Xmas Eve

 For the first year ever, I’ve not strung Christmas Cards around the front room. Due to the postal strikes and the cost of stamps I have received noticeably fewer cards than usual .Trendy Carol ( presently sporting a nice anorak with fur trim) noticed and has already commented that she had noticed their absence .

“I always liked seeing them “ she said 

No chance of getting any cards now , the strike is on again….no message from the postie on Facebook this week….hummmm

Yesterday I popped my gifts around for the neighbours . Some ham and satsumas for Animal Helper Pat.

A bottle of Châteauneuf du Pape for Sailor John and Mandy and a food hamper for Trendy Carol and her hubby. Mrs Trellis was out when I called around with her gift. I’ll pop it in later today, 

Apart from stopping off at Tesco on the way home after nights I have little planned for today.

I’ve got a zoom meeting with friends Ruth in Scotland and Ben in Korea and a few drinks earmarked with villager Della at 2 pm. I’m not a lover a drinking in the day.

It makes me sleep.

Then it’s light the fire, walk the dogs until they flag ( or at least loose some labido ) and mooch in front of Christmas tv with a gin and tonic and my phone and lots of texting

Pretty Bog Standard really.. I guess.

I will leave you with Omaha Cat Lady being……well kind

It’s very Christmas 

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Merry Christmas friends

 Merry Christmas Eve. It’s cold here, but my heart warm. Lord, lead my heart when it frays. Protect me. Love me when I can’t do the same. Thank you for the love you show me everyday through Your children. You all give me the best Christmas present everyday. Your love and support sustains me and keeps these fingers moving. Thank you. Merry Christmas. 

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Casablanca

 I’ve never really liked Casablanca .

I watched it again yesterday afternoon with some onion rings and a lascivious bitch under each arm in the hope I would enjoy it 

I know I should like it , after all it’s supposed to be one of the biggest screen love stories of the 20th century .

But I just don’t get it. 

Rick is too bad tempered. Ilsa flitted from one man to another in a blink of an eye and the film noir stalwarts such as Sidney Greenstreet and Peter Lorrie just got on my tits as did Claude Rains with his jaunty kepis.

I didn’t believe the story and I was bored …..

The love affair between Bergman and Bogart feels wrong to me and as I did in Now Voyager , my affections clearly swing towards Paul Henreid as the quietly spoken Czech resistance leader .

Boy was he a dish, especially when he got the Night Club crowd to belt out the Marseillaise to drown out the nazi singing 

He had me at “ Ahoj”

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Thursday

 I’ve been reading some interesting articles by Imran Ahmed, the CEO of the nongovernmental organisation CCDH ( Centre for Countering Digital Hate) . He discusses people who exhibit the psychological trait of “negative Social Potency” which can be simply described as “ Wanting to upset or hurt” couple this with boredom, a need for attention or personal amusement and you have what my mother would occasionally refer to as a shit stirrer .Professor Mark Griffith from Nottingham Trent University discusses the need to be amplified and adds this concept into the mix.

We all want to be heard but people with Negative social Potency want to upset whist being heard.

It’s a sad way a run a railroad. 

And a dysfunctional way of living a life.

I had sausages cooked in the air fryer for brunch today. I made them into hot buttery sandwiches with flat bagels, perfect with a mug of tea.  I’m going back to bed shortly as I’m on nights , and I will be taking the girls with me as hormones are raging here still..

I will leave you with a thank you for  a pre Christmas gift I received yesterday. A lovely leather bound note book, which is quite beautiful A kindness of which I’m extremely grateful for 

I love  this video, it’s the Chap’s Choir singing Book Of Love which was produced to support the men’s mental health charity CALM . Campaign Against Living Miserably .

Sweet…..

Happy Christmas 

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Last Night Out

 “ Darling John I need a hug “ 

You always know you’ve had a Chic Eleanor welcome 

Hugs and darlings all round

Heads turned in The Crown .

They always do when she’s around.

She smiles wildly and flicks her hair like Lee Remick did in the 60s

I had the stroganoff and she had the chicken 

And we talked like two old friends do when they are on the same wavelength 

I’ve done lots of talking the last six days, 

Lots of friends ……now it’s back to work for two nights now 

Then it’s back to my sister Ann’s for Christmas. 

I’ve always had my best Christmases at Ann’s ..

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Choir

 The Community Choir’s Christmas night at the Eagle And Child pub was a rather emotional affair all told. We haven’t had the traditional night out since well before the first lockdown and singing together in public remains a novelty since zoom choir .

We had a rather nice meal and a catch up. Heulwen, Margaret and Dave, from Trelawnyd were there, Hattie turned up from the local nurse picket line and sang and the lovely Lindy swished up like a younger / trendy Margaret Rutherford without her Charlie .( Charlie was her dog who used to join in when we all met up on zoom over lockdown )Gentleman farmer Peter who I sing next to  was there too in a fetching Christmas shirt

I promised myself to video the whole  performance but I so wanted to sing with them……I didn’t .

I’m so hoping to get back to choir in March .

Conductor Jamie ( Sans his RAF. Moustache ) led the charge in the encore and his new project of Only You  really impressed me as it was so difficult . 

Here are a few snippets of the evening .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfOUGUDgudI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-97lBPE3Wo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCKfcBizwt8

Off for a meal with Chic Eleanor this evening

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It’s Almost Christmas

 I will report on the Choir Christmas Night out tomorrow 

But today I’ll report that I’m feeling a little more Christmassy 

Just Outside the village to the East is Jackson’s Garden Centre https://www.jacksonsgardencentre.com/

Every year the garden centre gives every house in the village a gift, a small pot of spring bulbs 

It’s a lovely thoughtful gesture  and one that surprised me again this afternoon.

Animal Helper Pat , called around with a gift of bara brith wrapped in silver foil and a huge sprig of holly and Sailor John left me a bottle of bubbly and a card .

Tomorrow I’m meeting Chic Eleanor for an early supper in the pub ….lovely

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