Day 290 - a time to take great care. xx

Thursday 17th October

Better late than never.  This will have to be my motto to get me to the Christmas markets this year because I am finally into full scale production.  Today has been about making the prototypes for the wreaths and now they are done I can just get on and make them all up.  The house does look like a bomb has landed in it so I must be making progress.  The sewing machine will be out tomorrow to complete the range and then I have 2 weeks to get as much done as I can. 

It has been therapeutic creating things this week and strangely peaceful.  As the young people on the island try and come to terms with the loss of Connor there is a sadness that lurks in the autumn mists and we can all feel it.  Connor's death comes on top of three suicides in the past couple of years and I think our young people are struggling.  None of it makes any sense and it is a huge burden that they are all carrying.  As parents we just want to take the pain away but we can't and all we can do is be there as they slowly begin to talk about it.  The island is a sad place to be at the moment and I think it will be for some time.

I have had lots of encouraging discussions with parents over the past 24 hours in response to my piece about supporting young people.  It would seem that I am far from alone in wanting to do what I can to help our young people find their way in life.  Sadly, I have also had some difficult conversations with parents who are trying to support their children through their final years in school.  The pressure is immense and I do wonder what it is going to take before we realise just what the current system is doing to our children.  Scottish island mum is filtering a continual message that 16-18 year olds are finding life just too tough.  Pressure to achieve top grades is so high that we might as well let the other grades go.  It is complete nonsense and I can not believe that this attitude is so entrenched in our society.  I want us to all come together in a way that asks questions of a system that is clearly not working and damaging some of our young people.  How on earth do 16 year olds take 10 plus GSCEs and why are 18 year olds starting to feel that they need 4 A levels? 

So, in my crafting production line I am starting to contemplate what I might do to support young people.  I already work closely with a number of young people who need help but I want to add a more universal response to what I am doing.  My early research is showing me a couple of ways I might be able to help and I have some gentle emails circulating as I write.  I don't want to moan; I want to help.  This may come to nothing but I would be surprised at that outcome.  Scottish island mum is not one for giving up.  I shall keep you posted.  Meantime if you are a parent and have any perspectives to share I would love t hear from you.  I am especially interested to hear from parents who have found solutions to the problems faced by our young people as I am sure readers would be very interested. 

I was lifted by last nights programme on the Great British Year.  The episode focused on summer so autumn will be the last episode.  The filming has been breath taking and to hear that people from all over the country have been sending footage in was truly inspirational. As the island delves deeper into autumn the colours are at their most glorious so tomorrow is a walk in the woods day to try and capture some of it.  This time is so short before the leaves drop to the ground and winter starts to make itself known.  It truly is a time to treasure. 

Until tomorrow. xx

Day 289 - time to consider our young people. xx

Wednesday 16th October

Somebody dropped the temperature on the island without telling me so the fire is on early and I have moved my 'office' closer to it.  It has been a very busy couple of days so I am taking this afternoon to catch up.  When someone throws in a curve ball it is very exciting but it also messes with the everyday things that make our world go round. 

The boys and I have been following the Great British Year on the BBC and have used it as a hook into some more in depth natural history enquiries.  George has been studying the Eider duck while Max has been looking the Shag seabird and its very funny habits.  We are members of the RSPB and use their site a lot in home school.  We have Molly to thank for our growing fascination with birds and we can now walk along the beach and name just about every bird species that happens to pay a visit. 

I have started to try and organise my home school experience into some sort of order so that I might finally tackle the ebook I have been promising.  It is not going to be an easy task as it is ten years of experience but I am going to keep the focus on activities that parents can do with their children.  You don't have to be home schooling to be interested as I know that parents of school based children are always asking me about what we get up to. 

George and Max are older now and well through their schooling so independent learning is the most common approach with some gentle guidance from us.  When they were younger it was different as they all needed a lot more input.  We have managed to maintain a dialogue with Molly despite the fact that she is now way ahead of both Pete and I in her chosen subject.  Pete can still have a sensible discussion about the science that she engages with and |I try and hold my own with her research activities drawing on my experience as a university lecturer. 

