Meg's bald

Before.....................and after..........

nuff said

Pottering

I have always pottered, and my definition of pottering is to :- flit from one job around the house and garden to another, until all is completed.

Living in Wales has certainly homed my pottering skills, for example I am on night shift tonight and since waking at 8.20 I have, cleaned and tidied the house,cleaned the chicken coop out , moved it and cleaned the grass, weeded the garden, made two cakes as practice for the Prestatyn flower show (the chocolate cake is a pure winner), walked the dogs, cleaned the patio and watered all the plants, had a small sleep,made 16 cups of tea for the workmen,chatted with Mandy the neighbour and took her granddaughter to feed Robina and Sarah, replied to two letters,had a bath,watered the lawn, made lunch, and wrote this blog.

I actually begrudge work in the hospital! as all all my days off are like this.
and you know what? Pottering is lovely!!!

by the way Prestatyn Flowershow is run by my sister and the link is

http://www.prestatynflowershow.co.uk/frames.htm

http://www.prestatyn.org.uk/flower.show/

Trelawnyd....best kept village

Just saw on the village notice board, That Trelawnyd has won the best kept village in Flintshire..........

nice..................

The lady with the staring eyes!!!!

This blog entry is typical of life in a little village. A while ago I was walking the dogs on a grassed area in front of a set of bungalows. I was actually trying to get Meg house trained, so the toileting was four hourly!. A woman drives past in a red micra. Middle- aged and ordinary she gave me and the dogs such an evil stare, it was quite disconcerting.

I knew what she was thinking "Look at that guy letting his dogs foul on the land in front of our houses". I thought it was a little unfair as I am fastidious at picking up after them, but thats the one sidedness of folk. Anyhow one evening around ten I was on the verge again, as Miss Stary eyes drove past. This time the stare lasted from the T junction all the way to her house a hundred yards away!! It was the olympic games of stares!!
I wasn't having it, dragging the dogs behind me like three embarrassed toddlers, I marched towards her yelling "Whats your problem!!!!?"....I must admit it was all a bit common.
Stary eyes made a bolt for her door then reappeared pushing her husband before her somewhat reluctantly. I yelled again "whats your problem?" and bless him, he turned and tottered back into the bungalow!. She stood her ground and rather more quietly called out "There's alot of dog mess on that land!"

I turned into something off Jeremy Kyle, triumphantly waving a plastic bag full of dog poo I yelled "well get your facts right before you abuse someone by staring at them like a mad woman...I pick up after my pets!". The dogs looked at me with a mixture of shock and shame I was sure, but I was angry.....and suitably chastised, the woman and her staring eyes stormed off.

Movies..the ten best

Movies

OK, Nigel has thrown down the gauntlet by picking his ten fav films

http://en-cee.blogspot.com/

so here are mine....the list changes like the weather close on the heels of the below films would be,Mrs Miniver, Aliens, I Remember Mama, The Colour Purple, The Chorus, Schindler's list,The Station Agent,The Big Country,Independence Day, Magnificent Seven, All about my mother,OH and Pride and Prejudice and so many more.............................


Little Women (1994)

Well in discussions with my good friend John Highfield, this always gets into the top ten favs, as it is a chick flick, with a cast to die for and a wonderfull peformance by Claire Danes as sickly Beth. Oh steady John H, remember the sobbing when she was given that piano?




King Kong (1933)

The first and best of the monster films, much loved by big boys all over the world. Much copied, this prehistoric drama ( in more ways than one) truely terrifies. My other favourites such as Aliens, Jurassic park all owe their roots to this daddy. I have to mention Jessica Lange in the 1976 remake and Naomi Watts in the all-too-much 2006 version, they were alot better than Faye Wray!!

The Poseidon Adventure (1972)

Stella Stevens "Just Panties, what else do I need?"
Shelley Winters "He's swimming up and down stairwells.....I 'm the only one here TRAINED to do things like that!"
Carol Lynley " Did you like his music?'

Beloved by gay men all over the world, just sit back and enjoy a selection of scene chewing old thespians fighting the elements.


