To Much Heart On Sleeve?

The Christmas Bookcase

Yesterday I posted ten cards.
some of the official invites for the Wedding!
Just ten cards.....all beautifully written by my own fair hand......
£ 6.40 !
I nearly had a stroke right then and there in the Post Office
Six quid!
I was still smarting from the cost of a first class stamp when a woman stopped me on the Dyserth Country walkway to say hello to the dogs.
" hello Winnie" she cooed, as Winnie blew her a few moo moo kisses
And I took a closer look at the woman to see where I knew her from
I didn't recognise her.
" She looks bigger than she does on the blog" the woman said in way of explanation and we chatted for a while, with her knowing all sorts of facts about me and me knowing absolutely nothing about her.
It was an odd feeling.
Perhaps I do share a little too much on Going Gently..it has to be said......for......many other bloggers go to extraordinary lengths to maintain their anonymity on their own blogs .
There are a lot of nutcases out there.....
It's a case of horses for courses I guess.
Anyhow, I have very little private information to share with the world today....
I've put the fairy lights in 1940s bookcase in the living room and as the animals all galloped up to bed for their daily lie together, I am left to work out just how many Christmas cards I can afford to send this year.
The daily lie in


95 comments:

  1. Know what you mean about the cost of postage 😢 on a reduced income this year, I shall have to cull a lot of the Christmas card list. Perhaps it is timely...many on the list are merely old old acquaintances or ex colleagues with whom I have no contact other than a card at Christmas. Sometimes it is better to focus limited resources on the nearest and dearest.

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    1. It's a tradition, I have always enjoyed and valued
      The Me it says " I may not speak to you but I remember you"

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  2. Hi John. I think Christmas cards were originally invented to send to people who you won't see over Christmas. Now people feel obliged and even get offended if they send a card and the recipient didn't send them one. Happy Christmas!

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  3. That's definitely a big ouch on the pocket!

    It would be disconcerting to run into someone you didn't know, who knows so much about you. On the other hand, I've made some very dear friends through blogging, and I wouldn't trade them for worlds.

    Winnie is an embasadress! Or something...

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    1. Friends are one thing...trolls or stalkers are another!

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  4. Your animals looks so happy at home. our Edmund the cat looks like yours Albert, he dissapear today and we are looking for him.

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    1. Hope he comes back....they generally do don't they?
      I once had a cat that returned home after 2 months away

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  5. Well I have bought some from a charity as usual, then they just sit there until I decide its too late to send them. Happens every year, at least the charity gets the money and not the post office.

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    1. Another happy festive tradition chickpea

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  6. Something weird happened to me a couple of weeks ago. A man turned up on my doorstep, showed me his mobile phone, it had a picture of me on it. 'It is you, isn't it,' he said. I was gobsmacked. Turns out that he has been trying to find me for four years. He has gone to extreme lengths to locate me, Google maps, picture of my house on a tv programme, ringing up the shops I visit to ask if they know me, and coming to the area two years ago to look for me. He lives in the north east about 100 miles away. Not passing through, but just to find me. Me being a direct no messing type of person I told him straight, his behavior is not acceptable and I felt like I had been stalked. I'm not sure if I should have rung the police. Odd people out there.

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    1. That is really scary. Maybe tell the community policeman?

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    2. It is very scarey..but you are as skint as the rest of us, so he is not there to rob you.....

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  7. You've gone so far down the public highway that the only place left is your own TV show. Go on - get yourself and the menagerie on the box. I bet it would be as good as The Vicar of Dibley - so colourful with everything that is going on in your little village.

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    1. I was thinking of a feature film tom

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    2. They could call the show "Gray's Elegy" or "Life is All So Gray" and there'd be celebrity guests each week. They'd live in a tent in The Ukrainian Village. Start with Jedward, next week Russell Brand then Jenny Eclair and Nigel Farage.

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    3. Or "Fifty Shades of John Gray" :) Content to be severely edited for those of us who blush easily :)

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    4. "Fifty Shades of John Gray"? But he doesn't wear sunglasses!

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  9. Sorry had to delete spelling mistakes

    Aw theirs my George. Albert looks shocked?

    now we are on one income, I am tight with my budget and I checked the back of all the boxes of the cards to check which ones were only a 'Letter' sized card. As the large letter was quite a bit more for the stamps. and then they were all sent 2nd class. Cheap but organised. I will be buying my cards for next year in the sales in January. I will be checking the back of each box.

    Blogging is like friends that you dont have to make appointments with to see, day or sleepless night. And there is always a cup of tea and your favourite treats when hearing/reading their news. And they always have their recipes already written down ready for you when they tell you about a dish they made. How cool is that?

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  10. it's 50 cents to send a small holiday card here; the larger the card, the more the postage. so I send small ones to about 15 people.

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    1. Perhaps I will do a christmas phone call
      It'll be cheaper ?,

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  11. You're a celebrity! I haven't yet had a complete stranger recognize me from my blog, which is a benefit of having very few readers. :)

    (Plus I'm not blogging from a tiny village.)

