Going Gently

John Gray- The Next Chapter

Things have an energy all of their own don’t they?

I saw my last counselling client as a student yesterday and found out that the mental health charity I’m working with has taken me on as a sessional professional counsellor.

My next client will be paying for my services

Bloody hell.

I had a rush of “imposter syndrome” yesterday, but my new supervisor grounded me with some pragmatic words and useful advice.

Part time now I will be self employed for the first time in the 45 years of my employment history

I can do it

My twin sister did the same during Covid

Today I’ve been planning things around the Flower Show. I’m now working tonight to cover sickness so will be off the entire weekend which will nice given I’m going to the village hall’s wine tasting evening tomorrow night !

Above is the community Associations’ wild flower meadow and orchard. There are apples on the trees which may be harvested free by the villagers when they ripen. It’s a great initiative

The novelty veg photos have been coming in too, we just need a few more please

It’s a hot day

Thanks to villager Sandra and her hubby Robert for donating a new cup for the show

The new Barbara Parry and Rowenna Price Memorial Cup

And finally a big thank you to villagers Nick and The Velvet Voiced Linda for my graduation gift

Bwthyn y llan

Ma Manley has added my cottage to her history book of Trelawnyd.

This has pleased me greatly. I feel honoured to have my own page so to speak.

In Welsh Bwthyn translates as “Cottage” where as y llan means “an enclosure, a religious place of settlement or even a Church” So my home can be known as Church Cottage in English .

In its past it was known as Llan Cottage no 1 and the two cottages together as a generic Tan y Fynwent ( under the Graveyard)

The Flower Show

Last year’s winner cups are starting to come in. In just two weeks or so the 50th Trelawnyd Flower Show will take place. The new arts judge, an elderly painter, has just confirmed her role and Velvet Voiced Linda has secured a local actor as our Show Opener. He is a pianist too, so will provide some ivory tickling as the visitors and competitors enter the Hall

If any of you have any international novelty veg/fruit entries please forward them along to me at jgsheffield@icloud.com

I was writing this and realised Roger was missing. The people who had returned the cups had left the gate open and in a flash he was gone.

I couldn’t find him anywhere, and drove along the main road after searching the nearby gardens

His dim nature means he is terrible in traffic and has no sense of direction for home

I was frantic

Trendy Carol and hubby, other neighbours , and even the postman joined in.

But he wasnt in the sheep fields, down the lane or on the main road.

I drove around the village

But no one had seen him

It was awful

After a time I started up the lane in Bluebell

And there he was with Polish Monika’s hubby and their bulldog

Trotting down the lane as if nothing had happened.

He had nearly got himself knocked over, and was caught in the estate a quarter mile into the village

Thank God most people know and love him

Tracy Manchester has just messaged me saying that he’s come into her house for a drink of water then bolted up the road before she could catch him!

I’m going for a lie down

“ A Moment of silence, emotion and Wild Beauty*”

I’m a sucker for a magic moment.

In counselling it can happen when you and your client suddenly reach an emotional depth around an issue and you both suddenly feel that connection with a look that brings you up short.

Sometimes it’s an experience that awes you.

My first steps into La Sagrada Famila literally made my heart soar

Mary trying to run fast to say hello after my holiday break

The lisping choir and Metropolitan Orchestra playing Nocturn was one such moment.

The auditorium lights went off suddenly and the music and voices filled the space

And you where left with the experience without self consciousness

Why do I like Dinosaurs so much?

Jurassic world Rebirth is much better than the last two movies in the franchise. Its a taught, romp with effectively two teams of protagonists in peril. One scientific and mercenary ( led by an impressively buff Scarlett Johansson) and one family and cute ( led by an equally impressive Manuel Garcia-Rulfo )

British director Gareth Edwards, likes his dinosaur set pieces, and with Spielberg touches everywhere provides a new twist on the genre with wonderfully tense flourishes.

Jonathon Bailey is cute as a button as the obligatory dino expert, who cries when he sees his first sauropod, wide eyed Audrina Miranda is the cute spunky kid who had the most sexiest dad this side of the Atlantic..

Indeed for me , Manuel Garcia Rulfo in his sexy shorts made the film for me…I’m still drooling

Sunday

I’m working all day today

So nothing profound today

You Couldn’t Make It Up

The mass of staff and trucks trying to sort out our new plane

Our Iberian jet never left Madrid

We sat on it for a bloody age until an engineer was called and after much scrambling up and off the aircraft we all saw him stand on the runway and give the pilot a cheerful thumbs down

The passengers gave a collective groan and our already sad psychi was effectively described by a German woman in business class who stood up and shouted “ ve arr fooked!!!”

We sat on the plane for another two hours until a replacement aircraft arrived right next to us

Then the pilot ( an impressively calm Spaniard with the look of Charlton Heston ) told us we had to get on three airport buses in order to embark the new airplane even though it was only 50 feet away

We duly got on the buses , which did a sharp circle only to arrive at the empty and functioning aircraft some 60 seconds later.

We stood on the buses another half hour until the new staff arrived on a minibus

Then galloped back to our new seats with the dignity of 150 teenagers at a school disco

Ruth and I got the giggles

Then we had to wait for the baggage to be transferred and a slot on the runway

We laughed some more,

Our return journey had equalled our first, but we had the best of times!

we got home well after midnight.

I was due to complete a twelve hour shift today and thank the lord for my friend and colleague Katrina , who has stepped in and kindly done my shift for me .

I cleaned up Bun and Weaver’s stomach heaving little tray and went to bed exhausted around 12.30 am

Leaving my luggage in the car,

And some happy times in my memory

Say goodbye and Graduation

Both of us are sad leaving. Coffee and plain churros for me, chocolate and fat churros for Ruth.The city is preparing itself for Pride and the parade will bisect Atocha where we were staying and where we now feel we know.

We said goodbye to the house Martin chicks on our balcony