Stormy Weather

 

It’s been stormy overnight

I’ve slept badly 

Two long days at work now

Bucket of coffee this morning 

The lane feels cold

The Last Duel ….almost

 I often write about nice things but don’t let that fool you.

I’m not always a nice person .

I’ve had a mixed day all told. 

Dog walk.

Flu jab

A Meeting about the Church

All positive affairs to be sure

Then my arranged meet with a friend for a supportive chat was cancelled and so on the spur of the moment I booked a ticket to see The Last Duel ( the film raved about by Rachel on her blog) 

It’s a 52 Mile round trip to the cinema and I arrived in good time, buying a coffee for myself and I seated myself into my allotted seat in the dark cinema to wait.

We waited, and waited and waited and eventually the manager came out to say the film was “ rebooting ” and that it wouldn’t be long 

Over half an hour later we were still waiting and in one of his brief visits the manager told us the cinema had experienced several similar problems since they had reopened. 

Finally he told us that the film was cancelled and he was sorry and after handing out complementary tickets without a murmur the meagre audience got up to leave . He reminded everyone that the film was showing later again tonight and tomorrow.

Now that really pissed me off.

I wasn’t rude or loud or obnoxious but I was  quietly assertive and pointed.

I acknowledged that he wasn’t to blame personally but I told him that I thought the problem was not acceptable , especially as he had already acknowledged that similar issues had already been flagged up.

I also reminded him that we live in a rural county where people travel long distances just to see a movie and that any existing and recurrent problems should have be ironed out before the film was open for booking

 

I turned into one of those complainers I always hate to deal with myself.

A reasonable one that won’t lie down 

I’m like a dog with a bone

Anyhow I got my money back too. 

Was I unreasonable ? Don’t answer that one

I am what I am and I’m not asking for a lecture 

Like I said, I’m not always Julie Andrews

A Mercy Killing

I bought some new work shoes from Sainsbury’s today, they cost me 20£

When I got home I ceremoniously binned my crocs 

They had holes in the soles

I said a prayer over the Willie bin 

RIP 

 

Choir

It was time to return to choir 

Singing outside lacks the acoustic bang that the rafters of Gwaenysgor village Hall provide to our singing, and so after all of the risk assessments have been done, Jamie with his not so RAF 1940s lockdown beard decided it was safe enough for us all to return.

Meeting last week for Debra’s funeral underlined the power of our little choir, even though many of us in one section don’t even know the names of others in another.

Jamie’s mom, who sings with the soprano’s, described things rather personally and tearfully when she referred to the choir as family.

A family that shares songs rather than food, or history, or relationships 

Tenor Hattie hasn’t had her baby yet. 

Everyone has been asking.

Lindi ‘s dog Charlie has been sadly put down, and she wryly reminded the choir that no one will see “her Charlie” on zoom anyone, which was the constant lockdown choir joke.

I’ve just had a long bath which made me feel human again  and dressed in a clean outfit I was just about to have a coffee before choir when I spied an email from Hillary the choir secretary 

Choir cancelled tonight, it read, Jamie has a bug.

Bollocks ! 

Ps. village Elder Islwyn sent me this photo from the UK’s worst NATIONAL newspaper 

Brief and lacking in some detail for sure, but at least we’ve gone national 

Sunday

When you live alone, you fall into a pace that is uniform, which if not predictable, remains steady and measured. At midday I cut the remaining sweet peas from the garden arch and made a Korean gochujang stir fry sauce by mixing the hot gochujang paste with lemon juice, sesame oil, ginger, soy, Sherry and a bit of sugar .

I added it to sweet Spanish peppers, udon noodles, mushrooms and chicken and ate half with chopsticks and saved the rest for night shift supper.

I invested in a large jar of kimchi ( Fermented vegetables) a couple of weeks ago so had that as a small side dish 

I’m now farting with the force of the Queen Mary’s hooter because I went back for more

I washed windows, swept the path and visited the ponies with the dogs who strained their necks under the electric fencing in order to go a friendly nose to warm nose with new strangers.

I spoke to Nu who was travelling back to London from her second home in Ireland and arranged to meet her in Liverpool for dinner next Sunday. Saturday I’m going to see the acclaimed production of Antigone at the Chester Storyhouse with Gorgeous Dave which won’t be a bag of laughs but should be good and stimulating as it has a four star review in the press.

I’m also back to choir on Tuesday night.

