A City Visit, A Different "Carmen" and a Frightened Visitor.

                      LIFE:  5th-11th MARCH  2018
 
The week began with a thaw, with the result we reached the mucky stage of the snow piled up at the side of roads.  By the Friday morning we could actually see grass in the garden  - and now the rains have come. 

Earlston Square just after the snowstorm and before the gritters got to work. 

A CITY THEATRE VISIT
Took the bus up to Edinburgh on a bright morning for a very enjoyable day out with a friend.  A lovely journey, with the sun glinting the snow still covering  the hills and fields, yet once we reached  the city, you would never know they had had any snow - quite a contrast. 

We enjoyed lunch at an Italian restaurant - tasty lasagne and a yummy choice of desserts - I had the ice-cream selection:  peach & amaretto, strawberry and Belgian chocolate. 

We had time to browse the bookshop nearby  - so much for the digital revolution calling the end to book production!   The range of stock was impressive and I was pleased to find a little history book for Nh’s  latest  school project.

"CARMEN" WITH A DIFFERENCE

Across  to the Festival Theatre to see Ballet Hispanico.  In some way,  to call themselves ballet was a misnomer - forget any ideas about seeing tutus and girls dancing on pointes.  The company, from the USA and making their debut in Europe, focuses on presenting the Latino  culture through contemporary dance - so it was very much outside my comfort zone of classical ballet, but for me the attraction was the Bizet music and the chance to see something different

Image:  Pixabay.com

 It was not what I was expecting -   which was  something to be a colourful antidote to the winter weather!  Plus the chance to  hear Bizet's powerful music.  But there was  no Flamenco style dancing, no wild gypsy flounced skirts, no bright colours.  The minimalist set did not bother me, but I did wish for a bit more variation in the costumes - everyone (men and women)  wore white,  apart from  Carmen in black and it  was often difficult to tellwho was taking the other principal parts. Fortunately  I knew the storyline which helped. 

Still the innovative, energetic choreography was brilliant, athletic, lyrical at times,  moving, and dramatic  -  warmly appreciated by the audience.  Indeed a different "Carmen" and I am glad I saw it! 

 
COMPUTER CATCH UP
Usual drafting and publishing of blog posts. 

• For "52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks" I wrote a profile of my great aunt Jennie Danson (1897-1986), the youngest child and only daughter (born after eight brothers). She displayed a feisty spirit, determination and commitment to her family throughout her life.
  
• Disappointed at the response to the Auld Earlston blog post on John Simpson,woollen manufacturer.  It somehow did not capture attention with only 11 pageviews to date - one of my lowest ever, though I tried to make his life interesting,  as an example of the many self-made  Victorians who made their mark.
• Wrote more book reviews for the library - an enjoyable task. especially  after Melrose Library circulated my first listing to the other libraries in the region to use in their displays.   It is not all that arduous, as I cut and paste, and edit, reviews I have already written on the Good Reads website.

 
 A FRIGHTENED VISITOR
I had heard this funny noise in our kitchen, and could not work out what it was.  Then  a starling suddenly appeared fluttering it wings and darting about.  My first reaction?  Call my husband of course!  He managed to usher the bird  into the hall and out the front door - and fortunately no mess left.

The major puzzle - how had it got into the house?   The back door had never been opened that morning, the bedroom, bathroom  and kitchen windows I had opened for some fresh air into the house, but we live in a bungalow and the window openings  are very slight. 



A THANK YOU TO FACEBOOK
In the past, I have not been a fan of Facebook, largely from reading the adverse press coverage on teenage use, trolls, trivia etc.  I came late to it,  when it was suggested I was not making the best use of social media in promoting  my family history blog - I never realized there was such a wealth of support out there from the  various genealogy groups.   

However praise where praise is due - and it has been a force for the good during the snowstorms - how on earth would so many people have been kept easily informed on school closures, road closures, bus  services still operating,  events cancelled etc. etc.  Plus there have been some wonderful snow images  published by amateur photographers  - my favourite site on Facebook Bonny Border Views.

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Journal Jottings   
Recording my everyday life for future family historians  

Developed from the "Genea-Pourri" prompt  on Randy Seaver’s blog Genea-Musings

I decided to change his title for my own version of this weekly online diary.