My New Co Pilot

Eighteen months ago Meg died.
I spent more time with her than I did with my husband and her absence literally broke my heart as we all know that hearts can so easily be damaged by the all encompassing love only a dog can give a master.
The Prof saw the void that Meg left and like all concerned husbands who wanted to heal an awful situation, he was galvanised in the attempt to fill it with the impulse purchase of a new puppy.
Mary subsequently arrived with a bang.
A year later, I now have a new co pilot.
When I sit in a chair, she is by my side in a heartbeat. When I have a bath, she stands guard at the bathroom door and when she gets the chance, after the first dog walk at dawn, she curls up into the lie-in bed, her face tucked up under my chin like a baby rabbit with it's mother.
Of course all this says more about me, than it does about her.
For I am never alone, even when I am enjoying a satisfying number two with the paper.

A " Field Of Dreams " Moment

My family often nag me to amalgamate the better parts of Going Gently into some sort of bestselling paperback. The Prof says whimsy sells, and I guess he is right given the plethora of " heartwarming" and " uplifting" tales of life changing encounters middle aged pongos like myself experience when lifestyles change and temple hair is lightening from brunette to a gentle grey.
On the way to the panto the other night, my sister remembered what I call a " Field of Dreams" moment which she said would be a " Satisfying " denouement to the chapter where two middle aged gays first moved into a tight knit Welsh village!
Nine years ago, I held my very first " allotment open evening" It was on the back of similar open evenings my sister organised at her own town allotment, where friends and family had the opportunity to survey  her vegetable beds, have tea and cake and make a contribution of a charity of her choice.
My first allotment open was a small affair, but it was important to me as I left several hopeful posters around the village inviting everyone to attend. Attendance by the Trelawnyd-ites meant everything and as the 6 pm opening deadline loomed close, My sister remembered me gazing up the lane in a sudden downpour of summer rain, worried that no one would come.

I should not have worried ...for the " Field Of Dreams " moment arrived as powerfully as anything ever seen in a sentimental movie or tv series! the only thing that was bloody lacking was a sudden swelling of a musical score, for at exactly 6 pm and led by Auntie Glad hidden underneath an oversized umbrella, a long line of village characters weaved their way down the Church lane towards the field to support the event.
It was a real Hollywood moment amid the wet grass and Slightly damp Victoria sponges.

Perhaps, my sister is right. It is these kind of moments balanced with the sadness of those normal life dramas that make a story readable and accessible to all. Light and froth peppered with emotional romps......perhaps that is the formula..

Anyway over to you all.....you all, like me, have a book inside you......if you eventually write it, what would be your " Field Of Dreams" moment?
I'd be interested to know.

" Twelve O' Clock and No Sign Of Dick!"

Theatre Clwyd Panto Aladdin.......great fun.....even the Prof got up and danced at the end! 

I'm running late today.
The dog walk around the village took over an hour this morning, as numerous encounters meant numerous chats along the lines of  how was Your Christmas ? and What did you do for New Year's Eve? 
"Odd Bob" wanted to know about  The Avian Flu Threat, which was a nice change and it took me ten minues to go through the plot of Theatre Clwyd's Aladdin with villager Mandy  over on the village Green so much so that Winnie got overly bored, slipped her collar and started to walk home by herself.
She's such a Diva....
And before you all shriek with worry...I must say I don't worry about Winnie and traffic, for she has actually learnt that she can only cross the main road when she hears the Pelican Crossing alarm! No alarm no crossing......
She's brighter than she looks!

I am presently making a lamb gravy for homemade Shepherds'  Pie for supper. Then it's " Operation Christmas Decoration Removal followed by the bathing of the Welsh terriers (post kennels).
Work has asked me to go in for an extra shift........
I've told them nicely to bugger off.

Back to normal

Three hours sleep and now I am about to dunk my sorry arse into the bath before a family meal and the panto in Theatre Clwyd.
I need amphetamines,
But Mrs Trellis has no doubt run out.......
Speak tomorrow when things are back to normal......the Prof will be at work happily whipping the local academics into shape and the dogs and I will be home in Trelawnyd
Hey ho

Selfie

A quick New Year's selfie 

Believe me we didnt look like this by the end of the shift! 

So dont expect any replies to comments

Im buggered! 

Are You Sitting Comfortably ?