We are finally returning to indoor singing.

I rearranged the cutlery drawer, filling one of the slots with my new collection of chopsticks which was geeking satisfying and started Richard Osman’s new mystery The Man Who Died Twice on the couch as Dorothy went at it on my sore knee.

It was here we all fell asleep 

Until the light faded and the cold air from the open back door woke me up well after five.

 

Family Snap

 I found this on my phone last night

I’d forgotten about it because ….

I was slightly pissed wheni took it.

It’s a photo snap of a photograph taken in the wedding photo booth late Friday night

I liked this silly addition to modern wedding etiquette 

A booth where drunk wedding guests could dress up like loons and get photographed as a memory in lieu of those vapid formal wedding photos of yesteryear 

The photo was then put into an album with written comments by the sitters

All I wrote was “ There’s life in the old dogs yet”

I think it summed up things quite nicely….well so I thought….

I’m on nights later today , so I’ve been out for a long walk and breakfast at y shed

Mary waited patiently whilst Dorothy chewed her lead until it snapped

I’m a bit Tired of all and then nothing ……..

Dancing

You can feel that things can become somewhat anticlimactic after the business of a wedding.

Ive pottered today then met Chic Eleanor for an early supper and some “darling John time” at The Crown 

Tonight I’ve settled down to read the rest of Miriam Margolyes autobiography .

I’m not following Strictly,but was greatly moved-by the above professional routine of last week

The Best Bit

 

There's always a best bit of any wedding

What was Mine?

Dancing with my sister janet to Abba!

Wedding Day

Bit squiffy

Bro In law Tim,sister in law Jayne, me,elder sister Ann .twin Janet and her husband ned

Before The wedding

 Bucket of coffee and it’s another day.

Yesterday was a sad one

Today will be a happy one

It’s my nephew’s wedding

I’m sipping decaf this morning but it’s a good one

And am looking a my art wall which is now complete 

The last wedding I went to was my own

It will be good to go to another 

A Country Funeral

 

We have lost three members of the choir this last year.

And today the choir sang at soprano Deb’s funeral.

It was an emotional and difficult afternoon all told. 

Difficult because Deb’s partner is also a chorister 

And difficult because of the fact that Deb took her own life, 

A suicide by fire.

Caerwys church is a robust handsome little Church hidden away in the centre of a large village six miles South of Trelawnyd. The choir met around 1pm and we Sheltered from the cold against the wall next to the main door, hands in pockets.

In Wales covid rules still apply at funerals, so only 30 mourners were in Church.

A hundred or so people lined the Church paths outside and as the coffin was brought in under a grey sky growing heavier from the North,  we sang a selection of quiet, gentle songs,  rather shakily I thought.

The service was relayed through speakers to the people in the graveyard and we listened to an emotional, intensely personal  and totally woman led service which had a certain warmth all of its own.

The choir surprised the congregation by singing one of Deb’s favourite African songs as the coffin left the Church and it was lovely and rather heartbreaking to see her partner Claire, who usually sings tenor next to me,  singing it too with a sad smile on her face but with her head held high against the chill of the afternoon.

Meatball Mary

Both dogs have been clingy after my two long days at work

Mary fell asleep tonight, well after nine, she was  sitting up on my knee 

With a single Swedish meatball still in her mouth 

I’ve just messaged my sister saying I hope we will have fun at the wedding 

Swan Song

 Trendy Carol has sorted Mary’s haircut today and has offered to take her to the groomers with her own dog

Her husband Euan will look after Dorothy when I’m at work .

They are looking after the dogs too when I go to my nephew’s wedding. 

Filling in for Boffin Cameron, who has been struck down with Covid

I couldn’t cope without the both of them

I see William Shatner is going into space today ( albeit for ten minutes ) 

He’s 80 and I thought what a marvellous swan song it is for him to be part of this mission.

Off to work….

Crisps Standing Up

 I’m late home

I’m Working again tomorrow. 

And I’m too tired to make a planned meal of chicken and udon noodles all left out neatly on the kitchen worktop.

After some rummaging I found a packet of fish and chips crisps in the back of the larder and ate them all standing up as the dogs and Albert eagerly slurped their suppers. 

I couldn’t tell the flavour for the life of me.

