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I was up at 4am the other morning - to catch a plane at 6.30 down to London. I flew from Edinburgh into London City Airport - its very convenient and quick to get into the city.

I was down for some training on using one of the systems at work. I've been using the system for about a year now - so it was good to know that I've been inputting all the information correctly!

Clinton gave me a guided tour of the London Office, putting faces to names and voices I've been dealing with over the months. It was going well - until Julia - The Chief - popped her head in to say hello, and then tell me she was heading North to catch the ferry to Colonsay.

Talk about being sick. I won't be back on Lismore for a fortnight due to commitments. Still on the plus side - I've only got to work two four-day weeks thanks to the Easter Holiday.

So, if any of you have been reading your Oban Times, you may have seen that there have been some fires on the island recently.

Poor John parked his car thinking his engine was overheating, jumped on the Port Appin Ferry, and headed to the mainland, only to look back and see his car burning away merrily.

The ferry headed back, the volunteer fire brigade had been called and thankfully, the fire resulted in only two cars being completely burnt, and some scorching on another. It could have been a lot worse, Point Car Park being so busy with cars, that if a fire break hadn't been made, then the whole lot could have gone up.

The other fire was at my friend Karen's house. She'd only been in it a week and her lum went up. The Volunteers came down and worked wonders. They came back later on as well to check on Karen. Who by this time was mortified. Not because her husband Tony is a firefighter in Oban and it was her lum that had gone up. No Karen was mortified as she realised she hadn't offered the volunteers any tea after putting out the fire!

Friday Night saw me in Stirling meeting up with old girlfriends from High School.

It's scary to think that the only way we've changed is by getting older. Within 5 minutes we were back to how we used to be.

The staff in the restaurant were patient - it took us the best part of half an hour to make our minds up about what we were having due to the conversations going on and the photos being passed around.

The evening just got better and better, though I have to say that being the sober one there, the language didn't! Talk got round to men (doesn't it always), Maureen is happily with her man, Alison is happy with her man, Jax is looking and I made a suggestion regarding a good friend of mine.

"Phone him and ask him" says Jax, so I do - under loads of persuasion. Thankfully he's out and not answering the mobile. "Text him then" was the next suggestion. Got the reply on Saturday. Now I'm wondering if she's good enough for my pal...

I don't know if its because I'm not getting back up to the island until next week, or what but between last night's dream and thinking I'm going to miss Tathar completely while he's home. I'm losing the plot.

Last night (in my dream) I was taken on what was to be a date. Only to find that in my dream, i ended up down in caves trying to find a group of potholers who'd gone missing (being told by the git in my dreams that I'd be of use as I used to work in a coal mine).

Then he took me up a country road, only to find that all the crops were on fire, and the flames were spreading through all fields and woods at great speed. To keep me safe - he put me in one of these huge metal containers that are used to transport things around the world. (Now even in a dream this isn't a good idea - firstly metal conducts heat! secondly I'm trapped inside again and I'm slightly claustrophobic)

Then we're walking along the sandy beaches of Aberdeen (of all places, all the beaches in the world and I end up in my dreams on Aberdeen Beach - not that I've got anything against Aberdeen Beach - but come on - that's the North Sea out there).

Anyway I digress, there we were on the beach when it starts to rain. Pushing me into a big shed i switch on a light to be faced with the biggest tank I've ever seen in my life and 15 battalions of Icelandic soldiers who are intent on invading Scotland.

Okay - so you'll know that I was glad to wake up this morning. Think it might have something to do with the fact I was out for dinner last night and finished with cheese....

As for Tathar - I was looking at dates in March instead of April so I will meet up with him while he's on the island.

These people at the Computer Club have been busy.

Its a great idea, not only is there a general area for any topic, but there is also a genealogy section for those people who are tracing or trying to trace ancestors. I know from speaking to Teenie that they do get loads of emails from all over the world concerning this.

They've added a forum to the Island's website along with a private area for Islanders/Liosachs. Which I think will be handy. Not only that, but I have to say that I like the wee Community Chest at the bottom of the Forum page.

