I've never wanted to visit Mexico

I met a man who I was in school with today
We have not spoken for perhaps 40 years
He was with his boyfriend
I was dressed in a green tabard, flip flops and was holding a green plastic collecting bucket.
We had one of those odd public conversations that was all too much
I told them that I was separated
They told me that they have just been on a gay cruise around Mexico
Apparently you can sleep with everyone  on a gay cruise they told me with a cackle
And they both did! ( what fun!)

I've never understood people in long term relationships that swing/ shag around/ or think it's ok to shag themselves silly on an ocean liner. To me shagging around is something you do when you are young and single or indeed old and single .....but single is the most important point of it all for me
Do what you like when you are single ....Multiple shags , to me when you are in a relationship are a sign of fickle immaturity.
But each to their own I guess

I've never wanted to go to Mexico either btw

Friday Chatty Kathy

Smiling Ann from the old Flower Show committee clamboured excitedly over the make shift gate in my back garden yesterday in order to discuss " an adventure" Winnie got all goo goo eyed and hysterical and caught a fat paw into Ann's lacy top which necessitated several minutes of unravelling but eventually we got them separated and Ann could discuss her ideas.

" would I accompany her on Velocity 2 - which at 1500 feet, is the fastest zip wire in the world?" 

The zip wire is suspended over a deep blue lake which fills Penryn Quarry over in North West Wales 

" We could do it for Charity" she suggested as she fended off Mary "A joint sponsored event for Alzheimer's and Samaritans?" 

Now everyone knows that I am somewhat of an adrenaline junkie, its in the blood, so of course I said yes......so watch this space cos I shall be chasing you all dear readers for sponsorship on our just giving  page.........

Hey ho

The " affable despot's" girls are on school holidays at the moment and have advertised their " odd job" services to locals around the village . I like this initiative as they are raising funds for their own holiday in France and are learning a valuable lesson in mini life skills budgeting for it

"You don't get something for nothing" .... I've paid them some money in advance and have booked them for a spot of dog bathing, grooming and floor washing on heir return 

Affable despot Jason naughtily asked if Winnie's fanny flannel would have to be used reminding me

 that his youngest daughter in only seven. 

I couldn't possibly comment

Yesterday I caught up withblogfriend Sue  http://ournewlifeinthecountry.blogspot.com/

for a coffee and came home smelling of pug dog ( bliss) and sporting a large bag of homemade goodies. I took her a small Edwardian glass jug which she filled with summer flowers and we drank coffee and chatted in the kitchen like nice people do

It was a sweet

Trendy Carol has just walked past  ( nice jeans , floaty top, expensive sandals ) and has waved , and the postman is knocking on the window with a bouncy  "I ve got one of those strange parcels from American again but this one has the right address on it!" 

He watched me open it this morning , 

" No one ever sends me pigs " he remarked when I did so 

you're not as Lucky as me " I remarked with a smile 

A "Good Morning Miss Dove" Moment

a letter arrived yesterday from the Trelawnyd Community Association 

Hi John

At our last meeting of the Association I was tasked with inviting you out for a meal to thank you for how you have supported  village life since you moved here; this isn't just about the flower show  this is about your overall commitment to the village.. As a fellow Yorkshireman I took the view that this isn't something we could spring on you as a surprise so I thought it best to ask you straight out what night you would be free -week after next. Once I have the dates you are free I'll organise a meal and drink in the Crown - nothing too elaborate and no surprises.

(The suggestions made if you said no did range from "Kidnap" to the group descending on your house with many bottles - a terrifying thought!!!)

Best regards

Ian

-- 

Ian Papworth-

How lovely 

This Is Why........,..

Strangers can make a difference, I'm a firm believer in that.

He was young, just into his twenties.
Emotionally bright but terribly low, it was his first phone call to us and he was unsure of just what to say.
I heard the warning bells of despair from the first few minutes of our conversation.
This was an important call, I said to myself and I prepared to give it everything
It took just ten minutes for the subject of suicide to be acknowledged.

The relief of sharing such a deep dark thought safely was palpable.
It bonded caller to listener, and once out in the open he could move on to the tentative planning for help and support .

I didn't want the call to end,
I wanted to feel he was safe......but all I could was to hope that he was now safer
I offered him a follow up call to check if he was ok. He accepted and requested it for today.
I arranged for a colleague in another part of the country , a stranger to me ,to be responsible for this precious task.
I have to trust that this was carried out successfully this lunchtime.

I ended the call with the words " You matter" I wanted to sound warm,
a virtual hug
He ended the call with " Thank you for that" and then he was gone

And in well trained care my office buddy  gave me time to share such an important forty minute phone call as I sniffed a tear away over a cuppa and a Jaffa cake

This is why I am a Samaritan . 

Fall From Grace

One accidental snap
Taken from my iPhone as I tumbled over the field gate
Strange that the flip flop remained in place
I was winded on the floor for an age before the ponies ambled over to take a closer look and to eat the layers pellets I had scattered into the grass when I fell.
Layers pellets ? I hear you ask
Yes......layers pellets!!!!......two small bantam cockerels arrived at the Ukrainian Village this afternoon.
Hey ho!

A Load Of Young Bullocks

I've been sat at the kitchen table for much of today looking at nursing jobs and agency web sites.
It's an odious task
I literally went goggle eyed by midday and was only saved by the escapee group of young Bullocks who first darted up the lane then sprinted back down with gay abandon .
Glad of the distraction I caught up with them at the livery fields and herded them down to another field with the help of some woman in a small hatchback.
Herding Bullocks in flip flops is not for the faint hearted , and when I eventually got home I had to rinse feet and flops in a bowl of detergent.
The postman arrived soon after and pushed some more cards through the window
" This is bloody ridiculous !" he said showing me this

" More fan mail" he laughed then asked " Where's Mary?" 
I panicked a little as she's always hanging out of the window feigning "I'll kill ya, I'll kill ya " when the postie comes, so I went in search of her....
She wasn't far away

Ta muchly btw

Walk Through Video

I used to do a great number of these kind of videos .
Years of walking around the field with a cheap camera
Today I revisited the vlog

The Bell

For some reason I had ( or needed) a lie in today.
It was only the Church bell that woke me up around eleven and the video I briefly took as I staggered into the garden was suitably blurry eyed as a result.
I've been invited out to a trip to Chester Races today by family and Sunday lunch at a friend's house but I have given my apologies to both invitations
So it's coffee in my bucket coffee cup and radio 4.......
These are two of my best friends on a Sunday Morning
They are here every Sunday morning
Constants........