A Village Of Dogs

There is a another list of village characters in Trelawnyd. So far they have only been mentioned in passing , for the likes of Gay Gordon, Trellis ( the artist formally known as Mrs Trellis) and Jason the affable despot  have all taken centre stage On Going Gently. But living in the 200 odd houses within the village boundary at least sixty varied dogs share their lives with a cross section of Welsh villagers.

Firstly, there are the rural working and farm dogs, many of which are alert, on edge and protective of their owners and land. Farmer Basil's dog is a case in point here, for he sits sharp eyed next to his master in the farm pick up ready to snap at any untinking passer by who ventures a hand through the window.
Farm dogs are not like home dogs, they cannot be treated the same.

There are dogs that never seem to be walked  like the two aggressive staffies that reside in the bin bag windowed House and the ones that you meet every day with their owners trotting energetically in the wet lanes and streets. Trellis' whippet, Blue and the police house's Lilly both sport natty coats when  out and both stand gently and quietly by their master's sides when I come trolling up with our pack.
Things are much more frenetic when we meet Pippa and her mongrels and Terry from the flower Show and his pugnacious Yorkie, then both sets of dog packs  yap and bark at each other with some gusto. Dogs on leads love to play up loudly, I always think.

Two lovely looking Scotties live on the new estate, and a proud English bull terrier will always say hello with a confident and smiling good nature  on the few times we meet up .
I always smile too, when the nervous Shih Tzu , who is owned by the old guy from the pensioner bungalows , sees us when he is trotting around the concrete paths . He disappeares inside , as quickly as a Mexican extra from a Spaghetti Western.

Another Welsh terrier , called Seren , can be often seen perched on the knee of  Gwyneth in her electric wheelchair and the lovely Black Labrador puppy Podrick is out everyday being trained by his conscientious  owner .

Winnie is the only bulldog in Trelawnyd by the way.
60 odd dogs in a tiny village
Says something for the power of dog friendship eh?

Now That The Party Is Over

There are lots of things we all want for ourselves at the beginning of the new year.
Perhaps we want to be healthier, fitter and more organised.
We aim to drink less, work harder and maybe limit our vices and our bad habits.
Whatever we aim to do, good intentions all, resolutions often fall away to nothing when February comes.

Last night I was thanked, via email, for being kind.
I tell you this only because it made me think that of all the virtues that we as humans like to think that we possess in bucket loads, kindness is the most overlooked but remains the most important.
" Kindness costs nothing" my mother used to say, a remark which was always a rebuke rather than affirmation and she was wrong, for kindness does cost something.
It costs a little thought and just a little effort.

The situation I found myself in yesterday was a sad one all round and like so many of complicated life moments it couldn't be fixed neatly and quickly for the overwhelming emotions involved were of hopelessness and despair.
In these days of counselling, therapy, problem solving and " intervention" the baby sometimes can get thrown out with the bathwater. Self help, getting a grip, sort yourself out, grow up get over it, whatever your perspective and stance, when faced with sadness, kindness above anything else is the way to help.
Kindness often never  solves anything.
But it softens the misery.

So perhaps forget the resolutions to keep up that gym membership and don't worry too much when you reach for that extra mini scotch egg from Tescos ( 1.99 for 10) .....just remind yourself that perhaps once a day, or twice a week...try and be kinder once in a while....

Lunch Out

We went to another Prof's house for lunch yesterday.

Classy nibbles, champagne in crystal glasses

You know the score.

We took Winnie along with us.

At the height of academic chit chat.

She left a buffalo sized turd in the centre of the living room!

Secret " Likes"

Today we drove to Snowdonia to have lunch and " games" with a friend.
The lunch was lovely and the games ( a board game called " Articulate" ) great fun.
It go me to thinking how many " unfashionable " likes I have...those likes you enjoy but the ones that perhaps you don't own up to but will perhaps enjoy once in a blue moon
Here are a few of mine.....

1. Making stuff out of lego
2. A jigsaw puzzle 
3. Pretending to play the piano
4. Playing card patience
5. Turning a boiled egg over in the egg cup after you have eaten the insides
6. Popping bubble wrap
7. Licking the bowl after making cake batter
8. Reading trashy women's magazines 
9. Colouring in pictures with felt pens
10. Folding napkins
11. Sticking words and pictures from mags onto cat food tins and making them into a desk tidy.
12. Rolling string into balls
13. Firing elastic bands at random objects
14. Doodling in wet sand
15. Biting my nails
16. Reading on the toilet

Round Robin 2015

I detest Round Robin letters......for all of the reasons we all do, but for once I shall use the format for a backdrop of a personal review of 2015....it's been a red letter year.

