Castle Stalker, Argyll
Thanks to Belinda we now have a presence on Instagram so you can follow us on instagram.com/vancouver.ceilidhs
https://www.instagram.com/vancouver.ceilidhs?utm_source=qr
Please check it out, it makes Belinda happy!!
The next Ceilidh dance is next Friday April 26 – the last Friday of the month. It is the fourth one of the year and the last one until September so you will all want to come and enjoy a great evening of dancing, fun and social interaction after all the fun that was had at the March dance where we had 129 danced to the great music provided by our own Calanais with the dances taught and called by Alison.
The dances are held in the Scottish Cultural Centre, 8886 Hudson Street, Vancouver which is a block north of SW Marine between Granville & Oak in Marpole. The evening starts with a free class from 7 – 7:45 and the dance with the live music of Calanais follows from 8 – 10:30. Admission is $15 (students $10) and there are refreshments available but remember it is CASH ONLY. Remember to bring some extra cash so you can donate towards the cost of the beer/cider/soft drinks/cookies etc.
If you are interested in moving to the next level up from Ceilidh dancing you should try Scottish Country dancing which is more refined than Ceilidh dancing but still lots of fun. Weekly classes are nearing the end of the season but you could look them up and find one near you. To help everyone find a convenient class here is a link to all the classes in and around Vancouver and the start time if known;
Of course there are the Scotfest BC Highland Games in June – scotfestbc.com – and Dancing in the Park (DITP) – rscdsvancouver.org – in the summer. Check out these events.
It isn’t warm enough to do any planting but we visited a number of nurseries to get ideas and see what was in stock. We bought some seeds and a few hardy plants but nothing much. We have a few dead plants some of which we have removed and will need something to relace them. It is still cold outside and we need to bundle up in warm clothing to work outside. There is still lots if tidying up to be done – tomorrow!!
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Tunes this week are from Vancouver Branch 50th Anniversary Ball
The Kissing Bridge Gordon Shand and his Band RSCDS Book 47
ON A TRAIN IN UK
The train was quite crowded and a U.S. Marine walked the entire length looking for a seat, but the only seat left was taken by a well dressed, middle-aged, French woman’s poodle.
The war-weary Marine asked, ‘Ma’am, may I have that seat?’
The French woman just sniffed and said to no one in particular. ‘Americans are so rude. My little Fifi is using that seat.’
The Marine walked the entire train again, but the only seat left was under that dog.
‘Please, ma’am, may I sit down, I’m very tired.’
She snorted, ‘Not only are you Americans rude, you are also arrogant!’
This time the Marine didn’t say a word; he just picked up the little dog, tossed it out of the train window and sat down.
The woman shrieked, ‘Someone must defend my honour! This American should be put in his place!’
An English gentleman sitting nearby spoke up, ‘Sir, you Americans seem to have a penchant for doing the wrong thing.
You hold the fork in the wrong hand.
You drive your cars on the wrong side of the road.
And now sir you seem to have thrown the wrong bitch out of the window.’
Callanish Stones at sunset
A man was sick and tired of going to work every day while his wife stayed home. He wanted her to see what he went through so he prayed:
‘Dear Lord:
I go to work every day and putin 8 hours while my wifemerely stays at home.I want her to know whatI go through. So, please allow her body toswitch with mine for a day.’
God, in his infinite wisdom, granted the man’s wish.
The next morning, sure enough, the man awoke as a woman… He arose, cooked breakfast for his mate, awakened the kids, set out their school clothes, fed them breakfast, packed their lunches, drove them to school, came home and picked up the dry cleaning, took it to the cleaners!Then stopped at the bank to make a deposit.
Went grocery shopping, then drove home to put away the groceries.
Paid the bills and balanced the check book. He cleaned the cat’s litter box and bathed the dog.
Then, it was already 1 P.M and he hurried to make the beds, do the laundry, vacuum, dust, and sweep and mop the kitchen floor.