Molly is underway with her dissertation and making some brave and bold decisions which I hope will light up the sky a little so that fellow academics will know she is on the map.  She is a born researcher as she has the capacity and interest to drill down into the subject.  She is also naturally curious and her studies have developed her lateral thinking skills.  We are hoping that these skills coupled with a determined attitude will deliver a respectable undergraduate dissertation.  This will then provide an excellent launch pad for her masters research. 

I loved my masters degree despite it being very hard work.  I was teaching almost full time at the same time as studying and Molly was born mid way through.  There is no doubt that a masters degrees encourages original thinking and I have drawn on it a great deal over the years.  I am filled with horror when I think of what the English young people are facing as they consider a university pathway.  £9,000 a year just for fees is a huge amount of money and, in many cases, a huge amount of debt.  Molly got into the system just before that was introduced so her fees are £3,500 a year.  Big difference. 

Of course, it would have been ideal if Molly had chosen a degree course in a Scottish university because there would have been no fees at all.  I can't see that strategy being sustainable for much longer but it is a real gift for Scottish students.  Molly was looking for a very focused course and only a couple of universities offered such options and they were both in England.  Where I think Scottish universities let their students down is the in the length of the course.  In almost all cases it takes four years to achieve an honours degree whereas you can achieve the same outcome in three in English universities.  I have advised many students with their UCAS applications over the years but now I find myself questioning the intent if they are considering a degree from an English university.  I am sure thee courses are very engaging and the experience just as good as it always was but the fees are just too high.  They have also gone up against a culture of taught hours going down so there is a value for money debate to be had.

That said, there are lots of reasons to go to university particularly if the qualification is necessary for a chosen career as in teaching, for example.  Beyond that I would encourage young people to at least  consider other options.  Vocational learning is seizing its opportunity as university is no longer the obvious choice.  The new apprenticeship schemes are beginning to bed down in the system and offer a real alternative to university education.  Distance learning options are also taking their opportunity and they allow young people to work part time while studying alongside. 

It is an incredibly tough job market out there at the moment so I believe that young people need to add value to their education by seeking out relevant and rewarding voluntary work that will deliver necessary work experience.  Molly grasped that very early on and has now developed a very impressive CV for someone so young.  There are so many voluntary opportunities out there and they can make a real difference to a young person's experience. 




I am delighted that my new site One soul many hearts is offering just these type of opportunities.  Robyn is our new newsletter assistant and  she is currently getting to grips with Mailchimp software ready to publish the first edition.  She is also taking on some book review work.  I have lots of ways that young people can get involved so if you know of anyone who might be interested do let me know.  All the work can be done in their own time and from home and I hope that is appealing.  The site will give them a platform to share their work and I will be able to provide references as necessary. 

I have had a discussion with a major retailer today and they want to start offering more short term internship options over the internet.  They already operate a very sophisticated management training programme but they can see how small work experience opportunities may be useful to the young people of today as they attempt to enter a very challenging job market.  We were on the same page when we agreed that we all share thee responsibility of supporting young people.  I already support a number of young people as they establish themselves in blogging and social networking.  Molly has her own Conservation Stories blog and it is something to be very proud of.  She can direct potential employers to it and this is just another way of improving her chance of a job in the very competitive conservation sector.  I am always willing to help others. 

I am off back to Mailchimp to try and keep up with Robyn.....it is how it should be. 

