Killing Me Softly

 

As usual I’m sat at a table with my coffee.

For me, this is Sitges’ best time of day.

La Santa Maria Hotel has changed hands since we were all last year and the German Matriarch Uta who owned and oversaw everything has been replaced by a faceless manager from a chain of hotels.

The place has been streamlined and changes made, most noticeably. In the guise of the Maître d, who is now a 1980s dressed bundle of nerves with a quick temper and bad manners.

But breakfast time remains what I always remember it as being.

Cheese and sausage and scrambled eggs

Lovely coffee and 

Peace and quiet.

A Spanish version of Roberta Flack’s Killing Me Softly is playing on the radio and The famous Church of Bartomeu and Santa Tecla has rung out the quarter to nine chimes

This pleases me 

We are all talking last night of the significance of having a regular family holiday at the same resort in the same hotel when there are too many new places in the world to visit, and I would agree with that sentiment .

From this post covid year I intend to visit new places and make new experiences 

But for a few days in a blistering August, it’s still lovely to be catching up with the familiar and with family. 

To touch base over coffee and drinks 

To remember and to celebrate.

And With the swift’s screaming in their fish shoal circles around the Town’s Church tower, it’s easy to realise that most things don’t change too much.

Sitges

View from Hotel Room

Hey ho

And lunch

 

Sitges Bound

 

I can’t be arsed with much luggage

T shirts, shorts, undercrackers a book, 

iPad and phone

Family reunion here I come, up at 2 am for airport

If this one is cancelled I’m off to Sheffield

Fact

A Māori performance is called a Rotorua

The performers flutter their hands quickly, a movement called wiri, which can symbolise shimmering waters, heat waves or even a breeze moving the leaves of a tree.

Angitū Whakawātea • Tāmaki Haka Ngahau 2022

Sometimes a group of Maori choristers belting out an Adele tune is exactly what you need on a Thursday Evening/Friday Morning

the power of the harmony is phenomenal. 

Watched, in part a sobfest kannada film with a patient called Charlie 777 which had me and a patient crying buckets

and that's without  effin subtitles!!!

Meatballs

This is a nice old video. 

William, old Winnie and George have long gone leaving Mary as matriarch with the ever neurotic Dorothy  as back up but it’s important to remind myself that the new Puppy will find his way, like his predecessors did, with the help of Swedish meatballs and some continuity of care.

I’m a firm believer of succession planning when it comes to dogs. Having one in back up never dulls the pain of losing an older dog, it just makes is tolerable. 

Dogs also do better in a larger group, I always think. They become more reliant on each other and less reliant on you , which makes the whole pack stronger and more adaptable to change

Mary and Dorothy need a male dog’s presence. 

They spark off each other too much with Dorothy’s blind love for me dominating the pecking order a little too aggressively. 

Winnie, was the calming voice in the pack. 

Now it will be hopefully up to Roger who,

I hope , when older , will be able to step up to the mark and control the girls.

I’ve always, always wanted a dog called Roger.

In fact I really don’t know where the name  Finlay , came from, when my first Welsh terrier arrived .

Roger was always going to be his name

Roger was Gerald Durrell’s first dog and his first friend. 

He was the constant supporting actor in Durrell’s My Family And Other Animals and Birds Beasts and Relatives and The Garden Of The Gods and followed his ten year old master all over the island of Corfu

What was your childhood dog called?

La Santa Maria

 Between now and 7 am Saturday morning , I have to squeeze in two night shifts , one visit to someone in hospital, and a date with a rather sweet guy for dinner.

Early Saturday morning , ( God Willing) I shall be flying to Barcelona in an effort to meet up with my family over in Sitges. Just for a couple of days

I’m only going for three days, I’ve got night shifts and a visit to London to fit in after that to see Nu’s Christmas gift of  Too kill A MockingBird at the Gielgud 

Basil Davies

 

Covid and long term illness has meant that several of the old characters of Trelawnyd  have been effectively isolated from everyday village life. 

Basil Davies , was one of those characters. 

Today was Basil’s funeral. He was 85. 

Born and bred in Trelawnyd, Basil farmed Ochr y Gop most of his life. A bachelor, he shared his beautiful Georgian farmhouse with his sister Mona, who was famous in my eyes as a champion scotch egg maker but who also was the school mistress of Gwaenysgor village school for many years.

I had a great deal of respect for Basil. 

When I had my small holding up and running, he would often stop at my gate for a chat and when I held my open days and ran the flower show, he would always turn up in his Sunday best to support the event.

