INTERNATIONAL BUY NOTHING DAY

Eid al-Adha/Aïd el-Kebir/Féile na hÍobartha

SAINT ANDREW

Seo an áit in a bhfuilimid ag cleachtadh gach seachtan - Saint Andrew's Presbytarian Church in Aptos. Seo an áit fosta in a mbeidh ceann do na dá coirmcheol, an ceann ar an Sathairn ag a 3in.
Bhí an eaglais gleasta i "tartan" le bratacha. D'fhiafrigh duine éigean cén fáth go raibh sé gleasta mar sin. D'fhreagadh gur fá choinne Lá 'le Naomh Andreas é (30ú lá Mí na Samhna) ach chuir sé sin mé ag smaoinimh ar an caidreamh atá idir Naomh Andreas agus Alba. Cén fáth go bhfuil an gaol sin ann?
Bhí Galt 's Jane in easnaimh - tá Jane ag taisteal fá choinne a cuid obair mar eitni-ceoleolaí agus Galt sa bhaile ag maoirseacht uan (Conall).

What is the connection between Saint Andrew and Scotland?

BOOK CLUB, SAN FRANCISCO

Cupid's Span by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen

D'fhreastal mé ar cruinniú cumann na leabhair i San Francisco inniú. Bhí gach éinne i láthair seachas Art agus Greta. Tá Greta ag taisteal agus tá Art ag athshlánú fós ón máinliacht croí - ní bheith sé ar ais linn go dtí go mbeidh sé i n-ann tiomáint.
Bhíomar ag plé an leabhar "Finding Nouf" - úrscál bleachtaireachta atá suite san Araib Shádach. An rúd a chuir isteach orainn go mór mór ná an slí in a bhfuil deighilt mór idir mná agus fir - ní feidir le fear fiú breathaint ar bean nach a bean céile í. Ó thaobh an scéal é féin ní raibh mórán ann seachas foirmle bleachtaire. An rúd is simiúile ná go raibh sé suite i dtír nach bhfuil mórán eolas ag coimhthígh uirthi.
Díreach i ndiaidh an cruinniú chuaigh AnneMarie agus mé fhéin ag siúl ar an Embarcadero, mar is ba gnáth dúinn. Chuamar go dtí an margadh ag an Ferry Plaza. Bhí an lá go h-álainn - griannmhar agus glan, cé go raibh sé fuar. Ach sin a mbionn i lár an Geimhridh i San Francisco.

We had BookClub in San Francisco today. Everyone was there except Greta, who is travelling, and Art who is recovering from his heart surgery. He won't be back with us for a while - not until he can drive again.
The book under consideration was "Finding Nouf" - a detective story set in Saudi Arabia. There wasn't much to this book - a formulistic detective novel that was interesting only for the unusual setting. We all remarked on the great division between men and women in Saudi Arabia - men have very little contact with woman, not even being allowed look at women who are not their wife.
After our breakfast AnneMarie and myself went walking to the Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market. It was a beautiful day - sunny and clear, but cold. A typical mid-Winter day in San Francisco.

ANOTHER PRACTISE

Seo an áit ina mbeidh ceann do na coirmceol. Bímid ag cleachtadh anseo gach Domhnach.
This is where one of the concerts will be: St. Andrew's Episcopalian Church, Aptos

Thanamar le chéile arís ar an Domhnach. Bhí gach éinne i gcuideachta seachas Nikki. Níl a fhios agam cén fath go bhfuil sí in easnamh. Tá a 'fhios agam go bhfuil sí ag obair ar clár le TG4 - clár cheol um Nollaig.
Chleactamar an dara leath don clár. Tá Mary ag athriú an clár - ag seoladh amhrán nua dúinn nár dhearna roimhe. Agnus Dei an t-ainm ach níor sheol sí an chóiriú fós.

We got back together again on Sunday. Everyone was there except Nikki. I don't know why she isn't taking part this year. I do know that she is working on a Christmas show for TG4.
We practised the second half of the show. Mary is constantly changing things. She put a new song on the programme but she she didn't send the arrangement yet.

AG CANADH ARÍS

Seisiún deas in Aptos inniú. Chuaigh mé ann le Steven. Bhíomar ag éisteacht le Albert Fry (rogha amhrán reatha: Maidin Luan Cincíse) ar an slí sios.
Tá Tammy ar ais agus Ellen freisin. Ach níl Denisse ag glacadh páirt sa chór i mbliana - mór an trua é.
I rith an Samhraidh bhris gadaí isteach ar teach Tammy agus ghoid a ceamara di. Tá an taifeadadh fístéipe don cór ó na blianta caite imithe ar shiúl.
Tá an cór faoi stiúir Katie 'fhad is atá Mary in Éirinn ag freastal ar cursa MA in Ollscoil Luimní. Tá stíl deas reachúiseach ag Katie.

We had a really nice practise today. I drove down with Steven - we listened to Albert Fry the whole way down.
Tammy is back with us and so is Ellen. Unfortunately, Denisse is going to sit out this year.
Over the Summer someone broke into Tammy's house and stole her video camera. All the recordings of the previous years went with the camera.
The choir is being directed by Katie while Mary is still in Ireland working on her MA at Limerick University. Katie has a nice laid-back style.

MOT DE JOUR: farfelue

farfelue

CÓR AINGLÍ

Thosamar ar ais ag canadh le chéile inniú. Bhí an céad clachtadh againn i Santa Cruz. Bhí thart faoi cúigear is fiche daoine i láthair le roint daoine eile in easnamh. Tá cúigear daoine nua againn i mbliana. Ritheamar fríd an clár go léir.

The choir started back today for our first practise. There are five new people and most of the old-timers are back again. We sang our way through the entire program. It sounds heavenly.