I'm working night shift tonight and tomorrow night
New Year's Eve will be a non event for me which is fine.

I will leave you with a short story...
This Christmas the Prof and I thought it nice to share some moody stories in front of the new log burner. To be honest he made a bit of a show, of just how wonderful, a different " activity" would be during this rather quiet shadow of the Christmas Holiday.
I fancied reading out Daphne DuMaurier's short story of The Birds but the Prof wanted a Gothic murder mystery!
The night before last he read out an strange little tale about Ghosts in a Country Hall and last night I agreed to read a somewhat odd 1950 s short story called The Santa Claus Club.
I thought it was a rather nice couple thing to do.
Last night, I walked the dogs at nine and we settled down in front of the fire for me to read out the scary tale of murder most horrid.
The story was longer than expected, but I persevered with the verbose text in subdued lighting!
25 minutes into the story, I stopped briefly to cough ...............and saw my husband fast asleep on the couch!
Hey ho!

Happy new Year dearhearts!

Bring On The Baby Jesus!!!!

" Go on it'll be fun..." I told a somewhat skeptical Prof before we left the house
" I love doing it!"
He raised a Roger Moore eyebrow at least one centimetre ( where it stayed for the duration) and we drove to the do-it-yourself garage in Rhuddlan to jet wash the car.
" Do you want to give it a blast!" I shouted to him after I had started the power hose and he shook his head slowly in a kind of bless him, he actually enjoys this bollocks kind of way.
To me mucking around with a jet wash is the ultimate fun thing to do on a muggy Saturday afternoon.

We saw Gaynor, The mad Organist in Marks and Spencers. She had a trolley which necessitated me playing my favourite "sneak the produce into the trolley " game without her knowledge.
I managed two Chinese meals for four and a packet of prawn crackers before she twigged, which. For me, was a very poor show indeed!

It always amazes the Prof just how little things like the jet wash and " Sneak the produce" game  amuses me.
I think I am just easily pleased

Mrs Trellis caught us today too, with her rather sweet late gift of a miniature glass Christmas Tree. She declined The Prof's offer of a stiff gin martini to keep out the cold but I could see she was sorely tempted by the offer. She told us that the Christmas Church service went very well and that this year the baby Jesus was brought down the aisle to be placed ceremoniously into the crib by some of the village children. Usually the job is carried out by Mrs D, the Church warden after the vicar gives the cry of " Bring on the BABY Jesus" 
This always used to give me a fit of the giggles when uttered.
Like I said...I'm easily pleased!

Mrs Trellis' glass Christmas Tree next to my light up hippo!

Who says I'm not a classy bitch? 

Lullaby

Cro posted this Welsh lullaby on his blog today. You might of heard it before, especially if you are a fan of Steven Spielberg who used it to wonderful effect in his movie Empire Of The Sun. 
It's called Suo Gân 
Which literally means " lullaby" in Welsh.

I've always loved it's final verse , which can be translated several ways.
This version is my favourite.

" Leaves are knocking,
Gently knocking at our door.
Have no fear now, waves are beating,
Gently beating on the shore.
Sleep my darling, non shall harm you,
Nor alarm you, never
And beguiling those on high"

We are having a quiet afternoon by the fire. William and Mary have returned from the kennels ( Mary with three unexpected large bald spots on her rump) and as most dogs do after barking their tits off for five days they are now sleeping the deep relaxed sleep of being securely home.
Winnie is passing almost silent farts on the hearthrug, George and Albert are curled up in respective arm chairs and the Prof is cooking a ham in the kitchen.

I may just play Suo Gan again......it's the perfect choice for a cold Welsh Evening.......

" I've Found Another One Dead"

When my mother was hospilized. ( The admission before her death) she rather gleefully told me the story when she overheard one of the ward nurses share with her colleagues in the middle of the night the stage whisper of " I've just found another one dead" 
My mother was amused more by the fact that the nurses burst into conspiratorial giggles after the event rather than the fact that one of her fellow patients had died.
My mother and I shared the same sense of humour.

I see that another celebrity has bitten the dust over the Christmas period. Poor Carrie Fisher's force wasn't with her,even though she was lucky enough to have a cardiac arrest in first class where the stewards were all well versed in CPR.
The lists of the dead are all of comparable age to me which is a bit worrying....but I guess the baby boomers are all being thinned out as Darwin Nature intended. Drugs, alcohol and dirty living finally takes it's toll......ask George Michael's housekeeper if you don't believe me, I bet she's seen things that would make your eyeballs pop from your sockets!