We got married in March!
Yes married...........how wonderful was that? In barely a generation, attitudes to gay marriage somersaulted from the prejudice and ignorance of the 1970s and 80's to, if not a total normality,an adjustment and " oh , was that it?" acceptance of the "teens"
The Prof and I were overwhelmed by the messages and cards and gifts we received. We had not expected the reaction, in that strange unconscious way that we didn't kind of deserve it. Weddings were for straight couples and not middle aged poofs like us, and peoples' thoughtfulness and kindness touched us deeply.
Our families and close friends joined together for the first time and we had the best day ever.
I have the ring to prove it too!

The " Doctor" worked hard as he always does and in 2015 he became a Professor. With a promotion came huge responsibilities within the University and I am aware that this change will ultimately take us away to pastures new in the future.
Successful academics always move on to new challenges and greener fields after a while and as Hilda Ogden always said on Coronation Street " The World's your lobster"...
I shall embrace the change when it comes

We experienced the best holiday ever in Australia, ( I still marvel at the memory of the giant fruit bats circling the Opera House at night) and met up with dear old friends who had fat comical kookaburras waddling about on their garden fence.

The  Trelawnyd Flower Show remains the last village event of any note and the 2015 show was the " best ever" ( well according to 96 year old Auntie Glad) ......The Show had bunting for the first time too as well as the new tradition of the " International Novelty Vegetable " class...which has caught the public's imagination somewhat....

My dear old co pilot Meg died in 2015, and her absence broke my heart more than I could ever express, but I am thankful that my other "children" filled the void of her constant neediness and
demanding ways. An old bulldog bitch with dubious sexual habits, a new puppy, old retainers George and William and wide eyed Albert, with their constant motion and drama the cottage is never a sombre silent place.....and that's how I like it.

The holes that were left were filled with zombies, scotch eggs, livestock and village life, sporadic babysitting, Samaritan work and the occassional nursing shift. Oh and with blogging, which has been a daily constant of a pretty " uneventful " existence ........all in all it's been a blast

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE WHO VISITS GOING GENTLY

Hey ho

Storm Frank Boredom

A Million Years Ago

I love Adele.

This 60s sounding track from her album 25 is terribly sad

It sounds like it comes from a musical, with the second female lead

singing it before her tragic death in act three.

£53.60 and " It'll make a good tv series"

It's been a day for getting the cottage into shape....and I have just put in an eight hour day doing it.
All the Christmas shite has been cleared away, the kitchen and living room cleaned, shopping done, dogs walked ( twice), windows cleaned, rubbish bagged, fridge cleared of debris, floors bleached, lunch prepared and even Fanny has been hoovered out and polished after which I knocked together an impressive sherry trifle !
If I was on mimimum wage I would have earned £53.60.
Anyhow enough about me.
The village seemed extra busy this morning as the weather has been bright and sunny. Storm Frank is on the way and I think everyone has been making the most of everything being dry for a change. When I was far up high street I spied a villager I shall call Emlyn. Now Emlyn  is very Welsh , has a chirpy mongrel dog and likes gardening. That is all I know about him. We chat about this and that when we bump into each other, and converse for just enough time for Winnie to get a good arse sniff in.
It's been like this for a few years
Today Emlyn mentioned last night's blog, which surprised me as I never knew that he actually read it.
Interestingly, he asked if I wrote about everyone in the village.
I told him the truth, that I was careful to pick and choose what and who I wrote about and that most people were given nicknames to ensure their  anonymity even though, many locals would work who I was talking about in an instant.
" Your language can be a bit fruity at times" Emlyn noted " but the blog would make a good tv series"
" who would play me" I asked, ever the " me me " show girl! and Emlyn thought for a moment before saying
" That fella from " Downton Abbey the servant chappie"
" what the footmanThomas ?" I said hopefully
" Nooooo" Emlyn said without a hint of irony " Carson the butler"
But he had sense enough to add " don't use my real name if you quote me on that comment"

Everyone's a critic........
Perhaps I need botox

Bloody Carson indeed!