Foghar gu Nollaig, is Geamhradh gu Fèill Pàdraig; Earrach gu Fèill Peadair, Samhradh gu Fèill Màrtainn! Chan eil mi idir cinnteach cuin a thòisich “àm Nollaige” gu bhith a’ cuartachadh Latha na Nollaige, ach gu cinnteach tha sin fìor a-nise, agus fo bhuaidh an t-saoghail choimearsalta tha an t-àm sin ga shìneadh fad sheachdainean. Gu follaiseach chan eil e comasach dhuinn uile a bhith a’ gabhail pàirt ann an cuirmean fad na h-ùine sin, ach tha sinn comasach agus buailteach a bhith fo bhuaidh spiorad na ràithe, agus tha mi ’n dòchas gur ann mar sin a tha cùisean dhuibhse is sinn a-nise air stairsich na Bliadhn’ Ùire! ’S e àm a tha seo airson ùrachadh eòlais air càirdean, agus àm airson fèistean còmhla chun na h-ìre as fheàrr a ghabhas. Mar sin tha mi ’n dòchas gun do dh’ith, ’s gun do dh’òl sibh, ’s gun robh sibh subhach! Chan fhiach cuirm gun a còmhradh, their an seanfhacal, agus bu mhath gun do dhearbh sibh sin dhuibh fhèin às ùr thar làithean na Nollaige, agus gun tèid agaibh air na còmhraidhean càirdeil sin a chumail a’ dol fad na bliadhna.
Mar a bha mi ag ràdh an seo air an t-seachdain a chaidh tha othail is ùpraid an cois na ràithe seo agus tha sin gu h-àraid fìor far am bheil clann òga, agus fiù ’s cuid nach eil cho òg, an sàs! Bidh cuimhne mhath agaibh air a’ ghnàthas-cainnt, “b’ eòlach do sheanair air”, agus theagamh mar a dh’èirich dhomh fhìn gun tàinig e thugaibh uair neo dhà bho chionn ghoirid! Bha sinne air a h-uile deasachadh a shaoil sinn iomchaidh a dhèanamh is an t-ogha as òige, trì bliadhna gu leth, a’ tighinn thugainn fad còrr is seachdain. Taobh a-staigh latha bha aineolas a sheanar dearbhte agus a sheanmhair air a tàmailteachadh nuair a dh’iarr mo laochan liacradh seòclaid air a chuid tost, is a bha mise air mo shlighe dhan bhùth a cheannach cnogan den sin! Ach mar a chanadh mo sheanair fhìn cho tric nuair a bha sinne òg, “chan eil ann ach spòrs!”
Cha b’ e spòrs sam bith a bh’ agamsa nuair a chaidh mi a-staigh gu pàirc-chàraichean sa bhaile. Bha mi air am bogsa mullaich càir aig mo nighinn a chleachdadh nuair a thug mi i fhèin ’s am fear beag à Dùn Èideann, is bha mi air dìochuimhneachadh gun robh sin fhathast air a’ chàr. Bha e ro àrd! Ged a leig mi tomhas den ghaoith às na taidhrichean cha robh sin gu leòr gus mo leigeil a-mach, agus a bharrachd air sin cha robh an iuchair againn gus fhosgladh airson a thoirt far a’ chàir! B’ fheudar dhan nighean agam tagsaidh a ghabhail a dh’iarraidh na h-iuchrach fhad ’s a bha mise nam amadan a’ feitheamh! Fhuair mòran gàire gam fhaicinn air m’ fhàsgadh eadar mullach is làr, ach fhuair mi às gun mhilleadh air bogsa neo air a’ chàr, is cha dèan mi leithid a-rithist!
I don’t know when Christmas Day became “Christmas time”, and the “festive season”, but commercial marketing has now expanded this to many weeks. People clearly cannot party throughout that period, but we can be affected by the season’s spirit, and I hope that is how things are for all of you as we approach New Year!
It is a time for renewal of friendships, and to enjoy food and conversation, and I hope you have had an opportunity to eat, drink, and be merry, and that your meetings with friends and relatives will be a regular feature of the year ahead.
As I commented last week this can be a period of particular excitement where young folk, and some not so young, are involved! You will recall a rather sarcastic Gaelic expression “well kent by your grandfather!”(meaning no knowledge of it), and like me, some of you may have thought of the expression recently!
We thought we had made every preparation in advance of the most welcome week-long visit of our three-and-a-half-year-old grandson, but within a matter of hours his grandad’s ignorance was demonstrated when I couldn’t meet a request for toast and chocolate spread, and I was enroute to a shop to buy this! But as my own grandfather would so often say when we were young, “it’s just fun!”
There was no fun for me on entering a car park the next day. When I collected my daughter and grandson from Edinburgh the previous day I used their roof box on my car, and I had forgotten this was still in place. It was too high for the car park!
Partially deflating my tyres didn’t enable exit, and as we didn’t have the box keys, my daughter had to taxi home to collect the keys to enable us to remove the box. Meanwhile waiting in the car sandwiched between floor and ceiling, I provided much amusement for other motorists. However, we had a happy ending exiting without any box or car damage, and I won’t make that mistake again!