December 2007

Christmas is coming…
the goose is getting fat…
I’m dead excited…
And I’ll be getting fat too!

Indeed I did…

But first, December.

Not much to report really.

Just winding down a lot of projects and stuff, one of which culminated in a two-day festival at The Bridge in Easterhouse. That venue is phenomenal!

I was also asked to play at a 5th birthday party at the Tollbooth in Stirling – another phenomenal venue.

Part of the deal was that I’d do a wee singing workshop in the afternoon, before the gig. So, there I was, songs in hand, ready to sing some songs, not knowing what to expect, when all these wee kiddies came in! Well, I was expecting adults, so ‘Summertime’ wasn’t exactly what was required! Plus, most of them were too young to read – oh!

Anyway, eventually some adults did come in and we sang a mix of kiddies tunes and adults tunes and had a lot of fun. We did finish on ‘Summertime’, more for the adults, and it left me thinking that people really do love singing – I think we should get it on the NHS.

I also did all of my Christmas shopping in one go which I absolutely love. Funny that, I’m just not into shopping, but this isn’t really shopping…it’s Santa shopping!

I always make a point to do Christmas shopping after my birthday, but bizarrely, I loved doing it at any time this year. I think it was because I knew there was no bit trip and so, I was embracing the whole ‘being at home’ thing

And embraced it I did.

I waited till after my birthday and went tree shopping with Goddaughter and nephew.

They were very aware of my instructions; a small tree that will sit in that corner on top of that thingmy.

We went in, saw a big eight foot one and bought it!

Goddaughter and nephew then duly decorated it with the amount of stuff that we would normally put on a small tree in the corner on top of that thingmy! It looked a wee bit like something out of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (not sure where that analogy came from!)

Anyway, we were ready for it, BIG TIME.

Christmas Dinner, 16 folk, two of whom wanted steak, three of whom wanted veggie stuff and the rest who would bloody well make do with turkey.

Apart from fussy eaters…we had a brill day which culminated in Nephew and us performing our entire repertoire of particularly dodgy songs in concert-type-fashion to the slightly stunned looking company! Still, given that they were so fussy about their food, they’d have to put up with it!

Then on Boxing Day, we did something that we haven’t done since we moved into this glorious building site; we sat around – with the hangers-on from yesterday – drank fizz, ate left over everything and watched rubbish Christmas tv – all in front of a real wood fire – only thing that was missing was Nat King Cole and his chestnuts (if you’ll pardon the expression!!!)

New Year was a lovely time too. Not only did we have a wee haggis, neeps and tatties celebration in our house, we did it with a very few special people.

I don’t know if you’re a new year person, but I know lots of folk don’t like it, that they find it emotional. I don’t know, I usually just enjoy it, especially with all the dodgy telly shows and fireworks in Sidney etc. Although, for the past eight years I’ve been far away, and believe me, it’s hard to get haggis in El Salvador!

After we had fireworks in the back garden, our neighbours came in for a wee dram, it was lovely, especially when we were all singing Donny Osmond songs till the wee small hours!

We’d stayed up till five am so that we could call Rita in NY…when we called, she was out!!!

January 2008

So, Happy New Year. Happy 2008

We were going to celebrate by going to Lanzarote for some sunshine.

As soon as we got there, I remembered being there a few years ago for an overnight stop while we were visiting Fuertaventura. The reason I remembered Lanzarote was because, as we were leaving, I said something like

‘well, this is a god-forsaken place, let’s never come back here’

Why-oh-why didn’t I remember that BEFORE I’d booked the holiday?

It was fine though, lovely apartments, quite unlike the ones we’re used to at this time of year! (I’m sure you remember the cockroach infested one I stayed in last year in Ometepe?!)

The whole point of this trip was to get a way from building work and just chill on the beach. Fine, if you’ve got a big massive umbrella for the beach! Yes, it was raining!!!

We did manage a day, or so, sunning ourselves and reading books and if we weren’t sunning ourselves, reading books, we were sheltering ourselves reading books.

A great new book was bought and is now recommended Alexis Hall’s ‘In the Red; The diary of a recovering shopaholic’. It’s a great, easy and funny read – and she’s my friend! Please, if you get a chance, BUY IT!

So yes, lots of reading done, but – on my part – some wishing for the paint brush and roller!

We found some great places to eat on this trip. We also got a great chance at trying out our Spanish. So-much-so that I almost got a marriage proposal!

That same night, some English tourists came in to our wee Spanish speaking, lovely tasting restaurant. They were singing the virtues of the lamb chops and roast potatoes and how good they were the night before and could they have those again please. At which point, Amanda asked them how they were enjoying their holiday. Our fellow diners looked wide-eyed and surprised – ‘oh’ she said in her broad Yorkshire accent ‘I thought your were Spanish’!

Go girl, your red hair, freckles and Spanish Accent are working!

And so, back home to January in Scotland…not unlike January in Lanzarote I shouldn’t think…apart from the storms, the wind, the rain, the hailstones, the snow, the ice, the frost…and that’s all in one day!

I had a brilliant time over the past couple months. I had a great Christmas and an ‘interesting’ and fun holiday, but I look forward to seeing some sunshine. To sitting in my back garden looking at all the spring flowers – in the SUNSHINE.

Hope you find some sunshine in Feb.

Have a great year

Carol

Ps – only nine-more Bush months!