I’ve had a bath and everything


 My internet never really made it back so the quiz is off, for now....
I’ve had a bath and everything! 
I see the Christmas tv adverts have started most of them on a “ let’s soldier on “ theme

Quiz


Internet provider still down from yesterday
Will reschedule quiz xx
Apologies x

Fireworks

 Someone in the village has been letting fireworks off tonight.
I found Dorothy with her head pushed next to the Thermal store tank in the airing cupboard shaking uncontrollably.
Strangely Albert was sat with her in a brief and unexpected moment of solidarity 
I managed to extricate her and hid her behind me in my arm chair until she stopped shaking Violently 
She is now lying between my feet
Alert and wide eyed but calmer


Ponies’ Noses

 

Mrs Trellis’ bobble hat Seems to be a fashion icon

My last day of isolation and I’ve no internet! 
I’m typing this on my phone with fat fingers
It’s still raining and
I’m stood under the Churchyard Elm which offers a little production.
I am refreshingly wet.

I’ve just visited the ponies in the field and stood for an age breathing in their breath and letting them do the same.
There is something magical in this sort of connection. 
Something peaceful.

I came out to check if my field hedges have been cut and shaped and indeed they have been. This time of year, tractors pulling great arms of cutters fill the lanes and roads and overgrown hawthorn hedges Suddenly become neat, and square and impressive.

The countryside remains a dirty, muddy brown green and
I haven’t seen anyone human today
With the only exception of Mrs Trellis’ bobble hat which bounced past the field borders up the lane at a jaunty angle.





“ For the days that drag our souls into dreary circles “

 


Wales, like Seattle, is well known for its somewhat wet climate.
It has rained heavily every day here for the past ten days or so, and everything is muddy and wet and slimy. My friend’s ponies have been brought down from their treacherously wet and steep field on the Gop to graze on my field in the safety of flat ground.
It’s nice to see them feeding, the steam rising off their bodies in the wet
This muggy feeling in itself is exhausting and I find myself longing for a dry garden path and some weak sun on my face. 
A gift of a book showing a collection of Andrew Wyeth paintings lifted the gloom nicely today 
I lit the fire too, just after breakfast
Old Welsh Cottages get cold quickly if left unchecked.
I FaceTimed my friend Ruth who sent me some scotch eggs then spoke to a lady called Lydia from the office of National Statistics Wales who interviewed me about how I felt about Covid 
One of the questions was about eating enough which was sobering 
She told me that I get a ten pound voucher for helping out, it’s sad that everyone needs to be paid for helping out 
My personal lockdown finishes on Thursday. 
So it was lovely of my niece in law and great niece to FaceTime me this afternoon with a magic show 
Thank god for FaceTime 


I will leave you with a bit of Ella and the sublime My Funny Valentine 

    


Nice Day

 

It’s been a nicer day today.
I Cleared the old knitting bag in the living room and found lots of old wool and knitting needles needing a new home, so I passed them onto Karen at the still house near the village pond who is big in the village WI  . We had a lovely chat , distanced by 20 yards .
Mary rubbed herself into a muddy puddle as we caught up 
This afternoon , I read lots of old journals written in the 1990s ....Tons of things I didn’t remember 
Lord.........
I’ve planned a silly zoom quiz on a Thursday 
Anyone else that wants to join in just let me know your emails 
It’s been fun to organise 
I was supposed to work today so the dog walker came, but not the usual sexy bearded one  we are all used to  . The young girl  that stood in couldn’t cope with Dorothy and brought her back within 5 minutes 
Dorothy lay flat chested on the floor when they returned grinning hopefully
Bless her.
Hey ho

Sheffield Central Library 1992

 


When I lived in Sheffield, in those early days, when I was single.
I would sometimes find myself with nothing to do on a day off from work.
My favourite place to go was to the Art Deco grandeur of the Central Library, where I would select a few reference books and sit at one of the square and worn desks to read and to watch people.
I was once asked out on a date by a student in a scruffy green jumper there
He left a note with his telephone number on a slip of paper on my desk as he walked by.
I rang the number 
He was cute.

I was reminded today of the library, and the desks and of a young woman crying over her studies. 
Even though she had her back to me, I could tell that she was crying. The hunch of her back, the frantic search for a tissue in her satchel. The sudden flop of her head to one side to rest on her palm.
I watched her for a while .
Four desks back and a little to her right.

I wasn’t the only person to notice
To my left another young woman was watching and we briefly glanced at each other, an audience of two to someone else’s misery.
The second woman, I presumed was Muslim as she wore a hijab.
In between glances of our books, we kept an eye on the crying woman and it was only a few moments later when a third person, a youngish man with a pencil behind his ear noticed the distressed woman and from his desk a couple in front of her, he turned and asked her if she was alright. 
The Muslim woman and I couldn’t hear what was said so I wasn’t really surprised when she got up and walked up to the girl and knelt down beside her and three strangers carried on a conversation, I could only guess about.
The Muslim woman put her hand supportively into the curve of the woman’s back and there was much nodding with the man in front smiling gently . his head turned.
Eventually the crying woman stood up with a tissue to her face and with the Muslim woman’s hand still around her they walked up the aisle passed me.
Can you watch my things?  “ the Muslim woman said to me as they passed “ We are going for a coffee
I nodded and said “Sure” 
And I did. 
I never got to know what the problem was and why the girl was so distressed.
The muslin woman eventually returned and when I asked if everything was alright, diplomatically said
she’s ok now” 
I didnt ask anything else but did say “ You were very kind” to which the Muslim woman said something thing like” noom” 

And I felt I had just been part of something so small but something potentially rather special.



Sleeping Mary and Quiz

Watching tv tonight
It’s a wild stormy night and the electric has been off twice
It’s not food on my shirt it’s bulldog slobber
I’ve organised a silly quiz for thursday 8pm GMT
Anyone interested give me your email