In December we always have a Christmas Sale here on the island. It is supposed to be for things that are made in Sanday, so we have handmade chocolates, knitted items, baking, freshly butchered meat and lots and lots of crafts. I decided I was going to take part for the first time since we moved here. I have always taken part in Craft shows, wherever I have lived, so I knew what it entailed. I wanted to make a lot of shopping bags and back packs with a fancy embroidery sign on it and the name of our island and some other miscellaneous crafts.
I did not get a chance to take a photo of the stall, before the sale started, because people started asking to buy things, as I was getting them on the stall. All these photos have been taken about half way through the sale, when the initial rush had died down. You can see my husband having a rest. He always helps me out with my sales. He is great!!
I sold a lot of things and had great fun.
I was very quiet last week. I was asked to address the haggis at the Burns Supper. We usually have a meal and a dance, but this year we had a funeral on the day of the dance, so the supper was put forward a week, with no dance afterwards. I thought I would read the poem, but my husband persuaded me to learn it off by heart! I have real problems learning anything by rote, so I downloaded the free software, Audacity, to help me. You can record things easily using this software. I used to record the course material for the different exam subjects and export them as mp3s, when I was still working. The pupils could then revise their subjects using their Ipods. Much cooler than studying from a book! I used this software to record the individual verses of the poem, and gradually learned all eight verses. I practised in front of the mirror, and my husband kept on thinking we had unexpected guests, when he heard me talking to myself! I was really nervous on the night, but when I got to my feet, and saw the lovely haggis 'fillin' the groanin' trencher', I just let rip and had a good time. I have a West Coast accent, and as Burns was born on the West Coast, I had no problems with the pronunciation. I love Burns. He was such a perceptive poet, and had a naughty sense of humour! No wonder the lassies loved him!
On the tables, someone had thoughtfully provided a napkin with a translation of good old Scots words. They are not so old, as I was brought up with these words! Perhaps they were provided because there were so many English in the hall !
Here they are, with pronunciation in the brackets-
stotter (stoat-er) - excellent example
numpty (num-p-tee) - idiot, intellectually challenged
braw (br-AWW) - beautiful
skiver (sky-ver) - lazy person, shirker
cludgie (clud-gee) - toilet
wabbit (wah-bit) - exhausted, under the weather
crabbit (cra-bit) - bad tempered, out of humour
laldie (lall-dy) - to do vigorously, get stuck in
besom (biz-um) -hussy, female upstart
blether (ble-ther) - gossip, incessant chatter
clype (klipe) - informer, tell-tale
drouth (dro-oth) post dram thirst
wheesht (whee-sht) - quiet
eejit (ee-jit) -idiot, not the full shilling
clarty (cla-rty) - mucky, boggin'
scunner (scun-ner) - feeling of disgust or loathing
canny (can-y) -thrifty, wise
drookit (droo-kit) - drenched, soaked through
glaikit (glai-kit) - foolish, not very bright
fouter (foo-tir) - dither, to not get on with
mauchit (maw-kit) - dirty, filthy
haiver (hay-ver) - to talk rubbish
dreich (dreech) - dull, bleak, miserable
gallus (ga-luss) - bold, cocky, cheeky
Anyway, I think I have haivered enough! It is a right dreich night, enough to make you scunnered. I have got a drouth, so I will go and make a cup of tea and stop bletherin', in case I make you crabbit!
Till next time.
tich
