Finishing Touches

 It’s still very dry here.

Too dry for the garden flowers which have had a much needed water in order to keep their blooms .

The alliums and aquilegia have filled the borders as usual and I’ve tried to use every container I have to showcase little bursts of colour about the cottage. An old cast iron piece of guttering is now a hanging basket or sorts with little yellow eschscholzia growing in it. 

The sea pinks (armeria martima) in an old French egg basket have bloomed again and the sweet peas have filled an old galvanised bucket by the garden arch ready to climb alongside the wisteria which had returned more robustly than it did last year.

Even the Rosemary I squeezed into a burnt 1930s saucepan last autumn has held its own

I’ve no real news today.

My second covid swab was clear so I will be covering a sick colleagues’ shift on Sunday.

The CBM is here today and tomorrow 

The finishing touches are taking an age! 

Siân Owen’s clock

 

There is one historic painting that is synonymous with Wales and the Welsh culture and that is the Edwardian watercolour Salem painted, strange as it may seem, by an Englishman Sydney Curnow Vosper. 

I first saw a copy of the painting when I was around 18 , where it was proudly displayed in the house of an old girlfriend of mine. Her father was a Welsh Minister and the subject matter, the arrival (late) of a welsh woman Siân Owen to chapel is iconic for it is a depiction of  Welsh religious piety as well as a beautiful rendition of Welsh traditional dress. 

It’s also more famous for it’s suggested depiction of the devil’s face, hidden in the folds of Siân’s rather luxurious shawl. This “ hidden” message was only one of three or so said to present in the painting . 

The clock on the wall hints that Siân’s entry to her family pew is  late and and it’s is said that her beautifully adorned entrance is a comment about pride and ostentatious dress.

If you look closely there is also a ghostly face at the chapel window too. 

I have seen the painting at the Lady Lever Art Gallery in Port Sunlight a few years ago so I understood the reference to the artist and to Siân Owen when villager elder Gwyneth Jones once stood in my front room waiting for me to wrap her some duck eggs into a brown paper bag and I remember well that she pointed to my grandfather clock and said in her thin welsh voice

“ It’s the clock in the painting “ she explained “ The sister painting to Salem” 

The painting she was referring to is “ A Market Day in Old Wales” which shows Siân Owen unpacking eggs and provisions in her welsh country kitchen and in the corner is my Grandfather clock complete with scrolls and pillars 

The Clock’s  scrolls are hidden by the beams 

:

My cottage ceiling is somewhat higher but still shows the beams 

Accessories

 

A quiet day today, as CBM is off taking his missus to the airport.

No more Whitney Houston no more Pet Shop Boys belting out in a Geordie accent.

The sun is out but there is a cool breeze and the cottage windows are wide front and back making the honeysuckle curtains in the front room sway energetically.

I left the ignition on in Bluebell  yesterday so had a flat battery this morning. 

As usual Islwyn came to the  rescue and jump started her for me. 

I gave Bluebell a good run, and recharged nicely dropped in to the garden centre for a final smooch for bathroom accessories like any middle aged gay man worth his salt would do.

To add to the black and white theme, I bought  some houseplants and planters there, a penguin designed toothbrush and some “bespoke” soap were delivered from Amazon today

It’s all a bit much I know, but I don’t care, I’m having fun.

My elder sister popped around yesterday with sweet pea plants, hostas and tomato plants which I will put into the garden this afternoon. She also bought me A White Company scented candle for the new bathroom. 

Quite a few people are getting vicarious pleasures from this makeover…

Hey ho. 

Ps it’s my fifth day post positive swab today ….it’s negative I have to test again tomorrow 

Clint

This is my very favourite moment in the entire Dinnerladies series

 

What’s Schnell in Welsh ?

I’m isolating at home and isolating from the CBM

I’m a social pariah all told. 

With his lovely tendency of wanting to chat, even though I’m in the next room, I’ve taken myself off for a long walk on Colwyn Bay prom , where I can utilise the WiFi and drink coffee safely alone , my face freshened in the wind. 

And he can finish the tiling 

At the next table there is a group of ten who are having a conversation in German .

It’s sort of learn German by chatting group , but because of the off shore wind everyone seems to be shouting and the whole thing feels like a German war film  which has given me a fit of the giggles 

I’m waiting for “ Raus !!! Schnell !!!”

