Glorious Weekend!

Exhausting too!

Saturday
Fran, Alex and the Pips moved into their new home. Which was exciting.  I was supposed to have the Pips for the day but in the end Lpip went to a friend's for a sleepover, Dpip went to the new house with Alex to 'supervise' and Kpip decided she wanted to stay home with Mummy.  So a relatively quiet day until E&J arrived!  
We were at C&D's in the evening for a Chinese take-away and chat which was lovely although Cat and FE were very tired after a full day's rehearsing for . . .

Easter Sunday!
Well firstly, Fran, Alex and the Pips arrived (very early! and even earlier due to this being the start of British Summer Time and the clocks went forward an hour!) to collect G's old fridge freezer.  We were all very excited about the move, our day ahead ~ and just seeing them really. 
Eric, Janey and I then met Cat and Dave at Croxley station and travelled up to London to meet up with Stella, Rich, Rpie and Ja&Ja for:

The Royal Albert Hall with the Albert Memorial

The ensemble
(very young violinists sitting on the floor in the centre!) 

Ke, J, Cpie and FE were all taking part ~ Ke on Viola and the other three on recorder.












The concert was quite amazing ~ over 1300 children playing Double Bass, Cello, Viola, Violin, Guitar, Harp, Mandolin, Flute, Recorder, Organ and Piano. 

Children, parents and teachers had travelled from 26 different countries and spoke a total of 22 different languages.  

Stella, Rich and Rpie

It was all quite breath-taking ~ incredible talent and praise-worthy discipline ~ and all so keen! 

Stella, Rich, Ja (the Pies' other grandmother) and their Auntie Ja and I sat in the very high seats.  And, of course, Rpie was a perfect audience member!

The concert was truly wonderful ~ lots of well-known classics including (perhaps my favourite piece) Greensleeves played by the guitars and the wonderful Czardas (Monti) played by violins and the ensemble.  Although of course I loved everything in which our children performed! 

To say I am proud is an understatement!  Of the children ~ all four of them for their dedication and hard work, for their parents for the discipline they so gently instill and for their teachers.  Stella teaches all four of them Suzuki recorder and I am very proud of the results she gains.  

I am constantly struck by the wonderful Suzuki method of teaching: 'to create people of beautiful minds and fine ability' and to 'engage in human education through music so that children will grow . . with high sensitivity through an unparalleled musical approach.'  

And then the concert as finished and everyone dispersed . . . but not before a great mass of coloured balloons floated down from the ceiling and we all gathered outside for photos, congratulations and general letting off steam.  Here they are ~ all delighted it was so successful but also knowing they could relax a little now the Easter hols could really start!

Yay! We did it! Cpie, Ke, FE and J

Ke, FE and J ~ until next time . . . .

Time to go home: 
FE, Cpie and J balancing on the Met line train.

Back to our various homes . . . 

And for Janey, Eric and me: Janey's Beef Casserole and Bedtime!

Easter Monday:
Ke's 13th birthday.  We had 'Big Hearty' (traditional English Breakfast with all the trimmings) at my house.  A lively crew: Rich, Stella and all the Pies, E&J and me.  It was the usual noisy, talkative Family Meal with all three of the 'big' pies talking 19 to the dozen, loads (really loads!) of laughs and plenty of nice food.  A lovely morning!
Early afternoon Eric, Janey and I nipped quickly over to Fran and Alex new house to see all they had done. Which is loads in a really short time.  Dpip  says that he has done most of it (!!!) and Alex says he is a really good little worker.  Doing well for not-yet-seven! 
Then Eric and Janey headed back up North and I came home.  And, being too tired to do owt else, sat on the sofa and read my book.

Yup!  A Glorious Weekend!

Back soon

Po xx

Touch of Evil

I must just miss the point of a lot of films ~ this was one of them! 'Citizen Kane' was another. And 'The Godfather' was the worst of all. I have tried that one three times and given up through sheer boredom after about half an hour each time. 


I was once talking to a friend who thinks Godfather is one of the best films of all time so I asked him 'why?'.  And to be fair his answers made a lot of sense although I can't now remember his reasons. And I wouldn't wish to try to see it again in order to test out the theories. 

