The first art entries

See the previous blog entry to understand this one

Some fantastic entries

Just to clarify it doesn't have to be your own art collection

Sea Pinks In The Dunes

I'm late blogging today.
I've been in the garden cutting down buddliea and clearing the dead wood from the borders and even with gloves on my hands are tingling with the stings of nettles
Polish Monika and her chatty daughter called past and I lifted up the little girl up so she could see the dogs over the kitchen wall
I've only just thought that I shouldn't have picked her up without permission .
Humm a debate for another time I guess

With the days drawing in and because there seems to be a sharpness in the air, I thought it nice to pose a hopefully stimulating and bright competition
To brighten the rapidly approaching Winter nights!
So,although it's a fickle subject and open to so many changes of mind, I thought I would pose this question

What is your favourite bit of art----today?

You can send me a photo of the art piece and perhaps a few words saying why you like it so much
Send to me at jgsheffield@hotmail.com

My favourite piece is a original print by Fiona Calver
" Sea Pinks in the Dunes " 
I like it because it feels Gently Art Deco in design and colour
It really
pleases me

so what pleases you?

Dribble

Heulwen and Hattie

I dribbled over myself in choir tonight!
It was all Jamie's fault!
During rehearsal of one of the more upbeat numbers, he started to suggest that we move and sing together .
I don't do singing AND moving together so I frantically looked at the tenors for some sort of support
Now Heulwen and Hattie know my co ordination fears when it comes to the African songs and both flashed me a supportive smile back
I pulled a face back and promptly dribbled down my polo shirt !
DRIBBLED!!!!!!!!
I'm 57 not fucking 4!!!!
Luckily only Hattie noticed and she and I spent most of the next song giggling like schoolboys

Our supporting performance at The Rivers' concert is still on for Saturday night at our own village Hall. I have offered to put one of the choir up for the night!
I warned Jamie they must be able to cope with hysterical bulldogs, a needy Welsh terrier and a cat with attitude
His usually affable 1940s RAF face looked a tad worried
He's put me on the reserve list! 

A Dysfunctional Family That Works

The dove house at Gop Farm just West of the village

Things change
Its the way of the world.
I had this epiphany when I was reading the Trelawnyd & Gwaenysgor Community Council Newsletter this morning and mused about things as I scraped mushed avocado from the front of my least favourite walking Dead T shirt

As I see it, the village hierarchy has changed over the years.
A strong family of matriarchs and an incredibly strong willed patriarch have made way for a more eclectic group of people who now populate the community council and the newer and more dynamic Community Association.
The council now has two women members! and has the unenviable and most boring remit, constrained by process and policy, of working within Council rules.
I do miss being on the council when The Red Faced Welsh Farmer was a member as his rants and conspiracy theories relating to perceived  in house shenanigans always proved to be incredibly entertaining interludes from the stuffiness of official chit chat!

The new Community Association has communicated  it's pitch just right I think, as it is relaxed and good natured group who likes to have fun.
This year's successes include the huge Carnival. Social Nights at the Hall, The resurrected Flower Show and the bouncing and very healthy youth club and coffee mornings.
A credit to the association's cool-as-a-cucumber chair, Ian P!

The village Women's Institute is doing well as is the art group ( who are making Christmas Decorations this Wednesday) and the Folk at the Hall (http://www.therecordjournal.co.uk/) is going from strength to strength with the dynamic Kelda at the helm
The Male Voice Choir (http://www.trelawnydmalevoicechoir) is still hanging on despite lower numbers in their ranks whilst the school seems to be as busy as ever!
is this surprising given the fact we all moan that we are all too busy to do anything!

However some changes are sadder than others to adjust to. The future of the Church with its small but incredibly loyal congregation is in the balance now that the vicar has retired, which worrying and
the chapel on London road has now been sold and will be made into a family home.

I had a conversation with a friend while on holiday about the need of being a part of something bigger.
He wanted to organise some sort of urban allotment group or a street party meal in order to get like minded people together and I remember chatting about things I feel a part of
family and friends are a given, as are, ( for me) my work team, Samaritans and Choir.

