I'm just back from a weekend in The East. My best friend has just completed a two year project http://www.portrait-of-our-time.co.uk/home.asp with a community play in her village hall. It was the culmination of a project which had her photograph the people of four neighbouring areas (those folks who wished to be involved), in front of their homes, publish the photos in a book, display photos in an exhibition and finally write and direct a play based on the stories that came out of her interaction with all those people. It was an amazing display of community unity (I may consider writing a play myself with such a gift for prose). It was lovely to drive home through moonlit rural Aberdeenshire after the play and know that all those lights scattered about the hillside were occupied by people who were in the book and probably in the play. I woke this morning to the sound 0f the Gamekeepker singing 'Consider Yourself', from Oliver Twist at the top of his voice. (my friend is married to the Gamekeeper). I think that song will be echoing through the glen all week.
I had to leave before the final performance as the main route home had closed to snow and I don't know the Aberdeenshire hinterland very well. The Gamekeeper told me ominously that my best hope of survival was to leave imediately!! Survival was easy enough, but the journey was long and the drifts from the cold East wind were hazardous in places. I did enjoy the drive through Whisky country, which I haven't done since the last time the main route was closed to Spook and I, before Meg was born.
We all had our fingers on the button last week for the opening of the Ben Race entries. There are only 600 places and they go very fast. There was much talk of early post and which box would be best to put it in to get ones own entry to the top of the pile. They then publish the names of the succesful applicants at the end of February. I know I got an entry as I forgot to sign it and was asked into the office to do so. Mine has got through and now I have to go and practice. I have let it go so long, that it will be very hard work to get back to a reasonably level of fitness.
Finn's parents night went well with positive reports from all teachers. He is settling well. His PE teacher was particularly impressed with his LeCross skills. They only do an introduction to it, but Finn slipped in some very sneaky moves that had the teacher doing a double take and his jaw gaping. He wasn't to know that Finn had spent some time in Kiwi land with Americans, learning the moves in their back garden.
In fact everyone is being sporty apart from me. Meg is loving her new trainers and is planning to run with her dad this week. Finn has a rugby tournament the weekend we are on Skye and is wondering how to get to it. Spook had a cycle race in the forest today and did well.
We have our friends two dogs to stay for a week and I took them a walk down to the canal. I'm thinking I will need to try harder than that.
I'm wondering when I might get time to paint. I always come home from the East with a desire to paint. But I do get a stronger desire to paint when I know I have to run..........
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