I received this picture on Facebook and thought it was funny enough to post on my blog.  My children love Starwars but might not understand the joke as they probably won’t know the image on the left.  Sign that I am one of the old foggies who used to take top of the pops on a cassette.

T’WAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,
HE LIVED ALL ALONE,
IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE,
MADE OF PLASTER AND STONE.

I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY,
WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,
AND TO SEE JUST WHO,
IN THIS HOME, DID LIVE.

I LOOKED ALL ABOUT,
A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE,
NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS,
NOT EVEN A TREE.

NO STOCKING BY MANTLE,
JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND,
ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES,
OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.

WITH MEDALS AND BADGES,
AWARDS OF ALL KINDS,
A SOBER THOUGHT,
CAME THROUGH MY MIND.

FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT,
IT WAS DARK AND DREARY,
I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER,
ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.

THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING,
SILENT, ALONE,
CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR,
IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.

THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE,
THE ROOM IN  DISORDER,
NOT HOW I PICTURED,
A TRUE BRITISH SOLDIER.

WAS THIS THE HERO,
OF WHOM I’D JUST READ?
CURLED UP ON A PONCHO,
THE FLOOR FOR A BED?

I REALISED THE FAMILIES,
THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT,
OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS,
WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT..

SOON ROUND THE WORLD,
THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,
AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE,
A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.

THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM,
EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR,
BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS,
LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.

I COULDN’T HELP WONDER,
HOW MANY LAY ALONE,
ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE,
IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.

THE VERY THOUGHT BROUGHT,
A TEAR TO MY EYE,
I DROPPED TO MY KNEES,
AND STARTED TO CRY.

THE SOLDIER AWAKENED,
AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,
"SANTA DON’T CRY,
THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE;

I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM,
I DON’T ASK FOR MORE,
MY LIFE IS MY GOD,
MY COUNTRY, MY CORPS.."

THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER,
AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP,
I COULDN’T CONTROL IT,
I CONTINUED TO WEEP.

I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS,
SO SILENT AND STILL,
AND WE BOTH SHIVERED,
FROM THE COLD NIGHT’S CHILL.

I DID NOT WANT TO LEAVE,
ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT,
THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR,
SO WILLING TO FIGHT.

THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER,
WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE,
WHISPERED, "CARRY ON SANTA,
IT’S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE."

ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH, 
AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT.
"MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND,
AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT.."

Crathes Castle which is close to Banchory in Aberdeenshire had a Christmas open day.  As members of the National Trust for Scotland we had a great day out.  Santa was there with his reindeer from the Cairngorm National Park.  Each room within the castle had actors who were dressed up as famous fictional characters such as Cinderella, Dick Wittington and Captain Hook.

Last Sunday the boys were taking part in the Cubs and Scouts Remembrance Service at St Matthews Church.  Alasdair was carrying the flag for the Cubs.  The flag bearers formed a guard of honour outside the church.  There was also a parade taking place which passed infront of the church.

Last weekend it was the Cubs and Scouts coffee morning.  At the event Cameron and Alasdair were awarded their Chief Scouts Award.  Cameron gained the Gold Chief Scout award, the highest award in Scouts, whilst Alasdair gained his Silver Chief Scout Award the highest in Cubs.

We stayed at Dunkeld for a few days and went for a walk round the Hermitage.  Salmon were trying to jump up the waterfall and whilst there we saw 22.  It was probably only one trying to get up time and time again.

On Sundays we have a car boot sale just down the road.  Sundays is therefore the busiest day for traffic and the boys decided to capitalise on this by setting up a stall to sell our surplus eggs.  In a short time they managed to sell all their stock and make some extra pocket money.

Our chickens are doing really well at the moment providing 5 eggs per day.

Last weekend the scouts were camping again at Craggan.  This camp the scouts were looking after themselves and had a back to basics camp.  Tents were pitched by them and they cooked all their meals on an open fire.  Even the leaders didn’t get food poisoning.  Everyone on the camp passed their camping badge and their camp cook badge.

6 Months ago a work college decided it would be a good idea to do the ‘Edinburgh Moonwalk’.  A 26 mile walk for Breast Cancer Charity.

Stupidly enough I agreed and the above photo is our team ‘The Chocolate Teapots’  The walk started at 11:30pm and 7,000 women and a few men all dressed in pink walked through the streets of Edinburgh.  I managed the course in 6 hours 35 minutes but my feet were suffering.  The team did managed to raise over £1000 for the charity.