Teenie and I were discussing the Website and the funding of it as I had no idea how it paid for itself. So now I can make (and have done so) a wee contribution to the funding of it whenever I want to. What would be really grand - is if the lid of the chest rose up as more money was put in it - but then we can't have everything....

Mark, in Destin, Florida and quite a few other folk who know me, have asked what I do for a living. This could take some time...

My job title is Programme Co-ordinator and I work for an organisation called Common Purpose. www.commonpurpose.org.uk if you want more information on what we do.

What is Common Purpose?

Common Purpose is about leaders . Not just elected leaders. Not just business leaders. Not just established leaders. But all leaders. From all sectors of society.

Common Purpose helps people in leadership and decision-making positions to be more effective: in their own organisations, in the community and in society as a whole.

We offer:

a range of programmes for leaders of all ages, backgrounds and sectors

websites for citizens who want to take the lead, people who dream of changing the world (or their part of it).

Very few people emerge from Common Purpose with their prejudices - or working practices - unchanged. As their perspective gets wider, their vision improves. As their vision improves, their decision-making gets better. They forge networks that can have a major impact on their organisation and the community (networks which no other experience can provide).

This can have far-reaching consequences. And can unlock leadership potential in a genuinely different way.

I hope this helps a bit... If not, I'm in the Pier House next Friday!

My friend Wendy is expecting her first child, and with her being a good friend I thought I'd do something a bit special and knit a shawl for the wee one myself.

So up to Granny Wood to ask her if she could give me a pattern, and dipping her hand into her magic shopping bag - out came a pattern.

Now I've been knitting this shawl for a fortnight. Most of the time I've been ripping back the knitting as every time I got past the "make one, knit 15" row, I found that I'd lost stitches somewhere.

According to Gran I'm like her sister Margaret, who could never just go back and correct the mistake, I've got to go back to the very beginning.

So there I was on Sunday, watching the rain pelting down on the Lynn of Lorne and knitting away quite merrily. Up I went past row "make one knit 15", up past row "make one knit 20" and at row "make one knit 30" it happened. I've lost one stitch.

Have I ripped it back - have I heck as like. I'm in Stirling on Saturday to have lunch with Gran and my Aunts and Gran's getting the knitting to fix it.

After then, I've only got to get up to row "make one knit 35" before I visit her again to talk me through the next part of the pattern.

I realise it's probably quite simple, but reading the pattern just doesn't make any kind of sense at all to me just now, and its a lot more technical than make a stitch and then knit.

Don't worry - I'll let you know how it goes....

The Ladies of the Island are taking part in a Crocus Walk (though I can't say I've seen crocus' on the island) on Saturday 1st May.

We're walking to raise money for Breast Cancer.

The unstoppable Beth, and Ellen (a Beth in the making?) have arranged the event between them, and intend to have the ladies walk from the Hall, up to Point (where the ferry leaves for Port Appin) and back again. It's about 10 miles.

The incentive - if raising money wasn't enough, is a Cheese & Wine "do" at the hall on our return.

Now while trying to secure donations/ sponsorship from friends down in the Central Belt, I was asked, "So Jane, when you arrive at Point, are you going to jump on the ferry, head to the Pier House for a quick drink and then catch the next ferry back?"

To be honest I hadn't thought of doing this at all.

Then it dawned on me. The walk is the day after our next Pub Night.

Talk about Bad Planning....

Well Deirdre and I are well into our plans for our trip in August to British Columbia.

We are flying into Vancouver, staying for a few days before catching a ferry/bus to Vancouver Island. We then have a day and a bit on the island before catching the ferry from Port Hardy all the way up to Prince Rupert. The journey will take us up the Inside Passage, and while we're on the ferry we'll be celebrating Deirdre's **th birthday!

We stay in Prince Rupert for two nights before we pick up a car and then we're driving up to the Stewart on the Alaskan/Canadian border. Granny Wood was fair delighted to learn that while we are in Stewart we'll be staying in a Brothel! (well it was in the 1930s).

We then intend to take our time and drive back down from Stewart to Vancouver before getting the plane home.

We've decided that on our way down, we're going to try and stay in "wee towns" rather than "Big towns/cities".

Anyone with any recommendations - we'd be glad for the information.