Christmas

The other evening the choir had a carol party at Jackie’s!  We sang the usual carols and Christmas song  in English

then a few in Gaelic, like the one that says Rinn mi bodach sneachd an diugh  - I made a snowman today – not that we could have as there was no snow for us this year!  The one fall we did have recently soon melted away and the temperature has been quite mild since!  I liked Child in a Manger, infant of Mary, sung in Gaelic.  I think that’s what the choir could be concentrating  on in the photo above.  These are the words on the left.  Remember you can click on a photo to enlarge it. 

On Christmas Eve I met my sister for lunch – which was when we found out that amazing coincidence of her friend living at one of the Fife farms I had visited the week before.  The restaurant was full of Christmas ornaments, including this lovely Santa Claus with his sack of goodies over his shoulders and a cuddly teddy bear (in England he’s usually called Father Christmas, but here he’s Santa Claus!).

Then I had a lovely Christmas Day yesterday.  Linda and I usually spend Christmas Day together, going out for a meal that we’ve booked way back in September.   This year, instead of having a Christmas dinner in my neck of the woods, we drove down the coast east of Edinburgh, stopping briefly at Longniddry Bents to look back at Edinburgh (left) 

and over to Fife across the waves (right) – it was quite a windy day -  and then on to the beautiful village of Dirleton where we had a very appetising meal at one of the hotels there. 

We pulled our crackers, and read the silly jokes – now what was mine?  Do you know, I can’t remember!  It wasn’t that funny obviously!  I wore my paper hat throughout the meal, and for once the little gift in the cracker was quite useful – a little padlock and key – for the holiday suitcase next time I go away!

It was dark by the time we started our drive back to the city and the lights of Fife were twinkling along the coast across the Firth of Forth – the estuary of the river Forth.  We waved to Katrina (Pining for the West) over in Kirkcaldy (you can tell it’s Kirkcaldy from 3 prominent residential tower blocks at the east end of the town).  What were you doing around 5.30, Katrina?  Were your ears burning? – before getting onto the A1 bound for Edinburgh again.

After exchanging and opening Christmas presents at Linda’s – I got a pendant watch from Linda, who always says I have no sense of time! – we settled down with drinks and nibbles – as if we hadn’t eaten enough already – blethered (chattered) some more, and then watched the Christmas Special of period drama Downton Abbey on TV.

I left for home about 11.30, getting back to Peebles around a quarter past midnight.   The Christmas lights were looking really festive.  You don’t really appreciate them till you drive into the town out of the dark countryside!!  It’s a holiday today so I left my car on the street last night!  Hurray!  Just as long as I remember to move it before tonight!  I’m not sure if the traffic warden is working tomorrow or if it’s still a holiday, as Christmas was on a Sunday.

So there we are!  As my dear late friend Vina would have said – It’s as far away as ever again!  So it is! 366 days till the next one,  – 2012’s a leap year, don’t forget!  Well one of those days is almost gone now anyway so 365 days left now! Don’t worry. I won’t be counting them all down!

Talk again soon.