So much has happened since I last left a message ...
We had a very packed Christmas holiday back with my family in Scotland. Here is a quick taster of what we got up to:
Tuesday 23 December
We drove 500 miles north. Arrived fairly late.
Wednesday 24 December
Got my hair cut and dyed, and bought a new outfit for Christmas. Delighted to get dress and shoes heavily reduced in sales. Went to the midnight Carol Singing and Watchnight Service, where I met up with an old school friends that I always swap presents with during this service.
Thursday 25 December
Christmas Day! Woke up earlier than necessary, but eventually got up anyway. Opened lots of lovely presents, including some great Covent Garden Sanctuary Spa stuff from H, a lasagne dish from S, and much needed clothes (and one of the books I asked for, Double Cross by Malorie Blackman) from M&D. We then went to my sister's for Christmas Dinner, made by her MIL. Very nice. It was really good to see S, especially as she is very pregnant, with a big bump, and I hadn't seen her for months, so it was very exciting! We ended the evening playing one of those fun brain games. Cranium.
Friday 26 December
It is a family tradition that we go to the home of a family friend on the morning of Boxing Day, where we have delicious vol-au-vents and sausage rolls, and today was no exception. In the afternoon, another old school friend came down with his sister, wife and daughter to see us. We last saw the family when their daughter was about a day or two old, and she is now about 18 months! Very sweet.
Saturday 27 December
S came through, and while M&D took Gran home, S and I went shopping for baby things. I also used some of the time to plan the Hogmanay party.
Sunday 28 December
I have to confess that I slept in, so no church this morning. However, once up, H and I visited a friend of his who was visiting his parents with his family. They live on a fairly nearby farm, and the scenery was amazing. Only the two men knew each other, but what a lovely family. We all got on well and it was a fun afternoon. He has three young boys, who were very friendly and polite. We drove home, decided to cook spaghetti bolognese for dinner, which we shared with a third old school friend of mine who came by. It's been a great holiday for catching up with old friends!
Monday 29 December
We drove through to Edinburgh to visit my other grandparents, and on the way dropped off to see my cousin who had a baby last year that we hadn't seen yet. That was a treat as well. She is very cute too. Then on to G&G's, picked up Mum's auntie, then popped by IKEA to collect some new baby furniture for S.
Tuesday 30 December
Dad and I went to my sister's with the furniture, where we managed to put up a chest of drawers and a cot. The wardrobe will have to wait for later. Dad went home when it was still light and I stayed with S, where we organised the new nursery. How exciting! Lots of little baby grows, hats and mittens. Can't wait to be an auntie!
Wednesday 31 December
This day was spent getting ready for the Hogmanay Party that we were hosting. This included buying costumes, ribbons, scarves etc, preparing all the quizzes and games for the evening, and getting all the food ready. Everyone mucked in, and I was still getting dressed when the guests arrived. We had a fun evening with a global theme. Lots of pitta breads, hummous, stews, rice, moussaka, stew, fruit salad and cranachan. Delicious. The best game was the Mummy game, where three people were wrapped up in toilet roll. New Year was celebrated throughout the evening, as different time lines were crossed, and with champagne at midnight. Everyone left around 3.30am.
Thursday 1 January 2009
We had a well deserved lie-in, but not for too long, before Auntie, Mum and I decided to go for a New Year walk up the hill. It was cold, so we wrapped up well, and wandered along a mile long circular route among the trees. Great. Then, in the afternoon, some friends of ours who have two young boys, came by. Again, we hadn't seen them for a couple of years, and how they have all grown! Lovely to see them again. We took loads of photos, and it was nice to catch up with the news.
Friday 2 January
Our family friend that we visit on Boxing Day traditionally comes to us on the second, and once again this year was no exception. Mum makes nice sausage rolls and rolls with salmon and egg, followed by tasty homemade mars bar cake and meringues. Delicious! In the afternoon my auntie and uncle brought my grandparents round for dinner. We had a lovely afternoon, which included S and I playing some traditional Scottish music, me on the fiddle, her on the guitar. Great afternoon and evening.
Saturday 3 January
H and I drove south, 500 miles, in lovely weather and on quiet roads.
Sunday 4 January
I got up, began to drive to work, and wrote off the car. So here we are. 2009.
Showing posts with label violin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label violin. Show all posts
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Desert Island Discs
I thought that after the pictures yesterday, I should include some music, if possible, today. Also, I was inspired by listening to James Nesbitt on Radio 4 sharing his favourite music, and thought that I should try and think of what I would include. I have done some research, and see that I am allowed eight pieces of music. So, what would they be?
