A couple of weeks back I ordered a set of Commonwealth bunting, a Commonwealth flag and a Saltire ready for our summer services/activites and as a 'welcome' for visitors who might happen our way as a result of some little event taking place down the road.

The various parcels arrived - but the saltire seemed wrong even to my untrained eyes, as it had a sky blue ground rather than the more familiar dark blue.  So I have now ordered another one and hope it's a 'better' colour.  However a bit of research indicates that until 2009, any shade of blue from sky to navy was equally acceptable (and technically I guess still is).  In 2009 the Scottish parliament decided that the correct colour is Pantone 300, or in hexadecimal (according to wikepedia) #0065BD.

Oh, and if your interested, which I'm sure you aren't the ground of the union flag is fractionally darker being Pantone 280!!

Over the last week I have been at three different presentations about the upcoming referendum in Scotland, one of which I thoroughly enjoyed, one of which was fun but ultimately so-so, and one that left me disappointed.  So this post is NOT going to try to convince anyone which way to vote - that would be wrong.  And, unlike the various speakers I'm not going to nail my colours to any mast because, as I have observed, so doing polarises people and debate, ending up missing the key point that all the speakers, whatever their asserted position, have tried, to some degree, to make.

Unlike Northern Ireland, Wales and England, Scotland has been given a unique and important opportunity to imagine a new future for itself; the risk, as at least one speaker pointed out, is that the 'independence or not' focus can end up missing the point.  A better question is 'what kind of Scotland would you like to live in, and how best do you go about that?'  A question that could, and should, be asked whichever way the vote goes.  It's not quite as simple as 'if you had a clean sheet of paper, what kind of constitutional format and poiltical governance would you choose' but it does allow some creative thinking about the 'what' and the 'how'.  Defining Scotland over against any other nation state is unhelpful and unhealthy, instead people need to think beyond their own preferences and prejudices and dare to dream.

A lot of work has been done by the churches and by the Evangelical Alliance to encourage Christians to try to bring their faith into conversation with their politics, and there are faith groups for 'Yes Scotland' and 'Better Together' one of which has tried to recruit me (I'm having none of it). I'm not sure to what extent this impacts local churches, many of which think politics and religion should be kept apart.

Listening to people at grass roots, and ignoring what the media has to say, it seems to me that a lot of people have made up their minds already and are disengaging even before the process begins... that's more worrying to me than the outcome.  If, for sake of argument 55% of 40% people chose Option A and 45% of 40% choose option B, that's a bad outcome... if I have a prayer, then it has to be that it is a good turn out and a high vote one way or t'other.

I haven't finally decided which way to vote - I have a definite leaning at present and no-one has convinced me to do the opposite, but I am open to being convinced... for this to happen it has to move beyond rhetoric and blarney and become creative and credible, whichever 'side' it is - sadly as yet I don't see much sign of it from either.

Someone said to me today that they were bored with it all already - which isn't good with three months still to go...

Not an eloquent post for sure - but I hope that those in Scotland lucky enough to have been given this opportunity will take time to think seriously about it and, where they have faith, prayerfully and carefully decide how to vote on 18th September.

Sun, rain, steamy heat, squelchy mud, amazingly good supplies of snacks and water, yummy pasta after the walk, a few tears shed, lots of laughs and an amazing personal best of sustained 17 minute miles over the twenty mile course.

I had a ball!

Special thanks to my friend in Perth who treated me to lunch yesterday and paid the taxi fare to her house, and to the taxi-driver (and C of S member) who waived my fare back to Perth station so long as I donated it to the #ribbonwalk.

It transpired I had just the right amount of music to get me round the course, so many thanks to all who chose tracks for me.

I am totally blown away by the amount of money raised by the kind people who have donated which, after Gift Aid is added comes to over £900.

Ready for an early night but feeling very content

The nearest I'll ever get to being a cover girl!!  And wearing pink to boot!

I walked for several 'someones' very special in their own unique ways

... the people mentioned on my Pink Ribbon Walk back message had lives, personalities and families...

Jean (my aunt)

Born in the south of England the 1920s, her mother died in child-birth just two years later.  With her half-siblings, father and step-mother, she moved to Glasgow at the start of WWII.  Trained as a nurse, she met and married a Polish sailor and emigrated to Australia where she raised five children and became a national leader for the Girl Guides.  Developed breast cancer in her70s/80s and declined treatment; died of secondaries.