But being a part of a village is unique
as Mrs Trellis once explained and I quote

" The village is a dysfunctional family that  actually works"

Fighting The Dead

In a rather mediocre episode we had one highlight
Judith fighting alongside her mother to save Hilltop

Ticking My Box

On paper my divorce may be finalised before Christmas, I've been contacting my mediator
this morning
The only link that will remain between my ex husband and I will be my friendship with his nephew Leo.
an odd friendship which centres around geeky tv and film reviews
Its his birthday in a few weeks or so
I've already had his birthday list sent to me this morning!
That tickled me.
It's a good job I'm pretty good with remembering dates and birthdays!

Dotty woke me up this morning at 7.20am
When the dawn hits, she wakes up and very slowly starts to perform CPR on my chest in a determined effort to rouse me.
She's small but is built like Miriam Margolyes and so even a few minutes lie in would be impossible.
I was walking the dogs down the railway track shortly after 7.30am

Since breakfast at 8.30 am I've been sat with a bucket of coffee at the kitchen table organising my calendar. I am off work for a week and divorce needs chasing up, bills need to be paid and pre Christmas meets have to be sorted with friends.
I'm juggling shifts at the hospice, mindful that I am now working all over Christmas.

I was talking to my friend Nige yesterday who gets irritated by the married middle classes
He's single and feels singletons' struggles to having to sort things out by themselves  are never really  acknowledged by anyone.
I see his point
So says I.. busily texting the sexy bearded dog walker to see if he can take the girls over night in December so that I can see Nuala then Sitges John in London and the Sheffield lot before Crimbo!
Life is a juggling act for all of us for sure
but being single does underline that you have to rely on yourself for the everyday things.

Having said this I have to acknowledge help when it comes
Trendy Carol and her hubby have been stars where the dogs have been concerned and this weekend I was happy at delivering a small hamper of goodies for both of them to enjoy.
A small thank you for the score of evenings when Winnie has trashed their trendy space age conservatory scatter cushions.

BING! sexy bearded dog walker has just messaged with a YES he can take the girls overnight in December and BONG the mediator has just emailed saying she will chase things up today....
It's 10.27 am and I so need my second bucket of coffee.
There are more empty boxes than ticked ones on my to do list
BING!!!! the water board has just texted and wants to come to sort my meter out...BING!!! gorgeous Dave can play badminton this week!!!
BING!!!!!! the botoxed and lovely Halifax building society Lianne wants to know what the delay is with my mortgage paperwork!

Thank Goodness I now have some time to tick some of these boxes

A Ghost

facebook!
Last night I recieved a message from a man I didn't know
It was a I'm sorry to bother you message
It went on ......did I know a Mathew H?
He thought I did
I have some news for you 
The message concluded
Mathew died of cancer last week
He was 61

I did know Mathew.
Briefly we were lovers in York, when I was a psychiatric nurse
He was older than I and had a girlfriend at the time
He was a senior staff nurse on my first rehab ward and
He was my first love that was never talked about....ever!

Mathew's husband messaged me
He asked politely if we had kept in touch
I told him honestly ...no

He asked me for a memory....
And I was careful in my reply

My memory was of  Mathew and I singing to this in The-Hole-In -The-Wall 

Pub 

1988!

Mathew had been with his husband for 29 years

Bechod

I'd arranged to meet some friends in Conwy today for drinks and a troll through the food and music festival set up on it's pretty quayside. Alas the weather and sickness has beaten us and we've had to re schedule.
This afternoon I took Dorothy to a busy cafe to get her used to hustle and bustle
And she behaved wonderfully.

The weather is atrocious
I found Albert hiding away in my bed

The Welsh have a name for both photos
Bechod 
It has several meanings 
" ah bless!" 
Is just one

Les Miserables Boyo missus!!!!!!

Do you hear the people sing?

A few miles East of Trelawnyd is the pretty market town of Mold.( Welsh name yr Wyddgrug)
It's an important place for me as it's the home of Theatr Clwyd 
My nearest cultural centre and location of the only real art house cinema in the North Of Wales
Last night my sister and I went to see the Theatre Clwyd production of The Mold Riots which is a community based dramatisation of the 1869 riot where the Welsh town folk rebelled against the jailing of seven Welsh miners who had been involved in a scuffle with their English mine owner who had banned Welsh speaking underground and who favoured the handful of English miners under his employ.

