and which holds me gently steady when external factors might wobble me. Mum’s voice, and her hand holding mine. It’s my gimbal.

In a sense it’s saying the same thing as Winston’s ‘keep buggering on’ sentiment and that reminds me of an Icelandic quote that I learned from a lovely man called Magnus whilst riding in the mountains there in 2016:

‘You should be clever enough to be always in a good humour’ Duddi of Iceland

On that note I shall sign off. But….tell me more about your work news please? Bologna??

BIG LOVE xxxjulesxxx