A good friend coming to visit.

Are they? Interesting... perhaps it'll help with your Big Plans...

Ah!! Indeed!!! Big Plan #1 is up and running, but Big Plan #2 has been on the back burner for a while - so you could be right... .

The girl who came to interview Alan and me for the Last Word prog has a degree in musicology and was most interested in finding out more - so I suggested the idea to her and the producer and they both went, 'YES!'

I've had a great 2 days! Newbury Choral performed Messiah on successive evenings. It was wonderful! We had a superb conductor, great professional orchestra and soloists, and the whole thing was just magical. I feel so privileged to have sung in it.

Yesterday, rather than today, but playing saxophone at a wedding, and seeing, and having a good chat to meerkat for the first time in 18 months

Playing in our last concert of the year. A lovely morning and we played well. (Despite the fact that one of my close colleagues was well hung over - make that still drunk!! ) I had to keep both of us organised!!!

The church we played in partnership with did a fantastic up to date nativity play with a lovely solo from a young girl - dressed as an angel

And our playing was soooo well appreciated it was great!!! Looking around there were so many smiles and obvious admiration. Genuine appreciation and enjoyment all round.

Followed by a lovely lunch and chat with friendly welcoming people.

It really was a lovely morning.

Nothing yet. I'm very sore, so I'm in a bad mood. Though if Joe wins tonight, then I'll be a very happy bunny indeed.

Have just finished tea. I was cooking tonight, and I spent all day preparing the meal (spanish chorizo soup, served with soda bread for a starter; macaroni cheese (I wanted to do something a bit fancier but macaroni was specially requested) for mains; and lemon tart for dessert.

I went to the shops this morning to get all the ingredients and had to go to three different shops before I found one that sold buttermilk, which I needed for the soda bread!

I got home at one and started preparing everything straight away, and finally managed to serve dinner at quarter to seven (I actually had not left the kitchen in all that time, except to set the table!) I hadn't eaten since eight o'clock this morning, so I was starving and well up for eating three courses, but I wasn't so sure if everyone else would be hungry enough for three courses...

So, the stuff that made me happy:

1. I like cooking so today was fun;
2. I managed to get the lemon tart in the oven without spilling any of the filling;
4. I managed to get all the slices of the tart out of the tin in one piece;
5. Everyone finished the soup so they obviously liked it (it was the first time I had made that recipe!);
6. Everyone polished off their bread;
7. My brother had seconds of the dessert.

Today has been a very nice day.

Painting made me happy today.

So did my dogs.

And I spoke to my Brother which was nice.

Well I'm happy now...

and not being in the least bit smug about it either, well done you...........

Joe winning the x factor made me happy today

Sorry I'll shut up now...

A three hour Glee Club rehearsal learning lots of really beautiful harmonies. I'm glad to be an alto today.

Just watching a meteor shower on a clear night

Juniper's signature

lol

I had a great clarinet lesson this morning - and I've only got one piece of homework today

My first cup of coffee at 9.15 due to needing to undergo a fasting blood sugar test.

Thinking about the recital I'm going to tomorrow in Leeds, Pascal Roge playing mainly French repertoire

I am happy because i go to leave college early. This was because they needed to use the classroom for some tests some people had to retake.

My first cup of coffee.

Taking delivery of a painting, and finally realising that posting pictures on the forum isn't rocket science

Lesson today and piano teacher said "very good" for the first time!

Also, I finally have a "definitive version" of my 2010 diary Having putting entries for next year into both 2009 and 2010 diaries for the past few months (and double booked half the stuffs ), I'm now sorted!

I had one of those last week... It wasn't until about 10am though, so it was a wee bit unpleasant! Hope you're ok.


I'm happy because I've just been sent details of a very lovely house that some people want me to live in with them next year... Shh.

I just got my OU A214 result and I got 81 % and got a first- dead chuffed!

Wow well done Nicki you must be ecstatic!

I am- not quite sure how it happened 'cos I substituted TMA 07 and TMA 08 wasn't great! I want to do the course you are doing next ET- you'll have to tell me how it goes- I'm just scared as I found working over the summer really hard with 3 kids around and it was hard work at the end!!!

That's brilliant : well done you!

A productive Chamber Choir rehearsal - I now feel I know all the notes of our 4 carols, and could probably sing most of them by heart.

Finishing work tonight and realising that's that done until 4th Jan

Lots of practsing to be done

A bottle of really nice Rioja on my desk when I arrived at work this morning!

I'm happy that Flossie has submitted her PhD thesis well done Flossie

I'm jealous of you! I miss my Chamber Choir rehearsals I find it very hard to listen to carols now without feeling the urge to belt out the descants...

Today, I'm happy because I got 'Stardust' on DVD I had it on DVD before, but then I moved house and had to leave it to my brothers

Thanks Elf.

I feel a strange mixture of

Congratulations!

Congratulations Clari Nicki !

warm clothes ...

I don't have to play Christmas Festival again for almost a year

Had 2 Christmas concerts yesterday - 1st went really well which was a relief as we were underprepared and had 1/2 the basses unable to sing. 2nd I didn't play well as I was frozen from beginning to end

Woke up and the headache that I had last night had disappeared!

I'm in the Musical Horse thread!

New music! Nikki Iles - Jazz on a Winter's Night

Car got through MoT with just rear brake pads to change.

So I will eat tonight. Probably drink too.

My last working day of the year

Got to college and told that we were having a half day.

Also I managed to be only 6 minutes late today despite all the train delays that occurred today.

Received a load of information about student accomodation this morning by post I'm so excited about going to university next year...

And I am excited about all the money I can earn with all the qualifications I am rapidly gaining at college.

Well ... it made me smile - not sure where else to post this .

I offered to get a sandwich for a 'down and out' lady sitting in the snow and slush near the station this morning. Guess the snowy weather brought out my soft side ... she said yes thanks, and she didn't mind what kind.

Well when I got back to where she was - she wasn't. I looked around in case she had just moved to a different spot but couldn't see her. I didn't particularly want to take the sandwich home as no-one else was in and I had other stuff for my lunch. I looked in vain for another apparently-deserving person, and could see only the guy sweeping up the street outside the station forecourt.

'Excuse me, do you eat chicken? ' I asked.

'Ah donnau, but mebbe you ask at the information desk inside'

was his reply.

I did finally make myself understood and he accepted the sandwich.

Where are you going, Stephie?

We had our Christmas Celebration at school today 60 odd parents and about the same number of children from two to twelve years old. We did a story about - two little angels looking for the true meaning of Christmas - dance, mime, song, unpitched and pitched percussion (very basic) and recorders. I didn't play too many wrong notes and the children sang and played beautifully. The parish priest was delighted. My colleagues had done wonders with the costumes. We finished with a "goûter" of cakes and hot chocolate. Later we teachers treated ourselves to champagne and foie gras - and then it snowed. It was a lovely day!

Reading about everyone being happy made me happier as well as all the exciting things I have planned for the weekend.

Snow, chai tea and fingerless gloves.