"Out with anger.in with love"

It has been an angry sort of day today, you know the sort, one pissy thing leads to another pissy thing and you find yourself wanting to rip the head off a small child. First there was a nicotine fuelled argument with Chris ( well lack of nicotine if you see my drift), followed by the pillow faced farmer retrieving the water butts he delivered earlier in the week. It is a long story, but in a nut shell he delivered the butts thinking they were for the Churchyard rather than for me and when he found out he wanted the bloody things back. I hate bullies and his attitude was forceful and overbearing in the extreme, which angered me more. The fact that I had already bought 20 quid sheets of plastic to cover them with pissed me off also, but as I had not actually paid him for the butts I had not a leg to stand on! and gave them back. At least all parties involved with this Childish behaviour know exactly how I feel about it all, and boy was I graphic of how EXACTLY I felt! Anyhow two power walks and two long dog walks actually helped to calm my nerves somewhat until ( yes there is always an until) after an hour of filling my new compost bins, a neighbour came to me to ask if I could move them all behind a hedge as they were ugly! I almost smacked her ! as she cannot actually SEE the field from her bungalow! let alone see the bins! anyhow as sweetly as I could I said I wouldn't move them as I had spent all afternoon filling them but I would screen them from the road as a concession. The neighbour started to get thin lipped and polite, but I was having none of it and marched off to watch Mildred Pierce trying manfully to climb the chicken coop roof.

The good news today was from fat fighters as I have now lost 30 lbs! ( a miracle as we went out for four meals last week) only 6 lbs to go! to target weight.) and from my friend Nige who has almost found a new house to live in in Manchester! Nu, however is still having a bloody awful time in Liverpool. Wish I could be more helpful.

Grbavica (2006)

Grbavica (2006) (English title Esma's Secret), showing tonight at Theatre Clwyd, is a tough, sad film set in modern day Sarajevo. The story seems fairly simple:- A single mother's story about her dead husband, a supposed former war hero, starts to be questioned by her twelve-year old daughter, with devastating consequences. The 1990s Balkan War haunts Esma's Secret like a depressing spectre, and it doesn't take long to realise that Esma (the mother in question) is one of the hundreds of rape survivors, whilst her daughter is the product of her assault. Not a fun film but a sensitive and moving one. The Balkin states always remind me of the poor areas of somewhere like Rhyl ( or is that visa versa?), all very industrial and grey! and very sad!

Wanted to catch up with Nu today as her mother is really poorly and the whole family is meeting in Liverpool, awful,awful time,

The Allotment grows

Ok, Ok I am a veg bore, but I am so excited that the mud of the allotment is turning into a sea of green new growth. Today we have had that irritating drizzle that soaks you to the skin in ten minutes, but I have stuck with it until 5pm! and have put in more broad beans,sweet peppers,runner beans ! I have also cleaned my large blue water butts and moved them to disguise some very odd graffiti splattered all over them (Jewish Cu*ts!!!)- who would write that sort of rubbish here?

I have recycled one old compost bin and blagged one off Janet's neighbour who was throwing it away (below)

The hens are starting to show their "personalities" now they have settled in. Mildred Pierce (pic) is beginning to be my favourite as she seems friendlier than the others. She has spent much of the morning watching my efforts on the plot with quiet interest from the warmth of the second hen house. The Nolans are the shyest of the girls, they spend much of their time sitting in the gloom of the coop, eating and by the look of the floor , shitting buckets!

Chris has been in London working today, wonder how stopping smoking has gone?

Bodnant Gardens, meeting Ruth and Sorrel leaves

The famous laburnum arch at Bodnant Gardens should have looked like this picture as the time of year is just right, but we were slightly disappointed as the flowers had not quite draped themselves as low and as colourful as we expected. The colours from the masses of Rhododendrons and Japanese deciduous Azaleas are wonderful and even Chris (who is left a little cold by vegetation) was impressed. Sorrel enjoyed our day out and this morning she has caught the train back to Broadstairs after another nice visit.

