Shut Up and Dance | Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles | June 2025
Feel brighter today. The official Trelawnyd Flower Show promotional video should be out later but in the interim enjoy these two videos
The first is just a joyous song
The second is just………joyous……
Big Breaths
I’m feeling somewhat overwhelmed today.
I can do , only what I have done and plans are afoot,
I know this.
But things are now feel out of my control and I have been transported back to that horrible day when my husband left, and I saw no meaningful future in this world.
Only now I am 7 years older
In a week or so the hospice will have a list of those staff who are taking voluntary redundancy
If there is a shortfall they further redundancies will be made
I cannot afford to keep my home without a job
I’m not sleeping well because of it all.
At least my arm is improving.
The art of saying nothing
Tact is the art of saying nothing, when there is nothing you can say.
So many people cannot cope with this skill
It doesn’t feature in their arsenal
Some need to either fill a void with a platitude,or emoji or prove to themselves they are worthy by trying to say the right thing.
Invariably they make things worse by failing to reading the room, or by not seeing the bigger picture.
Silence is part of counselling culture and training.
It allows a look to convey concern or empathy or just acceptance
It gives space, and allows pain to be shared without heavy handed words and meaningless phrases
Silence is ancient
It is powerful
And it is not used enough
Coldplay
The concert that outed that CEO affair is still out in the news
The lisping choir’s version is here
They have kept me afloat
Janet & John
I haven’t quite the energy after nights
The morale at work has never been lower
But natural professionalism continues and patients still get wonderful care
I’m so proud of my work guys
So enjoy this
JANET @ JOHN
Story
Sunday night is the Wheel Tappers and Shunters Social Club on tv ( google it because I can’t really explain) a cold beer ( a gift from Mrs Trellis at Christmas wrapped in red serviettes ) a bag of low calorie crisps and all the while Weaver is sitting on her own window ledge dinosaur looking out at the thunderstorm rolling in from the Vale of Clwyd Hills to the South.
Mary has another phantom pregnancy and has disembowelled the reading chair in the kitchen
Roger is sitting watching her with a worried “ what the fuck?” expression
Bun, the last time I saw her , was walking with a sex and the city swagger in the graveyard.
I’m pleased
That’s where Albert used to go
Every day to kill rabbits………
Hey ho
The Best Hug In The World
I went into the mental health charity and booked three paying clients for next week
I saw a plea from a village gal on Facebook to take her to the vets tomorrow so volunteered to do the job , I’m not altruistic I hope she will make me a flower show video in return lol
I feel low today and the God’s know this I suspect for at 6 pm Sue who has the ponies on the field called by to get things sorted for the return of the ponies
She called my name at the kitchen wall
And when I came out and without a word she hugged me with the best hug in the world
CINEMA PARADISO- ORQUESTA EOS-GRUPO TALIA
The Madrid Metropolitan Orchestra who plays with the lisping choir supporting young musicians on this lovely version of Cinema Paradiso
It’s delightful and that hug at the end was pure emotion
The last week I’ve been transported back to that awful time in Summer 2019 when Chris left me with a cottage for sale, no car, no job, no money and four dogs
If I can get through that I can get through anything
Thank you for your continued support
Look closely at my hero Silvia sanz conducting I can see myself in the audience !!!!
C&nt
Weaver as a baby
I saw a financial advisor today.
I completed my application to the NCPS (The National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society ) and paid my dues. I already have insurance in place and a new supervisor booked so I will take my paperwork into the counselling centre tomorrow in order to book my first clients.
This has given me some control back today
An informal message support line continues amongst the hospice nursing and support worker staff, and I’m thankful for friends Ben, Louise, Rhian and Ruth for grounding me today.
Ruth and I had lunch at Mostyn Galleries but neither of us could eat
I am feeling every inch my 63 years, this rollercoaster ride is not what you expect and want at any age let alone now in the autumn of my working career
But let’s change the subject
It’s Bun & Weaver’s 1st birthday ( estimated lol)
This morning as I was FaceTiming with my financial advisor , he commented that a black cat had walked past me, tip toeing on the radiator top. The cat had stopped briefly by the reading chair, then smacked a shocked Roger in the gob before running out of the cat flap
“ That’s Weaver” I told him “ she’s a cunt!”
A story
I may lose my job quite soon
The hospice is looking for redundancies
I want to share one story
A story that has nothing to do with matrixes or redundancy scenarios
It’s all about nursing.
A few years ago my gentle lonely patient asked me what my bucket list was
Of course it was all about her, but I shared gently that I had never danced in public even though my ex husband was a professional dancer
She smiled and giggled and asked me a favour
Would I dance with her ?