1. An Irish Lullaby (Too-ra loo-ra loo-ra). Preferably sung by my Mum or Dad, but I suppose I would have to go with Bing Crosby! This is probably one of the first songs I learnt (well, at least the chorus!), because one or other of my parents used to sing me to sleep with it. It's the lullaby I use if I'm ever faced with a child that needs to sleep. Although that's not often. Interestingly, my parents aren't Irish, and I'm not sure where they learnt it from ... The Northern Lights of Old Aberdeen would make more sense, really ... another one of my favourites from childhood. Anyway, here's Bing ...
2. The Eighties were when I first started listening to contemporary music (along with a lot of older music from the forties, fifties and sixties, as well as Gilbert and Sullivan!) The first single I remember owning was probably KC and the Sunshine Band's Give It Up. I think it came as a sort of prize having bought a pair of Clarkes shoes or something like that. But then I think I would have to choose Uptown Girl by Billy Joel as the song that my friends across the road and I used to dance around to, and also one of the first music videos that I remember watching. However, the song I always used to dance around to at home was probably Madonna's Who's That Girl? (Strangely, the video on YouTube is not the one I remember watching ...). Then the two that I associate with singing and dancing to in the playground are Bananarama's Love in the First Degree and The Bangle's (original and best!) Eternal Flame. Hmmmmm. I think I'll go with ... Uptown Girl. (The only one I can't embed here!)
3. Now it gets more difficult. I have already decided on numbers 5 to 8, below, and only have two choices left. And I've just realised that I've been doing this for about three hours, which is a bit ridiculous really, especially since I have loads to do and have to tidy up before driving to Scotland! So ... two songs that will summarise my time at secondary school perhaps? Well, the one's that immediately came to mind were Del Amitri's The Last To Know and REM's Nightswimming. Or Everybody Hurts. Or The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight. (Hadn't really realised how much REM had impacted on my life!) Listening to them is a bit depressing actually!! I think I'll choose Nightswimming.
4. I think I'd like to choose something Scottish for this song (which is actually the last one I've chosen ...). After all, a large proportion of my time was spent fiddling! I've decided on the Bonnie Lass o' Bon Accord by James Scott Skinner. I have to say that I play it a lot more slowly (on purpose!) that you hear in this recording. I love the minor key. Could also have chosen an eightsome reel of some description. Or the Hen's March to the Midden, as played by Grandad!
5. Then I met my husband ... There are three songs that I could include here. First of all, Celine Dion's Tell Him, which we played (although with the other songs on that Let's Talk About Love album) over and over. Then there is the Beatles' Blackbird, which H played on the guitar, much to the annoyance of a friend of ours', and to my pleasure. Finally, there is Bill Withers' Ain't No Sunshine, which H also used to play to me on his guitar. This is the one I'm going to choose, since this was the first time I'd ever heard that song, so I think part of me thought that H had written it for me, which made it extra special!
6. For our wedding waltz, we had song that I grew up with when I was young. True Love, lyrics by Cole Porter, here sung by Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly (ignore the printed lyrics, listen to the song). It was a song I had in my head, but we still hadn't chosen our first dance, which tradition dictates should be a waltz (unless of course there is something else that you really want!). So I asked my grandad, fount of all musical knowledge, and this is the one he suggested. Which, since I knew it and liked it already, seemed like a good suggestion.
7. Still on the wedding theme ... our wedding video featured a few songs. But the one that always stands out is Elton John's Your Song. Not only are the words ideal, since I married a creative person, but every time I hear it, I see the clip from the wedding video which features the best bits from the day and finishes with a slow-motion first dance, where we both look so happy.
8. For the final piece of music, I'll end with the song that I'd like played at my funeral: Be Still My Soul, with the music from Finlandia by Sibelius. Preferably with a full orchestra. I first came across this hymn when at church on the last day of one Scripture Union camp. I'd made some good friends, one of whom I would go on to share a flat with and still see now, and the words seemed particularly meaningful as we parted: "Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past
All safe and blessèd we shall meet at last." We didn't know if we'd meet again in this life, but we had faith that we would meet again in the next at any rate. Later, at uni, I played Finlandia in the University Orchestra, and loved its soaring cadences, its rousing interludes. (Sorry, the midi file I've linked to does not do the tune justice!! I see The Priests have it on their CD ...) (Wow, I've also just learnt from Wiki that it was the short-lived national anthem for Biafra as well!) Okay, now we're talking ... I've just found Finlandia on YouTube ...
