The Power of positive thinking

"Optimism with some experience behind it is much more energizing than plain old experience with a certain degree of cynicism. "

Twyla Tharp

I like the above quote and have remembered it today when I heard some

good news from a friend. She has been single for a long time, and finally has found a new bloke who he is dating seriously. Her optimism and obvious joy was lovely to be a tiny part of and I got to thinking just how few people are truly optimistic? so many of us spend too much time thinking the worst of people and situations and too few celebrate our triumphs and good times. I would always like to think that I am an optimist...........perhaps, because I have actually said this, by definition I am......?

55 days in Peking

I have always loved the film 55 days in Peking. Ava Gardener (filmed through gauze) has never looked lovelier and the action sequences were very boys own! Robert Helpmann(the child catcher in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang) as I recall played the chief baddie with poor Flora Robson as an unconvincing Empress! I am reading an account of the siege at the moment and the story is re told from the legation women's point of view, using their previously neglected writings and accounts The book is called Women at the siege- Peking 1900 by Susanna Hoe and is a cracking read.

Chris is working in Sheffield today and is staying over to go out with his old work mates, I don't feel too jealous as I am off there on Monday for a night out with Jonney H. I took Chris to the station early then took the dogs to the beach in an effort to run off William's excess energy.

Had my "interview" with Pat from weightwatchers, which was great fun. Pat spoke the corporate speak throughout and took the whole thing dreadfully seriously. I filled in a bizarre questionaire for HRs review and drank lots of cups of filter cofee when she gave me the spiel!! A couple of sessions will certainly pay for the car tax and services so I am happy to have a more formal interview with the regional manager (OOOOHHHH ER!) next week!

Work rang wanting me to do overtime, but seeing that I am working two long shifts at the weekend I blew them out, Friday we are off out to the While lion for a meal with Hazel and her husband which should be fun and off to Rogers Jones auction house with Janet to see the fine welsh painting previews! on Friday morning. Tomorrow I hope to clear the rest of the garden....

Foxes, & The Painted Veil

Last night my fears for the ducks and hens seem to be well founded as when I was watching a late showing of The Devils Backbone (Espinazo del diablo, El (2001) on channel 4, two foxes appeared on the top of the Church wall,just twenty feet from where I was sitting. They looked a bit moth eaten and obviously are youngsters who have left their home sets this summer, but a fox is a fox is a fox, and juvenile or not, they are still a threat to my girls. The head count this morning was ok, and each coop looked fairly secure, but tonight I will open the bedroom window a crack, so that I can keep one ear open for trouble.

This evening Hazel and I went to Theatre Clwyd to see the New York/Chinese lesbian comedy Red Doors (2005)! funnily enough the print was not delivered to the cinema and The Painted Veil (2006) was shown instead ( well it was set in China!) . The film was ok, not great but quite old fashioned in a nothing-really-happens way. Now I like Naomi Watts who played the spoilt heroine who redeems herself during a cholera epidemic, but what the role needed was a Bette Davis or Barbara Stanwick, who could chew the scenery with gusto. I did enjoy Edward Norton's performance as her wronged husband. Not a great film but a passable one.

Small, small world....

In Opera Chris has one real passion and that is the Queen of the night aria (Der Hölle Rache) from The Magic Flute. He has saved the you tube video staring the striking Diana Damrau ( see previous blog) and plays it constantly! Tonight he was playing it YET AGAIN!!, and said absently that it would be nice to see the Opera in New York when we go in November! Bugger me, we couldn't believe it as on the Friday we go, The magic Flute is actually being performed for ONE NIGHT ONLY at the Met!!!!! and to cap that Diana Damrau is IN IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!AND....we NOW have tickets!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://disasterfilm.blogspot.com/2007_07_01_archive.html (u tube video on my July blog)

Excellent!

Strictly come Dancing is back on our screens very soon, which is great news ; the new bunch of "hoofers", seem a little disappointing in the celeb stakes compared to last year's competitors! (The dancers themselves in may ways are "bigger" than their more famous partners!.) But I will be watching every week with much interest.

Old diva Stephanie Beecham ( Rose in Tenko) fills the less energetic but most glamorous position, and a pudgy Letitia Dean looks a bit comical galloping behind the gorgeous Kelly Brook. Blue Peter heart throb Gethin Jones and a rugby bouncer type (Kenny Logan) seem pretty enough to watch on the men's side, but who the hell is Dominic Littlewood and Matt deAngelo? A least we have no pseudo nurses dragged out of Casualty this year. Personally I prefer to watch the lovely Karen Hardy, campy Sheffielder Darren Bennett and Mr smoothie himself Anton duBeke!

Networking, LBC,

Spent the day clearing the weeds,grass and rubbish from the field wall, and although it isn't a vast area it has taken me much of the day. The hard work has been useful as I have networked with passing locals who have stopped to admire the tidiness. So I have the promise of a cheap chimney sweep, ordered some cheap logs for the fire, hopefully got a contact to cut the rest of the field's hedges , sold some eggs and have swapped some more eggs for onion sets for winter planting. I have also spent the day listening to LBC (London Talk Radio) The subject of today's phone in was education, and I have found this whole discussion sobering and rather frightening on behalf of parents with children ( Yes I know I am not always so supportive). Many of the callers, desperate to get a good education for their children have gone to amazing lengths to secure a good school for their kids. Extra home tuition for tiny children is apparently commonplace, certainly sleepless nights and hours of interviews and phone calls seem to be the norm, and many callers were stating that they had actually sold their homes to move to get into the catchment area of choice. The pressure to get the best for their children seems terribly high and I thought it interesting that The Bishop of Croydon, Rev Nick Baines, stated this morning that parents ferrying kids between violin, ballet and swimming lessons are putting them under unnecessary pressure to excel, in addition to the existing pressures to perform for school.
Parents and children , stress levels seem so much higher than they did when I was mooching around with my one A level pass ( gradeE) in the late 1970s!!!

Went out to a open garden in Wrexham this afternoon, and although most of the colour had gone out of the garden the rubekia (right) was amazing! (I have three flowers in my garden...total!)

Nephew Chris

Taking of Chris (nephew) tonight and his girlfriend Rebecca with Ann and Tim, forgot I actually has a pic of him lurking on facebook. Face to a name........

Who do you think you are?

Dinner party at Janet's tonight, and the conversation was based very much on family history. Ann and Tim are looking forward in getting DNA assessment of their lineage, in effort to understand where in Europe some of the family was based from. Ann would like to think we have some Spanish ancestry ( Chris is very Spanish-looking), but who in fact knows. The recent BBC programme Who do you think you are? featuring John Hurt was immensely moving, as he was so disappointed and deflated when he found out it was not in fact related to an Irish blood group!

(Lovely teeth Tim!)