And so we leave Broadstairs for the journey home in a few minutes. The home-cared for Dogs need collecting tonight.
The kennel based dogs tomorrow.

The Family Prof and other eyebrows

The Family " Prof" 

I've had enough now.
Home tomorrow...
It's all been very nice indeed and the sight of watching Sorrel with a dentist's speculum in her mouth playing " speak up" ( I'm banned from showing you the photograps but if you email me, I'll give you a sneak peak) was well worth the coast of the rail journey alone.
I shall leave you with some photographs of The Prof's auntie's Christmas village....and finally Sorrel and I at the dinner table
It will be the last time I mention the fucking season until December 2017.

,

Ps my nephew Leo now has his own film review blog

At

http://montyfilmreviews.blogspot.co.uk

The Day After

Our Christmas Lunch was somewhat French in nature.
Seafood starters, a " digestive" champagne sorbet between courses and a turkey lunch with gravy to die for.
I ended the day watching a shit monster movie with my nephew.
It's interesting joining in with another family's Christmas traditions for everyone has their own particular way of doing things. 
I didn't get up until ten this morning, which is unheard of. I'm enjoying the blow up mattress and I am sure I look a little like the Queen Mary negotiating a rather turpid mid Atlantic swell when rolling over to get comfortable.
I'm curbing the impulse of throwing myself Scarlett O'Hara-esque onto myside when the Prof is reclining on the other!
Later today, after a walk, we shall be eating bubble and squeak with cold meat and tomorrow after a trip to the Turner Museum in Margate we shall be having tea" at the Prof's Uncle and Aunt's home. They have an impressive winter wonderland village set out in their front room.
It's the size of Trelawnyd apparently! 

Happy Christmas

A Photo sent to me early this am

There is always one child that breaks her toy as soon as opening it! 

Have a nice day 

" Gawd Bless Us ...one and all" 

Christmas Eve

Bloody Hell it's Christmas Eve!
I'm sitting in my mother in law's conservatory sipping strong coffee.
I'm also wearing my Walking Dead Christmas Jumper bought for me by my sister!
A thoughtful gift I thought!
We start the slog of family visits later today, which I prepared for nicely by sleeping 10 hours on a blow up matress on the floor of the dining room. I tell you this to add a little colour into the proceedings for getting up seems to be somewhat of an interesting spectacle for me as I have to roll onto the floor like a hippo sliding off a mud bank!
Have a relaxed, peaceful and good natured day, you' all!
Hey ho! Ho! Ho! 

Christmas Greetings

Bootham Park Hospital york

I received a Christmas email today.
It's EXACTLY what I wanted to hear in a Christmas greeting.
It was from an old friend from my York days
She told me ,
That 30 years ago we shared a Christmas day
Which featured 2 bottles of wine, 1 bottle of cheap champagne, 1 large chicken, shop bought roast potatoes, a mentally unstable friend who showed up and flashed us both her rather untidy fanny after drinking most of a bottle of brandy and a Christmas pudding which was dropped onto the floor, scraped up and eaten with forks as we had run out of spoons!

I bought her a hardback version of To Kill A Mockingbird  and she bought me a leather bound diary and an ink pen to die for.......and last night after an email flurry, we have organised to meet up in Chester 26 years after we last met!
Happy Christmas .......that's what The Yuletide is all about..........touching base!

Shame

Winnie has gone to her babysitters for five days,
She's been there before so sauntered into the house like Mae West at a cocktail party!
I got this facebook comment about her on facebook later

• 

  19:34

  Greta Hartley-johnston

  She's been bathed (well showered) is settling in nicely. Steve has been feeding her biscuits !!!! Spolit x
• 

  21:26

  John Gray

  Omg was she smelly?

  
  

  
  

  
  

  There was then silence! Oh the shame

Busy

Gift to animal helper ..........tick

Hamper to Greta for babysitting Winnie .........tick

Hanper to sister for babysitting George.........tick

Gift to auntie Judy and Auntie Glad.......tick

Last minute gfts for great nephew .....tick

Deliver Late Christmas Cards .......tick

Off out to get the Prof's sticking fillers

Hey ho

A Review of Rogue One by Our Nephew Leo Burton aged 14

Our nephew has just sent me a review to share......enjoy!

