A consolation prize

Well, this is a strange one. Today I received a letter and a copy of the winter magazine from The Salopian Society. Although I hadn't won a prize in their poetry competition the editor (who thought my poem was winner, the the adjudicator didn't!) decided to award me a year's subscription to their magazine worth £15 as a consolation prize. Along with it is a members entry form for their next competition. Well, I'm pleased to know the editor liked my poem (it's one written as part of my one-a-day-for-a-year challenge), and at least I get to read some poetry free for a year. It would have been nice to be a winner though.

I spoke a few days back about the dental problems I was having and today is the first day I've felt a bit more me. I've had a horrendous week and have struggled to keep upbeat. I've been aware that from next week my Christmas diary really kicks in and mentally I've been working out what I might have to cancel, and as for a Christmassy feeling, well I can't comprehend it. This morning the sun came out and that perked me up. I went along to choir rehearsal because I needed to know which Christmas music was going to be performed and what harmonies/descants I would be doing (these aren't given on sound files like the rest of our music). To be honest the one thing I am desperate to do is to perform in our end of term concert on 11th December. All the rest can be ditched if need be. It was good to catch up with friends again, but I didn't give my voice it's full wellie today until we got near the end when we did two descants - one was O Come All Ye Faithful and the other Hark the Herald Angels Sing. I've grown up with these so was able, with a couple of others, to lead the rest of the sopranos. The latter has the highest notes and I think only one other person was singing it! It was a stretch for me today as I'm not at my best. But I did enjoy it. Even if only a few can sing the descant we'll stand out and amaze our audience (hopefully). We are a community choir after all, not a crack choral society.

This has been my best day since that awful dentist appointment and I'm hoping it continues. When I begin to get bored and start planning, when I start climbing walls and want to be out, that's when I know I'm on the mend. There has been a glimmer of that today.