Hogmanay

We had the Halpin’s over at our place for Hogmanay.  Kids played away happily and we enjoyed a wee glass of wine and a magic Mexican Stew.  Happy days.  Hope we have many more nights like this in 2009!

   

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Knapps Loch for a wee walk

We all went out for a wee walk round the Knapps, a small Loch about 10 minutes from our house. Had to persuade the kids – but once we were out they enjoyed it!!  Patrick is only in a few of the photos because he ran ahead – he needs to be first!!

It has been really nice weather over the last few days – really cold but bright and frosty.  Took the new camera to give it a try.  If you are thinking Megan is looking different – she got fancy curling things for her hair.  Lookin’ good.

The hat I am wearing is my Christmas present from Michael – it is made out of grizzly bear!!

 

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Boxing Day at Maw’s

Mo and I got up sharp this morning and got the house all tidied up and back to normal.  We got everyone into the car and over to Mum and Dad’s.  We arrived at 2 o’clock and swapped presents, before going down to the Indian restaurant for our dinner.  Magic – back up the road for a few drinks and a game of Cranium.

  

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Happy Christmas Everyone

Happy Christmas everyone – hope everyone had a good time.  Our Christmas started on Christmas Eve.  We met Michael and the Halpin’s at Glasgow Cathedral for the vigil mass.  After mass we went up to see the crib and Mo gave Ella a coin and told her to light a candle for Granny Meg.  Ella started looking about and asking where she was!!  We all walked up to George Square for a go on the rides and get into the Christmas Spirit.  A Great start to the festivities.  We got home about 9 o’clock and the kids went to bed.  Michael, Mo and I had a wee glass of wine before Santa Came.  Jean and Eddie came round to our place after evening mass – about midnight.  Had another glass of wine and got to bed about 1 o’clock.

The oven came on at 6am for the huge turkey.  And we all got up at 8 to have breakfast and open the presents.  We were having Jean & Eddie, Fiona & Gordon, Laura & Craig, Siobhan and Stuart for dinner so after the presents were opened and the paper tidied up, Mo,Jean and I started getting things prepared.  Mo got me a new camera – so prepare for some more double dully photo’s in 2009.  Michael left about 2 o’clock.  He was going down to Fiona’s for dinner with Mum and Dad.  We sat down for dinner at about 3 and it was a great success!  It was so tasty and there was loads of food.  Everyone left about 10:30.

  

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Ella’s Show

Ella was a star in the nursery show – so talented!!

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Certificate Of Achievements

Megan and Patrick were awarded with Certificate Of Achievements at school assembly today.  Megan got one “In recognition of great behaviour” and Patrick got one “In recognition of good citizenship”  Only one per year was given out so they did very well.

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Megan’s Birthday

Happy Birthday Meg!!

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X-Factor - Hallelujah

Saturday night was the the X-Factor final.  It was won by Alexandra Burke and she sang her new single at the end of the show.  It is a great song – Leonard Cohen song.  There are 3 versions below, Alexandra’s, Rufus Wainwright (probably the most famous as it was in Shrek) and then the master – Leonard.  I know what one is my favourite!

Rufus Wainwright - Shrek

Leonard Cohen

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Camera Club Outing to Glasgow

Every year at the camera club we all split into different groups - portraits, wildlife, basics etc.  This year I joined the "Scapes" group, which is landscapes, seascapes, cloudscapes, cityscapes etc.  Last night we met in Glasgow to take some cityscapes.  We parked near the Science Centre.  It was a lovely night - but absolutely freezing, I could hardly feel my fingers!!

The first one is showing some part demolished tenements close to my work.  I nipped out at lunch time and took some shots - nice wallpaper!!  Sad to think that there has been a lot of Christmas Days and other memories being ripped down along with the bricks!

These are my efforts below.  (In case you don't know you can click the icon (expanding arrows) on the bottom right of the images to view full screen, then press the play button on the bottom left.  Once you are finished watching press the icon in the bottom right again to go back to here)

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December Camera Club Competition

Last night was the December Camera Club Competition.  I got "hee-haw" in the colour, didn't put anything into the digital section, but I got 5th and 2nd in the Black and White section - which I was pleased with, as there was about 30 entries.  They all get sent to an external judge, who comes to the club in early January to give his tuppence worth!!  The winner is shown above - "Dunnet Head Beach".  The 5th place, "Glencoe", is shown below.