" Review of Rogue One: A Star Wars story by Leo Burton

I decided to watch this movie because I love Star Wars films, and it stars Darth Vader and Grand Moff Tarkin who I love as characters and, last but not least, because of the amazing trailers . I did a review of  Rogue One  because a lot of people would want to see the film. 

Rogue One is an individual film although it is  the long awaited story in between Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and  Episode IV: A New Hope. 

The main actors and actresses in Rogue One are Felicity Jones ( Jyn Erso ), Diego Luna (Captain Cassian Andor), Ben Mendelsohn ( Director Orson Krenic ) and Alan Tudyk (K2-SO ). 

The storyline of Rogue One is that the rebels are stealing the secret plans for the empire's secret weapon called the death star, that Jyn Erso’s father ,called Galen Erso ,helped build. 

One of the best things in the film was the plot because they kept to the storyline very well, and the acting because all of the characters were acted very well, and I don't think they could have changed anything about the acting. 

On the other hand  this film had too much killing and violence and  I would have also liked to have seen more Vader in the film like we saw Grand Moff Tarkin. 

I would recommend this film to teenagers, adults, people who like action films and people who like Star Wars films because, without doubt, this film was my favorite film in the series. 

I would give this film 9.5/10 because I don’t think there was enough of the Vader touch, and there was too much killing and violence in the film for it to get a 10.  "

What Fresh Hell Is This?

Yesterday afternoon the foreman plumber called in by chance to see how his heating system has bedded down. He checked this and that and tweaked the other and also kissed Winnie on the forehead  as she stood straining with lips pursed,  on the armchair as he passed.
He was chatting about us having solar panels installed when Mrs Frazer knocked on the kitchen window waving a handful of Christmas cards, so asked if he could use the loo as I went to answer the door.
I forgot to warn him of Mary's obsession with the toilet bowl.

Now I am the one that has fostered this latest Welsh terrier bad habit , for because of her need to follow me everywhere, I have allowed her to accompany me into the loo when I go so she can indulge herself in a very happy 20 seconds post ablution, moment of watching the water ( and detritus) swirling down the bowl!

Mrs Frazer was hanging around in order to work out who my other visitor was when the plumber returned with Mary in tow.
I think she had literally caught him by surprise, for before he said his goodbyes , he whispered conspiratorially
" I've just peed on your dog's head" 

The Bishop's Wife

If you want an hour and a half of pure old fashioned Christmas Bliss

go to the BBC iPlayer, like I did when I was cooking supper.

There I found a classic 1940s propaganda movie

titled The Bishop's Wife, which I watched as I was mixing a tuna bake.

It's a lovely movie which has affable angel Cary Grant gate crashing the slightly sad home of overworked Bishop 

(David Niven) and his tired wife ( Loretta Young) in order to teach them what the important things in life are.

Of course all this is done over a Hollywood kind of Christmas, with 1940s studio snow,

Cute old duffers, singing choirboys, and miracles that warm the cockles of 

of the Scrooge-iest of viewers! 

Loved it

Growing Up

Did you experience one single moment in your life when you suddenly knew you had grown up?

It sounds an odd but, I think, interesting question, sparked by a recent moment at work when I tried to prepare a family for the potential loss of a loved one.
The family filled the interview room. Wife, two sets of children of various ages, sisters and brothers and a set of close friends.
I explained what procedures were about to happen. I answered questions that they had and made sure I was guarded and clear about expectations, the consultant had made a short time before.
One daughter, who was around fourteen suddenly understood the messages she was being given and after carefully paraphrasing what I had said calmly and with care, she gently reflected the seriousness of the situation to her mother who could not quite grasp the truth.
At that one moment the girl matured in the eyes of all in that room.

My moment was during my grandfather's funeral.
My grandmother was distraught and almost off her legs at the cemetery, so was supported by my mother and uncle at the graveside. and as the large gaggle of grandchildren crowed together behind I noticed my uncle's second wife, who was only a young woman herself, standing alone to one side. She was sobbing quietly.
I was a somewhat gauche eighteen year old, but I walked over and hugged her at the graveside and by doing so grew a little older .
Growing Up, is about empathy me thinks .

What was your growing Up moment?