October Weekend

Recently there was an online post written by an American (to other Americans) who had spent a year living in Britain and Ireland about some of the differences between the continents. Apart from being awfully funny to us local yokels, there were scraps of insight, as you might expect, of how others see us. One of those scraps went along the lines of; 'A bar is called a pub and is actually a sort of communal living room.' All the people I have repeated this to have firstly laughed and secondly agreed.

On Friday night last in Ellen's that was particularly apparent. It was a filthy night out, lashing rain, too dark for the moon to be seen, and the wind rising to gale force. In fact the wind was so strong that the front of the pub was bolted closed and everyone was splashing through the mud to the back to get in...where else but the West do you try every door in the pub to see which is open? As a result there were only about fifteen or so die-hards crammed into the small dimly lit front bar, elbow to elbow with fiddles, bodhrán, guitars, an accordion and a dancer. The drink was flowing alongside the music and of course, coming up to Hallowe'en, there had to be ghost stories.

Now the thing you have to understand about Irish ghost stories is that they are a most singular genre; they can be startling, horrid, gory, fearsome, suspenseful, true, imagined, but are as likely to end in laughter and argument as tingling fear. In fact, the one thing they generally are not, is macabre, although you may want to check under the beds when you get home...also, to an academic, they often have no beginning or end or apparent resolution. A really good Irish ghost story is as much the starting point for conversation as a story in itself, and there was never yet an Irishman who didn't have an opinion and like to hear himself propound it!

And so it was that we told ghost stories, and, being western Irish, we told true stories as well as imaginary ones, and laughed, and looked to each other for more. And then back to the music, some poetry, insult and laughter, more music, and then, refreshed, back to the real world of driving rain, wind and the road home.

Yes, the Irish communal living rooms are as alive and well as their music and their story telling.

December Wish List

I'm a 'list' person.
Not the sort of 'list' that tilts me sideways like a ship (well maybe sometimes) but 'lists' as in rows of notes to myself of things to do.
I'm guessing even non-list persons have lists in December though so I'll share mine, as it presently stands:

Organs without wind problems (we're talking musical instruments here people...)
School songs with words that learn themselves.
Carol Services that are annually self-organising, complete with Bible readings which assign themselves to readers and then inform readers of their participation.
People who don't grouse when asked to help out.
Angels who stay where they are put.
Ditto Shepherds, sheep, camels, donkeys and sundry associated Nativity personnel.
Wise Men who are 'wise' rather than 'wild'.
Christmas once every two years.

As you can see that's just the music aspect...I haven't even begun on presents or food...actually I am considering ignoring all that part of it this year and waiting to see what happens.

Overheard This Week

Monday:

Girl: D'you know what my little sister did this morning, H.? She splouted the toothpaste straight into her mouth without even using her toothbrush! And then she drank the soap!

Well now we know who the cleanest child in Ireland is...on the inside at any rate!!

Wednesday

Teacher: You've Music after Break so leave your Song copy books ready please...(notices one boy frantically emptying bag and rummaging through pencil case)...what's the matter P.?

P.: I forgot to stick my song in!

Teacher: From last week? H. won't mind.

Whole Class: Yes she will, its from three weeks ago!

Aye me! My reputation!!

Thursday

Rather Damp Boy: Dad had to wash my hair before school today.

H.: Why?

R.D.B.: Because at breakfast my sister put her toast on my head butter side down.

And you let her??

All That Jazz

Many, many lives ago I played jazz. Live jazz. As in performing with bands with an audience listening and assessing every note.

Great fun. Stressful. Crazy mad. Scary. Lots of alcohol involved too!

The thing about the way we worked the genre was that it was all by ear, no written music. Often we improvised upon known melodies, sometimes it was all made up as we went along, someone would call a melody and a key and we'd all tip ourselves head-first into the piece. Timing, pace, improvisation, repeats, segues etc. depend almost as much upon knowing and trusting your band members as upon being a talented musician.

I learned pretty fast that the band never ever stuck to a plan, playlist: order, solos, everything was open to change at any moment, even the trumpeter calling for a refill to his beer was enough to jig the order within a piece in the middle of playing.

Jazz musicians are fantastic; quick witted, laid back, creative as they come, fabulously talented, able to adapt and improve in a split second, and more. But heck, I just could not hack it.