I missed choir last night. Jamie ( RAF moustache etc) sent us all a link which features the choir on a Welsh  mental health radio programme.

We don’t sound half bad…..and our piece is featured around 8 minutes in 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001767h

Schnell in welsh is Cyflym btw

Pig Pen

I haven’t had a shower since Saturday 

A strip wash in the kitchen sink hasn’t helped that much 

I forgot the soap which is hidden under tons of detritus in the spare bedroom, so had to use fairy liquid.

I now have a citrus burst kinda smell coupled with an odd slightly slimy feeling skin

Once on, fairy liquid feels like swarfega to get off

When I was growing up in the late 60s it was normal just to have one Bath a week

Nowadays you are considered sub human if you even contemplated such a feat.

The CBM had just arrived singing Whitney Houston’s I Just Wanna Dance with Somebody 

He’s tiling today

I’ve made the most of my covid lockdown by cleaning windows, gardening and scrubbing the patio .

The old linen fabric of koi carp that I ordered online was delivered and I framed two pieces of it as the basis of the artwork for the bathroom.

Thoughts? Too much fish? Too muted ? 

 

When You Believe…let’s move on

Let’s move on 

I’m a sucker for a big finish ….

Ohhh err missus 

Mave and flis say nothing 

This song  is the best thing from the rather dire musical Prince Of Egypt 

The girl singing in Hebrew is delightful 

I’d love to sing it in choir ….

It would give us shivers 

I play it loud in the kitchen often , especially when next door’s Charlie is yapping

I’ve had to cancel choir for tomorrow night 😥 …I have to re swab on Thursday 

Today  was an odd day because I spent most of it at home. 

I’ve not spent much time alongside CBM but he has spent his working day working hard and singing hits from the 1980s which I found rather endearing.

I spent the day keeping out of his way.

I cleaned bluebell, cut the lawn, locked myself in my bedroom and cleaned every inch of it, before rearranging the inside of kitchen cabinets.fridge and attic store.

Mrs Trellis stopped and we had a long distanced chat about the church. She has been a lady of letters recently and has been complaining bitterly at its closure. 

She wants to know what the Church is going to do with the historic and village centric items from inside the building, especially the war memorial and the famous I am painting .

She also told me that she had voted for me in the community council elections and was surprised that I wasn’t successful 

I informed her out of the six new entrant nominees three had managed to get onto the council thus balancing it out nicely. It was never our expectation that all six would get in over the old guard.

Mrs Trellis’ eyes went wide

Suddenly understanding the extent of our attempted “coup”

The gang of six has been the centre of much village gossip for a few weeks now

Tee hee.

Oh btw Chic Eleanor ( right) and her sister are in Peru doing a sponsored bike ride for the Alzheimer’s association ….chic by name, chi by nature x

Ps the bathroom looks LOVELY 

It may be finished by Friday 

A Note From The Editor

 

Last night’s blogging was a rather unpleasant experience.

And generally blogging shouldn’t be.

Life is hard enough sometimes without snide asides, finger pointing and bad tempers.

I’ve been accused  of being everything from an unfair blog host and a bad friend, to being Walter Mitty crossed with Vladimir Putin. 

One commentator even called me promiscuous 

An epithet I never managed to live up to even when I had a 34 inch waist and underpants to die for.

Now can I make a few things clear. 

I am a poor blogger in some ways, I will admit that.

I don’t always read every comment 

I will sometimes miss a thread or an insult but unlike most of you out there I do work full time and so I don’t have the time to forensically review every one of my words, let alone the comments of others.

Going Gently is my journal and my company. It’s my go to place and is a bit of a sanctuary 

I don’t invite people to insult me in my own home, so I except the same courtesy here. 

I may disagree with other blog writers on their home turf , and

Contrary to some’s belief , I never mind being disagreed with here on Going Gently 

But there’s always a polite way to do it without it being a mission in life.

It’s a fucking blog for God’s Sake

Nothing more. 

So there you have it. 

I’m not perfect but I will always endeavour to be fair where comments are involved. 

If I fail and anger you , all I can say is  I’m sorry you are angry, I don’t go out of my way to upset anyone.

I don’t live my life like that so why would I knowingly live my blogging life the same way.

I am almost 60 years old,

I am reasonably emotionally intelligent when understanding my own motivations , foibles and prejudices 

And when I want advice, I am rather good at asking for it.

