There's no 'I' in team-is there!

I hope that everyone has had a good Christmas? I have had a quite an interesting one! My daughter-in-law is 8 months pregnant and as they live in Manchester, we live in Witney and her parents live in Brighton, we decided to take Christmas to them. Well at least a little nearer! We decided to rent a large house in the country near Macclesfield within commutable distance from Manchester. Gradually over the weekend before Christmas we all arrived from our different parts of England. There was to be 12 of us in total for Christmas dinner and I was delegated to cook the turkey! The whole dinner was to be a team effort and was very capably co-ordinated by my daughter-in-law, who is never happier than when she's organising things. My Christmas would have been extremely enjoyable and relatively stress free if the Open University in all their wisdom hadn't decided that over the Christmas period we should do an exercise in team work!


To say that this would have been a challenge at any time of the year would most definitely be an understatement, but at Christmas, I ask you! This involved us being put into teams of about 7 by our tutor and communicating entirely via an on-line forum, we were to construct a wiki, again entirely on-line, as a group. Everyone was dreading it, but assured by our tutor that it would be fine, after all it was only a 1000 word limit, I decided to give it my best shot.

 Going back to Christmas dinner, not knowing what the cooking facilities at the barn were like, I decided on cooking 3 turkey crowns instead of 1 large bird. It's just as well I did! There was only 1 small oven and a fridge freezer that would struggle to fulfil the needs of a family of 4 at Christmas, let alone 12 of us. Undaunted, we employed typical British Bulldog ingenuity and commandeering the cars and cool bags as temporary fridges we survived the week without a single case of food poisoning! The turkey crowns were cooked on Christmas eve and stored in a cool bag in our car overnight, leaving the oven free for cooking the roast veggies and kilted sausages or pigs in blankets.The rest of the week's catering continued in the same vein with our combined skills and 'make-do and mend; solutions ensuring that we all had more than enough food and a great time was had by all. All that is apart from me who was too stressed out by the wiki to really enjoy it all. I did declare an amnesty on Christmas and Boxing day, promising to try not to think about it as there was nothing I could do anyway.

Back to the wiki, (must I)! The first week in December we were all meant to be introducing ourselves to the rest of our teams via the wiki forum. By the beginning of the second week i emailed my tutor to say that there seemed to be only 2 of us in the team. After a gentle nudge by the tutor, by the end of the second week there were 6 of us. the team work went like this. we had to choose 2 texts to write about from a choice of 5. I ended up choosing the texts. We were then supposed to choose which part of the wiki we would each be doing. There were plenty volunteers to proof read, edit and do the Bibliography, plus 1 willing to do whatever, but no-one volunteered to do the question itself!

Still trying to be optimistic, I activated the wiki page by typing in the question and writing an introduction. I then posted on the forum asking for others to help with writing the rest of the wiki. Long story, short. Before I left to go to Macclesfield I had written half of one question and a second team member had contributed to a third of the other one. I had said on the forum that it would be good to have most of it done before Christmas and everyone agreed but did nothing about it. Still trying to be optimistic I hoped that once Christmas was over they would miraculously appear and it would be a triumph of team work. Sadly this was not to be. As I am writing this blog, I've completely written one of the options, finished the other one, written the conclusion and the Bibliography. Then to add insult to injury, suddenly the forum has come alive with people offering to edit and pointing out a few grammatical errors I've made!!!!!!!

I have to now write a reflective piece about how I found the experience of working as a team. No swear words allowed! If asked to name 2 things I have gained from this experience is 1. an increase in the amount in my swear box and 2. an increase in my alcohol consumption lol! Perhaps the next time the Open University decide to have us do a wiki it should involve food. After all, the Christmas catering was a triumph in team work.

Never mind, it's behind me now-or is it? Apparently the next module of my course has a wiki element aaaarrrgggghhhhhhhhh! Still nothing I can do about it today, so Happy New Year everyone!

Update. My next Wiki went like a dream. I was lucky enough to be put with a group of students who were as eager to make it work. We did have a few problems, but with a bit, well a lot, of diplomacy on my part, we ironed them out.

Christmas-not always the best time of the year!

Christmas is the time of year where families come together and celebrate. It is a time for being together as a family, having fun and generally having a good time. Most of the time if your lucky, that is exactly what happens. Unfortunately, life is not always like that. Christmas can also be the hardest time of the year if, for instance you've lost someone close that year or some other negative life changing event has happened.

I was 10 when I first found out that Christmas can be difficult. It wasn't really anything specific that happened, it was more just a sense that something wasn't quite right. I only knew that the adults were acting funny and that on Boxing Day my brothers and sister and I were left with a sitter while my mum and dad went off for the day. My dad especially seemed to be crying a lot. I found out a few weeks later that my paternal grandfather had died and his funeral had been on Boxing Day!

