Result!

So last night when the ground all around seemed to be deep and crisp and even (we are talking millimeters of snow, sadly for us pedestrians it had ice underneath it though...) I got a phone call from Robin. It appears I have passed dreaded exam, but yet again missed a merit (3 marks off, you would have thought they could have just given me a merit, what with it being Christmas & all...). Robin was delighted and is already planning my next exam date (sadly as I hadn't sourced an appropriate present for him & Margaret I agreed to a final lesson tonight...) but I think a rest/Christmas first is a plan indeed. Not that Christmas is going to a rest of course. I've got to maintain the current pace of practice as I've already agreed to go to strings at Witney again next year with my old fiddling mate Kevin (I'm currently searching for my chequebook to reserve my place properly) and I've got a theory course in Didcot which starts in February. There has also been some good news on the job front (it;s taken me quite some time but finally I have got the job I was after) so I have taken the liberty of booking a single cello lesson in the new year (it should be as hardcore as my violin & piano, cause I don't want to teach it, I tell myself) so plenty to look forward to.

As for the New Year itself, the mad folky lot and myself are going to revel with Bellowhead on the South Bank. In their wisdom the aforementioned folk stars decided to give the event a maritime theme, leaving me my Christmas 'rest' to get my costume sorted (I'm aiming for the red plum dress that Elizabeth Swan (pouty Keira) wears in the first pirates of the carribean film (need to look nautical but nice as certain lovely people will be in attendance)) but I've still got to source quite a bit of the material...And will any sewing (of straight lines) get done when I'm down in the west country with my parents after Christmas? Hmm we'll see...

Oxfolk on the 9th January is the next major event after that and we are all thrilled that the Simon Care trio will be joining us (that's 7.30 for 8, Kennington village hall, look at our lovely website, ooooohhh. http://www.oxfolk.org.uk/Home.html ) with our very own member of the committee (and international folk star) Cat Kelly calling and the irrepressible (believe me we have tried) outside capering crew providing the interval entertainment. But all that is next year, at the moment I still have one and a half days to go here at work before I can pack my presents, the witchcat and quite a few jumpers and head up to the frozen north where our kid (my littlest brother Andrew) will be cremating a turkey in the name of Christmas. And if that doesn't make you feel all warm & glowy inside frankly I don't know what will!