Anyhow If you don’t like the way I blog….

Tough titty, it’s how I do it, warts and all, mistakes and all, inconsistencies and all

If you don’t like it. Just don’t read it .

Ps comments have been disabled for 24 hours 

If anyone would like to discuss anything I’ve written further please do so privately on jgsheffield@hotmail.com

Positive

 Finally 

After two and half years on the front line 

I’ve got covid  

A Cool Pillow

 Terminal Agitation can be a common symptom of the dying process. 

It can start a couple of weeks before death and can be characterised as being behaviours that are restless, unsettled and anxious in nature. Some patients are fidgety, others distressed, sometimes angry, sometimes confused. And the causes can be complicated and multifaceted.

Often patients are hypoxic, or have deranged blood work.

Their primary disease may be affecting their bodies adversely with pain, and sepsis, infection and organ failure being other important factors.

Hospice care is often all about managing these conditions.

Medication has its role and is a big factor

Communication and the simple but practical dealing with issues such as dehydration, constipation and retention of urine are others .

It’s a complicated issue.

This morning, in the wee small hours when nothing feels right 

Medications and communication and pain relief and positioning all had a role to play in the quietening of terminal agitation. 

But the final straw that helped the most, at 5.30 am when the patient was most forlorn ?

A cool, almost cold pillow against a cheek

A pillow that had been left next to a slightly open window 

A pillow smelling “ Vaguely of the Irish sea”

Titivation

 While the CBM continues to lick the bathroom into shape.

I thought about titivation 

Now the essentials have already been bought.( Black accessories to set against the plain subway white tiles) but I wanted one little burst of colour to lift the room

I trolled on line and found a Japanese inspired cotton linen of koi Carp which I thought would look nice framed with a white border in a plain black frame

Loo Tales

You need to read the previous blog post first 

I had been asleep no more than 35 minutes when my phone went.

It was the CBM 

And he was suitably upbeat 

“ Can you come home?  “ he asked with an embarrassed laugh  “ Ive locked myself in the outside loo”

Silence

 The CBM sings loudly and badly. 

It’s fun to listen to , but what with the banging and hammering in the claustrophobia of a 17th Century cottage it feels amplified and overwhelming.

My morning dog walk wasn’t restful as Dorothy was in one of her yappy moods and fearing more tree felling activities when I returned to the village , I dropped the girls off at Trendy Carol’s and took myself off for a quiet coffee.

Y Shed was packed with walkers with their dogs when I got there and there was a loud snarling fight between a poodle and a sheepdog just as I raised my americano to my lips.

I took myself off to my sister Ann’s house and let myself in.

It’s a large family house, full of antiques and paintings and memories 

And it was silent , save for a ticking clock and the odd creak Edwardian houses always seem to encourage when floorboards contract during the heat of the day.

No chainsaws.

No bulldog snores

No singing of power ballads 

No coffee chatter

Nothing.

The shower was hot and the sheets crisp 

And the silence of the old house was the best time I’ve had all week

Too Much Activity

 I knew I needed to get out of the village today.

The council tree fellers have started on the dead and dying ash trees that border the old grave yard and the village is buzzing with the sound of chainsaws and wood cutters.

I had to stop for a moment to say goodbye to one particular tree which used to house Alf,Hughie and Ivy, my spirited trio of guinea fowl in years gone by.

It’s devastating to see the demise and destruction of the Ash Trees and I hope the conservation group may be able to replant some of the losses. 

At least my laburnum looks robust and healthy.

The noise from the field and the cheerful banging from the CBM was all too much so I joined a friend in Liverpool for a sunny lunch outside an Italian restaurant in Liverpool One. 

It seemed calmer than Trelawnyd.

Over a very nice chicken salad and a small Pinot  the CBM called to say that there had been a “bit of a leak” and there was now a hole in the kitchen ceiling 

I refused to get stressed by it . I’m sure it will all get sorted

After lunch I bought a glass shelf from John Lewis.

I got home after four and went to vote. It’s our local elections as well as our community council election and I’m one of 6 new prospective community councillors putting themselves forward in a bit to ensure some balance on the council .

The cottage looks a bit rough when I got home.

