It's only lasted 18 years

After months of occasional non-starting our washing machine has finally given up and refused to start altogether. I phoned an appliance repair man and asked if they could get spare parts for an 18-year-old machine. He said he'd check and call me back in 20 minutes.

He didn't call back so I guess they can't. So we're looking at new machines. That's the royal 'we'; it's actually Husband who's consulting Which Best Buys and comparing prices and machines. 

Elder Son came round on Wednesday evening to move the tumble dryer that normally sits on top of the washer. He'd got it out of the shed* and was standing there holding it asking me where it was going to go. "Um, I don't know. Hang on."

I tried to help but probably was more of a hindrance. He's in his early forties but it's still a shock that he's a fully-grown, strong man who can do these things by himself. As Husband could before Heart. 

* * * * *

Rugby's Autumn International Series has started. Last week Wales played Fiji. Wales is in the process of rebuilding and struggling so I wasn't expecting a win but then they began well and took the lead. It looked as if they could surprise us.

Then Fiji won. Deservedly.

As I've said before, that's the trouble with being a Welsh supporter: it's the hope that finishes you off.

* * * * *

Driving to meet Vivien on Thursday I was behind a car with the number plate A15 PEE. It made me chuckle.

But not take a photo!

* We keep the washing machine and tumble dryer in the outhouse next to the back door.

Painting trees

The church I've been going to - Monty's church* - has a display of trees in its garden over Christmas. Little wooden trees that needed sprucing up. I offered to do one.

Me going to the shop for paint expecting to pay about £6 for a small tin. 
"How much?!"
£18!!!

This afternoon, rather than sit around limply wondering what to do, I decided I'd paint the tree. First of all I pulled off the tinsel and removed the staples. The bottom branch was a bit wobbly so I went to the shed, got a nail, and hammered it in.

Well, this is easy I thought. Then I noticed the nail had gone skewiff. I couldn't get it out and it was doing the job required anyway so I just painted over it.

Now if Husband had been there he would have insisted on rubbing the tree down first, then finding a headless nail, and then making sure it went in neatly. Fortunately he was cooking dinner.

The paint isn't quite the colour I was intending - I'd planned a darker tree - but it will do. I am adding a snowy layer and sparkly bits so no-one will notice the colour or the nail, will they?

*I suppose I've been going there long enough to call it church without the 'Monty's'.

And we're still getting tasty figs from our tree in the garden.

Royals and rugby

Today is the birthday of King Charles. I remember that because it's two days after mine and it was also the birthday of Donna, my best friend in infant school. Even if I hadn't known I would have been reminded by the many posts on social media.

To celebrate his birthday today King Charles is opening two new food hubs. Food hubs attempt to bridge the gap between food waste and food hunger. For a donation you can take away a bag of fresh food that would otherwise be thrown away. It's not a food bank and its aim is good so, unlike the Tory politicians who viewed the opening of a food bank as a great photo op, the King's outing today isn't all bad. 

That said the fact remains that there are 14,000,000 living in poverty in the UK. And a recent investigation by a television programme and the Sunday Times revealed that both the King and Prince William are receiving huge amounts of rent from charities, schools, and hospitals. For example, because their lifeboat has to be launched and brought in across a beach in Cornwall the RNLI has to pay rent to the Duke of Cornwall (William).

Still on the royal theme you may or may not have heard that a report on abuse in the Church of England published recently was very critical of those in authority who were aware of it and did nothing. As a result the Archbishop of Canterbury was forced to resign. Now, according to the rag, the Daily Mail, it's all because the Archbishop was friends with Harry and Meghan and that clouded his judgement. No, I don't follow that logic either.

On a lighter note, the autumn rugby internationals have started. The rights have been sold to a network so most games aren't viewable unless you subscribe. You used to be able to get a day ticket but now you have to pay lots of money for two years or something silly, so we're not watching the England games. the Welsh games however are being shown on S4C, the landline Welsh channel, but all the commentary was in Welsh. However when there were penalties it was written (in little letters) at the top of the screen what it was for. 

I was thrilled when I could tell Husband that the penalty was given for, "Dim yn gyrru'n syth," Meaning not driving straight. Of course I don't know what that means exactly in rugby speak but I think it was to do with the scrum or a maul or a big huddle on the floor.

* * * * *

Second birthday ice cream today, this time at Verdi's courtesy of my friend, Vivien.

Magnets and marinas

As Husband can't go to the gym at the moment we're trying to take daily short flat walks. Today's took us along the Swansea foreshore and marina development. It was so sunny and warm, and quite justified my shorts-wearing.

Just before we went Husband took a phone call from his consultant. It seems he needs a by-pass as well as a valve replacement. Still feeling a bit shaken by that. Doctor said he would try to get him in as soon as possible, whatever that means.

We're sort of shielding now, well, not really. But because various members of the family were or have been ill they didn't come round yesterday for my birthday. At the moment I'm hoping we can get together at the weekend but, once again, everything is up in the air.

Husband always like to surprise me with his presents. The unusual one this year is a game with magnetic stones.