    The daily lie-in looks very cozy!

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    1. Steve..they go to bed EVERY morning together
      They have their dawn walk, have a poo and a wee and all troupe off to bed with the cat in tow......there they stay until 10.30
      That's when we all go out for a second walk!

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  12. That bookcase looks amazing, John. As for the dogs' dash to get to the lie-in . . please tell me that you prised Chris out of there before they all landed? *shock, horror*

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    1. No Chris gets out
      The dogs and Albert climb back in

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  13. I have gone to e-cards and they work as well as the postage-needy ones, plus they are quicker. A lot less clutter too.
    Oh the price ones has to pay for all the notoriety, John! I agree with Tom, time to take that next step.

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    1. Jumbo.......I think a film more fitting!
      Hollywood or bust

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  14. I am hard to find from my blog, but we have made several very good friends through blogging. We will warn you when we are coming to Wales.

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    1. A Welsh penguin
      That will be a first!

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  15. Apparently, you have reached celebrity status in Trelawnyd and beyond. You and Russel Crowe have more in common than you thought.

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  16. The bookcase looks lovely. I bought some books of 2nd class stamps for Christmas cards at the weekend, blimey the cost!! The postage costs far outstrips the cost of cards now. Barmy !!
    I know what you mean about blogging, I have gone too far down the road now to start worrying about privacy but as Twiglet is getting older, think I need to let him have his privacy.
    Twiggy

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    1. I guess people can't google " twiggy" and find a path to you

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  17. It must be weird to have unknown people who feel they know you...but I think that's why you have so many followers and comments, your blog like visiting a friend. Guess you do risk having stalkers as Meanqueen says...but you have 4 dogs to protect you! Postage is exorbitant but ecards just seem like an effortless way out to me - if you can't be bothered to send a real card at Christmas, why bother?

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    1. Charlotte there is one mad f&cker who turns up from time to time to leave long meandering nutcase comments
      So I guess I have been lucky so far

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    2. Indeed....you are not a mad f@cker are you?

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    3. Hope not! But maybe 'normal' is just an act that some are better at than others?

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  18. I don't mind who knows where I live, I quite like the odd visitor, I don't even mind the eccentric ones. I am far enough away from those who I do not wish to see to deter them. Of course we all think that we know you, I am often greeted with, Oh You're that woman who sews all day!, quickly followed by, Is that Ben then?

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  19. As I've said before....you are world famous. I love the fairy lights sooo pretty. Hope Chris is feeling better. I've had the same bug I believe he has had but got a script for antibiotics yesterday so should be bouncing along real soon.

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    1. Linda...he's hanging on
      ( just demolished a fish supper and two slices of chocolate cake)

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  20. Your cat's expression is priceless in that photo. Makes me miss mine.
    I would be wigged out if a stranger started babbling stuff off about me, but those of us who blog and put stuff out there, it is bound to happen. Here is to hoping all your admirers are courteous and sane.
    I can send 12 regular sized Christmas cards at what you paid. 49 cents a stamp here and I am sure it will be going up again soon.

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    1. Albert ALWAYS looks surprised......he adores being close to Winnie.
      The two are firm mates

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  21. Anonymous1:26 pm

    Postage went up here as well...about the same time they decided to phase out door to door delivery. Paying more for less. The way of the world.
    Albert looks suspicious that you might scoop them all off the bed.

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  22. Funnily enough I was thinking about this last night before I went to sleep - I hardly give anything away about myself on my blog - I am obviously far too introverted - because we read your blog daily we feel as if we know you - but if I saw you on the street I would be too shy to speak to such a blogland star. p.s. I love the way your cat snuggles up with the dogs.

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    1. Go on Elaine
      Share a dark deep secret!

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  23. We received a card from England yesterday, I noticed that it had a 97p stamp on the envelope; could that be right?

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  24. It is odd when people recognize you from the blog. Why do we have this compulsion to share?

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  25. I visit a place every other weekend, very near to another blogger. I wouldn't dream of visiting.

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  26. Yep, it;s really weird folk knowing so much about you when they spot you out and about (or even visit), it's happened to me a few times now, but luckily I think we share a good number of very nice, almost normal folk as readers of our Blogs ;-)

    And anyway they all know we have a vicious pack of hounds each to defend us!!

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    1. Lol..each one the size of a rabbit lol

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    2. Mine would be very good at tripping up an attacker, and I think your Winnie would just sit on someone that tried to get too close to you ;-)

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  27. We switched a few years ago to sending e-cards for Christmas. Here in Canada, it now costs $1 per stamp and we have a xmas card list of about 75 people, so no way are snail mail paper cards affordable any more.

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  28. I once said a very enthusiastic hello to someone in my local health food shop, thinking I knew her. Turned out it was Adjoa Andoh from Dr Who!, no wonder she looked a bit taken aback.... I suppose its better than being ignored.