The next difficult Christmas I experienced was in 1974 after my brother who was only 13 years old, died suddenly in October that year. To be honest I don't even remember it; I think that it was so awful that I just blanked it out! Two years later my father and I spent a solitary Christmas, both in tears, as my mum and dad had split up earlier that year and it was decided that my mum and younger sister should be with my other sister and her family, for the sake of my little sister who was only a child. I never questioned this, I fully excepted that my feelings didn't matter.

I was fortunate to meet and marry a lovely man and for the first 5 years of our marriage we spent reasonably happily either with his family or mine. Although trying to accommodate divorced parents who didn't get on was a challenge!When our son was born Christmas became magical again. We bought him presents and endeavoured to make it a truly amazing time for him.

Then followed the dark times I've already written about. Losing 2 babies and going through a difficult pregnancy where I ended up wheelchair bound, just to ensure the safety of my unborn child, resulted in my becoming severely depressed for several years, and resulted in Christmas becoming a time to dread rather than celebrate!

But I don't want this to be a depressing post. Instead I want to focus on the positive. Despite all this, or perhaps because of it, I'm still standing and more importantly, I can say that I'm enjoying life! At this time of year, of course I remember the difficult times, but I can now appreciate how much I have to be thankful for. I'm still here, I have 2 fantastic sons, I'm still married ( no mean feat these days after 35 years) and I have my first grandchild. The way I see it, I have a choice. I can either choose to dwell on the negative aspects of my life so far, or I can be thankful and celebrate all that is good in my life right at this moment!

But please don't think that this is a triumphalist, 'pull yourself together' type post. I know how hard this time of year can be when you're going through dark times. I've been there! When you've lost someone or someone close is seriously ill or you're going through some other heartbreaking experience, Christmas can be no friend, but a time that seems to highlight your feelings of loss and loneliness.

I came across this picture on face book. I've had my tears already this season as different situations have brought back painful memories, but when I saw this it reminded me of the blog on ' Letting go'  I wrote saying that the best way to honour those we've loved and lost is by living and making the most of life. Earlier today I was looking at a picture of my husband's aunt who died in December 2004 just after she celebrated her 90th birthday. I found myself talking to her and I realised how true this picture was. Everyone that I've loved and lost are still alive and loved in my heart as long as I'm alive. Hopefully, when I'm gone, I'll live on in the hearts and minds of my family and friends. Perhaps that is what's meant by eternal life!

This may a seem a bit deep and meaningful for this time of year, but wouldn't it be more wrong to completely ignore the fact that this time of year can be extremely painful and difficult for some! I just want to offer sympathy and compassion to those who are struggling. But hopefully some hope too that the future can be different; there is always hope. I share this picture of the eternal flame as a symbol of the spark of life and hope.

Keep Calm and Carry On!

I guess by now no-one can ignore the fact that Christmas is almost upon us. I'm surprising myself at how calm I seem to be this year! By this time I'm usually a gibbering wreck that my family and hubby give a wide berth too. I think that I must actually be starting to 'practice what I preach' as in a previous blog, cryptically titled 'Tomorrow is the day afters's yesterday', I talked about thinking carefully about what really needs to be done and when, in an attempt to cut down on stress levels. It's amazing how much can be achieved when you spend less time stressing!

Another lesson I'm learning is the importance of taking control if you find yourself in a situation that is potentially stressful. As part of my Open University course I have to create a wiki with a group of other students put together by our tutor. We don't actually ever meet, it all has to be done on-line via a forum set up for the purpose. This time last week I was panicking as only one other person had identified themselves as being part of my team. I knew that I had a choice-I could either let myself get stressed or I could see what I could do to help the situation. Firstly I emailed my tutor and asked her if she could give the others a gentle reminder and secondly I started posting suggestions and encouragements on the forum in an effort to elicit a response from my team members. It paid off and not only are we all set to go with the wiki, but a couple of the team have said how pleased they are to be part of such an organised group! This time last year, if faced with the same situation,I would've let it overwhelm me and and would've ended up completely stressed out.! 

 



 One thing that does seem to stress some women out at this time of year is the eternal quest to fit in to that 'little black dress' for the Christmas festivities! This is a stress I gave up a long time ago. For most of my adult life I was considered to be skinny-for this same period I was also struggling with ill health due to Lupus. As part of my 'New Beginnings' I've also decided to accept myself just as I am. Elizabeth Taylor famously said that as a woman grows older she should carry a little extra weight, not too much, just enough to plump out the wrinkles. It works for me! Of course there are the odd days, especially when I'm watching all the celebrities on Strictly Come Dancing dropping several dress sizes and looking amazing, when I wish I was a bit thinner. However, I'd rather be the way I am now carrying a few extra pounds and healthy, than the slimmer version of my younger, poorly self.

