Your Tiny Hand Is Frozen

I've been sorting out the itinerary for  New York trip this afternoon and after a bit of juggling I was ticked pink to buy us tickets to see La Boheme at the New York Met.
The Prof has never seen Puccini's tale of love amid the poor artists of the Paris of 1840 and although it has been criticised by some as a lightweight opera , it does have the power to bring a tear to your eye and a lump to your throat!

Now even though I have filled most days of our visit with nice activities ( and before you ask I've been 8 times before so we've pretty much done the tourist stuff) I ask the Going Gently readers if they know of anything alternative that they have done in New York which is worth a visit. We are open to anything new, a lovely restaurant, exhibition,.....anything different......you could recommend
I'm all ears!

Still Life

I am sat at the kitchen table drinking a bucket of coffee
Im waiting for the plumber to arrive
I've just realised that I like yellow

Brian is a bit of a c*#t

Storm Brian seems rather more ferocious than Ophelia

We were caught in it when we went to Conwy to buy mussels

And by the time we got home the wind had already toppled the ceanothus in the front garden

Clinton

ok ...I wasnt going to post anything else but I have just watched Hilary Clinton being interviewed on the UK chat show Graham Norton's show
Now Last year I heard her interviewed on radio 4,- and she came over as a rather bland character
But tonight with Norton's relaxed interview style She came across exceedingly well.....the President the US should have had

Georgy Girl

My former post depressed me greatly, well more precisely , the comments did , so I have plucked this entry from BBC 4 's programme Easy Listening Hits at the BBC ( which is presently showing)
To lighten the mood!

Enjoy

Patience

The nearest I've gotten to my new kitchen

I'm not a very patient person. 

Red tape,lack of information not doing things when I was told things were going to happen are things that drive me bananas .

...and I am a very assertive customer. 

The new kitchen is planned and I am awaiting final costings as the original plans forgot to take into account some heating pipes. 

Last week the plumber gave me just one hour notice of a no show ( without an explaination) and blocked me totally on social media after I told him it was inconvenient . His offer for another appointment has so far not been forthcoming.

The new local plumber is coming out on Sunday to give me a quote for some work and I'm hoping the kitchen fitter can sort out our " slot" very soon.

Project managing is bloody stressful

If You Can't Say Something Nice ...don't say anything at all

Stans garden in spring

My mother used to use this statement a lot when I was a child. She' was referring to gossip in the main and how some people always remarked about someone else's negative points rather than their positives.
This was rich as my mother could be waspish as they come, but you sort of get the gist of where she was coming from.
One of the trophies in the flower show is in need of replacing . It's a cheap looking cup and so the committee were unanimous in the decision to change it and it seemed fitting that the cup was renamed as a dedication to someone who has supported the flower show so well over the years.
The name of Stan H was mentioned and agreed upon, as he always produced the most beautifully kept pensioner garden in the entire village and yesterday,, I had the opportunity of asking him if it was alright if we did so.
Typically Stan, who is in his nineties , was gardening when I asked him and at first, he slightly misunderstood what I was saying, thinking that I wanted him to purchase the cup for us.
When I explained that the committee was buying it and wanted to rename it as a mark of respect of what he had contributed to the show over the years, he grew silent and seemed greatly moved by the gesture.
He offered me his hand still in its gardening glove and we shook firmly.
" Thank You" he said quietly.

A Ghost Story

With Halloween approaching today Village Elder enjoyed sharing a tale of how , years ago, a troubled local stalked the dark lane outside our cottage with a loaded shotgun.
He enjoys telling a good story and should be employed as a teller of tales, as he'd make a fortune
scaring  the  bejesus out of any small child with a healthy imagination.
Years ago, on a cold and very dark autumn evening , I am sure the dogs saw a ghost in the garden of a bungalow next to the church. We had three dogs then. A five year old Welsh terrier called Finlay, Maddie a Scottish terrier and Meg a Welsh terrier puppy and I remember clearly that when we passed the Church gates all three dogs stopped short and refused to move forward along the lane.
They did not appear frightened but looked more curious and a little perplexed and all three seemed to be looking at the same spot several feet from the ground in the centre of a lawned part of the garden.
It was the oddest thing to witness as there was nothing for me to see, but the dogs, in their stillness had seen something and their quiet vigil was the most unnerving of experiences I can tell you.

That walk was cut very short I can tell you!

As we slowly approach Halloween......please share your own ghost story!
I'd be interested to hear them