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    1. I can hear the geeks of the world groaning in envy

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  29. Sticker shock at a. (cost of cards) and b. (cost of postage) for paper that will light the fire...

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  30. Anonymous3:27 pm

    Hopefully nobody from my hometown reads my blog...

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  31. John, your openness and candor is the heart of your blog and what makes is such an enjoyable read!

    I love the way your critters are confident and secure enough with each other to pile on the bed for a rest. That speaks volumes about "animals".

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    1. ..and an overly confident cat who has befriended a bulldog with a big heart.....

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  32. I have to confess that a large part of my satisfaction in getting my parents' birthday & Christmas gifts sorted out early was handing them off directly while they were here for Thanksgiving. No parcel post this year!

    I'll bet that stranger was a bit celebrity struck by seeing you in real life. I know I would be. Perhaps you'd better start carrying a marker with you to autograph random objects and body parts.

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    1. I think she was more interested in Winnie and her moo moo kisses

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  33. I'm sure you left out the part about smiling and asking her name and where she was from. You're quite charming that way, I've deduced from reading your blog.

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  34. That's the very reason I am not sending Christmas cards out this year. Highway robbery! I have come face to face with another blogger before in a place we didn't expect to see each other and having never met before instantly knew who each other was. It was spooky! xxx

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    1. I also remember meeting you at the open day Diane......very well indeed.x

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  35. Love the bookcase. You have put me off writing any cards! More people will have to be knocked off the list again this year I fear ! Wish I lived where I might bump into you and dogs.... Be warned though if we eventually visit our old friends in Cheshire ( next year probably) you just might have to be taken out for lunch on our way back home. As commented before, you feel like a friend. Hope Chris is feeling better. My son Chris coming for supper tonight with his fiancée. X

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    1. By me a scotch egg and I'll be your friend for life

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  36. I want masses of wedding photographs when the big day comes please - and never say you post too much information - I feel part of your lives.

    I agree about the cost of stamps. I send over 100 cards - I have lived all over the country and it is the only time I contact friends. Each Tuesday morning when I went into the Post Office I bought a book of twelve second class stamps and by the time I came to write my cards I had more than enough. I love getting cards and feel that the cost is well worth it - but can quite understand why some folk just don't send them any more - very sad.

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    1. I'm like you pat....I adore getting cards
      Oh bother it.......I'll use my credit card at the post office next visit!

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    2. I will send you a card john. To hell with the cost !

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    3. If we happened to address a card to John Grey, Bwthyn-y-llan,Trelawnyd, Wales, UK, would it find you?

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  37. I am a bit paranoid about putting too much information out on the internet. I feel that I've found a balance that works for me but I feel guilty for not sharing more with those whose blogs I read and enjoy. Because the whole world - not just those bloggers - has access, I err on the side of caution.

    Love seeing the animals having their morning nap!

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    1. Perhaps you are the wise one Jenny o

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    2. But a true connection is not really possible. I should add that I have contacted some of the bloggers I trust with my personal information and have shared parts of my life and connected with them because of that. But I don't know that I could blog as openly as you and others do. You are fearless!

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  38. I've just taken out a postal fucking mortgage John. It's an outrage. xx

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  39. Love that bookcase photo. And the doggies of course. x

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  40. More pictures of Albert please!

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    1. Ok tomorrow I will give him a showcase

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  41. When I sent out my wedding invites, stamps cost 8 cents and had an angel. Now it is 6 times higher.

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  42. Was the lady who cooed about Winnie an American? She might have flown over specially from Philadelphia or Chicago. I notice that several American ladies are attracted to your quaint and homely British blog.. Thank God she didn't have an axe!

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    1. She was from rhyl
      I rest my case x

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    2. Rhyl? Oh God - so she would definitely have had a lethal weapon in her handbag then!

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  43. We love your heart on your sleeve. Wear it proudly. xoxoxo

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  44. All of my family and my husband's family live several hours away. I pack up a small box (having checked weight and size to be within the £2.80 limit) to post to each of our mothers. Inside each box is all the family presents and cards and the mums hand them out to all the relatives. As for sending cards to friends, ex neighbours (we've moved around a lot) etc I'm cutting right back this year. I'm already feeling guilty about cards coming from people I'm not sending to but the list really does have to be shortened. However, lots of people we know have cut out cards completely. So you won't mind John if I just wish you a huge Merry Christmas in my comment and forget the card? xx

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  45. One of the things that makes your blog so exceptional (other than your wit, intelligence, kindness, generosity, fascinating life, animals, embarrassing moments, brilliant story telling...) is the fact that you share so openly and honestly. I prefer knowing who's talking. And I promise never to stalk you (well... anymore).

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  46. That must be a very weird feeling when someone knows as much about you as an old friend but they're a complete stranger! Of course you told them it was all made up and the real John Gray was a hermit living in a camper van in Blaenau Ffestiniog.

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