Daft Days Are Over... Time For Blogmanay

Happy Hogmanay, beautiful Plonkers.

Get yer kilts oot, us Scots sure know how to party!

Hogmanay is the Scottish celebration of New Years Eve and can sometimes last for days. It is believed the Scots inherited the celebration of Hogmanay from the Vikings and their celebration of the shortest day. I think today Hogmanay is a good excuse to have a wee dram (Johnny Walker whisky) and munch down on shortbread and stovies*

In our house Hogmanay traditions were the taking out the ashes from the fire and making sure all your debts are cleared with friends before "The Bells" at midnight. The kids got to stay up until midnight partying with the adults so there was great excitement and competitions of who could stay up the latest. I never frikken won!

Immediately after midnight, it was tradition to join crossed hands with everyone in our house and sing Robert Burns' "Auld Lang Syne" in yer best drunken slur. It was also traditional to welcome any guests, friends or strangers into your home with warm hospitality and a kiss.

We used to wait for the "First Footing" (that is the first foot in the door after midnight) usually a male, dark and should bring a lump of coal. We would wish them "Lang May Yer Lum Reek!", which means may you live long and well. In other words, Prosperity. The lump of coal meaning that if you can afford coal, you can make fire, to cook and to keep warm.

Mum would make her homemade shortbread by the pokefull and serve whisky and black bun. A guid ol' sing-song by everyone into the wee hours of the morning.

Och aye, Hogmonay was big in oor wee hoose. Dead Brilliant!

Lang May Yer Lum Reek, Plonkers!

Happy 2013 may it be the best one yet.




Link up with XmasDolly for Monday Music Moves Me. Today's theme is this year's best songs or post the rockin-est song you know.  Jack's record has been nominated for three Grammy's Album of the Year for Blunderbuss, Best Rock Album and Best Rock Song of the Year for "Freedom at 21".  Here is my favourite song from the record.





*Stovies is made by boiling potatoes and onions together and serving it seasoned with butter and a little corned beef.

John Anthony Gillis aka Jack White

My Brother-In-Law and Sister-In-Law are visiting South Africa for the holidays.  They're here for two weeks and its been 3 years since we've seen them last.  We got to meet their precious Monique for the first time too.  She's nearly two and the most adorable wee lassie.

 

Its been great spending time with family over Christmas.  I wouldn't have it any other way.

 

I do miss my own family this time of year and with my mum and dad quite sickly, I wish I could be down at the coast with them too but, alas, I can't be everywhere!  Miss you, Mum and Dad!

 

I hope all you precious Plonkers had a great Christmas with your families.  What did you get up to?  Anything special?

 

 

Laura, André and wee Monique

Cousins: Werner, Monique, Megan, Kaylin and Morné

 

 

I'm Dreaming of a (Jack) White Christmas!

I'm Back and doing the Christmas edition of Monday Music Moves Me hosted by XmasDolly.

Love that Hooker!





A Very cool Christmas Advert



And of course it wouldn't be Christmas without Jack and Meg from The White Stripes

 

'Tis the Season to be Daft

So, the end of the world didn't happen. What an anti-climax, eh? Fa-la-la-la-la La-la-la-falafel

South African Blog Awards for 2012 is on laaik Donkey Kong!

So, lovely Plonkity Plonkers. A Daft Scots Lass has been nominated for the 2012 SA Blog Awards. How frikken cool is that? I guess you know what to do by now, right? Click on the VOTE Button on my side bar (right side of your screen) and give me all the love you can. (If you think I deserve it) Oh, I know I haven't been blogging regularly since September but, most of the year I blogged daily and have been for five years!! Standby for this year's festive Christmas vlog...It'll be a whopper.

Christmas Vlog

This time last year I was busy vlogging up a storm.

I think I may do another Christmassy blog this year, just for shits and giggles.

So in the meantime here's last year's version of 12 Days of Christmas

I'm a Weena, Wena!

In other words, I'm a winner!  WhoooofrikkenHoooo, Plonkers.

In October, I assisted Bailey Schneider on Twitter with the Old Mutual Shesha Tuks Celebrity Bloggers Amazing Race Challenge.

Helping Bailz decipher clues given to her, and zipping around Sandton in her very own Tuk-Tuk Taxi to ultimately come in 4th in the Challenge. 

It was so much fun to be a part of it  (even if it was just behind my keyboard watching my Twitter feed)

I was not only thanked by the beautiful Bailey on her blog, but I got contacted recently to say I'd won a prize for assisting her with the clues on the day.

I'll be receiving my brand new Kindle soon!

Can you say excited??  That's an understatement!!!

The Gorgeous Bailey and her driver

Well done to all the bloggers who took part; Warren Harding, Damon Crawford, Hendri Lategan, Dean Oelschig (who was the overall winner of the Challenge), Mike Stopforth, Mike Sharman, Thulane Hadebe, Lerato Sengadi and Lucia Mthiyane.

 

Thank you to Old Mutual, Shesha Tuks and Bailey Schneider for gifting me with such a great prize - just when I needed it the most.

Sisters With Blisters 2012

Howdeedoodle Plonkers.

The Jacaranda FM Sisters with Blisters in association with 1st For Women Insurance, is an annual event that is aimed at raising much needed awareness on women and child abuse in this country. 

All we had to do, was show up in a funky outfit and pair of heels and walk 8km for a brilliant cause.  We made "No Excuse For Abuse" t-shirts, but this year we decided to give the heels a miss as it was pouring with rain.  We still walked the 8km in the pissing rain, enduring soaked feet, wilting wigs and granny fingers.  It was for a great cause and we had great fun along the way.





A Daft Scots Lass and her Big Sisters

These Guardian Angels were handing out the umbrellas sponsored by 1st For Women Insurance  



The Walkers heading up William Nicol Drive

These Two Blokes deserved a medal for walking 8km in 6 inch Mr Price heels.  Well done, guys.

Walkers Medals

At the finish

94.2 Jacaranda FM Balloons

Mangwanani Spa Girls at the finish giving foot massages....

Year-End Dysfunction

To answer some of your questions, beautiful Plonkers....I'm not back as a daily blogger.  I'll just be posting stuff from time to time...

This year our work's Year-End Function's theme was "Summer of Yester Year" and so we went back to our childhood.  A colleage and I decided to go as a Duo.

Mario and Luigi

The party was held at The River Cabin and the day was sunny, relaxed, casual and clearly a "budget" party, but it was a such a great atmosphere.  We played all our favourite childhood games;  pass the parcel, musical chairs, egg and spoon race and we even got to throw water balloons and build a homemade kite.



Our Party Picnic Bags

Luigi aka A Daft Scots Lass

Mario and Luigi

The Party Bus travelling to the venue

The Sweeties and Snacks Table



The Straw and Bales of Hay where we hung out for the afternoon.

Homemade Lemonade

Picnic Place

Picnic Party Bags continaing a sarmy, biltong, nuts & trail mix, a music CD,

View of the river

Making the Kite

Trail to the Kite Lauch Site

Launch the kite

The View from the Balcony Building

Musical Chairs

 

Kaylin Graduates Pre-School

It was Kaylins Graduation from Pre-School this week and during the ceremony I cried like a baby! 

 

It was a very special night. 

 

Ready to Go to Graduation

 

Kaylin with her friends: Rionese, Kaylin Chiandru, Jayden

The Venue - it looks like a wedding!

Kaylin in her Graduation Dress and Tiara

Tiny Kaylin walking down to receive her Graduation Certificate

Kaylin partying like a Rock Star

Daddy and Daughter Dance

 

It was a good old party.  Ready for Primary School and Grade One?!