One day more

In the riot two miners and two local women were killed and with a cast of four professional actors and nearly 100 local people playing the Mold residents, the whole production which was set in the Very streets that the riot took place around 150 years ago, was an energetic  and at times rather moving piece of theatre.
Because of the torrential rain, last night's production took place in the Town's St Mary's Church rather than in the streets selves where the audience walked around the pews which doubled as the great unwashed local market!
It was, in all essence, a massive Welsh Version of Les Miserables! 

As Janet and I wandered amongst the actors, a serious looking Victorian Welsh woman with a Very dirty face ran up to us and asked Janet if she had seen her husband
" Sorry I don't know him!" Janet answered honestly
We had the giggles about it all on the way home.
A lovely night!

Rearranging The Furniture

The " new" armchair

I was shampooing the bulldog accident wee stains from the living room carpet when I thought I heard  the letter box snap. I saw the envelope and spied a carrier bag tied to the front door knob and knew someone had popped off a gift. It was blog reader Suz and her hubby and I invited them in for coffee.

I felt awful.....awful in the fact I was wearing my grubby track suit bottoms and a t shirt  with egg down the front. I looked like a homeless tramp in crocs.

The cottage however looked a bit cleaner as My new ( seconds actually) arm chair had been delivered this morning and like any gay middle aged man worth his salt , I had spent several " happy" hours re arranging my furniture 

The old armchair has been relagated to a reading chair in the kitchen

Note Suz's gifts of scotch eggs on the table! 

Thursday

I've worked 5 twelve and a half hour day shifts in the last 7 days
And I'm tired tonight.

I've had to sweep the flue of the wood burner as it was smoking when I lit the fire
The cottage is still full of smoke and I'm cold

I only had a four day old homemade shepherd's pie left in the fridge that and a murky pork chop
I ate the pie cold with tomato sauce still in my uniform
Winnie ate the chop
( whole)

Dotty is now licking my bare feet with a fat tongue
It's Bliss....

The cottage looks like the wreck of the Hesperus

I can't think of a blog to write today
Bed soon me thinks

I'm tired and rather angry

Three Words

I'm not after any " you're lovely" comments tonight
I just wanted to share something special that happened today.
I've been working with a very gentle soul.
A patient my own age.
We spent time going over medications. We talked about anxiety
I told her a story about a dim nurse and she laughed
And when I turned to go
She looked me squarely in the face
And quietly said
" Thank you ..John" 
I understood and my eyes watered
And I nodded gently.

Y Shed

 I met my elder sister yesterday for coffee at Y shed which is Welsh for .......... The Shed . A converted  ( go figure!) Railway shed on the walkway I walk the dogs.
My sister wanted to check I was alright since my decree nisi which she had presumed was my decree absolute.
No, I had to tell her, I am still legally married!
She chewed her lips in worry....
My elder sister is fiercely matriarchal...and would put  Mildred Pierce to shame in a head to head.

Y Shed welcomes dog walkers, and Dotty and Mary were impressively well behaved as we drank our coffee.

I got my hair cut at my local barber who unfortunately was suffering from sickness and diarrhoea ( what a lottery!!!!)
Then I went to a furniture centre who sells big store seconds and bought a lovely "new"  arm chair!

In the afternoon , my neighbour Trevor asked me to shake his fruit trees with a rake....in order to collect the apples.

I've done it every year since 2007

Put put put

Pup pup pup pup......pup pup pup pup!
So go the faraway sounds of shotguns.
Sounds that echo against the village valley walls
And bounce around the Church, now silent without its vicar.
It's a common background to most Sundays here.
Clay pigeons
A weekend playtime for " country folk "

Dorothy and I are sat in the graveyard.
Well I am sat
She is crouching
And we both are waiting for the
Pupupupups to stop.

She is watching me carefully and because I seem confident
She is becoming braver at the sound of gun fire
Albert joins us and butts his head against hers
It's the first official greeting I have seen between the two
His natural confidence boosting her fearfulness in spades
And in typical bulldog style she sniffs at his bottom with some gusto

I notice that the colours of the graveyard trees are beginning to warm.
And I photograph the most colourful of them as the faraway shotguns continue to blast away

Dorothy and I do another circuit around the church with Albert following us at an angle
He is obviously pretending that it was the way he originally intended to go.

Cats have a strange pride about them

Doctor Doctor

The Walking Dead has a new character
Dante....the doctor

Come to mama!!!!!!
Day off tomorrow
Coffee with elder sis, lunch with friends,
Choir too
Divorce paperwork ...buying a new armchair
Anal glands on Mary to squeeze
It's all go !