So, the definitive list is:
1. An Irish Lullaby, Bing Crosby.
2. Uptown Girl, Billy Joel.
3. Nightswimming, REM.
4. The Bonnie Lass o' Bon-Accord, James Scott Skinner.
5. Ain't No Sunshine, Bill Withers.
6. True Love, Cole Porter.
7. Your Song, Elton John.
8. Be Still My Soul (Finlandia), Sibelius.
And if I could only take one disc? Oooh, that's hard. Think I'll go for Your Song. But, then again, tomorrow I might change my top eight altogether!
My book (along with the Bible and the complete works of Shakespeare, both of which would already give me a lot to get my teeth into) would be ... I think it would have to be the Complete Works of Jane Austen. I'm sure I could read Pride and Prejudice and Emma a few more times ...
My luxury ... well, that's a bit more difficult ... actually, no, it's not! A digital camera with a BIG memory card, so I could hone my photography skills taking pictures of all those lovely palm trees, monkeys, fish, sand dunes and whatever else I might find on the desert island.
Right. I'm off to my desert island now ... well, that would be much warmer than here, and there might not be as much tidying up to do! Actually, I really ought to start trying to get ready to head north for Christmas, so I have lots to do, and I might not update this blog for a day or two, so, just in case I don't call back for a bit - Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
1. An Irish Lullaby (Too-ra loo-ra loo-ra). Preferably sung by my Mum or Dad, but I suppose I would have to go with Bing Crosby! This is probably one of the first songs I learnt (well, at least the chorus!), because one or other of my parents used to sing me to sleep with it. It's the lullaby I use if I'm ever faced with a child that needs to sleep. Although that's not often. Interestingly, my parents aren't Irish, and I'm not sure where they learnt it from ... The Northern Lights of Old Aberdeen would make more sense, really ... another one of my favourites from childhood. Anyway, here's Bing ...
2. The Eighties were when I first started listening to contemporary music (along with a lot of older music from the forties, fifties and sixties, as well as Gilbert and Sullivan!) The first single I remember owning was probably KC and the Sunshine Band's Give It Up. I think it came as a sort of prize having bought a pair of Clarkes shoes or something like that. But then I think I would have to choose Uptown Girl by Billy Joel as the song that my friends across the road and I used to dance around to, and also one of the first music videos that I remember watching. However, the song I always used to dance around to at home was probably Madonna's Who's That Girl? (Strangely, the video on YouTube is not the one I remember watching ...). Then the two that I associate with singing and dancing to in the playground are Bananarama's Love in the First Degree and The Bangle's (original and best!) Eternal Flame. Hmmmmm. I think I'll go with ... Uptown Girl. (The only one I can't embed here!)
3. Now it gets more difficult. I have already decided on numbers 5 to 8, below, and only have two choices left. And I've just realised that I've been doing this for about three hours, which is a bit ridiculous really, especially since I have loads to do and have to tidy up before driving to Scotland! So ... two songs that will summarise my time at secondary school perhaps? Well, the one's that immediately came to mind were Del Amitri's The Last To Know and REM's Nightswimming. Or Everybody Hurts. Or The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight. (Hadn't really realised how much REM had impacted on my life!) Listening to them is a bit depressing actually!! I think I'll choose Nightswimming.
4. I think I'd like to choose something Scottish for this song (which is actually the last one I've chosen ...). After all, a large proportion of my time was spent fiddling! I've decided on the Bonnie Lass o' Bon Accord by James Scott Skinner. I have to say that I play it a lot more slowly (on purpose!) that you hear in this recording. I love the minor key. Could also have chosen an eightsome reel of some description. Or the Hen's March to the Midden, as played by Grandad!
5. Then I met my husband ... There are three songs that I could include here. First of all, Celine Dion's Tell Him, which we played (although with the other songs on that Let's Talk About Love album) over and over. Then there is the Beatles' Blackbird, which H played on the guitar, much to the annoyance of a friend of ours', and to my pleasure. Finally, there is Bill Withers' Ain't No Sunshine, which H also used to play to me on his guitar. This is the one I'm going to choose, since this was the first time I'd ever heard that song, so I think part of me thought that H had written it for me, which made it extra special!
6. For our wedding waltz, we had song that I grew up with when I was young. True Love, lyrics by Cole Porter, here sung by Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly (ignore the printed lyrics, listen to the song). It was a song I had in my head, but we still hadn't chosen our first dance, which tradition dictates should be a waltz (unless of course there is something else that you really want!). So I asked my grandad, fount of all musical knowledge, and this is the one he suggested. Which, since I knew it and liked it already, seemed like a good suggestion.
