Road Crash
December 18, 2009
Filed under family, road safety
Tags: crash, drivers, ice, road safety, shopping, snow, winter
Today I got up early to drive West for my sister, on route I passed an over turned car with a young guy trying to open the door. A trucker had parked across the road and was walking to help, but I didn’t stop I have no first aid and the road was covered in ice and snow. I stopped at the first safe place to call 999, just in case no one else had. It turned out no one had called it in so I described what I saw, gave location and then headed on to my sisters.
About ten minutes later I got a call from the ambulance driver to say there was no one in the car. I explained again what I had witnessed and he decided that either the passers by had taken the injured driver to hospital or it had happened a while before. I don’t know the ending but I am hoping the driver was just bruised and walked away unhurt.
The roads were very icy today and covered in snow but drivers just don’t slow down enough. Who wants to loose a loved one, especially at this time of year?
On the smile note I took my sister shopping and we got her a whole new wardrobe! There is something brilliant about spending other peoples money, we had loads of bags, she was really happy, and I got a stocking to hang up, something I’ve never had before!
Christmas Shopping
December 16, 2009
Filed under christmas
Tags: cocktails, men shopping, presents, sales assistants, shoes, shopping
For the first time in years my husband took the day off work to go Christmas shopping with me.
I had hoped for a lovely day wandering shops and taking time out for coffee and lunch, not really possible. It was more like a military manoeuvre as we headed to the first shopping centre with a list. One by one items were located and purchased with minimum fuss and zero warm fuzzy Christmassy feeling.
One book was out of stock, the girl checked the computer, it said ‘NO’, except for one copy at the West End branch. Here I do a name check, it was Waterston’s, they called me to say they had found it but it was already reserved, if the buyer didn’t show it would be mine…I thought the guy was nice to look for it and call me when he found it. Very helpful if useless.
We went up town, shopped some more and then disaster, the beautiful shoes I wanted from Santa were out of stock too, this time however when they located a pair at another branch the shop couldn’t get them for me. Won’t name check them but I was more than a little disappointed.
Why is there so much pressure at this time of year? No matter how early I prepare the stress builds and the need to spend grows and grows. Then you want this, eat that and over drink…shop here, there and everywhere and cook far too much poultry on Christmas day. I’m guilty as we are having a mixed roast with three different birds getting it in the neck for our dinner. At least we can all get a leg.
Back to Christmas shopping, our day out improved with a nice lunch and wine then I lost all interest in retail outlets (my husband had lost the will to live) so headed for cocktails. A perfect end to a not so perfect day.
Next year I will start early and post my cards in November so that I’m not still carrying them about on the 16th, sorry to all those still unposted…oops.
Charity
My daughter has just tidied out her room to make space for Christmas presents and put a dolls house and accessories at the bottom of the stairs to go out for charity. It’s in perfect condition and will make some little girl very happy and it made me remember another little girl who gave something to charity once.
At our primary school we were asked to wrap a toy up every Christmas to hand in during the carol service for the local Children’s home.
One Christmas, I was having a difficult time choosing a toy as I played with everything and didn’t feel I could spare anything. Eventually I decided on a tennis ball and wrapped it up ready to take to school.
Now just let me add here that I didn’t have many toys so was not spoilt or over indulged in the game department. I had three tennis balls but only needed two to play against the wall so decided that one was spare.
In the morning before school Dad asked what I was taking and when he saw the ball he went more than ballistic.
He stormed up stairs and took my best baby doll, one of the two I had, wrapped it and made me take it to school. He came to the Church to make sure I handed it in, I did but I was crying when I dropped it in the box. I was devastated, she was called Andrea and I loved playing with her.
My Dad never said anything else about it but I learned my lesson the hard way and always have plenty good will for others, especially at this time of year!
Ingredients for the Perfect Night In
dips
crisps
bread
cous cous
Spring Roll
pasta bake
Mini meat pies
Mincemeat pies
chocolate santas
baked cheese cake
bread crumb cheese things
dark chocolate and pear cake
red wine+white wine+sloe gin+beer+cola+water+prosecco+whiskey
the real SANTA, kids and new short film
the perfect night.
and just a little sore head.
Being Busy
Tomorrow we have a few friends coming round as a thank you for helping with film and to view it for the first time.
Today I cooked, chilli, mincemeat pies, soup, veg cous cous, turkey pie, and got my eyes tested, went Christmas shopping then had wine with a neighbour.
I love my life. I need to be busy, how can you sit about watching daytime TV or soaps when you can be doing something.
I am totally exhausted tonight, but very content, tomorrow we’ll have a few friends here for a celebration and I’ll try my hardest to do nothing but socialise. I have a list of things to do but I am going to attempt to enjoy myself.
Note: some people would say that I have some sort of compulsive order if I can’t sit down and I am trying to escape something. I am trying to escape something, boredom!
Pushy Parents
December 9, 2009
Filed under competition, pushy parents, self respect
Tags: cello, competition, concert
My daughter plays the cello and so does my son, they are both good, but probably not brilliant so why is it every other child is brilliant according to their parents.
I find it funny when folk start going on about their gifted offspring and their amazing talents. Tonight was the Duddingston String Orchestra Christmas concert and it was very good, especially considering the kids are all at primary and only get short lessons. But I don’t get this parent thing…
That is no matter how early you think you are for an event there are loads there before you, getting the best seats for them and the extended family. The kids face is scrubbed with their hair stuck to the head like it’s glued. The parents have the fancied camcorder and take up the aisle recording every second of the event but missing the actual evening and the atmosphere of it.
