This too Shall Pass

 Hello my friends, 

Phew, it’s been a difficult year so far. 

The recent threat of redundancy, has compounded worries of financial difficulties and complications in 2025, which has left me somewhat vague and distant and distracted at times. 

At 63, no one should experience such worries

No one 

I know several blog readers have reached out to me, sensing my worries and I’m grateful to them and to friends that have shown their offers of support and help without quite knowing what was going on in the usual whimsy world of Trelawnyd, Flintshire.

The gentle face full of sincerity from Mr Pozńan comes to mind

He and others have literally kept me going.

One foot in front of another

Bra straps pulled up to their straining limit.

Today, I’ve heard some news that financially I’m now more stable.

I won’t go into details but suffice to say it’s a relief

And relief is an understatement .

This time it’s not just serendipity that had seen me through,

It’s all my own doing,

But it’s a salient lesson of accepting the old saying 

This too shall pass

I’m working my fifth night in six tonight, and instead of feeling tired, I’m invigorated.

Trendy Carol’s hubby brought the dogs back after caring for them all day as I slept and affable despot Jason has called requesting further news about the village Show. 

My sister left a message too about going to see Downton Abbey 

And Chic Eleanor’s Darling I want you to come with me to…….voicemail has made me smile , rather broadly as I sit at the kitchen table with my bucket of coffee.

 The old John is back now. The one that isn’t frightened of what could be. 

The one that’s always pretending not to notice 

And I will leave you with this thought. As I  get ready for work ,I spy a large and rather foul smelling cat turd in the middle of my duvet .

Weaver stalked past shooting me her usual and you can FUCK  off expression 

And I am reminded that these animals will be the glorious death of me.

Lu

I lived in the picturesque city of York for three years in the 1980s. and remember my salad days at Bootham Park , the flag ship psychiatric Hospital , with much affection. Not only did I gain invaluable experience working on an acute admission ward and "mother and baby" unit; I had the fantastic opportunity of working  on a placement with the city's community alcohol and drug dependency specialist nurse.

Her name was Lu and she was one of those impressively quiet professional nurses that spoke little, but said a great deal (if you see what I mean?) A small , almost frail woman, she possessed a steely strength which allowed her to deal with a phenomenal case load of patients from a city which was renowned for it's158 pubs!

York is a tiny city, so wherever we went, we would always bump into previous patients who had fallen off the wagon, so to speak....and I never forgot just how dignified Lu was, when she had to deal with these inebriated and often emotional characters.

An overly guilty drunk can be difficult to handle, running away can illicit some embarrassing shouting in the street, while stopping to indulge, is patently a terrible waste of time for a trained counsellor to embark on.....

Lu, as I remember, always kept her voice low, firm and calm at these times. She would often use a touch of the arm to capture the blurred gaze, or to hush a garrulous mouth then she would always say the same thing
"Call me when you are sober, I will be waiting for your call" 

If she was pushed into a confrontation, she would always smile a non patronising smile at the former patient and would say with conviction
"Forgive me, I always make it a rule, NEVER to discuss work with someone who has  had a drink" Her words, strangely enough, were seldom disregarded

She taught me a great deal about respect......respecting people that have often lost respect in themselves


.....and she taught me never to argue with a drunk

Daydreaming

 Welsh terriers sit and think and watch.

It’s what they do

As I type this, Roger sits in the doorway. 

He’s been like this for three quarters of an hour now.

Listening to the workmen refashioning Trevor’s old bungalow, and the sparrows fighting together in the hazel hedge that separates my cottage from John & Mandy’s

I wonder if he’s thinking of anything in particular

The scaffolding is going up around the village hall and the roof and window repairs will be started soon, and even where we live, we can hear the metallic clinking of the metal poles as they are unloaded in High Street. 

I found myself daydreaming too, ages spent looking out into the garden, with the village noises, wind and birds one for company. 

I’ve decided that the best Disney song ever is this one 

Funny where your mind wanders to when you let it

Monday

 The lisping choir doing the BeeGeeS a tad surreal but welcome on a misty Monday morning. Autumn is here, and it’s remaining murky and darkish at 7 am.

Going Gently will be quiet over the next few days , very much it has on the last two nights . 

I can’t magic news, and no news is good news, like they say.

Let’s hope so…..

I’m up now after a sleep, tomorrow I’m on three nights, so it’s jet lag city

I’ve made meatballs from scratch .

I find a good tomato sauce is made better with a good tablespoon of blackcurrant jelly

gives it body.

Emergency

 I’m working nights and it’s busy

At three pm my phone made an odd, urgent buzzing noise

And although half asleep, the hairs on my neck stood up,

Mary didn’t stir

But Roger raised his head sleepily. 

Bun who was sat on my hip, opened just one eye and

Weaver as usual was out killing something large.

Thank God it’s not the Zombie apocalypse

Nothing much happened in Bwthyn y Llan 

Break A Leg

 My village website post from yesterday 

Calling all Welsh thespians !

We are putting on a talent based season review ( provisional date Friday 12th of December)

The review will be divided into roughly 5 minute slots and we would like a variety of performers ranging from singers, dancers, magic and comedy acts to renditions , music …the works.

We are inviting locals and those friends beyond Trelawnyd to join in and will be holding an open night at The Crown on MONDAY 22nd at 6 pm for any interested parties.

Not only are we looking for performers but we are asking for people with expertise of putting on such an event to lend their skills as well as anyone with lighting and sound experience.

Volunteers to work behind the scenes are welcome too.

This event is planned to be a bit of fun, if successful we aim to organise a village themed panto for 2026 in order to utilise our amazing hall to its fullest potential

we hope that village groups such as The Friendship Group, School, Youthclub, TCA , Green Group, and Jackson’s will participate also

Message me , or call 07845135466 for further information or see Linda in Well Street

Ps the Duchess of Kent died yesterday

Not only was she famous for her warmth and humanity

I loved the fact, that later in life , she was a music teacher in a elementary school , and worked incognito

How wonderful

A Thought

 I’ve heard death explained in many ways.

Some fearful, many hopeful

But I’ve never quite heard it explained thus

I hope death feels like…….

Being picked up from the back seat

And carried to my bed half asleep,

Where tucked in, and eyes closed,

I can hear those who love me, 

Talking through a cracked door

Isn’t that quite beautiful ?

A Kind and Timely Photo

 I’m in a strange, unsettled period of my life at the moment, most of which I can’t discuss here.

Im a fixer a sorter, a rescuer by nature. 

I’m also a people pleaser

And so when I’m feeling depleted, my go to position is not always a healthy choice for me.

For it depletes me further.

I’m not explaining this for anyone else but myself, I’m just reminding myself to regroup and to take stock

today, 

My friend Polly is on a conference in Barcelona and she has just sent me one photograph 

No words, no comments , just this photo

And viewing it, has nurtured every sadness, today has brought with it