Christmas Day

Well that was quite good. I got my soap on a rope and best of all a Birthday card and a Christmas card in one - on opposite sides and upside down - no-one has ever been so thoughtful and that parsimonious before (and not an Abderdonian) - its a good idea really - it could catch on - there are a lot of people with birthdays around this time. I will refrain from doing the statistics, but if you kept your birthday card up for 3 weeks before and a Christmas card for 11 days after Christmas then it wouldn't work just for Boxing Day babies like myself. You could squeeze in more than a twelfth of the population into that AND save the planet - if you saw Doctor Who special Christmas episode, episode X, Kylie is now so fantastic she has started saving the planet -she did it so well she is now saving my heart. She's risen in stature - quite literally it would seem since she was in Kath and Kim. It was the best TV I have almost ever seen when the Doctor held us in suspense (sorry for the punishment) with reversing our heroine's death while there was still a memory of her in teleport. But no she was gone - of course she was, she could hardly spare the time to film another episode could she??

Granny was more confused than I've seen her before. Its quite sad, life for her was fairly serious as she tried to work out exactly what is going on and there wasn't too much room for humour. Her memory still works fairly well, like how she got on well with one of her grandchildren (Mick) so long as he did what he was told! The carers that were there today were lovely. Its a shame there isn't some realistic alternative way of looking after her. She definitely hasn't been that confused before. She still has her personality and strong will which is good. She can get quite loud so I hope that she won't get too difficult as she gets older. She can wave her stick about quite madly apparently. She's in such good health otherwise too.


There were some madmen on the roads - twice I saw some really close tailgating, totally aggressive and really dangerous. We have great weather in Scotland! The Scotch mist looked like it had been on the bottle last night - it was acting quite strangely - it wasn't really on top of the hills but loosely associated with them in a big bit here and there, and it was in the valleys and around Stirling Castle - and at the same time a huge dark cloud was in front and blue skies with the sun shining bright behind. Still Christmas on the beach or the decking doesn't sound too bad either, but I don't exactly have the short straw either.


Off to see the Dons tomorrow, semi-decent weather permitting. Gretna don't have a proper stadium yet so they use Motherwell's ground - though I might check that before setting off - last time I went to Motherwell it was deserted after being postponed - waterlogged. We are riding high at the minute, and Gretna are still rooted to the foot of the table. But they have only lost one in their last 4 games which suggests a tricky tie for the Dons. I think we will win by a couple of goals, but it won't be a rout.

Since its nearly my Birthday and it is Christmas day I think a wee 'religious' word is fine. I've been studying the Bible chapter by chapter for quite a while now, 2 or 3 chapters at a time in spurts and starts. But now that I am well into it, its making a much deeper impression than from the odd read here and there. I'm seeing how the old testament is written with a clear focus and intention of looking forward to a King. I have found my faith struggling lately. Now, reading the gospel of John its as if that anticipation tension that I had taken on board without realising is let go in my own sort of personal Christmas Day. I can appreciate in a new way how what was being so looked forward to for so long in B.C. times was received with the release of that tension, even though on the actual day so few people 'got it'.

At this time of the year there are people with so-called 'convictions' being given a chance to air themselves, with their cheap shots at Christianity usually in ways that are contrary to facts. I'm glad I do know a little of what the Bible says so that their words are like water off the proverbial ducks back.

I hope you all had a great day and enjoy the rest of your time off.