Claire (2012)

Someone I 'met' online, single parent to two teenage children, a former professional gardener who taught me (and others) about the green heart of the snowdrop, loved turquoise and spent her final months wheelchair racing at Beaconscot model village, sharing reminiscences of the Stoke Goldington steam rally, eating out, and preparing her family for life without her.  A lapsed 'brethen' Christian we chatted about her faith and funeral plans.  She died peacefully, with no 'unfinished business'.

Karen (2012)

Another online friend, Karen created a magical virtual world known as the Dark, Dark Woods.  Here 'newts' (neutrophils) could be fished for, there was a bar called the Jingling Merkin, a lagoon, and endless supply of whatever food and drink you wanted (all calorie free).  Initially her treatment went well but sadly, and all too rapidly, her secondaries progressed and the founder of the woods reached the end of her journey – no doubt in her trademark high heels and with new adventures still to be had.

Aly (2012)

I didn't get to know Aly as well as some other online friends.  She was a mother, a janitor who longed to get back to work, a feisty, funny and slightly gobby (her word) woman whose journey was all too short.  She and Karen left this world within days of each other, and I like to think of them playing in beautiful wood somewhere.

Laura (2013)

The baby of the my local group, at just 27 Laura should never have had to face all she did.  Always smiling, always positive, this young career girl had a real zest for life.  Laura was a researcher for the local health board and I am sure could have breezed her way through a doctorate.  She loved parties and fun and dreamed of a trip to New York for her thirtieth birthday.  Even before her treatment for primary cancer was complete, Laura had secondary cancer in her brain which did not respond to treatment.  Just days after thanking the medical team for all they'd done for her, she slipped quietly away – leaving a huge hole in the hearts of all who knew her.

Caroline (2013)

Another younger, local woman, with a real zest for life, Caroline was co-owner of a family nursery (garden) business, loved dogs and had just treated herself to her dream car when secondary cancer affecting her brain meant she could no longer drive.  Knowing time was short, she devoted herself to raising money for cancer research, even having her head shaved along the way.

Lil (2014)

Lil was one of my chemo buddies (they're actually a year behind me, so I'm kind of 'big sis') who lived with her husband on Mozambique and whose adventures with crocodiles, floods and other extremes would make your hair curl – unless of course you were having chemo and had no hair to curl.  Full of funny stories and a great encourager, she was the last of the gang to complete her chemo, and sadly the first to develop secondaries.  She and her husband moved to the States and opened a coffee shop, hoping they would have some years together – it wasn't to be and just two months ago our Lucky Lil left us.

Lynsey (2014)

Another Glasgow girl, Lynsey was an infrequent poster in our Facebook group, devoting her time and energy to her family.  She loved a good party, and indeed insisted one was held in her honour after her funeral! 

Kate (2014)

A Yorkshire lass through and through, Kate was a funny, feisty, outspoken, witty, wise woman who faced whatever life sent her with tenacity and humour.  On paper her prognosis was pretty good – but paper prognoses are just that, bits of paper.  After all sorts of problems and then a secondary diagnosis she set out to fulfil her dream to feed big cats and visited New York, living every moment of every day to the max.  Valiant to the end, Kate was a strong woman with whom I shared some good online banter and who, I know, touched many people's lives

Jackie (2014)

Just a few days ago, I added Jackie to my back message.  We didn't know each other that well, indeed I think we became Facebook friends through mutual friends and interests.  Jackie loved Liverpool FC a lot and her family more.  She was a kind, supportive woman whose life, like the others in my list, was cut way too short.

Other than my aunt, none of these women lived an 'average' life time.  Indeed, only Lil was older than me, and even she was only in her fifties (sorry Lil you wouldn't want me to let that out!)… There is nothing pink, fluffy or 'better' about a cruel, unpredictable disease that killed all these young women, left partners and children grieving and dreams unfulfilled.  For these, and for others like them, I'll be walking the Pink Ribbon Walk on Saturday

... for the rest of the week

Off shortly to St Andrews to spend three days with a lot of Baptist ministers.  Much catching up, much chatting, lots of listening to talks, some notetaking and hopefully a bit of free time too.

Then a swift turn around to dump the luggage, repack with less and head back to Perth ready for the Pink Ribbon Walk on Saturday... weather forecast still not very favourable so it might end up as head down and yomp!  Stll, I did get my back signs printed and laminated yesterday, so I'm just about sorted.