 

I think the picture above says it all! Of course I try to eat healthily and exercise but problems with my joints, a legacy of years of bad health limit me as to what I can do. One thing I do know is I'm not going to let this stop me or get me down. Age has brought with it a confidence I lacked when I was younger. No comment on the'sexy' part lol! This has been an amazing year and I'm not going to let an assignment for a course spoil the end of it! No! I'm going to 'Keep Calm and Carry On'!   

 

  

 

Watch this, then tell me you're having a bad day!

This is just a very short blog as the link I'm sharing speaks for itself!  Having a bad day or week? The good thing is tomorrow is only a few short hours away. Hopefully whatever is getting you down will soon be fixed. I'm sharing a link to a video of The British Paraorchestra performing 'True Colours'. All the people in this video, both adults and children, don't have that luxury. When they wake up tomorrow they will still be blind, deaf of disabled physically in some way.

Watching this video you see many examples of the strength of the human spirit. Despite their difficulties or perhaps because of them, some of these inspirational people have learnt to play an instrument or sing when they can't even speak. I don't know about you but I'm in awe of these amazing individuals.

Watching this made me cry, but they were tears of pride, not pity. It seems that no matter what you are facing there are ways to overcome them if you look hard enough. Singing in my singing group means the world to me and I would be lost if I thought that I'd never be able to sing again. This video gives me hope that even if something were to happen to me, there's still hope!

Watch this now and be inspired!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkW5s1zy4Io

You've got to try these things. I think!



One thing that I've learned in my ** years is that there are still plenty new things to experience. This can be a good thing and a not so good thing! Last weekend was certainly an example of this.

On Friday night Woapa, the singing group I'm part of, were asked to perform at the turning on of the lights in Witney. We were to sing after David Cameron, the Prime Minister, turned on the lights. We were lined up waiting to go on as he passed with his entourage. Unfortunately things did not go as planned. Apparently Mr Cameron was boo'ed as he spoke and there was a woman who tried to climb the barrier waving a banner in protest. From my vantage point I saw her being pinned to the ground by a couple of policemen, but not before she punched an unsuspecting bystander in the face! Now I'm all for free speech but I don't think that an occasion like this is either the right time or place! Families had turned up for a lovely, festive celebration. There were children present so any sympathy the protester had hoped to gain was not forthcoming.

There was also a little incident as when Mr Cameron pressed the plunger to switch on the lights, nothing happened! Fortunately, one of the choir members was standing beside the correct switch and with quick thinking, pressed the button and voilá, the lights went on. Then it was the turn of the choir. We were all really nervous, yet excited. The adults made their way into the space in front of the stage as the children were to be on the stage, since they would be dancing, while the adults sang. The crowd was immense! The main street had been closed to traffic and there was a sea of bodies pressed up against the security barriers in front of the choir, stretching to the shops on the other side of the road. The atmosphere was electric. We proceeded to sing 4 christmas songs from the charity cd we had made, with the crowd joining in and rewarding us with rapturous applause when we were finished. It was an amazing experience and one that I won't forget in a hurry.

Then came Sunday! My hubby and I had bought tickets to go to an Ice Music concert to be held in the barn at Cogges. A young percussionist was promising to entertain us with 'ethereal sounds and serious music' with instruments made from blocks of ice brought from the Jostedalbreen glacier in Norway. Earlier that afternoon I had gone along to Cogges to feed the cats as usual and one of the other volunteers had introduced me to one of the group as the 'cat lady'.

After an early dinner we made our way to Cogges dressed up like Nanook of the North as we had been warned that it would be cold. They couldn't heat the barn as the instruments would melt. We were very curious but quite looking forward to this unique experience. Well; what can I say? What followed was in my and my hubby's opinion one of the worst experiences of our lives. To begin with, the musician, (I use the term loosely), tapped a block of ice with 2 drum sticks made of ice, occasionally speaking into the ice in a language similar to the one Harry Potter used when speaking to snakes. After a few minutes his female companion started singing a kind of 'do do do' in a high pitched voice. Thus the evening went on, with him producing blocks of ice with which to make noises that didn't sound very musical to me! The 'piece de resistance' however was when he produced the 'horn like' instrument in the picture above and proceeded to make sounds which I can only describe as resembling a whale breaking wind.

http://www.witneytv.co.uk/videos/cogges-ice-concert

By this time I was apoplectic with laughter! My shoulders were heaving as I desperately tried to contain my mirth.When the interval arrived, my hubby and I looked at each other and agreed to make a quick exit. Unfortunately on the way out the lady that I'd been introduced to earlier greeted me saying " Ah cat lady, what did you think?". " It was certainly different!" I replied as we hastily headed for the exit.

