Distant support

Texting, I have been told is somewhat of a new art form coupled with easy communication. True the old tradition of phonecalls on birthdays and at midnight on New Year's Eve have been taken over with the brief often pithy and heartfelt text!, and living away from many friends in Sheffield and the south, I increasingly use texting to touch base with a loved one, when I get the urge!

I always see texting similar to that brief touch of an arm or amiable pat on the back between people who like each other; these physical contacts are tiny but important snippets of contact some friends need to perform to reinforce their connections and friendship. The power and importance of a few tiny words via texts have been so evident to me this weekend.

I heard that an old friend has been having serious mental health issues, and texting allowed me contact with them, without exerting pressure or overt stress for them to communicate at length . we touched base, I passed on my love, I offered support, we laughed (lol) but more importantly we opened a dialogue and I was very grateful to be able to do that so easily.

Godzilla Lives

The egg on the right is a "normal" sized egg, so you can appreciate that the one on the left is a bit of a monster! No wonder there was such loud clucking emanating from the hen house this afternoon!

The weather is dreadful today! and will be for the next week or so, (Even in Broadstairs where we are off to on Monday to see Chris' family.) They have a beach hut in the pretty harbour so here's hoping they have a kettle and blankets and an umbrella stashed away in it!

Learning from the Jedi veg masters and good news!

Had a few minutes spare before fat fighters, so went to Prestatyn to gain some vegetable insights from Sister Ann and her allotment co-operative buddies.

They are a cheerful and informative lot, and I was soon swapping ideas, obtaining seeds ( for eggs) and enjoying finding out that I am actually doing ok!

you can guess Carole and I have both reached our fat fighters goals (on the same day!!!!!!!!!) Here we are with our gold certificates and believe me- it was the best 80 quid we have spent in a long time!

I may have taken the piss out of weightwatchers for a a good while, but after 5 months of "lifestyle" change, I do feel more confident and happier in my new healthier and less bulbous body! Strangely, I am as proud of myself loosing over three stone as I was getting my g grade! I actually cannot believe that I was nearly 16 stone and now weigh 12 stone 5!

Celebrated this afternoon with a one off KFC which was bliss! (three pieces of chicken AND fries!!) oh and a DIET COKE!!!

Shaping things up and Theatre Clwyd

These are the last of my second early potatoes, and I can tell you that there will be a score of disappointed housewives waiting for their orders to be filled! The sweetcorn you can see is doing very well, as is my spinach, so I may be able to appease them very soon with alternative veg! (oh er missus)


I have started work on veg plot number two, and Hazel's idea of seasonal organic veg boxes for sale, seems like a definite possibility for next year! and I am not joking! Today I planned chicken run number two, and spent a little time with the "girls" having my lunch. Robina looks a little listless and quiet and I am worried she is heading for the big hen house in the sky, as Sarah her sister had done earlier this year! I hope not she is the grand dame of the coop.


Went to the cinema this evening with Hazel to see something similar to the awful Love Actually. Fauteuils d'orchestre (2006) is a low burner of a film. Initially uneven with a rather bland heroine, it doesn't half grow on you. A blurb from the Internet describes the synopsis as follows :-

Four people, unconnected, meet in a cafe in Paris. Jessica, has just arrived in Paris and is longing to become someone, she takes a job as a waitress in a cafe next door to a theatre until she hits the big time. Catherine is a successful soap opera actress but longs for big screen fame, while Jean-François is a piano prodigy whose fame is more than he ever wished for and he craves to be left alone. Jacques has spent most of his time and money collecting art but has decided to sell it all. The four meet in the cafe where Jessica works and talk over their issues...

The art deco setting, happy ending and French twist, makes this comedy rather pleasing rather than hilarious, and at times the performances of Albert Dupontel as a disillusioned pianist, and singer Dani as the retiring concert hall's "dresser" are wonderfully moving.

The dogs get out

It has been a beautiful day today, and like most of the local farmers who are desperate to get the haylage cut, I have been all day in the allotment. The dogs had been walked on the beach early, so after leaving them in a sandy pile in the sun near the back door I went to set up the strimmer and collect the days eggs. Now I know I shut both gates of the back garden, so felt ok at leaving them for a while, but it was only a few minutes later that I caught sight of the familiar figure of George running up the up the lane with William in tow! obviously frightened by the passing farm lorries. Now none of the dogs bar Maddie have much road sense and the silage traffic had almost killed Joan earlier ( she still has a tendency to lie in the road) I vaulted the field gate like a madman and scooped both dogs up before they could wag half a tail but that sick knot in the pit of your stomach is a bloody awful feeling, especially as Meg and Maddie were no where to be seen. I felt like a new mother who had been seperated from her child for the first time! Dumping the boys in the car, I ran up to the main road ( not easy in wellies) and there was Meg watching the streaming traffic! only inches from the main road. With my heart in my mouth, I bellowed "Come here!" in my biggest commanding voice and for the first time in her life, she turned and trotted obediently up to me! I could have kissed her. (see pic)
Maddie was still no where to be seen on the main road,so I galloped down to the car (thank god for weightwatchers) to look for her. After a frantic few minutes I had to laugh (hysteria not far away I feel), as there she was sat on the path waiting patiently for me to return! Out of the four of them Maddie is the conscience of the pack almost like "Jiminy Chricket" from Pinocchio! she knows she is not allowed out by herself, so sat primly in the garden waiting for me to say it was ok! for her to join the others!

I still don't know who left the gates open!

cat flap trauma!

Got home after a night shift to find William stuck in Joan's cat flap,head and one paw on the patio side and three legs and a body on the other. I almost laughed but as he was quite distressed by the whole thing and had to come to bed with me for a while to recover. (Funny how they sulk if they are upset or injured!)

Entered my entries for the Prestatyn Flower show today so I am entering:

3 beetroots (with 3 ins of foliage)
dish of 5 potatoes
5 varieties of veg in a trug (very homes and gardens)
3-6 veg and a vase of flowers (novice gardener class)
vase 0f 3 roses
vase of cut flowers
and a Victoria sponge
eat your heart out Alan Titmarsh

Good news

I am now at liberty to say that Chris was successful last week in his interview for Senior Research Fellow ( dunno what it actually means, so don't ask!) at Bangor University. He starts the new position in September and the new job will mean more money (nice) but more importantly it will mean that his commute to Preston four days a week will be a thing of the past! It will take only 40 minutes to get to work for him, he can go out after work for a wine at the one and only wine bar in Bangor (believe me) and can ride Pippa in the evenings rather than overdo it all weekend! So the move is a quality of life thing as well as promotion! which you can't argue with, can you?

we celebrated with Janet last week at the Bistro! , but Chris was rather deflated after all the adrenaline rush of the interview itself and Janet was rather fed up generally , so the champers sat rather untouched in the cooler! (well not for long!................. I wasn't wasting it!)

Lost all my profit from spud selling this week ( 14 kilos sold) as William ate the blockbuster dvd cases from the video shop!

wonders of the world

The 7 wonders of the Modern World have just been announced http://www.new7wonders.com/

and I was interested to see the winners (Not that I have seen any of them in person) Sorry not to see San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge or the Chrysler Building in the final but I guess the seven chosen are the best choices. My favourite must be Brazil's Statue of Christ the Redeemer.