Trelawnyd Conservation

 I am only typing a quick follow up to this morning's prattfall blog because I am all clean and tidy before I go to fat club (weightwatchers) and I want to curb my urge to wander onto the dirty field to see if the sheep have eaten any more of my raspberry bushes.
( The ever hungry ewes broke into old Bosoms last night and demolished my fruit plants -the little bastards)

Anyhow the Trelawnyd Conservation Group has been hard at work today planting up the green areas of the village today, so I thought I would " big up" their endeavours somewhat this afternoon

 I hope that all of the volunteers get some positive feedback from their fellow Trelawnyd-ites
It's amazing just how much some thoughtfully planted out flower beds can lift the centre of the village.

dyspraxia at home

I was a clumsy child.
chris always says that I was certainly dyspraxic
but that was before anyone knew just what dyspraxia actually was
To all, I was simply a clumsy child
" cack handed" as my mother used to say

unfortunately I am also a very clumsy adult.
I fall over things very easily. I spill drinks constantly and as my t shirts will testify to,  not all of my food reaches my mouth at every dinner time.
It's not my fault.
I am not at all lax
I am not stupid
I am just naturally and at times embarrassingly clumsy.

This morning was a case in point.
7.02 am
Tesco self service till
I fell out of one of my crocs, slipped onto the floor
and dropped a large plastic bottle of diet coke,a small carton of  hummus, a hard white cabbage, and bag of pigs' ears.
I then rolled over the coke bottle like a big fat tortoise. Splitting it quite magnificently

I am reminded  of a favourite teenage cartoon

Salem

When I was a boy, I remember seeing this painting ( well the  print of it) hanging in an old farmhouse 

in Llanasa. The painting is called " Salem" by S. Curnow Vosper and  depicts a Sunday morning at a small Baptist chapel in Cefncymerau, Llanbedr, near Harlech in 1908. The old woman in the centre is  Sian Owen of Ty'n y Fawnog and it is said that she and all of the other characters depicted  were paid 6d to sit for the painter.
I love all of the " hidden" meanings tucked away in the detail.
The colourful shawl ( a nod to vanity perhaps?) the fact that Sian is a few minutes late for service , the little  gremlin like face at the widow , the face of the devil often seen in the folds of the shawl......I wonder just what the artist was trying to say?
The original painting has been loaned out to a Bangor museum from the Lady Lever art gallery at Port Sunlight and Sunlight soap made the image famous by giving away prints of the painting free with their products .
Perhaps it was one of these freebies that I remember seeing in the old farmhouse in Llanasa in the early 70s.

Thoughts on a Saturday ( Chris' title)

 Saturday is a time for pottering. It is generally Chris' only " down time" as he generally works one day at the weekend catching up on his written work. Today he has been gardening. Cottage gardens can become untidy and overfill very quickly, and in order to keep the cut flowers coming ( note my attempt at a Homes& Gardens still life above), he has a great deal of " thinning out" to do

As you can see.....he seems to be enjoying himself

The run up to both the flower show and our open day has started

I will be holding out my begging bowl to all of my blog readers to see if anyone would again like to contribute to both.....

The flower show schedule can be viewed at

http://trelawnydflowershow.blogspot.co.uk/

( I know all you arty types may love to try your hand against the best Wales can do)

And

I am taking in any crafty home made bits to sell on a stall on our open day

( all proceeds to St Michael's Church and  Marie Curie Cancer Care)

William and Meg watching E
gardening

Btw. The winner of the " caption competition can be viewed below

I am off to watch a video of a French bulldog worried at its own farts

And The Winner Is........

And the winner of the Scotch Egg

Photograph Caption Competition

Is

.............

Kath from http://railwaycottage.blogspot.co.uk/

With her 11.04 am entry of

Kath11:04 am

Despite the expensive stick-on eyebrows, Bert was still not sure that he could pass as a woman.

Well done that woman  and well done to all that entered........I will have to forgo my original prize of a pair of designer scotch eggs as I am sure Kath is in fact a veggie......but a small and tasteful alternative will be winging its way over to Glastonbury

( Kelley and Libby were close runners up)

What do you think?

Anyone who adds the best caption to this photo
Will win a prize

Ps..happy Birthday to big sis Ann
Xxx

You Couldn't Make It Up

I watched this video just once before and was reduced to a steaming pile of emotional jelly when I first saw it.
Reunion stories kind of stab at my heart, when I watch them. The overwhelming need dogs have for their pack leaders to be reunited with them can be incredibly strong.
If you have not seen this news feature before
Get the tissues ready

http://www.police.uk/

This morning I was out around five thirty, giving the dogs a wee walk. Local shepherd Graham stopped his pick up in the lane. He was out rounding up his sheep from the main road, thieves looking for agricultural equipment had broken into his fields during the night.

Thieves don't care about closing gates behind themselves.

Mercifully, crime has not really touched us in this corner of North Wales. But this does not mean that it's not about. I logged into http://www.police.uk/ to review what crime is prevalent in our

 local area and was surprised to see 

the following table of results for the past year.

Category	Total	Percentage
Anti-social behaviour	26	52.0%
Burglary	0	0.0%
Criminal damage and arson	3	6.0%
Drugs	1	2.0%
Other crime	5	10.0%
Other theft	3	6.0%
Public disorder and weapons	3	6.0%
Robbery	0	0.0%
Shoplifting	3	6.0%
Vehicle crime	2	4.0%
Violent crime	4	8.0%

Apart from a couple of dozen antisocial incidents probably fuelled by cheap cider, I was surprised to see 3 public disorder incidents involving weapons ( WEAPONS!) and 4 episodes of violent crime

It makes for a sobering read.

I wish I hadn't logged into the website now.

It has depressed me.
PS
I have just checked the stats for our previous address in Sheffield. In Trelawnyd there were 4 crimes reported ( including antisocial behaviour) in April. In Hillsborough ( within a mile radius of our old house) there was 141
Yikes