Friends

Sheffield from the top of Coles (John Lewis)



A few days off in Dronfield and Sheffield has been a real tonic. Wednesday night I caught up with Kathryn. We cooked a meal, drank spritzers and chatted all night,which was about bloody time.
Thursday morning I drove to Sheffield and had breakfast in Waitrose down Ecclesall Road ( A real treat). I love Waitrose, can't afford to shop there, but love it,love it,love it, and there was something quite attractive about a store with everything razor straight and in obsessonal order.

Bought Chris some last minute Birthday gifts at Coles, then went to the Millennium Gallery and Winter Gardens for a mooch around. There was a continental market along Fargate which was well worth a stroll around and just had time to buy some cheap garden plants before driving to the Northern General Hospital to catch up with friend Sarah.who is the matron there.

It has been nearly three years since I actually left Spinal Injuries, and I have never re visited my old place of work. That was a conscious decision on my part. Friends I knew I would keep in touch with, but I sort of thought that once I finished 16 years in Spines, the separation from the unit and collegues and staff would be final. Anyhow my intention of sneaking in and out like a thief in the night, didn't quite work as time and time again I was caught by a familiar face and a barrage of questions. The whole thing was very flattering and just a little moving.at times as I got a hug here and a surprise greeting there. Of course there was a couple of characters that snubbed me -one Charge nurse I thought I knew well went out of his way to be unfriendly, which intrigued me ( I forced him to shake my hand and talk to me which was a little naughty of me), but generally my one and only re visit was an unexpectedly nice experience.

Above The peace gardens (Sheffield City Centre).& The Winter Gardens (right)

Later in the afternoon, I met up with Bev and Maisie for coffee then on to friend Joy across the city before shooting back to Sheffield City centre for my regular catch up with Jane and best friend Mike.in old faithful All Bar One. As usual we gossiped and laughed until late, and it was a great end to a busy but satisfying day.

Got back to hand feeding Blanche at 1030 am this morning and found myself walking a set of hyperactive dogs at 11. The best of both worlds.

A couple of days away

Lots to do today before I go to Derbyshire then on to Sheffield. Chris has sole responsibility for Blanche as well as all the other animals tomorrow, so a list of instructions as long as your arm will be left for him.....bless.

This morning I am off to Sylvia's to remove all her unwanted foxgloves from her garden, then will collect unwanted and over ripe fruit and veg from the veg shop in Prestatyn. Like a good partner I will make dinner for Chris for when he gets home, and will walk the legs off the dogs before leaving., so I am sure he will cope with things until I get back on Friday.

Rows of marigolds are ready for planting in the allotment, but I will hold off until the risk of late frosts is more or less over.,I have never been a fan of these little flowers, but they do keep pests away from your beans and peas! so as an organic pesticide they seem to work. I have already planted garlic under my rose bushes, which keeps greenfly at bay.

Happy Underdog

George is the happiest underdog I have ever met.
In the pecking order (and we must include Joan the cat,Janet's Jess and Carol's (dog babysitter) Celt and Samson in this), George always remains firmly last.When William and Meg demand attention and cuddles, he has to relinquish his place on the couch and on your knee so that they can fulfill their own needs.
But even though he can be at bullied,the little chap remains steadfastly upbeat with everyone he meets and with everything he does.He has spent most of the morning watching the hens, with a love lorn type intensity and when loose on his walk, will always be the first to race up to a walker or dog to say hello.
Like William, George is turning into a delightful dog.
Late evening is "George time", William is safely asleep in his crate in the kitchen, Meg and Maddie are snoring on the couch and George can climb (almost guiltily) onto my knee for a tummy rub

