The Aardvark

 

Picking the right gift for someone is fraught with difficulty.

I once realised that a relationship was going south when a boyfriend bought me a microwave oven for Christmas 

I was right, that relationship failed 

Not because of the Microwave, 

But because he was a knob.

I’m usually pretty good a buying the right gift for the right person.

This year I’ve concentrated on slightly alternative gifts

For friends I have bought tickets to the Royal Ballet, The Liverpool Philharmonic and to the famous Folk Festival here in Trelawnyd. Of course I’m going as well which means that I have in effect bought myself a whole set of Christmas Gifts too ( there’s method in my madness) 

Other gifts have been more eclectic . My sisters always the pragmatists make a Christmas list each, so I’ve gone in quick sticks and ticked off all of their nicest wants before anyone else can get to them. 

Other recipients will get a whole plethora of alternative presents. A toboggan ride on a mountain, a simulated sky dive, trees planted by the National Trust and an “adoption”of the most beautiful of aardvarks in Chester Zoo.

I finish nights at 8am this morning and have been rostered back on day shift tomorrow.

So today will be a rest day.

I will have to pop round to see Mrs R sometime today. She left me a somewhat tearful message on my land line in the middle of my night shifts which I only picked up yesterday. 

Her husband had died suddenly and over the years I had given her practical advice about his health matters

On a brighter note Rachel over at the riding stables has just had a healthy baby boy and Affable despot Jason’s older girl Eve has just celebrated her 16th birthday

Ebb and flow 

I may cancel my landline. I never use it

Iawn

 

I have little to talk about today.

Thanks why I’ve posted Madge & Bisket, who are on good form

I’m on my break and it’s almost three in the morning

The last word I uttered was iawn ? 

Which is the Welsh word for ok 

It was in question form and my patient nodded 

Iawn is pronounced similarly to down with emphasis on following the W 

My Welsh has improved over the last couple of years

I can watch the welsh tv soap Opera Poble y Cwm  without English subtitles and more or less understand what is going on .

Hundreds of Trees were felled here in North Wales last night in the storm

Particularly badly hit was Happy Valley in Llandudno

Just across the town from the hospice

Thanksgiving

 

I like the thought of thanksgiving

We don’t do enough of it.

That is probably because we seldom go to church as a nation.

Mind you thanking God is something I’ve never done

So what am I thankful for? 

Recently I’m thankful that the people I care about , generally are well and healthy

As you know I haven’t been feeling well recently and this doesn’t half focus the mind about what is important 

Health is important 

And it’s a concept you only subscribe to when you are older 

Storm Arwen roared into Wales last night. An old friend from ITU had her roof blown off  ( reported “live” on Facebook) and on the way home this morning , I noticed scores of trees had been felled on either side of the A55 and on the village Whats app group Karen M had shared that her greenhouse had moved next door.

When I got home, I spied my old flower Show nemesis Terry, retrieving the contents of my recycling bins from all down the Lane and after a quick check of the cottage , I found nothing more than cosmetic damage to planters, and bushes even though food tins filled the Lane verges like confetti 

I smiled before I took the dogs to bed

Even my delicate young laburnum sapling in the churchyard had survived the night 

Arwen

 Storm Arwen is pushing down from the North Sea and we are expecting snow on high ground here in North Wales later today. 

I’ve still not heard from the workman who is relining  my chimney so the mobile oil heaters are the only things keeping me warm so far this winter. 

I will chase him up today .

Yesterday I met a friend for lunch at Bryn Williams at Porth Eirias, which is a water sports centre along the coast. I love the recycled art work which has been commissioned to decorate the Promenade and public areas and especially love this cormorant made from recycled plastic, metal and rubber tyres.

Nights tonight, yesterday I lazily mooched a lovely lunch from the contents of the fridge…half a smoked bacon joint, caramelised in velvet Voiced Linda’s jam, garlic infused long beans and a jacket potato softened with turkey gravy .

Bloody lovely I’ve plated up leftovers for supper at work

The dogs adore the left over gravy sweetened with the jam infused juices from the bacon and have to given their share separately to stop spats.

I’ve been back to the doctors early  this morning ….more double strength antibiotics more urine samples and more blood tests 

Hey ho

Gay and Grey ( Gray)

Just four weeks to Christmas and The Norwegian Postal service has filmed a gay themed advert that centres upon two older gay characters.

It’s sweet and relevant and underlines just how older gay men are often made invisible, in social media, cinema and television. 

Of course we will always have the waspish, screaming queen stereotypes in such shows as  Vicious but serious and positive depictions of older gay life have been few and far between.

I spent a good hour this morning, walking the dogs and when ambling, I listed all those gay films I could think of. The Korean film Twilight’s Kiss (2019), the American Love Is Strange 2014 and Pitstop 2013

and the French/Israeli movie Kol Erev ( 2010) 

Not a definitive list, but it is a short one

Pitstop

Love is strange

Twilight’s Kiss

Kol Erev

Anyhow like I said , it’s almost December.

And today it feels it, as there is a crispness to the air.

Having said that, the sweet peas that have covered my garden arch over the front gate are still blooming albeit delicately and I have cut them with the remaining geraniums, yellow roses and oxeye daisies and have put them in a small vase on the kitchen table

This morning I’m wrapping the Christmas decorations I bought yesterday. Every year I send some to friends in Australia and Derbyshire and this year I’m on point with the tradition. 

Tonight I’m writing Christmas cards, which is another tradition I have always enjoyed.

There is something constant and warming and comforting when you sit down with a quality pen, a pile of cards and your address book.

I think it’s an old fashioned activity now.

Pottery

 Back to pottery tonight. 

I’m the only one not making Christmas decorations 

I’m making a selection of spoons 

The camp instructor clapped his hands joyfully when I told him

“ I love  spooning ! “ he chirped 

Suitably I made soup for supper on this cold night

Smoked bacon and butter bean soup with a hint of chilli 

Bloody lovely . 

The dogs and Albert are all on the couch with me watching The Repair Shop

Plan

 

 I never expected to be working full time at 60 years old let alone at 65 or older

(I’m seven months from reaching 60)

And to keep my home safe  and my mortgage paid I will need to be in employment until I am almost 70

Nursing full time is physically not really an option for me I know, so recently I’ve had to seriously review my work future

( an odd thing to say seeing that I’m already in receipt of my nursing pension) 

I’ve decided to complete my counselling degree. 

Back in the 1990s I completed several counselling courses at Sheffield Uni but too much time has gone by for those to be of any use to me now, so I have to push through the degree from the start 

I may be able to incorporate study days from work given the nature of the course but we shall see but the idea in principle seems doable to me and is something that taps into my strengths and abilities 

Another door is perhaps opening 

I’ve always been a late starter…….

I’m A Celebrity

 I’m a celebrity get me out of here  is being filmed just a few miles west of Trelawnyd 

I have such a crush on the actor Danny Miller