Alun & Hattie

Two sets of thank you's today!...one from villager Alun who had spearheaded the restoration of the village war memorial ( see his Facebook entry below)
and the other to Hattie who lives in one of the cottages on London Road

"Alun Med Hughes

Occasionally, as we journey through life, we are sometimes bestowed with act's of great kindness. I have just received a gift from a lady who lives in Canada, and her name is Marjorie. Apparently my mate John Grayhad told her all about the work restoring our village war memorial. In appreciation of this she sent me a gift of a little box which , she's beautifully engraved with a poppy. The box also contained a collection of Canadian poppies. However, I feel this is a gift to all who worked on this project. I feel humbled by such kindness. A nice little story to warm our hearts." 

Hattie left me a bunch of flowers and a card yesterday. Both were perched on the kitchen wall

The card read ".........." I also want you to have these flowers to know that I have been thinking of you.....I hope they brighten up that darker side of your cottage" 

Marjorie's and Hattie's gestures have made two middle aged blokes very happy

Thanks to both! 

Now off to bed, I'm Effin knackered

South Facing

The living room and main bedroom of the cottage faces South.
So from morning to mid afternoon or so they stand robustly in full sun.
The front of the cottage feels warm...properly warm at these times as the thick stone walls and 17th century floorboards absorb the sun's energy and the animals celebrate this fact by stretching themselves in the square swimming pools of light in order to daydream.
The back of the cottage often feels cold during these winter days, and even when I leave every door open,the sun fails to warm the air.
I'm working tonight and tomorrow night and have an appointment meeting early this afternoon so, the dogs have already been walked and won't stir until I get home.
I've just closed the office door after sitting at the desk for a moment.
I painted the walls yellow a year or so ago but today the colour fails to lift the temperature
I can smell, paper and books, and files
....... and my husband 

Village News

The village Hall's Grand opening 110 years ago 

Trendy Carol ( in a sporty blue and white number) called over the angry pumpkin on the kitchen wall to ask if she could put one of her old wardrobes on my bonfire.
I told her she could and minutes later there came a small feather light tap on the lane window which got the dogs barking all over again
The dogs have been on heightened alert mode since the Randa girls with a huge entourage of various ghosts and ghoulies appeared down the path last night with a beetle juice looking Jason in tow.
I love the way the affable despot always throws himself into his kid's activities, he has more gusto than any am-dram thespian and has provided those girls with thousands of family memories of an idyllic ever-so-sweet childhood.
Mrs Trellis was at the wall wearing her winter bobble hat.
She wanted to discuss a fellow villager who she was worried about.
Luckily I was able to reassure her that all was ok
She told me about the vicar retiring at the end of the month and said she didn't know who was eventually taking over the village parish.
The bishop will attend this week's Sunday service she informed me
I made a mental note of leaving a retirement card in the vestry .
I asked her if she was going to any of the new groups in the village. Apparently the WI and the art group are doing very well indeed and I told her so. The new youth club has over 40 members after just two weeks of opening too which is a great achievement
Sandra Cameron ( the village Hall's caretaker) is organising a massive Christmas Fayre in December which will apparently take over Chapel street ...I've been told a local cart horse will be made up as a reindeer for the day........
Oh and
Cameron the teenage boffin is working in the village pub...and now has a beard!

Trick Or Treat

If I wasn't so tired I'd laugh
Yesterday's post sort of proved a point
I just haven't got the energy to answer each comment on Going Gently..
If there is a question or a comment that needs or deserves an answer, I will endeavour to answer it.
If I banter with friends so be it
All I can really promise is that each comment will be read and thought about
If that upsets anyone so be it too.....
You can't keep everyone happy.
Everyone's a critic 

I worked last night and will be working Friday and Saturday nights too. So after a few hours in bed, and a dog walk it's almost dark again and the day seems lost.
I've made  Shepherds' pie, stocked up on sweets just in case the Randa girls call around and will settle down with a catch up edition of Bake Off.
I know who won because one of my patient's referred to that "irritating, funny little man winning the baking" before she went to bed.