When asked the next day by a friend to describe it, I replied that it was like being in a dentist's chair for 40 minutes in the depths of Winter with no heating! I later found out that it was apparently deemed to be a great success and that everyone else had thought that it was wonderful! I can only surmise that ,either they were all tone deaf or, like the Emperor's New Clothes, no one wanted to be the first to tell the truth and appear to be unsophisticated or something- lol! Perhaps I'm just a Philistine. but one thing's for sure, I won't be travelling to Geilo in Norway to watch the Ice Music Festival that happens there each year!

So who knew what a contrasting weekend that it would be! Fortunately I had Strictly Come Dancing to enjoy on Saturday night to help me chill out and relax. Trying out new experiences is all a part of what makes life so special. Some you enjoy, others; not so much. But not to at least 'give it a go' would be such a waste.

This coming weekend Cogges is having its Christmas Market. Santa will be there. There is going to be a production of Peter Pan in the barn and Woapa are singing Christmas songs again. I know that I'll enjoy this. We all have our preferences and that is one of the things that makes us, as a species, so interesting. So whatever your doing this weekend, I hope you'll be having fun. I know I will!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

 

 

Sunday 18^th November 2012 is a day that will stay in my memory for a very long time. I’m also quite sure that it will always bring a smile to my face. If I was ever to appear in a production of Peter Pan and had to think of a happy memory to help me fly, the memory of this day will be on the list! What was so special about this day? 

I previously wrote about the day that Woapa members, both adults and children, gathered together in a local school to record a mixture of our usual repertoire and a selection of Christmas songs. This is to be sold in aid of Cancer Research and has already been released. As a result of this Witneytv ( it is all one word), approached our choir leaders and asked us to appear in a video that they produce every year for Christmas. Last year they produced the ‘I am a Foxbury Farmer’ video which featured the choir but only our voices as we sang the song played on the video. This year however, they wanted us to appear in the film as well as doing the singing. Well we didn’t need asking twice and on this beautiful sunny Sunday in November around 150 adults and children descended on Cogges Manor Farm for the filming. 

I arrived at 9.15 and filming was already in progress in the lovely old house which dates back to Tudor times. 3 children, 2 boys and a girl were dressed up in Victorian clothes and were filmed in the house. 1 of the boys was filmed jumping out of bed and running to the window to look out on some of the choir ladies singing as snowflakes wafted around us. Thus the video began in the same way as Raymond Brigg’s Snowman. But that’s where the similarity ended, but I won’t give the story away! If you want to watch it you can find us on Witneytv on the internet. 

As this was going on, gradually the rest of the performers arrived. They all gathered in the café area and the noise level was incredible as everyone chattered excitedly about the day ahead. Earlier in the year I’d been fortunate enough to take part in the filming of a tv programme featuring Lynda Bellingham, the ‘Oxo’ lady! I was therefore prepared for all the hanging around and repeating things over and over again. But as the morning turned into lunchtime you could hear groans of “not again” as we were once more asked to sing the same song and smile and look as if we were having fun! But the sight of one of the choir leaders doing his version of Gangnam style soon put a smile on all our faces. Personally, I didn’t have a problem smiling as I was so excited to be a part of it! There was a snow machine and Christmas hats after all! 

 

We were filmed all together, as well as separately, in the barn, on the lawn, in the walled garden and even the pig sties. At one point we attracted an audience who were passing by the side gate as we were singing the song for what seemed like the hundredth time. They even applauded us when we finished. Bonnie one of the farm cats tried to get in on the action when some of the adults were being filmed singing on the steps up to the upper part of the stable where the cats are fed and sleep. Even the roosters and geese joined in with the singing at one point! Santa himself may even have made an appearance.

 

Finally it was a wrap. Weary but happy we all gradually drifted off home to wait in excited anticipation for the film to be edited and await the announcement of when it would be available to view. At the time of writing this I didn’t know when it would be released. And we were asked to keep it under wraps so as not to spoil the surprise of what is on the video. I can now reveal that the song we are singing is Shaken Steven’s ‘Merry Christmas Everyone’. Here is a publicity video shown by Cogges. Enjoy! :).

http://www.witneyradio.co.uk/content/merry-christmas-everyone

Merry Christmas everyone :) xxx

P.S. here we is a taster of us performing at cogges at their Christmas fair!

http://youtu.be/vYpLnNm36XE Merry Christmas. xxx

Seasonal Songs from West Oxfordshire Academy of Performing Arts 2012

www.youtube.com