I was reminded of all this yesterday when I spent a few hours at the Jazz Project. I sat and listened to the music, the craic, the jokes, questions, discussion, phone calls trying to keep the events of the evening on track and it was ace. I love being in the middle of things musical, musicians are a race apart, and it was highly entertaining, to wit:

the RTE were supposed to be filming some of the music and were out at a pub waiting whilst the musicians in question were standing in the school lobby criticising the evening's play list, playing snippets to each other from their iPhones, discussing Eric Clapton, relaxing and insulting each other and the administrator who was trying to shift them out. The organiser was on the phone comforting his daughter because her hen had died and trying to locate the band for the evening's concert who had been delayed for hours at Dublin Airport and were on their way without their luggage or instruments. A piano had been mislaid (yes, apparently it is possible to lose a piano...), three double basses needed to be in three different venues, a box of electric leads was AWOL and to be honest no one was in the slightest bit fussed.

Classical musicians would have been climbing the walls at the unpredictability of it all, pop or rock performers might have been playing the drama queen, but jazz musicians? They were loving every minute!

There should be a mug somewhere which reads: Jazz musicians never die, they just Improvise, adjust and carry on.

So I returned to my Classical roots and the heart palpitations stopped!!!

Perfect Peace

Yesterday midday I was sitting in the sunshine on a gravestone (1823) eating chocolate (mint) having just left the hairdresser's (lovely thanks) before going inside to practise the organ and it came to me that right then was complete contentment.

Sunshine, the quiet graveyard, keys to the Church, anticipation of spending a couple of uninterrupted hours working on music and playing our beautifully repaired old organ; all that added up to peace.

Its been a difficult few weeks for various reasons and now is not really a good time or place for me. Gifts come in many shapes and sizes, do they not? And moments of peace are definitely gifts.

How often do I miss those moments of peace or contentment, being too busy perhaps in my head to notice them? When I was a teenager I had the notion that perfect moments had to be savoured, stored and treasured. They came in many shapes and sizes- a day with a friend, Dad visiting me at College, watching hot-air balloons on the Royal Crescent on sunny summer evenings, cherry blossom, snow against lamplight, walking by the sea...just good memories. Its a long time since I added to that collection and longer still since I took them out and examined them, but yesterday's gift is such a one.

Just a moment of peace, a gift beyond price.

An Entertaining Evening of Entertainment

A few months ago some daft person had the grand idea that wouldn't it be a fab thing if the School Choir and Past Pupils did a musical fundraising evening...a.k.a. a Concert.
The School Choir is exceptionally good, has been going strong since 1986 and  performs regularly.
No problem there so.
The Past Pupils?
Are ya mad?

Well, after a couple of months of hard work, it happened, was successful and was actually great fun.

The school Choir master undertook to train up the Past Pupils, and, as I have mentioned previously I fear we had not improved with age . Poor A. suffered for the cause, jollied us along without losing the rag, tried to avoid covering his ears too much of the time, and announced he had a ticket booked for a quick escape before the concert if we didn't get our act together!

When one has such a diversity of people involved in an evening the potential for unstructured disaster is huge. If too much time is wasted the audience become bored and the evening is judged a disaster whatever the quality of individual acts. Well, the school Choir has in the region of sixty teenagers, the Past Pupils about twenty five people, there were at least four solo singer or instrumental acts, the pianist had an exam in Dublin in the morning and couldn't arrive til 6pm, there were several small singing groups, the school Ceili band, a three generation family group, school and adult instrumentals, and others. Despite the adults' best attempt at sabotage by wandering out into the auditorium to see what was going on in between their songs, the stage Manager (one of the teachers)  somehow managed to keep everything moving swiftly.

The atmosphere was more festival than Concert, to the extent that, after the interval the teacher/stage manager had to practically boss the audience back to their seats they were so busy catching up with each other, and at the end no one wanted to leave. Chairs being stacked and the hall cleared was just an invitation to move more freely and chat longer!

For me the experience was an eye-opener on several levels. The fact that every single performer was a pupil of the school- past, present, and one future, with a huge disparity in age all working together without personalities intruding, says a lot for the long-term school ethos: whether or not we knew each other at school we had no problems slotting into a working whole. I counted four participating members of staff who are past pupils and I know there are other past pupils on the staff too- what does it say when a school is prepared to hire its own past pupils? For myself it was a holiday from the demons in my own head because I was just myself. Call it regression, time out, unrealistic, but it was peaceful being with people I knew who just took me as I was in the present moment.