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John O'Groats Harbour Canvas

We ordered a canvas print of my John O'Groats Harbour photo, and got it delivered on Friday.  It is nice and big (80cm x 55cm) and it looks brilliant.  The photo doesn't do it justice (a camera phone picture).

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Ella's Nursery Christmas Fayre

Ella's nursery had their Christmas fayre today.  Lots of home baking, bouncy castles and face painting.  Ella met Santa for the first time this year and asked for her Hoover.  Hopefully the nursery made lots of money.

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Wizard of Oz & Mo's Birthday

Just back from the Wizard Of Oz at the Citizens Theatre with Dad, Fiona, Gerry and Gerry's sister Laura.  Mum is in Spain to see Anne McDonaugh and Mikie was working in Aberdeen.  It was a preview performance in aid of The Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice where Granny spent her last few days.  I went expecting a Panto, but it was a Musical.  It was brilliant - we all loved it, plus all the money went to a good cause.  It was a Win Win night!!

There was a problem with the piano music post - I have sorted it now (I think) but let me know if there is a problem.

 

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Ella Skiing (Again)

Just back from skiing to see Ella.

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Investment Advice

If you had purchased £1000 of Northern Rock shares one year ago it would now be worth £4.95.  With HBOS, earlier this week your £1000 would have been worth £16.50, £1000 invested in XL Leisure would now be worth less than £5, but if you bought £1000 worth of Tennents Lager one year ago, drank it all, then took the empty cans to an aluminum re-cycling plant, you would get £21.40

Magic.

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Big Band Winners

The Michael Brawley Big Band entered a competition a few weeks ago and were awarded a "Gold Award" in the community section. The get invited to the National Finals in Cardiff.  Michael brought over a recording from the day. You hear the judge making comments a few times.  I will get the titles of the tunes from Michael or Fiona.

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Mikie's Piano Music

Mikie brought over a CD he made of his piano playing.  He hasn't given me the titles yet and I am just experimenting with getting the files onto the blog. I will update them when I have it sussed! Sounds great.

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Jim Honey in George Square

Michael stayed over last night after the hillwalk.  He was playing in George Square with the Jim Honey Band.  We all went into see him.  Every year at Christmas George Square gets an ice rink, Merry-Go-Round, Helterskelters as well as a stage that gets used for lots of different acts in the lead up to Christmas.

We all enjoyed listening to the music with a hot coffee and the kids had a go on the rides.

We all went for lunch at Princess Square before heading home.  Busy weekend - but great.

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Bein Dubh

Had another "Lads & Dads" hillwalk today.  Left the house at 9am this morning, cold and dry.  The hill was just at Luss, so it was just a 40 minute drive.

We arrived and headed straight up.  Patrick and his pal Jack ran on ahead.  I struggled all the way up - I am the first to admit I am not the fittest, but I was completely out of it.  If it had been me and Patrick I would have turned back.  Finally got to the top and had lunch - I felt a lot better after having something to eat, but we couldn't hang about because it was absolutely freezing.  No one had a thermometer but it must have been -10oC.  Gordon had brought a flask of coffee with him.  He had poured a cup, drank it and put the cup down.  Less than 5 minutes later the dreggs in the bottom of the cup had started freezing.

We walked round the wide horseshoe ridge and down the steep descent to a single track road.  We had a mile or so walk along this road until we reached the car.  Satisfied and absolutely gubbed! 

Michael came back to our place and we had a nice big healthy curry and I had a few glasses of wine!!

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Ella Skiing

Ella started back at her skiing lessons last week.  The slope is only 3 minutes from my work so I pop up to watch.  She is doing great - I took this on my phone

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Were you born in the 40's, 50's, 60's or 70's?

I got this sent to me by email and I thought it was quite good.

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they carried us and lived in houses made of asbestos.  They took aspirin, ate blue cheese, raw egg products, loads of bacon and processed meat, tuna from a can.  Then after that trauma, our baby cots were covered with bright coloured lead-based paints.  We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets or shoes. 

