Saturday 17th December 11

Nice lie in til after 10 and didn't get dressed until after midday... I like mornings like that!

However, after lunch I had a very busy 2 hours sorting the front garden, and got the majority of the logs which have been there all summer chopped up.

I also got a chance to do some composting but I still have a bit of a backlog.

Then I had a bit to eat before going to David's so I could take him to the Bach Choir.

Saturday 19th November 11

A good day, with a lovely and successful gig.  I got up fairly early as Gill had to leave the house in time to get to the Steiner School by 10am, as our youngest wasn't feeling too brilliant, so Gill offered to do his shift on the hot chocolate stall. She'd ordered a taxi as she was too achy to cycle in. But before she went, at 9.40, she plaited my hair.

Our eldest was full of energy and decided to cycle in, leaving at the same time as Gill. I got my bits and bobs together and asked our youngest if he'd like to go to the Advent Fair, either cycling in, or getting a lift on my rack.  He volunteered to cycle in, so at 11.15 we both set off together, me with all my Fiddlesticks stuff.

We parted company at Fulford Road, and he cycled along to the school and I went straight over, to the Millennium Bridge and over Bishy Road, to Tadcaster Road and within 15 minutes, to the Foxwood Community Centre.

It was a very good gig, really enjoyed it... and when I enjoy performing, the audience enjoys it too.  This seems to be the general pattern.

Later, I worked for David, and took him to the Bach Choir at St Michael Le Belfrey.  This choral music was absolutely not my thing, I find it really boring as I don't understand the words, it's religious, and it brings back memories of being taken, often under duress, to classical concerts as a small child.  Fortunately I was taken to a few classical things I liked (Carmina Burana and The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra being two I DID like) but I'm afraid tonight's offering was very much David's thing; I gritted my teeth and tried not to fall asleep.  I'm really happy that David loved it. 

Saturday 21st May 11

Gill left fairly early to go to the Steiner School Spring Fair with our youngest, who has a stint on the Year 6 Cake Stall and at 1.30, a Maypole Dance Show. Gill took loads of cakes in for the stall, and she'd also volunteered to do some tidying and other things.

Our eldest doesn't like crowds or too much noise so he wasn't going; so I stayed with him at home.  At 9.20 I was woken by a phone call from the daughter of a well known local entertainer, who does close-up magic.who had managed to cut the end of his finger off and couldn't therefore work.  She was hoping that she'd be able to find a replacement entertainer for tomorrow at 1pm.  Well I was very sympathetic but couldn't do the work as I already have a gig tomorrow afternoon.  I gave her my agent's number.  I also rang my friend Stephen who is a puppeteer and suggested he might contact her.

We had a really good morning, lunch and early afternoon.  After lunch we did some shredding together, and after Gill came home and I was cutting the front hedge, one of his friends came round, so he had a good day.  I did a load of weeding.... Ground Elder mainly.  This doesn't need shredding as it's quite soft, but I collected all the hedge trimmings together in a builders sack and put them through the shredder as many of them were woody, and the shears I use to cut the hedge don't chop the stalks small like some powered hedge trimmers do.

As I was going out with David at 6.30, and it was likely to be a late evening, I had tea before I went out, pasta salad with a leafy coleslaw and two dolmades.

David had booked me to take him to St Michael-le-Belfrey to hear the Yorkshire Bach Choir, so i got changed into some tidy clothes (not shorts!) and cycled down.  We set out at about 7 and there was a space for wheelchair users.  I chatted to a lovely old lady from Sheffield called Celia who had a great sense of humour, not bad for 81 years old.  The choir was good... 44 singing, one on an organ/keyboard, and one playing a theorbo, which I'd not seen before, or at least, never heard the name of it.  I really enjoyed the choir.... I liked it that between songs they moved around and changed places, even for one piece three of them went and stood quite a way away from the rest, which made quite a good effect.  The only problem was that I understood none of it.... it was, I think, all in Latin.

David enjoyed himself immensely and was very pleased to have been able to attend.  We got back to his place just before 10 and I got him some food and sat with him and ha a drink before going... I got home at 11pm.