Ran to the school to pick up the kids and got into an argument with them on the way home. Set out milk and cookies and got the kids organized to do their homework.
Then, set up the ironing board and watched TV while he did the ironing. At 4:30 he began peeling potatoes and washing vegetables for salad, breaded the pork chops and snapped fresh beans for supper.
After supper, he cleaned the kitchen, ran the dishwasher, folded laundry, bathed the kids, and put them to bed.
At 9 P.M. he was exhausted and, though his daily chores weren’t finished, he went to bed where he was expected to make love, which he managed to get through without complaint.
The next morning, he awoke and immediately knelt by the bed and said:
Lord, I don’t know whatI was thinking.I was so wrong to envy mywife’s being able to stayhome all day.Please! Oh, Please! Let us trade back.. Amen!’
The Lord, in his infinite wisdom, replied:
‘My son, I feel you have learned your lesson and I will be happy to change things back to the way they were. You’ll just have to wait nine months, though. You got pregnant last night.’
This has been voted Women’s Favorite E-mail of the Year!
The sun setting over Loch Quoich and the mountains of Knoydart
Here is another tune for you to enjoy from Saturday’s Ball programme
The path to Glenbrittle in Sky
| A woman in a supermarket is following an old man and his badly behaved 3 year-old grandson.
It’s obvious to her that he really has his hands full, with the child screaming for sweets in the sweet aisle, biscuits in the biscuit aisle and for all the Christmas toys in the other aisles. Meanwhile, Granddad is working his way around, saying in a controlled voice, “Easy, William, we won’t be long . . . easy, boy.” Another tantrum, and she hears the granddad calmly say, “It’s okay, William, just a couple more minutes and we’ll be out of here. Hang in there, boy.” At the checkout, the little terror is throwing items out of the cart, and Granddad says again in a controlled voice, “William, William, relax Pal, don’t get upset. We’ll be home in five minutes; stay cool, William.” Very impressed, the woman goes outside where the grandfather is loading his groceries and the boy into the car. She said to the elderly gentleman, “It’s none of my business, but you were amazing in there. I don’t know how you did it. That whole time, you kept your composure. No matter how loud and disruptive he got, you just calmly kept saying things would be okay. William is very lucky to have you as his grandpa.” “Thanks,” said the grandfather, “but I’m William …. the little bastard’s name is Kevin.” |
The next Ceilidh dance is less than 2 weeks away it will be held on Friday, April 26th. The same admission prices but Remember it is Cash Only both for admittance and for the refreshments.
Ceilidh dances are held in the Scottish Cultural Centre, 8886 Hudson Street, Vancouver. There is a free class at 7 pm then the dance follows from 8 – 10:30 pm with live music by Calanais. All easy dances that are taught and called and everyone has lots of fun and great exercise. Tell your friends and make it an outing – it only costs $15 ($10 for students) and there are refreshments (including cider & beer) for a donation. Remember it is “cash only” both for admittance and the refreshments. Mark your calendars now and make plans to join the fun. Check the website rscdsvancouver.org for more details.
The 2024 Ceilidh Dance dates are all on the last Friday of the month –
2024
April 26
September 27
October 25
November 29
If you have a group of 8 or more then the cost is $1 less for each of you. You have to choose a password, make sure everyone in the group knows what it is then contact me at duncanmackenzie@telus.net at least two days before the dance & let me know you have a group and what the password will be, then you do not need to all arrive together.
This should rattle your cage for today!
When you have the answer – you might want to send it on to other friends!
Have a great day! I did – I handed it off to you!
Lots of us don’t know what day of the week we were born. This will answer it. We have been on this earth many, many weeks and days. How many days old are you? This will give you a jolt!
Click here: How many days old are you
HMS Queen Elizabeth-A grey day and a large grey ship moored in Loch Long taking on fuel and military supplies from Glen Douglas. -Low tide allowed a close encounter.
