Just Because I Can

Here's another video of the Yvonne die Kuh song. Apparently it became very popular in beer halls. Hmm.

Just to prove my taste isn't completely lacking here's something a little more serious. Scroll down the page and you'll find a video of Ryan Kelly from Celtic Thunder singing The House of The Rising Sun.

Still not your thing? Here's more Celtic Thunder, this time the whole ensemble, and they're singing Amazing Grace.

Then there's this - Celtic Woman singing The Parting Glass. They certainly could put on a dramatic show, couldn't they.

Enjoy.

Seasons and Reasons

So here we are halfway through the holiday week that starts with Christmas Day and ends with New Year - and for the most part it's been good. Family, good friends and far too much delicious food. Having a small grandchild around is an added bonus. We've yet another feast on New Years Day and then - a little later - there's a special birthday party for me (having a birthday just after New Year means I've had very few parties in my life - 4 in fact - so, this year being a milestone one, I'm determined to enjoy it).

We've had a frustrating year in many ways and a sad one at times with the deaths of several dear friends overshadowing much of the time but I finally managed to overcome my initial apathy towards the season and there are tins still full of goodies to eat, decorations and silly photos. See.

A small dog in her Christmas finery. She gets dressed in this every year but this time she was NOT impressed.

Tree with cat decoration.

Christmas kitty - in detail.














Seasons greetings to you all and may the coming year bring you all you desire. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Packing Up

So in the process of packing up of much of the house for some renovations I have reached my office. The current situation is a cross between shouting "Why am I doing this?" and curling into a foetal position and crying. This is because most of what's in here I need to keep using on a regular basis and if it makes its way into the mountain of cardboard cartons piled in the garage I won't be able to find it. I have so far packed up all but the essentials in the dining room, living room, family sitting room and my bedroom. Piles of "stuff" has made its way out to the annual Council street clean up or has clogged the garbage bin that is collected weekly. I have donated more to local op shops (charity shop for those who don't live in Australia) and other recycling organisations. There are six cartons of books (which makes a total of twelve boxes so far and each one tears at my heart even though they are going to the Save the Children Fund annual book sale), sundry other bits of bric-a-brac and several bags unwanted clothing standing in the front hall waiting to be moved out to different op shops and a pile of empty cartons waiting to be filled in the hall.

I have been coping with all this - not enjoying it, mark you, but coping - but my office I think may possibly be my breaking point. Actually, now I think about it, the final breaking point will probably come when I have to tackle what Pisces is supposed to have cleaned up and packed. He is not fond of discarding anything - he's not a hoarder as such but he hates to let things with a potential use go - and he has two rooms to deal with. So far that seems to have meant mainly spreading things out - onto the floor, into office baskets for "sorting", on to the previously cleared dining room table, on to the verandah.  You get the picture. Ah well, we've been married for a long time so I know that somehow or other we'll resolve this.

In the meantime someone, who probably meant to help, has reminded me that Christmas is three weeks away. Three weeks! To this my answer is "Aaaaaargh!"