Quiet and measured, praise given by him , always had extra gravitas and meaning and I remember once feeling near tears when he stopped to thank me for what I had “done for the village”, once one of my open days was over.

I was always grateful to him too as he always took the time to ask how My husband  was and always referred to Chris by his name. That acceptance has always had my respect and was never ever forgotten .

Trelawnyd said goodbye to a dear son today

God Bless You Basil

Streams Full of Stars, like skies at night

 The delightful P reminded me of a poem I know but have never read.

W H Davies’ Leisure 

WHAT is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare?—

No time to stand beneath the boughs,
And stare as long as sheep and cows:

No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass:

No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night:

No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance:

No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began?

A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

I went to Chester this evening to see the Spanish comedy The Good Boss with the delightful Javier Bardem.

It wasn’t as good as I hoped , so I left the Storyhouse early .

It was raining so I drove home and got home late for me at around 10.30. 

The dogs and Albert and I walked down the Lane soon after 

It was humid and raining still, but only lightly 

And we all stopped at the end of the lane and stared at the sky to the West, the clouds over the hawthorn hedges that shadowed the hidden moon.

Albert chatted his teeth at the bats that circled the single street light and seemed to stand and stare too

And Dorothy growled a low growl when the horses in the livery fields stomped their feet in the grass.

Mary sat down and leaned against my calf , just happy in company

We stood there for an age, until my hair flattened 

A poor life if, full of care,

We have no time to stand and stare

The View From My Kitchen Table

 

I’m not sure what I’m doing today.

The new washing machine was supposed to be delivered but that’s been delayed until tomorrow.

I’m sat eating brunch which is an air fried sausage on mozzarella bagel delight and am looking out of the door onto the patio pondering my day.

 

I’ve been pondering for almost two hours now. 

I’m an excellent ponderer. 

Coffee cup getting filled just twice.

I’ve finally booked to see the Spanish movie El Buen Patrón tonight at the Storyhouse

Which pleased me .

Open Range

 I’m just enjoying one of the most underrated Westerns in cinema . Open Range (2003) stars Kevin Costner ,Robert Duvall ( at his most understated) and the gloriously attractive Annette Benning 

The film says a lot about respect, friendship and loneliness. I’m enjoying it with a beer and a large packet of cheese and onion

Benning is the only woman I’d ever go straight for.

Saturday Night & Sunday Morning

I’ve just been sent this song from a friend

They have had , I suspect, a couple of scoops

And are tired and emotional.

We’ve all been there on a lonely Saturday night/ Sunday morning, have we not?

My mother would often ring people late at night “ for a chat”

Those were the days before mobiles when a phone call late at night would always mean bad news.

Often , that assumption would be correct , as my mother could spout drunken rubbish for hours.

Nowadays, our mobiles know who is calling.

And we don’t answer.

Egg and Soldiers

 

Sometimes you get a craving for the food of your childhood

Of butterscotch Angel Delight,

Beans on cheap white bread toast with lashings of butter

Or corned beef hash.

Fruit cocktail out of a tin with only half a cherry, 

Artic roll,

And lucozade with the orange film wrapping.

Neapolitan  ice cream

Evaporated milk mixed with the juice of tinned mandarin oranges,

Coca Cola in glass bottles

Custard with skin

And semolina in school only made bearable by a blob of raspberry jam

Cheese triangles with the ends bitten off and the cheese sucked through.

Full fat ice cold milk

Tonight I had a lightly boiled egg 

And soldiers 

Arse

 

I’m an arse

I’ve been caught speeding again. This time 57 in a 50 zone. 

My fault it was after night shift.

I’ve now set up my sat nav at all times

It reminds me when I’m going too fast

Little else to report. 

The pace of the last few days has changed to a welcomed and silent coffee at the kitchen table.

Albert is happy we are home

By the look of the white duvet cover on my bed he looks as though he’s been making snow angels 

Night shift tonight

Kew

 Now I know Kew Gardens well, it’s a favourite place for me and Nu to go and talk as we amble down the avenues of trees , through the glass houses and by the lakes.

On a beautiful day it’s especially impressive , and doubly so given the scorching high temperatures we’ve been experiencing recently.

Kew has been on Janet’s bucket list for ages , so it was nice for her to tick the box so to speak .

She was up in the hot house platforms like a whippet , with me in tow , but as I really don’t do heights , I refused the tree top walk ( next photo) as 60 feet is out of my play zone.

We met Nu for lunch , then tired weary but contented we jumped on the surprise surprise delayed Avanti Westcoast train home.

