Darling John

 “ Darling John! “ was all I needed to hear, I never even had my mobile on speaker phone, but “darling” resonated through the air like birdcall and I knew who it was before the phone went to my ear.

Chic Eleanor was excited and you could almost make out the wild sweep of her pashmina as she called down the phone “ Darling John, dinner is booked for Friday 7.30 ! Sara and Pask are coming too so it will quite the reunion” 

I smiled. The last time we all met up was last summer where we had an Italian dinner party in our friends’ garden. 

“ I will be there “ I told her and she burst into happy laughter

“How joyous !, friends , good food and lots of wine !!!!.......” she sang out

Oh I wish I could bottle Eleanor’s positive nature. She has the enviable ability to be able to see the world in a wholly good and efficacious way.

She is charming without ever being false 

So that’s Friday booked . Thursday I am meeting my friend Colin for supper and cinema.

We are going to see A Quiet Place 2 which has got rave reviews, a rarity for a movie sequel. I shall be back writing proper film reviews , a thing I have sorely missed .

The rest of the time I’m on night shifts

On Saturday I’m catching up with another old friend Nigel, but not before I go to the first of the village Coffee mornings which will be back in the Memorial Hall. I had an idea that the villagers could organise an “ impromptu “ get together soon on the green with people bringing their own food and drink.

We will see if it gets off the ground....

I’ve very good at giving my ideas to everyone else to run with.

And finally some more views from windows....I used to live next to one of these

1.38

A lovely day 

Enjoy my gardens

 

The Underpants Hammock

My friend Ruth enjoyed her time at the cottage.

The dogs were well behaved, polite and even helpful  ( smart arse bum lickers! ) and suddenly Albert presented himself as  her new best friend.....turncoats every one of them! 

 But It was busier than I expected she admitted yesterday much busier

I asked her to explain 

It turned out that the toing and froing of villagers caught her somewhat by surprise.

Village Elder Islwyn popped round for a few chats , Trendy Carol too, and Hattie popped around to collect Mary for a gentle walk seeing that shes pregnant.

Old Trev got a bit tongue tied after he had knocked on the kitchen window and found Ruth smiling at him and Mrs Trellis found the presence of a new lady at Bwthyn y llan  rather “intriguing” 

I await that fallout 

“ Will you be coming back to house sit again.?” I asked hopefully

“ Of course “ Ruth laughed “ I loved it ! “ 

Big sigh......

The last of my birthday gifts arrived yesterday too

My nephew sent me a photo of himself and his dog 

I love candid shots where you can almost hear the person photographed laughing and talking

And this photo captured just that 

A great gift.

Tonight I’m just pottering as I’m back on nights tomorrow

I know I’ve been  missed as Dorothy is shadowing me a little more than usual.

As , when I Sat on the loo for a very satisfying number two

Her head rested, quite neatly in the between knee hammock left by my underpants

Her eyes never leaving mine 

I will leave you with some more “ views from my window” competition

Please send more if you have them, they are a delight to view 

jgsheffield @hotmail.com 

 

And my favourite which I suspect is a fake 

Scrambled Eggs In Bloomsbury

 I've walked over 35 thousand steps in three days, subsequently I slept like a log in my lovely hotel bed. 

Keeping up the health thing I've just had a nice walk from Covent Garden through Bloomsbury and have just had scrambled eggs on ONE toast at the Tropea Cafe in Russell Square.

my next stop is Euston and home.

But I will sit here in the sun, sip my coffee and watch the dogs play in the park a little while longer

Sunday In London

I've had the best of times.

The best.

Nu is a panacea for most ills and meeting her lightened my heart more than anyone else in this world could possibly do.

On Friday we went to Hawksmoor on Air Street for dinner followed by WALDEN which is a sort of Syfy drama staring the glorious Gemma Arterton. The theater felt safe and welcoming and the play proved to be thoughtful and well acted. 

We went back to Ealing for too much gin and conversation so was muzzy headed for the start of Kew Gardens on Saturday 

Kew, as always was a delight and sunburnt and tired we followed that with cinema inBrentford

Where we saw a fantastic movie called AFTER LOVE staring the comedian actress Joanna Scanlon as a middle aged Muslim Convert who finds out her recently deceased Pakistani husband had led a secret life for 14 years.

Set around Dover, this brooding drama is wonderfully shot and impeccably acted with the dumpy and fallorn Scanlon as a true standout. Her performance, which wavers between stark grief to quiet acceptance literally breaks your heart.

It was Nu's first visit to the cinema post lockdown and she cried when the film started

We both did.

 After the pics we met up with Nu's hubby Jim for a fantastic " Street meal" in an Indian in Northfields which just about set me up for today.

Big breath

Today we had brunch near soho with Nu's sister Margie who I've known nearly as long as Nu

Then it was a quick run to a Tapas bar off Charing Cross Road to meet Sitges John and his boyfriend Geoff.

It's two years since we properly met up and it was fantastic to have a reunion 

Tonight, I'm resting with my old dear friend Going Gently. I've been upgraded at my hotel and window overlooks St Paul's Church in Central Covent Garden .

I was tickled pink.

So what's happening right now?

I'm people watching

As I write this with fat fingers and my phone.

Covent Garden is busy, but not overly crowded

I'm sat with a bottle of wine , calamari and tended to by an over protective Italian waitress who strangely thinks I am deaf. 

I'm on my own , but I'm happy to be here.

Happy that I am loyal to friends who are loyal to me

Happy to be feeling human again

Kew

 

Tick...Tick

 

 The View Through Your Window competition has been an enjoyable romp 

Please send one in if you haven’t already, they all have been a joy to look at.

( send to jgsheffield@hotmail.com) 

This one is my provisional favourite, particularly because of the drama of the background 

Yesterday I prepared the cottage for my friend Ruth who is cottage sitting for a few days .

Long list of instructions for dogs, cat, tv, internet, heating, and vets have been asked for and left....tick

Clean bedding.....tick

Clean toilet..........tick

Nice food in fridge.....tick

Emergency contacts...tick

I’ve told her Affable despot Jason and Trendy Carol will be on hand if disasters happen

I am so looking forward in seeing Nu....we have never spent so much time apart since she went to work in Saudi in the 1990s

I am going to cry buckets when we finally meet

I know we both will .

London

Finally it’s almost time to live a little. On Friday I’m off to London to see Nu. We have theatre, cinema, meals out, Kew Gardens and lots of gossip to catch up on. 

I’m staying two nights with her, then on Sunday I’m catching up with my friend John from Sitges before returning home on Monday. I’ve booked myself into a lovely hotel right in the centre of Covent Garden on Sunday night ...The Z Hotel is rather bijou and is tucked away behind St Paul’s Church, which couldn’t be any better and at 45£ a night . I’m laughing.