The Towering Inferno (1974)

I was thirteen when I first saw the best of all disaster films and it has been in my top ten best movies for thirty years! I was such a inferno geek I even rode in the scenic elevator of the Hyett Regency Hotel on a holiday to San Fransisco. Camp, classy,and truely impressive Towering Inferno was an old fashioned epic which worked on physical effects rather than false visual matte effects.
Oh and when Jennifer Jones ( see pic) fell to her death......I was beside myself.

Rear Window (1954)

Well, we have to have at least one Hitchcock film on my list, and Rear Window is typical of his genius. On the surface it is a tense little thriller, but when you scratch the surface of this Hollywood drama , there lurks all manner of dark human motivations and psychological babble, which makes you think. It also has Grace Kelly as an early Sarah Jessica Parker and the waspish Thelma Ritter.


My Best Friend's Wedding (1997)

Another funny little comedy film with hidden depths, which works on so many levels; romantic comedy, drama, and secret musical. Julia Roberts ( with a smile like a split melon) wants to marry her best friend, but he is engaged to be married and she is the bridesmaid..... yep a typical farse, but it works, with some lovely moving scenes (when Roberts cant bring herself to reveal her true feelings --see pic). Rupert Everett is wonderfull as Roberts' other best friend= a gay character who is more balanced than the rest of the cast put together.

oh, I have to mention one wonderfull scene, which still makes me roar with laughter. Its the scene set in a resterant where the groom's family sing "save a little prayer", complete with waiters dressed as lobsters waving their claws in time to the music......



All About Eve (1950)

One of the best movies about the theatre. Joseph L Mankiewcz directs a dream cast, Bette Davies as aging but not-going-quietly Broadway star Margo Channing dominates stars at the apex of their talent and careers,
Anne Baxter, Celeste Holme and of course George Sanders as the poisionous Addison de Witt. A clever, witty and classic Hollywood comedy/drama...................class



Central Station 1998

My next choice is from Brazil. I saw this film with Nigel and howled like a baby at the end. Brazilian actress Fernanda Montenegro, looks all her age and more in this soft little story of love, loneliness and redemption, and with a face at times like a bag of spanners, she cuts an unlikely heroine, but boy do you root for her as she turns from hard con artist to a matriarchial force who saves a orphaned street boy. The parting between boy and middle aged woman is heartbreaking.




Amelie (2001)


A strange fantasy film, with a heart of gold. The lovely Audrey Tautou shines as Amilie, a young woman who gains pleasure from giving others a little kindness. This is my only French film in my top ten, and I dare anyone not to cry when she meets her prince charming at the end ( the sexy Mathieu Kassovitz).

The Nun's Story ( 1959)

I remember seeing this film when I was around eleven years old one Sunday night, and was profoundly moved by the story of Sister Luke's journey into and ultimetely out of a strict Belgium convent (Audrey Hepburn at her most beautifull). Fred Zinnermann directed, a particulary strong female cast.

ALL BLOGGED OUT

This is Nuala.

She is, and has been for the past 18 years, my best mate.
As long as we touch base weekly I am happy! This contact can be an in depth coversation about life or a ten second message on the answerphone marking a recently watched movie out of ten!!!

This Picture was taken on Prestatyn beach. Maddie was having fun (honest)

The spare room, and Jane Austin

Pride and Prejudice was one of my favourite films of last year. I loved Kira Knightly's Lizzi Bennett (I usually can't stand her) and Mr Darcey (Mathew mcFadden) had thighs like treetrunks. We went to see it twice, and both giggled like schoolboys when we saw the same wallpaper (see right) in Pemberly (aka Chatsworth House)

From now on our boxroom is refered to as being situated in the west wing!!!






Well, I am pleased today, as our spare room is finished. It used to be Chris' office, and subsequently became a dumping ground for everything! Chris picked the wallpaper from Laura Ashley, and although I thought it looked rather too "grand" for a 10' x 7' box room, it has grown on me. I found an old brass bed from a local arty shop, pushed all the rubbish under it, and there we have it a pretty spare room ideal for any visiting relative.

Our new wall

This is Danny with lakeland terrier Meg, who is constructing the wall in our back garden. My brother-in-law's brother Chris is doing most of the job, unfortunately he was not around to have his picture taken.

It looks hot! 94 degrees the hottest temperature of the year!!!









Ok Ok, my previous post was about new york, and now I am waxing lyrical about our new limestone wall which is being contructed in our back yard. Previously there was just a car port which made the place look like a council estate!!