Sacred Concert.

We went to an excellent concert tonight in my natal Burgh at Dunfermline Abbey as part of the Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival -  Duke Ellington's "Sacred Concert" - one of my favourite jazz works. If you've never experienced it, then listen to this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8deXgk9mAJE .
Sadly, the star attraction, great jazz pianist Stan Tracey ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stan_Tracey ) was ill and his son conducted.

Despite that it was superb, although the unexpected sound and light effects provided by the Almighty added a bit of excitement!  The heavy rain running back to the car wasn't much fun but it was a pleasant interlude.  Our next next interlude at the week-end is a horse show - a new experience for us plebs! (I blame the missus!)  We went to Dalmeny House at the week-end and saw much Napoleonic memorabilia and were given a viewing of the Sevres porcelain by the Countess who appeared from nowhere with a Sheltie in tow.  Personally, I preferred the Sheltie, but pottery really isn't my thing.  Still it was fun and culturally broadening.  Good stuff.

Doings!

Well, it's been busy with work and pay negotiations (Shop Steward bunnet on) - phew!  And 2 Sundays in cassock alb + a rosary mass and a midweek  So today I paid my annual pilgrimage to the Shrine of St William Hill (a fiver each way on a cuddy at Aintree tomorrow), got a jazz CD ("Bitches Brew" by the great Miles Davis) and it's off to Lindisfarne for 4 days!  Bye y'all!

Leisure at last!

Ah, the joys of the day off! Put out the washing so that the clean knicker supply does not decline dangerously, get the laptop fixed, do some business and then ho for sunny Roslyn to see that Chapel thingy and hopefully back in time to see an interesting film at the Cameo!  No footie this week (sorry, but going to Greenock is a step beyond even my devotion to the Blue Brazil) and Ma is off to Turkey for a fortnight, so I am left to my own devices for leisure this time around!

Best laid plans etc.

Plans are often re-written at short notice. I have had to jiggle my shifts to help at work, so must find an earlier service on Sunday in order to be at base for 12 noon. My two split days off this week were both blessed with good weather - so one was spent mooching in a book shop after a veggie lunch, then reading my purchase on the grass in Princes Street Gardens with a take away latte! T'other was spent spent lurking round the Botanics in company, plus looking at a Glasgow Boys exhibition in the National Gallery and a very tasty Chinese meal in a dowdy looking restaurant where us westerners were in a very definite minority! Good going really.

Sunday in Springtime

With a friend coming up to visit and arriving on the 12.07 at Waverley, High Mass at St Michael's was going to be impossible with it's 11am start today. So it was Old St Paul's Ho! 10.30 start and just at the top of the steps from the train station - nae bother I think. Aye. Right.

The High Mass was a Nuptial Mass. They were still doing communion when I shot out the door at noon having received the Blessed Sacrament! It was a nice service, with a better choir than St Mike's and a good sermon. My only mumph's were: They used that bl**dy silly Handsel thing from the new marriage liturgy (pretentious pseudo-Celtic mince IMHO) and someone needs to hand out diet and exercise plans at the door - loadsa tubby Piskies!

That said, the day proceeded nicely with the Dutch Landscapes exhibition and lunch at the Queen's Hoose (Roast lamb and the trimmings!), a long walk up Arthur's Seat in the glorious spring sunshine, chocolate cake in the Grassmarket and din-dins at Emmaus (chicken and broccoli in a cheese sauce with roast spuds and peas, followed by ice cream fruit salad and chocolate caramel sauce. And we meet again in Berwick tomorrow!

Days Off.

I went to catch up with Ma today. She's been away in Tunisia (cue Charlie Parker soundtrack) - but her week turned into 12 days courtesy of that danged volcano. First the Cod Wars, then the banks - now the volcano. Why don't we just nuke Iceland? I mean, imagine using Kerry Katona as your Ambassador - you'd almost be as potty as the British FCO (Vatican section)! I cooked tea (seafood stir fry with sweet chili and ginger sauce - Morrison's finest!). Yesterday I visited the chiro and had the back tweaked and I feel much more limber! Missed the 3rd Leader's debate but feel a vague sense of gloom - the thought of a Tory administration just sits ill with me, especially when I was back in the ole home town and remembered school classmates going to soup kitchens during the Miner's Strike - I simply cannot bring myself to consider voting Tory. A broken society - yes, but who broke it with an insane rush to rampant individualism? TBW as Ted Heath called her. I just hope we get a hung parliament this time.

In the chill zone.

After a rather stressed week (last 2 shifts a bit hectic), my days off appeared. Yesterday it was off to England shire (just) to enjoy congenial company, drink coffee by the beach, lunch in a castle, potter round said castle and museum (Bamborough), eat chocolate cake, walk along the beach and eat bacon and eggs. Today the idea of going to Arbroath to watch Cowden didn't much appeal, so off to Falkirk for a massage - which left even my toes relaxed! Then a pleasant baked tattie for lunch and back to contemplate a meal with friends. Tomrrow morning i will annoy God slightly and then a short 6 hr shift prior to starting at the new project on Monday - I discover my attraction to the staff there is my driving licence!

Busy ole life!

Yesterday I heard the splendid comment "Now that I'm sober I can do as much in a morning as I used to in a whole day". Yes indeed! The day off was spent: am sorting diocesan library (found Charles Gore's copy of JB Lightfoot's Commentary on Galatians). Lunchtime AA meeting. Afternoon to Falkirk to the chiropracter (self care?) and the evening watching "Phillip Morris I love you" at the pictures - nearly got the hankie out at one point, but the twist had me gasping with stunned laughter. And Ewan McGregor is "gawjuss" as a blond with a Southern US accent!

Today has a bit of Franciscan waitering, a meeting with my sponsor and hopefully Cowden beating Dungbarton at Central Park! Yeehah!