California Suite (1978) |

A good thirty years before she was made infamous for her washpish one liners in Downton, Maggie Smith proved herself to be an incredibly comedy actress in the likes of Neil Simon’s Californian  Suite.

She died recently, reducing the living British Natural Treasure tally to just, Judi Dench, Alan Bennett and Ian McClellan.

Any National Treasures I’ve missed?

I’m working long days this weekend so now I have been cooking some healthy meals 

A hearty bean and chorizo soup, pandan noodles with prawns, a Cumberland sausage stew 

Long Day

 I had three clients and a supervision hour today

It felt a long day.

I worked 10am to 3pm

Instead of going home we drove into Cheshire to have tea with an old friend on the last day of his holiday.

He’s recently became a widower after 36 years and cried after Roger hugged him crossed legged in only the way Welsh terriers do 

The dogs loved the pampering.

It rained all the way home and I’ve realised that I don’t enjoy driving at night 

Another nasty realisation that I’m  getting older. 

The twins bounced downstairs when we arrived after dark 

And walked, yowling, inbetween everyone’s legs before dinner was served.

I hate coming home to a dark house,

But the kittens , as Albert did before them, 

Make it feel like home.

Bake Off

 

Some years had Bake Off breaking its neck to be as inclusive to every Tom, dick and Harriet and so this year feels a little different. Ok with a few cultural differences, such as a Dutch gay man who has the oddest English accent since Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins and a powerfully built Valkyrie from the Czech Republic who looks as though she could hold her own in a pub fight, we have a gaggle of cheerful Gays, a sweet Asian schoolgirl , a comical cockney lad and a couple of ordinary looking lasses from Wales and Lancashire. 

The thing that remains wholesome about Bake Off are the contestants,who are generally shown to be pretty nice people. That’s the strength of the entire programme. Of course the Welsh woman had to have a chicken called Fanny around which she designed her first showstopper , freeing Alison Hammond to call out gleefully How Does Fanny Taste ? One of a whole plethora of double entendres we will be subjected to,no doubt this year.

Ps….I spoke to Weaver’s son today at his request, and was happy to help with some practical issues. She remains with us , but is incredibly frail, as you would expect. 

I will keep you posted. 

Mary watches the Children

 

Tv

 I have only a few favourite tv programmes 

Reruns of the zombie apocalypse The Walking Dead. ( of course)

The boffin quiz Only Connect 

The silly and playful Taskmaster

And now on Monday nights reruns of CALL MY BLUFF,  plucked from around 1974 

Bluff was glorious. Not much playing around , but with enough humour to tickle, we had Frank Muir and Patrick Campbell playing a parlour game about the correct definition of words.Muir was a famous comedy writer and Campbell a journalist and The 3rd Baron Genavy and both played the programme for gentle laughs. I loved it when I watched with my mother when I was 10 and I love it now over 50 years later. Tonight we had the sailor Robin Knox Johnson taking part, a  real hottie

Mortimer and Lighthouse go fishing is another sweet watch 

This is another simple premise where the two old friends ( and stand up comics) chat over time spent fishing in a river . It’s a lovely piece of tv where real affection between two funny men surface constantly 

Oh and Gogglebox

Caught short

 I took the Welsh out for a wee and stopped to talk to Trendy Carol ( blonde streaks and new Ponytail v nice) she told me that villager Glenys had passed away. She had been ill for some time and leaves a gentle sad husband who I often talked to over the kitchen wall.

I dropped a sympathy card off at his house and as I drove off Bluebell’s gear stick came off in my hand ! 

Luckily I was pointing for home downhill, so I coasted back to the Church and waited  for the RAC to help, which they did wonderfully. The technician loved my Garfield T shirt which made me preen like a schoolboy. After he had gone I was caught short and had to hide behind the lytch Gate in order to have a desperate and crafty pee.

For gods sake I’m 62

My sister called around to give me an unwanted Victorian armchair which has replaced the cheerful yellow chair in the living room. 

I’m not sure if I’m well enough for University tomorrow , but this week I have a nursing study day, my counselling day and then two long days at hospice over the weekend.

I’m of to bed early tonight. 

Hey ho

 

Being LEFT WELL ALONE

 My bladder played up in the night. 

The pain isn’t bad , it’s just cramping so I drank lots of water took an extra antibiotic and paracetamol at around five am then walked the dogs and went to bed.  I woke again around 9am then again at lunchtime when I realised that I’d left the kitchen door open and both the twins and the Welsh were sharing my bed albeit in different corners. 

I felt too rough to separate them and when the spitting started I just thought may the best cat win.

This is only my second UTI In a year so I’m doing very well. And this infection is a result of my pharmacy not sending me enough tablets  on my last prescription, something which is happening more frequently in North Wales I noticed . 

I’ve lit the fire, fed the animals and have retuned to bed with a hot water bottle.

I am beyond caring when I hear Roger trying to sit in the cat litter tray in a Valiant attempt to use it as the twins do.

Sat

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