Thank You

There are ponies again on my lower field. They are clearing the nettles so that my spring allotments can be marked out in March.
" Bosoms" will return then like a ghost
The dogs love sniffing the ponies noses as they snort gently under the five bar gate

When I was at work someone has kindly cut down my overgrown hedges
I know not who!
I have no one to thank or to pay.....I will stop gentleman Farmer Ralph to see if he knows
Thank you whoever!
That's village life for you.
Trelawnyd is bracing itself for winter activities too
The " race night" in November is sold out ( well done Well Street Bridget !) and Heulwen from choir  and despot jason ( who is surpringly 50 very soon) wants a pub night out as soon as the cottage officially mine
" You are not to buy a drink " Heulwen instructed " Not one!" 
I agreed reluctantly ! ( secretly pleased)
Mr J left me some homemade jam today...in a bag on the garden wall
It was in response to the fact I'd loaned him my blood pressure machine for the summer
His tablets must have kicked in

Enjoy the music
It features in one pivotal scene in my imaginary movie

Its the finale xx

Kissed Softly By Buster Keaton

Dorothy 

Although not quite housetrained as yet,
Dorothy has brought a certain exuberance back into the cottage atmosphere.
When I pick the dogs up from Trendy Carol's space age square conservatory after a long day, it is now Dotty that gallops forward like a miniature sumo wrestler on amphetamines in order to greet me first.
Her whole tail wagging body shrieks of excitement and joy, but only her expression, which is often fixed in a kind of worried hopefulness, belies her real mood.
Like most bulldogs, she has more than a passing resemblance to the silent film star Buster Keaton.

Buster

This morning at 7 am she very slowly pushed her Buster face into mine.
We were lip to lip for a while before she effectively cut off my air supply and that signalled the time to get up for a morning walk.
I got up dutifully........as I said she is not yet fully housetrained as yet, so my one other lie in moment went for a burton and minutes later she was leading our way down the Dyserth walkway, followed closely by a quieter and more grown up Mary.
And as always ,Winifred gently brought up the rear. Her old head swinging from Side to side as she silently greeted passing walkers
She looked like Queen Sālote Of Tonga at the coronation

Winnie

Muffin before dawn

Another pre dawn post
This time in Llandudno just before work

Things are always better after a sausage and egg Mcmuffin and a strong coffee

Two Words

It's a good hour before dawn and I'm sipping strong sweet coffee at the kitchen table
It's a work day.
..and I've just re read some emails from yesterday...
The day out with my sister overshadowed real life...it was fun....
One email was from my solicitor who informed me that my decree nisi had been legally pronounced on the 3rd of October
The cottage was quiet save for bulldog snoring from bedroom and sofa
And in the quiet ,
You realise that there is nothing more lonely than an early morning before light

I've just had a good long cry. 

Amélie & Fucking Cat City

One of my all time favourite movies is Amélie 
I adore it.
It's my go to movie, when I need a sob and a smile.

Today my sister Janet and I went to Liverpool to see the new musical version of the Jean Pierre Juneau classic and surprisingly it was almost as charming and sweet as I remember the film was.
With all of Amélie's Montmartre friends on stage at any one time, the extraordinary talented cast play a selection of instruments to accompany the songs which more or less exactly follows the film's plot to the letter, and I must admit Audrey Brisson gave the Queen Audrey Tautou a run for her money in the title role.
The famous kissing scene where Amélie finally meets the geeky Nino ( Chris Jared) had the whole theatre audience holding its breath and was just as tear jerking as it was on film.
I cried buckets.
It was quite quirky, innovative and charming
It was also quite lovely

Audrey Brisson & Chris Jared

The original kiss

Twins in the theatre

Afterwards we did some shopping at John Lewis ( new cutlery for me) then went to the Cat Cafe for tea! Now the cat cafe is not quite my cup of tea, but It WAS an experience to be sure.
Set on three floors on Bold Street it is a cafe that is the home to 17 pedigree free roaming  cats.
A minute after a rather impressive caramel cake and flat white arrived, so did the cats, arseholes winking in my face nicely as they climbed quite merrily over every surface in search of a lick of cream

Everywhere I looked there was a fucking cat! 

I know ...duh.......

The cat cafe !

I'm lucky to have sisters I enjoy the company of !!