Auntie Glad

It has paid off dropping a few eggs a week to Auntie Glad, as she has left a pile of scones the size of baseballs on the front step this afternoon. At 87, she can knock out a ton of baking quite effortlessly, visit a huge group of pensioners from the village without tiring, and still have enough energy to clean her house from top to bottom. I love that about her!

Gladys always reminds me of a grey haired version of Wendolene Ramsbottom from Wallace and Gromit in A Close Shave - must be the drop earrings.

Chris made dinner this evening ( duck! very nice it was too) whilst I watched Strictly Come Dancing! Blue Peter's Gethin looked rather dashing and old fashioned I thought!
Favourite dancers are pretty boys Gethin and Matt and pig in a dress Letitia! I can't stand the bald oik builder ,look-a-like Dominic or that three legged GMTV presenter Kate.

Richard,Blanche, and Elizabeth the First!

Well it is a little scary but I have an inkling of what Chris will look like in 20 years time!(bottom pic) They have been son/father bonding today down at the stable and are off to a brass band concert tomorrow afternoon ( I would rather push needles slowly into my eyes). Richard is putting some fox proof latches onto the hen houses tomorrow too, which is kind of him. New Girl Blanche (pic) is just getting her confidence and is indeed a beautiful hen

I was really looking forward to Elizabeth: The Golden Age tonight, and I am sorry to say that generally I was disappointed with what was on offer. Beautiful to look at, it reminded me of one of Michael Bay's films, pretty but all rather empty. I just didn't connect with it at all and to be honest I

found it all a bit melodramatic! Cate Blanchett was fine as always as Elizabeth ,Clive Owen intensely buckling his squash with the best of them was great fun as Raleigh; but for me it was Samantha Morton in an all-too-brief role as Mary Stuart, that was a standout. I could have watched her all evening. She truly looks a bit on the rough side of mad!

Halloween

Only In America....

Happy Birthday Linzi

Chris' neice was 16 last Sunday! apologies for the belated wishes but Chris only told me today!
Hope you had a good one!

Poor Training & Autumn up the Gop

Busy (nice busy) day! It's 5pm and just sat down for the first time since I got up, with coffee and blog! Got the weekly shop done at 8am as Salisbury's at Rhyl is quieter and more user friendly (don't get me started on the width of the aisles!) Well blow me, but just as I finished filling my trolley the bloody fire alarm goes off! Out of no where several puffing red faced middle aged check out staff/middle managers galloped up and down first calling the few shoppers to evacuate, then to remain where they were then to evacuate again! Despite the potential seriousness of the situation, I had to stifle a giggle as one particularly agitated clerk manhandled a frail elderly couple this way and that! Dragging them away from their trolley, one way and then another! I carried on shopping! until then now hyperventilating staff member dragged the couple back into the store

Meg looks suitably windswept up the Gop when I
got home and it was lovely to see the rich yellows of the trees (much deeper and more pronounced due to the wet warm summer). We walk past Sue's ( an old school friend) four horses every day and the dogs love going nose to nose with them. William particularly seems to love this contact and practically shoves his nose up the eldest horse's nostrils whist breathing deeply. it is the oddest thing to watch, as both William and the pony seem rather quiet and interested in each other!

Bought a ton of sawdust to cover the hen house floor this afternoon in Abergele and stocked up with feed for while we are away in New York. Got weighed at weightwaters ( no weight gain!!!) then home again to bake a desperate Dan meat pie and an apple pie for Richard who is arriving later.

As I was cooking a neighbour and his wife introduced themselves from down the lane, they bought some eggs and the husband seemed surprised and interested that I was actually baking! They were very friendly though!

The sawdust has caused much consternation in the large coop this dusk! as all 12 roosting birds refused to enter with this new white stuff all over the floor! I was getting a little exasperated with them all as they resembled the Sainsbury staff this morning ! ( running ineffectively around in circles). Finally I picked Mildred Pierce up and threw her in, and the others (all heaving big sighs of relief) galloped after her!

Edith Piaf-Life in Pink

La Vie En Rose. (Translation in the title) was strangely sold out at Theatre Clwyd this evening! I was a bit naughty, as I did secure the last ticket ( I needed to go out after working since Saturday Morning) Hazel had to take a rain check! not to worry too much, as we are both off to see Jenny Eclair on Sunday. Anyhow back to Miss Piaf! Director Olivier Dahan obviously has a great deal of affection for the tragic French singer as the biopic shrieks of admiration, sympathy and warmth. Marion Cotillard as one would expect, is perfectly stunning in her brittle,meticulous portrayal of Piaf, and she literally breaks your heart when she appears as the life- ravaged older Edith.
I especially loved the scene where a younger Cotillard mourns the loss of the love of her life, boxer Marcel Cerdan (Jean-Pierre Martins), who died in a plane crash en route to the United States. She races hysterically around her apartment then suddenly appears performing on stage ,"living" her tragic love songs in front of a rapt audience. It is a wonderfully camp and effective sequence.
I really enjoyed it

Richard (Chris' Dad) comes tomorrow for a long weekend, so I will be slipping into cook,host and bottle washer for a few days which I am more than happy to do! Chris wants us all to go and see Elizabeth: The Golden Age , which I am happy about but I wonder if Richard would enjoy it? Think we are also going to The Bistro for a meal on Sunday.

Last Night

Due to animal care needs I don't usually do two 12 hour shifts together! Tonight is my fourth! and I am buggered! Last night I had a change of a patient and looked after two high dependency chaps! Both brain injured through different traumas!

Got home at 8am, walked all the dogs and sorted the birds out! and thank god for Carole round the corner, who took Meg, William and Maddie for the day! George came with me! Got under our patchwork quilt at 11.30 am and I knew nothing until 6pm!

Luckily Chris came home at three, picked the dogs up, made my tea (risotto in Bed! bliss), locked the birds up and brought me a cuppa in bed!. Last night tonight

Good Luck to Mike

I have just had an Awful 12 hour shift! this time with an elderly burns and smoke inhalation victim. The unit had 2 assaults and one RTA! admitted and the seven staff never stopped for a minute! At least I have most of the tomorrow daytime off to do "outdoor" things before night shift tomorrow night.
Richard, the father in law comes on Thursday until next Tuesday, so at least I have some time away from work to look after him. Having said that I aim to get him working on the parsnips and new veg patch, so there will be little r and r! Bless!

Friend Mike starts work tomorrow after a long break! good luck matey! Forgot to say on the phone tonight that we need to organise a meet before Christmas!

10 days to New York!