Weaver Update & Come From Away

 Weaver is doing ok. She’s suffering from fatigue which, for a person in her situation , is normal but terribly debilitating to say the least. 

She waves a hand from North Yorkshire

 Come From Away is a musical everyone can identify with because it just about ordinary people caught up in something bigger than their lives have ever experienced before. For those few that don’t know, it centres upon the subsequent efforts by the 6 thousand strong local Canadians to process, feed, clothe and support several thousand people ( and animals) from all around the world who had been grounded in Gander , Newfoundland after the 9/11 bombings. 

Wisely, the ensemble cast centre itself on half a dozen people from the planes A gay couple from Los Angeles, a stiff Brit who falls for a gentle American Texan woman, the first female American Airlines pilot, an AfroAmerican woman waiting to hear about her son, a fireman in New York City all have their lives changed by the kindness of strangers and it these true life kindnesses that make the audience cry again and again because we all know that they are real and live within each one of us  

At the end, as in every performance nationwide, the audience stood as one and cheered.

They were cheering not only for the experience of an uplifting and likeable musical 

But for the fact, that all people, all of us,  have the capacity for unselfish, altruistic kindness 

And that’s a blessing.

I went to supervision this morning which was useful as we discussed transference and counter transference  relating to my client 

I bought itsu broth, noodles and vegetables for support and a punnet of grapes for lunch. 

For Yorkshire Pudding

Tonight I’m going to see Come From Away, and so I know it is a paperwork and Flower Show catch up  day. There was a bag on the kitchen wall, left over the weekend. A simple canvas bag decorated with a square of ordinance survey map of Trelawnyd and its surrounds. I have no idea who sent it, but a big thank you is there for the taking. 

I sorted out my on line banking (a nightmare) then set up pages of the village websites and Facebook publicising the show. I collected meds for a neighbour, delivered a score of  schedules  before  having cheese and crackers , with salmon and tomatoes drizzled in olive oil.  

As the Welsh watched 

Sharing the odd piece of salmon as a treat

The village looks glorious what with Milenka le Vay ‘s planters in full bloom around the telephone box and the pond , clean and ready for its next visitors 

I share my shame with Helen Sharman

 Bloody hell, Jill Archer ( Patricia Green) sounded frail on The Archer’s last night. 

It doesn’t sound like the actress will survive long enough to win the Victoria Sponge at the Flower And Produce show this year, which is sad 

All this Olympic chatter reminds me of the world student games which was held in Sheffield in 1991.

I was one of the 25 thousand capacity audience at the Don Valley Stadium who saw former Astronaut Helen Sharman DROP and EXTINGUISH the flame before reaching the bloody cauldron . 

Oh God she must have felt dreadful ! 

The crowds, as I recall were kind. 

See below Student Games Memory number two!!!

I love embarrassing stories. This one is an old one but I think it's worth repeatingBack in 1991 I was celebrating the multicultural social events organised in Sheffield when the World Student Games were held in the city.

I went with a friend to the Crucible Theatre which was hosting a free night of folk music and dance (in the foyer!)...as usual I was dressed down for the event (t shirt and ripped jeans! - remember the fact I had ripped jeans on)
but as the whole event was very relaxed I kind of blended in!
Anyhow I remember sitting on the steps of the bar looking down at the singers and crowds below..and one guy, who was sitting at a table with some friends caught my eye!
I looked at him.....he looked at me! and suddenly I thought "my lucks in!!!"
Anyhow this game of glances carried on for a while ( I remember the guy looked a little like a bearded Jake Gyllenhall) and I did that half smile and hair toss flirting thing! before I caught sight of him downing his pint then weave his way through the tables to walk to where I was sat up on the stairs!
He leaned over slowly so I could smell his after shave and whispered gently into my ear
"Hey mate...I wanted to tell you that you have a rip in your jeans and one of your b*lls is sticking out!"...he suddenly left and went to sit down again!!
What happened to me?..........well I died .....died in a pool of rancid shame

 I’m slightly pissed off

A sunny day reported and I’m on nights again .

The garden looks lovely,

Slightly damp but colourful  

I made scrambled eggs and put my face to the sun until I fell asleep 

And am off to bed after dribbling

Tempos Fugit

 Hit The Road Jack shows The Grupo Talia Choir at full lisp.

I adore it. It’s almost as if the choristers have too many syllables to deal with in one sentence

I can’t believe it’s Saturday late afternoon already. 

The Welsh have been at Trendy Carol’s all day when I’ve been asleep, both have had short haircuts which suit the summer’s humidity.

They are home now and watch me carefully from the kitchen reading chair. My movements soon will indicate to them whether I’m going to work or not tonight

Is it me or has 2024 flown ?

Bittersweet Paris

 Not as good as the London ceremony , The Paris Ceremony shone brightly in spurts.

The galloping horse up the Seine was inspired, and literally took your breath away

As did good old Céline who nailed Piaf’s Hymne á L’amour halfway up the Eiffel Tower

God that was an emotional watch.

I’ve only been to Paris once and that was back in 2001. It was a slightly upsetting jaunt as my then boyfriend ( and husband to be) ended our relationship just as I was enjoying the lighting up of the Eiffel Tower 

Happy days

The Gangs Of New York

 Chester Storyhouse, houses the professional Grovenesor Park Outdoor Theatre each year.

We went to see the impressive production of The Gangs Of New York by Kieran Lynn last night and we’re pleasantly surprised to me more entertained than I ever was with the awful film version.

The messages about how corruption, power and American politics go hand in hand were not lost on the audience or the ad-libbing  actors and although the drama was often played for laughs the violence on stage felt visceral, graphic and at times shocking. 

Great performances by Hanora Kamen, Yondola Ovide, and a rather sexy but menacing James Sheldon as Bill The Butcher.

A lovely evening

My girl

 

 

My laburnum, like us all, is another year older.

The council workmen and gardeners came for their first grass cut of the year at the Churchyard today and I found myself hurrying like a pioneer woman in an Indian Attack to the stockade which was the Church wall to check on the safety of my laburnum.

I should not have worried

Standing firm and with a mop of grand leaves, she stands strong and robust against the other trees d,And

I’m proud as any parent would be