Not quite finished

The article I needed to write is almost finished: I just need a final short sentence to end it. Something not too trite about brighter days being on the horizon.

My donkey monologue is also drafted but I need to time it as we're squeezing lots of writings in to the carol service so have to keep them shortish.

The prayer went down well yesterday - thank you for the lovely comments on it - so this morning I was feeling quite relaxed and calm. Then I realised my cleaner would be turning up in ten minutes and I was still in my nightie. 

But I've finished my Christmas shopping. Now it's just waiting for deliveries, which make every day seem like Christmas as I have no idea what's expected when, so they're all surprises!

The trouble with ordering books for people is that they arrive and then I want to read them. Speaking of reading, I am struggling through 1984. I get the point but it's very cheerless - obviously - and I can't see a happy ending so think I will abandon it and find a jolly Christmas murder to get into!

I sat down and watched Happy Ex-Mas yesterday afternoon. Usual sort of Christmas standard film, not going to win any Oscars, but very pretty.

And later on I'm going to help dish up the Christmas dinner for the Man Shed in church. Man Shed started about six years ago with three people; this year they have thirty-one men coming for Christmas lunch, and as the organiser said yesterday, "For some of them it's the only Christmas lunch they'll have."

I'm not a regular volunteer but she said she needed some people to man a production line filling the plates. I'll try and get some photos too.

The weather has been grim the last few days with really heavy rain and short intermittent dry patches so I haven't been getting out and getting photos. I'll have to look for an old one to brighten up this post.

Oh, Daughter just messaged me to ask which hotel I preferred (for our Iceland trip). One advertises that it has the oldest human remains in Iceland. Perfect, that's what I look for in a hotel. 

Our tree last year. 

No fool like an old fool

I should have known better. Ordering a Christmas jumper online. It arrived. It looks like the picture, maybe not quite the same texture, but it drapes off my shoulders.

I decided to return it. Only to find a message from the seller along the lines of, we fooled you now we're not giving you back your money. The excuse is they're re-organising their warehouse and to contact them before returning goods. I'm trying to do that but don't hold out a lot of hope

I suspect if I return it I'll end up with neither jumper nor refund, so I'll have to pretend off-the-shoulder is THE look for this season. 

I was misled because the shop was called 4.9*Good Find* online store. I should have checked. My own fault. Looking at reviews now I see nothing but 1* and complaints.

I'm usually so careful but the jumper looked so pretty . . . as did the t-shirt I bought in another store. I'm not even going to think about that. 

* * * * *

In much cheerier news, I was asked to light the second candle of Advent this morning in church, and to read a prayer for peace, today's theme. I wrote this prayer:

Prince of Peace

For our battle-torn, battle-worn world

we pray.

For the invaded and the invaders

Peace for the innocents

Justice for humanity

Courage for the peace-makers.

For our community

behind locked doors 

we pray.

For the abused, and the abusers

the lost and the frightened.

That they may discover your peace.

For us

as church, as individuals,

for the broken,

wearied by inner turmoil

burdened by outside pressures

grant us your peace 

we pray.

Thank you, Prince of Peace.

I was also called a blessing to the church this morning! You can fool some of the people etc.

* * * * *

Now that's interesting. I thought I might as well see if I could return the t-shirt or if there would be similar problems. This time it says, your refund is being processed, no need to return the item! Have to wait and see if the refund comes through I guess, although this seems to be more of an Amazon thing.

On the verge

I search for running socks: plenty of choice.

Running socks with toes: bit more limited.

Brightly-coloured running socks with toes: not that many.

Brightly-coloured running socks with toes available in Italy: one. 

Brightly-coloured running socks with toes available in Italy that come in the right size: none.

You see why I am on the verge?

Husband emerges briefly from his little room where he is playing computer games. I tell him of my woes. He says, "You think that's bad? My lesbian girlfriend just told me she's pregnant." (Husband is a teenage lesbian in The Last of Us part 2.)

This called for chocolate. 

There are a lot of reasons I wish Younger Son and Nuora hadn't moved to Italy; this is just a seasonal one.

* * * * *

I didn't have time to cook dinner yesterday thanks to my last minute theatre trip so I called into a supermarket on the way home to pick up a ready meal. I opted for a Meal Deal Special: main, side, dessert, and drink. There were no bottles of wine in the section so I asked an assistant if they were hidden somewhere else. He went off to the warehouse to check.

While I was waiting I glanced at the cooking instructions and realised the meal I had picked would take 40 minutes to cook. We'd already be eating late; that was a bit much. I wanted to put the meal back and get pizza instead but didn't like the thought of the man coming back and finding me gone. So I waited and hoped he'd not be able to find any wine so I'd be justified in putting it back.

He found the wine.

So I thanked him, put it in my basket, and went away. 

I strolled around a few aisles and then crept back, making sure the man wasn't around before I returned the Meal Deal to the shelf and got pizza instead. Then I saw him at hte end of the aisle and had to run away again quickly.

This is my life now it seems. Hiding from shop assistants, contemplating buying donkey ears, and wondering if I should take my own fire-lighter to church tomorrow.

The Maltesers are out.

But here are George and Harvey keeping watch.

Explanation: our Harvey was named after the invisible rabbit in the film of that name. 

Sunny afternoon

I'd seen the musical, Sunny Afternoon, advertised months ago and thought that I'd probably enjoy it, and then forgot about it. Then yesterday I saw that a friend had been to see it and recommended it, and it was in Swansea this week. I checked the ticket availability and there were plenty for yesterday afternoon; I mean who goes to the theatre on a Friday afternoon?

