Are You Sitting Comfortably ?

I'm working night shift tonight and tomorrow night
New Year's Eve will be a non event for me which is fine.

I will leave you with a short story...
This Christmas the Prof and I thought it nice to share some moody stories in front of the new log burner. To be honest he made a bit of a show, of just how wonderful, a different " activity" would be during this rather quiet shadow of the Christmas Holiday.
I fancied reading out Daphne DuMaurier's short story of The Birds but the Prof wanted a Gothic murder mystery!
The night before last he read out an strange little tale about Ghosts in a Country Hall and last night I agreed to read a somewhat odd 1950 s short story called The Santa Claus Club.
I thought it was a rather nice couple thing to do.
Last night, I walked the dogs at nine and we settled down in front of the fire for me to read out the scary tale of murder most horrid.
The story was longer than expected, but I persevered with the verbose text in subdued lighting!
25 minutes into the story, I stopped briefly to cough ...............and saw my husband fast asleep on the couch!
Hey ho!

Happy new Year dearhearts!

Bring On The Baby Jesus!!!!

" Go on it'll be fun..." I told a somewhat skeptical Prof before we left the house
" I love doing it!"
He raised a Roger Moore eyebrow at least one centimetre ( where it stayed for the duration) and we drove to the do-it-yourself garage in Rhuddlan to jet wash the car.
" Do you want to give it a blast!" I shouted to him after I had started the power hose and he shook his head slowly in a kind of bless him, he actually enjoys this bollocks kind of way.
To me mucking around with a jet wash is the ultimate fun thing to do on a muggy Saturday afternoon.

We saw Gaynor, The mad Organist in Marks and Spencers. She had a trolley which necessitated me playing my favourite "sneak the produce into the trolley " game without her knowledge.
I managed two Chinese meals for four and a packet of prawn crackers before she twigged, which. For me, was a very poor show indeed!

It always amazes the Prof just how little things like the jet wash and " Sneak the produce" game  amuses me.
I think I am just easily pleased

Mrs Trellis caught us today too, with her rather sweet late gift of a miniature glass Christmas Tree. She declined The Prof's offer of a stiff gin martini to keep out the cold but I could see she was sorely tempted by the offer. She told us that the Christmas Church service went very well and that this year the baby Jesus was brought down the aisle to be placed ceremoniously into the crib by some of the village children. Usually the job is carried out by Mrs D, the Church warden after the vicar gives the cry of " Bring on the BABY Jesus" 
This always used to give me a fit of the giggles when uttered.
Like I said...I'm easily pleased!

Mrs Trellis' glass Christmas Tree next to my light up hippo!

Who says I'm not a classy bitch? 

Lullaby

Cro posted this Welsh lullaby on his blog today. You might of heard it before, especially if you are a fan of Steven Spielberg who used it to wonderful effect in his movie Empire Of The Sun. 
It's called Suo Gân 
Which literally means " lullaby" in Welsh.

I've always loved it's final verse , which can be translated several ways.
This version is my favourite.

" Leaves are knocking,
Gently knocking at our door.
Have no fear now, waves are beating,
Gently beating on the shore.
Sleep my darling, non shall harm you,
Nor alarm you, never
And beguiling those on high"

We are having a quiet afternoon by the fire. William and Mary have returned from the kennels ( Mary with three unexpected large bald spots on her rump) and as most dogs do after barking their tits off for five days they are now sleeping the deep relaxed sleep of being securely home.
Winnie is passing almost silent farts on the hearthrug, George and Albert are curled up in respective arm chairs and the Prof is cooking a ham in the kitchen.

I may just play Suo Gan again......it's the perfect choice for a cold Welsh Evening.......

" I've Found Another One Dead"

When my mother was hospilized. ( The admission before her death) she rather gleefully told me the story when she overheard one of the ward nurses share with her colleagues in the middle of the night the stage whisper of " I've just found another one dead" 
My mother was amused more by the fact that the nurses burst into conspiratorial giggles after the event rather than the fact that one of her fellow patients had died.
My mother and I shared the same sense of humour.

I see that another celebrity has bitten the dust over the Christmas period. Poor Carrie Fisher's force wasn't with her,even though she was lucky enough to have a cardiac arrest in first class where the stewards were all well versed in CPR.
The lists of the dead are all of comparable age to me which is a bit worrying....but I guess the baby boomers are all being thinned out as Darwin Nature intended. Drugs, alcohol and dirty living finally takes it's toll......ask George Michael's housekeeper if you don't believe me, I bet she's seen things that would make your eyeballs pop from your sockets!

And so we leave Broadstairs for the journey home in a few minutes. The home-cared for Dogs need collecting tonight.
The kennel based dogs tomorrow.

The Family Prof and other eyebrows

The Family " Prof" 

I've had enough now.
Home tomorrow...
It's all been very nice indeed and the sight of watching Sorrel with a dentist's speculum in her mouth playing " speak up" ( I'm banned from showing you the photograps but if you email me, I'll give you a sneak peak) was well worth the coast of the rail journey alone.
I shall leave you with some photographs of The Prof's auntie's Christmas village....and finally Sorrel and I at the dinner table
It will be the last time I mention the fucking season until December 2017.

,

Ps my nephew Leo now has his own film review blog

At

http://montyfilmreviews.blogspot.co.uk

The Day After

Our Christmas Lunch was somewhat French in nature.
Seafood starters, a " digestive" champagne sorbet between courses and a turkey lunch with gravy to die for.
I ended the day watching a shit monster movie with my nephew.
It's interesting joining in with another family's Christmas traditions for everyone has their own particular way of doing things. 
I didn't get up until ten this morning, which is unheard of. I'm enjoying the blow up mattress and I am sure I look a little like the Queen Mary negotiating a rather turpid mid Atlantic swell when rolling over to get comfortable.
I'm curbing the impulse of throwing myself Scarlett O'Hara-esque onto myside when the Prof is reclining on the other!
Later today, after a walk, we shall be eating bubble and squeak with cold meat and tomorrow after a trip to the Turner Museum in Margate we shall be having tea" at the Prof's Uncle and Aunt's home. They have an impressive winter wonderland village set out in their front room.
It's the size of Trelawnyd apparently! 

Happy Christmas

A Photo sent to me early this am

There is always one child that breaks her toy as soon as opening it! 

Have a nice day 

" Gawd Bless Us ...one and all" 

Christmas Eve

Bloody Hell it's Christmas Eve!
I'm sitting in my mother in law's conservatory sipping strong coffee.
I'm also wearing my Walking Dead Christmas Jumper bought for me by my sister!
A thoughtful gift I thought!
We start the slog of family visits later today, which I prepared for nicely by sleeping 10 hours on a blow up matress on the floor of the dining room. I tell you this to add a little colour into the proceedings for getting up seems to be somewhat of an interesting spectacle for me as I have to roll onto the floor like a hippo sliding off a mud bank!
Have a relaxed, peaceful and good natured day, you' all!
Hey ho! Ho! Ho!