A painter by the name of Murphy, while not a brilliant scholar, was a gifted portrait artist. Over a short number of years, his fame grew and soon people from all over Ireland were coming to the town of Doolin in County Clare, to get him to paint their likenesses.
One day, a beautiful young English woman arrived at his house in a stretch limo and asked if he would paint her in the nude.
This being the first time anyone had made such a request he was a bit perturbed, particularly when the woman told him that money was no object; in fact, and she was willing to pay up to £10,000.
Not wanting to get into any marital strife, he asked her to wait while he went into the house to confer with Mary, his wife.
In a few minutes he returned. “T’would be me pleasure to paint yer portrait, missus,” he said “The wife says it’s okay. “I’ll paint you in the nude all right, but I have to at least leave me socks on so I have a place to wipe me brushes.” ………………..
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A sheep looking across to the Morven peninsula
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Another good tune from the Ball
Mrs. MacPherson of Inveran Muriel Johnstone & Keith Smith Delaware Valley
According to a news report, a certain private school in Brisbane was recently faced with a unique problem. A number of 12-year-old girls were beginning to use lipstick and would put it on in the bathroom. That was fine, but after they put on their lipstick they would press their lips to the mirror leaving dozens of little lip prints.
Every night the maintenance man would remove them and the next day the girls would put them back.
Finally the principal decided that something had to be done. She called all the girls to the bathroom and met them there with the maintenance man. She explained that all these lip prints were causing a major problem for the custodian who had to clean the mirrors every night (you can just imagine the yawns from the little princesses). To demonstrate how difficult it had been to clean the mirrors, she asked the maintenance man to show the girls how much effort was required.
He took out a long-handled squeegee, dipped it in the toilet, and cleaned the mirror with it. Since then, there have been no lip prints on the mirror.
There are teachers…………..and then there are educators.
I would have given him 100%!!!
Q1. In which battle did Napoleon die? * His last battle
Q2. Where was the Declaration of Independence signed? * At the bottom of the page
Q3. River Ravi flows in which state? * Liquid
Q4. What is the main reason for divorce? * Marriage
Q5. What is the main reason for failure? * Exams
Q6. What can you never eat for breakfast? * Lunch & dinner
Q7. What looks like half an apple? * The other half
Q8. If you throw a red stone into the blue sea what it will become? * It will simply become wet
Q9. How can a man go eight days without sleeping ? * No problem, he sleeps at night.
Q10. How can you lift an elephant with one hand? * You will never find an elephant that has only one hand..
Q11. If you had three apples and four oranges in one hand and four apples and three oranges in other hand, what would you have ? * Very large hands
Q12. If it took eight men ten hours to build a wall, how long would it take four men to build it? * No time at all, the wall is already built.
Q13. How can u drop a raw egg onto a concrete floor without cracking it? *Any way you want, concrete floors are very hard to crack.
Sgorr-Dhearg near Ballachulish
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The 2024 season for Ceilidh Dances are scheduled (all on Friday evenings) as follows:-
2024
April 26
September 27
October 25
November 29
Mark your calendars now!
The dances will be will be held at the Scottish Cultural Centre, 8886 Hudson Street, Vancouver. The class will be held in the large hall from 7:00 – 7:45 then we will all exit to give the band a chance for a sound check etc. and the dance class will run from 8:00 – 10:30 with live music by Calanais. Alison will continue to be your teacher/caller so you are guaranteed to have a great evening. No change to the admission – still $15 with students $10.
Help us spread the word – I am not into social media but I am sure somebody can promote the Ceilidh Dance(s) there for me especially out at the Colleges and Universities. Tell all your friends to come along – it really is a fun (and cheap!) evening. DON’T FORGET IT IS CASH ONLY.
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May your troubles be one, may your blessings be more,
and may nothing but happiness come through your door.
Duncan MacKenzie
ceilidh@rscdsvancouver.org