I strive to get a blog out each week. Then all of a sudden like waiting for a bus three came along all at the same time.
The Society of Authors in Scotland asked me to write one for April. My deadline to have something ready was the end of February.
Last week for once I was feeling smug that my weekly blog was complete and ready by the weekend. It was all set up to go live on Monday morning.
Monday arrives and so does an event that required me to produce a third blog. Not that I expected all three to go out on the same day of course. That was never the intention. But as we all know life is full of unexpected events.
By Monday afternoon all three pieces of writing were up and available.
So apart from all being published on the same day did they have anything in common? My main themes perhaps of trees, dogs, or writing. There was a connection but I am afraid nothing about trees, nature, or dogs.
All three were connected by writing and languages in one form or another. I suspect it will be a long time before I have three articles out on the same day again.
I was lucky that for once I could take the time to produce another blog and reflect on what was happening. If only I had known about some events sooner I could have made that my first and only blog of the week.
The Society of Authors in Scotland blog featured my writing and the languages I use. Gàidhlig for children and English for adults with a flavouring of Scots and a wee drop of Gaelic interspersed throughout.
My own blog was about World Book Day and the need to celebrate it not by dressing up but by placing books once more at the centre of the festivities. Independent bookshops seemed to have done this well as did some schools who managed to put books once more at the centre of what they did.
The third blog I was compelled to write due to the trashing of Gaelic books by Argyll and Bute Council. The event touched my being both as a writer of Gaelic and as someone who was once employed as a Gaelic Development Officer. As such, I was well aware of the need for these resources by Gaels, learners, families, and schools alike.
These were not books that had been used and were now unsuitable to give out. The resources had never left the education building they were housed in. Who had hoarded these books, why had they kept them instead of handing them out? Given how some feel towards Gaelic there will also be that wee niggle at the back of the mind, that it could have been a deliberate act or in this case a non-action. Having worked in Gaelic Development for many years, believe me, I have both heard and seen worse. An investigation is taking place. We can only hope that is not just a delaying tactic and the truth does come out.
Perhaps I could have taken this week off from blog writing after such a productive week. However, I know some of my readers look forward to reading my weekly blog.
Hopefully, when things get back to normal next week I will still be able to produce something that people want to react to and read.
With the sun shining and the sky attempting to produce that clear blue spring colour I’m pretty sure that trees and nature will once more feature a little bit more in my writing again.
I hope whatever you are doing this week you can find time to read and relax from all that is happening around you.