Friday 23 December 2011

Merry Christmas, and thank you

It was Maria Zannini who cajoled me into writing a blog. I thought she was mad. What to write about, and why? But she has good instincts and all these years later I'm still scribbling. And grateful. It's helped, maybe, in developing a 'voice', and, as important, created the discipline of routine. Then there're the friends I've made, along with old students who have suddenly discovered the alternative Mike Keyton

Only now the juices are drying as Christmas overwhelms in all its joy and various commitments. Not forgetting drink. So it's goodbye from me until the New Year, when the burbling will begin afresh.

Merry Christmas and thank you, Maria, and Merry Christmas to everyone misguided and/or generous enough to follow me:

Jason Hanrahan, Henry Lara, LD Masters, Sam Waters, R, Mac Wheeler, Stephen Tremps, Angela Brown, Jackie Burris, DRC, Adam M Smith, Joy Ann Ball, Misha Gericke, Laura Riley, Malin Larsson, Sue Gagg, Mark Ward, Nikki, Claudia, Vero, Susie Q, Shirley Wells, L J, Carlos, Renee, Seattle Friend, Gwen, Regan - or is that Sue - Diane, Terri, Kerri, Angela Brown, Brian Wilkinson, Marguerite Butler, Andy Bruce

18 comments:

Maria Zannini said...

Merry Christmas, Mike. (and Happy Birthday!)

Mike Keyton said...

Gosh, I forgot my Birthday. Thank you.

Maria Zannini said...

You forgot!?

I might forget the year, but never the day. LOL.

Hope it's a good one.

Unknown said...

Merry Christmas to you and yours, Mike, and all the very best for 2012!

Oh, and happy birthday too. :)

LD Masterson said...

Merry Christmas, Mike.

(And I trust Maria's instincts, too.)

Mike Keyton said...

Maria

Gosh, I forgot my Birthday. Makes me sound stupid, I know. I just meant there was so much else going on it had temporarily escaped my notice. Hmm. Does that make sound less stupid?

Mike Keyton said...

Shirley, thanks for the good wishes. I have my Duchy home cured bacon for the breakfast sandwich. On the package it says 'hand massaged with salt'. That's the bacon, not me. Looking forward to it. As the bacon fat dribbles down my chin I shall think of Prince Charles wiping his fingers free of salt.

Thanks, too, Linda, and God Bless the Texan's instincts

Wendy Swore said...

I always enjoy your comments and posts, Michael. Merry Christmas to you too!

Claudia Zurc said...

Merry Christmas, Mike! And THANK YOU for being a steadfast follower :) Please rest and recharge your batteries so you can write more posts in 2012. Looking forward to reading them.
May you and your family have a lovely Christmas.

Mike Keyton said...

Wendy and Claudia, thank you for your good wishes. You know they're reciprocated.

Misha Gerrick said...

My pleasure. Hope you had a wonderful Christmas. See you when you're back.

:-)

nikki broadwell said...

Hope you have a good holiday away from your blog! are you also a Capricorn by chance? only ask since comments seem to indicate this possibility...I look forward to your next post in the New Year.

nikki broadwell said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Mike Keyton said...

Misha and Nikki, I hope you had a Good Christmas and enjoyed the New Year celebrations. I thoroughly enjoyed being internet free for a time, until the withdrawal symptons kicked in :)

And, Nikki, yes, I'm Capricorn, a distinction shared by Elvis Presley and Mao Zedong. I'm still trying to work that one out.

Brian Wilkinson said...

Belated Happy New Year Mr Keyton! What a shame Elvis and Mao never recorded "You ain't nothing but a running dog of international capitalism..." could have been catchy.

Mike Keyton said...

Brian, how many years have passed...?

Ref "You ain't nothing but a running dog of international capitalism..." Now that would have been a Cultural Revolution! Groan.

Brian Wilkinson said...

To my reckoning it has been 20 years since I left St Joe's, and 22 since you taught me GCSE history (to Grade A). Sadly you didn't teach A level, and despite the fact I only got a D, I went on to Sheffield Uni to study archaeology. I'm now living outside Edinburgh and specialising in community archaeology, heritage education and interpretation. My career has taken me all over Scotland, and even to Iceland to research deserted settlements, and explain their significance to schoolkids and community groups. No small part can be put down to the way you made the past seem fascinating (unlike Mr Allen & Mr Corten who, try as they might, never managed to get me enthused about the Corn Laws). So thanks!

Mike Keyton said...

Brian, thank you for the very kind words.

IT seems to me you've packed a heck of lot in, and it reminds me of how small a world it is. I was shivering on Waverley Station just before Christmas. My son Thomas had just graduated with his Msc in Library and Information Studies at Robert Gordon University Aberdeen. We were on our way to collect him. That's the good news. The bad news is he's still jobless despite the Msc and an Oxford degree in Maths. I reckon 'Job-seekers' will eventually get him a job in Macdonalds. I wonder if they have libraries : )

Take care.