Scottish Snippets Scottish Snippets
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Dear Readers,The Scottish Snippets Newsletter began in April 1997 and continued in an unbroken series for 591 issues. It's not as if there has been an army of people involved in writing it - just the one editor. It had been my intention to keep the newsletter going for as long as I was able to do so. So in recent months, despite an attack of shingles which resulted in nerve pains that were only alleviated by piling cushions round me as I typed away at the keyboard, the newsletter had been published as normal.
But a couple of weeks ago, as a result of my heartbeat becoming irregular and fluttering at around 160 beats a minute (due, I'm told, to "Atrial fibrillation"), I ended up in hospital. I wasn't in hospital for long, but two days after being discharged, I had a stroke. Fortunately, I was whisked off to hospital quickly and was treated with one of the "clot busting" drugs. As a result, I am still fully mobile, with only a slight lack of control in my left hand and slight slurring of my speech. I've made amazing progress, however, and the current symptoms are expected to improve further in the coming weeks. I was released from hospital just five days after the stroke because I was doing so well!
A lot of work goes into reading over a dozen on-line Scottish newspapers every day and then creating a précis of the collected items for the actual newsletter. That final phase is sometimes not completed until the early hours of Sunday morning.
As I lay in hospital watching the heart monitor recording the erratic and fast heart beats and realised how lucky I had been that the aftermath of the stroke had not been much worse, I reluctantly came to the conclusion that it was time to remove the pressure of meeting a deadline of producing the newsletter every two weeks (and the colour supplement every week). Added to which, I celebrated my 70th birthday while in hospital and perhaps I don't work as fast as I used to!
Over the years I have made many good friends of readers who have been in touch, often on a regular basis. I know from their feedback, that the newsletter is appreciated, and I am sad that I can no longer continue to produce it.
I'll be back shortly to working on the Rampant Scotland Web site - it always seems to require a lot of maintenance and there may be time now to create some of the new sections I have always wanted to include. So it's not yet a question of putting my feet up and watching the grass grow! Yours aye Scottie
Update - 11 April 2009
First of all, many thanks to all those who emailed me in response to the news that I was having to give up writing the regular Scottish Snippets newsletter. I was overwhelmed by the letters of appreciation, understanding and good wishes for a speedy recovery. I'm delighted to say that I am continuing to make excellent progress - despite the stresses and strains of taking delivery of a new PC with the Vista operating system... My next objective is to get back to driving - not just to go supermarket shopping (important though that is!) but to go to places where I can add to the collection of photographs for next year's online calendar.
The many e-mails certainly brought it home to me that so many readers appreciate being in contact with what is going on in Scotland. The Global Friends of Scotland organisation has suggested that their monthly magazine might help to fill some of that gap. While it does not cover the news in the same way as the Snippets newsletter, this Web-based production does have a range of Scottish-related articles and these are added to each month. You can see the current edition and access the articles from previous issues via Global Friends of Scotland You can also subscribe to be alerted when future editions are published.
For those who want to access current news stories on a daily basis, the BBC News Scotland Web site does a good job at BBC News Scotland Use the drop down menu for regional news stories.
While reading the feedback emails I received from many of the Snippets subscribers, it occurred to me that while I will not be able to produce the fortnightly newsletter in its previous format, a web-based Scottish "blog" with graphics and commentary about aspects and places in Scotland might also help to keep subscribers in touch with Scotland. A blog is defined as "a type of website, usually maintained by an individual, with entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics".
By its nature, items are added on an irregular basis, rather than to a fixed schedule. Additions would be notified to subscribers by email. Don't expect anything soon though - I need to spruce up the Rampant Scotland Web site and add sections on new subjects I have had in mind for some time. I'll send another e-mail as and when these additions are online.
Yours Aye
Scottie
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