Weak sun

The sun is weak today and the village feels cold. 

Everything feels a bit cold today.

Chic Eleanor messaged, asking me to the cinema tonight. 

I’ve refused as I don’t really feel up to it tonight. 

Yesterday I worked alongside a Finnish Doctor in dealing with a family who are hurting badly.

I took the lead in the interaction, which felt the right thing to do and in our debrief the doctor thanked me.

She told me how well the session was handled and the validation buoyed me up during a challenging day.

Before the interview I took my mask off, which surprised her too.

I weighed up the need to communicate well in that particular session with any other “risks”

Communication with others, especially written communication, is effectively masked sometimes. Meanings and intentions can be misconstrued or lost or inferred especially on blogs, in emails and in messages and texts.

And I don’t need or want to react to that, certainly on days like today when the sun shines weakly and there’s a coolness to the air.

I love my job, I love my “little” world but I am aware that sometimes I’m running on a tank two thirds empty. That doesn’t mean the challenges of work shouldn’t be there……of course they should 

But today, at home, instead of the good book , I want to start reading, or that film I would like to watch or that friend I could laugh and talk with…or indeed that kitchen floor I could mop at or those beautiful cyclamens that need potting out ….

…….all I want to do is to have my hair stroked gently as I lie on the trendy blue couch 

Listening to the crackles of the fire and the moan of the wind.

 

Let it go

The way they all fall silent to listen is wonderful 

Kind

 I wish I hadn’t got out of bed today

I’ve been very busy at work  I’m tired, I was supposed to be off tomorrow and my off duty wasn’t amended as it had been originally agreed so I am unable to go to the theatre tomorrow night as had been arranged 

Paperwork regarding my pension claim has been processed by an absolute moron ( I spent my lunch time on the phone to said  moron) 

And when I got home I opened a fine for 60£ for unknowingly driving through a bus gate in Sheffield last week.

On a positive note there was a casserole ( and a pudding! ) left for me on the doorknob by my sister 

I listened to radio 4 on the way home 

I think the moral maze was asking the question when we’re you last kind? 

I will ask you all the same thing as it’s a lazy post

So

When were you last kind? 

Volodymyr the sushi Stealer

Tomorrow’s lunch 

 The secret of making good sushi rice is to infuse and fold in the heavy seasoning, a little sugar and rice vinegar into the still warm rice before putting it somewhere to cool before assembling your Chumaki Rolls. 

I prefer to make chumaki rolls as they are more robust sushi and therefore are able to tolerate thicker fillings, so today as the rice was cooling outside on the patio table , I prepared fillings of pat choi slices, long strips of salmon , wasabi ,creamed cheese with garlic and dobs of sweet crushed peas.

Preparing sushi is the nearest I get to proper mindfullness .

Volodymyr the spunky bantam cockerel was watching everything and tiptoed into the garden under the dogs’ and Albert’s radar and managed to cop a dozen gobfulls before Mary realised what was happening and dropped her rubber chicken 

Volodymyr

Borscht

 I’m back to work tomorrow so today feels like that awful Sunday night knotty feeling you used to get the say before school.

The community Association put on a soup and roll lunch in aid of Ukrainian Refugees and in support the village school children had designed Ukrainian flags to stand on each table.

Polish Monika , the hall’s caretaker had made Borscht which was absolutely delicious as the obvious choice of soup to have, even the the Velvet Voiced Linda gave us a choice of six from the menu.

I sat with Affable Despot Jason’s father in law and we talked central heating and bara brith for a while.

Mrs Trellis sans her bobble hat was upset that the church was closing and village elders Ian, Nick and David seemed to be putting the worlds rights over tea and cake.

I gave Bron Haul Marion my raffle tickets and I wanted to get back to light the fire and to do jobs 

I’m working four long days in the next five

Moving On

I got home from London just after midday.

I was studying the film Stagecoach on zoom by 1pm

And I was fast asleep in front of the fire by 6 pm , so bloody well missed choir.

I think I needed the nap

Nuala told me yesterday that she texted a mutual friend on Sunday to remind her that they had started nursing on March 6th back in 1989. 

I suddenly recognised the date but said nothing

March 6th 2015 was the date of my wedding Anniversary 

And for the first time in seven years,  I had forgotten the day.

Cabaret

 

I adored CABARET 

From its flamboyant start to its somber , and given recent events in Ukraine, all too relevant  ending.

The whole of the Playhouse theatre has been transformed into the 1930s KitKat Club with many of the patrons sat at tables around the stage with drinks and lamp lighting. 

Nu and I sipped our champagne from real glasses and sat back and emmersed ourselves into a heady art deco Berlin galloping towards fascism 

Eddie Ramayne was suitably seedy, asexual and knowing as the ever present Emcee,  Jessie Buckley provided a rather different Sally Bowles with her plummy English accent and short stature but she truly smashed her big number " life is a Cabaret " with style. 

I found the sub plot story of the September love affair between the aging apartment owner Frau Schnieder ( Lisa Sadovy )and Jewish fruit seller Herr Shultz (Elliot Levey) 

 incredibly poignant, and when the Nazi threat started to show its teeth their predicament is wonderfully moving. 

A standing ovation summed up everything for me. 

The best show I've seen since Come From Away

Elliot Levey

Eddie Redmayne and Jessie Buckley

Lisa Sadovy

Train

I enjoy travelling by train.

I’m so used to it now that I feel as though I’m a sort of seasoned traveller, and by being such, I glide into a well rehearsed routine of booking my coffee on line so it arrives at my seat moments after the train leaves Prestatyn station.

Coffee and iPad in place, I can plan the free time Ive got between reaching Euston at 1pm and meeting Nu for Korean food at 4 ish.

Today I’ve decided to go to the Curzon cinema in Bloomsbury, there are a couple of films I fancy to see there.

Later Nu and I are going to see Cabaret at the KitKat Club at The Playhouse.

I’ll be back home for lunchtime tomorrow.

I have a film course studying Stagecoach at 2pm

It's a glorious day and I've found a lively sushi place in the Brunswick centre, Bloomsbury for lunch

I've booked to see the film Ali and Ada