I thought about it but decided I had too much to do - see previous post.

Then at about 1.00 pm with the show starting at 2.30, I stroked my chin philosophically, and said to myself, "What is life if I don't live it?"

Then booked a ticket and went to the theatre!

I had a perfect view. The arena was less than half full but it was a Friday afternoon! And while there were younger fans in the audience for Bob Dylan this audience comprised of people 'who were there'.

It was the story of the 60s band, The Kinks, and their rise to fame, including law battles and being banned in America, as well as transvestism and socialism. So it was really interesting but mostly great fun, great music, and loads of life and energy. For the finale - a rousing rendition of Lola - I think almost all the audience was on its feet, dancing and clapping.

It still amazes me how they got away with Lola in the 60s. Permissive they might have been but some things weren't allowed to be mentioned, and in a pop song aimed at 'young people' at that!

This is what you call procrastination

My head is creaking again. Or rather my brain is.

It's not painful or bothersome just puzzling.

It's been a day of bits and pieces, lots of little different things. 

Friday - I think

I began this on Wednesday, and I can't remember what I was talking about. Yesterday was Zac's for breakfast, a lovely walk in the sunshine with Husband, some confusion over having a grandchild for a while and going to a play at school, as opposed to a school play - quickly resolved when play was cancelled - according to Daughter "the theatre co broke down." I know how they feel.

My attempts to finish my Christmas shopping came to a very confused end, with emails flying back and for between me and a small business artist. Mixed-up addresses, change of plans, wrong payments, etc*, I thought I'd finally resolved it last night but overnight came up with a better scheme so will email artist again. She will block me next year I'm sure. *Not all my fault!

I have an article to write by Wednesday, a monologue to write by Tuesday, and a prayer to perfect by Sunday. Plus finish shopping. And I thought I was organised this year.

Apples on the tip

Dynamite!

It wasn't that hard. 

On the menu we had three cheese and tarragon mushrooms,

followed by bouillabaisse,

and finished off, a bit later, with cream sponge.

It was the fish soup that was marked as a challenge, and it wasn't. Unfortunately the fishmonger doesn't get fresh mussels on Mondays so I had to omit those, which was a shame as they're Husband's favourite, but I didn't think of it being a Monday when I planned the menu.

I hadn't thought about a cake either but at the last minute decided I'd make a quick sponge.

The day itself was damp and grey and the shower too heavy to get out for a walk. Or rather we mistimed it. So it was a quiet day. In the evening we watched Netflix's House of Dynamite. Well, that was terrifying. An unidentified nuclear missile is heading for Chicago, and the film's about the protocols that swing into action. And it's down to the President, in the last few minutes to decide whether to retaliate before the missile strikes or wait and see. The fact that they're not sure who has launched it, or if it were deliberate, or anything really is rather worrying. The thought that it could be Trump rather than Idris Elba making that decision - and I think we all know what he'd do - now that's terrifying.

* * * * *

Only seven of us in exercise this morning. It seems there is a virus rampant among the community. It's held in a church that runs a foodbank, and Monday evenings they get surplus from M&S. Any goods which can't be used in foodbank get left out for anyone to take. This morning there were literally buckets of bunches of flowers. I took two for me and four more bunches for my Zac's ladies.

A touch of Spring on another gloomy day.

A challenge

Lovely tea party, not too much food left-over, and a good game of You Think You Know Your Family.

Church Sunday morning and I was honoured to be asked to help hand out communion. We have bits of bread (gluten-free also provided) on plates and individual little shot glasses of red juice.

Then a blustery walk with Elder Son, GrandSon3, and Theo, to Three Cliffs beach.

Husband's birthday today.

I am cooking a meal for him tonight. A new recipe, level of difficulty labelled as 'A challenge', has me ridiculously stressed. I keep telling myself I'm not a beginner cook and I don't see how this recipe can be that difficult anyway. So we'll see. Watch this space.

Buy one and get one for twice the price

Husband's birthday on Monday so we're having a birthday tea party today. That could mean only one thing: an early morning visit to M&S in Mumbles to stock up on party food.

You've got to hand it to M&S: they've got their marketing schemes sussed.

"Buy 4 for 3!"
"Buy 3 for £8!"
"Buy one of these, one of those, and one of the ones in the pick wrapping, and you'll save money!"

Obviously I have to buy the number they suggest in order to save money. But then one of the items I pick up is short date so is cheaper anyway. Thus I have to buy it, plus something to replace it in the offer. I pick up 4 for 3 then discover two of them are in a different price range, so a different offer. You need a degree in complicated problems to work it out.

So I've ended up with enough to feed a small army. (And a thankful heart that we can afford this sort of luxury.)

Another problem with getting to Mumbles early is that half the places, such as the library, aren't open until 10. And midway through my shopping I slapped my forehead and exclaimed, "Candlesticks!"

We're beginning our look at Advent in Zac's on Tuesday so I needed four candles and receptacles. I wandered around the local hardware store reluctant to ask at the counter for "four candles." (Fans of old British comedy will understand.)

Eventually found a little Advent thingy in a charity shop.

* * * * *

Last night it was the tree light-up ceremony at church. Children from the local school were singing in the hall beforehand. I was a bit late getting there and the place was jam-packed. The children sang all the favourite Christmas songs and were very good. Then we all went outside to see the tree.

I got an added bonus. A toddler was getting bored. She wandered over to me, I held out my hand, she took it, and I led her into the little room behind the hall, and we drew on the blackboard. She was very smiley and happy with that. As was I getting to play with a little little one.