Orangina - Advert

I can appreciate that this is a clever Frenchadvert, but why does it leave me feeling rather uneasy?
answers on a postcard please......

Being missed ,catch up and proud to be British

Out of all four dogs, it is Meg that misses me the most when I am at work. With the funeral on Friday and two twelve hour work shifts at the weekend, she has not seen alot of me, so today to make up for the separation , she has shadowed me everywhere, with those sad watery "Margaret O'Brien"type eyes following my every move.

Chris has gone down to Broadstairs to catch up with his family, so I have spent the day on catch up.The hen houses needed washing again (red mite is never far away) and I have prepared a couple of vegetable boxes for sale to girls at work. After cleaning the house (yes still very satisfying after a stint at work), I actually cleaned the inside of the Belingo (believe me the inside of it looked like something out of gypsy encampment ),then caught up with Nu, who understandably is pretty flat and down after Friday. I can't imagine just how she is feeling.

On a more positive note; I am delighted that the Team GB has done so well in China. Being third on the leader board has caught the media by surprise, so we the general public have actually had time and space to actually enjoy their success'.without the usual ballyhoo and inane "knocking"from the Daily Mail reading reporters and journalists.

ps. did anyone else notice that there seems to be an awful lot of gingers that take part in bike racing....just a thought..............

A teenage 60th Birthday

You are never too old for a teenage party. You know the sort of thing I mean. Too much booze,a lot of dancing, 70 people in fancy dress and a great deal of good humour.
Ann and Tim's 60th was a super knock-down, no holds-barred over-the-top BASH. Fireworks in the garden, a sit down meal,booked catering,a huge tent with its own chandelier, a disco and band, as well an award ceremony for the best costume.It was great fun..

Chris cut a bit of a dash as Miss Marple, where as I resembled a horror film type of scarecrow rather the more benign version I had planned from the wizard of Oz

Ann and Tim seemed to have had a cracking time. Ann (with pretty good legs for a pre pensioner) was doing a Sally Bowles were as Tim was Jonney depp.

Janet was one of two Princess Leia's present and Ned was a slightly aging Luke Skywalker (below)

Below is Nephew Chris and Tim

He had the best outfit with girlfriend Becca (as Leonardo Dicaprio and Kate Winslett from Titanic-complete with cardboard ship's bow)

Jayne almost upstaged everyone with her finely designed Cruella De Vil while her mum (below) looked ever-so-slightly evil as her turn as a school girl

Nephew Pete and family

It was all worth a hangover from Hell and I still can't believe I went to work for 12 hours today. It was well worth it though, as nights like the one we all enjoyed last night reminds you that you are never too old to have a good and slightly immature time......

Calon Lân

I have been toying with the idea of joining Trelawnyd Mail voice choir again,The audition frightens the heck out of me though, as the thought of making a fool of myself fills me with a cold dread.

Funerals

Up early this morning as I wanted to drive over to Liverpool to attend Nuala's sister Mary's funeral. Not the best of starts as I found one of Stanley's amber rockets (Karen) dead on the floor of her hen house. She had looked pretty well yesterday, and was drinking and eating ok, so the unexpected death isn't too worrying, but I will be watching all the other girls very closely over the next few days.The tame buffs (above) luckily are full of bounce and personality

Anyhow I am glad that I went over for the service and happy I could offer a bit more support to the Butler clan, Nu's family has been through the wringer funeral wise as Mary's service was the third one after her mun and dad's recent funerals. Mary had suffered a long bout of ill health, but even so, the death of a sibling at the premature age of 52, must have been terribly shocking. The family had organised the whole thing beautifully and nu and her sisters all performed readings while her Brother spoke eloquently and with passion about Mary's vibrant personality.

They are a lovely, inclusive family and I am proud to know them

Onions and Chris wears a bra

I am at risk of sounding like Kenneth Williams here, but get a look at the size of my onions. The wet weather has hindered some crops such as the peas, parsnips and the second crops of potatoes, but my root vegetables such as the turnips, shallots, garlic and onions had done very well indeed.

My cheapo digital camera is crap at close ups , so I guess you can't quite see just how cute the excelsior leghorn chicks actually are. Chris took this photo before sorting his fancy dress costume out for Ann and Tim's 60th Birthday party on Saturday. He is going as his heroine Miss Jane Marple ,complete with pleated tweed skirt (bought by Sylvia from the flowershow),and a particularly snug-fitting purple bra donated from Carole.................... the end result should be.....well rather interesting....watch this space

Calon Lân- A pure Heart

The poor chap that had committed suicide up the Gop last week, had his funeral service at the Church this afternoon and it was a typical large country service with the entire village seemingly turning up to be crammed into the too few pews or standing quietly on the path in the Churchyard.(pic)
I spent the afternoon settling the Turkeys into their new enclosure, but stopped to listen to the amazing congregational singing. Members of the male voice choir as well as a strong female

set of singers performed natural decants as they sang my favourite Welsh Hymn, Calon Lan, and the whole experience literally brought tears to my eyes.
Calon Lan, is a joyous hymn that all Welsh Children learn in school. The chorus can be really belted out with some gusto
"Calon lân yn llawn daioni,
Tecach yw na'r lili dlos:
Dim ond calon lân all ganu
Canu'r dydd a chanu'r nos"

The English translation is as follows,

A pure heart full of goodness
Is fairer than the pretty lily,
None but a pure heart can sing,
Sing in the day, sing in the night

....and sing they did
Boris and Grace seemed to settle into their outside run quite quickly, and I took advantage of the dry afternoon to set up the five buffs into the same enclosure. Turkeys can get bullied terribly by chickens, but the buffs are so good natured I am hoping that the seven of them will get on quite peacefully.

Now this DID make me laugh

compare this to previous post....v.v.v. funny