Weather and winter.

This weekend has been full of weather problems, from a few deaths and lots of people flooded out of their homes, rain and cold weather rules. Even here we have had cold nights and chilly days. On Saturday the day dawned cold and frosty and stayed that way all day, when I came home from Christmas shopping the sheltered parts of the road was still frosty and white.

The local towns have Christmas fun days and they are kind enough (and bright enough) to stagger them, so it was Wicks on Saturday and next week it will be Thurso's turn. They are 20 miles apart and the next large town is Tain more than an hours drive and two county's away :-) so the two towns are supposed to be rivals but more and more they are finding that by co-ordinating they get more and give more back.

The current climate of recession, of tightening your belt, and of judging the worth and value of everything has led to a strange sense of being judged. All I do and all I participate in is weighted and valued in my head, I make notes and keep track of whats worth doing and what isn't. I find myself in shops thinking that a thing isn't worth the money being asked for it, or that I don't want to pay the asking price for things. The whole way our society see's ourselves has been challenged and the result is gradually flowing over us all, from The Apprentice (which I am loving the young version of) to X-Factor (which will be the last series I watch after the mess of Ryland in and Ella out), I value my own time and even my 'fun' things get weighted and measured.

This has helped by the reflective practitioner things I have been doing as part of my own CPD, it has helped when looking at my own work and the wider world. Events a couple of weeks ago have helped bring this home to me. I sat and thought what, why and what next. I applied all that and did what I had to, when I ran what I had done and wanted to do past one of my colleagues, they were not sure, just as well I wasn't asking but telling :-). A week later I finally had all the information in place to do all I needed and because I had done it first all was in place. My own actions and reactions had been vindicated which was good for me but was a clear win for applying the do, think, change ideas.

The excess of water has been a problem for so many back in Devon where I come from, my poor brother has a bucket in his living room due to a leak. My mum hasn't done much as the local roads have been under water. I have been thinking about all that is happening and have come to the point were I know I can't plan for everything. The rain cannot be planned for only coped with, unless you built wrong in the first place. What you can plan and sort out is good as long as you follow rules and what is done is for a reason. And Finally (failing Ryland being voted out of X-Factor) we are much better working together and being with each other than alone. Co-operation, forethought, and hope, regardless of the weather, winter or current situation.