After a fairly easy first week back at work, it was really in at the deep end. This week there were no days off and a full compliment of kids. Am still trying to sort through the stuff that the last teacher had, into a system that I can work.

On top of all that have been up to the eyes with the preparations for the Cally Society's Burns Night on next Friday. This week has included a committee meeting and a tasting of the menu and wines, as well as getting the placecards, menus and new Cally Songbook done. This part of the preparations are well under way, with the menus all printed and just have to be put together and the songbook is in the process of being printed off. The some of the placecards are printed, but can't them finished until all the names are in, so can see it ending up being a last minute job.

Despite all this I have managed to get a few cards done this week, 4 birthdays and a civil partnership. Three of the four birthday cards were using backing papers and toppers from CraftyJak's Backgrounds & more cd. The 4th one used DCWV's The All Dressed Up Matstack for the background, a piece of black cardstock cut to fit through 'Bosskut's' Journaling Ribbon Slide with a silver peel-off coloured black.

The Civil Partnership card, the first one I have ever had to make, I used peel offs which were stuck onto clear acetate and coloured with Sakura glaze pens and then cut our before being stuck onto card stock and finished off with a peel-off.

New Year and January News

Our Social Calendar has been fairly busy since getting back from Christmas in Fraserburgh. It kicked off with bringing in the New Year at the British Club bash.

Us just after the Bells

New Year Balloons

Despite getting home in the wee small hours, had to be up again and raring to go for 11.00am on New Year's Day. It is the annual Scotland -v- England football match in Awali. This year's match was tinged with a bit of sadness. We were missing the Scotland's team long time manager, who passed away in October last year. The match was started off with a minute's silence in John Kerr's memory. It was a good match, evenly balanced but the final score was Scotland nil, England one.

Minute Silence

The Scotland Team

Presentation to the winning team

The next couple of days was getting up to date with all the Cally Society stuff, especially for our forthcoming event - Burns Night on the 23rd of January. As well as getting ready for starting my new job as a nursery teacher.

I like this working lark, this week worked Sunday and Monday, off Tuesday and Wednesday for religious holidays and back to work on Thursday then off for the weekend. Only wish every week is going to be like this!!!!!!!!

Only crafting that has been done since the New Year is the Order of Service for John's Memorial Service on Friday.

Now those are done, I need to get down to getting some cards done for the January birthdays.

December's Goings On

The Palace Noticeboard has been very bare for the last month. Not because nothing has been happening, but I just didn't seem to get a minute to myself. Know that things have quietened down a bit thought I better let you all know that I am still in the land of the living.

Thought a quick update of what has been happening at the Palace was in order. Where to start? Well just before I left Bahrain to head to a chilly north east corner of Scotland we handed over a cheque for BD500 to ThinkPinkBahrain.

Billy and Me with the cheque

Me with Doreen from Think Pink Bahrain

Left Bahrain on the 9th of December and headed home to Scotland from Christmas, needless to say I was frozen but it was great to breathe the fresh air at home. The first week at home was running about like a headless chicken getting all the christmas shopping done, before Billy arrived home a week later than me. He hates christmas shopping so much that if I left it up to him he would be doing it at 5pm on Christmas Eve.

Billy was no sooner home when we had to took a quick trip down to Edinburgh to visit, the family down there. We let the train take the strain and had a great couple of days in Old Reekie. Dropped by the German Christmas Market and sampled some Gluehwein, which certainly heating us up on a cold and windy day. On the Thursday morning that we left for Edinburgh the washing machine and dishwasher packed in. However by the 23rd we had the new dishwasher and washing machine installed. Breathed a sigh of relief as I didn't want to spend Christmas and Boxing Day in the sink washing up.

Between coming home from Edinburgh and Christmas managed to squeeze in a few visits to catch up with friends.

Christmas Eve on then upon us and it was into Hell's Kitchen for me, getting everything ready for lunch on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. All the hard work on Christmas Eve proved well worth it as everyone enjoy their lunch on both days. Had the 3 kids, my mam and dad, Billy's dad and my dad's sister - my favourite aunt - Moira.

The day after Boxing Day was tidying up and packing day as Billy and I were leaving to head back to Bahrain on the Sunday. What a trip back that was!!!!! Our flight was delayed in Aberdeen which meant that we missed our connecting flight to Bahrain. As a result had an overnight stay in Amsterdam of KLM. Continued our journey back to Bahrain on the Monday and arriving back in the house just after 1.00am on Tuesday morning.

New Year and January news to follow!!!!