Ho hum

Life has been a bit trying lately, mainly because of one of my choirs, the one of which I'm chair. Basically, our treasurer has taken offence at our musical director, for reasons which seem totally bewildering to me, and has resigned. Treasurers are valuable people, so we've all been falling over backwards to please him. However, he's thrown his toys out of the pram, and gone. This isn't as bad as it might be, because his 3-year term of office was to be up in October anyway, and we have - or at least I hope we still have - a new treasurer lined up. But it's been very stressful and unpleasant and surprising. In my peaceful retired life, I'd kind of forgotten about difficult people who throw strops. 

I'm meeting with the new (I hope) treasurer on Thursday. I just hope that the toy-thrower hasn't put him off joining us on the committee. 

Ah well, we can still walk along the river and watch this heron, 

and admire the meadowsweet and knapweed,

which grow happily despite everything. 

Daughter 2 has been home for a few days because her lovely friend, the owner of the very small architecture firm near Edinburgh for which she works in London, has died of a brain tumour, which is not only very sad but has also been very difficult for the rest of them in various ways. 

I shouldn't feel sorry for myself, because he was eight years younger than me and is no longer around, and I'm still quite well, as far as I know. But I always feel so sad when Daughter 2 goes away. (Yes, I know, she could be in Australia.) I'm worried about her and for them all. But one just has to buck up and be grateful for what one has. 

I've been doing Duolingo for French and German for a couple of years now. My French was always reasonable, though my German was pretty feeble, and I suppose they've both been polished up a bit. On a whim, the other day, I started learning Duolingo Scottish Gaelic. When I was at teacher training college - which I found somewhat boring compared to university - my dad and I went to Gaelic classes for a couple of terms, and bits are coming back to me. I haven't got very far yet, as you can imagine, but am enjoying the spelling. For example, I could ask for "ti" and "cofaidh" (tea and coffee, pronounced "tea" and "coffee") and say that "tha tidsear" (I'm a teacher - pronounced "ha teacher"). I haven't got to the past tense yet... I also like "tioraidh" (pronounced "cheery" and meaning "goodbye"), as in "cheerio".  Is that a British thing, or do Americans/Canadians/Australians/New Zealanders say "cheerio" for goodbye? 

It's not all as easy as that (mind you, the spelling isn't easy at all), but one takes one's pleasures where one can.