Going Gently

Hugs ( real and otherwise)

There is an advantage of being almost as broad as you are long

You give good hugs

A hug should feel all encompassing and safe with a face full of cleavage or jumper...

so its only reasonable that big guys like me can wop em out with much more force than any skinny chicken can do

A friend stopped by yesterday afternoon, all tearful and upset

they needed a long hug and they got one , just outside the kitchen door with Albert watching with his bright golden eyes.

Hugs are food for the needy and sometimes are as rare as hens' teeth.

I am waiting for my ten year old financial advisor to turn up. I hope he is a wizz kid

the morose postman has just been and dropped off a package from Finland

" I hope you're not starting another friggin competition " he moaned loudly as Mary danced at my feet trying to rip the letters from his hand.

He didn't smile at her.....he doesn't smile at anything

"Finland?" I mused "No I'm not expecting anything from Finland!"

The postman snorted

The package proved to be two original prints from Heini Kauppinen.

One for me and one for Rachel...

a lovey surprise....a virtual hug from someone we don't know

thank you!

I've had a few virtual hugs just recently: an email from London Bear and another sweet one from Mitch. Some historical research from Rosica ( THANK YOU) and messages from Candice, Mike,Joni…...and others......kind words and best wishes....more hugs for the big guy who needs hugs as much as anyone
Under the montana Clematis, hanging on the gate yesterday was a plastic bag with a homemade cake in it.
The note inside said " I hope you don't leave us" and it was signed with an unhappy emoji face and a kiss.
The cake was lemon drizzle with half moons of candied peel on the top.
It was wrapped in silver foil

Mary

Baby Mary

I got back after a crappy Sams shift at 02.00 am last night and as I drove down by the church I saw a skinny fox figure standing shivering by old Trevor's driveway
It wasnt a fox however but a
rather traumatised Mary who had someway got through Alberts catflap when I was out.
She cried like a baby when I picked her up and held her close
And as I type this she is lying Meg-like just under my chin.

I love that little dog
Hey ho

In Vino Veritas 1674

Tidy this morning, the dogs are all sat in the car

I have researched the history of Bwthyn y llan as much as I am able.
Although it is known as a Historic building of Interest the cottage that was originally built in 1674 (roughly the same time as the church) is not listed in any way.
For those that cannot speak welsh Bwthyn y LLan literally means Church Cottage and it is a title that has only been attributed to the cottage and to the one next door for the past hundred years or so.
Before this the two dwellings were referred to as llan cottages 1 & 2 and before that by the Welsh phrase Tan y Fynwent (Under the Graveyard)
I have scanned the village census' for a hint of who lived in the cottage way back when but have found scant information leading me to the notion that it was left derelict for a good while. However an inscription above the front door says

"In vino Veritas

1674

Rebuilt By Thomas Parry 1864"

The wine reference would suggest that the occupants used to sell wine or ale to locals!

In the 1940s the cottage was owned by the only English family in the village who were coal merchants. The daughter of the family taught piano to the village schoolchildren in the front room

In the Victorian age is was not uncommon for this type of 2 up2 down dwelling to house 8-10 people
and in the 1870s the village population was well over 600 souls
as Auntie Glad once said " Less houses more people"

For tom

Pick Your Battles

This morning I was spoken to badly by another trained nurse.
I was taken somewhat by surprise by it all and chose not to say anything in reply even though I caught the eye of one of the support workers who was present.
The look said " I support you and I sympathise "
I will deal with the situation on my next shift at the weekend
I'm not shy at coming forward
But I shall see the nurse in private
And I shall wipe the fucking floor with her.
But in a professional way
of course!

No one likes confrontation well not unless you are an angry hairy arsed lunatic you do......but over my years as a ward manager, I have learnt how to stand up for myself personally and for the health service in general in all manner of confrontations both physical and verbal.
The main rule for the physical ones is to always remain out of arm reach but if violence does occur always get stuck in close and fast) and always have your back to an open door.
The rule for the verbal ones is always to remain calm and have a good memory.