An Apology

I'm working tonight, infact I'm working three nights this week, this is why I was so miffed with the vet cancellation....I'd picked Monday as an ideal day in which to sort things out.
Earlier I received an email from a follower of Going Gently 
Politely and with some feeling they informed me that they would no longer be following my blog and their reasons of unaknowledgement is understandable.

"they have made a difference by interacting in your day and you in theirs and isn’t that what a friendship is all about wether it is in person or virtual – being ignored is demoralising particularly when it matters."

I am aware that since Easter I have not been so robust in my answering of blog comments, and for this Basic lack of politeness I am sorry. I have tried to answer some comments but perhaps even this ad hoc nature of interaction could be seen as "favouring the few" so to speak, and so in the future I will try and be a little more proactive.

Tom Stephenson has told me off for similar offences before and I now hold my hands up for being remiss.
In my defence , all I can say that I have been remiss in many things over the past few months.
I haven't even read the correspondence I received from my solicitors two weeks ago.

Hey ho

Dark skies

The  dark nights of winter are here and my pumpkin faces down the lane, warding off bad karma and the ill will of strangers .

Les Choristes

Sometimes things conspire to make customer service a thing of rarity

Mary's operation was cancelled this afternoon and the attention I received by the practice receptionist after I had driven 17 miles to collect her was so atrocious I almost lost my temper in a packed waiting room.

I am glad I didn't, but  after a calming journey through the Welsh countryside on the way home I was still icy cold with the practice manager when I phoned up to " discuss the cock up"

This piece of music by Bruno Coulais from the French film Les Choristes helped my blood pressure return to normal.........it's quite lovely

My Little Girl

She's last on the surgical list today as her ear op is classed as a " dirty op" but I have to drop her off at 9am.....she doesn't do well without me
I've gone all a bit nervous about it all, which I recognise says more about my year than it does about her surgery, but I'm terrified at losing her.
All of my animals hold a special place in my heart but only Mary goes absolutely everywhere with me...I'm never a single with her on my arm
It's a stressful day today

Ps haven't I got small ears?

"DON'T !!!!!"

As it turned out " The Horne Section" proved to be a very amusing night. Little Alex Horne is one of my guilty man crushes so it was always going to be an entertaining evening, but having said this, I did have to negiotiate one rather sticky moment right at the start of the performance .

Chester Theatre Filling up

As many comics do, Horne organised an audience participation exercise in order to loosen everyone up. Now I have always hated this sort of activity. "Hysterical moments" with absolute strangers, I can do without, I really can , and so when Little Alex Horne suggested an audience wide game of twister, my blood ran just a bit cold.

" Touch the head of the person sitting to your right" Alex ordered and plonk, the slightly drunk man next to me landed a sweaty palm on my crown
" Now reach forward and whisper something rude to the person in front of you"
Thankfully the hand disappeared but I did hear a young woman behind me say " Cock and Balls" to the back of my head.
"Now place your right leg in between the knees of the person on your right" Alex ordered..
Before anything moved, I hissed out a loud " DON'T!" at the drunk guy on my left  who thankfully complied with my request with an somewhat shocked look on his face.
Thank goodness the rest of the evening concentrated more on the performances than with the audience.
I even hate that moment in church when the vicar asks you to greet the people around you
It's a pet peeve that has never left me...
And it never will

Today is coldish but bright and Mary and I went to Colwyn Bay beach to have Brunch at the outside cafe on the Prom. Homemade chicken and sweet corn soup and fat bastered thick buttered toast.
I counted 15 dogs all sat with their owners at the cafe....it was a treat for both of us.....tomorrow Mary goes in for her ear operation 🙁

Alex Horne of the

Horne Section 

My guilty man crush

Who is your guilty crush?????