London

 

It was a busy day yesterday as Janet wanted to jam in as many tourist things as possible .

Breakfast was coffee and something tasty on the hoof , then a round Robin walk, South Bank, Westminster Bridge, Parliament and Embankment .

We caught a tube to Kensington, enjoyed the Beatrix Potter exhibition and tried not to get over faced with the exhibits. My favourites were Samson Slaying a Philistine by Giambologna and Tippo’s Tiger- the automaton organ from 18th century india

I briefly showed Janet dippy the dinosaur at the National History Museum before we returned to Covent Garden for an early dinner at The Ivy, which was excellent I must admit.

A brief drink later, then it was The Lion King at The Lyceum before an amble back to the hotel.

Today, we are off to Kew Gardens then lunch with Nu 

It’s been good

London

 Lovely to see London through my sister’s eyes

She’s a new visitor 

A great night, meal in Covent Garden , soho bars and Chinatown 

Trains and Mistakes

 

Breakfast table 

Bucket of coffee time. 

I’ve just read my sister’s Facebook entry for today. 

She’s posted the itinerary I put into her Birthday Card and said she was was looking forward to the break

That pleased me no end.

We leave for London this afternoon, a day earlier than planned .

I can thank he RMT strike for the extra day

Fingers crossed the journey in uneventful .

Another coffee…I have time

Just recently I have been thinking of how to deal with someone who sporadically but ,consistently seems to enjoy pointing out my mistakes. 

At first I thought it was me being over sensitive as I’m fully aware of the legacy being a child of critical parents can leave with a person,  but after some feedback from others I realised that this friend, through whatever reason does feed on the mistakes others make too, and is in fact well known for the behaviour

I’ve ignored the comments until recently, but during a conversation they inappropriately reminded me of something I did wrong from over a year ago now!, and did so with a chuckle. 

I stopped my inner child from reacting.

It’s easy to bark back at a snappy dog and with a presence of mind , on reflection I was pleased with

I said simply and quietly “ That comment hurt my feelings “ 

I said nothing else and rode out the short embarrassed silence that followed by thinning my lips and raising my eyebrows in a kind of There Ive said it expression before leaving the situation unrushed.

All of us are often very adapt at saying nothing in situations like these, and I include myself very much in this statement as I can often pick up someone else’s criticism and negativity and carry it around like a badge.

This time I didn’t, and I am glad I didn’t even though it’s easier to say nothing and curl your toes in irritation.

Joni Mitchell “Both Sides Now” with Brandi Carlile Live at Newport Folk ...

This sort of broke my heart a little but uplifted it too

Tula Tula

 A new normal has begun me thinks. 

Travel chaos seems to springing up in hotspots. 

Covid has reached another hidden peak 

And The Archers have finally returned to their Friday night, 7 pm slot.

I listened to The Archers with interest last night ( For those that perhaps don’t know , The Archers is a radio 4;soap opera which has been running nightly ( except Saturdays) since 1951. It airs for under fifteen minutes a night and centres upon the farming community of Ambridge located in the Midlands) 

During the programme, the only Welsh character Natasha ( Mali Harries) has brought her newly born twins home with clueless husband Tom. Whilst the usual banal banter continued ,Natasha and her mother sang a lullaby ( Suo Gân)to the twins in Welsh, the two woman harmonising quite beautifully.

It proved to be a rather sweet moment of gentle drama and pathos in a soap, not always known for its subtly and it’s nostalgia and sense of place can be described well by the welsh word Hiraith

Recently one of our more serious and devout nurses left the hospice and I remember her gently singing the Welsh Hymm Dros Gymru’n Gwlad alongside a patient who was approaching end of life. The music to the hymn is well known to me as we sing a version of it it choir. Sibelius’ Finlandia, but there is something magic and somewhat humbling when you hear someone else sing it out, without embarrassment of self doubt.

Years ago, and I mean perhaps, twenty five years I remember watching one of the African nurses singing a lullaby to a young male patient who couldn’t sleep. The boy was paralysed from the chest down, and was on strict bed rest so she almost knelt at the side of his bed and held his hand, which she  placed under her chin so he could feel the song as well as hear it.

The lullaby was called  Tula Tula and I remember to this day how the busy  ward slowly quietened to silence as everyone, patients and staff, all stopped to listen

Conwy Estuary from Deganwy

It’s not many people that have a full scale medieval castle which dominates an estuary as a view on the way home from work.

I stopped this morning to look at the view.

And felt grateful