A 'Touch of Evil' is pretty tedious although I did at least reach the end. Partly because at one point C. Heston was fighting in a bar and his opponent was quite obviously a dummy who then suddenly changes to 'real' at the close-up. This smidgen of hilarity was not repeated, however, so my advice is: don't bother.  

Back soon

Po xx

   

Goodbye to T

Today was the funeral of the husband of a good friend.  

A quite amazing 'turn out' of friends and relatives and the service was lovely ~ quiet and meaningful.  It never ceases to surprise me that one can know someone for many years and yet there are aspects of which one has no idea. It is very pleasing that he had such a good 'send off'.

The music the family had chosen was appropriate and beautiful. At the committal they played 'Echos' by Pink Floyd. I was never a huge fan and didn't know this piece. In fact to begin with I thought someone had forgotten to turn off their mobile phone.   

Listen if you can ~ it's wonderful.

Sleep well, Tom

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vm0VBWnUhvU

Our little star

Add caption

Rpie at 10 weeks and looking quite amazingly like his cousins, the RAF Boys. 

You would need to see him in 'real life' to recognise just how cuddly he is.  

Our new star!

xxxxxxx

   

Some odds and ends . . .

Amazing where the time goes!  

An expression that retired people use a lot and which really annoys me is:

I'm so busy I don't know how I ever had time for work

Well it's because you didn't have time to do the nice things you are doing now! 

Of course we all know this but Lord! it's such a cliche ~ and I hate cliches!

OK Rant over ~ what have I been doing since January? 
Lots but too much to update all of it but this and last week . . .

I pulled a muscle in my back which was very painful and meant I couldn't do some of things I had planned but had extra visits from Stella and some of the Pies and Frankie and some of the Pips (the others were at school).  After persevering with the meds, however, I am much better and able to get on with stuff.

Thursday:
Whole School Retreat Day at the Nilands Centre, Bushey which was lovely: relaxing and fun and so nice to get to meet all the new staff.
Then in the evening to the Colosseum for the Chairman's Quiz.  My team were: The Two Annes, Keith, Sandra and John and Stella and Rpie and me.  Rpie was not much help with the answers :) but a delightful team member, very well behaved (better than some!) and very sweet.  We came joint third.  

Friday:
Had Kpip for the afternoon and then met Frankie and Lpip at Cinnamon Square in Ricky for Hot Choc and Cake.
In the evening to Holy Rood Church to see and listen to Faure's Requiem performed by members of the Church (all amateurs) and a few visiting singers.  The conductor was the lovely chap who played the organ and who had been so helpful with music generally for G's funeral last year.  He really managed to bring out the best from all the singers and the performance was truly beautiful.

Saturday:
More music in the form of a 'gig' for the purpose of raising money for T (a relative) to go on the school pilgrimage to Lourdes. T played guitar and sang for two hours at the Royal Oak in Abbots Langley ~ and very talented he is too! and not yet 15.  A most enjoyable and relaxing way to spend an afternoon and a very respectable amount raised. 

Sunday:
Frankie's birthday. She came round with Lpip and Kpip (Dpip was at the new house 'supervising' ;) and we had a Cream Tea with cup-cakes.  Yumm!
In the evening I went to the annual Paschal Meal at church where we celebrate the Passover in the way Jesus would have done. We all bring something to share and I (not the best of cooks!) made a pasta salad which, surprisingly, drew compliments!!  Lovely evening ~ great company, good chat and a very nice meal!

Monday (yesterday):
Frankie phoned to say she was going to Ikea to get a mattress for Lpip and did I want to come.  I find it difficult not to find something I want at Ikea but had to stint somewhat as there wasn't a great deal of room with a mattress to carry.  All went well until we arrived at the check-out and Frankie realised she had lost her keys!  I nipped out to the car park to make sure no-one had found them and subsequently stolen the car while Fran and Kpip retraced our steps.  Fortunately they had been found and handed in but Fran had by then lost the bags of shopping too so all we did get in the end was the mattress.  Heigh ho!
In the evening it was Small Group at L&D's which was very nice.  Good company, a good discussion and cosy!

Back Soon

Po xx