21st November 2012 - Getting back to Normal - whatever that may be ....

Well, it is Wednesday and the black bags have been put out and the food waste has been taken and the ground is damp and the sky is grey... The Blog has been neglected for a few weeks and the stomach bug has taken its toll.
But a good night sleep and a positive attitude can work wonders... well until Susie came in and told me that the wall in the Bathroom is damp again! Thought we had fixed that problem by changing the broken coping stone, cleaning the gutters and removing the Triffid that was boring down the gap between the walls. Have to look for another cause now !!

So a day yesterday trying to stop the nausea while driving around the Welsh Countryside looking at two smallholdings. One in Cynwyl Elfed which had a lot of potential - mainly because it was quirky and had lots of accommodation and barns and a second building / granny flat and was a good price and the other up near Rhydlewis, which had better pasture, a nice little bungalow ( oh the thought of no more stairs !! ) and was more secluded - but more expensive.
First was actually two houses and there was room to knock through the dividing doors that had been blocked up. Could put a wardrobe there and walk through it - that would be novel !!
But they both were practical - just have to start looking at our house and seeing what needs to be done...
Maybe a cup of tea first !

So :
Sale of House  - not started yet!!
Purchase of Smallholding -  Starting to look at potential Properties
However on the up-side Susie has bought a Chicken Hutch - Flat Pack which is sitting in the living room awaiting the future. She is also perusing Incubators on E-bay.
Sale of Business - Sadly on Hold at the moment - last buyers dropped out, after the money man decided that the numbers did not crunch.
Looking at Plan B options - which may mean realising financial return over a longer period - but better than the alternative.
Vollsanger -  Well, the Solstice at the Cinema seems to be progressing in the right direction.
Managed to repair my guitar as far as I can tell - the amplifier socket came out of the Guitar Sound Box and had to find a sneaky method of pulling it back into place with wires as my hands were too large to get into the sound box to push it back. Need to check that it works properly.
A couple of Sound checks have been posted onto Youtube and are linked here :
Tapestry is turning into quite a nice song I think and "Dance for me" is simple but effective.
  

Tapestry

Lilie's Song

Apparently - we are going to have another sound check on Sunday ...

Will have to get back practicing ...

I See there is a write up in the Carmarthen Journal for the Solstice:

A CHRISTMAS concert with a difference is set to light up the winter solstice next month.

An array of performers from a group of 14-year-old girls, a bardic Viking singing about green goblins to Ed Shearan collaborator Amy Wadge, will unite to celebrate original, live music.

1. ​

Music teacher Ron Savory is behind the idea and says he hopes to get as many people as possible on stage for a grand finale with Vollsanger — a former police chief turned entertainer.

Ron's Plank Promotions is putting on the event in the Cross Hands Cinema after starting out holding gigs in a Carmarthen cafe.

"We started out at Caffi Iechyd Da and it was just a wonderful event," he said.

"Then I took my son to the cinema and just thought it was an incredible building.

"It's a theatre, a beautiful art deco building with an incredible feel, so I wanted to put on a show there."

Headliner Amy Wadge has worked with double Brit Award winner Ed Sheeran.

Together they co-wrote the EP, Songs I Wrote with Amy and a number of other songs including, Gold Rush, which features on the Deluxe Edition of Ed's million-selling debut +. The four-and-a-half hour show, which starts at 7pm on December 21, will feature more than 13 acts, but Ron says it is not about the performers.

"This is about making an event that is positive, organic and inclusive.

"It's not about people playing to an audience, it's about the audience and the artists feeding off each other."

Ron added the gig is not for profit.

"This is not about making money — it's about enjoyment," he said.

"We're providing a manned bar on the night, but people will need to bring their own refreshments.

"We're trying to do it as cheaply as possible so everyone can enjoy."

Tickets for the event are available from Alun Rees at Cadno Music, Llanelli, Caffi Iechyd Da Carmarthen, Tangled Parrot Carmarthen, Sticks & Picks, Music Tuition, Cross Hands and Cross Hands Cinema.

Nice...