I remember one night on intensive care when a suddenly hypoxic patient went nuts in a neighbouring nurse's bedspace. Paranoid and confused the patient thumped one staff nurse and kicked another in the chest, sending her flying and pulling out his arterial lines and IVs he squared up to all as a junior doctor tried to reason with him in gentle ,soothing and totally inappropriate tones. The whole situation went rapidly out of control as other nurses ran forward to help whilst others stood frightened by their unconscious patients and I am glad to say that my psychiatric nurse experience came into play as I climbed up onto the patient's bed, my uniform creaking at the arse under the strain
"fucking Sedate HIM!" I hissed at the doctor and as the patient screamed and punched out I dropped my not no inconsiderable bulk on top of him effectively pinning him to the bed with a muffled squeal!
"What are YOU DOING?!!!!!!" the doctor shouted wide eyed but I ignored him and told another buxom nurse to climb on to help....."GET HELP!" she yelled at the doc as she showed a sizable flash of cleavage as she jumped up
We were lucky, as a nearby consultant with great presence of mind grabbed some drugs and whacked a syringe full of ketamine into the patient's free buttock with a flourish and within a second or two the chap was safely sedated, ventilated and made safe for treatment.

I am now off to clean the cottage again for more estate agent viewings tomorrow.
I cant afford fresh flowers so have picked aquilegia from the garden to stand beside the cheerful gerbera in the kitchen window as a splash of colour

GOT

I got up after a few hours sleep and watched Game of Thrones - The Long Night
I'm now on the way back to bed.....exhausted after a long night shift and an even longer feature length episode which chronicled just one epic battle between the dead and the living!
I've have seldom watched anything so relentless

Like Dad

I'm 57 in four weeks
57 in gay years equates to being more or less invisibly moribund .
Like most things in this world the gay world hasnt got room for old poofs.
When my father was 57 he looked and acted old
He didnt wear T shirts with zombies on them
He didnt wear trainers and hoodies and he didnt meet friends for a flat white or had a babminton match with a man almost half his age

But now my hair is grey like his was.
I have the aches and pains he once complained of and although I am not yet exhibiting his round shoulder stoop,
I suspect I now feel as invisible as he perhaps did in the early 1980s

But fuck it...eh?

Bryn Estyn

This week I'm working 48 hours on night shifts.
In between I've got two more valuations on the cottage to supervise and a few hours being banboozled by my financial advisor, a Sams shift and a trip to the theatre to see the acclaimed Home I'm Darling,
The theatre trip was something to keep me sane, even though I'm going on my own.

" keep me sane" was a phrase I heard a few times at the conference I attended on Saturday. One guest speaker was a rough diamond who hailed from the other side of the railway tracks. He had been put into care at Bryn Estyn as a boy in what was to be known as one of the most dysfunctional and abusive children's home in North Wales.
He survived his experiences through searching for a finding love from his partner. It was that gift of giving and receiving love for the very first time that saved him he told us and he qualified just how difficult that was for him
" I had to search out and find for myself all of the things you nice people have taken for granted....
I had to learn to trust, learn to love, learn to obtain warmth and kindness and smiles and sweetness....all for the very first time and all on my own"

I wrote down his words as he spoke them and was thoughtful and humbled when he talked about how Samaritans had supported him ( and in some cases not supported him) as he struggled with the aftermath of his abuse.
He noted sadly that many of his fellow abused friends had committed suicide over the years

" You are all no doubt good people", he addressed the deligates with a wry smile " drinking your half pints in a nice pub at the weekend and living your safe life in your nice houses ...But you don't really understand what it's like to live with no hope...no hope at all"

And I guess he is right.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Wales_child_abuse_scandal

Final Contributers

Little house on the prairie

Lovely

Hollywood

Country kitch

Cat in the window!!!

A friend

Foot stools I love foot stools

apples and pears geddit?

the tulip shadow is wonderful

is that Olga I spy?

classy

I love fresh flowers in a home

must be American , no milk in the tea

lovely

a view from a toilet!

beautiful

You can see the impression of the sitter

cool breeze

am loving the hoola girl...bet she sways when you go through the curtain

living cushion

chic

a local gal?

loving the colours

thank you for the 200 or so glimpses into 200 lives!

Corners The Final Entries

As I predicted Winnie thawed out towards bedtime and hoisted herself heavily onto the sofa in order to rest her fat face into the warmth of my crotch.

The day alone all forgotten for the sake of warm testicles.

It's a bleak Sunday morning here, after Storm Hannah ravaged the coast yesterday.

I'm on my second bucket of coffee at the kitchen table

Here are the final entries for the "My Corner" competition

enjoy.....closing date is 6pm - jgsheffield@hotmail.com