My kids are great but they are only as good as they can be, they try hard and they enjoy what they do but I am not pushing them or forcing them so that I can enjoy the fruits of their labour.
So today I am smiling because I feel I’ve got it right with my kids, they make me proud and they don’t feel too pressured into being something they are not.
I enjoyed singing carols despite the Granddad behind me who also enjoyed singing carols but just not at the same time as everyone else.
I feel I should qualify this by saying that most of the parents tonight were like me, it’s just that core of fanatics who get me, you know who I mean, you’ve seen their behaviour at sports day and sat beside them in assemblies…
Short Film
Today I got the final version of a short film that I wrote the script for. It was thrilling to watch something that started off in my head a number of years ago.
The film was made thanks to a lot of people and a bit of good timing.
Last year I won a short film competition with a short script, the company couldn’t make the film as they intended but they kept in touch.
I had a script called Mr Scott that I decided to show them, Barry, one of the team liked it. I spoke to Pete, he found a director, Mark, and then we found an actor, James Martin, to play the main role. Mark found other actors and my family and friends produced the props. Pete did just about everything that needed done to get the film made.
Barry brought crew, equipment and expertise and one full on weekend in June we shot the film!
My daughter managed the wardrobe and my husband did the graphics and art department along with me.
Tonight we turned out the lights and watched the finished film it was brilliant. I don’t know what others will say about it but we loved it.
Today’s smile is the fact that all the cast, crew and musicians gave up their time for no more than their lunch. People I had never met helped, friends and family of friends sent stuff to help and Jan drove hundreds of miles from Plockton to be a runner and make tea.
I appreciate all of their time.
You watch the film you see the actors and you think about the director but without the team there is no finished product.
I do want to mention our Uncle Davie Scott who only died recently, the character in the film was inspired by his attitude to life and he would have been delighted if he had seen the finished short. He had a sparkle in his eye and a smile in his heart always. x
Wrapping presents with Roast Beef
December 6, 2009
Filed under christmas, road safety, work
Tags: food, picture hanging, presents, road safety, teenagers
Reading this blog may make you think my life revolved around food, and in a way it does but it’s mainly feeding other people. I have a kind of munchausen syndrome by proxy with food.
19 Sleeps
I’ve been very busy the last couple of days, work and family just keep me from being bored so here’s a quick countdown of each days smile maker.
Friday
In the afternoon I invited a group of teenagers to the city Chambers so that we could get their views on road safety. I haven’t had a chance to read through their comments but I was really impressed by all of them. Young people get a raw deal so often, they only make the news when they get stabbed or rob someone but this mix were aged from thirteen to seventeen and all took their task very seriously. I had a few adult helpers including a police officer and a fireman who were both enthused by the young people’s ideas and comments. I think we should mix age groups more, adults and kids, old folks and middle aged I don’t know how but the only different age group most folk mix with out of work are family.
Saurday
We took all our pictures down and rehung them in an organised random arrangement, sad but satisfying.
Sunday
Today we had roast beef dinner. This is one of my feel good meals, as a kid I would eat it on as Sunday in front of University Challenge with Bamber Gascoigne, I always think of the show when I eat cabbage now, bet you no one else has that association.
I think today’s beef was perfect. I leave it out the fridge for about forty minutes so it warms to room temp, then stick it in a really hot oven for the first ten minutes to seal the meat. Only salt after the meat is browned on the outside to save the salt drawing the moisture. Cook for the right time for the size at 200c then let rest. Take the fat out the cooking juices. I deglazed the tray with hot water and port and added it to the juices and made gravy with good old bisto to thicken.
All gone, must have been good. Now time to wrap.
Advent Calender
Today is the 3rd of December and I have failed as a commercial mum by not supplying cardboard calendars filled with cheap chocolate.
So todays lunch time was spent trailing the length of Princes Street and back to take in the St James Centre all without a sniff of an advent calendar. After an hour I was beginning to feel that stress you only get at this time of year, a mix of pester power and over commercialisation equalling a sore head and that funny feeling in the back of the neck. Although I’m willing to accept the neck is only me.
What was good about today then? The genuine help that shop assistants and fellow shoppers gave me in my quest. One lady in BHS rhymed off a list of places to try, the guy in John Lewis looked, the lady in Boots apologised for not selling them and the guy in Sainsbury’s, where I eventually got them, went the length of the shop for me and brought them to me for selection.
I have three very naff bits of card that will annoy me until the 24th when I make them bin them but the kids are happy and they can take part in the countdown the way they recognise.
I should say we do have a beautiful hand made advent calendar filled with quality street but one isn’t enough…
We don’t believe in God in this family so sometimes it may seen wrong to celebrate Christmas but I have no doubts about the importance of a holiday where families come together and share time and gifts. I live by a lot of Christian morals as I live in a traditionally Christian country and Christmas is part of our history so I like to see the kids tell the Christmas story, I just don’t do the worship bit.
As Dave Allan used to say, May your God go with you.
Stand Up Comedy
We’ve just been to see a friend do her first ever stand up gig. There was a ten week course at a local night class where she was guided through what ever it is you need to be guided through to be a stand up, and then tonught she made a room of people laugh.
There were five students, all different and all got a laugh. Well done them for even trying it and well done them for getting folk to laugh.
We don’t laugh enough normally as adults. In school kids laugh all the time at anything from farting to words that just sound rude. Need to try to laugh more, should be easy there’s plenty wind around this house…