People complain about the lack of continuity these days, but in some ways we are privileged by where we live on the western edge of this western island. The school moved into its present premises mid 1700s but had been going since the mid 1600s elsewhere. Some families have the names of generation after generation carved into the brick wall out the side! Narrow- minded, small town country? Perhaps...but also a knowledge of place, self, and identity in the continuum...my grandfather knew your uncle who knows her aunt and now I teach your children...

...and was that your uncle's cousin's aunt's grandson playing the violin so beautifully?

CD Splurge- Rackhouse Pilfer

Love and Havoc- Rackhouse Pilfer's new album!

Rackhouse Pilfer's new album is ace!

 

Yes I was very bold and bought it for myself...

 

Yes, I still need shoes but until someone wants to interview me for a job what do shoes matter?

 

Yes, I've been playing it so loudly that the people in the office across the landing haven't needed to buy their own copy because they can listen to mine 24/7...or even 27/4...

 

WHAT?! You haven't heard of Rackhouse Pilfer? VERY famous bluegrass country band who hang out in a pub two streets across?

 

Well, the only thing better than being a fan already is having that treat in store for you!!

 

Hey! Did ya get the message that I like Rackhouse Pilfer's music- A LOT?

This'n'That

Yesterday I had a run-in with the Welfare Office and was so upset and annoyed I didn't know where to put myself. But then Wily Coyote took the time to phone and talk through a few ways of dealing with the problem, and Youngest joined me for a coffee in Costa, so I calmed down! This morning another friend came up with another suggestion so tomorrow I will go back to the Office and coolly, calmly deal with the situation.

Thank you for friends!

This morning in school I started working on musical 'rounds' with 1st and 2nd class, which took quite some explanation and practice before the concept was understood (I thought...). Eventually we managed to sing through the song as a round and got it to sound a bit more musical. They obviously still didn't understand the concept though because as I wound up that activity and began the next, one small boy told me in a puzzled voice: 'I still think its a very untidy way to sing.'

Thank you for honest little people!

Little People, Heavenly Host and Music

Did I disappear? Wish I could as for a supposedly unemployed person of insignificance I seem to be beyond busy.

The main focus this week, and last week, but not the week before, is the school's Carol Service. Big eejit here overstretched herself somewhat in the choice of this year's music and the children and I have struggled to work our way through the Nativity songs. The teachers say it is sounding ok now but I think we will all be grey by Friday- I'm talking Junior Infants upwards here...

This morning I spent some time in the Church with the Organist (long-suffering man) and the bass guitarist (who is having far too much fun), over two hundred weary and over-excited small people, the Principal and all their teachers. I really don't know how it's going to pan out as the little people are wildly unpredictable, the heavenly host are having dodgy moments, Gabriel temporarily muddled his words and Michelangelo put his hoodie on back to front with the hood up, to hide...

We'll see.

Implosion pending, tunefully and musically, of course.

The Shop was quieter the last two Mondays, and on Saturday I wound up the children's sewing classes until mid-January. There seem to be eleven children now in the Sewing Club but as they never all turn up at one time it is do-able. Its been a fun but tough learning curve for me as well as them, since teaching outside school is vastly different to school teaching. Or that's my experience.

The Sunday school teacher has rounded up sixteen small people for the Church Nativity, and has her hands very full I think...putting the Church Carol Service together might be the next thing on my 'to do' list...I talked to the adult Choir last Sunday so we will begin by doing a number on 'Once in Royal' and then progress to doing a number on the Nativity Story. I say every year that our God must have an incredible sense of humour considering all the many ways in which the Christmas Story is told...and I'm saying it again this year.

Think of us on Friday at 10am...then again, you may actually hear us...

A Musical Ha! Ha!

I realise that many musicians have a dreadfully warped sense of humour, and that this clip of 'Kit and the Widow vs Andrew Lloyd Webber' probably epitomises the weirdness of heckety...but if it doesn't amuse you, you can always not watch!

I think its gone into the next post???or previous??? (not terribly good at attaching You Tube clips...)

Tea and Bliss

Its the middle of the night, I woke and can't sleep again so FREEDOM! up I got to make tea and catch up on emails, blogging, and...ahem...tomorrow's Music teaching preparation...

The flat is warm and I can boil the kettle as many times as I like without being in bother. Bliss!!