Happy Owner

The allotment is starting to look the part in the sun early this morning. And I have let the birds out later today, to protect them from Mr Fox, who is sniffing around. It is cubing season, so the vixens are hungry and bolder than usual.
With a slightly heavy heart I decided to float Blanche's 8 eggs in a bowl of warmed water to see if any are alive ( the eggs should bob and move with the ducklings' reactions to the change of temperature).
Although Blanche has stuck fast onto the eggs, she has had two hiccups when she had been separated from them on two of the coldest days of the year.
Anyhow, popping the eggs into the bowl, I was overjoyed to see 5 of the little buggers bouncing around with gay abandon, I couldn't quite believe it! If I could have kissed Blanche on the beak I honestly would have done....and quickly allowed her to growl her way back onto the nest.
I have been grinning to everyone since, (including two gravediggers in the graveyard, who seemed a bit baffled by my excitement.
I just hope they hatch on or around the 5th May

I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue

R.I.P Humph
you will be missed

Life .......resembling.........art

Blanche now resembles her namesake in Tenko. She is practically skin and bone and again did not eat yesterday, Stubbornly fixed on her eggs,eyes fixed straight ahead , she refuses to so any of the basic activities of daily living. I am told that this can happen, so this morning I decided to become slightly more "firm" with her.

She growled at me as per, when I picked her up off the nest, and continued to "chunner" when I put her in the run with food and water. This time however, I treated her like a hysterical women an some Barbara Stanwick film and threw a small bit of water into her face.

It seemed to do the trick somewhat, as she stood there open mouthed at the indignity for a moment, then bent down and took a big gobfull of sunflower seeds. Ok Ok she didn't drink or poo anything, but it was a start. Only a week or so before the eggs are due to hatch. I will candle them again this afternoon and then float them in a bowl of warm water to see if the little bugger s are alive.

I am working later in the week so want to cram a lot in my remaining time off. Have to post the old incubator off this morning( I sold it on e bay!), and no doubt have a long chat with postmistress Jenny about the village gossip. More peas and cabbage has to be planted too, and I still have a ton of weeding to catch up on.

Tomorrow we are off to the pictures and Wednesday I am catching up with Katherine for a night in Dronfield. (long long overdue) then to Sheffield on Thursday for a catch up with some old work people for lunch, a mooch around Coles and then a supportive few pints with Jane and Mike, Mike is still having a rough time with a very poorly mum, and soldiers on in a benign and cheerful manner but looks as though he is feeling the strain. A few pints and a chat maybe what the doctor ordered.

Chris and I are off to new Italian in Prestatyn on Saturday ( Three nice eating places?.....! the town has gone all cosmopolitan) as it is his Birthday...then work.....That's the only down side of the week. I found meeting Chris' colleague yesterday, quite interesting, she is obviously a workaholic and totally focused in her goals and achievements.....and she just could not understand that work means nothing to me whatsoever......she just didn't get it......tee hee.

Ynys Môn

I never knew that actress Naomi Watts lived on Anglesey.....strange what you find out on Wikipedia isn't it? Anyhow we drove over to the Island this afternoon to have lunch with Chris' Professor colleague Jane and partner Peter. They live on a 17th Farmhouse on the East Coast of the Island a stone's throw from the sea, so you can imagine lunch consisted of lovely local seafood- prawns,scallops and lashings of pasta.

I can't quite make my mind up about Anglesey. The beaches are quite breathtaking, indeed they are famous for being so, but I always feel that the countryside inland is a little too severe for my liking. Anyhow we don't get over there very often. so I guess it doesn't matter.

Got back to see Keisha being kicked out of I'd Do Anything and Sir Andrew having a so called hissy-fit about it all........Foxes seen around the coops this morning, so all the electric fencing has been recharged in readiness.

Dara O'Briain

There is something very likable about comedian Dara Ó Briain. We are used to seeing him on TV comparing Mock the Week and Have I got News For You, but the the cuddly Irishman, although very Sharpe and quick in comedy show banter, I don't think has ever been seen at his true muscle flexing improvisation best. Tonight at Manchester's Lowery Theatre he performed his one man show quite brilliantly. See-sawing between rehearsed stand up and lightening quick audience involved improvised comedy, that became more complicated and funnier as the two hour show shot by, he seemed to genuinely enjoy himself as people in the stalls threw up diverse and sometimes bizarre ideas for discussion and exploration.

It has been a while since I have smiled so much at one performance