Yep. I couldn’t wait any longer. I had to make a Christmas layout! I pondered it for ages and just couldn’t find anything I like enough to use on it, until I discovered this cute picture of Snoopy decorating his dog house!

I have no idea why I decided to pick a mustard yellow background, but I didn’t want to have anything patterned, since all the colours make it busy enough already, and it worked, so yay!

Whoa, this weekend has been the busiest one ever! On Friday night Mum’s cousin arrived to stay for the weekend so we entertained her for the day.

Yesterday we met another one of mum’s friends for lunch and then I had my first rehearsal for “Wonderland! The Musical Misadventures of a Girl Named Alice” What a crazy show! It’s a full musical with 25 songs and a cast of 47! It’s pretty darn cool, but I STILL don’t know which character I am. I’m not the White Queen or the Red Queen, or the Mad Hatter, or Alice (obviously), but yesterday I was the character (Troubador – who is also the White Rabbit) who sings the prologue. By themselves. I have NEVER done musical theatre before, so goodness knows why they asked me to sing that part!? I think I did it ok though, I was in tune, but I still don’t know whether I’ll get that part. I hope I do, it would be fun, and since the show’s not on until March next year I’d have time to learn it. *crosses fingers*

Last night two friends and I went to Christmas in the Park, which is a big outdoor concert of Christmas songs and other stuff. It’s not very easy to explain, so click the link to read about it for yourself if you’re really that interested!

Today I had rehearsal for Aladdin, the OTHER show I’m in. That got cut rather shorter than it was supposed to, because some people with major parts had to leave early, but hopefully we’ll still be ok, because we have A LOT of rehearsal between now and next Wednesday when we open! I hope.

As for my comment styling, I’ve fiddled with it a bit (thanks to everyone who offered me help) and it looks a lot less default, so I’m happy with that.

Yesterday a couple of friends and I went to visit our old high school principal, and give her flowers, since she’s retiring at the end of the year.

We also went to see some of our old teachers, which was fun. Most of them weren’t actually doing a lot since most of the senior students are already on exam leave, so they were amused when we interrupted them!

It was funny with one teacher, because at first we didn’t think she was even at school, but then we walked past a classroom where she was teaching, so we waited about 10 minutes for that class to finish and then went back again, just in time to see her start to go around the corner at the other end of the corridor!

We were like “Oh crap!” and started to run after her, but then she turned around anyway, and went back into the classroom without even noticing us! We all started laughing, and eventually she stuck her head out back through the doorway and was like “Oh! I thought I heard you!” Apparently we were a lot less conspicuous than we thought we’d be!

Anyway, thanks to the lovely Cristina, I have been tagged…

7 RANDOM THINGS ABOUT ME

1. I always convince myself I love these things, but in actuality I hate them because when I’m put on the spot like this I can never think of anything!
2. I finally started using RSS feeds the day before yesterday. They are very handy for seeing who has updated their blog without visiting every site, but they have also made me lazy.
3. I am one of those people who is very strange about being touched by other people. I don’t dislike being hugged, I just like my personal space!
4. I would love to play Meg in Little Women.
5. I love summer.
6. On both feet, I have 3 toes all the same length.
7. I have never had any fillings.

I’m not tagging anybody else. I think literally every blog I read has already done this!

Last night I came across a website about Jim Bob & Michelle Duggar from Arkansas, USA, their 10 sons and 7 daughters!

The Duggars are fundamentalist Baptists who follow a movement known as “Quiverfull”. This means that they do not use birth control and instead willingly accept as many children as God gives them.

I’ve been reading some articles online that say this is disgusting and wrong and a burden upon society, but to their credit, the Duggars are apparently debt free and self-sufficient! They live in an enormous house with, among other things, one huge bedroom for the girls, another huge bedroom for the boys, a master bedroom for the parents and 9 bathrooms!

Personally I don’t see anything wrong with it, it’s consistent with their faith, the family looks happy enough, they’re not requiring huge amounts of government aid and everybody is healthy, so, uh, good for them.

I don’t think I could have 17 children though. I’m an only child, so it would be a total shock! I’d be happy with 3 or 4, but not that many, although, if your life turned out that way, you’d learn to cope, somehow!

What do you think? Do you think the Duggars are irresponsible for having so many children, or do you think it’s acceptable and they should keep having more for as long as they are able to conceive and support them?

I’m sorry to rant and ramble twice in two days, but last night I found an article that just struck me as being so thoroughly ridiculous and farcical that I can’t NOT write about it, not to mention that it’s happening in Australia, which is frighteningly close to home for me!

It’s not just me, right, this really is insane?! Has anybody ever known a woman offended by Santa saying “Ho ho ho”? I can perhaps see how a child might be afraid of Santa’s appearance, but even if they do change what he says, it’s not as if it’s going to make any difference, is it?

Anyway, onto the article…

Is Santa’s ho-ho-ho politically incorrect?

SYDNEY: Santas have been instructed not to use the traditional Christmas greeting of “ho ho ho” but have instead been told to use “ha ha ha”.

One Santa was told not to use “ho ho ho” because it could frighten children and was too close to “ho”, a US slang term for prostitute.

A spokesman for the Westaff recruitment firm said it was “misleading” to say that the phrase had been banned from use but rather that it was being left up to the discretion of the individual Santa.

WTF!? In what world does Santa say “Ha ha ha”!? That’s just not right! Also, what if a child with a disability (or something similar) came to see Santa and was greeted by “Ha ha ha!” Surely that would be even worse!

Also, if a child is young enough to believe in Santa Claus, they’re going to be young enough for the offensive meaning of the term “Ho” to go right over their heads to begin with!

I hope I do not encounter any “Ha ha ha-ing” Santa Clauses this year! I will not be impressed!