One thing IS for certain.

One thing IS for certain.

Hi there

Thanks for popping in. Friday’s blog a private peek, right? Well, washing machine head in full spin today! Just cannot seem to settle. All the rationalizing which I am usually good at, is not helping today. So I’ll just accept that this is how it is at this moment, that it is quite understandable really, given everything that is going on, or not going on for that matter, and that one thing at least IS for certain:

THIS TOO SHALL PASS

Everything does.

Strange how the head can turn. Yesterday, I was driving home from my parents, full of beans, having had a lovely time with them.

Mmm thought I, let’s listen to some Christmas music in the car, get in the spirit of things. Mariah Carey, All I want for Christmas. Love that tune! 30 seconds in and I was howling! And I don’t mean singing along! I hit me that the kids aren’t coming home – had to turn it off.

Do certain songs get to you too? Even after decades, a certain song can instantly transport me back to a different time and place. It’s like sitting in a Time Machine and unlocking memories in a part of the brain which otherwise stays firmly shut.

Now take Happy, by Pharrell Williams. The minute that songs starts, I leap about. Can’t help myself. Have to dance and sing.

So guess what. I CHOOSE to dance and sing, not wail.

Sorry Mariah. Pharrell wins this Christmas.

Which song does that to you? Makes you want to dance and hop about? Madness “One Step Beyond” is another one. It’s like I’ve been plugged in.

Time for me to go in the kitchen and hop about to some music. That‘ll work!

Stay safe!

Love and hugs

Barb xx

27 thoughts on “One thing IS for certain.

  1. I was driving home from an ‘across the garden hedge’ visit to my daughter and granddaughter last Saturday, and ‘When a child is born’, by Johnny Mathis came on the radio. Well, I was gone. Floods of tears and very strange looks from other drivers when stopped in traffic. I wake up around 3am every day and my mind goes into overdrive. The slightest thing has me in tears, so I truly understand how you feel. I am sure that we are not alone and in fact, probably in the majority of Shacers, if truth be told. Enjoy your pottery this weekend and thanks for another lovely week in the SHAC. Hugs. Annette X

    1. Talking of music Barbara, it would be lovely if your Dave came into the Shac shack on Christmas morning and played us Shackers a tune. It would feel like the family was together . Been a lonely year for many of us so God bless you and your family who have been our light in the darkness. Xxx

  2. How Deep is the Ocean, is one of mine. My Mum used to sing it to our daughter as a lullaby when she visited us from London and shared her bedroom. We were lucky to have her with us until she was 93, and we all sang the song at her funeral. Sometimes it doesn’t seem possible it was seven years ago, and at this time of year there are all the memories of Christmas’s passed.

  3. I have been upset this week as we have cancelled our Christmas day with our two grown up children. Shed quite a few tears. Then a friend phoned to tell us her son, a similar age ours, had taken his own life. Made me count my blessings and look forward to future times when we can be together. Unfortunately it can’t happen for our friend.

  4. Driving Home for Christmas right now has me sobbing my heart out and it was one of my favourites but it just reminds me of Christmases with my mum and brother. Was so hoping to spend Christmas with them this year and our neice and nephew.
    Right I better go put some Pharell’s Happy or Taylor Swift’s Shake It have me jigging about and not feeling tearful again.
    Thank you for making this year bearable, I’d have gone nuts without the Shac, my Claritystamp stamps and stencils or my new Groovi goodies xx

  5. Hello Barbara,
    Slade’s ‘It’s Chriiistmaaas’ always puts me in the mood. Any other time of the year if I am feeling low I sing along to the film ‘Mamma Mia’. Always puts me in a good mood.
    Love
    Roz.xxx

  6. Shakin Stevens ” Merry Christmas everyone ” always makes me want to get up and dance. We used to use it in my Zumba class at Christmas. Now it’s just me in the lounge with the cat wondering if I have gone mad !!
    Love and hugs x

  7. Great big, great song. Got a virtual ticket for Pete Tong and the heritage orchestra tomorrow as I missed the real thing. Can’t wait to sing “Right here, right now xx

  8. Glad you had a good time with your mum and dad.
    Silent Night gets me choked up every Christmas. My dad died in January 1980 but 40 years on I still hear his voice every time the song is played as he used to sing it to us at bedtime when we were litle.
    What gets me dancing (when the creaky bones and bad back allow) is Trad Jazz or anything else with a bouncy rhythm but when the bones get stuck I can still dance in my head while I tap my feet.
    Two more parcels arrived from Clarity mid afternoon so I have been crafting with the Elf family ever since. They are delightful and go well with the Woodland set.
    Having Dave play for us on Christmas morning Hochanda show would be great, hope you can persuade him.
    Must go and get something to eat before I fade away.
    Take care, stay safe.