Sorrel is one of those people that has made a sucess out of her life despite not always having huge confidence in herself. She has a professional job, a mass of friends and a busy social lifestyle, and I am always envious of her self discipline and abilities to always do something new. It was good to see her. It was also good to catch up with old friend Ruth and her family yesterday. They were having a break at Pontins over this weekend and stopped for a coffee,chat and play with the chickens on their way home.

Ruth, I always think is a true survivor also and the stereotypical northern wife, mother and friend in the Coronation Street-type tradition. With a heart as big as a house and a natural Les Dawson persona she provides the necessary old fashioned nursing skills , so absent from the hospital care of today and I do miss her self depreciating humour and sharp banter. We don't do children very well, but her kids were well behaved and rather sweet, even Chris spent his time playing with them on his moped, but I guess we will always keep with the dogs rather than ever contemplate gay adoption! (too many antiques and my obsession with tidiness would never allow!).

Tramps and thieves

A few years ago Bev Kilner and I went to see Cher on her "farewell tour" at the Sheffield Arena, and I am not sure if it was the fact that I had split from a previous partner (who loved Cher) or the fact that the performance and venue was slightly aseptic and insincere, but I was so disappointed by the whole affair. Tonight admittedly after a Chardonnay and a very busy day, I surprised myself by watching the whole of the concert ( how many farewell tours HAS Cher actually had?) and found myself enjoying every shallow,crass,and slightly wooden minute of it!

Saturday & Sunday treats and the art of barter

Sorrel enjoyed Osborn House and I must admit the food was lovely.(The picture makes the place looks like a tart's dressing room, but honest the place is pretty classy looking) We had another treat today as we went out to lunch at Prestatyn's Bistro,and the food there was very comforting and and very different to the classy over-the-top grub in Llandudno! Sorrel cracks me up, cos after a couple of large reds she chatters like a character created by Alan Benett!-
anyhow as I am writing this Chris is asleep on the couch and Sorrel is busy watching The Queen on dvd!

I have been acquiring the skill of barter and swaps in developing the allotment! Already I have organised a steady supply of water from next door's outside tap in return for 6 eggs weekly and Ned is servicing a petrol strimmer I am to acquire from Andrew for more eggs. The local farmer (with a ruddy face the size of a large pillow) has delivered my vast water containers today and Ann and her friends from the Prestatyn co-operative allotment has drip fed me seedlings of a whole variety of veg! Having more contacts through the Trelawnyd Flower Show committee may be of use to! I hope so.


Slightly colder and rainy today! At least the garden looks a bit fresher!

My trendy mother-in-law and hen naming...

Sorrel is visiting and is now sporting a new trendy hairdo to go with her trendy apparel. She has a pathalogical hatred of everything feathered, so to get her walking around a chicken coop is a thing to observe (and indeed photograph)

Today we have been doing relaxing things like walking the dogs on the beach and coffee, later we are all off to Osborn House in llandudno for a meal with Janet and Ned and Andrew and Jayne.

Lying in bed this morning I have finally named the new arrivals! The four red ambers all look alike, so I have christened them the NOLAN SISTERS, as do the white Rockets who have been named THE ANDREWS SISTERS!

I know I have four whites and there were only three Andrews girls, but hey that's life.

The dark Grey hen is to be known as WHOOPIE (after Whoopie Goldberg in Ghost, as she looks pretty Ghost-like) and the little light Grey/blue hen I have called BABY JANE! as she has big dark circles under her eyes like Bette Davis! The last two remaining girls were easy to pick as the large white and brown Sussex is now MILDRED PIERCE (well we had to have one Joan to one Bette) and the big busty golden hen I have called RAQUEL WELSH! (for obvious reasons)!

38!!!! today and 28.5 lbs lost

Birthday boy is 38 today! and is easily pleased as he wants to go out to a greasy joe cafe for lunch! (are we the cosmopolitan couple that actually had lunch at the Russian Tearooms in New York?) We have in fact promised each other that we will go back to the big apple on Chris' 40th, but in the meantime Gails Cafe will suffice!

Chris has gone riding now and I have just got back from fat fighters! TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS IS NOW OVER TWO STONE!! I am chuffed I have done so well. Carole has done brill too which is nice as both of us now feel alot more confident and happier with the way we look!