She told me that she loved that special dance on Ally McBeal and she asked if we could dance it together
And so we did, one morning after medicine round
We pushed the drawer set against the door, so no one would walk in
And we watched the video together
And then we danced
She in pyjamas and big fluffy slippers
Me in my uniform and fat belly
She died the next day
And I was with her
And it was the worst and best day at work ever
I may lose my job soon
But I know I delivered that day with that special patient
Every nurse at risk of redundancy will have a similar story
Redundancy
See the statement below
It means nursing jobs in Holyhead and Llandudno are at risk of redundancy both sites will lose staff
A very sad day
Wine Tasting
Dave & The Velvet Voiced Linda
It was lovely to be with my Trelawnyd Village Family tonight.A lovely bunch and I was so moved that they gave me a toast and a round of applause for my graduation
Wine
I covered night shift sickness last night
It’s too hot too sleep today 34 degrees
This fun tonight
John Gray- The Next Chapter
Things have an energy all of their own don’t they?
I saw my last counselling client as a student yesterday and found out that the mental health charity I’m working with has taken me on as a sessional professional counsellor.
My next client will be paying for my services
Bloody hell.
I had a rush of “imposter syndrome” yesterday, but my new supervisor grounded me with some pragmatic words and useful advice.
Part time now I will be self employed for the first time in the 45 years of my employment history
I can do it
My twin sister did the same during Covid
Today I’ve been planning things around the Flower Show. I’m now working tonight to cover sickness so will be off the entire weekend which will nice given I’m going to the village hall’s wine tasting evening tomorrow night !
Above is the community Associations’ wild flower meadow and orchard. There are apples on the trees which may be harvested free by the villagers when they ripen. It’s a great initiative
The novelty veg photos have been coming in too, we just need a few more please
Thanks to villager Sandra and her hubby Robert for donating a new cup for the show
The new Barbara Parry and Rowenna Price Memorial Cup
And finally a big thank you to villagers Nick and The Velvet Voiced Linda for my graduation gift
Bwthyn y llan
Ma Manley has added my cottage to her history book of Trelawnyd.
This has pleased me greatly. I feel honoured to have my own page so to speak.
In Welsh Bwthyn translates as “Cottage” where as y llan means “an enclosure, a religious place of settlement or even a Church” So my home can be known as Church Cottage in English .
In its past it was known as Llan Cottage no 1 and the two cottages together as a generic Tan y Fynwent ( under the Graveyard)
The Flower Show
If any of you have any international novelty veg/fruit entries please forward them along to me at jgsheffield@icloud.com
I was writing this and realised Roger was missing. The people who had returned the cups had left the gate open and in a flash he was gone.
I couldn’t find him anywhere, and drove along the main road after searching the nearby gardens
His dim nature means he is terrible in traffic and has no sense of direction for home
I was frantic
Trendy Carol and hubby, other neighbours , and even the postman joined in.
But he wasnt in the sheep fields, down the lane or on the main road.
I drove around the village
But no one had seen him
It was awful
After a time I started up the lane in Bluebell
And there he was with Polish Monika’s hubby and their bulldog
Trotting down the lane as if nothing had happened.
He had nearly got himself knocked over, and was caught in the estate a quarter mile into the village
Thank God most people know and love him
Tracy Manchester has just messaged me saying that he’s come into her house for a drink of water then bolted up the road before she could catch him!
I’m going for a lie down
“ A Moment of silence, emotion and Wild Beauty*”
I’m a sucker for a magic moment.
In counselling it can happen when you and your client suddenly reach an emotional depth around an issue and you both suddenly feel that connection with a look that brings you up short.
Sometimes it’s an experience that awes you.
My first steps into La Sagrada Famila literally made my heart soar
Mary trying to run fast to say hello after my holiday break
The lisping choir and Metropolitan Orchestra playing Nocturn was one such moment.
The auditorium lights went off suddenly and the music and voices filled the space
And you where left with the experience without self consciousness
Why do I like Dinosaurs so much?
Jurassic world Rebirth is much better than the last two movies in the franchise. Its a taught, romp with effectively two teams of protagonists in peril. One scientific and mercenary ( led by an impressively buff Scarlett Johansson) and one family and cute ( led by an equally impressive Manuel Garcia-Rulfo )
British director Gareth Edwards, likes his dinosaur set pieces, and with Spielberg touches everywhere provides a new twist on the genre with wonderfully tense flourishes.
Jonathon Bailey is cute as a button as the obligatory dino expert, who cries when he sees his first sauropod, wide eyed Audrina Miranda is the cute spunky kid who had the most sexiest dad this side of the Atlantic..
Indeed for me , Manuel Garcia Rulfo in his sexy shorts made the film for me…I’m still drooling
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