Hey ho

Toilet news, Towels, The Northman and Chewbacca saves the day

 There seems to be a bit of interest in the location and origin of my second loo! It’s located in the shed outside and was, as far as we were told, non functioning and not plumbed in .

The shed has been the repository for my bike and dog crates for years so I’m delighted to see it resurrected  back into a working, if basic bog! 

Bless the CBM, he got it working and cleaned it up and left some toilet paper inside for me.

That’s going beyond his remit.

I’ve been out for the day, as the rest of the bathroom was ripped out, the new bathroom was delivered and all of the electrics were put in for the shower. I met a friend for breakfast then , not being far from work , I called into the hospice for a long shower, before popping into TK Max to buy some impractical but delightfully fluffy white towels for my new heated towel rail.

After that I went to see the dire Viking “ epic” The Northman which was an hour I’m never going to get back again. I walked out early, tired of the mud and gore . It wasn’t a total waste of time as I popped into the new  flash Marks for some tahini paste and practiced with my news at nav on the journey home.

My nephew texted about our forthcoming visit to comic con. Apparently some of my heroes from Tbe Walking Dead will be there! How exciting….

I’m reminded of this incredibly moving clip of “ chewbacca” meeting one of his fans

Now that comic con character has class

A 2 Toilet Household

 

CBM was a miracle worker yesterday.  

Not only did he remove a cast iron bath single handedly but managed to get it down the stairs and into the garden without any help.

A phone call to village elder Islwyn was all it took to have his brother, who lives on High Street to come and collect it for scrap. 

Bish Bash Bosh 

All done and dusted. 

CBM also found out that I have a small outhouse that has an old non working toilet in it. In minutes he had repaired the loo thus providing me with a spare ! 

I am now an official 2 toilet household! 

My mother would have been very proud indeed.

Up early today as I’m not getting caught with my pants down again . 

I’m going out for the day after walking the dogs 

Garlic eye level

I’ve just watched Van De Valk on sky 

And remembered that  I actually bought this single in 1973

Meanwhile earlier

 This is the view of the wild garlic groves just north of Trelawnyd at Dyserth this evening 

The scent is almost overwhelming 

A Poo In Sainsburys

 I'm in Sainsburys 

Feeling a bit shell-shocked. 

I set the alarm for 8.15 and slept the deep jet lagged sleep of the night nurse until there was a merry bang on the door just before 8am. 

Cheerful Bathroom man (CBM) was ripping the bath out minutes later.

I gathered the girls up and took them to Trendy Carol's. Booked a skip then made CBM a coffee before I realised I needed to "go" 

My routine is often down to the minute! 

That's what I like

A nice long "sit" and a read of the news.

Bliss.

Anyhow the bathroom already looked like Coventry during the Blitz so

I came to sainsburys for an anonymous poo.

I've only just "come round" and that was after a rather robust cooked breakfast and two large Americanos.

My head is still on nights.

YooHoo

 

Mary was in-fact asleep sat up in the photo

There is something really satisfying when big jobs are completed at home.

After a sleep , I’ve  prepared the cottage for the workman tomorrow.jobs which included clearing the bathroom and filling the log store so that the workman can park his van in the cleared driveway. 

It’s overcast but warm so the lane has been busy which has been nice as it’s refreshing to see non hospice people .

Affable Despot Jason and his girls stopped to chat and Eve ( above) grabbed the opportunity to cuddle Mary.

And as I watered the flower beds I caught Pippa from the Rectory having a long conversation with Sailor John from next door. 

Mrs Trellis walked past too and waved calling “ You hooo” like old ladies often do

She was eating an ice cream bought from the ice cream van that still visits the village in an afternoon and which plays just one cornetto on its speakers 

Bluebells

 

I’ve always loved Bluebells.

This is the best time of year for them.

That and wild garlic which now fills the senses with smells of France and Italy as it carpets the woodlands around Trelawnyd in white

Those woodlands now fly the colours of Greece and Argentina or even Finland depending on the intensity of the bluebell’s blue.

My garden bluebells are robust and dark. I stole a few bulbs from Bodnant Gardens over a decade ago and the tiny plants have repaid me by filling the cottage borders in early May 

I have a day off before the bathroom man arrives. 

So after a sleep , I will clear the decks ready

But will also cut a few bluebells for the front room. 

In a tiny Art Deco vase and against the gentle yellow paintwork , the flowers seem, at their best