Still wrestling the bug I went down with Christmas Eve, real pig this one, and children who were unwell last term are still not at their full health either. Hopefully the present cold snap will bump off a few germs, would be good....did you ever read the E. Nesbit book 'The Wouldbegoods'? Lovely writing and wicked fun, especially for an Edwardian lady novelist.

Last week I bought a purple duvet cover, five feather butterflies and a frying pan!
Weird combination I know, the lady at the checkout was laughing at me. The butterflies are nifty- they have double magnets so attach to curtains, and as the living room curtains are plain dark brown its so pretty. The lack of a frying pan was really annoying me, and the purple duvet cover? It was half price and I've stuffed all my oddments of blankets and old bed covers into it so hey presto! bienvenu dans le boudoir d'Heckety!

Now I had better decide where to begin with 5th and 6th Class Music tomorrow...at the beginning perhaps?!
I thought we would study Ballads this term as it would be good for their memory and also introduce the concept of telling stories through song. I'll have to be careful not to teach any Rebel or political ones though as that would go down like a lead balloon!!

Ho hum...another day in paradise!

Unwanted Germs and an Apology

I know, I know: I never posted this week's Friday Craft.

I'm verra sorry, really, and my only excuse is that I was just too wrecked last night...pathetic, don't tell me...

The last two days I've taught all 200 plus children in the School as well as sorting logistics for the actual Service in the Church to avoid collisions as well as lengthy pauses.

And now I've a stonking cold and sore throat!

I ask you!

Wouldn't any self-respecting germ have the nous to know when he was totally unwanted and just stay clear?

But no!

In they come all jolly pleased with themselves yelling:

'Party! Irish Sucker Found! Roll Up! Roll Up!'

It would make you sick......

BUMMER!

Ah well.

If you are interested, my Etsy packages have begun to arrive! We had no post until Friday of this week when the Postman finally got through our lane, so the HEAP that came through the letter-box was a delight in itself!

So far I stand by my opinions in Monday's post, every item is either beautiful or pretty, and at the very least, exactly as described, mostly even better. My family is going to be soo happy and I'm having a seriously difficult time keeping all these secrets!!

What to do, huh?

And on the Music front, the various classes are progressing, the Infants are managing to keep in time and get the words mostly right, so I've decided that progress on two fronts is quite satisfactory, and am giving up on the tuneful singing aspect...I'll leave the miracle working to Our Lord!

Youngest and Middlest have decided that they really need to sing 'Walking in the Air' in the Church Carol Service Sunday 19th,

and luckily the Dean has agreed that one secular piece of Music will be acceptable...

(I suspect that it might also be something to do with the fact that Aled Jones is Welsh? Like himself...)

So, despite them weaselly germs, things do be fallin' inta place, so they does!

And all the snow and ice has melted- thanks be to goodness!

Wake Up Them Angels!

So there I was, bumbling along in me own slow way, and what happens?

CHRISTMAS jumped out and hit me!

First week in November and the deadlines don't just be LOOMIN',
they're blinkin' well ACCUMULATIN' too!

School Carol Service
My own Church Carol Service and Nativity
Taking a School Choir to sing in the Methodist Service
Parish fund-raising Stall at the Farmer's Market
Fund-raising for Kenya.build, which a friend's daughter wants to do
things happening in the Cathedral (I'm one of the key-holders...makes me sound like a nice piece of fancy beading on a ring!)
Mothers' Union Craft Night- gluey ideas coming right up!
and a Craft Market where I should be so lucky as to have a table...how does one make the time to make money when there is so much else to do? I tell you, you need unemployed people like me just to keep things ticking over peacefully!...

...perhaps not exactly peacefully...

Yesterday I spent in School (which is not a paying job, fyi, for all I work jolly hard at the Music!)
burning up the photocopier,
annoying the Principal,
going through the percussion and chime bell boxes (has anyone seen the G above Middle C?),
and wrecking havoc in various Classrooms.

My version of beginning the Christmas Music!

One Staff member commented, as she saw the paper and music littering the Staffroom table at break;

'Behind every school Music Teacher lies a Trail of Chaos!'

How they all put up with me I don't know, but as this is my ninth year at it, I guess they just tell themselves, 'This too will pass!'

Anyhow, I enjoy myself! As do some of the children, at least!

Today I'm Revoltin' and Rebellin'

Please click here for the One World One Heart giveaway.

I just can't figure what God wants of me; I'm all about in my head, working hard for weeks and achieving NOTHING. I never even read my Permaculture magazine yesterday because I felt bad taking the time for myself to do so.
How stupid is that?

