4th in Advent

Blackout Friday!

A post with this title should really only have a one word body... DON'T!

This is the night that Ambulance services across the country (World maybe, who knows) get totally crippled by people who :-

Can't hold their drink,

Think of nothing but themselves,

Spend a week or more's wages on alcohol in one night,

Embarrass themselves in front of their co workers, friends and possibly family

Kill someone or cause them suffering. Yes I did mean to write that. When someone gets so drunk that they become unconscious or their "Friends" (Inverted commas as real friends wouldn't let them get that bad!) are worried because someone has had their drink spiked!!! or isn't responding properly due to the amount of alcohol consumed, an ambulance gets called, an ambulance which will then be tied up for an hour or so dealing with some stupid person who has caused their own situation by stupidity, when it could be attending to someone who has life threatening condition and needs an ambulance through no fault of their own!

This is the night which sees Ambulance service and Police personnel assaulted  in the line of duty due to intoxicated people.

Is it OK to go out of control when so much is at stake?

One last thing... DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE, STAY ALIVE, And let everyone have a Happy Christmas!

Image from The Telegraph.

Nightmare before Christmas.

The other night I had a nightmare, I dreamed I was having a heart attack, I could feel the pain and everything, I woke up and couldn't get my breath which made me panic even more desperately trying to get a deep breath....Then, I really woke up! The whole episode had been a dream, including the bit where I thought I had woken up! This has never happened to me before, the panic and fear were so great and so real.
I have decided that I need to loose weight and also get a bit fitter, maybe this nightmare was the WAKE UP call I needed.
At Christmas I shall eat drink and be merry but up to then and after then I shall be swimming and going to the gym and eating more sensibly than I have been!

My year month by month!

January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Well..... what did you expect!!

Third in Advent (Pink is not for Mary!)

John the Baptist

The Inn Keeper

I have just been talking to my brother on the phone, he suggested that we should be celebrating the Inn Keeper at Christmas as he showed the greatest humility by allowing Mary and Joseph to stay in the stable rather than not have anywhere to go.
He also thinks we should celebrate the Inn keeper by helping him...(You can see where this is going I am sure!) As I was saying, helping him by frequenting his business at Christmas. I think my brother is thinking of a few pints and a good meal. Hmm, I may have to google what drink and food would have been on offer 2016 years ago, I have a sneaky suspicion it wasn't anywhere near what my brother has in mind!

Decorations and carols

Today I put the Christmas tree up and all the Christmas decorations. After all the sadness this past couple of weeks I really don't feel Christmassy at all.
This evening was the carols round the Christmas tree followed by mulled wine and mince pies. Well it rained so the Christmas carols were sung inside the church.
Maybe its a little bit Christmassy after all!

Counting the days when you don't actually know the day you are counting down to!

This is what I am doing at the moment.
Obviously there are the big days like Christmas day and New Years day, but there are also the not so International count downs, for instance
The double Baptism             -One day.
The Dentist!!                        -Twelve days.
The Farrier                           -Thirty five days.
The charity coffee morning -Forty three days.
But just when the Northern bird is going to fly south for a visit is a complete mystery!

Today

Today's bloods were mainly taken thanks to Douwe Egberts and Malteser mini reindeer, I am now out of mini reindeer so watch yourself tomorrow people!

Nativity

Today I am going to see a school Nativity play. I can remember the last one, it was 8 years ago, it was my granddaughters and she was 4 and she was an angel! (She is always an angel, such a good girl!)

Today I am going to see my (soon to be) Goddaughter in hers, and I am so excited! Christmas has begun!

To Russia, With my love!

So today my Husband and I were discussing holidays, we have two holidays booked for next year, but the year after we hadn't thought about.
I happened to mention that a Volga cruise might be nice as neither of us have been to Russia, he thought it might be an idea so it looks as if we are going to Russia.

Oranges and.....more oranges!

Today our church held its "The Children's Society" Christingle service, there were a lot of oranges! All the children present received a christingle and any that were left were given to adults.
The candles were all lit and to my knowledge no one set fire to anyone or anything, unlike the time when my daughters were younger, our youngest daughter managed to set fire to the others hair, fortunately it was only slight and I was able to sort it out quickly!

Second in Advent

Lord in your mercy

We give back to you lord, those whom you gave to us.
 You did not loose them when you gave them to us, and we do not loose them by their return to you.

Two simple sentences.
Very comforting words.

First in Advent

AmDram

Last night my Mum, myself and our friend went to see a play put on by our local players.
The play was hilariously funny and well acted, there were a couple of forgotten lines (I have seen David Suchet in a play and forget his lines) and an almost dropped lace "Loin cloth!" (Every one roared with laughter at that too) In the interval the non acting members of the players came round with teas coffees and biscuits, all included in the price of the ticket and collected the cups away too.
A really enjoyable evening no queue's for the loo or for extortionately priced ice creams a brilliant performance and all for the non bank breaking price of £8.
 It seems to me the theatres have become out priced and ever more highbrow, to mention nothing of the fact that if you are not a "Member" of the theatre your chances of getting any tickets is super slim.
So with that in mind I shall pay the price of a theatre ice cream and get a ticket a cup of tea and a biscuit and a great performance.
May there be many more to come!

Gutted!

When your best friend sends you a message saying she has seen some one so you think she has traveled all the way down south from up north. Then she sends you a photo of a van with that persons name on it, a coincidence and funny but still a bit gutted that she hasn't come down to stay!
Miss ya Northern Bird!

Hail Mary...

Father forgive me its been 10 months since my last post!
A lot has happened in those months too!
But I shall say my Hail Mary's and move on without dwelling on them.
Suffice to say I am back with a Lowland Search and Rescue team, less the dog who now has dementia to go with her deafness, it doesn't make her any less lovely though!
I have also changed my job, I have become a vampire again...!