I will leave you with one of a whole series of my favourite tiktok videos 

It’s a simple illustration of a Chinese country man cooking for himself and his son 

Quite hypnotic and rather magical 

I’m off to watch the half season finale of The Walking Dead in bed 

Gracie and Judith are in trouble 

Duds

 

Chic Eleanor had originally agreed to act as my fashion guru today but was unavailable for a trip to Liverpool so my friend Colin stepped into her expensive Italian Bruno Cucinelli sandals and gave me the benefit of his fashion advice.

Anyone who knows me well knows that I have an “eclectic” type  of fashion sense which is complicated somewhat by colourblindness and a limited budget but with Colin flexing his impressively sartorial gay muscles I was in safe hands. 

I did make things a little difficult when I bought a jacket before I met Colin. 

It’s wool and nicely heavy, but he pursed his lips just a little and said with a bit of exasperation  “hummmm  I see we are going for an obvious country theme here” 

We entered John Lewis skipping.

The salesman had an interesting take on formal ware shopping. Because of covid he said suits and jackets just haven’t been selling until a few weeks ago when everyone either needed a new outfit for work, to replace ones not fitting because of lockdown weight gain or needed to purchase wedding outfits , weddings open to more than a handful of guests. 

The shelves were pretty empty .

Having said this almost two hours later, Colin had picked out two pairs of trousers, two dress shirts, a belt, a pair of shoes and a trendy tie. 

I was exhausted but satisfied we had made the right decisions so we had chips and curry for a late lunch in way of celebration .

I even bought a handkerchief for my top pocket 

Hey ho

Herding Cats

 

I’m herding cats

I think it’s going to be that sort of week

I’ve got my bucket of coffee ready and am trying to sort out “ when and where!”

But it’s a case of too much to do

God knows when I’m going to get the pilgrim paperwork sorted out for the Church and Chic Eleanor texted me a darling John where are you text last night when I was unconscious on the couch after night shifts.

I’m off to Liverpool shortly to get the wedding clothes ( more stressful than looking after a poorly patient on a ventilator)

Tuesday and Wednesday I’ve got two thirteen hour day shifts 

Thursday it’s Bluebell’s MOT, a funeral , a vets appointment and a concert

Friday is the wedding

Sunday and Monday more long days at work 

Saturday I’m scheduling a lie down in a darkened room with a wet face flannel over my face

Infamy

The Daily Post’s on line article came out today click on link below

https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/north-wales-village-faces-being-21785184

Mave left me a message which simply said “15 minutes of infamy “

All Change

 The village pub The Crown has had a facelift recently .the main old farmhouse is now a smart battleship grey and sports a smart new “ Crown” logo with white trim. 

It’s nice to see the old girl looking a bit spruce so to speak.

The two chapels, now closed and sold are waiting their conversions into houses. The older building on Chapel street, which was originally a “ corn” market hall built way back in 1700 will undergo its last transformation hopefully soon, as will the red brick more utilitarian chapel on London Road. 

Conversions such as these are often sympathetic to the original design and flavour of the original architecture and will , I hope, be assets to the village

I’m waiting to go home.I have a headache. My lateral flow test , just taken because of said headache ( a rarity for me) is negative.

Day staff are wandering in, in drips and drabs and it’s almost time to go home.

Routine

 I make a point of going out for a walk when I’m on night shifts. 

Even the shortest of ambles breaks the claustrophobic monotony of working all night and sleeping all day.

We walked down the lane at six pm. It was overcast and cooling rapidly and the sky had a slightly yellow tinge to it. 

It suddenly feels like autumn.

And of rain.

Untidy black “V’s” of Canada geese move east in the sky and the ponies, fortified  by being fed and watered by their owner Sue cantered up and down field neighing and whickering excitedly .

Albert remained home, hunched on the lawn, pretending not to be watching out for the house sparrows chattering inside the honeysuckle by the front door.

We amble home. 

Under the new arch over the gate, which still sports the final sweet pea blooms of summer.

The dogs curl up together on the couch to keep warm as I get ready for work. 

Life plods on

The Royal Opera House

 

Although I have seen several productions live at the cinema, I haven’t been physically back to The Royal Opera House since I went with my husband over three years ago now.

I thought it was about time to return.

Last night, on my break, I trolled the internet and found two reasonable tickets for the acclaimed ballet production of Romeo and Juliet , showing in February and bought them quick sticks.

The auditorium of the Opera House is a breathtaking over indulgence in gold and red.

Shaded lights cram the balconies and boxes and when full over 2,200 people share the view the place seems to glow in a golden light…it’s a view I have never tired of over the years.