Sometimes a phrase from a conversation or book sticks in your mind for a long time. I heard a poignant statement last night during a conversation I had with an elderly lady from the village. She lost her husband last year and is still having problems adjusting to widowhood. She said rather sadly
"The thing I miss the most is not having someone to do nothing with"
On the surface the statement sounds awkward and clumsy, but on reflection I think it quite moving and eloquent , as the strength of a relationship often lies in those quiet moments that do not seem as important as bigger noisier gestures.
Living with someone, makes you dovetail into someone Else's existence and although I had been single for many years before "living over the brush", and very happily so,I just can't imagine being on my own again.
I can understand completely what this lady shared with me.
Prestatyn Flower Show
My Vegetable trug was not placed which was very disappointing but I did win two first places (in the 3 Roses and Granny's basket categories) and one second ( for my beetroot!). So three prizes out of 6 entries isn't too bad. Hazel got a second for her granny basket! and two seconds for her baking, so she was pleased as punch
The rain kept off for most of the day, and George enjoyed himself being the centre of attention from the score of terrier loving old ladies that lurk around these things. Ann won best in show for her floral art,Janet got a second for her cut flowers and Tim a second for his herbaceous cut flowers, so the family did fairly well
My new hen house has arrived this afternoon in 18 separate pieces and I have been very hands on by erecting it from scratch, which is all a bit masculine for me! Even managed to wood stain it too. The structure isn't the most robust of hen houses, so I suspect I may have to reinforce it before the hens are installed. A fox could break into the base of it fairly easily, that's the problem with cheaper materials. Hummm message to self, do not buy hen houses from e bay!
Top dog?
William and George have been flexing their testosterone paws this morning, and true to form it was over something barely edible (this time suet in a bird feeder) Neither will back down over food as both are terribly food led, so the fight was fierce and very bloody! Usually I try and leave them to it but they had to be separated as although he was loosing the battle, George was the one that was inflicting the damage as Scotties have a terribly powerful bite. The kitchen looked like something out of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre! with blood and suet spread everywhere. Meg got all excited by the melee and jumped in and out biting each protagonist whenever she got the chance. Maddie just ran and hid in the lounge!I am booking George in to be castrated fairly soon, which may or may not help Poor sod!
It's all in the preparation
My Granny basket is camper than Graham Norton shopping at Cole Brothers, and received envious glances from Hazel at the setting up Of the Prestatyn Flower Show! this evening.
I do enjoy the whole pre-show ritual of bringing in the exhibits as there is a definite camaraderie between the exhibitors! which is rather reassuring and old fashioned, and it does give you the feeling of "community", which is lacking so much in our every day lives.
was particularly pleased with my vegetable trug, although it took bloody ages to tie up my shallots and polish my marrow ( with olive oil!) For those who are remotely interested the large white tuber in the front of the trug is NOT a parsnip but a whopper monster radish! haha my secret weapon!
The other entries include my climbing roses, 5 salad potatoes (looking remarkably like pork sausages), three impressive beetroots and some cut flowers from my back garden.
The beetroots do look like something John Mills threw at the Germans in Ice Cold In Alex. (also buffed up with olive oil and tons of kitchen roll)
It has taken me all soddin day to organise this lot, here's hoping for a positive result tomorrowAfter the wedding and Ray Milland
Efter brylluppet (2006) (Danish for After the wedding) is not the most interesting film I have seen in while, but I did give it a passable 7/10. It centres around family secrets and how people prepare for death, so you can appreciate it was not a bag of laughs!- mind you have the Danes got a sense of humour? (well apart from Sandy Toksvig that is...perhaps not) Theatre Clwyd's new projectionist couldn't quite get the hang of centring the film on the screen, which was a bit irritating, but it allowed the volunteer ushers to perform an impromptu chat session of the merits of matinees in the 1950's! humm all very spirit that won the war!
Chris is still withdrawing from ciggies and spent the morning on his computer in his pjs resembling Ray Milland in The Lost Weekend. I spent the day cooking in preparation for the Prestatyn Flower Show on Friday! Tomorrow I will polish my marrow! oh errr missus
A few thoughts (all unrelated)
After one hours sleep I feel as though I have crammed in a few things into a surprisingly sunny day! so please forgive the disjointed narrative (It is now 23.30 and I have just done the house hold jobs walked the dogs and locked up the chickens ( what have they done wrong? asked Nige) and I feel rather jaded) The Bridge is the movie that I wanted to see at the documentary film festival in Sheffield last year and I have just received a cheapo copy from Amazon and managed to watch it this evening.
In obtaining permits to film the bridge for one year, director Eric Steel did not reveal to officials at the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco that his goal was to film people committing suicide by leaping off the bridge. However, they knew that suicides were a frequent occurrence, and that someone filming the bridge would inevitably capture them. The resulting footage was edited and turned into a movie exploring the beauty of the structure but also the stories of some of the two dozen "jumpers".
At times this variable piece of work was incredibly powerful and moving, but I found the most upsetting scenes not to be the filmed suicide bids (terrible in their matter-of-factness) but it was the testimonies and anger of the friends these people left behind them that were most heart wrenching. Not fun, but an interesting film.
Talked to Nu, which was fun and we hope to meet for lunch on Sunday which will be fab, and managed to chat to Nigel too. You can always tell that Nige is a facilitator within University academia, as he has a knack of getting you to explore and talk around a subject without ever pushing his ideas down your throat! We discussed Clapham Junction , homophobia and general gossip among other things; I do miss discussing cinema with him and Jonney H on a regular basis!
Bought a new hen house too this morning ! (no the bloke standing next to the new "chalet" is NOT me but is the seller on ebay (of all places) and also fitted in getting a parking ticket at the beach car park for parking with one wheel over a dividing white line!!!! in a DESERTED CAR PARK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!anyhow I refused to let it get to me and chanting "Out with anger in with love" I drove to Llandudno trying to reach a Zen like relaxed state, to buy a few things to support my entries for the flower show!
off to bed now before I fall over, v v tired.
Chris doing well, still no fags!
Hazel goes "gay"
The gloves are off! Hazel and I are entering the same categories in the Prestatyn flower show on Friday! On the surface it is just some friendly rivalry but both of us are out to win, especially as we have both entered the dreaded "granny's basket" category, who no-one ever enters. She is going classy I am going Kat Kitson..................watch this space.
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