Until tomorrow.  xx

Day 288 - flipping upside down seems to help. xx

Tuesday 15th October

I have come to the conclusion that when you make the decision to tip your life upside down and give it a good shake it leads to all sorts of new opportunities.  Sometimes these shake ups are not necessarily planned but in response to changing circumstances.  Through this year I have had to make more adjustments that I would have liked but it is now time to celebrate these changes.  Scottish island mum has become a brand but in the best possible sense of the word.  It has become something that people feel they can rely on and I am sure that has developed out of blogging every day.  By listening to readers and establishing a real and authentic dialogue Scottish island mum has been able to respond to and reflect on reader opinions and there lies the heart of the brand.  There was never any intention that Scottish island mum would become a brand.  In fact, there was never any intentions at all beyond blogging on the life of a mother of four children who lives on a Scottish island. 

I am not a fan of artificial and manufactured brands that are distant from the real world so when I saw Scottish island mum beginning to reach into branding territory I tried to guide it carefully.  It would appear that this was a good thing because the latest shake up of our lives seems to have delivered some rare and rewarding opportunities.  I must tell you that when these opportunities are dropped into my inbox I am always deeply suspicious and spend some time checking out their validity!  I think that is because I am slightly out of step with my own brand.  Scottish island mum developed wings early in the project and mid way through floated into the national press before returning to her natural roots.  There was some thinking that lead to the development of a new site with the hope that it might be of use and interest to others.  That thinking was so strong that Scottish island mum was rather left to see out her year in a quiet and gentle manner. 

All that appears to have changed.  In the last two weeks I  have managed to take the necessary steps to catch up with my own brand and respond accordingly to opportunities that have presented themselves.  As a result I am much clearer about the place of Scottish island mum going forward and I am also going to revisit my decision to migrate the site.  If it is the readers that have largely driven the development of the brand then these are the very people that Scottish island mum wants to stay connected with.  I haven't work out the details of this change in strategy but I did want you to be the first to know that Scottish island mum will move into 2014 with some of her 2013 features in tact. 

I now have two opportunities that have presented themselves because of the strong brand coupled with the wide and deep readership reach.  This has been further extended as a result of One soul many hearts being launched.  I had hoped that readers of Scottish island mum would move across to embrace One soul many hearts but I had not anticipated that it would work the other way.  Barring a major blip in the process Scottish island mum will be celebrating 30,000 page views in the very near future and certainly before the end of this phase of the project.  You will know that there will be some serious jigging.  My boys are almost constantly rolling their eyes as mother jigs around the room - excellent. 

Photographs by David Newell & Lisa Valancuis.

My latest preoccupation is now that a brand has developed where and what do I want to align it with?  You might wonder whether that it is important but to me it is critical.  I am already using the brand to promote One soul many hearts and also several charity projects and these will always remain my first choice.  Beyond that though there are always commercial options but they absolutely have to be in keeping with the brand that is Scottish island mum.  A brand may not have been intended but now it appears to have arrived it is important to use it wisely.  I would, of course, be most interested in your views.  Do drop me an email if you have the time.  Many thanks.  xx

So, today has been about mind boggling conversations on the email coupled with research for several new pieces for both here and One soul many hearts.  If you haven't signed up for the newsletter for One soul many hearts do pop over and do it as I am hoping the first one will be out any day.  I now have the lovely Robyn working with me on it and I will introduce her to you all properly very soon.  Scottish island mum will also be offering a regular newsletter in 2014 as it is an excellent way to keep in touch. 

Part of me wants to stop the train and get off so that I can bottle Scottish island mum and preserve it just as it is now.  Then I reflect on that incredibly valuable on going dialogue with my readers and I realise that things will change to reflect that dialogue.  I have said this more than once but I will say it again.....Scottish island mum belongs to all of us and may that always be the case. 

Until tomorrow.  xx

Day 287 - We have lost a much loved young man. x

Monday 14th October

It is with enormous sadness that I have to tell readers that the island has lost one of its young people.  Connor Smith was just 19 but he was tragically killed in a quad bike competition in Italy yesterday.  Connor was well loved on the island and his very close family will be devastated.  He leaves behind a younger sister who is just 16.  If you didn't know Conner you knew his sister or his parents or his grandparents so we are all, once again, mourning  a life lost.  Connor's tragic death touches us through Harry and his cousin Pete who were both very good friends will him.  My mother is also very good friends with his grandparents.  This little island has barely got over saying goodbye to 'Pops' and now this.  Tributes to Connor are pouring into his facebook page and this is testament to just how much he was loved and respected.  My heart goes out to his family at this time. 