So STUFF IT, I'm taking today out.

I'm going to quilt what I damn well like:

...play my accordian very loudly and badly...
...and then play all the old music I own, even louder, and eat this whole bar of chocolate...Don't tell me this is a fine way of listening to God-
Don't ask is this His Plan for my day-
Don't tell me I'm wasting His Time-
BECAUSE I KNOW!

You can put your ear plugs in if you need to work: but for now-
S'long y'all...

Of Sisters and Mishaps

Here's a misuse of the blogging medium for you:

Last night our eldest daughter was looking at recent posts to catch up on the home news. When she saw the state of the sitting room she texted her sisters with directions to tidy up at once! (They ignored her!)

Sos was reading an old magazine of Mum's this morning and found a recipe for chocolate vodka drink...yeurch! She wants a party after New Year...well she was told in no uncertain terms she can buy the vodka if she wants it- I'm NOT. Anyhow I don't approve of spirits at house parties...in any shape or form!!

B was ready for school early this morning so was dumped pronto and I was parked at the Supermarket by 8.30am. Shopped, was at folks for breakfast by 9.30, and at school by 11.20 to gather and sing with the children who are singing for the Methodist Service next Wednesday. It went pretty well. Sometimes its nice to work with a small group and I think they enjoyed it too.

Finished about 12.45 and set off for home....and then realised I should have had two more people in the car...Turned round, went to park and managed to hit the school gate, wedged the car against it so now I've a big scrawb of red paint along the side...Ah well, things happen I guess...

Keep on sewin' sewin' sewin'

Yesterday I worked on a pinny for a little girl, to match the dress of the doll I made. Progress was good despite...
constantly tripping. Why does Ben-dog always leave his paws and tail lying around?

My Christmas Cactus is flowering! It is a much deeper crimson than in the photo but I think I need to take a photo in daylight. Last year it refused to do anything at all, so I'm very happy with it just now. The weather has turned quite cold so we've been keeping the fire 'in' day and night now. With the damper pushed in at night or when we are out of the house it just smoulders but it's lovely coming in to a warm living room and kitchen.

This morning I spent at school working on the Music. I had two 40min sessions with the older children, and Sos brought her flute in to work with us as well. A lot was achieved and we took a vote on how to present some of the songs ie. with/ without flute/ with flute playing descant/ with flute playing octave above voices/ ditch the flute/ add another class in for extra depth etc. I believe that if I give the children some choices they feel more involved and will work harder at giving a hearty presentation. Sometimes it works, sometimes not.

Another thing I found interesting today was this: the main school piano can't be tuned to Concert Pitch, and so it is always a problem when the flute plays. It was ghastly out of tune today, possibly the weather, I don't know, so I explained to the children about Concert Pitch and the problem of tuning. They were FASCINATED! I was amazed! I tell you, the longer I work with children the less I understand how their minds work!

This afternoon I took Mom out to Drumcliffe to see a small Quilt Exhibition by Collette Sheerin in An Teach Ban Nua. A friend told me it was on as she knows I sew. Well there was no information about the lady or the quilts, some of which were for sale at upwards of €200 (cot-size and smaller). No photos were allowed as I wanted to take some to show you all. I'd have liked to know what she was aiming for as to me they looked pretty poorly made and I was awfully disappointed. Mom did a TYPICAL Mom thing and, as we were about to leave announced in her deaf-old-lady voice (which she is NOT) 'I think you are underpricing your work and my goodness but your quilts are much better made. I can see why they call it PATCH-work.'

OOPS!

P.S. You've just GOT to visit tomorrow because my sister says I may post some of her Trip Report from Antarctica. She had an ace time, returned to Ushuaia yesterday morning.

Monday noises...

This morning I was teaching at 10.40 so walked out the door at 10.20 to drive to school, a 15 minute drive and five minutes to spare. Hmmm.
Problem No. 1: my car was iced up including the windscreen. Deal with that. Drive down lane to main road, come round last bend....
Problem No. 2: a low loader was blocking the lane whilst decanting a caterpillar. All the time in the world they had! Talk about 'no hurry in Africa', there wasn't much hurry in Leitrim either! I suppose the wonder of it was that I was only five minutes late.
In school some of the little people insisted on making odd squeaky noises instead of singing, the same happened after break with 4th class, and now B is emptying the dishwasher with a whole series of squeaks, quacks, squeaky quacking and quacky squeaking. Did I miss something? Is today the Official Funny Noise Monday? Or would it be the effect I have on children....?

