This Is Me

A couple of weeks into 2018 and we’ve hit the ground running! With a jam-packed first half of the year, we’ve had to embrace an early start to the year. So even though there is still a summer holiday vibe everywhere you go (and some are still away enjoying some awesome holidays, lucky things!) we are getting 2018 off to a cracking start.

We hope you’ve had a safe and enjoyable festive season, we certainly have! Of course with the New Year, there is always talk of resolutions and what you want to achieve throughout the following year. And I’m sure there are people out there who can sit down in January (though being organised they probably sat down in December), work out a list of goals, how they are going to achieve them and then just do it. Unsurprisingly, I am not one of them. In December, while they are sitting down and calmly planning how they are going to dominate the following year, I have vague thoughts about things I should probably try and get done. For example, I should definitely practice more. Or I should cook more (and better) meals (the raw chicken debacle of 2017 was a low point, culinary speaking). I should go out and and catch up with people more (but that means less reading time. And yes, if it’s after six, I’m in my pyjamas). I should be less socially awkward. I should be on time. I should learn more skills. I should further develop the skills I already have. I should learn more languages. I should be healthier. I should do more and see more. I should, I should, I should! So it’s less of a list of goals and more of a list of things I suck at. 

A list of things that you suck at, is less inspiring, more depressing. But you think, ‘hey, I’ve got all of next year to get this sorted’ and then all of a sudden it’s October and all you’ve done is one thing, once (but you felt super virtuous at the time). And of course, being October, there’s no point getting started now, that’s what next year is for, right?

This year, I’m going with a different approach. I’m just going to embrace it all (apart from the being on time thing. Because being late is just bad manners and I can’t be completely incapable of being on time – right? Right?). Sure, I’m lazy, non-cooking hermit but what’s wrong with that? If that’s who you are, that’s who you are.

That’s the plan for 2018. Embracing the imperfect. Because we all are. And sometimes we need to celebrate that and say this is me.

Wonderful Christmastime

And to celebrate that we had double the Christmas fun this year. The first was our traditional Carols by Candlelight, hosted by the City of Armadale. The second was a Community Christmas, hosted by the Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale. It was our first time at this event and we had a great time.

It was a relaxed evening, with people milling all over the oval, fuelled by food from food trucks, the kids going wild on the bouncy castle. You could bring your own picnic blanket and deck chair and make yourself at home with family and friends on the insanely green grass. Tying it all together was the free entertainment, some of it provided by us. We had the privilege to play quite an extensive set, with a range of pieces – from Let the Bells Ring to Winter Wonderland to O Holy Night to Last Christmas to God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen to All I Want for Christmas is You. Safe to say, if it was festive, we played it.

Topping it all off, it was the Goldilocks of outdoor gigs – not too hot, not too cold. There was a light breeze but armed with wooden pegs we were more than prepared. And the breeze had the added bonus of keeping those pesky flies away. Of course, being on an oval there was little opportunity to go mad with the Christmas lights but even at a Christmas gig you didn’t miss them. All you had to do was look up (something that is so easy not to do) and right above your head was a brilliant sky show that seemed to stretch forever. 

And that’s it from us for 2017. We’ll be back in no time at all, ready for what 2018 has to bring. Until then enjoy your wonderful Christmastime and have a fabulous New Year.