I'm sitting here, having just posted news of our Christmas exhibition With the wind in their wings and it occurs to me that I am looking out at the trees on the High Street - and their leaves are browns and golds. It is September 20th for goodness sake! It is also pretty cold sitting here, and I don't remember either of these things happening at this date in previous years. I know, I know - its age, time passes all the more quickly as they years grow. Nuts, is all I have to say to you - do you remember the leaves turning and your fingers needing gloves in previous Septembers in Linlithgow. See!
Having moaned above, the trees do look good. I always enjoy autumn - it had never before struck me that there might be a chance of there being just TOO much autumn, I always felt I could have done with more. In the dim past I do remember Charles explaining, from his great height and certainty, that he didn't like autumn much - 'too much flux'' he said. Well, flux or not that argument never impressed me much (but why do I remember it?) and I will stick with my pleasure.
In January we will have been here for 17 years, or rather The Line will. When I was 17 I was about to leave school and head to University - it felt as if I had a whole life behind me and a new one was about to begin. I don't feel the same need to move on now, but it does make for an interesting comparison - for me at least. What do the next few years bring to challenge and divert? I will wait and see -
in the meanwhile let me explain the image which accompanies this ramble. Ruthie had a stroke when she was 30 and nearly lost her life. Now, some three years later, she is able to look after herself in her own flat, grows vegetables in the garden and assists with a variety of enterprises around town in a voluntary capacity. A couple of weeks ago was the great Glasgow to Edinburgh cycle ride. With only one arm and one leg functioning properly, Ruthie was unable to join in directly, but with a little planning the static bike was sited outside The Line and Ruthie got stuck in - 15 miles were completed. The tee shirt on the window? One of the guys cycling by stopped for a chat - then disappeared into the pub next door. He came back minus his ride tee shirt, which he then presented to Ruthie as 'she deserved it more than he did'.
Could not agree more.
