A bit late with this, as we've only just returned from visiting relatives, but what made me happy on Thursday was a lovely concert at The Sage Gateshead given by Durham University Music Society. Both BerkshireSon and nicki flute were playing principal parts.

A few years ago I would never have dreamed that my son would be playing in such a wonderful venue; it's something I'll always remember.

glad that went well!

I'm terrified of proper clowns, Juniper, but these two were just called clowns because they were funny! They didn't look like clowns at all:

Varekai clowns. (Youtube link)

See? They were great


Ooooh, I just googled 'em, and it says they toured with Avenged Sevenfold - awesome! Hope you enjoy it!

The female clown was the one at the Albert Hall - she was fantastic!

The two there weren't the ones I saw - but the act is the same, and they were just as good!

We've met the monthly sales target with over a week to go.

The examiner of my chronically ill pupil who is who took her Gr 5 TG today made me happy- by only making her do 1/2 of her sight reading and only 1 of her scale studies. What a thoughtful person!

Picked up my timetable for three days of lessons next week, including: Second Order Differential Equations, Geometric Series and Matrix Transformations!

Still, it'll make a change from Grade 8 theory!

Of course, I'll fully understand if you don't share my joy!

(Somehow I've amassed 500 posts!)

Congratulations!


My new music arrived this morning!!

Thanks for your interest, Barry. It's brilliant the way you respond to everyone's posts - you deserve a medal!

No problem - I was talking to Nicki about it a couple of weeks ago : she was really looking forward to it!

A cornish pasty Easily pleased, it seems... strange, it isn't always the case!

Please please please tell me there were no carrots or peas in it!

Both! Aren't there supposed to be?

I take it you're not a carrot/pea fan?

No you can't put peas and carrots in a Cornish Pasty!!

I find it quite funny but it's the quickest way to anger the Cornish. In fact one of my favourite pastimes is to go to a pub where I'm unknown and say loudly to whomever I'm with that shop bought pasties don't contain enough carrots. You can guarantee to get one eavesdropper jumping down your throat!!

Whoa, I always assumed that all of them were supposed to have carrots and peas! And I might try your trick for a laugh

Go for it. Not sure it would work anywhere other than Cornwall though!

Finally getting my quotation and forms so that I can draw my pension from my former employer. Isn't early retirement marvellous!

Well actually, I am still in full time employment, but at a place not 2 miles from home, based in a garden centre. I am my own boss, being the branch manager. No stress, no hassle, can read music theory textbooks between customers, and can often be heard bursting into song.

I think you're allowed potatoes and swede in a Cornish pasty, but not any other veg...

onion?

Oh gosh yes, and onion. Of course! Thanks Flossie

Having never been to Cornwall I don't know what is in Cornish Cornish pasties... My brain is struggling with the idea of a meat pasty without onion in it, though.

Juniper I'm sure will correct me, but apart from the beef, I believe you're allowed potato, swede and parsley, and that's it.

You are correct Some like parsley, others don't, otherwise it's Potato, swede, onion and a bit of salt and pepper and Beef skirt. Oh and whilst we're on the subject you NEVER EVER do what that Worral Thomson bloke did and fry up the ingredients with cayenne and then put it in pastry

Barry if you're good you may get to try the real macoy in August

my food knowledge isn't as dreadful as I thought it was!



hehe! That'd be good

And yet you didn't know what a parmo was, or a stottie.

Getting to play the piano for about three hours in total today has made me happy and I mean play, not just practice-don't get me wrong, I love practicing, but I adore being able to sit and just play through things, faff around, mix stuff up....

I'll have to plan a trip to Cornwall then - just to try it!

Haha, you'll have to let me know when, it's quite a good spectator sport too

My knowledge of North East food is poor, though...

I will I need to visit more of England anyway... I've been living here for nine months, and I still haven't gone out of Manchester (except for Alton Towers!).

House to myself today - Sonny Jim off to school (as usual), and OH and daughter (home from uni) on a day out.

Wednesday's my day off, so ........ what mischief can I get up to (before anyone rings up with stuff for me to do )

I can lift my arm to a thirty-FIVE degree angle today

I'm not surprised you haven't got out of Manchester if you tried to use the ring road - we always seem to get the wrong exit and end up heading towards Birmingham instead of the North!

I have spent a fantastic morning at the launch of the new Kingston U3A Orchestra (only the second U3A orchestra in the country, apparently). The standard was higher than I expected. We played Handel's Water Music (sight reading) and Haydn's Clock Symphony (had the music a week ago). David Ward, the very super conductor, took things at a cracking pace and then said that of course that wasnt up to final tempo People were very friendly and there was great enthusiasm. The leader is an ex-professional violinist who has played with most of the big orchestras. Roll on 21st April for the next meeting!

Watching the videos and seeing the pictures of the gig I went to last night, and getting my solo performance recorded for music

Finally getting the keys to a car I've always wanted - a Porsche 911

Sometimes dreams do come true It's like having every Christmas and birthday present I've ever wanted...and getting them all at the same time

That would be my stepdad's area of expertise I swear he's got an in-built satnav somewhere in his brain... he never uses a map, but he somehow always knows where to go.



I am so jealous! Lucky you!!!!!!

Wow! Enjoy

Woo! Enjoy!

You can't fit your harp in there though

So how long before you get the actual car?

Ooh well done, congratulations - and what colour is this Porsche - red?

I'd have got Seal Grey personally.

Nice one, AmandaL - I'm jealous! Watch your suspension on all those pot-holes that we seem to have after the cold snap!

Are you taking it to the 'ring?

Exactly what I'm thinking!

Get a custom-made roof-rack!

My mum's coming back from Egypt tonight!

Nearly time to leave work, after which I am going around to my local fancy rat breeder and picking up two little girlies...very excited as they will be well handled and little cuddlers, unlike my four I have at home at the mo who are no so friendly (two are a bit timid but OK; the other two are a bit timid yet getting better, but still doing 'teeth first, questions later'...)

The thought of my first free Saturday for a while tomorrow...

*Plans Mega Lie-In*

In my experience, this means one of two things: either some well-meaning soul will ring at 8 am because "you're always up by then and I wanted to catch you before you went out" - or you'll wake up at 7am and be unable to get back to sleep.

Or is that just me?!

Telling one of my daughter's music teachers that we're discontinuing lessons turned out to be far less painful than I'd feared.

And a friend's lump turned out to be benign.

[relieved emoticon]

That'd do nothing for the aerodynamics...