  9. A song which makes me cry is Vicky Brown –Stay with me in the morning. I heard this song for the first time when my sister was very bad of breastcancer. And 4 years later my husbund wants this song at his funeral. A song that makes me happy is from Val Doonican– You are always on my mind. I think this song I will play a lot this Christmas without seeing our children and my grandchildren.
    Well a lot of time to make many people of the Güd family!!!
    Stay save and healthy everyone and thank you Barbara for all the Shac hours.
    Lots of love, Trijntje Huppel

  10. Thank you for today’s blog Barbara. You’re such a blessing. The song was what I needed too. The sun is still shining above the clouds and we WILL be wearing sunglasses and dancing in the street, so get practising💃🏼💃🏼💃🏼😎 Hugs. xx

  11. Hi
    The song that gets me is Imagine by John Lennon and Ben by Michael Jackson both played at my nephew’s funeral so very sad. But on a happily note I am what I am by Gloria Gaynor always has me singing at the top of my voice usually alone can’t inflict that on anyone else🤣
    Ruth

  12. Had a bad day yesterday too as heard some sad and shocking news from a friend. Still on my mind. Happy does it for me too but haven’t had chance today what with one thing and another. I am missing seeing the little ones in the family most but we see lots of pics and FaceTime here and there. On a positive note I finished my sister’s birthday card today – had to print off a pic of Frank Lampard to fold up into the pocket on the front – that will make her smile.
    Have a cuddle with the kitties that will help.
    X

  13. Thank you Barbara for your honesty and for sharing. Happy to hear you had a good day with your parents. A few Christmas carols trigger emotions for me especially this year. I love music but am listening to fewer traditional Christmas songs this year – focusing on more upbeat ones.
    Pharrell’s Happy is a song I listen to and like you makes me move, dance and pivot my mindset.
    Danny Gokey is an artist who I really enjoy. I listen to his songs and/or watch song videos on Youtube.
    His song “New Day” I listen to everyday – and/or watch the song video on Youtube. The song is a wonderful reminder for me, the song/video are positive and happy and really add to my day! This song lifts my spirits and makes me refocus😀.
    Danny has several songs but another I listen to daily “My
    Best Days Are Ahead of Me – again a positive song to focus on.
    I hope you have a calm weekend, enjoy time with Dave and a cuppa. Also, hope you get lots of cuddle time with the kittens. Thank you for everything you and your Team do. You, your team, your products, videos, Shack Shac,
    demos on Hochanda and everything else have been huge in helping me focus on something positivity always but especially during COVID. Your products are my favorite, most used and most loved.
    Received a delivery in Canada today- very exciting -the Poppets postcard are fabulous- as with everything Clarity the quality of the all poppet prints andcard is superior- can’t wait to use. Thank you!!! Hugs.

  14. It all sounds very normal to me. There’s something wrong with people who aren’t upset by a world disaster, let alone the smaller scale personal tragedies. The greatest gift you can give this year is safety, even though it costs more in pain that any gift you could buy. Music is essential. Just think what bluebirds over the white cliffs of Dover have come to mean. Kathryn Jenkins singing ‘Jealous of the Angels’ will always set me off but it is also a song of hope. Lou Reed’s ‘Perfect Day’ makes me happy. Christmas Day will happen whatever we do, so we may as well be happy. A friend has a new grandchild today. What could be more joyous? Hold onto the light in the darkness – it is always there.

  15. Chuck Berry will always get my feet tapping of their own accord and Dancing Queen is my happy song. Silent Night and Oh Holy Night are my favourite carols – you can almost feel the calm descending. A Shackers sing-along with Barb and Dave on Christmas morning sounds great to me.

  16. Hello Barb, I hope you are a bit calmer today. My favorite songs for dancing are “Come on Eileen”, 500 Miles, and It’s raining Men”. Christmas songs, anything and everything, we always have the Christmas music channels on at this time of year. Take care and stay safe everyone. Bx

  17. Driving home for Christmas takes me to a lovely memory driving to our Son and Daughter-in-law and two granddaughters in Dorset when we reached the top of the hill just outside Bridport stunning views. A memory of a few years ago but gets me going. Haven’t seen them since Christmas Eve last year thank goodness for video links. Daughter still not able to visit. Have to ask Alexa to play George Ezra to get the spirits going. Xx

  18. I think that it’s not only music that we listen to but things that we do at this time of year that trigger emotion & this year more than most. I know I am lucky this year that we feel able to have a small gathering with my Mom, daughter & 2 granddaughters due to the way we have done things over the whole time but we will miss seeing the rest of the family but that is the way it as to be. Hopefully there will be plenty of time next year to see everyone & catch up once we have all had the vaccine. We will still discuss the size of the turkey over lunch compared to the one that my M in L fetched from the market for our wedding back in 1973 – she carried a 36lb turkey on the bus & then walked a mile up a hill. This will be the 5th Christmas without her but her tale of the event lives on !!
    Thank goodness for the technology that is about now so that most of us can still see our families on Christmas Day.
    Just had to go to the door for a parcel to find it is from our son & family in Wales – now that has set me off. As I said it’s the little unexpected things !!
    Take care everyone

  19. Love Shac makes me want to dance, Love it! Not too good with carols as my Mum died at Christmastime in her room in her care home surrounded by her Christmas lights (she loved Christmas) with a carol concert being held down stairs! It was a long time ago but carols still get to me. He death was unexpected and I arrived a minute too late. Don’t mean too be maudlin. I love Christmas oodles and she would be frowning down at me if I didn’t enjoy every minute of it – and I do! Hugs to you Barbara, here’s to next Christmas when, hopefully, things will be back to normal! Or normalish! Take care and stay safe xxx

  20. Hope the washing machine cycle has finished. My washing is blowing on the line but my head is still spinning! May I request a guest appearance from the Vikings on Christmas Day to join in our sing-along? Have a peaceful weekend xxxx

  21. Read this on Saturday just after the announcement by Boris Johnson and it looks like I shall be heading to the shops to buy Christmas food!
    Can’t go and pick up my mum and not sure about our children either! Now do I go off piste and have a completely different Christmas dinner or go traditional! Shall have to decide quickly before all the food is gone! Happy Christmas everyone! Glad Barbara will be on the tv and her blog on Christmas Day as it will be very quiet her without the grandkids!

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