CHRISTMAS MUZAK

We are now running up to Christmas and theend of the year.  I have been out and about a lot as the weather continues to be more like a wet spring than winter.  Here is Tannoch Loch this week.

But I think my age is showing...all this Christmas carry-on is getting to me....

I went to one of my favourite community halls down on the Clyde last week to attend a wee concert by a fellow playing the guitar.

It was hellish!  It was so loud with his amped up guitar that I lasted 15 minutes and fled.  And that was in one the best halls in the West of Scotland for good acoustics.  It has what is called 'a coffin ceiling' as it is the shape of the upper half of a coffin, ie. bevelled edges on all sides.  I have seen that sort of ceiling in boardrooms in the old buildings in Glasgow e.g. Clyde Port Authority offices in the city centre.

And things really were not great when I went to a church based concert singing Christmas carols.  It really dragged!  Poor "Hark the Herald Angels' was a dirge!  Oh dear... do I blame the organist or the conductor of the choir?!

Never mind... time to dig out Ragna's lovely Norwegian Christmas stocking which hangs on the hall stairs.

And time to get on with the Christmas dinner preparations...

I have ordered a turkey from our local butcher (yes... we still have a proper 'butcher' in the village).  It costs a great deal of money and, if last year is anything to go by, it is just wonderful.  I believe it comes from the other side of Scotland.

I am very partial to sage and onion stuffing. The sage is from the garden.  There are still other herbs growing. Oh! The joy of greenery at this time of year.

Speaking of 'stuffing'.... I have one particular memory of baby-sitting on New Year's Eve for Don and Yvonne Ross.  It was 1958. They had something really new and special... a black and white TV! I remember that throughout the late evening I made myself cold turkey and stuffing sandwiches on white sliced bread with lashings of Miracle Whip salad dressing (BTW never in the shops in the UK).    

At least I have that to look forward to: a great big turkey sandwich stacked full of sage stuffing (and the next best thing to Miracle Whip would be) Helman's Mayonnaise.