"I'll admit I may have seen better days, but I'm still not to be had for the price of a cocktail, "(Margo Channing)
ill again
Tom Chambers
London
My trip down to London was wonderful, and as usual Nu made the effort worthwhile. The flight down was great and literally minutes after touchdown I was walking to her new house in West Ealing. Her and Jim's Victorian house is on Regina Road ( now nicknamed Vagina Road!!!- how school boy of me! ) and is absolutely lovely- a cracking find. We had a bit of champagne and lunch to celebrate her recent move, literally talked all afternoon and capped off the day by going to see The Nutcracker with the English National Ballet staged at the London Coliseum. After watching Mathew Bourne's camp as Christmas version of the ballet, it was refreshing to watch a more "traditional" performance.....it was wonderful.
We stopped off at the highly pretentious St Martin's Lane hotel for a cocktail before going home; tired and almost all talked out.
I love visiting Nu, she has been a constant in my life for the past 20 years, always there, always supportive and always loving. I could never imagine the day when we cannot visit each other.
She is as necessary to me as breathing.
Christmas list
F*"king Mud
Today turned out to be a bummer of a day......which was entirely my own fault, I stocked up with bird feed this afternoon and drove onto the field to fill the shed which was a massive mistake as the ground was way too boggy for the belingo to cope with. Even though I was literally thirty feet from the gate, I was stuck fast in the mud, and no amount of positioning of wood and carpets under the wheels could free me. By four pm, I resembled a reveller from Glastonbury and by five I was nearly pulling my mud splattered hair out. Thank god for Geoff's 4 x 4 ! He dragged me out of the allotment in the dark. and his help was very much appreciated
I am not sure what Nu has planned for tomorrow, it will be lovely just to catch up with her news. I love my country life, but like a new mother ,....I will enjoy a break from being "mummy" to 84 albeit for just 48 hours
Pre Christmas jobs
Most people have a pre Christmas hair cut....in our house it is Meg's turn to be transformed from teddy bear to fox terrier. I snapped her as we both were watching a re run of All About Eve this evening.
It's been a busy, non sort of Tuesday; you know the sort of day that is almost over before you realise. I have been herding the ducks into Stanley's enclosure every morning as their own little bit of field is becoming dreadfully bare. After three days of hysteria, the runners have just begun to understand that I mean them no harm when I open their pen fencing , but the operation of moving a hundred yards to unfamiliar surroundings fill the little chaps with complete horror and panic.........I have come to the conclusion that ducks, are ,thick as mince!.
After the usual chores, I dropped Christmas pressies off for Hazel in Prestatyn and to my Aunt Margaret who was widowed only a couple of months ago, then dropped small gifts to Glenys and Geoff our old neighbours in Meliden before completing the Christmas shopping in a small craft shop in Dyserth.Then I drove Meg to Rhyl for her haircut...and I must say that the town's Christmas lights actual make Rhyl look more cheap and depressing than I ever thought possible....it is truly an awfully run down place.
When we got home, I titivated the lounge with the final Christmas greenery and decorations, wrote a few e mails then realised that I was still wearing the theatre scrubs I wore at work Sunday night!!!!!!!!!! UNDER MY FIELD WORK CLOTHES!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am such a slut!.....time for a long bath me thinks
Christmas Tree
I finished the field jobs around 9.15 and before walking the dogs I sat on the couch with a quick cup of tea..The next thing I knew the time was 10.45 and I awoke covered with all four patient dogs as well as Albert, who had nosedived amongst the bodies in an effort to keep warm
We have decided not to have a Christmas tree in the cottage this year, I think with eight adults present on Christmas day, as well as five dogs (yes Jess will be there as well) and one over active kitten , even the smallest of trees will be a spruce too far.
Janet, Ann (Right) and Leanne (left) designed their own Christmas tree recently in Prestatyn's Christmas tree festival....despite a great deal of hard work I think they came third......which probably pissed Ann off as secretly she remains terribly competitive ( a family trait)
True to form she will be decorating her Christmas gifts with some gusto ( and much style) in competition with Janet ( and to a lesser extent me) on the 25th,,,,,,all good clean fun