First steps in blogging

Come on - how hard can it be..................?

'May you live in interesting times' is what the Chinese say. But sometimes I'd plump for less interesting, more stable times.

I work as a defence lawyer in the UK criminal justice system. The Government is slashing the legal aid budget (from which the largest part of my firms' fees come) and will implement changes which reduce the number of firms practicing criminal defence work from 1,600 to 525 or less. So as you can imagine not getting one of the 525 contracts which will ensure our future is a little concerning as a prospect.

I won't rehearse the arguments here - please check out www.crimeline.info/news or No to PCT's Facebook page.

I won't pretend that, on occasion, I have brief twitches about how I will earn a wage in the future if it all goes tits up. But I just try to think about the positives it might bring:

1. I always wanted to live on Orkney when I retire. If I can't work as  a lawyer then I might rent out the house for a year and see if I can hack island life.
2. I live in one of the economic powerhouses of the UK so I am sure that I will find work of some description
3. I am healthy and happy.
4. I have a wonderful son who fills my life with happy moments.

It's those thoughts as well as being able to stand and look at the natural world passing by (saw a peregrine being mobbed by crows this morning on my way in to work) that give me hope.

And patchwork and quilting of course.

So how hard can it be to write a blog? Not at all I hope and  so I hope to catch up with you all soon.