It has been a tough year for you guys too as I share yet another, very sad, death.  It once again shows the integrity of this project though as you follow the ups and the downs.  This will be mirroring some of your lives as well and serves to remind us to make the very most of the good times.   It is another tough time for Harry and he has a lot to face this year.  I can see him growing through it all but you just wish your children didn't have to go through such sadness.  One of my best friends was killed when we were just 17 and that day has stayed with me my whole life.  The fragility of life is one of the hardest aspects of living but there is nothing we can do about.  So the islanders go about their business but another haunting sadness has drifted in on the wind and will stay with us for some time. 

I can only ever keep busy as that is how I cope so today has been a very busy day.  In school we are studying anatomical structures and comparing and contrasting skeletons.  We use an online visual dictionary a lot in school and it is such a powerful resource.   The boys had a go at drawing the skeletons of both birds and humans and were amazed at some of the similarities.    We have already studied how birds fly and looked at different bird flight patterns.  I think we could clearly see why we don't have the capacity to fly from our skeletal structure and density.  We have done so much natural history in home school; far more than the average school curriculum and the children have all been fascinated.  Pete and I continue to learn alongside them which is just how it should be.  I am a perpetual student and in 2012 I completed year one of a Buddhist dharma course with Samye Ling.  I took 2013 out so that I could establish some sort of future in writing but now I must decide if I can do the second and final year in 2014.  I gained so much from my dharma studies and I grew as a human being so I would like to do the second year.  In one sense it comes down to time and in another it doesn't.  Studying the Buddhist dharma is a deeply contemplative experience and has its own therapeutic mandate but I do need to make enough time to do it properly.  It is one of the most challenging courses I have ever studied so it takes up more time than it probably should.  I shall just mull it over for a few weeks before making a decision. 

We have always taught our children that learning is life long.  Molly was at Nottingham Trent university on Saturday for their postgraduate open day.  She is now even more determined to try for a place on their MSc course in endangered species.  She may have to take a year out to earn some money but we shall have to see what other options present themselves.  If she took a year out to earn money she could also fit in an internship which would be extended voluntary work in the field she wants to work in.  Molly will do what Molly does.  She will apply far and wide and see what her options are.  She will also be first to get her applications in as that is her life long strategy in operation; early bird catches the worm. 

Meantime Harry and I are about to delve into a level 3 diploma in Sports Nutrition.  This will test me a bit as it is not one of my subjects.  Harry will leave me behind in the first module but I will do my best to keep up and support him. 

Today was candle making so the house smells of Christmas essential oils.  I use my own very secret recipe that has always ensured that With Love from Arran sells extremely well in the run up to Christmas.  I made some jar candles and my signature vintage tea cup candles but I also made my first batch of natural fire starters. These are always my biggest seller and I have an extra twist planned for this year.  It is a start towards my Christmas collection but only a very small one with lots more making ahead of me. 

I am pleased that I am getting good responses to my calls from One soul many hearts featured in yesterdays post and on facebook.  Because One soul many hearts will not be updated daily I am using its facebook page to keep everyone in touch.  I notice that I have far more readers of the blog than I do the facebook page so if you haven't started following that page yet it might be an idea to pop over and hit the 'like' button.  That way you can keep up with developments on a daily basis.  I am delighted to have two young people volunteering some of their time to help with the newsletter and social networking tasks.  They probably know far more than me so this will be good for me.  Between us we will try and keep One soul many hearts in people's minds as much as possible. 

Time to go and make some more candles and I have lit one today in memory of Connor.  It is all I can do. 

Until tomorrow.  xx