Did I mention that the school keyboard plug went up in smoke (literally) last week, so we are now dependant on pianos? As a result I have to keep asking teachers if I can use their room whilst they move their class to another piano-less one. Luckily there are three pianos between eight classes but its getting a bit embarrassing. A new keyboard adaptor plug must be bought!

After school I went over to the folks to catch up on their weekend news. Dad was delighted to have been at the Rugby to see Ireland beat the Springboks! He said if it had been less misty he and bro would have seen more! Mum and the sister went house-hunting in Dublin but it wasn't very successful. They seem to have had a good weekend together, and at least the folks travelled on the train which was running on time, unlike the buses.


Tomorrow my Fiat Punto has its NCT to see whether it is roadworthy for another two years. I have my doubts whether it will pass straight off...there could be a lot of bad words...please cover your ears at about 9.30am tomorrow?

Tick...whizz...tock!

Do clocks fly? Or is it just time that flies?
Yesterday I went with the folks to Enniskillen to do the main grocery shop for Christmas. It's better to get it in now before places are too crowded. B and Sos came for an outing and we all had a very productive day with everything being achieved. Quite a feat, I'd say! (All Civil Servants in the Republic were on strike yesterday so no School or College.)

The drive was interesting as the various lakes are so full. In Enniskillen town they had lined one road with sandbags and were pumping the water out so that it was drivable- interesting to watch.

I got some thread and the dinkiest angel! Today I taught Music until lunchtime, combining several classes at a time. One song with disastrous timing was sorted with the help of the oldest class, and for the rest we were working on accurate entrances and melding the different voices together into a unified sound. It was difficult and required intense listening to themselves but the children worked very hard and very successfully, although by 12.30 we all felt like limp rags!

The temperature dropped considerably throughout the day and this evening the wind is cutting. We've had sun, rain, hail, strong winds and more hail. I sound like my sister who is on a trip to Antarctica, and sent a postcard from the Falkland Islands giving us a weather update! Is it perhaps an Irish characteristic to be obsessed with the weather?

Out of Context

I saw this picture on eBay-isn't it hilarious?
This morning in School was good. The children are enjoying preparing the Christmas Music and classes almost sing themselves. This is the good time, when they are excited, and before they become too tired. The weather continues to be terrible so music and art projects are particularly popular just now.

Earlier in class one of the children asked a question and another teacher looked at him as though he had two heads. It made me think about things said during Class and how, taken out of context, some comments appear really bizarre. Here are a few examples:

Will we breathe?

Who is counting?

Will we start at the beginning?

I've lost my volume control!

Somebody ate my sheet!

Sorry but we forgot to stop.

I think I swallowed my word endings.

Do we need our pencils to sing?

(this last is my favourite, I forget what its called grammatically, but it arose from me not allowing them to write on their music sheets in Biro!)

Aren't they great? Sometimes School is such a tonic!

By the way, I just noticed that this is my 100th post! If I'd noticed earlier I might have had a celebration. I'll think of something for another significant number!

Curiosity killed the...whoops!

As I was saying, why is it always cats which are bumped off by curiosity? I'm sure Ben-dog sticks his nose into just as many things so why is there no proverb for him?
Look! The packet I won at Paulette's place arrived in Friday's post! Isn't it lovely? The red braid is about to go on some little Christmas decorations I'm making, and the pattern is wriggling about trying to get out of the bag and be stitched....or is that me wriggling....? Thank you so much Paulette!

This afternoon the Hub spent an hour moving the computer from the Ice Box (sorry, spare room) to the kitchen so that I can carry on blogging now the cold weather has hit. We only heat the girls' bedrooms evenings, and the sitting room fire stove has to heat the sitting room and kitchen, so spending time on the computer was inviting frost-bite! So a big round of applause to a helpful Hub!

These are some new tree decorations I designed and made last week; I put buttons on opposite corners so one could string them together as a banner or hanging either. I'm about to post them on eBay before the girls swipe them for their friends! I love 'Redwork' and especially at Christmas.This morning in Church we had a visiting Male Voice Choir from the Dublin area who sang four pieces as part of our Service, including the 'Our Father'. It was just wonderful to have that Music this morning. And due to their volume I was able to use the Cornucopean Pipe on the organ in the final hymn, which made the rafters of our old Church reverberate! Isn't good Music amazing?