The Prestige, & Gardening!!

It has been the most beautifull day, so after a very early morning walk up the gop I have spent the whole day in the garden. The heavy clay soil has had a boost with what seems like tons of compost and it will be interesting to compare this picture with another in say a months time when all the cottage flowers are up and running. The allotment is marked out and Steve (village spokesman) on board with helping to organise ground preparation! (he knows everyone within a five mile radius) Hopefully Chris will help me cart Pippa's manure up tomorrowbefore I go to work the weekend!

We saw the twist comming a mile off in The Prestige (2006) tonight at Theatre Clwyd, and must admit I thought the whole affair pretty damm boring to say the least. Hugh Jackman isn't as pretty as he used to be, and I have never really liked Christian Bale, so the leads left me all a bit cold really. I DID like Scarlett Johansson's English accent however! one of the best American-to-English accents since Bridget Jones!, but I guess an accent isn't the best thing to like about a film! David Bowie looked a bit bloated by the way! Wonder if Jonney Highfield liked it?

Only had 28 of my 33 points today on fatfighters! doing well! I don't even feel hungry!

Mightiest Of Men... Mightiest Of Spectacles... Mightiest Of Motion Pictures!

Well so says the tag line of the film The Vikings (1958) which is showing on TCM tonight! Chris is withdrawing from nicotine today and I am smug with attending Weightwatchers with Carole AND for jet washing the Belingo ( a first for me) ! so relaxing with Kirk Douglas and a big boys film seems like the best thing to do! Ernest Borgnine had the best and worst of the lines-

" Look how he glares at me... If he wasn't fathered by the black ram in the full of the moon my name is not Ragnar. " classic!

My boy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!...........................................

I am a visual person, so to speak and not a verbal one !, so I found it strange that one tiny phrase has stuck in my mind over the past few days. Obviously Chris and I have no children, but often when Finlay sits on my knee in his needy way I always refer to him as.... "My boy!". I only noticed this fact tonight , and it is weird that when Chris is down, tearful or ill I refer to him as "my boy " as well! especially when I give him a kiss on the forehead in one of those paternal type ways...................... I thought tonight of where this term of endearment comes from and it took me only a few minutes to realise that it comes from my gran. !


During my grandfather's funeral ( a real roller coaster of an experience ...that actually Incorporated a car crash in Prestatyn high street!) I remember the coffin being wheeled out of the Church! As the coffin lurched a little over the uneven stone floor , I will always remember my grandmother calling out " My boy....oh........ my poor boy!" It was a sudden moment of intimacy that hurt the entire congregation with its closeness and its pain and I guess it struck with me an emotion more powerfull that I ever expected . I guess it will always be with me....well , and with Chris and little Fin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Allotment planning ,To kill a Mocking bird and fatfighters

Picked the new hen house for the field, a split-level construction which looks bigger than my first house on Providence Road in Sheffield! It houses around 12 birds and my original house can fit in 5, so I hope to have almost 20 hens! in a fenced enclosure, and no they all will not have names!

My sister Ann has a large co-operative allotment working well in Prestatyn and will give me her crop rotation plans! so I will be learning from all their mistakes!



Called into HMV when I went to Llandudno today and picked up a copy of To Kill A Mockingbird on DVD for five quid. I always remember the quote!

(Atticus Finch): If you just learn a single trick, Scout, you'll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view...Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.

Looking forward to watch it later! Gregory Peck at his best!

Me and Carole are off to weightwatchers tomorrow night and I am glad for the company as it is easy not to go when the wind is blowing and the rain is lashing! (oh and if there is a watchable prog on tv!!)

Pan's Labyrinth

Pan's Labyrinth at the newly vamped "arthouse" cinema in Theatre Clwyd is not for the faint hearted! Dreadfully brutal and frighteningly dark it takes an hour or so to "grow "on you, but hook you it does and the nightmare visuals linger in the mind long after you leave the cinema.

The story is not THAT original for those who have sat through Jacob's Ladder (1990/I), and you can either choose the nice fantasy ending or the sad realism of wartime Spain as experienced by an abused ten year old girl, Ofelia ( Ivana Baquero), strangely for me I chose the latter ! Watch out for Sergi López as Ofelia's psychopathic step father! the nastiest film villain I have seen in a long time!

The new cinema looks great and very comfortable. I was very impressed! Looking at the programme or forthcoming films, someone in management seems to have got their finger out and have picked a nice selection this spring and summer ! (oh there IS a god!!!!)

Granny's bonnet and a granny's oscar!

Couldn't blog yesterday as I was so tired after an incredibly busy twelve hour shift where I ended up having three high dependency patients throughout the day! Today caught up with Janet and after the usual beach walk we went to Colwyn Bay to review the items for Roger's Jones antique auction, which takes place tomorrow. Saw a nice old oak table which I did but a commission bit on, but I am not too hopefull as I suspect the price of it will exceed the my maximum price!

We sneaked down to Meliden to the open ground near the old cottage at Cefn-y-grwych and complete with black bin bags and garden trowels we dug up a load of snowdrops to relocate into our respective gardens. Bit naughty really, as it is illegal to dig up wild flowers, but I figured that it would be ok to relocate these as they are going to thrive in a country garden!

Planted a load of aquilegia (Granny's Bonnet) in the back garden this afternoon, which will look lovely in the spring! and speaking of grannies, great to see a mature AND beautifull Helen Mirren winning best actress for The Queen (2006) . Loved her speech too! - a big salute to the royal old girl!

The Oscar Academy have now favoured Martin Scorsese for the wonderfull The Departed (2006) , and it was nice to see him being honoured at last. I was disappointed that Mark Wahlberg didn't get the best supporting actor though!!