As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags.  We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.  Take away food was limited to fish and chips, no pizza shops, McDonalds, KFC, Subway or Nandos.   Even though all the shops closed at 6.00pm and didn't open on the weekends, somehow we didn't starve to death!We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.

We could collect old drink bottles and cash them in at the corner store and buy toffees, gobstoppers, bubble gum and some bangers to blow up frogs with. We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank soft drinks with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight because......WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!! 

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.  No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K.??  We would spend hours building our go-carts out of old prams and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. We built tree houses and dens and played in river beds with matchbox cars.

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo Wii, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 999 channels on SKY, No video/DVD  films,  No mobile phones, no personal computers, no Internet or Internet chat rooms..........WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no Lawsuits from these accidents.

Only girls had pierced ears!

We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.

You could only buy Easter Eggs and Hot Cross Buns at Easter time.  We were given air guns and catapults for our 10th birthdays.  We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just yelled for them!

Mum didn't have to go to work to help dad make ends meet!

Rugby and Football had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment.

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of.  They actually sided with the law!

Our parents didn't invent stupid names for their kids like 'Kiora' and 'Blade' and 'Ridge' and 'Vanilla'.  We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL!  And YOU are one of them!

CONGRATULATIONS!! You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated our lives for our own good.  And while you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave their parents were.

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Schools Camera Club Competition

Every year the Camera Club have a competition for 4 of the local schools.  Megan won for St Fillan's.  She was presented with her prizes in front of the whole school.  She won a digital camera, a certificate and got her photo presented to her in a frame.  She is over the moon.  Her winning image was taken on the "Maid Of The Mist" at Niagara Falls, Canada in the Summer. Gone yourself Meg!!

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Aviemore '08

This was the annual Monks Family trip to Aviemore.  There were 17 1/2 of us there, spread over 4 villas.  Great weekend.  Saturday was as nice a day as you could expect.  Had a walk round Loch an Eilean in the afternoon, swimming before dinner and then a curry and wine in the evening.

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November Camera Club Results

The external judge was at the camera club tonight with the results.  All my entries can be seen here - I did great!!  I was 1st in the mono (Black & White), 1st in the Digital and 3rd in the Colour.  I didn't expect to do so well!  There were over 90 entries - not sure of the breakdown in each section - I would guess 40 Digital, 30 Colour and 20 Mono.  Here are the winners.

Colour Section - 3rd Dornoch Sands

Mono Section - 1st Can you feel the flow... of Glencoe

Digital Section - 1st Buachaille Etive Mor

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Tubing at Bellahouston

Today was Patrick's Birthday party with his friends.  We had booked Tubing at the dry ski slope at Bellahouston.  Tubing is like sledging - except you sit in a kind of rubber ring.  There is an instructor at the top of the hill who throws, spins and bounces them down the slope as fast as he can.  They had a great time.  After the tubing it was McDonalds for lunch and then back to the house for a WII tournament.

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Patrick's Birthday

Patrick's birthday today - 8.  Jean and Eddie, Fiona and Gerry and Michael came over for dinner.  Megan was going out to her Guides Halloween Party - Fiona brought over an old outfit she had - it is a bee by the way!  Patrick is having a party with his friends on Sunday - so stay posted.

 

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High School Musical & Sunday Dinner at Michael's Hoose

Friday night was High School Musical Night at the cinema.  The kids loved the first two movies so we all went to the cinema to see the new one.  Ella had to wear her "High Musical Cheer Lead" outfit - OMG!!  The cinema was full to the brim and everyone was clapping and cheering - great atmosphere - must have been like the cinema in the olden days!!

Mum and Dad are decorating and when Mikie popped in on Saturday, they invited themselves round for dinner on the Sunday.  Michael decided to make a dinner party out of it and called Fiona and Gerry.  We got the phone call on Sunday afternoon - I think he was hoping we would say we had already made plans - nae luck.  We jumped in the car and were over at his house for about 5 o'clock.  What a great dinner Mikie!!  Chicken Myres and Chocolate Cake.  He even had diet coke and sprite (only a month out of date - Gerry wasn't bothered)Patrick took some pictures for the blog.  Notice Granny Meg's table and couch in the last picture - go on Granny Meg.  You can still smell her from the couch.

 

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