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The wind is howling, the plastic covers protecting the windows are rattling, and the sea outside the window is frothing with enormous white caps. The forecast was for gale force 9 winds. Force 9 means the strength is 50 miles an hour or more. The way it sounds it just might have reached that.

The storm outside does not bother me, as I want to begin the preparations for my first Christmas holiday to be spent at Eshaness Lighthouse. Because my children and grandchildren are in Michigan my husband and I usually spend Christmas there. This year because of the BBC documentary about my life at Eshaness I will need to be in Shetland for part of the Christmas holiday.

With a heavy Shetland sweater and warm wool socks to keep me toasty warm I begin getting ready for Christmas. It took a lot of searching to find a tree. Shetland has few trees so I cannot go out and cut one. Transport from Lerwick, 40 miles away, is too difficult. I have become reliant on catalogues and online merchandise for about everything. Looking through one of the online sites I was surprised to find a cheap artificial Christmas tree with ornaments and lights. Having not taken it out of the box I am pleasantly surprised at all the decorations. There are red and yellow lights, which are a nice change from my all white trees in the US. Included in the package are also red and gold bows, gilded pinecones and gold stars. Once the small tree was covered with all of these it looked very festive sitting in the window.

Now totally in the Christmas mood I decide to bake Christmas cakes. A friend had given me her family recipe for a traditional Scottish Christmas cake. Carefully following all of the instructions I stirred up a batter made of a combination of store ingredients with the lighthouse hen’s eggs. Placing my three cakes in the solid fuel Rayburn to bake, I sit down with a cup of tea to stare at my lovely little tree. It is only then that notice the sound of the wind again. I was impressed how my Christmas activities kept me from hearing the noise of the storm outside.

Every year I make Christmas presents for those people close to me. I feel if I make them they are more special than something I would buy in the store. This year I have decided to spin wool on the 1847 spinning wheel that I got right after we moved into the lighthouse. Since I can’t knit I have to find other things to do with the wool like making hooked rugs, potholders, and fabric.

I decided that it would be jolly to spin sitting by the Rayburn that was cooking my Christmas cakes and look at my decorated tree. I moved the spinning wheel into the living room put some Christmas music on the stereo and began to spin.

When the timer went off for the cakes I realized I had been spinning for over two hours. Taking the cakes out of the oven I decided that was enough spinning for one day. Night comes very early in the afternoon in Shetland so I decided to go out side to get some pictures of the tree in the window with the tower’s light above. Maybe I might be able to make some Eshaness Christmas cards. The pictures turned out great. I now have a special holiday card to send to all of my friends, including you the readers of this article. As I finished editing the picture I wondered if anyone would send me cards here since usually I am in Michigan. People know they can reach me at Eshaness Lighthouse, Northmavine, Shetland Islands, ZE2 9RS, Great Britain but whether they will take the time and trouble I do not know.

It was only when I shut the computer down that I heard the wind again still roaring and rattling the plastic protectors. For most of the afternoon I had not heard it as I worked on my Christmas preparations. It is strange how things like that fade away when you are involved in special activities and thinking of others. Maybe there is a lesson to be learned. In these troubled times it might make us feel better and help the fear and chaos fade from our minds if we get involved in doing simple holiday tasks and thinking of others. It does not change the situation but it does improve one’s state of mind. The wind is still gale force outside the lighthouse but inside it is peaceful with the smell of Christmas cakes and the twinkle of Christmas tree lights.

The story of how Sharma Krauskopf came to Eshaness Lighthouse is told in The Last Lighthouse available from Lighthouse Depot. The Depot also has the first two of her International Lighthouse books, Scottish Lighthouses and Irish Lighthouses.

This story appeared in the December 2001 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. For subscription information about the print edition, click here.

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