The End of Year

And so we come to the end of another year. An eventful year, as they all are.

family except Gerry, but he was in touch and we will see him soon.

At Christmas, we saw all the family, and that is the best gift of all. We got to two Midnight Masses, a treat indeed.

I have an hours flying lesson awaiting me from my wife.

This year was full of change or me. My first visit to America, first visit to the American TFP Conference, first visit to Gettysburg, and the in USA at the time of the earliest snow fall, all 10 inches of it.

I have been out teaching since November, to my utter surprise. I am enjoying working with children again, and of course the money is an unexpected but welcome bonus.

And I will be back in school in January.

Tomorrow we will be at a Catholic family event in Edinburgh in the afternoon, then home in the evening. I am trying to find a midnight mass on Hogmanay.

Soon it will be 2012. No doubt there will be remarkable events and happenings in the year to come.

John will be off to Boston in early January for a workshop. He has commissions to write music and words for 5 plays so far. Not much acting looming up though.

I will be off to Kansas in April for another TFP Conference.

I pray that God will bless me and my family, and keep is safe another year. O pray that God will grant a period of peace to the World. Imagine a world without War.

It will come, because it is God's Will, and Mary said her Immaculate Heart would triumph and that Peace would come to the World. Will it be this year?

A Happy, Peaceful and Prosperous Year to all Men of Goodwill.

Christmas Day 2011

Last night I was cantoring at the 9pm Carol Service and Christmas Night Mass.

It was supposed to be my wife, but she was ill, so I had to step in.

Fortunately Mark for school had agreed to play the organ. In the end, he brought an organist with him, so I sang the hymns and carols, and Mark sang the Mass responses.

All in the Church joined in willingly in the singing and it all went well.

I got home about 10.30pm. My dearest was feeling a little better, so we headed out to Midnight Mass in Springburn, a solemn Latin Mass.

It was 2 am when I finally got home. Very tired.

School closed on Thursday, but I will be back on January 9th.

Before then we will have short break in the borders.

John was on radio Scotland today in a radio play with Billy Connolly and Brian Cox.

Storm Day

We had been warned that a storm was coming.

Last night the Scottish Office advised that schools be closed, bridges closed, and that travel should be avoided.

At 2.15am, texts were received advising that schools in many areas, including Glasgow would not open. At 7.30 am, another text advising that staff should report to their school, or contact your school if not possible.

I made my way to school, making detours to avoid floods, and reached school.

As others arrived, we discovered that our nearest school was totally closed, to staff as well. And there was a lack of uniformity about decision making. Our HT was reluctant to send us home in case we were in an accident. Though since the storm was going to increase as the day went on, that was illogical.

Eventually we were sent home at 11am to work there till the end of our normal working day, or if we preferred not to work, we could make up the time or lose holiday entitlement. Aye.

The storm has raged on. Conditions are difficult for drivers and pedestrians. Buildings are damaged, trees down, buses and trains affected, ships and planes cancelled, roads flooded.

It should peak by 6 pm, then we can expect a cold front with ice and snow tomorrow.

photos from Cyclerama at Gettysburg Visitor Centre.

First Snow of Winter 2011

We awoke to the first snowfall in Scotland of the winter.

Not much...an inch or so, but enough to cause some disruption. The Scottish Government is determined that there will be no re run of last winter, when hundreds of folk were trapped overnight on one of the main routes between Glasgow and the East coast.

As I write, it is below freezing point outside and it is snowing again. Of course at the end of October I found myself in 10 inches of snow in Pennsylvania. There was no traffic disruption there, but there were power outages as trees brought down overhead power cables. Here in the UK most power lines to homes are underground, unlike North America.

We will see how we fare tomorrow if the snow keeps up.

Some more St. Andrews photos.

Mazda is back

I got my own car back on Thursday.

Compared to the diesel Vauxhall, it is incredibly quieter. It feels lighter, more comfortable and much more relaxing to drive.

Friday at school was busy. It was also very cold and the roads around the school were icy. One parent slid into the back of one of the teachers. Glad it wasn't me.

Snow and cold weather are promised over the next few days.

Tomorrow we have the monthly TFP meeting at Milngavie. Looking forward to it.

Back to school on Monday. Seems strange. But the Christmas Holidays will be here before we know it.

Not sure if I will be needed in January. If I am, I will consider it, thought I don't want to be overdoing it.

Some more US photos.