7. Still on the wedding theme ... our wedding video featured a few songs. But the one that always stands out is Elton John's Your Song. Not only are the words ideal, since I married a creative person, but every time I hear it, I see the clip from the wedding video which features the best bits from the day and finishes with a slow-motion first dance, where we both look so happy.
8. For the final piece of music, I'll end with the song that I'd like played at my funeral: Be Still My Soul, with the music from Finlandia by Sibelius. Preferably with a full orchestra. I first came across this hymn when at church on the last day of one Scripture Union camp. I'd made some good friends, one of whom I would go on to share a flat with and still see now, and the words seemed particularly meaningful as we parted: "Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past
All safe and blessèd we shall meet at last." We didn't know if we'd meet again in this life, but we had faith that we would meet again in the next at any rate. Later, at uni, I played Finlandia in the University Orchestra, and loved its soaring cadences, its rousing interludes. (Sorry, the midi file I've linked to does not do the tune justice!! I see The Priests have it on their CD ...) (Wow, I've also just learnt from Wiki that it was the short-lived national anthem for Biafra as well!) Okay, now we're talking ... I've just found Finlandia on YouTube ...
So, the definitive list is:
1. An Irish Lullaby, Bing Crosby.
2. Uptown Girl, Billy Joel.
3. Nightswimming, REM.
4. The Bonnie Lass o' Bon-Accord, James Scott Skinner.
5. Ain't No Sunshine, Bill Withers.
6. True Love, Cole Porter.
7. Your Song, Elton John.
8. Be Still My Soul (Finlandia), Sibelius.
And if I could only take one disc? Oooh, that's hard. Think I'll go for Your Song. But, then again, tomorrow I might change my top eight altogether!
My book (along with the Bible and the complete works of Shakespeare, both of which would already give me a lot to get my teeth into) would be ... I think it would have to be the Complete Works of Jane Austen. I'm sure I could read Pride and Prejudice and Emma a few more times ...
My luxury ... well, that's a bit more difficult ... actually, no, it's not! A digital camera with a BIG memory card, so I could hone my photography skills taking pictures of all those lovely palm trees, monkeys, fish, sand dunes and whatever else I might find on the desert island.
Right. I'm off to my desert island now ... well, that would be much warmer than here, and there might not be as much tidying up to do! Actually, I really ought to start trying to get ready to head north for Christmas, so I have lots to do, and I might not update this blog for a day or two, so, just in case I don't call back for a bit - Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Sunday, July 27, 2008
My first week
Right. I thought I'd write a review of my first week on holiday. So here goes ...
Saturday 19 - Played around with some new ICT stuff and surfed the web all day.
Sunday 20 - Church. Helped H get some stuff ready for exhibitions.
Monday 21 - Lazy day, but a lovely evening walk and bus ride down the Thames. Fell and scraped my knee, which still has the marks of the bruises.
Tuesday 22 - Lazy day, I think I did some tidying, and started hoovering and scrubbing the floor.
Wednesday 23 - Scrubbed the floors for most the day; evening constitutional to Canary Wharf.
Thursday 24 - Went to the V&A; paddled and took photos. Visited Westminster Cathedral then met up with H and his friend.
Friday 25 - Didn't do much during the day, but went to see The Dark Knight in the evening.
Saturday 26 - Too hot to do much. I got up to do the shopping and the washing, then wandered around for much of the day in a long top and not much else.
Sunday 27 - Got up and went to the Doctor Who Proms concert this morning. It was excellent! There were Judoon, Cybermen, Sontaron, Ood and Daleks - even Davros was there! Out of the companions, Martha (Freema Agyeman) did most of the presenting, and there were guest appearances from Mickey, Jackie and even Donna Noble (Catherine Tate)! Which was great. As was the music. A nice mix of Doctor Who themes, including some real classics like Doomsday, along with some relevant classical pieces - Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet, Holst's Jupiter from the Planet Suite, and Wagner's The Ride of the Valkyries, for example. Afterwards, we went to the V&A so I could show H the pool, and I paddled for a bit as well as having a nice relaxing lunch there. Then we came back and I was too hot to move so slept on the sofa (by accident ...) while H went to buy some materials for his work. Eventually I woke up and have done some focussed surfing, mostly uploading photos to the computer etc. And I can't believe the time already!
Right. We have visitors from Tuesday onwards, so it's going to be a busy week. I might not pop by too much here but instead try to update next weekend, when things have calmed down again. But tomorrow I really ought to get this space spic and span, as well as heading to the shops for a bed and an anniversary present. Can't believe I haven't even bought a card yet! Oh dear. But today was lovely! (Although more for me than H!)
Saturday 19 - Played around with some new ICT stuff and surfed the web all day.
