It did occur to me to pull out of the Christmas market at the High School this Saturday but only for a second. I then decided that the plan was to combine my work for international charities appealing for aid for the Philippines with making crafts for the market. Seemed like a good idea at the time. The problem I have is an over optimistic view of what is actually possible in life. So while waiting for wax to melt or glue guns to heat I am writing away for the charities. It is no wonder that I am jumping off seats for fear the wax is going to over heat and burning myself on the glue gun. You probably get the picture.
I am not phased just a little busy but progress is being made on both fronts. My lost voices piece has been picked up and now speaks to many many people with the help of the Internet. I worked until I could barely see the screen yesterday moving information around and responding to last minute requests. The situation in the Philippines remains critical but aid is finally beginning to get through. Awful weather and blocked roads have really hampered the aid effort and this is just the beginning. In this sort of situation it is only the big charities that can have any impact in sending first response aid but we all need to understand the gravity of the situation. Crops have been destroyed and fishing boats smashed to nothing so any hope that the people can feed themselves is gone. The people of the Philippines will be reliant on food aid for many months while lives are rebuilt.
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| from the globe and mail.com |
My contacts at the scene tell me that mass burials are now underway to try and control the threat of disease. The problem is many of these people have not been identified and now they never will be. The infrastructure is so challenged that the military are being deployed to maintain order. It is not something that most of us can comprehend. Listening to George in home school this morning made me stop in my tracks. The understanding that young man brings to world issues is truly amazing. He could join the dots of this disaster as well as any journalist at the scene. This level of understanding is not featuring as widely as I think is necessary. In our comfortable lives the world just carries on despite the desperate images being shared around the world. It is the way of human society but I am not convinced this is the right way. The disaster in Haiti is a good example as a year on from their natural disaster and many people were living in emergency tents. I think we are relatively good at responding immediately but long term support is more difficult to secure.
In the front of my mind is the four year old little girl found wandering among the debris of her home. She can not find her parents and she can not comprehend what has happened. The light has gone out in her eyes as the trauma takes hold and she will need an enormous amount of support. This is the story that will haunt me and ensure that our support is ongoing. UNICEF have been able to respond incredibly quickly and now have a huge team on the ground helping the people of the Philippines. I am continuing to do my bit for the charity and have began discussions about how Scottish island mum may continue to help into 2014 and beyond. As soon as I have anything concrete I will let you know.
We are starting this Saturday at the Christmas market where 10% of all takings will go to the UNICEF appeal and this will continue with every Christmas event that With Love from Arran attends. George wants to come and help on Saturday. He doesn't always say a great deal and I think he believes that actions speak louder than words. In this case he is absolutely right.
Beyond this work I have had a productive time turning my house into a creative and very impressive mess. Broken cinnamon sticks trodden into the carpet, ribbons strewn across tables, tissue paper that appears to be breeding and boxes slowly filling with Christmas goodies. This year we have taken a little gamble by only offering limited colours and fragrances. This does mean a very strong homespun feel to the collection but it could be like marmite. We may be very busy or very quiet on Saturday. My little cat has been by my side all day only moving when the gold spray came out and she objected to the smell. She has not left me since I returned on Monday evening and it is lovely to know that I was missed.
So, lots and lots still to do and less and less time to do it in. But trying to tackle both tasks at the same time was the right decision. It is not like I was going to let one thing drop. You will know that about me by now. I am seriously bonkers.
Until tomorrow. xx
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