R's rue

Well here we are in Las Vegas Tugby for our holiday away from home. Tugby is  a small village in Leicestershire some twelve miles east of the city of Leicester. See the middle house in the picture. That is where we are staying. It is called Chestnut Cottage and it is nice, clean, well-maintained  and spacious. Behind our rental home is the Norman tower of St Thomas a Becket Church. The cottage on the left was once the village smithy where the blacksmith worked on farm implements, horseshoes, hinges and general wrought ironwork. Across the road from us is the village's little primary school that serves  nearby villages as well as Tugby. Just down the street is "The Fox and Hounds" pub where we have reserved a table for Sunday lunch. The pub is only open from Wednesday to Sunday but at least this village still has a pub - unlike so many other English villages in which hundreds of pub landlords and landladies gave up the ghost long ago. Frances, Stewart and Phoebe arri...

Dorothy taking Mary for a walk this morning Yesterday’s Church meeting proved to be useful I now have a list of around eight villagers who will join in form an action group to support the Pilgrim status of the Church if the Bishop  eventually grants it.  In the meantime we have asked interested villagers to start a letter writing campaign to the Bishop  Tomorrow around fifteen pilgrims will stop at Trelawnyd . They are taking part in an annual pilgrimage from Basingwerk Abbey to Bardsey Island on the North Wales Pilgrim’s way and last year the way had attracted 17,000 walkers along the route, which is encouraging given our wish for St Michael’s to become a Pilgrim Church.  I’ve got cakes and tea all ready for tomorrow’s pilgrim’s to have when they arrive. Tonight I’m working nights to cover sickness then it’s holiday! I’ve made a rye bread loaf this morning for a patient who is desperate for that home made bread taste . Next week I’ve got two theatre trip...

 A season of daily graces where everything makes you grateful. The treadmill with the fan beside me with eighties hits cheering me on. It’s on that machine as the app’s trainer puts me through the paces that the tears and sweat mix. If you ever told me, I’d be able to walk on a treadmill without fear, I couldn’t fathom it. I don’t know how many milestones I’ve hit despite the doubt. It’s now as my freshly showered body is seated on this comfortable couch that I am realizing that success happens when fear is overcome by sheer curiosity and an iron will. With each day I regain the confidence lost. It’s not lost, just being unearthed once again. Challenge yourself and watch the dirt disappear.   Unlocking the heart With the key You misplaced Many eons ago  from R's rue https://ift.tt/3BB323W

Of course William Jefferson Clinton, the 42nd president of America, was born in  a place called Hope in Arkansas. He was well aware of the poetic possibilities of that place name. In 1992 he said, "I still believe in a place called Hope". Long term visitors to this blog may remember that there's another place called Hope in England. It sits in the centre of The Hope Valley - just five miles from this keyboard. I have often been there and I guess that I have walked every path in that green valley. Yesterday, I was in Hope once more. I parked Clint near the village's little country station. It is on the line between Sheffield and Manchester. There were nine other cars parked there. Soon I was heading up the valley side -  on my way to the hamlet of Aston - then up the narrow lane to Edge Farm where I paused upon a convenient memorial bench to look at the view while chomping on the juicy apple I had squeezed into my camera case. Then more upward motion before tur...

  Di Botcher The National Theatre production of  Follies is a musical which I needed to see. My friend John, has banged on about it for years, so recently I watched the live production itself to judge for myself. Generally I loved it.  It was overlong for sure, and I could have happily done without the last 20 minutes of it, but the sheer scale and chutzpah of the production blew me away, but not quite as you may expect . Of course the leads Philip Quast, Janie Dee and the powerhouse Imelda Staunton were fantastic but for me it was performances from three supporting follies that moved me the most  The fabulous Tracie Bennett Di Botcher as the bespectacled, big haired Hattie ( reminding me so much of my mother) belted out the cracking Broadway Baby with fantastic gusto. Tracie Bennett as the spunky and slightly shop worn Carlotta  lived I’m Still Here and the elderly Opera singer Dame Josephine Barstow broke everyone’s hearts as the eldest of...

  The new build behind the cottage has been rather noisier than usual. They are digging out the garden with a mechanical digger at the same time as hammering the roof on a kennel block. I took the dogs to meet Chic Eleanor  We walked down to y shed ( The Shed) and drank good Italian coffee on the terrace . It was nice to see her.  She hugged my arm as we walked and called me her darling John from Going Gently https://ift.tt/3gYTZSv

 Cane pole Some worms A coke And Lance crackers A day on the lake. The wind and wake combine to form ecstasy. Late summer sun with a breeze as my portable fan. Just cruising around looking at my favorite homes. Which one do I pick?  It’s almost like I would jump out of the boat, swim and introduce myself to the owners. I could only imagine them sipping sweet tea on that veranda. My only offer is a hearty hey there. When I got home, I’d just shower and collapse into my clean green sheets. My dog would still smell like lake water after he fell in, thinking he had twinkle toes as he made his way around the boat.  He would soon find out to the contrary. I can taste the sunscreen and melted Hershey bars that made a mess of my beautiful and carefree countenance.  Simple Summer In the  South Leaves Me wanting  More As Autumn Waits to make Her Grand Entrance from R's rue https://ift.tt/3kM9fDh