Sunday 20 - Church. Helped H get some stuff ready for exhibitions.
Monday 21 - Lazy day, but a lovely evening walk and bus ride down the Thames. Fell and scraped my knee, which still has the marks of the bruises.
Tuesday 22 - Lazy day, I think I did some tidying, and started hoovering and scrubbing the floor.
Wednesday 23 - Scrubbed the floors for most the day; evening constitutional to Canary Wharf.
Thursday 24 - Went to the V&A; paddled and took photos. Visited Westminster Cathedral then met up with H and his friend.
Friday 25 - Didn't do much during the day, but went to see The Dark Knight in the evening.
Saturday 26 - Too hot to do much. I got up to do the shopping and the washing, then wandered around for much of the day in a long top and not much else.
Sunday 27 - Got up and went to the Doctor Who Proms concert this morning. It was excellent! There were Judoon, Cybermen, Sontaron, Ood and Daleks - even Davros was there! Out of the companions, Martha (Freema Agyeman) did most of the presenting, and there were guest appearances from Mickey, Jackie and even Donna Noble (Catherine Tate)! Which was great. As was the music. A nice mix of Doctor Who themes, including some real classics like Doomsday, along with some relevant classical pieces - Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet, Holst's Jupiter from the Planet Suite, and Wagner's The Ride of the Valkyries, for example. Afterwards, we went to the V&A so I could show H the pool, and I paddled for a bit as well as having a nice relaxing lunch there. Then we came back and I was too hot to move so slept on the sofa (by accident ...) while H went to buy some materials for his work. Eventually I woke up and have done some focussed surfing, mostly uploading photos to the computer etc. And I can't believe the time already!
Right. We have visitors from Tuesday onwards, so it's going to be a busy week. I might not pop by too much here but instead try to update next weekend, when things have calmed down again. But tomorrow I really ought to get this space spic and span, as well as heading to the shops for a bed and an anniversary present. Can't believe I haven't even bought a card yet! Oh dear. But today was lovely! (Although more for me than H!)
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Friday, Friday.
Yesterday - what a day. A few of my Year 11s were positively horrible, but fortunately then left ... it's all been written up and followed up, but not a nice start to the day. Fortunately I had three or four that were keen to learn, but it's still frustrating to have a similar number not wanting to do anything. The Year 10s were completing some English coursework or something, so those not involved were all in a room with myself and another teacher. Didn't do any work, just kept on checking the register! My other Year 11s were fine, although there were only two for most of the lesson, rising to six by the end. Hmmm. And they're not even going to get any exam leave ...
Sounded like the day was going to get worse when I learnt that I had a late cover for PE, then it got even worse when I learnt which group it was going to be. Fortunately, towards the end of lunch, there was a turn up for the books when another PE teacher offered to stand in for me! Lovely of her. So I managed to get some more admin done, then went to teach my new Year 8 class - the first time I've met them - and it wasn't wonderful, but it wasn't too bad either. Made about five calls at the end of the day ...
When I got home, H had started tidying up the house, which now is looking pretty good. After dinner, there was a programme about Elgar on, and that inspired me to get my violin out. Haven't played for ages, but eventually managed to tune it up, and had a great time playing around on it, musically inspiring H to carry on with the tidying up (it's mostly his work stuff, so I couldn't really help out that much ...)
Today, H has gone to Amsterdam ... I miss him, at least he'll be back on Wednesday! I've been at a course all day, and am now doing some computer stuff while watching Doctor Who and other random TV programmes. (Doctor Who wasn't random ... I didn't want to miss him defeating the Daleks again.) Must go!
Sounded like the day was going to get worse when I learnt that I had a late cover for PE, then it got even worse when I learnt which group it was going to be. Fortunately, towards the end of lunch, there was a turn up for the books when another PE teacher offered to stand in for me! Lovely of her. So I managed to get some more admin done, then went to teach my new Year 8 class - the first time I've met them - and it wasn't wonderful, but it wasn't too bad either. Made about five calls at the end of the day ...
When I got home, H had started tidying up the house, which now is looking pretty good. After dinner, there was a programme about Elgar on, and that inspired me to get my violin out. Haven't played for ages, but eventually managed to tune it up, and had a great time playing around on it, musically inspiring H to carry on with the tidying up (it's mostly his work stuff, so I couldn't really help out that much ...)
Today, H has gone to Amsterdam ... I miss him, at least he'll be back on Wednesday! I've been at a course all day, and am now doing some computer stuff while watching Doctor Who and other random TV programmes. (Doctor Who wasn't random ... I didn't want to miss him defeating the Daleks again.) Must go!
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