The stones are divided between players and you take it in turns to put one down within the circle. If your stone attracts another you have to pick them both up. The winner is the first one to get rid of all his stones. As you can see we have the circle at its biggest. It's still quite challenging. I am pretty sure I know which grandchild will be first to work out which way the stones pull or push. Me, I have no idea, but anything with magnets is good fun.

What did you do today?

A lovely lazy day today as befits my birthday!

Chocolate and hazelnut croissant for breakfast in bed, followed by lazing around, followed by a very short walk and a North Pole in Fortes.

This afternoon I've watched Ticket to Paradise with George Clooney and Julia Roberts, and now Husband is cooking dinner for us, so all in all, a lovely day.

Remembrance

 Our local postbox topper for Armistice Day.

I don't know of anyone in my family who died in either of the great wars. My grandfather took a bullet that went straight through his chest and he survived, but other than that I don't recall anyone speaking of a lost family member. My grandfather would have been in the trenches and having read about them in Birdsong I struggle to see how anyone came out alive.

Several of my great-uncles served in the forces in the second world war - Uncle Horace was an engineer on the planes that would become the DamBusters - and my mum was in the WAAF and spent time in Egypt. 

On my little day out last week I saw this lovely bench in Coity.

And in Cowbridge each lamp/signpost was decorated with a large poppy bearing the names and details of young men who had lost their lives in war.

The raven and the pendulum

Most days I try to do the Connections puzzle in the NY Times. For those unfamiliar with it, there is a grid of sixteen words and the aim is to connect them in four groups of four. Sometimes the connection is easy, other times it's impossible, certainly for a non-fan of American sports.

So yesterday one of the words was Raven. I instantly thought Poe. Then I found Pendulum and Usher so was certain the link was Poe; I just needed to find the fourth word. But none of the other words had any connection I could find. 

Turns out Raven was an American football team and pendulum something that swings. It's not often I am too literary.

* * * * *

On my trip to Cowbridge the other day I was sitting at traffic lights behind a car with this number plate.

I quickly took a photo because I thought it was such a great number plate. I made the mistake of putting it on Facebook where I was accosted. "It's illegal." "You can't use your phone when you're driving!"

Admittedly two of the commenters were anti-vax, which probably skewed their view, but, honestly. 

I won't do it again. 

And other things

A misty murky sort of day for our walk on Mumbles Hill this afternoon. On clear days you can see across the bay and up the valleys to the hills beyond. Not so today. Quite chilly too. Probably not one of my better ideas to wear shorts. 

The weather seems to have become colder recently, unsurprisingly as we're in November. I distracted myself from the cold by collecting the different colours of autumn.

Still a wide range from black through brown, orange, yellow, red, and green. Sloe, blackberries, gorse, fern, and other things.

* * * * *

I am still saddened by the Christian Right's support of that man, telling people that if they supported the un-Christian Democrats they would burn in hell. So much wrong in that sentence.

I am a Christian. I believe that abortion is sometimes necessary. I believe love is to be celebrated. I don't know where I stand on euthanasia. I have questions and doubts about all sorts of things but I know Jesus told us to love our neighbours, whoever or whatever they are*. It seems so simple. Why can't it be?

* Admittedly if I lived in 1601 Pennsylvania Avenue I might find that difficult come January. 

Iolo and his opium

So Husband phoned the consultant's secretary yesterday to let them know he'd had the angiogram. The secretary said the operation was likely to be in the New Year unless he fancied going in over Christmas.

I think we'd both been assuming that once the angiogram was done the op would follow soon after so it was deflating to hear this. For the last two months we've been living in a state of waiting, putting off plans, refusing to commit, and - I was going to say not living but that's not strictly true.

I have kept saying I shall be glad when this year is over and we can begin again: it's been a rubbish year for Husband with his cancerous ear and pneumonia and heart problems. I'd thought - hoped - he would be back on the road to full health by January.

But who knows? Perhaps the doctor will over-ride his secretary and move Husband up the list. We'll see.

Now let me tell you about Iolo Morganwg (1747-1826).

I'd never heard of him until I read a poster in Cowbridge on Wednesday yet he's an important character in Welsh history. Iolo Morganwg is his bardic name; his real name was Edward Williams. It was he who was responsible for the creation of the Gorsedd of the Bards, a druidic order, in 1792.

The Gorsedd continues to this day as an association of poets, writers, artists and musicians, as well as others, who have made an important contribution to the Welsh language and culture. 

As well as poet, hymn-writer, and historian, Iolo was an abolitionist and refused to sell sugar produced on slave-owning plantations in the West Indies, in his grocer's shop in Cowbridge. He also refused to let slave traders to subscribe to his books.

You'll notice Literary and Historical Forger under his name! He forged many of his manuscripts and ancient documents and they were accepted as true. But he invented them all!

Also notice Opium Eater. When in Debtors' Prison he began using laudanum for pain relief. 

To Laudanum
Thou faithful friend in all my grief,
In thy soft arms I find relief;
In thee forget my woes:
Unfeeling waste my wintry day
And pass with thee the night away,
Reclin'd in sweet repose