These last weeks were busy times indeed, and additionally we have caught a cold. First Pa, then little Lyshko and afterwards me. We had to stay not only inburrows for weeks, but also in bed and we drank loads of tea, but in the end it helped and now we are fine and up and about again. Then it was Yule preparations keeping me busy, while my diary was collecting more and more dust. But now that gaffer Ryngo and little Lyshko have gone for a walk (well, only Pa, Lyshko is not walking yet, so Pa will carry him) to visit the Yule tree at the kinship house, while I am spending some quiet minutes at home and have time finally for wrapping presents and for some drawings and diary scribblings.
Pa is running in and out these days and can't sit calm for a minute. I guess he is looking for a nice present for Miss Rowana and has not found one yet. He was really disappointed that she was not there for the Historical Fieldtrip to Tuckborough. He was so determined to go there and play his Willow Tree Song for her her, but then she did not come. Pa came back in a bad mood, even murmuring something about Simbo better keeping his nose in his pies and dyes than interfering with him, and being restless and unhappy ever since. Hope the walk with Lyshko to the kinship house will cheer him up. I did not believe for a moment that the Yule tree was the main reason to go there, but Lyshko will love it anyway.
Yesterday we had the Yule Tree Lightening, and it was lovely! Miss Lina held a speech and had a set of lovely songs prepared that we played and some visitors had come - even some hobbits I did not know yet - and were singing and dancing with us. The Yule tree was quite heavy and the needles pointy (ouch), but a very beautiful tree it is, and very large!
And afterwards we rode together to the dwarven lands, where a Shades concert took place. I knew the Shades make lovely music, even with them all being lankyshanks, but that the story line to their songs was all about the Shire and hobbits and dwarves was a lovely surprise. It also reminded me of the day I joined the order, since it was also a day of a Shades concert.
It was another nice opportunitiy to meet the gourd-father of little Lyshko, our dear Barkgrim. Not that we don't meet him every Friday in the Green Dragon anyway. Last Friday, he had asked me to play the song that is commonly known as the JirOre Song nowadays. We all were astonished to hear that he did not know it yet and fulfilled his wish with pleasure. Many a dwarve's eyes were shining when we played it. Trust them dwarrows to like a song about ore!
This time at the concert, we enjoyed others doing the music and just dancing and listening to the story that had some interesting twists to it. It was a lovely evening, but not much chance to chitchat. Maybe I should find a date to invite him for tea and pie at our home in Bramblebury, and also the guarding gourd-mother Miss Tibba. Little Lyshko can show them how he can crawl around already, and say "pie", and sing his lullaby - well, to be honest only the one small part where the word pie occurs, and sometimes also some parts where it does not occur but he sings it anyway. And recently he discovered his love for his gaffer's drum - maybe another reason for Pa to be so restless. I better don't tell him that Miss Rowana was at the concert yesterday or he will never do the Lyshko sitting again on such evenings! Hope he never finds out!
Oh, I think I hear them coming back! Now I must hurry and hide their presents!
