The nice things about blogging!

This will be my last blog until next week! Not that you dear reader will miss very much- the odd film review perhaps, the usual ramble about dog life, hen news and pragmatic village existence. banal chatter really!

Even though we are off to New York with all its excess, I will miss sitting down with a filter coffee, and writing a few lines of blog a day. It has become such a part of my daily routine.

At the moment having a quick coffee as the dogs are demolishing breakfast. Lots to do today before we fly tomorrow.Vet visit (worms again!) bills to pay, etc etc it's nice busy as I get to make lists and tick off the things I have done

Heard some sad news yesterday. A much respected colleague from Sheffield has a serious illness. It all sounds incredibly bleak, and I have just taken an age to write a letter to them. just what do you write to someone under such circumstances? How do you put into words what you are thinking and actually make it sound appropriate, supportive and not crass . In the end I just wrote what I thought I would like to hear and hope in some small way it would be of help. Who knows!

Nell ( in front of "husband" Walter) actually took some bread out of my hand this morning, which was a first, Carole will be taking a crash course in poultry care this evening as she will be caring for the girls when we are away. She is also watching Joan AND taking in Maddie ( who hates the kennels) and George, so she is a bit of a star in my mind.

Anyhow readers hope to be back on my blog next week.. bye for now

Strictly Come Dancing - GETHIN JONES - 3rd NOVEMBER 2007

He is just so cute! I want to spit on a hankie and wipe his mouth!

only 2 days until New York!!
thanks you to those who wish us Bon Voyage!

Richard's egg bound

Feigning interest in my newly painted replacement sign ( a lorry lobbed off the last one!) Richard is probably trying to keep his digestive system under control! I also suspect that his cholesterol is probably way off the chart! seeing that he has been fed a massive 6 scrambled eggs for breakfast and has another 4 in door step egg butties for the journey home. I have also lumbered him with the rest of Auntie Glad's scones so at least he will be well fed before getting home to Sandwich.

Bleak day today and rain has lashed down ( good!!! me thinks as the trailer trash people that own a field adjacent to the chickens hope to have a huge bonfire and fireworks tonight)

Off to work tonight then 11 days off- 4 of them in the big apple!

Jenny Eclair

Jenny Eclair at the Royal Court Liverpool tonight was a lovely change. I knew I was going to enjoy her highly polished, observational look on life,middle age problems, motherhood and angst, and she had me in stitches! for over an hour and a half.
I am envious of such a talent! ok she has had 20 years performing to polish her skills, but the raw natural intelligent humour obviously has always present, and Jenny makes the whole conversational "off the cuff" thing seem so damn easy.

I could have listened to her all night

8am

There ARE things I miss from Sheffield. Friends,my old 1930's dining room, theatre, the Sheffield accent! but there is one thing that I don't miss and that is the view of a brick wall from our old bedroom window.
I love having a short lie in on a Sunday morning in our stereotype/country cottage bedroom! no noise! a few chirping birds, dogs snoring, view of the chickens bouncing around the field........cup of tea, vintage eiderdown and idle thoughts are the order of the day. Chris has dragged his dad to see the dreaded Pippa first thing, so I am on breakfast duties later this morning. Richard sounds rather more breathless and creaking than of late ( They had a long walk to see the brass band concert yesterday) so I think he should rest today.He won't complain too much as he is always eager to please.
Anyhow only 4 days to New York!

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....